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The morning came ever so pleasantly with the Sun rising slowly into view, casting light upon the sleepy town of Pallet. The birds erupted in a joyful chorus, chattering beautifully between another. With the arrival of this bright morning, came the elegantly floating clouds and a gentle whisking breeze caressing the flowers that gracefully swayed with the wind. Within mere minute, the cold dewy atmosphere changed to a dry, fresh one, and the sky faded from dark, grey velvet to a vivid azure horizon. It was still dusk, but you could see that the animal life was already beginning to awaken and go about their daily food foraging. The Dodrio upon the hill leading into Pallet town awoke and sung their morning chant, alerting the residence of the town to the blessed morning awaiting them.
Soon after, many houses began to come alive with the sounds of laughter, children rushing outside to play around in the many gardens. In addition, people were going off to work, breathing huge breaths of the fresh air around them and walking briskly to their jobs. Their families would come out of their homes the workers as they departed, waving goodbye exuberantly. What seemed to be most apparent about today was the fact that many soon-to-be trainers would be flocking to Professor Oak’s laboratory to collect their pokémon licence and with that, their very first pokémon.
However, one boy would sleep in until mid-morning when many of the other new trainers would be leaving; Ethan David Nevis. At around 9am, Ethan’s alarm clock rang noisily to wake the slumbering 14 year old, closely followed by the resounding footsteps of Claire, his mother, climbing the small staircase with short, sharp steps. She knocked on his white washed door and waited, Ethan giving her a grumble before she opened the door softly.
She walked over to clock to turn the alarm off, then to the window to fling open the cream coloured curtains, the Sun’s rays flooding into the room. “Come on Ethan, you don’t want to miss your chance in getting a pokémon now do you?” Claire asked, encouraging Ethan to get out of bed. Ethan turned to reply, but upon opening his teary eyes, the light made his eyes wince shut again. He moaned again, this time throwing off his bed quilt and rubbing his face. Ethan rose up and sat on the edge of his bed with his face staring down, adjusting to the brightness of the room.
“I won’t be late mom.” Ethan replied eventually, but Claire just laughed. “You will, because firstly you haven’t had breakfast and secondly, you haven’t got your- Oh…” She said, noticing that on the glass table in his room laid an assortment of clothes and underwear neatly folded in three separate piles. Ethan chuckled, walking over to his cupboard and pulling out his shirt and shorts. “See… And you thought I was disorganised?” He teased merrily, making his mother smile.
Soon after that, Ethan dressed himself and packed his backpack with the gear on his table, he then packed a thin sleeping bag. Ethan knew that he would be carrying more than just clothes; he would need to store any key items that he would encounter or need too. With his backpack relatively light for his journey, Ethan hopped downstairs to grab a bite to eat, and then poured out a glass of milk. He guzzled the milk and sighed in satisfaction, before hurrying to the door and slipping on his running shoes.
“Honey, before you go…” His mother started, “You will need some pans to go into your backpack for cooking, and also a trinket to boil water in. I took the liberty of putting these into your backpack, and lightened your load a little more to compensate.”
“Hey, thanks mom. You’re a diamond!” Ethan responded, taking the bag from his mother and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Well, I have to go now; my watch says its 9:34, so I have to go now… Bye mom!”
Ethan embraced her and flung open the door. He raced down the gravel path giving a final wave to his mother as he sprinted. His mother waved a sad goodbye, wiping a proud tear from her eye. As Ethan ran to Oak’s lab, he waved to Mrs. Ketchum as she tended to her garden, who shouted, “You’re going to be late!” amusingly. Eventually he found himself close to the huge laboratory on top of the hill he would have to walk up. Realising that he had made up lost ground, he decided to rest for a while. He opened his back and gasped in shock.
“Where the heck is most of my clothes? And my favourite underwear is gone too!” Ethan ranted, before noticing that the essential wear was still in the bag. His favourite hooded sweater was still there along with his jeans, with a few pairs of boxer shorts, socks and a washing line, as well as the extra gear his mom gave him. He found a Town Map within his bag too; a very convenient item that he forgot to pack and he thanked his mother for remembering to give him. After inspecting the contents, he opened up another zip and pulled out a cold soda. Ethan took a few mouthfuls of soda, getting up to walk the last part of his trek.
It wasn’t long before he was standing outside the door. He hesitated a little while before opening the door, but before he could open it, the door swung open and cracked him in the forehead. A lively Eevee emerged from the open door with a fearful expression, almost as if it were trying to get away from someone. Ethan groaned in pain, and not realising that the critter had hid behind his leg, stepped back. The hapless boy tripped over the frightened pokémon and thumped his head again on the ground below; luckily the grass was lusciously long and it did not do him great harm.
Suddenly a man hurried through the door and helped Ethan up to a seated position. “Are you okay young man?” The man said sympathetically, checking the bump on Ethan’s head. “Erm, yeah I’m fine sir… Just a little sore that’s all” Ethan replied holding his throbbing head. As he looked up, he noticed that the face was familiar to him.
“Professor Oak!” He yelled.
“Ah, you are Ethan. I was expecting you to be much sooner, but you timed it just right.” Oak smiled. The Eevee that injured Ethan nervously crept over to him, licking his hand. Ethan placed a comforting hand on the worried Eevee, petting its slick fur. Oak helped Ethan to his feet an apologised on the pokémon’s behalf, telling him that it does not seem to like being in a pokéball. Oak ushered them into his lab so that he could talk; by then Ethan’s pain began to wear off.
“So, you are here for your pokémon licence right?” Oak asked.
“I sure am. And am I right in saying that this is also where I can get my starter pokémon?” Ethan replied. “Indeed it is…” Oak grinned, “Now then, you’ll probably want to have a look at the pokémon that are still on offer, so come over to here.”
The two walked over to a table with a dome in the centre. Oak flicked a switch on the side of the table, which unveiled a secret compartment holding plenty of pokéballs. Ethan was amazed at the amount of pokemon still on offer, even though he took so long arriving here.
“We still have plenty of pokémon you can choose, so go ahead and pick.” Oak said enthusiastically.
Ethan took a moment to decide, but then noticed an empty pokéball lying half-open in the dome. He picked it up and examined it, looking towards Eevee, who seemed to recognise it. He then pointed the ball at Eevee, who gasped and shook its head violently. “You must really hate it in these things, huh little one?” Ethan remarked. Eevee gave him a sorrowful stare and nodded. Ethan laughed quietly and knelt down to stroke it. Ethan’s warm touch soothed Eevee’s nerves, and with that, he gave a sweet growl.
“Professor, I’ll take Eevee please.” Ethan decided, after taking a shine to the cute fox’s affectionate side.
“Very well then, I am sure you two will get along well.” Oak grinned. “Here Ethan, you need these; your Pokéballs and pokédex.”
The professor handed the five capturing devices which were clipped to a belt, and then handed Ethan his pokédex. Ethan checked that the details on his licence were correct and thanked Professor Oak for giving him his journeying tools, especially Eevee. The two partners waved goodbye to Oak as they ventured back down the hill. They walked close to one another brimming with confidence and excitement. Where will this journey take them? What exciting events will they be a part of? What new human and pokémon friends will they encounter? Those were the questions going through Ethan’s mind, and there was only one way to find out.
“Come on Eevee, do ya wanna sprint with me?” Ethan asked his new companion. Eevee yapped happily in acceptance and the two started to run. At that point, Ethan noticed that Eevee was particularly fast in comparison to some of the other one’s he had seen before. “You’re a fast little fella, aren’t you?” Ethan stated taking short pauses for breath. “Don’t stop now though, we’re going to become as fit as we possibly can, so that we can take on any challenges that come are way!”
Ethan cut across the path, rejoining on the path towards Route 1, where their pokémon journey will officially begin. Whatever happens from here, these two ambitious companions will only grow and mature, both physically and mentally, and never look back on the choices they might make. With the grassy plains of Route 1 in sight, Ethan let out a huge cry.
“Let our quest to be the best… BEGIN!”
~
Before slowing down for a while to catch their breath from running so hard, Ethan and Eevee ended up in Route 1 very quickly. The grassy plains stretched for a good mile or so from what the duo could see, with quite a few trees scattered around the landscape. In the far distance was Viridian City, home to the first Gym Leader and his pokémon badge. Their aim was to become strong enough to beat this Gym Leader, taking whatever badge he or she has on offer.
"Come on Eevee, I know you must be a little worn out from our run, but I'm sure you'd like to show me your prowess, right?" Ethan stated to his fluffy friend.
Eevee yapped in agreement, swishing his tail back and forth on the dusty floor excitedly. The two then roamed the grass in search of a pokemon to battle, when low and behold, a Pidgey came flying down not too far away. Ethan threw a rock to surprise it, making sure that he just got the rock close enough to startle it into battle. Sure enough, the Pidgey came charging in towards Eevee and Ethan, making them both leap out of the way. They both hurried over to the shorter grass, luring the Pidgey over. Now this battle could begin...
Ethan had battled twice before with his father, so he learned a lesson or two. Ethan stepped forward with Eevee readying himself, "Okay, this one looks feisty, so let's fire it up even more. Tail Whip to taunt it, and then strafe left to dodge." Ethan instructed.
Just as Ethan said, Eevee bounded away from his partner's side and flicked his tail; poking a tongue out at the Pidgey. Furious, the Pidgey rushed in with a tenacious Tackle to take down the tricky Eevee. However, Eevee dodged at the exact moment Pidgey intended to strike. Eevee then turned to face Pidgey, ready for another onslaught.
Noticing that the adamant Pidgey's enraged attack was leaving it open to a bigger hit, Ethan added yet another command for Eevee to manifest. "Eevee, don't be worried about taking Pidgey on. Its defences are weak, so plough through it with a Tackle."
Eevee charged down the Pidgey, who had fully committed to the attack by now. The two collided, but Pidgey came out the worst off, with Eevee only staggering back a little. Ethan thought it a good time to catch Pidgey whilst it reeled, and threw out a pokéball. The ball connected with Pidgey as it rose up, sealing it. The ball wriggled around as Pidgey struggled to free itself, and the red light on the button throbbed madly. Eventually, however, the ball settled and the light vanished; Ethan caught Pidgey.
Ethan and Eevee jumped for joy at this first successful capture, parading proudly around the pokéball. Soon, the duo calmed down and picked up the ball, he then scanned it with his pokédex to find out more about his catch. After being satisfied with his find, he clipped the new pokéball to his waist; now only 4 more until he can get a complete set of six. Just as Ethan and his Eevee went to venture back into the grass, a man dressed in work clothes appeared.
"Hi, I work at the PokéMart in Viridian." He stated, "I made it all the way out here to promote Viridian's medicine shop, so here is a Potion. There are pokémon that will be raring to fight, and its a long way until you get to Viridian, so take It."
"Wow, thank you sir." Ethan replied politely, taking the potion from the shop assistant. He shuffled off his bag and unzipped a pocket, placing the medicine in it, zipping it up and throwing the bag back over his shoulder. "Well, I mustn't stop; I want to challenge the Gym Leader as soon as I arrive." Ethan added, waving goodbye to the clerk.
"Good Luck with that!" The clerk replied, waving back at him.
Ethan ventured through the thick grass looking for a new pokémon for his Eevee to go up against, venturing for a good 20 minutes before coming to a halt. His eyes gravitated towards a rustling in the bushes to his right, and with Eevee also noticing the noise; they hurried in search of the scampering pokémon. They watched for the perfect moment to strike, until the rustling stopped abruptly. "Eevee, go in there and scope it out... Just be careful, okay?" Ethan whispered to his companion. Eevee nodded and slowly crept in.
Out of where he entered a loud screech resounded, and Eevee flew out of the bush on his back. Eevee took a thud or two before coming to a standstill, but quickly rose to his feet just as a Rattata came in for another crushing Tackle. The fox jumped to dodge and delivered a nasty tackle of his own before settling down nicely beside Ethan once more. "Wow, looks like you got yourself a new opponent... Okay then, go in close and use Tail Whip, then feint left and use Tackle."
Eevee leapt into action, wagging its tail confidently as it approached Rattata, who had took its time about getting to its feet. With a quick flick, Eevee lowered Rattata's guard and pinned it down with a Tackle. However, the nimble rat squirmed out of the pin and returned the favour with a fantastically placed Tackle. Ethan gasped as Eevee fell back in pain, but remained steadfast.
"Hang in there buddy. I see it has winded you, so listen up." Ethan started calmly, "On my signal, duck down. I noticed that Rattata likes to jump in a place all his weight into the attacks, so when you duck down, immediately throw your weight upward."
Using his father's lessons on observing the opponent's pokémon and its movements, he'd learned a limited number of ways to counter mainly simple attacks effortlessly, though his father stated that those principles can be used against any foe and to counter almost every type of attack. Eevee winced, but managed to acknowledge that he had been paying attention with a low grunt. Sure enough, just as Rattata leapt in for a strong finishing blow on Eevee, Ethan gave the signal. Eevee dropped instantly, and sprung his body directly upward to meet the cunning rat's underside. The tackle sent Rattata soaring high, and the pokémon landed heavily in defeat.
Ethan rushed over to his ally and picked him up gently; knowing that it might have been more harm than good to attack whilst still winded. However, Eevee soon conveyed that he was relatively fine and he just wanted to travel on. Eevee hopped down from Ethan's arms and shook the dirt from his white mane and tail. The two then returned to the dusty trail, Eevee limped slightly as they walked.
~
"Are you sure you're going to be fine, Eevee?" Ethan asked worryingly of his partner, bordering the final stretch of Route 1. Eevee looked at Ethan and sighed, before shaking his head and sitting down with a faint grimace. Ethan stopped and sat beside the little fox, clicking the medicine pocket open and taking out the Potion.
Ethan sprayed the potion on thoroughly along Eevee's injured leg and everywhere else. "Okay, now please lay down on your stomach for me." Ethan requested, with Eevee nodding and obeying. Ethan proceeded to massage Eevee's body, soothing the aches and pains of battle further, helping the fox to recover much quicker. Ethan's firm but careful touch delighted Eevee, who rolled over onto his back.
Ethan laughed, and applied the rest of the potion to his companion and massaging Eevee's stomach, chest, inner hinds and paws. Ethan then scratched playfully on Eevee's mane, causing his right leg to thump the ground repeatedly. Ethan had some experience with pokémon much like Eevee before, and could always found that scratching the chest was therapeutic, and the thumping was proof that they enjoyed it.
This occurred for several minutes, but as Ethan stopped scratching, Eevee's thumping died down and the two got up, completely satisfied at their bonding session. In addition, Eevee seemed to be feeling much better, springing around in stark contract to limping around in pain. "I'm glad you are back to your perky self Eevee, now we can carry on." Ethan said happily, Eevee yapping enthusiastically.
Just then, Eevee's ears pricked up and twitched cutely, alerted to the sound of beating wings. Ethan clocked on to his partner's response and looked up. A rough-looking Pidgey flew above them and into a nearby tree, watching them closely. Ethan's eyes narrowed as his hand grabbed for Pidgey's pokéball. "Pidgey, this should interest you, engage!" He bellowed, tossing her ball skyward. The ball bursts open in a flash of light, leaving a white silhouette of Pidgey behind. The light then vanishes to reveal a rather relieved bird, swooping around blissfully. Suddenly, Ethan's attention quickly diverted back to the other Pidgey, as it descended from the tree to attack. "Quickly Pidgey, move up!"
Pidgey moved swiftly, up and just out of her foe's way. The riled up bird then countered, tackling the hostile bird to the ground. "Great work!" Ethan shouted encouragingly, "However, get away fast! You aren't strong enough to take a hit and you're too close!"
Pidgey retreated, only to find her foe in hot pursuit. Ethan thought hard for a moment, before adding another command. "Pidgey, fly upward through the leaves of its tree to shake it off your tail feathers." He yelled, hoping that his voice would carry within earshot. Pidgey headed directly for the tree and flew upward, with the Pidgey close behind. Since Ethan's Pidgey had a better view, she could navigate through the tree. The wild Pidgey, on the other hand, slowed down so that it could see the incoming branches. Ethan’s Pidgey emerged first, with the wild one yet to show. Ethan thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to switch Pidgey's role from defence to offence.
"Now," he started confidently, "When you see it, give that Pidgey everything you've got in one harsh Tackle."
Pidgey chirped, and seconds later, the wild Pidgey came charging through the thick leaves. Ethan's bird flew directly towards her target with determination, using gravity and her hard-working wings to build momentum. The wild Pidgey squawked in terror and, unable to move away quick enough, it felt the crippling forces of Pidgey’s tackle, and plummeted to the ground at speed. As Ethan's Pidgey floated to the ground seconds after, her foe tried to get up, to no avail. Ethan's Pidgey had won.
Ethan threw a fist of triumph in the air, congratulating Pidgey on a short but well-fought first battle. "You could use a major rest now though gal, return!" Ethan said, holding her pokéball at her. The exhausted Pidgey slumped down onto her tail feathers and wiped her head with a wing, just before the pokéball returned her to some well-deserved rest. Ethan then looked down at Eevee. "I think Pidgey's going to fit in well with us." He grins.
After Pidgey's inspiring bout, then trekked on along the path to Viridian until night began to fall. They contemplated staying the night, until the duo finally came across the shining lights of the destination they hoped to see. "There it is!" Ethan roared delightfully, his pace increasing with every step. Soon he broke out into a sprint, with Eevee running alongside him. As they entered the town, a large banner-like sign overhung their head...
'Route 1 Ends here. Welcome to Viridian City!'
The morning came ever so pleasantly with the Sun rising slowly into view, casting light upon the sleepy town of Pallet. The birds erupted in a joyful chorus, chattering beautifully between another. With the arrival of this bright morning, came the elegantly floating clouds and a gentle whisking breeze caressing the flowers that gracefully swayed with the wind. Within mere minute, the cold dewy atmosphere changed to a dry, fresh one, and the sky faded from dark, grey velvet to a vivid azure horizon. It was still dusk, but you could see that the animal life was already beginning to awaken and go about their daily food foraging. The Dodrio upon the hill leading into Pallet town awoke and sung their morning chant, alerting the residence of the town to the blessed morning awaiting them.
Soon after, many houses began to come alive with the sounds of laughter, children rushing outside to play around in the many gardens. In addition, people were going off to work, breathing huge breaths of the fresh air around them and walking briskly to their jobs. Their families would come out of their homes the workers as they departed, waving goodbye exuberantly. What seemed to be most apparent about today was the fact that many soon-to-be trainers would be flocking to Professor Oak’s laboratory to collect their pokémon licence and with that, their very first pokémon.
However, one boy would sleep in until mid-morning when many of the other new trainers would be leaving; Ethan David Nevis. At around 9am, Ethan’s alarm clock rang noisily to wake the slumbering 14 year old, closely followed by the resounding footsteps of Claire, his mother, climbing the small staircase with short, sharp steps. She knocked on his white washed door and waited, Ethan giving her a grumble before she opened the door softly.
She walked over to clock to turn the alarm off, then to the window to fling open the cream coloured curtains, the Sun’s rays flooding into the room. “Come on Ethan, you don’t want to miss your chance in getting a pokémon now do you?” Claire asked, encouraging Ethan to get out of bed. Ethan turned to reply, but upon opening his teary eyes, the light made his eyes wince shut again. He moaned again, this time throwing off his bed quilt and rubbing his face. Ethan rose up and sat on the edge of his bed with his face staring down, adjusting to the brightness of the room.
“I won’t be late mom.” Ethan replied eventually, but Claire just laughed. “You will, because firstly you haven’t had breakfast and secondly, you haven’t got your- Oh…” She said, noticing that on the glass table in his room laid an assortment of clothes and underwear neatly folded in three separate piles. Ethan chuckled, walking over to his cupboard and pulling out his shirt and shorts. “See… And you thought I was disorganised?” He teased merrily, making his mother smile.
Soon after that, Ethan dressed himself and packed his backpack with the gear on his table, he then packed a thin sleeping bag. Ethan knew that he would be carrying more than just clothes; he would need to store any key items that he would encounter or need too. With his backpack relatively light for his journey, Ethan hopped downstairs to grab a bite to eat, and then poured out a glass of milk. He guzzled the milk and sighed in satisfaction, before hurrying to the door and slipping on his running shoes.
“Honey, before you go…” His mother started, “You will need some pans to go into your backpack for cooking, and also a trinket to boil water in. I took the liberty of putting these into your backpack, and lightened your load a little more to compensate.”
“Hey, thanks mom. You’re a diamond!” Ethan responded, taking the bag from his mother and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Well, I have to go now; my watch says its 9:34, so I have to go now… Bye mom!”
Ethan embraced her and flung open the door. He raced down the gravel path giving a final wave to his mother as he sprinted. His mother waved a sad goodbye, wiping a proud tear from her eye. As Ethan ran to Oak’s lab, he waved to Mrs. Ketchum as she tended to her garden, who shouted, “You’re going to be late!” amusingly. Eventually he found himself close to the huge laboratory on top of the hill he would have to walk up. Realising that he had made up lost ground, he decided to rest for a while. He opened his back and gasped in shock.
“Where the heck is most of my clothes? And my favourite underwear is gone too!” Ethan ranted, before noticing that the essential wear was still in the bag. His favourite hooded sweater was still there along with his jeans, with a few pairs of boxer shorts, socks and a washing line, as well as the extra gear his mom gave him. He found a Town Map within his bag too; a very convenient item that he forgot to pack and he thanked his mother for remembering to give him. After inspecting the contents, he opened up another zip and pulled out a cold soda. Ethan took a few mouthfuls of soda, getting up to walk the last part of his trek.
It wasn’t long before he was standing outside the door. He hesitated a little while before opening the door, but before he could open it, the door swung open and cracked him in the forehead. A lively Eevee emerged from the open door with a fearful expression, almost as if it were trying to get away from someone. Ethan groaned in pain, and not realising that the critter had hid behind his leg, stepped back. The hapless boy tripped over the frightened pokémon and thumped his head again on the ground below; luckily the grass was lusciously long and it did not do him great harm.
Suddenly a man hurried through the door and helped Ethan up to a seated position. “Are you okay young man?” The man said sympathetically, checking the bump on Ethan’s head. “Erm, yeah I’m fine sir… Just a little sore that’s all” Ethan replied holding his throbbing head. As he looked up, he noticed that the face was familiar to him.
“Professor Oak!” He yelled.
“Ah, you are Ethan. I was expecting you to be much sooner, but you timed it just right.” Oak smiled. The Eevee that injured Ethan nervously crept over to him, licking his hand. Ethan placed a comforting hand on the worried Eevee, petting its slick fur. Oak helped Ethan to his feet an apologised on the pokémon’s behalf, telling him that it does not seem to like being in a pokéball. Oak ushered them into his lab so that he could talk; by then Ethan’s pain began to wear off.
“So, you are here for your pokémon licence right?” Oak asked.
“I sure am. And am I right in saying that this is also where I can get my starter pokémon?” Ethan replied. “Indeed it is…” Oak grinned, “Now then, you’ll probably want to have a look at the pokémon that are still on offer, so come over to here.”
The two walked over to a table with a dome in the centre. Oak flicked a switch on the side of the table, which unveiled a secret compartment holding plenty of pokéballs. Ethan was amazed at the amount of pokemon still on offer, even though he took so long arriving here.
“We still have plenty of pokémon you can choose, so go ahead and pick.” Oak said enthusiastically.
Ethan took a moment to decide, but then noticed an empty pokéball lying half-open in the dome. He picked it up and examined it, looking towards Eevee, who seemed to recognise it. He then pointed the ball at Eevee, who gasped and shook its head violently. “You must really hate it in these things, huh little one?” Ethan remarked. Eevee gave him a sorrowful stare and nodded. Ethan laughed quietly and knelt down to stroke it. Ethan’s warm touch soothed Eevee’s nerves, and with that, he gave a sweet growl.
“Professor, I’ll take Eevee please.” Ethan decided, after taking a shine to the cute fox’s affectionate side.
“Very well then, I am sure you two will get along well.” Oak grinned. “Here Ethan, you need these; your Pokéballs and pokédex.”
The professor handed the five capturing devices which were clipped to a belt, and then handed Ethan his pokédex. Ethan checked that the details on his licence were correct and thanked Professor Oak for giving him his journeying tools, especially Eevee. The two partners waved goodbye to Oak as they ventured back down the hill. They walked close to one another brimming with confidence and excitement. Where will this journey take them? What exciting events will they be a part of? What new human and pokémon friends will they encounter? Those were the questions going through Ethan’s mind, and there was only one way to find out.
“Come on Eevee, do ya wanna sprint with me?” Ethan asked his new companion. Eevee yapped happily in acceptance and the two started to run. At that point, Ethan noticed that Eevee was particularly fast in comparison to some of the other one’s he had seen before. “You’re a fast little fella, aren’t you?” Ethan stated taking short pauses for breath. “Don’t stop now though, we’re going to become as fit as we possibly can, so that we can take on any challenges that come are way!”
Ethan cut across the path, rejoining on the path towards Route 1, where their pokémon journey will officially begin. Whatever happens from here, these two ambitious companions will only grow and mature, both physically and mentally, and never look back on the choices they might make. With the grassy plains of Route 1 in sight, Ethan let out a huge cry.
“Let our quest to be the best… BEGIN!”
~
Before slowing down for a while to catch their breath from running so hard, Ethan and Eevee ended up in Route 1 very quickly. The grassy plains stretched for a good mile or so from what the duo could see, with quite a few trees scattered around the landscape. In the far distance was Viridian City, home to the first Gym Leader and his pokémon badge. Their aim was to become strong enough to beat this Gym Leader, taking whatever badge he or she has on offer.
"Come on Eevee, I know you must be a little worn out from our run, but I'm sure you'd like to show me your prowess, right?" Ethan stated to his fluffy friend.
Eevee yapped in agreement, swishing his tail back and forth on the dusty floor excitedly. The two then roamed the grass in search of a pokemon to battle, when low and behold, a Pidgey came flying down not too far away. Ethan threw a rock to surprise it, making sure that he just got the rock close enough to startle it into battle. Sure enough, the Pidgey came charging in towards Eevee and Ethan, making them both leap out of the way. They both hurried over to the shorter grass, luring the Pidgey over. Now this battle could begin...
Ethan had battled twice before with his father, so he learned a lesson or two. Ethan stepped forward with Eevee readying himself, "Okay, this one looks feisty, so let's fire it up even more. Tail Whip to taunt it, and then strafe left to dodge." Ethan instructed.
Just as Ethan said, Eevee bounded away from his partner's side and flicked his tail; poking a tongue out at the Pidgey. Furious, the Pidgey rushed in with a tenacious Tackle to take down the tricky Eevee. However, Eevee dodged at the exact moment Pidgey intended to strike. Eevee then turned to face Pidgey, ready for another onslaught.
Noticing that the adamant Pidgey's enraged attack was leaving it open to a bigger hit, Ethan added yet another command for Eevee to manifest. "Eevee, don't be worried about taking Pidgey on. Its defences are weak, so plough through it with a Tackle."
Eevee charged down the Pidgey, who had fully committed to the attack by now. The two collided, but Pidgey came out the worst off, with Eevee only staggering back a little. Ethan thought it a good time to catch Pidgey whilst it reeled, and threw out a pokéball. The ball connected with Pidgey as it rose up, sealing it. The ball wriggled around as Pidgey struggled to free itself, and the red light on the button throbbed madly. Eventually, however, the ball settled and the light vanished; Ethan caught Pidgey.
Ethan and Eevee jumped for joy at this first successful capture, parading proudly around the pokéball. Soon, the duo calmed down and picked up the ball, he then scanned it with his pokédex to find out more about his catch. After being satisfied with his find, he clipped the new pokéball to his waist; now only 4 more until he can get a complete set of six. Just as Ethan and his Eevee went to venture back into the grass, a man dressed in work clothes appeared.
"Hi, I work at the PokéMart in Viridian." He stated, "I made it all the way out here to promote Viridian's medicine shop, so here is a Potion. There are pokémon that will be raring to fight, and its a long way until you get to Viridian, so take It."
"Wow, thank you sir." Ethan replied politely, taking the potion from the shop assistant. He shuffled off his bag and unzipped a pocket, placing the medicine in it, zipping it up and throwing the bag back over his shoulder. "Well, I mustn't stop; I want to challenge the Gym Leader as soon as I arrive." Ethan added, waving goodbye to the clerk.
"Good Luck with that!" The clerk replied, waving back at him.
Ethan ventured through the thick grass looking for a new pokémon for his Eevee to go up against, venturing for a good 20 minutes before coming to a halt. His eyes gravitated towards a rustling in the bushes to his right, and with Eevee also noticing the noise; they hurried in search of the scampering pokémon. They watched for the perfect moment to strike, until the rustling stopped abruptly. "Eevee, go in there and scope it out... Just be careful, okay?" Ethan whispered to his companion. Eevee nodded and slowly crept in.
Out of where he entered a loud screech resounded, and Eevee flew out of the bush on his back. Eevee took a thud or two before coming to a standstill, but quickly rose to his feet just as a Rattata came in for another crushing Tackle. The fox jumped to dodge and delivered a nasty tackle of his own before settling down nicely beside Ethan once more. "Wow, looks like you got yourself a new opponent... Okay then, go in close and use Tail Whip, then feint left and use Tackle."
Eevee leapt into action, wagging its tail confidently as it approached Rattata, who had took its time about getting to its feet. With a quick flick, Eevee lowered Rattata's guard and pinned it down with a Tackle. However, the nimble rat squirmed out of the pin and returned the favour with a fantastically placed Tackle. Ethan gasped as Eevee fell back in pain, but remained steadfast.
"Hang in there buddy. I see it has winded you, so listen up." Ethan started calmly, "On my signal, duck down. I noticed that Rattata likes to jump in a place all his weight into the attacks, so when you duck down, immediately throw your weight upward."
Using his father's lessons on observing the opponent's pokémon and its movements, he'd learned a limited number of ways to counter mainly simple attacks effortlessly, though his father stated that those principles can be used against any foe and to counter almost every type of attack. Eevee winced, but managed to acknowledge that he had been paying attention with a low grunt. Sure enough, just as Rattata leapt in for a strong finishing blow on Eevee, Ethan gave the signal. Eevee dropped instantly, and sprung his body directly upward to meet the cunning rat's underside. The tackle sent Rattata soaring high, and the pokémon landed heavily in defeat.
Ethan rushed over to his ally and picked him up gently; knowing that it might have been more harm than good to attack whilst still winded. However, Eevee soon conveyed that he was relatively fine and he just wanted to travel on. Eevee hopped down from Ethan's arms and shook the dirt from his white mane and tail. The two then returned to the dusty trail, Eevee limped slightly as they walked.
~
"Are you sure you're going to be fine, Eevee?" Ethan asked worryingly of his partner, bordering the final stretch of Route 1. Eevee looked at Ethan and sighed, before shaking his head and sitting down with a faint grimace. Ethan stopped and sat beside the little fox, clicking the medicine pocket open and taking out the Potion.
Ethan sprayed the potion on thoroughly along Eevee's injured leg and everywhere else. "Okay, now please lay down on your stomach for me." Ethan requested, with Eevee nodding and obeying. Ethan proceeded to massage Eevee's body, soothing the aches and pains of battle further, helping the fox to recover much quicker. Ethan's firm but careful touch delighted Eevee, who rolled over onto his back.
Ethan laughed, and applied the rest of the potion to his companion and massaging Eevee's stomach, chest, inner hinds and paws. Ethan then scratched playfully on Eevee's mane, causing his right leg to thump the ground repeatedly. Ethan had some experience with pokémon much like Eevee before, and could always found that scratching the chest was therapeutic, and the thumping was proof that they enjoyed it.
This occurred for several minutes, but as Ethan stopped scratching, Eevee's thumping died down and the two got up, completely satisfied at their bonding session. In addition, Eevee seemed to be feeling much better, springing around in stark contract to limping around in pain. "I'm glad you are back to your perky self Eevee, now we can carry on." Ethan said happily, Eevee yapping enthusiastically.
Just then, Eevee's ears pricked up and twitched cutely, alerted to the sound of beating wings. Ethan clocked on to his partner's response and looked up. A rough-looking Pidgey flew above them and into a nearby tree, watching them closely. Ethan's eyes narrowed as his hand grabbed for Pidgey's pokéball. "Pidgey, this should interest you, engage!" He bellowed, tossing her ball skyward. The ball bursts open in a flash of light, leaving a white silhouette of Pidgey behind. The light then vanishes to reveal a rather relieved bird, swooping around blissfully. Suddenly, Ethan's attention quickly diverted back to the other Pidgey, as it descended from the tree to attack. "Quickly Pidgey, move up!"
Pidgey moved swiftly, up and just out of her foe's way. The riled up bird then countered, tackling the hostile bird to the ground. "Great work!" Ethan shouted encouragingly, "However, get away fast! You aren't strong enough to take a hit and you're too close!"
Pidgey retreated, only to find her foe in hot pursuit. Ethan thought hard for a moment, before adding another command. "Pidgey, fly upward through the leaves of its tree to shake it off your tail feathers." He yelled, hoping that his voice would carry within earshot. Pidgey headed directly for the tree and flew upward, with the Pidgey close behind. Since Ethan's Pidgey had a better view, she could navigate through the tree. The wild Pidgey, on the other hand, slowed down so that it could see the incoming branches. Ethan’s Pidgey emerged first, with the wild one yet to show. Ethan thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to switch Pidgey's role from defence to offence.
"Now," he started confidently, "When you see it, give that Pidgey everything you've got in one harsh Tackle."
Pidgey chirped, and seconds later, the wild Pidgey came charging through the thick leaves. Ethan's bird flew directly towards her target with determination, using gravity and her hard-working wings to build momentum. The wild Pidgey squawked in terror and, unable to move away quick enough, it felt the crippling forces of Pidgey’s tackle, and plummeted to the ground at speed. As Ethan's Pidgey floated to the ground seconds after, her foe tried to get up, to no avail. Ethan's Pidgey had won.
Ethan threw a fist of triumph in the air, congratulating Pidgey on a short but well-fought first battle. "You could use a major rest now though gal, return!" Ethan said, holding her pokéball at her. The exhausted Pidgey slumped down onto her tail feathers and wiped her head with a wing, just before the pokéball returned her to some well-deserved rest. Ethan then looked down at Eevee. "I think Pidgey's going to fit in well with us." He grins.
After Pidgey's inspiring bout, then trekked on along the path to Viridian until night began to fall. They contemplated staying the night, until the duo finally came across the shining lights of the destination they hoped to see. "There it is!" Ethan roared delightfully, his pace increasing with every step. Soon he broke out into a sprint, with Eevee running alongside him. As they entered the town, a large banner-like sign overhung their head...
'Route 1 Ends here. Welcome to Viridian City!'
