The sun gleamed over Windmill Town, a small, secluded area in the far west of the Wrockled region. Surrounded by massive forests, Windmill Town looked stunning from afar and mesmerizing up close. The houses, built into giant windmills, towered over the town. These windmills served both as homes and power generators, making the town flourish peacefully and cheerfully all year round.

On the third floor of one particular windmill, a boy was abruptly awakened by the sound of his irritating alarm. He slowly sat upright, the morning glow seeping through his curtains. As he sat on his bed, looking around, his eyes landed on the calendar. Suddenly, a big smile spread across his face.

He was turning ten today!

Springing off the bed, he ran to the door, which suddenly swung open. His mother stood on the other side, her kind gaze and gentle smile making her look like an angel.

“Morning, honey!” she exclaimed warmly.

The boy grinned and nodded, then dashed through the door and raced downstairs. There, his brother was lounging on the couch, watching a show on TV.

“Hmm? Why are you up so early?” Jax asked, pulling his phone from his pocket. “It’s a Saturday too.” At almost nineteen, he loved to annoy his little brother.

Nix made an angry face, prompting Jax to sit upright on the couch and sigh.

“I know, man. But how are you ever going to command your partners if you never speak to them?” he said, his tone filled with concern.

“I will,” Nix replied in a very low voice. Nix, though not mute, struggled with speaking and had eventually stopped talking altogether. Speaking required immense effort, and forming complex sentences was always too much for him.

Since he was little, Nix had always dreamed of going on an adventure with his own Pokémon. He devoured every book about Pokémon he could find in his school library, though they were few. He adored Pokémon with all his heart, and today, his dream would finally come true.

“Sure, man. I hope you do,” Jax said with a sigh. Despite his teasing, he always worried about Nix more than anything.

“Anyways, check out this cool show they just started,” Jax said, scratching his head as he looked at the TV.

“It’s called Legendary Hunters. Apparently, they search for folktales and rumors about legendary Pokémon and try to capture them on camera.” He glanced over at Nix, who looked VERY excited.

“Hey, don’t get your hopes up. They haven’t caught a single one yet,” Jax added. Nix’s face fell with disappointment.

Their mother came downstairs, carrying a massive bag full of clothes and other items. The bag was about half her size.

“Whoa, what the hell? How is he supposed to carry all that?” Jax chuckled, remembering when the same had happened to him on his tenth birthday. His mother had packed him a bag twice as heavy as he was at the time.

“Language, Jax,” she huffed as she struggled with the bag.

Jax rushed to help, supporting the bag from below and then carrying it down the stairs.

“Thanks!” she panted, relieved.

“He’s not going to carry all that, Mom. You just needed to pack the basics,” Jax said as he sat back down, tired from the effort.

“Well, sorry, but I couldn’t just send my sweet child off without anything!” she yelled at Jax.

“Wow! Nix is going to share the same fate, huh?” laughed the boys’ dad as he entered through the front door.

“I just made a call. Professor Clart said we could come anytime,” Dad said, looking at Nix, who was burning with excitement.

“Oh yeah, happy birthday, I guess,” Jax said flatly.

“Happy birthday, Nix!” exclaimed both parents in perfect sync. Nix's face lit up with a big smile. He was finally going to set off on his journey!

“Well, should we get going?” Dad asked, sliding out his phone to check the time. It was still seven in the morning.

“No! I specially made Milanian Ossobuco for today! No one’s going out until you finish it all!” Mom said angrily as she rushed to the kitchen. The others shrugged.

“Today will be very special because we are after the Legendary Pokémon Latias! There have been reports of Latias sightings in the Dunepine Oasis, where one was seen talking to a child before becoming invisible shortly after adults arrived,” the commentator on the TV announced.

“Eh, Latios looks cooler,” Jax said as he ate, spilling half of his food on his lap.

“No talking while eating!” Mom yelled from the kitchen.

Nix ate silently, lost in thought.

“Hmm? Why sad, big guy?” Jax whispered to Nix.

“I can still hear you!” Mom yelled again from the kitchen.

“HOW THOUGH?!” Jax yelled back.

“Oh, that was just a guess,” she replied.

After silently finishing the scrumptious meal, they got ready to visit Professor Clart. Clart was a famous professor who lived in a very secluded area in the middle of a forest. Known for his contact with multiple ultra-rare Pokémon, some of which had never been recorded, he was a goofy, fun-loving guy who adored all Pokémon, and the Pokémon adored him too.

Dad unlocked the car. Jax went for the front seat out of habit, then reconsidered and offered it to Nix, who took it happily. Dad drove past the other windmills and the massive school Nix attended.

Nix always hated going to school. He didn’t talk, so other children made fun of him. He despised being called mute, but speaking was so difficult for him that he couldn’t fight back. The bullying was so relentless that he started faking headaches for months just to avoid going to school. He always believed that Pokémon, who didn’t speak much either, would understand him better than any human could.

As they drove, the car was soon surrounded by giant trees swaying in the wind. There was never much traffic in that area. Dad silently drove them to Professor Clart’s Laboratory and Observatory. They all got out of the car and approached the main door, where they were greeted by a lady playing with her Ice-type Sandshrew.

“Welcome!” she exclaimed as the Sandshrew hid behind her.

“Nix, I assume?” she said, lowering herself to smile at Nix.

“Follow me! Clart’s been waiting for you.” She opened the door, and the Sandshrew ran off somewhere.

They followed the lady into the lab, where the walls were adorned with numerous trophies and medals, all awarded to Clart for his groundbreaking work in various Pokémon-related fields.

“There you are!” exclaimed a man dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, wearing sunglasses inside the laboratory.

“Mister Nix, am I right?” He lowered himself to Nix’s eye level, scratching his chin. Nix nodded with a big smile, and the man smiled back.

“And, uh, you are?” Dad asked, looking a bit puzzled.

“Did you forget me already?” the man said, bending backward and pointing with both hands at Dad.

“I am Clart!” he exclaimed, folding his arms and straightening himself.

“WOW! I absolutely didn’t recognize you!” Dad exclaimed.

“Holy shit, you’re right. He doesn’t look like he did back then at all!” Jax said, surprised.

“Language, Jax!” Mom yelled.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Oh, look how much you’ve grown. I could swear you were this tall a year ago!” Clart said, holding his hands at the height of his knees.

“Uh, sir, that was nine years ago. Also, I was taller than that,” Jax replied.

“Well!” Clart clapped his hands. “This is a big day for you, young man!” he said, looking at Nix, who seemed lost in thought once again.

“Gala! Could you bring the tray with ‘Nix’ written on it?” Clart called to the lady.

“Of course!” Gala exclaimed with a smile.

Clart climbed up on his desk and sat cross-legged on top of it.

“How did your ‘Every legendary will be mine’ plan come along?” he asked Jax, who suddenly looked extremely embarrassed.

“Aww man, I wish you didn’t remember that,” Jax chuckled.

“Don’t underestimate this old man’s memory!” Clart laughed. Despite his silver-white hair, Clart was in his mid-thirties and still going strong, though people often called him old because of his hair.

“Well, I gave up after hunting a Lugia for a year. Realized I wasn’t built for that,” Jax said, looking down.

“Hey! Don’t worry about it! Why look so down?” Clart said.

“Here, sir!” Gala said, carrying a tray with “NIX” scribbled all over it.

“Thanks!” Clart said, taking the tray from Gala and placing it on the desk he was sitting on.

“You know how this goes, right? They show it on TV all the time,” Clart said, nodding. “Three Pokéballs, each containing a different Pokémon. Choose one, and it may become your greatest companion for the rest of your life!” He pointed at the tray.

Nix had been lost in thought, imagining this exact moment. Professor Clart was famous for selecting Pokémon based on a child’s preferences and behavior. For example, Jax had been presented with a Machop, a Gothita, and a Zigzagoon. It was always different for each kid.

“We have!” Clart pointed at the Pokéballs.

“The super shocking, Electric type: Shinx!”

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“The calm and beautiful, Grass type: Bounsweet!”

“And finally! The windsurfing, Flying type: Starly!”

“Now, which one do you choose?” Clart asked, smiling at Nix, fully aware that he was very puzzled. Choosing your first Pokémon always defines the path you take in the future. It also tells others what type of trainer you are or want to be. It’s the first and biggest step in growing up.

Nix thought for a long time. Jax was already outside, playing with the other Pokémon that came from the forest to the lab every day.

“You can take your time, honey. No need to rush it,” Mom said gently.

Nix thought some more and then made up his mind. With good resolve, he grabbed Starly without a second thought.

“So, the Flying-type Starly is your choice?” Clart asked.

Nix nodded without any hesitation.

“Wonderful choice, young man!” exclaimed the professor with a big smile on his face. Both Mom and Dad were also pleased with Nix obtaining his first-ever companion.

Nix gently picked up the Pokéball containing Starly and pressed the button at the center. With a loud boop, glittering light spewed out of the now-open Pokéball, forming a birdlike shape on the ground. The light soon vanished, and Nix was left with an empty Pokéball and a Starly, who was curiously looking at him.

Nix kneeled down and picked up Starly with his hands. The Starly didn’t resist at all; it felt as if it wanted to be picked up.

“Will…” Nix started to speak but stopped. Starly tilted its head, confused and curious.

“Will you b-be my f-friend?” he asked the Starly with great effort. The Starly looked at him for a while.

“Urrr!” it replied, with what looked like an attempt at a smile. It flew up and sat on Nix’s shoulder, rubbing its face against his.

“Wow! Looks like that one already loves you!” Clart said, handing the tray to Gala.

“Urrr!” replied the Starly.

Mom and Dad hugged little Nix, almost suffocating Starly in the process.

“Hey! Before you guys get all emotional, there is something I have to give you,” Clart said. Mom and Dad stepped back, and Starly sighed in relief. Jax entered the room again.

“Oh, you chose Starly, huh? I was damn sure you would pick the Shinx,” he said, shaking his head but looking happy for his brother.

“Here!” Clart said, handing over a big tablet to Nix.

“Ooh! A new Pokédex model?” Jax asked, looking over.

“Exactly! And it’s much more impressive than the old ones. This invention comes straight from Alola, and it’s so cool!” Clart said, now excited.

“Gala! Please close the door!” he yelled. She shut the door.

“Now, to turn it on.” Clart walked to a power outlet near the ground. He kicked it with a lot of force, and all the power in the lab went out, plunging the room into pitch blackness.

Suddenly, a glowing, orange-colored creature emerged from the power outlet. It bounced around rapidly, too fast to get a good look at.

“Woah, what the hell?” Jax yelled as the creature hit his face.

“Oh dear,” Dad said as the bouncing creature hit him too. It kept bouncing until it collided with the tablet, after which it stopped moving and glowing. Slowly, the lights turned back on. The tablet now had a reddish exterior with a peculiar face on its top.

Suddenly, the tablet started floating. Startled, Nix pulled his hands back. It ascended into the air and hovered mid-air. The once-black screen turned white, displaying a blue circular loading bar.

“Analyzing model’s language,” it spoke in a robotic yet cheerful voice. “English selected. Checking entries, over one thousand found. Synchronizing,” it continued, then paused. The screen went black again. The tablet sprouted arms, the peculiar face opened its eyes, and the mouth transformed into a wide grin.

It flew to face Nix. “Hey there! I am Rotom-roto,” it said to Nix, who looked very surprised. Nix didn’t respond.

“Oh? Did I choose the wrong language-roto? But I was sure the information stored in the Dex was in English-roto,” it said, sounding confused.

“No, Rotom, what you have is the correct setting. Little Nix just has trouble speaking,” Clart explained.

“So, you are mute-roto? I am sorry-roto,” Rotom said, its face suddenly becoming sad.

“I am n-not mute!” shouted Nix, though his shout was what others would call a normal voice.

“I am sorry-roto! Please don’t be angry-roto,” Rotom said apologetically.

“Not angry…” Nix muttered.

“Really-roto? I am glad-roto!” the RotomDex said cheerfully.

“Holy shit, can you stop with the roto thing?!” shouted Jax, looking very annoyed.

“Language, Jax!” Mom yelled at him.

“But I don’t know any other way-roto. Professor Kukui said it sounded cute-roto,” the Rotom replied innocently.

“It doesn’t, my dude. It’s so annoying to hear,” Jax grumbled.

“I will keep that in mind-roto,” the RotomDex said, seeming to take Jax’s feedback to heart. Jax sighed.

“Hey, I think it sounds good, what do you think, Nix?” Clart asked Nix.

Nix nodded, still looking a bit surprised. Jax growled in frustration.

“Yay-roto! Thank you-roto!” said the RotomDex happily.

“Well, enough of that. Now, why don’t you tell us something about it?” Clart said, pointing at the Starly that was now sleeping on Nix’s head.

“Sure-roto!” the RotomDex responded. The screen changed, displaying an information page on the left and an image of Starly on the right.

“Starly: Starling Pokémon! Normal/Flying type! They live in fields and mountains, gathering in large flocks. Their cries are quite obnoxious. Though small, their wings are strong—a strike from them leaves pain that persists for a week,” the RotomDex narrated in a slightly different voice. The information panel closed, and it floated towards the sleeping Starly.

“It appears to be sleeping-roto,” the RotomDex said, returning to its original voice.

“Good observation,” Jax said sarcastically.

“It is-roto? But I think it’s quite obvious-roto,” the RotomDex replied innocently. Jax growled again, heading out once more.

“He’s grown up hot-tempered, I see,” Clart laughed. Mom and Dad shrugged.

“Anyways, hey dear Rotom. Could you please guide little Nix on his adventure? As you know, he has trouble with talking, so it might be a bit hard. Can I count on you?” asked the professor kindly.

“Of course you can-roto!” the RotomDex exclaimed.

“But what do you want to do-roto?” the RotomDex asked Nix.

Nix looked deep in thought.

“I…” He stopped and looked at Rotom for a while.

“I-roto?” the RotomDex prompted.

“I w-want to be f-friends with e-everyone,” Nix said with much effort, looking down as if it were an embarrassing dream of his.

Rotom flew up and looked at Nix. “That’s a very beautiful goal-roto!” the RotomDex said.

Nix was surprised. He looked up at the RotomDex, which had a big grin on its face.

“You t-think I can d-do it?” He asked, his eyes filled with self-doubt yet very hopeful.

“Of course-roto! I have seen way too many impossible things happening to deny anything now-roto!” the RotomDex said. Hope gleamed in Nix’s eyes. Tears flowed out. He started to weep, and so did his mother.

“Did I say something wrong-roto? I am very sorry-roto,” the RotomDex apologized.

“C-Can I d-do it?” Nix asked again, tears flooding through his eyes.

“Yes, you can-roto!” the RotomDex replied.

“C-Can I do i-it?” Nix asked for the third time. The Starly had woken up. Mom and Dad hugged Nix, crying. The Starly looked sad too, seeing Nix cry.

“Of course you can-roto!” announced the RotomDex.

The next hour passed with Gala constantly offering tissues to the three. Jax didn’t come in; he already knew what would be happening in there. Finally, Nix had calmed down. Starly was asleep on his head yet again.

“Well, time for your grand takeoff!” exclaimed Dad with enthusiasm.

“Oh, you could, sure. But if you were to wait, it would be better. There is another kid who needs a Pokémon. They will be arriving anytime now,” Clart said. As he finished, the door swung open and a lone girl entered the lab. Her parents could be seen outside, apologizing to Gala for something while she barged in.

“Coming through!” she shouted as she ran towards Clart. Clart stopped her by holding her head, though she kept her running motion up, running in place.

“This one’s quite energetic!” Clart said, surprised.

“What a rude person-roto!” RotomDex criticized, looking at the girl.

“What did you say?” She turned around to look at RotomDex. She suddenly went from really angry to really happy. She jumped and hugged the RotomDex, rubbing her cheek against its screen.

“It’s a Rotom! A real live Rotom! Mom! Get a camera!” she shouted. Her gaze suddenly turned to the sound asleep Starly. She jumped over Nix’s head and hugged the Starly, who woke up startled, terrified, and also suffocating.

“And a Starly too!” she squealed, rubbing her cheek against its beak.

Rotom finally spoke up. “What an inconsiderate person-roto,” it remarked.

She kept suffocating the poor Starly without realizing it. The Starly looked like it was really going to faint.

“STOP!” shouted Nix, very loud and very clear. Jax peeked in, everyone was surprised.

The girl realized she was suffocating the poor Starly, so she loosened her grip. The Starly pecked at her hat angrily, then flew over and sat on top of Nix’s head.

“Sorry…” she muttered.

This was the first time Nix had been this angry. He noticed he was shaking while everything happened.

“No harm done though, right?” Clart said, patting Nix’s head gently. Starly flew off and sat on RotomDex.

Nix nodded.

“Hey Gala! Why don’t you bring me Miss Ella’s new Pokémon? I think it’s about time!” he said cheerfully.

“Sure!” said Gala, running off to the storage room.

“We apologize for her rude behavior, sir. Please don’t hold it against her,” said Ella’s parents, bowing to Clart.

“Uh, yeah, but why would I hold it against her? You don’t need to apologize!” Clart said, confused.

They kept apologizing until Gala came back with a tray holding three pokéballs, with “Ella” written all over the tray.

“Thanks!” Clart said, putting the tray on the desk.

“You know how this goes, right? There are—”

“Three pokéballs, each with different types, blah blah blah, yeah, I know!” she said irritably. “Tell me what they are already!”

“Uh, sure. This one’s Vanilite, this is Cyndaquil, and that one is Deino,” he explained.

Ella waited for a few seconds, thinking.

“Why is that even a question?” she asked Clart as she picked up the pokéball with Deino.

“So, you choose the Dragon-type Deino?” asked Clart.

“Of course!” she said, pressing the button on the pokéball. Glittery light came out of the ball, and moments later, she was on the floor, hugging her new Pokémon. The poor Deino looked around, very confused.

"She is one weird girl-roto. You should try to stay away from her-roto!" the RotomDex said to Nix.

"Maybe we should leave," said Dad, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I think it would be better that way," Clart agreed.

They said their goodbyes to the professor and walked out of the lab.

"That was a really nice shout back there. It had quite the oomph to it," Jax said as he joined them.

"Agreed-roto!" RotomDex added.

Dad pulled out a small bag he had bought earlier and packed only the necessary things from the massive bag Mom had brought. Mom was in tears again, her precious child leaving home for the first time to go off on his own.

"Here, and make your dad proud!" said Dad as he handed the bag to Nix. Nix nodded.

"Take care, man," Jax said, fist bumping Nix, while Mom wailed.

They had to drag Mom into the car. They drove off, back to Windmill Village. Nix realized how quiet it was outside.

"Where to first-roto?" RotomDex asked, its screen turning into a map. Nix shrugged.

"Then I recommend going to the third clearing-roto. It's the best place to find more Pokémon to add to your team-roto!"

Nix thought for a while, then nodded.

Nix’s Long-awaited adventure had finally begun.