"Don't get lost!"

"Stick together!"

"Catch a lot of Pokémon!" added Clara, at the edge of the crowd. She and the whole of Pallet Town had gathered early that morning to wish the three departing trainers Frederick, Geraldine, and Bartholomew well as they began their journey. As she craned her neck for a better view and waved vigorously goodbye with the rest of the townspeople, she couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy toward the trio walking into the distance. Professor Oak had gifted them each a different rare Pokémon the day before, and all she could wonder was why.

How was trainer potential measured? Fred was athletic and outgoing, sure, but he'd also gotten a 'C' in Pokémon Concepts class and was notorious for copying other people's notes. Genie was similar, seeming to care more about popularity than Pokémon, and Blue was simply the Professor's own grandson. So why them? Why now? Why not... Clara?

She sighed longingly, ambling off toward the tall grass.

"You're not gonna believe this," gossiped Jasper, as he fell into step next to her. "I heard Oak pulled some strings and got Blue a Pokédex."

"No! How? Those aren't even out yet in Celadon!"

"All I know is he did."

"Did what?" someone asked behind them.

"Found a way to buy his favorite grandson a Pokédex," Clara bemoaned as she turned around - and then shrunk in embarrassment once she saw who it was. It was Oak's other grandson, Avery.

He laughed.

"You can thank me for that. I got us on the prerelease list as researchers, so we're the only place that has 'em for a few more weeks. Fred's ambitious and Genie's diligent, so between the two of them, it's a pretty safe bet to get the pages filled. Blue's just gonna keep 'em competitive."

Jasper was aghast. "So they all got one?"

"Of course - and could you step away from the tall grass? It's not safe."

Avery was a recent hire at the Pallet Research Center, and though he was still a long way away from a Professor's certification - or even senior lab aide status, for that matter - he had just enough authority that the two reluctantly turned and followed him. The crowd was dispersing, so he lead the way back toward the houses.

"Do you have any more? Could we get one?" Clara asked. "I'd do a really good job with it! My grandmother taught me everything I need to know about Pokémon, and I've always wanted one!"

"I'm sure you would, but they only shipped us four, and the Professor needs the last one to keep track of their progress."

"Is there anything else you could get us? Maybe like - " Jasper swallowed, gathering his courage, "a couple Pokéballs? You're in the lab. You've got connections, right?"

"We wouldn't tell a soul!" Clara assured. She held her breath, knowing how expensive they were.

It was one of the reasons most kids from Pallet never became trainers. It was a company town, so the concerns of most parents centered around keeping their jobs at the lumber mill, not finding a way to fund an optional trip for their child. Besides, not everyone succeeded at Pokémon training, and those who didn't often returned home with a whole team of extra mouths to feed.

Avery smiled. "I'd love to grab a few myself, but I think they'd notice if those went missing."

Jasper and Clara exchanged disappointed looks. Worth a try.

"Who knows, maybe if this Pokédex program works out, we'll get a grant to sponsor some more trainers. I'll remember you if we do," he offered. "Otherwise... probably best to leave it to the breeders and Elites of the world. Too hard for the rest of us to make a career out of it."

He broke off toward the Research Center with a wave of goodbye, so they continued along the path without him, scuffing their feet.

"Do you think that'd ever happen?" Clara spoke first.

"Another sponsorship?" Jasper shrugged. "Even if it did, we'd be so behind. We'd never catch up to those other kids."

"Probably not... it'd be awesome, though. We're just as smart as they are. I bet we'd do fine if we were in their shoes."

"Yeah."

The two spent an hour walking through town, talking about all the things they would do if they were trainers. They'd catch every Pokémon they saw, travel to Viridian City, through the forest, onto Pewter and Cerulean and all the way up to the Safari Zone. Jasper wanted mostly rock and water Pokémon, whereas Clara leaned toward grass and fire. Perhaps between them, they could grow to have a full set of all the different Pokémon types, maybe even enough to make it through the gym circuit.

But it was just a dream.

Soon he had to leave for his shift at the butcher with his dad, and she needed to get home in time to make breakfast for her grandmother, before their shop opened. She arrived home, stopping to pet her grandmother's pet cat, Nyx, on the way to the kitchen, before washing her hands to fix up a meal. The Persian slinked off to lay on a nearby rug and stare at her, listening to the clock tick.

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It's not fair, she stared back at it. I should be out there, not here.

Then do something about it, the cat's eyes seemed to imply.

"Grandma?" Clara called into the house. "Grandma!"

She marched up the steps to the shop floor, throwing open the door. "I want to be a Pokémon Trainer! I don't know how to do it but I want to travel and earn money and make you proud of me, and I want to start now, just like those other kids!"

The old woman looked up from her inventory list and smiled. "I've been waiting years for you to say that."

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Jasper tightened his backpack straps for the umpteenth time, beaming. "I can't believe my dad let me go. I have no idea who's gonna cover my shifts at work from now on."

"Yeah," Clara nodded as they walked, a little overwhelmed. She was similarly unsure how her grandmother would manage the shop without her, though she'd been firmly told not to worry about it.

"He probably thinks I'll just wash out next week without catching anything, and come running home, but... I'm gonna prove him wrong."

"Maybe if we have enough money, we can go back for the holidays to show off all our badges. Then he'll really be impressed," Clara grinned.

Nyx snorted and flicked her tail as she sauntered ahead of them both on the path, in a way that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

"We'll show you too, if we have to," Clara warned the Persian, trying to sound stern, but it was difficult to do much other than smile with supreme excitement. The city limits sign was just up ahead, and after they passed it, they'd really be doing it. They'd be trainers.

Sure, they only had one Pokémon between them - which was just on lend, her grandmother had made sure to clarify - and some ratty old camping gear from Jasper's garage, but it was enough. They didn't need a Pokédex, or anyone cheering them on like the previous morning, in order to make their first day great. It just was.

They each knocked on the sign for luck as they reached it, and then continued on toward the wilderness Route entrance, practically skipping.

They had no sense of the fact that it was the last time they'd ever see Pallet again.

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"So what's the plan? Should we take turns with battles? Nyx is your grammy's, so maybe you should go first," Jasper offered. No wild Pokémon had yet come within a stone's throw distance of them, but it was good to be prepared.

"That makes sense," Clara said, watching the cat's ears orbit around, reacting to all the wildlife sounds. "Once we can afford Pokéballs, the first one should to go to you, then, so we can both have something."

"When's your grammy want her back?"

"I guess once we both catch a starter, or - oh!"

The Persian had suddenly bolted off the path.

They followed as best they could, scrambling through the tall grass, trying to see what she was going after. It was something smaller and quick, changing directions rapidly. She repeatedly pounced into the field to catch it, but came up empty.

A yowl let them know that it had, in fact, caught her instead.

"Get 'em, Nyx! Don't let it hit you," Jasper cheered, as Clara helped him up onto a large rock to watch. "Scratch it!"

"Bite!" Clara added loudly, a little miffed. Wasn't the first battle supposed to be hers?

The Persian ignored them both and hissed at her purple foe, which cowered momentarily... before flipping around to smack her whiskers with its tail and then dart back into the grass again. She waited for it, eyes dilated, her own tail whipping around excitedly.

A light wind blew through the trees and sent her ears into a twitching frenzy, trying to follow all the sounds. The Rattata seized the opportunity to leap out from behind her in a surprise attack, throwing its weight at her back legs and sending them both into a roll. Nyx righted herself first and slashed out with her paws, hitting it twice before it shivered and backed off. They stared at each other, circling... and then the rat dashed off in the opposite direction.

The two trainers stood, watching for a while longer. Nothing more happened.

"Did she win?"

"I... think so?" Clara answered, somewhat disenchanted as they climbed down off the rock. At least the Persian seemed pleased with herself, picking her way through the brush in a more regal manner, after.

They quickly found that she fancied herself the leader from then on, disregarding any of their attempts to direct her back to the main path, which was the quickest way through the Route. It was like she'd become a whole new cat. Each time they called to her, she ran off, so they were relegated to hiking in whichever direction let them keep track of her the longest. They did their best to take turns commanding her whenever she came across a wild Pokémon, but that too proved frustratingly fruitless, as she pretended not to hear them both equally.

Then Jasper twisted his ankle.

He'd slipped on some loose rocks and cracked his water bottle open on the ground, losing all its contents. Clara helped him up, and though he was able to walk off the ankle pain, it wasn't long before their happy glow at having newly become trainers faded.

Soon they were just left sweaty, sunburned, and irritated.

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"Is that... lightning?" Jasper pointed above the trees.

Clara squinted. Sure enough, a thin arc of electricity flashed brightly in the air, then disappeared. It was about a half-hour's hike away from them, and below it, there was an orange tent pitched at the bottom of a hill.

She turned to him, excitedly. "Someone's training an electric Pokémon. Someone who can give us directions!"

They picked up the pace, trekking toward it, and periodically checking that Nyx was still stalking through the treeline alongside them. It was almost comical - if they looked directly at her, she would halt and duck behind something, but as long as they didn't draw attention to the fact that they could see her, she seemed content to follow them in a very general way. That was good enough for them, for the moment.

It seemed like things were looking up, after that. They'd never seen an electric Pokémon in person, before, and the thought of meeting another trainer was energizing. They made good time, and soon, the campsite was within reach.

Then a horrible, piercing screech startled them both.

Nyx shot out from the trees like a racing Ponyta, bounding through the air and coming to a sliding stop in front of them. They were momentarily relieved to have her... until they realized she wasn't coming to their rescue.

She was terrified.

A large bird swooped down from the air and landed before them, raising a mohawk-like set of red feathers on its forehead and shaking its head back and forth in an intimidation display.

"Woah! Okay, back up! Back up," Clara cautioned the others, watching as it held its wings out wide and let out a warning squawk.

It had to be at least four times the size of any Pidgey they'd seen so far, with completely different plumage. Its neck was also much longer, as was its sharp, thin beak.

Nyx began to growl.

"Nyx, come on," Jasper whispered, but the cat stayed put. It lowered its body into a threatening crouch. "Nyx!"

Their Persian took another step forward, her growl deepening.

"It's alright! We can just run! Don't - "

She charged at the bird, and it shrieked in umbrage, rising up and out of reach with a single flap of its wings. Then it dove down and latched onto her back with its clawed feet, rearing its head back and slamming its beak down to rapidly triple-peck at her skull. Nyx went limp immediately, unconscious.

It let out a victorious caterwaul... and set its sights directly on Clara and Jasper.