It’s today! Today is the day that Professor Willow will come to town! I will be able to receive my very first Pokémon! Oh…what should I get? Bulbasaur? Charmander? Maybe Squirtle? Aargh! So many possibilities! He was going to be at the rec center, wasn’t he? Alrighty, then!

Huh? Who are these guys? Oh, and girl. Yes, she’s a girl, alright. Wait, why are these people all so good looking? This isn’t some modeling agency, is it? Do I have to be attractive to be a trainer? I didn’t hear about that!

Oh, the weird man on stage is talking.

“Good morning, everyone! I am glad you all could make it! I am Professor Willow, a Pokémon Scientist! I am here to introduce you to the world of Pokémon! I am here with three of my associates. We will be guiding you through the process and three of you will be handpicked by my associates to join their group.

First things, first! I have here, a Pokéstop! With this device that I am handing out to all of you, you can connect to these Pokéstops and receive random items like pokéballs and potions. Now that we managed to construct the digitization program, Pokémon can be found all over!”

Hmm…So we have this smart phone looking device that will give us access to these locations that randomly give us stuff? How do people make money off this? Whatever. So…do I just…

Oh! That guy just flipped it! That’s how you do it. Okay, got some pokéballs and a revive…

What was that? I look around, but no one else heard it. Really? There’s something on the screen! A Zubat? Shouldn’t I get one of the other three?

“Second! Use some of the pokéballs you just received to go catch a Pokémon! Return here in about thirty minutes. It will look better the rarer the Pokémon is! If you ever run out, just come back to this Pokéstop!

And everyone leaves. Well, at least the Pokémon will appear on the screen. But how come no one wishes to catch the Zubat? It’s a Pokémon, right? There’s even a Rattata and a Pidgey! I am going to catch them!

Even after 10 minutes, I have already caught a Spearow and a Weedle! Haha! I am going to be a Pokémon trainer! Maybe I will even join Team Valor! Candela is really pretty, after all. I look around and notice no one else is coming back. Did you guys not want to be trainers? What the heck?!

Only three other people besides me remain! Some cool dude who looks like he would fit in at any sport, the pretty girl from before, and some hot headed guy who will never shut up about his Charmander. Oh, and another girl who I missed. Wow, she is kind of cute, too.

I just don’t fit in here. Oh look, the Professor is back.

“Good, you all caught some Pokémon! Bring out your rarest one!”

Rarest? What about number? Charmander nut over here spent all his pokéballs trying to catch one measly Pokémon! Well, I guess Zubat, since it’s the middle of the day.

“Here are my colleagues. Maybe you have heard of them? Meet Spark, member of Team Instinct, Blanche, member of Team Mystic, and Candela, member of Team Valor!”

Wow…she is really gorgeous…huh? Why…is she staring at the hothead? What the crap?!

Spark took the sports guy who had a Pikachu, Blanche took the pretty girl who had a Squirtle, and Candela…my sweet Candela…she took that idiot! Well, I guess it’s just you and me, cute quiet gi­

What?! Why is she being led away by some weirdo in a green cloak? Well, it seems she had a Bulbasaur…

I just kind of stood there, but no one even paid any attention to me. I noticed there was a nearby Caterpie so I captured it. Huh…What am I going to do now? How else will Team Valor recognize me? Through battle! Hahaha! My chance!

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I quickly follow them and yell out for them to stop. Everyone is still together, so I got stared at by seven people.

“Hey…hah…hah…I want…to battle you…”

As I point to the hothead.

“Why?”

“To prove a point!”

I finally stand back up after catching my breath. I am not meant for running. At all.

“Hmph. Fine, show him, Bernie.”

Candela? Why you? What did I do to you? Oh man…I better not screw this up.

I guess I will start with Pidgey.

“Go, Charmander!”

“Let’s go!”

“Huh? I thought you had a Zubat?”

“I do. I just also caught a Pidgey.”

“Whatever. Ember!”

“Sand Attack!”

“Crap, dodge it!”

“Too late, Gust!”

It’s still not fainted? Wow. That’s one tough Charmander. Better switch with Rattata since he knows Dig.

“Come on out, Rattata!”

“Another one? How many did you catch?!”

“I caught five before we all met back up and afterwards I caught a Caterpie.”

Good, the others are looking visibly interested. Professor Willow then asked a question.

“What are your other Pokémon?”

“Umm…I’m in the middle of a battle. You want me to just give away my secrets in a battle?”

Did he just scowl? Is he upset at me? What gives? And Candela…she…she is mad. Great. Whatever, let’s finish this.

“Dig!”

“Dang! That’s not fair!”

“What’s not fair? You spent all your time trying for one Pokémon when I used the same amount of time and caught five. Again, Dig!”

“Noooo! Charmander!”

“Good job, you beat him. What were you trying to prove?”

“That rarity isn’t everything. Strategy is also needed in battles. And isn’t Team Valor proud of their battles?”

“Yes, so we don’t overkill our opponents with a barrage of enemies, we don’t use Pokémon that clearly have the advantage, and we definitely don’t act like you.”

Wha…what? Act like me? What did I do?! Candela goes to help ‘Bernie’ up as she gives me a look of disgust. Everyone else also looks at me weirdly. Why? What did I do wrong?! I used more Pokémon than him? If I only used one Pokémon, I would have lost hands down! There’s no way even Rattata would survive those Ember attacks.

What the hell…I guess there’s no point to be here. Even Candela hates me.

“Hey kid. Psst! Hey!”

Hmm? A guy dressed in black? What does he…a red R. Oh no…Team Rocket! Shit!

“Wait! I wanted to tell you why they didn’t even give you a chance.”

“Really?”

“Yes. That Bernie kid is Candela’s younger cousin. They brought a Charmander specifically for him. The others came across it but realized the whole event was staged. That’s why they all left.”

“Dammit.”

“It sucks, I know. That’s why I joined Team Rocket. See, we used to be a group that only wanted the strong Pokémon, even if we had to take them. But nowadays, with our original leaders all in jail or retired, we just stop those teams from getting their way. We beat their gyms by any means necessary, even going so far as to gang up on the gym leader. We capture any and all Pokémon we find so we can have a multitude of Pokémon just in case. We can pretty much summon an army. Unfortunately, we have to watch out for the Rangers and the upper elites of the three Teams.

I’m not sure what you want, but maybe you’ll find it in Team Rocket.”

Well, couldn’t get much worse, could it?