With a physical, yet not physical, tap of the screen. I locked in my choice of my starter Pokémon and the screen disappeared, only the very next second a Pokéball materialized out of thin air and dropped right into my lap. I blinked as I picked it up and examined it. It was not one of the modern day Pokéballs but one of the older, and in my opinion cooler looking, Hisuian variants.

“Hmm, very steampunk, not quite what I was expecting,” my dad commented as he looked at the wooden red and white ball in my hand.

I grinned as I held it up to let both of my parents get a better look, “that’s because this is an older model, the precursor to the modern day metal ones. The starter I chose was one of those that made a second appearance in a later game with a new form. It was based in the past, about three hundred years or so, so the Pokéball tracks.”

My mum nodded excitedly, “well come on let’s see it, it must be something special if you chose this one over the other…” she paused for a second to think about it, “thirty two.”

I chuckled, she sounded like a kid on Christmas, “alright alright, just remember what I said before. Pokémon are generally innocent looking for the most part, but they are still dangerous despite their appearance” I warned, I didn’t want my mother to go for a cuddle and get burned because she startled my starter. It wouldn’t have exactly been a good first impression, and I know for a fact she would she’s a cuddler when it comes to small animals. The only reason we don’t have a cat, despite my mother wanting one, is because my dad is allergic to them.

Once both of them nodded. I looked at the Pokéball in my hand before tossing it into the open space in the living room. When it was about to hit the ground it burst open in a flash of light, I had to think fast and catch it when it shot back to me the next second as the light faded.

When I looked back, there on the ground stood my first Pokémon. It was very small, sitting back on its two hind legs it resembles somewhat of a hedgehog except with a longer snout and slanted eyes. It had a thin layer of bluish fur, with several darker patches of fur on its back and along the top of its head, in contrast to the cream coloured fur that covered the rest of its small form.

“Cyn-da” the small Pokémon spoke as it looked around its new environment before spotting me and giving another cry as it, with surprise dexterity, jumped up and onto my lap.

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“Oh it’s so cute~” my mum cooed at the sight of the small creature.

“I can see what you mean lad, I wouldn’t think that little thing was dangerous,” my dad commented as he eyed my starter.

I chuckled, “yeah, you wouldn’t think it but Cyndaquil here is a fire type Pokémon,” I explained as I gently pet its head getting a little pleased cry from it in returned, “you see these dark patches on its back” I said gesturing to them with my other hand, “when in battle or scared, flames come out of those spots, making it look a little like a fiery hedgehog”

My dad whistled, “Sounds like quite a sight, it’s like a defense mechanism or an intimidation display similar to what some animals have.”

I nodded my head, “yeah, most Pokémon designs were based off of real world animals, when Cyndaquil here evolves into its next stage Quilava, it will resemble more of a weasel, and it’s final form Typhlosion is more like a massive, five foot, badger”

My dad nodded, “I see, you mentioned this one will have a different form before, what about that?”

I grinned, “that’s right, normally Cyndaquil when it evolves to its final form remains a regular fire type, but since this little one here comes from the Hisui region in the past it takes on a secondary typing, it’s flames turn red and purple and it gains a ghost typing”

“Sounds rather ominous,” my dad voiced, “I assume that gives it some kind of advantage?”

I nod as Cyndaquil begins to snooze on my lap as I continue to pet it, “yes, Typhlosion is generally a special attacker which covers most ghost moves, on top of that the ghost typing gives it immunity to normal and fighting type moves for the most part something that could come in handy”

“I see,” my dad said as he looked at the sleeping Pokémon in my lap.

I nodded and opened up my system menu again and smiled seeing the addition of a Pokémon section on the list, ‘same as the games, doesn’t show up until I actually have one’ I thought before selecting it and opening up a new screen that listed my Pokémon, currently with only Cyndaquil listed on it and seeing the mark by his name I chuckle, “so this little one is a male then, good to know”

“He’s a little cutie,” my mum cooed as Cyndaquill woke up from his nap and let out a small yawn and rubbed at his eyes with his paws, “awe~”

I nodded as I began to explore the system store menu next my eyes getting wider and wider at what I was seeing.

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Chapter word count: 921