My Johto Journey Chapter 1

Day 1

"Mom, do I have to go?!" A broken voice going through puberty is heard as we see a boy trying to change his mother's mind as she was packing clothes and other necessities in a backpack.

"Yes dear, you're twelve years old now. You were supposed to go when you were ten, but because of your fear of socializing with others, you stayed. I believe this journey will help you overcome them." She says as she puts away his toothbrush.

"But I'm still nervous and scared. What if I get in an accident? What if I get robbed or kidnapped?" The kid says as he starts shaking like a leaf.

"Don't worry that's why you'll have your Pokémon to protect you." She says as a matter of fact as she continues to pack things into a backpack.

"But I don't even own a Pokémon." The boy says as he comes up with a solution to his problem.

"That's why I talked with professor Elm and he said he'll give you one if you do an errand for him while you are on your journey. So go and visit him while I finish." She responded as she incredibly put a foldable bicycle into the small bag.

"Bu-but do I have to talk with him?" He said nervously.

"Oh honey, does he still make you nervous? But he's been our neighbor for 5 years now." She says as she looks at her son. 

"Ya sorry." He says looking down. 

"All the more reason why you have to go." She says with determination. "Now go and see professor Elm."

"Yes, mom." He says with depression.

As soon as he walks out of the front door he sees his childhood friend Lyra walking with her Marill to her house. He starts feeling like he should talk to her, but soon embarrassment comes at full force, making him freeze and starts running to the lab.

When he was in front of the lab, he noticed a red-haired boy looking through the window of the professor's home. The boy wore black clothing and looked suspicious as he watched through the window. A part of him wanted to confront the guy, but soon his fears won out and walked through the door.

When he enters the door, he starts noticing the expensive equipment with the Professor's assistant and interns looking through files and computers. Luckily he has been here before and knows the layout of the lab and the people would ignore him. He quickly goes to the back without making a noise.

"Hi, Izzy! I've been waiting for you!" said Prof. Elm as he lowered a book he finished reading.

"H-hello Pro-professor." Izzy says with an uneasy smile while looking at the brown haired man. 

"Sorry. I still make you nervous?" Elm says with a sweatdrop.

"I-it's fine. It's not your fault professor." Izzy said, trying to make the atmosphere less awkward.

"Ahem. Anyways I want to ask. Do you know anything about my research?" Elm said as he looked at Izzy, but the look on Izzy's face said it all. "As you know, Pokémon are carried in Poké Balls these days. But before the Poké Ball was invented, people used to walk with Pokémon. Just like your friend Lyra does! Poké Balls are great because you can carry many Pokémon. But walking with Pokémon must have some advantages. It could have something to do with how a Pokémon grows or evolves... And thanks to your mother for recommending you. You are going to get a Pokémon to help further my research!" Elm says happily.

"Yay." Izzy says in a low volume so no one can hear as Elm keeps talking.

"Can you walk beside this Pokémon to see if this brings any special feeling or bonds between Pokémon and people?" Elm asked.

"Sure." Izzy said reluctantly.

"Great! Now come with me and let's pick your partner." said Elm as he brings Izzy to a machine with Poké balls. But soon the phone rang and the Professor went to pick it up.

As soon as he was done. Elm went up to Izzy with an eager expression. "Izzy. I have another favor to ask of you. I have an acquaintance that people call Mr.Pokémon. He keeps finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. I just got an email from him saying that this time, it's real. It's probably another Pokémon Egg. I know you have a fear of talking to strangers, but we're still so busy with our research... Can we count on you please?" Elm begged.

"Sigh. A-alright I'll do it." Izzy said dejectedly to his fate.

"That's great. Now let's get you that Pokémon." Elm said happily.

Soon both are in front of a machine with three Poké Balls. "You have three choices to make. Chikorita, the Grass-type. Cyndaquil, the Fire-type. And Totodile, the Water-type." Elm said as took each Pokémon out of their pokeball.

If Izzy remembered correctly from the time he went to school before he quickly dropped out. Those three were called the Johto starters, Chikorita was a green four legged creature with a leaf on its head. Totodile was a blue crocodile standing on two legs. Finally Cyndaquil was a blue and yellow mouse with flames on its back.

While the mere thought of having to place his safety into the hands or paws of just one of those strange creatures is enough to make him faint. He thinks reasonably that a mouse that can shoot balls of fire at danger would be the most efficient at making the unknown leave him in peace. That or the fastest way to be burned alive. 

"I'll choose Cyndaquil. "Izzy said as he kept looking at the fire mouse, already a bond being formed.

"Now as I just said. I would like it if you kept Cyndaquil out of its Poké Ball to study the effects it has on the bond between you and him." He said with the first serious expression today.

"Yes Professor." Izzy said as Cyndaquil started smelling him.

"Quil."

"Great. Mr. Pokémon lives north of Cherrygrove, the next city. If your Pokémon gets hurt... You should come here or a Pokémon Center. I'm counting on you, Izzy."

"Yes, Professor a-and thank you." Izzy said as he hurried to leave with Cyndaquil behind him.

"Please wait." Just as he's about to leave, the assistant comes with some bottle sprays. "Izzy, I want you to have these to help you with your task. Remember Pokémon are weak in the beginning. Don't hesitate to use a Potion if you think yours is in danger." He says as he looks at Izzy with a stern expression.

"Y-yes th-thank you." Izzy replayed as he ran out.

When he walks out of the lab. He notices his childhood friend playing with her Marill. Soon she notices Izzy too. "Izzy!" She yelled happily as she came rushing toward him. "So, you picked Cyndaquil! I thought for sure you'd picked Chikorita. But it's still a cutie. Remember to take care of it or I'll never forgive you." She said with a friendly glare.

"I-I won't do that!" Izzy said nervously.

"I know. Just messing with you." She said as she put her arm around him. "You better go and show your mom. She'll be so happy." She says.

"That's right, I almost forgot. Bye." They both separate going to their homes.

"Mom! I'm home." Izzy said as he closed the door with his mother coming down the stairs with his backpack.

"So, sweetie how did it go with the professor." She said with a smile as she noticed the Cyndaquil under her son's legs. Quickly Izzy told her of all that happening at the lab.

"I wonder, what egg is it? You should be proud that the professor relies on you." She said happily that her child could be trusted by other people.

"It's mostly because they're so busy with their work, mom." She must have not heard because she quickly went to a cabinet and came with a familiar device.

"I completely forgot! Your Pokégear came back from the repair shop!" She says as she gives it to him and his backpack. "Now I know that at times it may be difficult sometimes being alone and at times you may want to give up. But don't worry you're a lot stronger than you think. Whether you attain victory or defeat, you must push through. That is how people grow up and become better than they were. Just believe in yourself and your Pokémon. So, promise you'll keep trying?" She says with a smile.

"Yes, mom." Izzy says not knowing that this speech will help him preserve into becoming a champion.

"Now let me prepare you and this cutie something to eat."

"Cynda!" The Pokémon cheered knowing it was about to eat something tasty.

A few hours later

"Alright, I'm leaving mom." Izzy said as he prepared to go onto the road. "Take good care of yourself and Cyndaquil." She said waving goodbye. "Quil quilt." The fire mouse said back to the mother saying its own farewell.

Soon both trainer and Pokémon were at the outskirts of New Bark Town as Izzy looked at the road deep in thought. "Alright be brave and have some confidence like mom said." He says to himself as Cyndaquil looks at him with confusion.

"Hey, you!!" A loud voice is heard stopping the duo from leaving. They jumped and turned to the direction of the voice. They see a trainer with a white coat and a red hat like Izzy. It is said when two trainers meet a battle is sure to follow. But looking at the situation it looked more like a person getting mugged with Izzy shaking like a leaf at the unexpected arrival and the serious expression of the other guy.

"Cyndaquill!" Soon the faithful Pokémon stood in front of his trainer and lighted up his back as flames came to life expecting things to get hostile. But that made it worse as the other guy took that as a sign for a battle ignoring the shaking trainer of said Pokémon.

"Slowpoke let's go." He said with confidence as he throws a Poké Ball in the air. "Slow." Out came a pink Pokémon looking like it did not have a care in the world. Izzy just stood frozen in place but now knowing what was happening. Did not help much as he was still unable to say anything.

"Use tackle slowpoke." Soon the Pokémon known as slow did not look the part as it came charging at Cyndaquil at a good pace. Cyndaquil is quickly tackled as it is pushed in pain to the ground a couple of feet. This quickly shakes Izzy up as he watches his Pokémon try to get up in pain.

"Stop, stop! Why are we fighting?!" He said loudly for the first time.

"Are you kidding me? We just started!" The teen says annoyed.

"B-but I never agreed to this! Let's stop."

"Quil, Cyndaquil!" But after finding the courage to speak, he is soon shut up as Cyndaquil yells at him for stopping the fight. Astonishing Izzy seeing his Pokémon, even in pain, wanting to fight. "B-but, why? You're hurt."

"Tch. Don't you get it?! Unlike you. Cyndaquil wants to fight to prove it is the best. I feel sorry for him having a no-good trainer like you."

After a few minutes of silence for Izzy, he starts to realize something. "Y-you want to prove to me that you're strong and that I didn't make a mistake right, Cyndaquil."

"Quil." The fire mouse answers with a nod.

"Alright. I'm scared but if you believe we can do it, I will believe in you." Soon a bit of confidence comes into his eyes as he looks at his opponent. The teen in white watching the change in his opponent. Nodded as that was the true expression of a trainer.

"Slowpoke use tackle."

"Dodge it." Quickly the battle started again with Cyndaquil dodging the attack this time. "Your turn Cyndaquil, go around and tackle by the side."

"Use curse." After Cyndaquil tried to attack again it found out Slowpoke was as hard as a rock.

"Slowpoke, turn around while it's distracted and finish it with a water gun!" Soon a blast of water throws Cyndaquil to a tree, finishing the battle.

"Cyndaquil!" Izzy quickly rushed to his fainted wet Pokémon with a worry expression and carried him in his arms. After watching him still breathing brought a sigh of relief.

"You did okay." Soon the voice of the other trainer broke his attention to the teen. Quickly worry and anxiety came to Izzy as Cyndaquil was awake to protect him. "You're a rookie right?" He says with a stern expression. "Y-yes."

"Relax. The name's Carlos. Let's fight again someday. After you learn a few things about being a trainer." With that, the mysterious trainer goes through Route 29 as Izzy sees him go with a complicated expression.

Quickly Izzy grabs Cyndaquil and runs full speed to Professor Elm.

"Professor Elm! Please help Cyndaquil!" Izzy yells as he comes into the lab in a rush. Pushing all the other people in his way.

"Oh. Can you tell me what happened for Cyndaquil to be like this?" Elm questions as he checks Cyndaquil's condition and gives it to an assistant to further heal it.

"It's like this professor." Soon Izzy tells him everything that happened on the outskirts of the town. Of the boy in white and how helpless he was in the battle with Cyndaquil.

"Seems like you had your first battle and lost. Now that is fine. You just started and your experience as a trainer is not high yet. Not knowing what to do in that situation is fine." He says in a teacher's tone as Izzy keeps looking at the ground. "But what are you going to do now?" Izzy finally looks at him as he asks this question himself in wonder. "You noticed that Cyndaquil has a desire for battle and getting stronger. If you want I can take it back and give you a more peaceful Pokémon." Elm says seriously.

"I-I don't want that. I also feel the same. I want to get stronger and I want to accomplish that with Cyndaquil because he believes in me." He said with eyes burning with desire.

"That's good. I guess your mother was right about you going on this journey. Already you're speaking to me without nervousness." As soon as he brought that subject on. Izzy quickly begins to shiver as he notices how embarrassing it is. "I guess I spoke too soon." Elm says with a sheepish smile.

"Cyndaquil!" Quickly the voice of Izzy's faithful Pokémon is heard running towards him. Izzy, seeing him coming, opened his arms to embrace him and quickly started to pet him. "Cynda." He responded while nuzzling his cheeks into his trainer.

"Hey, buddy. I know we did not do our best last time."

"Quiil" He says disheartened.

"But I want you to know it was not your fault. It's mine and I promise you. I'll be the best trainer for you from now on."

"Qui quiil." The fire mouse says happily at its trainer.

And so began the journey of a timid boy and his trusted partner.