Chapter 1

Evan yawned as he woke up. He never woke up this early on any normal day, and he was feeling a little tired. But today was different from any normal day. It was his tenth birthday, and the day he was getting his Pokemon License to start his very own Pokemon journey.

Evan got dressed in the fresh new travelling clothes Mom had bought for him the previous day. His hands swooped up his favourite backpack in the corner of the room, which he had packed the night before. In it was some first-aid, spare clothes and some tasty snacks.

He raced down the stairs, and saw his Mom downstairs with a nicely wrapped present ready for him.

"Happy birthday, son!" she said, and presented the gift to him. Evan tore the wrapping out and was delighted to find a PokeGear.

"Thanks, Mom! You're the best!" Evan hugged her, as he put his new PokeGear in his backpack. After filling his stomach with some bread, he said goodbye to his Mom and sprinted over to Professor Oak's Lab.

At the entrance of the lab, he ran into his rival, Arthur, coming out of the lab. He was also starting his Pokemon journey the same day.

"Hey, Evan!" Arthur smirked. "Late as usual, I see. Too bad I snagged the best Pokemon."

"How would you know that YOU have the best Pokemon? You haven't even tried it out yet!" Evan retorted.

"Aw, shut up! Let's see who gets their first badge the fastest then!" Arthur challenged. He took out a Pokeball. "Along with my Pokemon, I am going to be the greatest Pokemon Trainer, and no one shall stand in my way!"

"Hey, that's supposed to be my line!" Evan yelled. At that moment, a figure stepped outside.

"What's all the noise?"

"Oh! Professor Oak!" Evan said.

"It's you, Evan! Come on in." Professor Oak smiled. Arthur smirked, and went on his own way. Evan and Professor Oak made their way into the lab, and Evan looked at all the awesome machines around the place.

"There are two Pokemon left here. Arthur has taken Bulbasaur, the Leaf-type Pokemon. Which Pokemon would you like, Evan?" Professor Oak asked. Although, the professor thought, he'd already knew which Pokemon Evan wanted.

"Charmander! I want a Charmander please!" Evan said excitedly. Professor Oak smiled as he reached his hand out for the Charmander Pokeball. Ever since Evan's father, a strong Pokemon Trainer who had once won the Indigo League, had captured a Charmander and evolved it to a Charmeleon and then a Charizard, Evan had dreamt of having his very own Charmander and raising it.

"Here is the Charmander. Make sure you take good care of it!" Professor Oak reminded him. Evan took the Pokeball.

"I will, Professor!" Evan's eyes gleamed as he looked at the Pokeball with excitement. "Well then, come on out Charmander!"

A Charmander popped out of the Pokeball. The Pokemon looked at Professor Oak, then at Evan. After recgonising him as his new Trainer, Charmander leaped towards Evan, giving his new Trainer a hug.

"Hahaha, what a cute Pokemon!" Evan chuckled, as Charmander climbed onto his shoulder.

"Looks like you two make fast friends!" said Professor Oak. "Here, your PokeDex, a Map of Kanto and five Pokeballs to get you started."

Evan put all his new items in his backpack and analyzed Charmander with his new PokeDex.

"Charmander, the Lizard Pokemon. A flame burns on the tip of its tail from birth. It is said that a Charmander dies if its flame ever goes out," chimed the PokeDex, in a robotic voice. Evan kept the PokeDex, waved goodbye to Professor Oak, and walked out of the lab, embarking on his Pokemon Journey.

"Let's see..." Evan took out his Map, and looked at it, at the same time rubbing his chin. The closest Gym to Pallet Town would be... Viridian City... but I heard that Gym..." Evan tried to remember what his father had warned him about. Ah, yes. That it wouldn't be a good idea challenging the Viridian Gym if you had just started your Pokemon Journey even though it was the closest Gym, as the Viridian Gym had extremely strong Pokemon.

"Alright!" Evan decided. "My first Gym stop shall be Pewter City. I can always challenge the Viridian Gym when I get stronger. Yup, that's the plan!" Evan said cheerily, and he skipped down the path, exiting Pallet Town.

After exiting Pallet Town, Evan came to the entrance of the Pallet Forest. Checking the Map again, Evan found out that at the end of Pallet Forest was Viridian City, and that he could go to Pewter City from Viridian. Eager to get going, Evan raced through the forest as fast as he could. Suddenly, he lost his footing, and fell to the ground with a loud thunk.

"Oww..." Evan muttered. His Charmander had fallen to the ground along with him, and too was rubbing his head. Evan looked up to see a purple rat Pokemon staring at them. "A Pokemon!" Evan yelled, and pointed his PokeDex at the Rattata like a weapon.

"Rattata, the Mouse Pokemon. They are small but quick and are known to have very sharp teeth that can gnaw through any surface. Sometimes they steal food from travellers in open fields."

"No Rattata's stealing food from me today!" grinned Evan. He took out an empty Pokeball. "I'll catch it!"

Suddenly, his father's voice flashed into his head. "Evan, when you become a Pokemon Trainer, never throw a Pokeball at a wild Pokemon without weakening it first. If you fail to capture the Pokemon, it will alarm the Pokemon, and sometimes anger it."

"Oh, right. I have to weaken it first." Evan remembered. "Charmander, you're on!"

Will Evan and Charmander be able to capture Rattata or end up looking like idiots? Find out in the next chapter!

To be continued