Title: Simple Dreams
Word Count: 1,999
All Pokémon trainers have one goal in mind – they wish to catch as many Pokémon as possible and train those Pokémon to their full potential while exploring the lands. Both Pokémon and trainer set out together, traveling city to city and battling just about anyone they come across in order to be the very best that they can be.
However, this is not my goal.
So why, I couldn’t help but ponder to myself,
was I doing this?
You see, while other kids my age have grand aspirations to be famous Pokémon trainers, I have a much simpler plans of continuing to work for my family farm situated just outside the cozy village of Pallet Town. Everyone in the Dagmar family, including myself, worked hard to tend to the fields in order to harvest various foods to ship to local cities. It is not the most glamorous of professions, but I find joy in what we do, and that is why I have no intentions of every deviating from my plan.
I then unexpectedly received a letter from Oak, the professor of the Kanto region who lived not too far from me. Within the letter, he described how I had come of age and how he would be more than happy to supply me with my first Pokémon and set me off on my journey. I scoffed at the notion; perhaps some people would love the idea of journeying throughout the region with a Pokémon at their side, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Despite my disinterest, my family insisted that I, at the very least, go and speak with Oak. I attempted to explain that it would be a waste of both our times, but they were relentless in their demands, so I now find myself paddling on my old, rickety bike towards Pallet Town.
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I pulled up next to the lab, letting out prolonged huff of air and wiping the droplets of sweat from my brow. The lab wasn’t too far from home, but not only did the sun’s sweltering heat constantly beat against my skin, but I couldn’t help but feel nervous for the inevitable moment where I will deny the Professor’s offers and he will become outraged. I let out a sigh, bracing myself for what will come, and pushed open the doors to the lab. I was greeted with a blast of soothing air continued coolness and the stark white lab coat of a man hunched over a table. At the sound of the door opening, he whipped his head up and around to face me and I was meet with the beaming grin of an old, grayed man.
“Ah, you must be Michael Dagmar! I’m Professor Oak,” he announced, rushing towards me and thrusting his hand into mine in one fluid motion. “I’m so glad I’m finally able to meet you!”
“Erm, hi Professor?” I squeaked, perplexed at the Professor’s whimsical behavior. He shook my hand up and down quickly several times before releasing it and motioning to the table behind him. Upon the table sat a metallic, red and white sphere – a Pokéball.
“Well here we have your very first Pokémon,” stated Professor Oak, grasping the Pokéball in his hand and holding it out to me. “I’m sorry that you don’t have much choice in your first partner, but there have been many eager kids ready to start their journey lately and I’m fresh out of starters.”
“W-wait Professor!” I spluttered and raised both my hands up in an attempt to push the Pokéball away. “That’s not why I’ve come here. I’m really sorry if I’ve mislead you, but I came to say that I don’t need a Pokémon! I have no intentions of going on any grand journeys or fighting against gym leaders. I plan to stay here, out away from the cities, and help care for the fields. You understand that, right?”
In an instant, Professor Oak’s face went from a radiant smile to a look of bewilderment, as though he didn’t completely process what I said.
“I see...” he said simply, and then paused. I could feel the tension fill the air as he looked me up and down.
Oh he’s going to be mad at me, I cringed,
this is exactly what I told my family would happen. What I did not expect is when Oak let out a hearty chuckle and placed the Pokéball in my hand.
“My boy, the only thing I don’t understand is why you think a Pokémon is only for battling!” he answered, placing is hand on my shoulder.
I looked down at the sphere now clenched between my hands and then back up at him. “What? But I thought that’s why you wanted me here, so I can become a Pokémon trainer!”
Oak laughed yet again. “My, you have quite the one track mind! Yes, I would like for you to be a Pokémon trainer, but that doesn’t mean you have to run off and start this big ‘ol journey. You see, we are all Pokémon trainers, no matter what we choose to do with our lives. We grow as a person with a Pokémon as a friend by our side and together with your partner, you can learn invaluable lessons that you wouldn’t have without them – lessons of friendship, compassion, and even sometimes frustration. No matter where you decide to go with your Pokémon, you can take comfort in that they’ll always be by your side. That is what makes someone a Pokémon trainer.” He removed his hand from my shoulder and set it on the Pokéball in my hands before winking up at me. “Now,
you understand, right?”
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The sun was slowly setting over the horizon, painting the sky brilliant colors of orange and red as I quickly rode home, enjoying the warm night breeze the caressed my face. In the basket of my bike sat a small, orange, reptile-like Pokémon with a bright flame flickering at the end of its tail. It gripped the edge of the basket with its tiny claws as its large eyes gazed upon the land before it in absolute wonderment. Finally, we came to the end of the road which was at the peak of a large hill and down in the valley below was my family farm. Golden wheat flowed in the breeze, rippling like the waves of the sea and shinning with the brilliance of the sunset above.
“Char char!” Charmander marveled at the scene before it before turning around and grinning at me, a twinkle of excited gleaming it its eyes.
“Yeah buddy, this is your new home,” I sighed contentedly, gently patting Charmander’s head as I looked forward, not only at the farm before me but the future that awaited us. Previously, I thought getting a Pokémon was the last thing I need in my life and doing so would just complicate my simple dreams. However, now I understand that each dream has its own twist and turns and it is not always what we plan, but I know I’ll always be able to face them as long as I have my Pokémon by my side.