Chapter Text
The sun send her warms rays of light to the earth below her, caressing the leaves of the tree, the grass, the rocks and the picknick blanket below her. Two boys, aged thirteen and fourteen, had decided the best way to enjoy the beautiful day was by having a picknick.
"Ah what a great day!" the fourteen-year-old Andy exclaimed, turning his face to the sun for a moment, before he looked at his friend and winked. "You're free to say 'Wow Andy, this was a great idea of you! Fantastic! You rock!' at any time now.”
Henri rolled his eyes and shook his head, but couldn't stop a grin from forming and turned to Andy. "Wow Andy, this was a great idea of you! Fantastic! You rock!" he repeated the words Andy had given him. The two boys looked at each other for a moment and then laughed together. After Henri shook his head once more he took a large, yellow berry from the basket and fed it to his pink Nidoran, while Andy watched. The Nidoran seemed to enjoy the food and happily munched it away.
"I heard you got third place in the Pokémon trainer competition in Mesperit City," Andy said as he looked at Henri.
Henri nodded and fondly scratched Nidoran’s head, who gave a short, pleased cry before he turned his attention back at the remains of the berry. "Yes,” Henri said. “This little Nidoran did great."
"I'd like to be a trainer." Andy folded his hands under his head and lay down on the grass, watching some clouds drift by. "But I'll need a Pokémon first. And those that professor Maple offers for beginning trainers just don't appeal to me. I mean, it's not that they are not cool, but almost every trainer from the islands has a Cyndaquil or a Froakie or a Rowlet. It's not special. And my parents won't give me any like yours did."
"Then you'll have to find a wild one."
"Hm, Oh!" He jolted up and rose a finger to the sky. "I know! I'll catch myself an Articuno. That shouldn't be too hard, right?"
Henry burst out in laughter and Andy himself was laughing as well. Henry's Nidoran looked from the one to the other, but then turned his attention to the basket where the first berry had come from and checked to see if there were some more.
"If you catch a legendary Pokémon just like that..." Henry began, but he was interrupted by Andy
"No, not just like that. With a plain Poké Ball!” Andy made a throwing motion. “In one throw."
"Right, my apologies, if you catch a legendary Pokémon just like that, you can skip being a trainer and call yourself Pokémon master from the start."
"Pokémon master Andy...I like that." Andy knew very well that what he said would be impossible, but exaggerating like this was one of his favourite past-times. It sometimes did annoy people that he was so rarely serious, but he didn't see the need to be serious all the time if he could have a little fun like this. But Henri seemed to be able to handle it quite well, even going along with his jokes, and it was probably why their friendship had survived so far.
"You know," Henry said suddenly. "If Articuno fails, you can always go for Entei."
Andy burst out in laughter, as did Henry. "It's good to have a back-up plan," he stated, reaching for his honey sandwich, but his hand stopped half-way through. A Caterpie was munching on his sandwich. "What is this?"
"That is a Caterpie," Henry told him.
"You know, it may be shocking, but I know some Pokémon by name. I meant: what is that Caterpie doing here?"
"Eating," Henry replied, very helpful.
"You're no help at all." Andy leaned over to watch the Caterpie, who had stopped eating and looked at him with it’s big, black eyes. "You like that sandwich, little one?"
The Caterpie still looked at him and nodded.
"You can have it." Andy shoved the sandwich a bit in his direction. "There's plenty more for me." He watched the Caterpie munch on the sandwhich after a happy sounding 'Prieee', which he assumed was thank you, although one could never be sure. Taking another sandwich from the basket, without really checking what he had grabbed, Andy looked at Henry. "It's not an Articuno, but I like it. You think I should catch it?"
"Do you have a Poké Ball?"
Andy shook his head, while swallowing a mouthful of what he discovered was a chicken-curry-salad sandwich, and watched Henry reach into his backpack. Once his friend had found what he was looking for he showed the red-and-white ball and tossed it to him. Andy plucked it from the air with one hand. He put his sandwich down and examined the Caterpie once more.
"You can try to catch it," Henry said to his friend, scratching the head of his Nidoran, who enjoyed the treatment, "and I’ll even lend you my Nidoran for it, but you can also see if he wants to come with you. There have been Pokémon willing to go with humans before and this one doesn't seem to be afraid."
Andy nodded, looking at the Caterpie while rolling the Poké Ball from one hand to the next. Then he pushed the button to enlarge it. The Caterpie, who was done eating, watched him curiously.
"I'm Andy," he said to the small bug-Pokémon. "And I want to be a Pokémon trainer. But for that I need a Pokémon, like yourself. Why don't you come with me? We can explore the world together, go on adventures, save the world and retire when we're thirty!"
Henry sighed and Andy grinned.
"Or, you know, participate in battles, get stronger and generally just have a good time together."
The Pokémon looked at him with his head slightly tilted to the right.
"If you're wondering what I can offer you,” Andy continued, “except of course for my awesome personality and stunning good looks, I can help you get stronger and I can offer shelter, food and friends."
"Prieee?"
"Not quite convinced? Hm, let me see." Andy watched the Pokémon as he was watching him and he reached out to it, to pet it on the head. "I'll take care of you, little one. You won't have to do anything you don't want to." A grin appeared, as he never stayed serious for a long time. "Or I can bribe you with honey!"
Henry laughed when he heard the last remark, but stopped when he noticed the Caterpie crawl closer to Andy.
"Don't say the honey bit did the job," Andy said, as surprised as Henry was.
"No, I'd say he just likes you. Pokémon aren't stupid. Well, of course he likes honey, but I think you earned his trust with, well, everything you said to him."
Andy offered the Caterpie his hand and the Caterpie crawled on it and moved over the arm, straight to the shoulder.
"If you want to come with me, you'll need a name." There was a serious look on Andy’s face, as he nodded to his own words. "I've got it! I'm going to name you Benny. What do you think?"
The Caterpie nodded and a broad smile appeared on Andy's face. "Benny it is then. Welcome to my team...which right now consists of just you."
Henry chuckled as he handed Andy a berry to feed his new found Pokémon.