Chapter Text
A girl with long, blonde hair checked herself in the mirror. She placed a baseball cap on her head and flung her long hair over her shoulders. An adult woman walked up to her with a backpack, followed closely by an adult man.
“Kimberly, I packed you lunch and some snacks,” she told the girl. “You should last until the next city with it. Daddy and I will make sure you’ll receive money for your travel the first of every month on your banking account.”
“Thanks mom!” Kimberly said as she turned to her mother. She took the backpack and gave her mother a big hug, after which she gave one to her father. “Bye, I’ll call you before I go to sleep.” Kimberly hoisted the backpack on her shoulders, gave her parents a final wave goodbye and left the house.
Standing on the pavement in front of her house, Kimberly looked up with a happy face. The rays of the sun caressed her face and she smiled. Finally. Today, she would become a Pokémon trainer. She had turned sixteen just a day earlier and now she would start her adventure. And the thought of her adventure made her think about that boy she had met during her vacation on Rhando island two months ago. Michael. She had thought about him and his promise to come here today a lot and she was looking forward to meeting hem again.
Filled with excitement over the all the adventures that awaited, Kimberly started running towards the lab of professor Rowan. Normally it would be a walk of ten minutes, but that seemed too long, she was anxious to get her new starter Pokémon and leave Sandgem Town.
When she reached the lab she held on to the wall and panted. After she took a moment to catch her breath, she looked around. No-one was waiting for her. She stood up straight and checked her watch, it was still ten minutes before two. Maybe he was running late? She waited for another ten minutes, growing more nervous as the seconds ticked away. Would he come or had he forgotten? Or had something else happened? She had told him he had to be here by two and he had promised to be here on time. So where was he? One minute past two. Kimberly bit her lip and disappointment showed, Michael hadn’t come. After a sigh she walked into the lab, her high spirit had vanished. Not only was she looking forward to become a Pokémon trainer, she wanted to travel with him.
As she walked further into the lab she heard the voice of professor Rowan and another familiar voice. She picked up the pace and went into the main part of the lab, where she noticed the brown-haired boy from Rhando talking with the professor. The two didn’t even notice her, but the Cyndaquil in Michaels arms did and he started waving his paws at her. When that happened, Michael looked down at this Cyndaquil and then at Kimberly. He smiled at her, a smile that lit up his brown eyes.
“Kimberly,” he greeted her.
“Michael!" she exclaimed happily as she walked towards him. "I thought you wouldn’t come.”
Michael laughed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. “I got here half an hour ago and when the professor saw me standing there he invited me in.”
“You never told me you were meeting with professor Bansings nephew,” Rowan said to Kimberly with a stern face.
“Uhm, sorry,” Kimberly muttered. “I didn’t think it mattered.”
“It doesn’t,” the professor said. “I was just surprised to see him.” He turned to Michael. “It was a nice chat, boy. A very interesting one. You will keep an eye on her, right?” he asked the question as he nodded his head towards Kimberly.
“Of course,” Michael said with a smile to Kimberly.
Professor Rowan nodded to Michael and then turned to Kimberly. “So, you will begin your journey as a trainer. Do you think you’re ready?”
“Yes Sir!” Kimberly said enthusiastically.
“Then come here and pick your starter,” the professor said as he gestured to three Pokéballs. “We have the fire-Pokémon Chimchar, the water-Pokémon Piplup and the grass-Pokémon Turtwig. Which one do you want?”
“Chimchar!” Kimberly said, almost jumping up and down from excitement. It was something she had decided long before this day had come.
The professor nodded and gave Kimberly her starter Pokémon, some Pokéballs and a Pokédex. After this he gave the two young people his best wishes and turned to his own work again.
Together Michael and Kimberly left the lab and as soon as they were outside she called her Chimchar to meet her starter Pokémon for the first time. The timid Cyndaquil also greeted the fire-type. After a moment of looking at her starter, she looked at Michael and the smile she already had by seeing her starter grew even bigger.
“Are you ready?” she asked as she winded some of her hair around her finger.
“I am,” Michael said.
“Did you catch any more Pokémon since we met?” she asked as they started walking.
Michael nodded to the question and told her about the Growlithe he got from his father for his 17th birthday and the Fletchling he had caught back on Rhando. She smiled as she listened to him talk about the meeting with and the first catch of the Fletchling and what other things he had done in the time between the ferry that took Kimberly back to Sinnoh and their meeting in the lab.