At home in Saffron

Callin stared nervously at the clock which hung upon the far wall of the livingroom. Every few moments he glanced, hoping time would speed up, and his anxiety would diminish. But the seconds would tick at the same rate, and the minute hand continued to look like it didn't move at all.

This was his day, though. He would start it all today. He already had his Abra, who was elsewhere in his home at the moment, but his family had a ritual that he had to perform. The precursor to becoming a trainer.

His father entered the room, and Callin could feel the weight of his mind probing about, the air seemed to both swirl around, and become heavy and stagnant, feeling as if it clung to his skin.

His father held out a bandanna, with a small pearl gleaming in the center. Callin accepted it with two hands, and tied it around his forehead, the pearl shining out like a third eye.

"Like the rest of your family before you, Callin, today you embark on your own journey and path, and let not your own abilities aid you, as they have aided none of us."

Dad did always like his speeches... So formal...

"Yes, I understand."

---

Callin spent the rest of the day meeting and greeting the members of his family who had traveled to be there on this day. He had waited a year to start his journey, he was 11, and not 10, something that raised a few eyebrows in his family. In truth, he was more interested in himself than pokemon, but in time his decision wavered, and here he was. He packed his bag, and in the mid afternoon he snuck away. No formal goodbyes, no tears.

He was free.

Callin looked down at his Abra. "So, where to first?"

...

Callin looked to the checkpoint ahead, and entered. He passed a throng of people on their way coming and going. He was sure they were looking at his ridiculous bandana, and his father's words were all that kept him from peeling it from his sweaty forehead. He left the checkpoint, and traveled to some grass. This was it, this is where they all begin...

He set about searching. For what he didn't know. He wasn't even sure what he'd find outside Saffron on route 6.

In truth, he actually wanted to get lost...

The grass gets taller and taller as you step off the path to the point it becomes a bit of a hindrance; just how you are supposed to find anything is anyone's guess. About half an hour after you walked off you come across a small pond surrounded by small trees. There is a man hiding behind one, his large frame seems comical behind what is really a better class of scrub, he looks to be waiting for something.

Callin stops where he is, looking around to see if he had noticed Callin. If he appears to be aware of Callin's presence, he'll announce: Hello.

If not however, he'll crouch behind a tree with Abra, and just watch the man until he does something, or Callin gets bored.

The man sits behind the tree for a while not moving staring fixedly at the pond. After a few minutes you see a round yellow shape start to lift out of the pond near the shore. As it rises you can tell it is a psyduck waddling up the edge of the pond.

The pokemon gets close to the tree oblivious to the man behind it, and the man licks his lips looking like he is ready to pounce. Just as it is almost at the tree the man shoots up and shouts "Pinchy use stun spore!" A pair of mushrooms that had gone previously unnoticed rises out of the dirt revealing a paris that slings a yellow powder at the psyduck who only has time to gaze in shock before it is covered. "Now leach seed!" and the duck unable to move is covered in tiny seeds that sprout almost instantly. The psy duck clutches at its head and moans as if in terrible pain, and the paris begins to convulse. Moments later the paris seems intent on ripping off its own antenna. "Damn! Pinchy return, go Crinkles!" In a flash of red light the paris is gone and a meowth has taken its place, and promptly has water sprayed at it from the psyduck. "Dodge and use fury swipes!" The meowth with lightning speed ducks under the water and sprints forward delivering three vicious blows to the psyduck. "Now I've got you!" The man throws a pokeball and it engulfs the psyduck. The ball twitches once, twice, and explodes With the battered Pokemon running, much faster than its small feet should allow, back into the pond where it dives deep. "DAMN IT ALL NOT AGAIN!" The man kicks the tree to little effect "Come on Crinkles" and with a red flash the meowth is gone