My Adventure Has a Purpose...And A Bet

I finally made it to Viridian City.  It seemed like it took forever to get up there.  I mean, I've only been there for school and some trips to the store with mom, but we usually use the bus or mom flies us there on her Pidgeot.  But I've never had to walk up there by myself.

I didn't realize how many  Pokemon lived between these two cities.  I mean, it's only a couple miles, but it seemed like I saw a hundred Pidgeys and Rattatas on my journey.  Fortunately my Charmander was more than a match for them.

Charmander and I have gotten really close over the past day.  It seems like every time we battle together, our moves flow a little bit more seamlessly.  I can really tell that we're going to be good friends.  Plus, I think he's really cool looking.  I love the flame that comes out on the tip of his tail.  Each time I send him out of the Pokeball, it seems like that fire burns a little bit brighter.

Once we got to Viridian City, I decided to check out the Pokemon Center.  The nice lady working at the front desk took Charmander for a little bit and healed him up to be good as new.  It was great to see how friendly she was to both of us.  I can tell she's really passionate about healing Pokemon.  It actually reminded me of dad a little bit - he's always working so hard to save lives as a doctor at the hospital in Cerulean City.  I'm hoping that I'll be able to visit him there someday.

Someone at the Pokemon Center told me that I should go to the PokeMart though.  They said that's the only place where I can buy Pokeballs to capture Pokemon on my own.  And seeing as how there's a grumpy old man who won't let anyone through to go to the forest, I guess I will.

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That was weird.  I walked into the PokeMart and Alex from school was working there.  I didn't know he lived near Viridian City.

But as soon as I walked in the door, he wouldn't let my buy anything.  He said something about how an important piece of mail was delivered here instead of Pallet, and asked if I would mind to run home and give it to Professor Oak.

He was really adamant that I take it, so I did.  I decided to hurry home.  Plus I really wanted to check in on mom to see how she was doing without both of her guys there.  I mean, she has her Pidgeot and a couple other Pokemon, but still.  They're not quite the same as her husband and her only son.

I did have some fun jumping down the small cliffs that mark a lot of the roads around Kanto.  Turns out they're just high enough that you can't really walk over them, but also not too high that you won't get hurt if you jump down from them.  I got to Pallet in almost record time.  My trip seemed to take next to know time.  I'm excited to see how everyone has been doing.  I know I haven't been gone for more than a couple of hours, but I feel like Charmander and I have already grown up a lot since we've been gone.

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Turns out that important piece of mail was something that Professor Oak has been waiting on for a long time.  He said he's been waiting for it, so he could finish up his newest invention.  A new version of the Pokedex!

He was about to tell me more about it when Blue showed up and interrupted him.  It seems like he has grown a lot too, but not in the same way that Charmander and I have.  Blue seemed to be even more arrogant than he was just this morning.

And...did he get his hair cut?  Also, when did he start to get so...oh...right!  Professor Oak and the new Pokedex.

Professor Oak said that this Pokedex actually gives us more information if we are able to catch the Pokemon.  And that this Pokedex actually links directly to his computer at home and is able to record all sorts of new information about the Pokemon after we catch them.

He then went on to talk about how his dream was to write up a compendium of all the different Kanto Pokemon to be distributed around the world.  He hoped that the two of us would help him in the journey.  I think it's going to be a great thing to have a great work dedicated to helping all the people of the world see what makes Kanto special, so I eagerly agreed to help him out.  Blue seemed to be a little antagonistic about the whole thing though.  Typical.

But as we were leaving, Blue turned to me and said, "I bet you can't become the Pokemon League Champion."

"I bet I could.  I always did better in school than you, why should Pokemon be any different?" (I really don't know a whole lot about Pokemon, but I couldn't stand to see Blue act like such a jerk.)

"Oh yeah?  Then let's make this bet even more interesting Red.  I bet that I can be the Pokemon Champion before you, and I'll only use the first Pokemon I encounter in each new route and town to do it.  Bet you can't do that!"

"I'm sure I can Blue.  Challenge accepted!" (I really don't know what this means.)

So we settled on a couple of ground rules before we went our separate ways.

1. We can only use the first Pokemon to appear in each route, cave, river.

2. Rare candies and other vitamins will be fair game.  (I have no idea what this means.)

3. If anyone gives us a gift Pokemon, we are able to use that and it will not count as a Pokemon from that city or route.

4. No buying Pokemon!
5. No trading Pokemon.

Then Blue took off. Pretty abruptly too.  I wonder if he's been practicing that all afternoon?

I went to say goodbye to his sister and she handed me a town map.  I always did like her, but for some reason she always insists on flirting with me.  I don't get it.  I've always been closer to Blue than her, but whatever.  I'm grateful to have a little extra help on this journey.  

And then I went to say goodbye to mom, cause I don't know how long it's going to take me to get back home after I take off.  She was really supportive of the whole thing and listened patiently while I told her about Blue and how much he's changed.  She told me that I didn't need to worry about Blue and that I should keep raising Charmander the way I was, to not worry about being the strongest, but to travel and learn and grow from our time together.  Mom reminded me that's how she and dad met, while they were traveling around on their Pokemon journeys, and mom was impressed by how dad and his Charmeleon were able to show how much they truly cared for each other - that's how she fell in love with him.

Mom was also really insistent that I didn't leave right then and there.  She told me to take write a letter to dad explaining my new adventure and telling him about all the cool things that happened to me today.  She also gathered a bunch of paper and some pens so that I could write home to both of them while I was on my journey.  And then, like mom always does, she told me to go rest while she made dinner and that I should start on my journey officially tomorrow.

And even though I'm 17, I never could say no to mom's home cooked meals. So I guess I'll set off back to Viridian City tomorrow and then see about going to the Pokemon League?