A Pokemon Master's Journey Begins 
Chapter One 

"KRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!". The first head of the Dodrio, joy, rasped toward the 
open window of a nearby house. "Not now, it's too early." a future Pokemon 
trainer groaned. The second head, sorrow, howled out a mournful tune. The boy 
just burrowed further under the covers. With a snort, the irate Dodrio 
stomped up to his window, and the third head, anger, screeched into the room.. 
Pokemon trainer though he may have been, Nick Broder had a lot to learn. Like 
to never insult a Dodrio by not paying attention to it. Well, now he'd 
learned it the hard way, and it was unlikely he'd forget it again. All three 
heads spat in the window, then sulked off. Nick rubbed his head. What time 
was it, anyway? He glanced over at the clock and was astonished to find the 
time was actually 10:45! "What the…how'd it get so late?" he said in a 
panicked voice. He barreled down the stairs, and had almost made it to the 
front door when something stopped him in his tracks. His mother. "Where do 
you think you're going without a good breakfast, young man?" his mother 
demanded. "Mom, really, I have to go! There might not even be any left by the 
time I get there!". "You are not going anywhere without having breakfast 
first. And that is final, because I am your mother, and I know what's best 
for you. Now sit!". With a sigh, Nick sank into the nearest chair. 
"Bus-ted!" his younger brother Matt sneered with his mouth full of corn 
flakes. "Yuck! That's gross, ya know that?". Matt nodded gleefully. Nick 
grabbed a waffle from the toaster, stuck it in his pocket, and ran out the 
door. Matt stuck his tongue out at his older brother, and as the door 
closed, started whining about how he wanted a pokemon to his mom, who was at 
the sink washing dishes. 
"11:00, Jeez, am I late!" Nick was careening down the road towards the lab 
as fast as he could. Whe he finally reached it though, there was a most 
unwelcome sight waiting for him. His cousin Patrick. Patrick stuck his foot 
out and tripped him as he came rushing past, with Nick ending up with a mouth 
full of dirt. Patrick laughed "Better late than never, I guess.". Nick jumped 
up and was ready to knock the stuffing out of that jeering face, but as he 
was winding up, somebody's arm grabbed his from behind. Whirling around, Nick 
found himself face to face with his friend, Shannon. "Forget Patrick," she 
said, rolling her eyes." He's a jerk, anyway. You have more important things 
to worry about". Shannon tugged on his arm, and pulled him into the lab. 
Professor Oak was the leading mind on Pokemon science, so he was the one 
any beginning trainer who was anybody got their starter Pokemon from. When 
Shannon and Nick came charging in though, the Professor's elaborate display 
of starter Pokeballs was upset from its stand, and brightly colored 
Poke-balls soon rolled all over the floor. "Now look what you've done!" 
Professor Oak wailed. "My beautiful display!". "Sorry." Shannon said softly. 
"None of these were even labeled yet!" Oak shouted waving his arms. "What am 
I going to do?". "Just have a trainer pick one at random" Shannon suggested. 
"It'll be more fair to people who come in late or something.". With a heaving 
sigh, the Professor said wearily "Fine, just pick one and we'll see what 
you've got.". Nick was just reaching down to pick one up when a shout came 
from outside. "Don't even think about starting without me, twipwad!" Patrick 
called. Patrick glowered at his cousin as soon as he came in. Nick stared 
right back, and it looked like the same fight was going to flare up again. 
Just in time, Shannon stepped between them, shoving Patrick to her left, and 
Nick to her right. "He started it" Patrick grumbled. "If you don't all just 
stop arguing and pick one, I'll never get this cleaned up in time for any 
other trainers!" the Professor shouted. "Fine by me". "Me too". "Okay.". 
Shannon reached into the pile of Poke-balls, and rooted around for a minute. 
"This one feels as good as any" she said, scooping one up. "I'll wait for you 
two before I see what it is, though.". Nick gulped, and reached down into a 
nearby heap. "I'll take this one, I guess." he said, trying to look 
nonchalant, holding it out. "Fine. When you losers see what a great Pokemon I 
get, though, you'll be sorry you ever came!" Patrick snorted. He pawed 
through a mess of Poke-balls before he found one that he was satisfied with. 
"Okay," Shannon said. "On three, we all call out our Pokemon at once. 
One…two…" 
"THREE!" "Poke-ball, GO!" all three of them called out at once. A red 
streak flew out of Shannon's ball, and landed in her arms. "Hor-seee!" the 
tiny Pokemon squeaked. "Ooooooooh! A Horsea! Oh, for cute!" Shannon squealed.. 
"I've always wanted one of these!". "Where'd ya find that one Prof.," Patrick 
teased, "Loser town or Wimpsville?". Shannon merely stuck out her tongue. 
Patrick's was next. The streak had flown up, and was just coming to rest on 
the floor. The streak took shape, and a call soared out. "Speeeear-ow!!!" 
the bird rasped, wings raised. "Cool, a Spearow! Tuff!" Patrick cheered. 
Nick's was last. The red beam shot around the lab, upsetting a lamp, and 
almost hitting Shannon in the head. "Yikes!" She yelled, ducking behind a lab 
table. It bounced off the walls, and shook a delicate picture on the wall. 
Finally, it stopped at Nick's feet and began to solidify. Everyone stared as 
it took shape. 

Stay tuned for Chapter Two!