Pokemon Trainer Rachel

Yawning as her eyes fluttered open, Rachel stretched out her limbs and glanced at the clock next to her bed.

7:30am. In an hour, she was to be meeting with Professor Jesse to obtain her very first Pokemon. She let out an excited squeak, and bounded out of bed to get ready.

She had spent the last few weeks preparing herself. On this day, should would officially become a Pokemon trainer, and depart from her home town of Sproutsville on her way to become the Pokemon League champion. She hurriedly dressed herself, picked up her backpack, and scooted out the door. Her mother's farewells were ignored as she skipped down the road towards the massive labratory just a few blocks away.

Arriving just on time, she was buzzing as she crashed through the doors of the lab, where Jesse was awaiting her.

He turned and smiled at her, "Good morning Rachel! Please, take a seat, I'd like to have a chat with you because we get on with the show."

He motioned to a nearby seat, which Rachel gingerly sat down on. She could hardly contain herself, "PROFESSOR WHICH POKEMON DO I GET?"

He cocked her eyebrow, and she bit her lip and grinned at him, "Sorry," she giggled, "I'm just excited, is all."

Jesse sits down across from Rachel, with a stern expression on his face.

"I have some... difficult news."

Rachel's heart drops, "What? Don't I get a Pokemon?"

Kicking herself for getting her hopes up, she feels tears pricking at her eyes as Jesse scrambles to piece together his next sentence.

"No, no, it's not that. There just may be some delays. All this rain lately has cut off supply routes into town - I haven't gotten my regular shipment of Pokemon to the lab. I have one left, but it's less than ideal."

Rachel's outlook immediately brightens, "I'll take it! I don't care!"

Jesse nods, "Are you sure? If you wait for a couple of days I can give you something a little more... suitable."

Rachel jumps to her feet, "Of course I'm sure! I'm sure I'll love it just the same! Lead the way, professor!"

Jesse stands, nods, and begins walking towards a nearby door. Rachel follows him, her stomach in knots. She was giddy and excited, but also very nervous. Jesse leads her into his laboratory, and picks up the lone Pokeball sitting on it. Rachel grins and hold out her hand eagerly.

Jesse hesitates, but finally hands it over. It feels good in Rachel's hand, and she begins thanking the Professor profusely.

He puts up a hand to stop her, "I think you should meet your new friend before you say anything."

Rachel nods, "Pokeball, go!" She drops the ball to the ground, and is shocked as her new companion flops out.

"KARP! KARP! MAGIKARP!"

Rachel recalls Magikarp and slumps to her knees.

"Lame."

Jesse puts his hand on her shoulder, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

She looks at him, "Too late to change my mind?"

He nods, "All trainers are entitled to one Pokemon from my lab. You let him out, he's yours. Be kind to him it's not his fault he's so..."

"Useless?" Rachel cuts in, prompting Jesse to smile, "Now, now. Don't be harsh, you'll just have to train him. Plus, it's incentive to go out and catch more Pokemon, right?"

Rachel gets back to her feet, nodding, "I guess so. But how am I supposed to train him if he can't do anything?"

Jesse shrugs, "One of the challenges of being a trainer."

Rachel rolls her eyes and makes for the door, "Thanks. I guess."

Leaving the lab, she tosses the pokeball up and down. Making her way home, she is greeted at the door by her beaming mother, who spies the pokeball and claps excitedly, "Oh, honey! I'm so proud of you! What Pokemon did you get? Let it out! I wanna meet it!"

Rachel sighs and drops the Pokeball once again. Her mother lets out a loud gasp as Magikarp flops around on the kitchen floor.

"Oh, uhh, how nice!" She says, not masking her true feelings very well.

Rachel recalls Magikarp and sits down, "This is what I get for being so impatient."

Her mother takes her hand, "Don't be silly. I'm sure Magikarp will be... adequate... eventually... Maybe you just need to give him a hand? Be resourceful! You're welcome to stay here as long as you need while you train him. I mean, it's not like any of the wild Pokemon in these parts can do much harm."

Rachel stands up again, picking up the Pokeball and her backpack, "I'll see what I can do."

She makes her way out of the house and towards the edge of town. She can see a Caterpie crawling up a nearby tree. "Perfect," she mutters, "Go, Magikarp!"

She hurls the Pokeball towards the tree, and runs to catch up. Magikarp flops helplessly on the ground, and Caterpie eyes Rachel off warily. Rachel wracks her brain for a plan of attack. Hurl an empty pokeball and just hope she'll get lucky? Plan.

She throws a pokeball at the Caterpie, which smacks it away with its tail.

She sighs, "New plan."

Once again wracking her brain, she is struck by inspiration. The only way to train Magikarp is to use him in a battle, and that's exactly what she would do. She walks up to Magikarp, and picks him up by the tail. She walks towards the Caterpie, lifts Magikarp, and THUNK.

Magikarp swiftly collides with Caterpie, and the bug Pokemon is knocked out cold and goes flying, "Yeah!" Rachel exclaims, as she pulls another empty pokeball from her backpack, and tosses it at the now-unconscious Caterpie. The pokemon is unable to put up a fight, And Rachel jumps for joy as she realises she has already caught her first Pokemon, all thanks to Magikarp.

And with that, Rachel made her way to the nearby city of Treedale. Along the way, she encountered many trainers and wild pokemon, each swiftly beaten down with a swing of her Magikarp. The enormous red fish didn't seem to mind getting swung around - but it may have been oblivious to what exactly was going on.

Caterpie remained a faithful companion, occasionally charging Magikarp and sending him flying into the rival Pokemon. Caterpie soon evolved, however, and Rachel found Metapod a useful throwing tool. It wasn't long before they had reached the gym in Treedale,

Facing the gym leader, Renee, a master of rock-type Pokemon, Rachel realised that they may be immune to a Magikarp-hammering, and gulped as Renee sent out her Geodude. Renee cocked her eyebrow as Rachel sent out her Metapod.

"Geodude, tackle!"

The rock Pokemon charged at Metapod, sending him flying back towards Rachel, who managed to swiftly catch the Pokemon, and lobbed him back at Geodude. "Metapod, harden!" He hardened mid-flight, before crashing down on top of Geodude. Geodude was dazed for a moment, before Rachel realised that Metapod had managed to crack Geodude's head.

She giggled excitedly as the Geodude slumped to the ground, and as Renee recalled her injured pokemon, Metapod began glowing, and Rachel squealed in delight as her Metapod took the form of a Butterfree.

Renee sent out a second Geodude, who swiftly tackled Butterfree, and knocked the newly-evolved Pokemon out cold. Rachel's heart sank as she recalled Butterfree and sent out Magikarp, prompting loud laughter from Renee. Rachel sighed and picked up Magikarp. Swinging him with all her might, Magikarp collided with Geodude, and the rock Pokemon went flying, "KARP! MAGIKARP!" exlaimed the fish, as Rachel dropped him to the ground and jumped for joy.

Renee stood staring at her, mouth agape, not believing her Geodudes had been beaten so easily.

"There's no way you can win! Go, Onyx!"

As Renee's Onyx emerged from the Pokeball, Magikarp began glowing. Rachel and Renee gasped simultaneously as the fish began to grow.

Rachel realised that Magikarp's evolution ensured her victory, and she smugly grinned at Renee as the huge Gyarados took form beside her, and shrieked an unearthly cry. "Gyarados!" Rachel commanded, "Hyper Beam!"

Gyarados began quivering, and a ball of light began growing in his jaws. Rachel ran for cover, and Renee and Onyx began fleeing as the ball grew ever larger, before Gyarados fired an enormous destructive beam in their direction.

Renee and Onyx both screamed as the beam enveloped them, turning them both to ash. The ensuing explosion blasted a hole in the side of the gym, and Rachel recalled Gyarados and fled the building before it collapsed.

Panting, Rachel fell to the ground nearby as she watched the crowds gather and begin digging through the debris for the body of the gym leader who, they believed, was still trapped inside.

Delirious with her newfound power, Rachel got to her feet and walked over to them, "You won't find her!" She called, "She, along with all her Pokemon, are dead!" They turned in horror to stare at Rachel, who started cackling maniacally.

Once again calling her Gyarados from the Pokeball, Rachel climbed on his back before instructing him to fire his Hyper Beam into the crowd. The Gyarados obliged, and Rachel continued cackling as Gyarados slithered away from Treedale, leaving the town in ruins, the bodies of the town's inhabitants strewn on the ground.

"Gyarados, I think it's about time we take on the Pokemon League!"

TO BE CONTINUED.