Section 2: First Duel
I left the laboratory with the Pokéball in hand. It was warm, almost alive. A small clicking sound warned me that the moment had come. I could feel the adrenaline starting to make me feel something—a kind of tingling—but it wasn't the loud excitement one might expect when receiving a first Pokémon. No, this feeling was more subtle, calmer, almost... resigned.
I stepped onto Route 1, the path connecting Pallet Town to Viridian City. A long stretch of dirt, scattered with patches of grass and a few bushes. It was a familiar road. It didn't seem much different from yesterday or tomorrow. Yet, I knew that what I was about to do would mark a turning point. Maybe not in the expected way, but there was a certainty that everything would begin here, today.
As soon as I arrived on the road, I noticed movement in the corner of my vision. A silhouette—familiar. It was Damian, one of my rivals. He stood there, arms crossed, his gaze hard but curious. He was watching me, as if he knew exactly what I was about to do, yet he said nothing. It was a strange situation, really. As if this moment was inevitable.
"You're leaving too?" he asked, his voice calm, though his tone carried a hint of mockery.
I shrugged, avoiding an immediate answer. But he insisted, unable to resist breaking the silence.
"You chose your Pokémon, I assume. I picked Charmander. He's fast, strong. You shouldn't underestimate a Fire-type Pokémon." A smirk formed on his lips—almost a challenge—but I wasn't intimidated. Or at least, I didn't let it show.
I glanced at my Pokéball. Bulbasaur, a Grass-type. Not exactly what one would call "fast" or "strong." But he had his own charm. A certain resilience, an endurance that others didn't yet understand. He had weaknesses, but his strengths would reveal themselves when the time was right.
"Want to train a bit?" Damian suggested. His gaze sharpened, as if the idea of facing me excited him. He was waiting for one thing—a battle.
I looked him in the eye. There was no visible challenge, no overwhelming arrogance like I was used to seeing in him, but it was enough to know what he wanted. A fight. A real one. The one that would mark the start of our respective journeys.
It was up to me to decide.
I had, of course, noticed that he hadn't considered whether I was less prepared than him. It was like a half-open door, waiting to be pushed. But I knew there was more to this than just a simple battle.
It was obvious that he underestimated me. He thought I would take this lightly, just as he had probably done with his other rivals.
I smiled inwardly, but nothing showed on my face. "Alright. A battle, just to see."
He hadn't noticed the nuance in my voice, but I was sure the outcome of this duel wouldn't be what he expected. Maybe I should have taken this more seriously, but it wasn't the right time yet. The real test wasn't here. Not today.
The battle began. He sent out Charmander first, the little Fire-type Pokémon, with its determined gaze. Not a bad choice. But something told me I wouldn't be easily impressed. I had seen many battles, but I wasn't ready to fully engage just yet.
I tossed my Pokéball. "Bulbasaur, let's go."
The Grass-type Pokémon appeared in a flash of light. He shook his head, as if stretching after a long sleep. He didn't seem to care about the fierce-looking Charmander in front of him. That kind of confidence couldn't be taught. It was in the Pokémon's nature.
Damian stepped forward, commanding Charmander to attack with a quick burst of flames. The fiery jet shot toward Bulbasaur, but he dodged with an agility that even Damian hadn't anticipated. Charmander had relied on speed, but Bulbasaur, though slower, understood his surroundings.
I took a deep breath and ordered him to retreat.
"Recover, Bulbasaur," I murmured, barely audible, while observing the terrain around us.
Charmander launched another Ember attack, but I wasn't in a hurry to react. It would take more than a little fire to shake me.
Bulbasaur, still calm, stood ready. I watched him, analyzing every movement, every gesture. He seemed to know what I wanted before I even gave the command. But there was this distance, this slowness. Everything was calculated, though at a level Damian couldn't perceive.
When Charmander launched another attack, I shifted slightly. Bulbasaur, with the tips of his vines, used Leech Seed. It wasn't a direct offensive move, but it was enough to weaken Charmander. The little Fire-type wasn't expecting it. A soft yet relentless energy seeped into his body, slowing him down and gradually tiring him.
Damian frowned. He wasn't ready for this turn of events.
"What are you doing?" he asked, almost to himself. He didn't understand.
I didn't even need to answer. Bulbasaur's gaze said more than a thousand words.
The battle continued, but at some point, I let it go. I allowed Bulbasaur to take a few hits—deliberately. It was a matter of seeing what would come next. When the outcome seemed inevitable.