It had been a month since Drake last visited Michael's house. Yet Michael was still riding high on the excitement of his new starter Pokémon.
He had already given Bagon the grand tour of the entire residence and proudly introduced it to the newly constructed training zone—complete with scaled-down artificial mountains designed specifically so the little Dragon-type could launch itself off them in wild, misguided attempts at flight.
Which, to be fair, was exactly the point. The reckless leaping not only helped toughen Bagon's famously rock-hard skull, but it also scratched that deeply ingrained itch to soar through the skies… even if, for now, it just meant crash-landing into padded walls.
Bagon was no slouch, either. It already boasted a solid egg move set: Defense Curl, Dragon Rush, Twister, and Thrash. Thrash, notably, was one of the most powerful Normal-type moves it could wield, short of Double-Edge, which it would eventually learn through leveling. Michael wasted no time flaunting this to Asher, especially when comparing it to his older brother's stoic Dragonite, whose egg moves weren't as strong.
"Bet your Dragonite didn't come out of the egg with this kind of firepower," Michael grinned at Asher.
But Asher didn't take the bait this time. After all, he was the one who had to spend half his allowance buying luxury grooming kits and imported Poké-Puffs just to appease the prideful pseudo-legendary after their last charade.
The new term at Trainer School had just kicked off, and the buzz in the air was electric. Why? Because this term, students were finally allowed to bring their starter Pokémon. No more shouting generic commands at a simulated screen while a pixelated Charmander tried its best. This time, there would be real battles—with real Pokémon. Injuries, drama, friendship—the works.
Michael attended one of the most prestigious national high schools in the region, the kind where the children of Gym Leaders, Rich Elite businessmen, and Champion-tier trainers made up half the student body. He fit right in.
Asher flew Michael to school on the back of his Flygon—a subtle flex, really. Being the region's Dragon-type National Gym Leader came with perks, including league-funded training facilities and priority access to rare battle simulations. He was usually pretty busy with trainers challenging the gym for badges and need to train his own Pokémon. Still, despite his schedule, Asher made time to drop his little brother off in style.
"Don't embarrass the family," he said with a smirk before soaring off into the sky.
Michael grinned and waved, before turning toward the school's grand entrance, hunting for his new classroom in a maze of polished hallways and hovering classroom signs.
"Michael! What Pokémon did you get as your starter?" a chipper voice called out behind him.
He turned to see a girl around his age with shoulder-length silver-pink hair and violet eyes that sparkled with curiosity. Sersi Minhurst—his cousin from his mother's side.
The Minhurst family was well-known in the region for their Psychic-type expertise. Despite the assumptions people often made, the marriage between Michael's parents wasn't some carefully arranged union between two powerful families. It had been a true love match—fully supported by both clans. His grandfather, Drake, and grandmother, Rose, had also married for love, and were thrilled when their only son followed his heart. The Minhursts were equally delighted that their daughter had married into the family of the very first Champion.
Sersi and Michael were the youngest of their generation and had grown up more like best friends than cousins.
"I got my Bagon from Grandpa!" Michael said proudly.
Sersi gasped. "Whoa! Asher must be super jealous!"
Michael smirked. "Don't tell him that. He was jealous, but his Dragonite was even worse, annoyed by Asher's liking of Bagon—Asher had to bribe it with an entire crate of luxury grooming items just to get back on its good side."
Sersi burst into a giggle fit. "Poor Asher!"
"What about you?" Michael asked eagerly. "Did you get a Ralts, or did you go for something unexpected?"
Sersi puffed up with excitement. "I actually got two! Ralts, of course—Mom's Gardevoir passed down a beautiful one—but I also have a Staryu! It was an egg bought at a fancy auction."
Michael blinked. "Whoa, a Staryu? That's a pretty rare combo for your family."
"Psychic and Water, best of both worlds!" she beamed.
Michael nodded, grinning. "Nice. I've got another Pokémon too—still in its egg, but it should hatch soon. When it's close, I'll let you see it."
"Deal!"
"Oh—have you seen Rodnick?"
Ah, Rodnick Whitmare. Grandson of Champion Rodnick Whitmare Sr., and the only other kid in Micheal's age group with champion-level heritage. Everyone else of similar lineage was either still in prep school or already off doing elite internships. Rodnick, however, had the attitude of a celebrity and the misfortune of being in the same class as Sersi.
Sersi's bright face darkened slightly as she pouted. "Don't mention him. He promised to send me a birthday present and never did. I'm not talking to him until he apologizes."
Michael snorted. At barely eleven years old, these two bickered like a married couple.
"Well, no need to wait. The guy's literally hiding around that corner," Michael said, pointing to a suspiciously twitchy silhouette behind a wall. Rodnick was waving both hands furiously, mouthing Don't you dare!
Michael just shrugged and grinned. He lived for this kind of drama.
"TRAITOR!" Rodnick hissed as Sersi stormed toward him.
"Hmph! You missed my birthday and now you're hiding? How dare you, Rodnick!" she snapped, poking his chest with all the authority of a pint-sized Gardevoir.
Rodnick turned to Michael for backup.
Michael, wisely, slipped into the classroom without a word. He wasn't about to get caught in the psychic crossfire.
Rodnick eventually slinked into the room like a Growlithe caught chewing on expensive shoes, and slumped into the seat next to Michael.
"I'll get you back for that," he muttered.
"Try your best," Michael shot back with a smirk.
Rodnick narrowed his eyes. "Your luck's garbage, dude. One day, I'll catch you in a jam, and you'll regret crossing me."
Michael scoffed. "What could possibly happen?"
He would come to regret those words.
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Actually, if you've been paying attention, you'll notice I haven't given a name to the school yet.
So here's a fun idea:You, the readers, can contribute names for upcoming OC characters or places—especially Micheal's college name, city names, Elite Trainers, Champion-tier battlers, or instructors that haven't been introduced yet. If your suggestions sound cool and fit the vibe, I'll find a way to include them in the story.
For example, you could say something like:
Name:John Ramsey
Type Specialty: Water
Team Core: Azumarill (bruiser), Qwilfish (trickster with Toxic Spikes), Mantine (aerial support)
Personality: A chill, former lifeguard-turned-trainer who talks in surf lingo but battles like a chess master. Think "laid-back mentor hiding a shark brain."
Possible Role: One of the Elite Four or a regional gym inspector who shows up unexpectedly to evaluate trainers.
Name:Selene Darrow
Type Specialty: Psychic
Team Core: Medicham (mega potential), Grumpig (status tank), Reuniclus (bulky trick room user)
Personality: Mysterious, aloof, and speaks in riddles that are either deep or nonsense. Students think she floats down hallways.
Possible Role: Elite Four or School Guidance Counselor with intense "talks" that also count as psychological evaluations (and sometimes, surprise battles).
That's clean, creative, unique, rarely used pokemon and I can work with it.
Try to avoid anything too absurd, though—like a Muk-themed Elite Four member. It's not that I hate Muk, but it'd be really hard to weave that into the narrative with any sense of seriousness.
This'll be a fun way for you to interact more with this world as it grows. So hit me with your best Trainer names and concepts—I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
Now, real talk :
What's your favorite Pokémon?
More importantly… should Micheal catch it? 🤔
Got a cool idea? Toss in your fav Pokémon with a backstory, quirks, weird habits—heck, even give it a dramatic slow-mo entrance if you're feeling spicy. If it fits the vibe, I'll totally try to weave it into the story!
Enjoying the ride?
Hit that Add to Library button so you don't miss the next chapter!
Got theories, feedback, or just wanna geek out about Dragon-types and dratini eggs? Drop a comment—I read 'em all.
And lastly...
POWERSTONES.
Feed 'em to this story like they're Rare Candies and help it evolve into its final form!( •̀ ω •́ )✧