Gabrielle was up at the crack of dawn.  Every day, rain, sun or snow, she would make her way across town still streaked with the morning sun to the dojo.  It was mostly used by trainers and their fighting type Pokemon.  She didn't have a Pokemon of her own - not yet at least.  Today, her dream would finally come true.  After today, this would be her last time training in the Numeva town dojo - because she was being given her very first Pokemon from Professor Juniper. 

After training, she got changed into her favourite dress.  It was a cute pale-green colour with ribbons and the shoulders and embroidery around the hems to make the trip to the Pokemon mart to receive the package.

She promised her friend Jubilee that she'd wait for her to arrive before opening the box.  She peered out the window every so often - and then glance back at the three pokeballs.  Surely, she wouldn't mind if she snuck a look at the three Pokemon before she arrived.   But no, a promise is a promise.  She would wait.

"Jubilee!  You're here!"  Gabrielle clapped her hands excitedly.  She led her friend to the package she received from the mart.  It was wrapped in red paper with a metallic sheen and bound with a thick ribbon.  It wasn't very large and it wasn't very heavy.

Gabby pulled the string, and it slid off easily.  She removed the paper, finding a letter and a box made of thick cardboard.  She put the letter to the side for now.  Compared to what was inside the box it was the least interesting thing in the world.  She popped the lid of the box, finally revealing the three pokeballs inside.

She thought she was prepared for this, but all she could do was let out a cartoonish gasp in awe.

Gabby ran a hand through her dark hair.  The girl had somewhat an exotic look, with near-black hair and stunning blue eyes.  "Well if you're sure," she said, inwardly excited.  She was afraid that Jubilee was going to pick the one she wanted.  She reached into the box, grabbing the closest Pokeball.  She pressed the button, and the beam of light shot from it, zigzaging its way to the ground.

The beam of light formed the figure of a small pig.  "Te-te," the young pig looked around, surprised at its surroundings.  Gabby squee'd.  It was so cute. 

"When you get big and strong, you're going to be a fighting type, aren't ya," she knelt, to rub the small Pokemon on its head.

Gabby scratched her chin.  "I guess I should give you a name..." she racked her mind, but nothing was coming to her.  The small red pig looked up at her wide-eyed and shy.  He was young and timid, not quite sure of the trainer he had been paired with.  "Hmm, well maybe during our journey we'll find something that fits.

There was still one Pokeball in the box.  "This one contains Oshawott, right? What are we going to do with it.  We can't just leave it here."  A long time ago, her brother had told her a horror story about a squirtle that nobody had claimed from Professor Oak and it had stayed in its Pokeball, on his desk for countless years.  It wasn't true, right?  "Should... one of us take it?"

"Hmm, that's a good idea," she said.  Phew, at least the Oshawatt wouldn't be trapped in his ball for long.

The poor Tepig was overwhelmed by Terry's high energy.  At first, he shook in place, before squealing loudly dashing between the legs of the chair, upturning a small side-table and hiding under the bed.

"Hey!" Gabby growled.  "Terry scared my poor Tepig!" Already, Gabby was feeling a little disheartened.  She was hoping for a strong fighting type to train alongside... but things weren't going so well.  She was going to have to work hard at this.  She went over to her bed and knelt down, peering underneath.  "Are you okay?" she asked softly.  The only reply were the two beady eyes looking up at her.

The sound of sniffing could be heard from under the bed.  Slowly, the Tepig stuck its head out from under the bed, sniffed around a bit and then scrambled over to the pie.  He gobbled up the food, and then looked up at the two girls in the room.  His ears drooped slightly.  Gabby held out her pokeball.  The pig's ears perked up again and it made a beeline towards the ball - vaporising and vanishing inside of it.

"Maybe... I should stay here a while." Gabby said.  "I could go to the dojo with Tepig to train together and we could get to know each other better.  I think you'll be fine.  Terry seems to be a really strong Pokemon.  I'm just... not sure."

"Oh, yes.  Good idea."  Gabby grabbed a brown carrier bag off her bed, clipping her first Pokeball into one of the provided clasps.  Her mother had bought her the bag as a going away present.  "Let's go."

The lab was to the north of the town, not far by the only road leading out.  She always feared that road when she was a child.  Everybody had a story of a friend of a friend who got attacked by wild Pokemon.  The lab itself was huge - by far the biggest building in the entire city, with a distinctive red roof.

Gabby knocked on the door twice- even though this was the Pokeverse and she could've just entered.