Pokémon: Akhi’s Journey Begins

** The Bond of Trainer and Pokémon**

The dirt path of **Route 1** stretched before Akhi, the fresh scent of morning grass filling the air. The occasional rustle of the wind through the tall grass and distant chirps of Pokémon made the world feel alive. The excitement from his battle with **Blue** still buzzed through his veins.

At his side, his **Bulbasaur** walked with steady determination, its little legs keeping pace with Akhi's strides. The young Trainer glanced down at his new partner, watching the way the sunlight reflected off its green skin.

"We did great back there, buddy," Akhi said with a grin. "I still can't believe we won."

Bulbasaur let out a proud, "**Bulba!**" nodding confidently.

Akhi chuckled before his expression turned serious. He clenched his fists and looked ahead. "But that's just the beginning. We need to become stronger—no, the strongest! You're going to grow into the most powerful **Venusaur** ever, and we'll take on the strongest team there ever was!"

Bulbasaur blinked up at him before giving an enthusiastic nod. "Bulba!"

Akhi smirked. "Yeah, that's the spirit. But you know, I can't just keep calling you 'Bulbasaur' all the time. You need a name."

Bulbasaur tilted its head in curiosity.

Akhi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Something fitting… Something that says you'll be strong, resilient, and never back down." He looked at his Pokémon for a moment, and then it clicked. "How about **Gia**?"

Bulbasaur's eyes widened, and after a brief pause, it let out a cheerful cry. "Bulba! Bulba!"

Akhi grinned. "Gia it is, then. From now on, we'll grow together, train together, and become legends together."

Gia let out another excited cry, nudging Akhi's leg in agreement.

### **First Wild Battle!**

As the two continued their journey, Akhi noticed the grass rustling nearby. He stopped, signaling Gia to stay alert. A small, brown bird Pokémon hopped into view—a **Pidgey**.

Akhi's heart raced. "Our first wild battle! Gia, let's do this!"

Gia stepped forward, ready for action.

"Use **Tackle!**" Akhi commanded.

Gia charged forward, slamming into Pidgey. The wild Pokémon stumbled back but quickly regained its balance. With a sharp cry, it flapped its wings and kicked up sand into Gia's eyes.

"Ugh, **Sand Attack!**" Akhi groaned. "Don't let it throw you off! Use **Magic Leaf!**"

Even with the sand in its eyes, Gia's bulb glowed as shimmering green leaves shot toward Pidgey, striking it cleanly. The wild Pokémon wobbled, looking weakened.

"This is it!" Akhi reached for an empty **Poké Ball** from his bag. He took a deep breath and tossed it.

The ball hit Pidgey, opened, and pulled the Pokémon inside with a flash of red light. It dropped to the ground, wiggling once… twice…

Then, suddenly, the ball burst open! Pidgey **broke free!**

"What?! No way!" Akhi gasped.

The Pidgey flapped its wings in frustration and let out a loud, sharp **cry**. Suddenly, more rustling sounded in the grass around them.

Akhi's stomach dropped. "No, no, no…"

One, two, **three more Pidgey** hopped into view, their eyes locked onto Gia and Akhi.

Akhi quickly pieced it together. "We attacked one of their own, and now they're mad!"

The flock of Pidgey flapped their wings, kicking up a thick cloud of **Sand Attack**. Akhi instinctively covered his eyes as dust filled the air.

"We need to get out of here, now!"

Gia let out a determined cry, trying to stand its ground, but the growing numbers of Pidgey forced Akhi to make a decision. He grabbed Gia and bolted.

"Run, run, run!"

He sprinted down the path, hearing the angry chirps behind him. The Pidgey didn't give chase for long, though—after a few meters, they lost interest and returned to their usual activities.

Once Akhi was sure they were safe, he collapsed onto the soft grass, panting. Gia sat beside him, looking a little ruffled but otherwise unharmed.

For a moment, neither Trainer nor Pokémon said anything. Then, out of nowhere, Akhi started laughing. It wasn't a nervous chuckle or a sigh of relief—it was a **deep, genuine laugh**.

"We got completely wrecked!" he gasped between laughs. "I was so sure we had that, and then—bam!—we got chased off like amateurs!"

Gia blinked at him for a second before letting out its own **happy chirps**, shaking its head as if to agree.

The two of them sat there, laughing together in the golden afternoon light.

### **Viridian City in Sight**

After catching their breath, Akhi sat up and stretched. "Alright, no more messing around. We may have lost that fight, but next time, we'll be ready."

Gia nodded firmly.

As they continued down the path, the **tall trees of Route 1** began to thin out. In the distance, Akhi spotted **buildings, lampposts, and the faint glimmer of a Poké Mart sign**.

"There it is," he murmured. **Viridian City.**

The sun was starting to set, painting the sky with shades of orange and pink. The sight of the city made his heart race. This was his first stop on his journey—the first step toward becoming stronger.

He glanced down at Gia, who looked just as determined.

"We made it this far," Akhi said. "And we're only going to keep going."

Gia gave a firm nod.

With their goal ahead of them and their bond growing stronger, the duo took their first steps toward **Viridian City**, ready for whatever lay ahead.

**To Be Continued…**