Raindrops drip on the rooftop as winds buffet the bell hanging from the tree. The relentless ringing is extremely annoying, but it serves as a warning to both people and Pokémon that strong winds and heavy rains are on the way.
Ring, ring, ring!
A young boy lowered his hat and grabbed the hand of his partner, Teddiursa, who was still happily enjoying its honey. Teddiursa resisted, trying to continue its "me-time" under the tree. The boy, Harold, stopped and patiently told his partner, "Ted, it would be better if we ate inside right now. Don't you feel how windy it's getting out here?"
Teddiursa shook its head and pointed at the tree. "Teddi-ursa!"
Harold smiled and patted its head. "I know that's your perfect spot, but you're too young to stay outside in weather this windy. Maybe after you evolve, you'll be allowed to do that. But just for now, could you please come inside with me?"
Teddiursa licked the honey coating its paw, processing what Harold had just said. Finally, it nodded, picked up its bucket of honey, and ran together with Harold back toward the house.
Boom!
The wind was so strong that it slammed the door shut the second Harold and Teddiursa rushed into the house.
"Hahaha! Harold, you're going to give this old man a heart attack. Be careful, or I'll pretend to pass out!" An old man leaning on a cane walked over to Harold and Teddiursa with a warm smile.
"Sorry, Grandpa! I didn't mean to, you know it was just the wind," Harold said. He had lived with his grandparents ever since he was born. Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Martha were the ones who had raised him, and he was now ten years old.
Grandpa Arthur patted Harold's head and said, "I'm just joking around, kiddo. How could I ever be mad at my favorite boy over something so small? Come on, grab some cookies and milk, and tell me all about your day at school!"
Harold laughed and helped Grandpa Arthur over to the kitchen table. Teddiursa was already there, clambering onto a chair and eyeing the cookie plate to see if cookies went well with honey.
"Don't even think about it, Ted," Harold teased, pulling the plate slightly closer to himself. He took a sip of his milk, looked over at his grandpa, and smiled. "Do you remember when I told you that school is requiring us to start our studies with our own Pokémon? Well, I've finally made my decision on who to pick!"
"Oh, I see! That sounds wonderful, kiddo. Was it a tough choice?" Grandpa Arthur smiled, looking over at Teddiursa, who was sitting beside Harold and completely minding its own business, happily eating out of its honey bucket.
"Of course not! I mean, who else could possibly be my very first partner?" Harold looked down at Teddiursa too. No matter what happened, Teddiursa was always going to be his first choice.
Harold had actually found Teddiursa's egg at the Daycare and had called the customer who left it behind. The trainer declined to take the egg back, asking the Daycare to keep it because they couldn't afford to care for any more Pokémon. Because of that, Harold was the one who cared for the egg before it even hatched. They had shared an unbreakable bond ever since.
"Teddi?" An invisible question mark practically appeared over Teddiursa's head. It looked up, utterly confused as to why everyone was suddenly staring at it.
"It's nothing, Ted. We're just talking about what you and I decided the other day. Remember?" Harold smiled, holding out his fist.
Teddiursa's face lit up as it finally understood. It raised its paw and gently tapped Harold's fist. "Teddiursa!" it cried happily.
"Great! You remembered," Harold said. "You're going to come to school with me tomorrow, okay? Teacher Fiona wants us to show our partners to the rest of the class."
Teddiursa nodded eagerly, completely on board with tomorrow's school trip.
"Harold?" Grandpa Arthur suddenly spoke up.
"Yes, Grandpa? Do you need help with something?" Harold asked politely.
"No, no, nothing like that. I was just wondering—have you caught Ted in a Poké Ball yet?" Grandpa Arthur pointed toward Teddiursa. "If you don't have one, I've got a few extras upstairs."
"Oh, it's okay, Grandpa, thank you though! I actually used this Luxury Ball for Ted."
Harold reached into his pocket and pulled out the pitch-black Luxury Ball, showing off the brilliant golden band wrapped around its middle.
"That's quite a good choice. When I was young, I used to..." Grandpa Arthur began, but he was suddenly cut off by a booming voice from the television: "CONGRATULATIONS to Steven Stone for winning the Ever Grande Conference!!! He and his Pokémon have..."
"Oops. Guess I've reached the age where I forget to turn off the TV," Grandpa Arthur muttered. He walked over to the sofa cushions and picked up the remote to shut it down.
"It's fine, Grandpa, you're not that old yet! You're still strong—you can still take care of all the Pokémon out there," Harold said quickly, standing up to follow him.
Grandpa Arthur sat down on the sofa and gestured for Harold to join him. With a sigh, he looked at his hands. "Not without your help, kiddo. You know your grandma and I are just two old folks in a big world." He could feel his aging body slowing down, no longer as strong as it used to be.
"You're not just 'old folks,' Grandpa. Why don't you just call—"
Grandpa Arthur shook his head, cutting him off gently. "I know what you're going to say, Harold, but they're busy. Your parents... they're just not the kind of people who look after old folks like us."
"But it's their responsibility!" Harold burst out. He always felt a wave of frustration whenever his parents came up. Their complete absence throughout his childhood was a deep wound, though he was incredibly grateful that Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Martha had been there to raise him.
"Let's just leave it at that, okay, Harold? We still have you, right?" Grandpa Arthur pulled Harold into a warm hug. Though still upset, Harold chose to let it go for his grandfather's sake.
"Yes. I will always be here, Grandpa," Harold promised.
"You're our pride and joy, Harold. We will always be proud of you." Grandpa Arthur smiled, shifting the mood. "Now, how about we start making dinner for your grandma? She'll be thrilled to come home to a hot meal after spending the whole day chatting with her friends."