pairing: BaekChenLay
length: 2972 words
Part One: I Choose You

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“Breakfast is ready!”

Lay immediately jolts out of bed, shaking with excitement. His hair is sticking up all over the place, tufts messily curled into each other, and his eyes are somewhat bloodshot from lack of sleep.

But Lay doesn’t care as he practically trips over himself while changing from comfy pajamas to a new outfit that he had specifically saved for this very moment: his first official day as a Pokémon Trainer.

Mudkip yawns loudly as he stirs from sleep, rubbing a paw against his right gill. He blinks slowly, taking in his rather unfamiliar surroundings with mild curiosity.

“Good morning, Mudkip!” Lay softly sings as he gently scoops up his partner Pokémon into his arms, not wanting to startle the sleepy youngster. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Mudkip duly nods, letting out a content squeak as he snuggles against his Trainer’s chest, hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep.

“Yesterday must’ve been really tiring, huh?” Lay observes with a tender smile as he carefully carries the Water-type starter Pokémon out of his bedroom and down the stairs to the living room, where his mother has finished setting up the dining table with two plates of bacon and eggs. “Good morning, Mom!”

“Good morning, sweetie!” she happily greets back as she comes around to give her son and his partner Pokémon a warm hug. “And good morning to you too, Mudkip!”

The Water-type starter Pokémon happily nuzzles her hand and lets out a squeak in greeting before Lay sets him down next to a bowl filled with a various assortment of Berries.

“I wasn’t sure which ones Mudkip would like, so I asked your dad to send over a batch of anything he’d recommend,” his mother explains as she sits down across from Lay at the dining table. “Once we know what he likes, I’ll make sure to set aside a fresh stash for Mudkip whenever the two of you are home.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Lay beams brightly before immediately scarfing down his breakfast, in spite of his mother’s protests. And in the blink of an eye, his plate is crystal clear and his stomach is comfortably full. “You’re the best!”

“Good heavens, you’re going to give yourself a stomachache like that,” she lightly admonishes Lay with an amused shake of her head. “Did you even sleep a wink last night?”

“I, uh… I tried,” the teenage boy answers with a sheepish grin. “But there’s just too much to think about, Mom! I’m finally gonna go on my very own Pokémon journey and become a Pokémon League Champion with Mudkip! How could I waste the best day ever by sleeping?!”

“Oh, sweetie, you’re just like your father,” his mother comments with a laugh as she watches Lay wash his plate in the kitchen sink. “Always raring to go on your next adventure!”

Lay beams proudly as he towels his hands dry. “Did Dad say when he’d come home?”

“He’s still busy renovating the Gym, so it might not be for a while. But,” she glances over at the Water-type starter Pokémon, who is still joyfully munching away at his own breakfast, “once you and Mudkip get a bit stronger, perhaps you two can visit him. It could be a fun detour on your journey!”

“Yeah…that does sound like fun,” Lay agrees with a thoughtful smile. “What d’you say, Mudkip? Wanna meet my dad, the Petalburg City Gym Leader?”

Mudkip grins back at his Trainer and yips loudly.

Lay laughs at the adorable, heartwarming response. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Then, without warning, two sharp knocks on the front door reverberate throughout the house.

“Oh my, who could that be?” his mother asked, staring curiously at the door.

“I’ll get it,” Lay says as he nimbly steps around Mudkip and jogs to the front door. He quickly turns the lock before twisting the doorknob and is instantly bombarded with two familiar boys falling on top of him. “Agh!”

“Sorry!” both Baekhyun and Chen yell as they struggle to untangle themselves from Lay on the floor.

“It was his fault!”

“No, it was your fault! You were the one pushing the door!”

“That’s because you pushed me to the front!”

“Only because you’re a Slowpoke!”

“Ha! So you do admit that it’s your fault!”

“Pft, in your dreams!”

“Uh, guys?” Lay roughly pokes both of their cheeks, successfully shushing the two overexcited boys. “No fighting in front of my mom, remember?”

She grins widely as she waves from the dining table. “Good morning, boys!”

Both Baekhyun and Chen’s faces immediately turn scarlet as they hastily straighten up and begin bowing to her in apology. “Good morning, ma’am! We’re so sorry for disturbing your breakfast!”

“Oh, don’t worry about it at all!” she cheerfully replies, waving off their concerns. “I know you boys must be excited to start your Pokémon journey as well. Lay’s been bouncing off the walls ever since yesterday! Right, sweetie?”

“Mom!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop,” his mother relents, still chuckling loudly as Lay presses his palms against his cheeks in embarrassment, trying to hide how red they’ve turned. “You boys are going to visit Professor Jung, right?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Baekhyun replies with a sharp salute. “He has instructions and supplies to give us before we leave town today!”

“My goodness, so soon? We just barely arrived in Littleroot Town and you’re already leaving, sweetie?” Lay’s mother looks at him with a sad smile.

The teenage boy walks over to give her a big hug and says, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m not leaving just yet. I promise I’ll be back after we talk to Professor Jung.”

“Oh yeah, we haven’t properly said goodbye to our parents yet either,” Chen realizes to his chagrin.

Baekhyun good-naturedly slings an arm around the younger boy’s shoulders. “Don’t worry! We’ll have plenty of time to do that after Professor Jung officially dubs us as Pokémon Trainers!”

Chen nods in agreement and pumps his fist in the air. “Yeah! C’mon, Lay! Let’s hurry before Professor Jung wanders off into Route 101 again!”

“Alright!” Lay then gives his mother another quick hug before reaching down to scoop Mudkip into his arms. The Water-type starter Pokémon had fallen asleep after finishing his breakfast a few minutes ago, tiny Berry crumbs still decorating his mouth. After grabbing a napkin from the dining table, Lay carefully cleans Mudkip’s face and lovingly pats the top of his blue-finned head. He then glances curiously at the other two boys, who are both without their partner Pokémon. “Where are Torchic and Treecko?”

“They started fighting as soon as they saw each other, so we had to call them back,” Chen explains with a long sigh. “We wanna ask Professor Jung what to do, since we wanna let them roam around like you do with Mudkip.”

“But we can’t do that if all they do is fight the moment they see each other,” Baekhyun adds while groaning loudly. “They fight even more than we do and that’s saying a lot!”

“Well, hopefully Professor Jung has some ideas,” Lay says with a nonchalant shrug. Mudkip chirps in agreement. “Okay then, we’re heading out now, Mom. Be back soon!”

“Have a good time, boys!”

With raucous yells, the three Pokémon Trainers race out the door and make a beeline straight for the Pokémon Professor’s laboratory. “Good morning, Professor Jung!” they all shout as they suddenly burst through the double doors, almost causing the middle-aged man to drop the tray of Poké Balls that he was carrying across the room.

“Good morning, boys!” the Pokémon Professor greets back with a lopsided smile as he safely sets the tray down on a nearby table before waving at the three Pokémon Trainers. “It’s good to see you again. Are you all bonding well with your starter Pokémon?”

“Yes sir!” Lay beams brightly as he hugs Mudkip to his chest. The Water-type start Pokémon yips happily and nods in agreement.

“Me too!” Baekhyun calls out Torchic and scoops up the Fire-type starter Pokémon as well, grinning widely.

“So have I!” Chen immediately follows suit and the Grass-type starter Pokémon joins the group seconds later. “You’ve been having fun so far, right, Treecko?”

The Grass-type starter Pokémon nods smugly before immediately zapping a glare at Torchic, who snootily turns up his beak at the other Pokémon.

“Glad to hear it!” Professor Jung comments while chuckling as he rounds the table and heads toward a tall cabinet on the west side of the room. “Torchic and Treecko also seem to be doing better, which is good to see.”

“Um, actually, Professor, that’s something we wanted to ask about.” Baekhyun raises a hand while angling his body away to prevent the two starter Pokémon from angrily staring each other down. “Do you know if there’s any way to get Torchic and Treecko to stop fighting whenever they see each other?”

“Yeah, Baekhyun and I want to let them out of their Poké Balls like Lay does with Mudkip, but they always try to pick a fight with each other whenever we do,” Chen pipes up, his eyebrows also furrowed with concern.

“Don’t worry. They’ll learn to get along sooner or later,” Professor Jung reassures them with a hearty chuckle. “That’s part of the maturing process. Believe me when I tell you that they were much worse when they first hatched a few weeks ago.”

Neither Baekhyun nor Chen look completely convinced, but seeing how the two starter Pokémon are actively restraining themselves in the presence of the Pokémon Professor, they decide to trust in their mentor and let the topic go.

Meanwhile, Professor Jung pulls out a giant ring of keys to unlock the cabinet door and begins rummaging through the stuffed shelves while the three boys and their partner Pokémon all look on in unabashed curiosity. “Aha! There they are,” the Pokémon Professor murmurs under his breath as he begins pulling out several long rectangular boxes and stacking them in his arms. “Whoops!”

As Professor Jung wobbles under the unsteady weight of all the heavy boxes, the three boys rush forward to help him carry everything to the table before anything can crash onto the floor.

“What’s all this, Professor?” Baekhyun curiously asks as they set the last box on the table and Professor Jung begins unpacking them.

“Well, you boys can’t go on an adventure without proper gear,” the Pokémon Professor jovially explains. “So I’m giving you three some tools to help you get started on your journey.”

“Awesome,” Chen breathes out, eyes sparkling brightly as the group watches Professor Jung pull out several red electronic devices. “Wait, these are all for us?”

Professor Jung nods as he sorts everything into three equal piles. “First, a Pokédex for each of you,” he introduces while pointing to one of the rectangular electronic encyclopedias. “This database automatically records every Pokémon you encounter on your journey. Catching Pokémon will unlock specific statistics and details in their data entry. The Pokédex is an incredibly handy tool to have, and it’ll serve as a comprehensive guide for you boys on the field and for myself in my research.

“Next,” his pointer finger shifts to a thick square-shaped device, “a PokéNav Plus for each of you. It’s basically an all-in-one navigation device with several apps downloaded onto it. The AreaNav and the DexNav will most likely be the most useful, but I personally find the BuzzNav to be a fun app as well, especially since it helps me keep up-to-date with current events while I’m out doing field research.” Professor Jung chuckles as he lightly taps the top of the device.

“And lastly, the most important tools you’ll need are Poké Balls,” he adds with a large grin. “I’ve given you each a set of ten empty Poké Balls to start off with. You can always resupply at a Poké Mart, but try not to waste too many in the beginning while your funds are still relatively low. Luckily, the catch rate of most of the Pokémon in the routes near Littleroot Town should be fairly high, so you’ll be able to amass a team fairly easily.”

The three boys all nod vigorously, their bodies vibrating with excitement at the prospect of building their very own Pokémon teams.

“So, any questions?”

They all shake their head and chorus, “No, sir!”

The Pokémon Professor laughs, knowing that it’s time to release them into the wild, so he enthusiastically pats them all on the back and points to the front door. “Well, now that you have everything you need from me, go forth and start your new adventure, boys!”

Lay, Baekhyun, and Chen all whoop loudly as they shovel the supplies into their bags before each shaking Professor Jung’s hand. “Thank you, Professor! You’re the greatest Pokémon Professor there’s ever been!”

The middle-aged man just laughs as he shoos them and their partner Pokémon out of his laboratory. “Have fun, boys! I’m excited to hear all about your adventures the next time we see each other!”

As they burst out of the building, Chen gapes widely at his bag, now filled to the brim with supplies. “Wow… It’s actually official now…”

“Yes! We’re finally Pokémon Trainers!” Baekhyun shouts with glee. Torchic also chirps loudly and joyfully dances around his Trainer’s feet.

“This is awesome! So where do we start?” Lay excitedly asks as he peers around the building towards Route 101.

Chen boots up his new PokéNav Plus and opens up the AreaNav before answering, “The first Gym is in Rustboro City, but it’ll take us awhile to get there since we have to get through Petalburg Woods first.”

Lay’s ears perk up at the familiar name, so he asks, “How far is Petalburg City from here?”

“It’s pretty close to Oldale Town,” Chen replies as he toggles the map application. “It should take us two days at most to get there if we don’t get sidetracked. Why’d you ask?”

“Well, uh, my dad is actually the new Petalburg City Gym Leader,” Lay reveals with a bashful grin. “That’s why we moved to the Hoenn region.”

Both Baekhyun and Chen’s jaws immediately drop to the ground at the revelation. “Are you serious?!” they collectively screech at the top of their lungs.

“Yeah,” Lay replies, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

“You’ve gotta let us meet him!” Baekhyun begs, grasping both of Lay’s hands in a heartfelt plea.

“Please, Lay? Pretty please?” Chen also needles.

“Sure! I’ve never really gotten to introduce friends to him before, so he’ll probably be pretty excited to meet you guys too,” Lay shyly says. Mudkip, who is looking around in confusion, decides to gently headbutt his Trainer’s ankle and Lay grins down at the Water-type starter Pokémon in appreciation. 

“Okay, let’s all go home and tell our parents where we’re headed, and then meet back up at the entrance to Route 101,” Chen suggests as he stows away his PokéNav Plus. Treecko, who is perched on the boy’s right shoulder, nods in agreement as he chews on a new blade of grass that he had picked earlier.

Baekhyun nods in agreement. “Sounds good! I’ve gotta pack up some last-minute stuff anyway.”

“Alright, see you guys soon!” Lay waves to the other boys and their partner Pokémon before walking back home with Mudkip right at his heels. It doesn’t take long for the teenage boy to arrive at his new residence and he quickly unlocks the front door before stepping in. “Mom, I’m back!”

Mudkip gleefully trots in after his Trainer and shimmies up the couch before letting out a sigh of relief as he curls up on a soft couch cushion.

“How was it, sweetie? Did you get your Pokédex from Professor Jung?” she asks as she emerges from her bedroom with a basketful of freshly washed clothing.

Lay nods and proudly holds out the coveted red electronic encyclopedia. “We all got one! Professor Jung wants us to help him complete the Hoenn Pokédex on our journey and with the three of us, it should be easy as cake!”

“Oh, your father will be so proud of you!” his mother squeals as she drops the laundry basket and reaches over to give her son a tight hug. “And Baekhyun mentioned that the three of you are heading out today, right?”

Lay nods again, smiling shyly this time. “Are…you okay with that?”

“Of course, sweetie!” His mother playfully bops his nose and grins at him. “I always knew this day would come and I’m really happy that you have a good group of boys to travel with. All I ask is that you check in with me every week, alright?”

The teenage boy gives her a thumbs-up and hands over his PokéNav Plus, so she can register herself in the device.

After she hands it back to him, she then motions for Lay to cover his eyes and then taps him on the shoulder several seconds later. “Ta-da!”

Lay opens his eyes to see his mother brandishing a box holding a new pair of Running Shoes and his jaw drops at the unexpected gift. “Are these…for me?”

“They’re all yours!” she confirms with a bright beam. “Every Pokémon Trainer needs a sturdy pair of Running Shoes for traveling. Your father and I managed to snag a pair of the newest model from Devon Corporation when they came out last week. We were planning to gift it to you on your birthday, but I think this is a much better occasion, don’t you think?”

“You and Dad are the best, Mom!” Lay cheers as he gratefully hugs his mother.

She smiles serenely and hugs him back just as tightly, knowing that this will be the last time she’ll get to see her son like this in months. “Now go get ’em, Champ!”

♈♈♈