The Kalos Region: a land full of new and exciting Pokemon! From the mysterious new Fairy types to the incredible new legends, this was surely going to be a place of wonder and excitement.

Or at least it would be once he and Penelope actually set off to explore it.

James knocked on her front door. "Penelope? Are you up yet?" he called. It was about 9 o'clock in the morning, so he figured she'd be awake. "It's time to get going!" James was your average Pokemon Trainer: 17 years old, with short black hair and cool blue eyes. Today saw him wearing his favorite jacket (grey with a black Pokeball emblem on the back) and blue jeans. Everything about him looked new and shining today, as he'd taken extra care to look good today. Normally, he wasn't terribly concerned with appearances, but today was going to be the beginning of Penelope's first Pokemon journey! Since he was tagging along with his friend, he figured he should at least look like he was taking it seriously. The only part of him that didn't look clean and brand-new was the pair of black boots on his feet. Though he'd tried to shine them up last night, the miles they'd seen on his own journey were still clearly evident: worn spots, frayed laces, and more than a few scratches. Still, they weren't too bad. Probably.

"C'mon, Penelope! Let's go!" he called, banging on the door again. Although it was her journey, James was no less excited to be a part of it. Beside him, Espeon sat patiently, appearing for all the world as a perfect model of grace and serenity. Of course, the world hadn't seen James try to give her a bath last night, so it had no idea what really lay behind those shining eyes. Espeon had been one of James's partners during his own journey through Sinnoh, where he was originally from. He'd left the rest of his party with Professor Rowan when he came to Kalos, but Espeon had been insistent on coming along. After about half an hour of arguing, reassurances, and several displays of telekinesis (most of which had come flying at James), he finally gave in and let Espeon accompany him. Despite it all, he was glad to have her along; she was a powerful Pokemon, and it was always nice to have a trump card to play if things got dangerous.

Of course, nothing would happen at all if they didn't get moving soon. He banged on the door again. "Penelope? You'd better not still be sleeping!"

Penelope was torn from her peaceful slumber by a rude noise. It was someone banging at her door. She sat up in bed and rubbed her sleepy eyes with her fists. Blinking a few times, trying to wake up, she got up and switched on her light. Penelope was never a morning person - she hated waking up. It was the worst part of her day. Nothing would have made her happier than lying in bed, sleeping, all day.

She descended her stairs and walked over to her front door, pulling it open with slight hesitation. She looked at James and blinked a couple more times, then yawned, "C'mon in, I gotta get dressed."

James grinned. "You know, this is your journey," he said teasingly. "So why aren't you waking me up?" Still grinning, he stepped inside, Espeon keeping to his side. She flicked her ears slightly at Penelope in greeting, then strode further inside and sat down. James took a chair nearby, sinking into it in a relaxed pose. Somehow, Penelope's house always smelled nice. He still wasn't sure why.

"You are excited, aren't you?" he asked, looking at her with an eyebrow raised. "It's not every day that someone gets their first Pokemon."

"Of course I'm excited," Penelope said, brushing his question off. "I just... like sleep," she snickered as she made her way up the stairs.

"You stay here; no peeking," she called out to James as she entered her bedroom. She removed her pink, floral pajamas and instead slipped on a pair of light blue jeans and a yellow tank top. Again, Penelope called to James, "Is it cold outside?"

James grinned. "I would never peek!" he assured her. "...Much," he added, teasingly. "And yes, it's pretty chilly. Wear a jacket at least." While Penelope was getting dressed, James considered everything he knew about her. It wasn't that he doubted she could handle being a Pokemon Trainer, but she was definitely and decidedly new to it all. He hoped he'd be able to help with that. "Still," he told Espeon in hushed tones, "I'm pretty concerned about exactly how she's going to handle a Pokemon, much less an entire team, when she barely knows anything about it." Espeon flicked her ears and cocked her head slightly, still appearing for all the world a perfect picture of regal and serene beauty. James couldn't help but smirk at the charade. "Well, guess we'll find out soon enough!" he told her as he heard the bedroom door squeak open.

Penelope slid into a baby blue jacket, a light one because she never minded the cold. She was more excited than she let on about this whole adventure. She'd never had a Pokemon of her own. Her brother had, and she knew James did, but she never had one all to herself. Most of the time, she got along with Pokemon. They didn't seem to mind her much - but she did worry about how the one she was going to have would react to her. She went down the stairs and took a breath, looking at James. "So, where to?"

James smiled and stood up. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small map, which he opened so that he and Penelope could both see it. Espeon padded over to look as well. "Well first," he said, pointing to a small dot on the map, "we head for Aquecorde Town. It's a pretty small place, but it's just north of here. I was told we'd be meeting Professor Sycamore there." Indeed, three days ago, Professor Sycamore had contacted the both of them via mail, sending his greetings and welcoming them to Kalos. He also promised to provide each with a Pokemon, as is tradition in most regions. He'd promised to meet them in Aquecorde today, and James was curious to see what kind of person he was. "If you're ready," he said, stowing his map back in his pocket, "we can leave at any time."

Penelope looked on with James at the map, listening as he spoke. "I think I'm ready," she said. "I really want to have a Pokemon, like you have." She looked at Espeon, "Espeon is such a beautiful Pokemon."

Espeon held her head up with pride. James rolled his eyes. "Oh, now you've gone and done it," he said, unable to suppress a grin. "Give her even the slightest compliment and it'll go entirely to her head." Espeon strolled casually to the front door, held still held high and James's comment decidedly ignored. He shook his head. "As for you, it's certainly not impossible. There are wild Eevee in Kalos, so catching one isn't out of the question. But be careful not to get focused on only one kind of Pokemon; you'll miss out on a lot of others!" He pushed open the front door and waved his hand in a mock bow. "After you."

"Espeon deserves compliments," Penelope insisted, egging it on. She grinned at James and stuck her tongue out at him. "I would love to catch an Evee," she told him. "It would be so great!" With a wave of her hand, she dismissed his comment about missing out on a lot of other Pokemon. "Don't worry - I won't only focus on an Evee. There's plenty of other Pokemon I'd love to have, too." She walked out the door and took a few steps before stopping and looking behind her, "Well?" she grinned, "Are you coming?"

"Of course," he said, still grinning as he stepped outside and closed the door behind him, Espeon still at his side... though it was clear she was basking in the praise from Penelope. James merely shook his head again as they began walking. "I've never met Professor Sycamore, but I've heard good things about him," James told her. "Like I said, he's going to meet us in Aquecorde, which is only a short ways away." Sure enough, once they'd passed by the town gate, Aquecorde was already in sight at the end of an old stone road. "Once we meet up with him, he'll give you your first Pokemon."

Penelope walked alongside James, listening intently. "What are the needs of Pokemon? I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to take care of one... I'm afraid I might hurt it or something," she frowned. She had never dealt with a Pokemon in means of having to care for one - she was anxious. "Is it like a baby when I first get it? Will it be small and tiny or already big?"

James thought for a moment. "Well, let's see... How do I explain this? Think of them as intelligent pets: they trust you to feed them, care for them, heal them when they're injured, and otherwise be a friend to them." He reached down and scratched Espeon behind the ears, which was met with very clear enjoyment. "In exchange, the Pokemon pledge themselves to you and work to protect you when you need them. They can be friends, allies, partners... Whatever you want to call them, it's just like any other bond you forge over time." He looked at her seriously now. "But like any other bond, if you're mean to your Pokemon, they'll often return it in kind. Always make sure, even if you have nothing else, that you love your Pokemon. If you give them your best, they'll give their best too." He and Espeon smiled at each other as the group finally passed through the entryway into Aquecorde Town. James led the way as he directed Penelope to a small cafe. "Let's see now... I think he said he'd be- Ah, that must be him."

Up ahead sat a man in a white lab coat, sipping a glass of tea. He glanced up as the three of them approached and waved. "Hello there!" he said warmly. "Are you, by chance, looking for me?"

"I think we might be," James answered. "Are you Professor Sycamore?"

"The very same!" he said with a flourish.

James nodded. "I'm James, and this is Espeon." He motioned to Espeon, who hopped up onto the table and struck a pose. James sighed, but the professor smiled.

"Well, a pleasure to meet you both. And you are?" he asked, motioning to Penelope.

Penelope listened intently, as she always tried to when hearing her friend talk and explain about Pokemon. She was interested in the creatures and wanted to know as much as possible about them. Though, she was very anxious because she didn't want to mess up a relationship with her very own Pokemon. She wanted to treat it as best as she could, kind of like her own child. More than a pet, of course, even though they could have been considered that. More like a bodyguard. Or...

Her thoughts were interrupted when they entered the cafe. She hadn't had the opportunity to ask the questions she'd wanted to ask James. She would be nervous meeting this professor. As they approached the man in the white lab coat, she put her hands behind her back and stood rather stiffly. "I'm Penelope," she stuttered. Then, she stuck out her hand for him to shake.

The professor shook her hand. "Wonderful to meet you, my dear!" he said with a smile. "Now, I believe I was told that this is your first time having a Pokemon, Penelope. Was that right?" he asked James.

James nodded, then turned to his friend. "I told him a few days ago, when you first decided to take a journey."

The professor's smile widened. "Ah, magnifique! I always love being a part of that one fantastic moment when a budding young trainer first meets her first Pokemon! Truly, it's a sight to see! Now then," he said, reaching into his coat pocket, "I'm not sure what your personal preference is, but I'm afraid I've been seeing several young trainers off on their journeys these days, and this is the only Pokemon I have left." From his pocket, he produced a small Pokeball, then handed it to Penelope. It was about the size of a ping-pong ball. James reached over and pressed the button in the center, and the ball suddenly grew to fill her hand.

"Open it," James told her with a smile. He was excited to meet Penelope's new Pokemon himself.

Penelope was overwhelmed with excitement as the Pokèball grew in her hand. She was very eager to have her own Pokèmon, yet she couldn't bring herself to open it just yet. She looked over at James and smiled, and then looked back at the ball in her hand. Finally, she opened it.

To her surprise, there stood a Skitty. Penelope was disappointed; after all, she had wanted an Evee. This was fine, too, she decided. She looked over at James again.