The beginning of the story, in which the protagonists acquire their first Pokémon. After Tank, Benedict and Kidd are introduced, they proceed to look for Professor Tom Nook. Tank is enthusiastic about meeting him, Benedict is enthusiastic about being able to actually use Pokémon, and finally Kidd is anxious, and hides his anxiety with snark. After they meet Tom and get their starters, they proceed to save Leila and hunt more Pokémon, with Tank standing out, while Benedict wins his first fight against another trainer. Which makes him far more enthusiastic about fighting. Meanwhile, Kidd has trouble bonding with his Pokémon, which affects his status as a trainer.
Contains examples of:
- Blood Knight: Benedict is looking forward to fight other trainers.
- Deadpan Snarker: Kidd can often snark around his friends, for example when Tank is putting Tom Nook on a pedestal. Also, when he falls on his face, he notes sarcastically it's the best day of his life.
- Establishing Character Moment: The boys' main character traits are shown in the first chapter: Benedict's hot-blooded nature, Tank's easygoing personality, and Kidd's snarky to hide his insecurity.
- Not So Above It All: Tank is not as snarky as Kidd or even Benedict, but after Kidd snarks at him for getting more Pokémon than him but still begging for another one from Benedict, Tank snarks back.
- Worf Had the Flu: Benedict defeats a more experienced trainer (Roald), but his opponent had handicapped himself by using only a single Pokémon.
