Stretching after the environment faded from a ball of white after Josh's consciousness entered his avatar, he blinked at the sight of what seemed to be a haphazardly-organized Pokémon lab. Perhaps the Professor treated their space a lot like Josh did in the real world - organized chaos!

The girl's cat-like voice startled the young adult. What a welcome mat it was for the aspiring racer. Being called a newbie drew Josh's eyes to the HUD at the bottom of his vision: level one, a meager hit point count, an even more meager tech point count, and a complete lack of a party. As much as he wanted to go out there and explore the world, he needed a trusty steed beneath him, and the Pokémon he was offered did not provide good options. Assuming the order of the Poké Balls inside the case, Josh eyed the one he thought belonged to a Charmander. When the Pokémon grew up, he would be a dragon capable of ferrying him through the skies.

"Howdy, Professor!" Josh replied in his in-game avatar's subtle Southern accent. "That's right, and I already have one picked out! They all seem wonderful, but only one can soar the skies." He took a seat as instructed, awaiting the professor's questionnaire. Was it really organized chaos, or was it actually disorganized? On the Professor's command to speak, Josh cupped his hands before spreading them outward, miming a fiery explosion. "Fire!"

Of course there were procedures. Josh was just too excited, though! He wanted to get out into the world with his partner, explore every nook and cranny, and most importantly, watch numbers go up. For Josh inside the game, he wanted to kick some butt and take names. For Josh outside the game, he loved seeing big numbers fly when playing video games in meatspace. That desire carried its way to the Net, too.

"The best breakfast after a hard night of partying? How about some IHOP? You can't go wrong with IHOP. A big stack of pancakes, with whatever you want on them." He didn't go out to breakfast much, but when he did, boy did IHOP ever sound good.

"If I could be any Pokémon, it would be a Raikou," Josh answered. "Not because it's rare or powerful, but because it's fast." The answer he gave sequed into the professor's final question. "I value high speed in Pokémon partners, but more importantly, I value respect and reliability. Friendship should be a two way street. We're there for each other, and we're only as good as each other. After all, with great speed comes great responsibility."

Josh did know his stuff; after all, his player had done a lot of research into the game before jumping in. Catching the Ball, he reviewed the label before pressing the switch. With a click and a burst of red-white light, a Charmander emerged from it, the feisty creature leaping toward him with claw swiped that made him jump back. "Easy, boy, easy! He is a boy, right?" the young man sheepishly asked.

Getting the answer he expected, Josh crouched to lift the beady-eyed Pokémon into his arms, feeling the temperature spike from the creature waving its burning tail back and forth. "Phew!" he exhaled. "Welcome to Team Josh... Ares," he quickly settled on the name of the Roman war god for the Charmander. "One day, when you grow up, we'll soar the skies together."

"You bet!" Ares chirped. "Now lemme at 'em!"