How do the trainer NPCs start their journey?

I mean, it’s pretty hard to catch a Pokemon without a Pokemon. (And no, I’m not going to go into deep logic here and say they kept throwing a certain Pokeball or they used a Master Ball). You need a starter to start your journey don’t you? And please don’t say they borrowed someone’s Pokemon.

Pleaselog inorregisterto add a comment.

There could be multiple reasons of how they started their journey but only GameFreak knows the real answer.

1: Somebody gave them their Pokemon.This happens often in the Pokemon universe, the Professor gives you your starter. Some person gives you an egg. Some other way you get Pokemon from people.

2: Their Pokemon could have joined them.This happens sometimes in the anime, a trainer befriends a Pokemon, it allows itself to be caught, now the trainer can catch more Pokemon because of the Pokemon that they have befriended.

3: They caught their Pokemon without using another Pokemon.Yes, it is highly unlikely but it could happen.

Hope I helped!Source:Knowledge

Game freak never specifies but a gym leader could have caught it for themOr some one could have lent them a Pokemon and poke ball to catch oneLike Norman and Wally but where did those poeple get there PokemonBlain states that he remembers a time before poke balls some of them probably got them from a professor or there parents or an older sibling got them one