TEEN: Identity Crisis

[New Game Plus]

Identity Crisis



Hello, and welcome to Identity Crisis. This is the tale of a nameless boy who lives under the Witness Protection Program in the world of Pokemon. All he wants to be is a Pokemon Trainer but for the past six years he's been unable to follow his dreams since the marshalls believe he is still in danger. He puts in place a plan to help him escape the clutches of the Marshall service to become what he's truly destined to be, even if it may just get him killed.

Table of Contents:

ARC I: Escape from Unova
Chapter One: What Children Dream Of
Chapter Two: Pinwheel Forest Mayhem
Chapter Three: The Name Game
Chapter Four: Win-Loss Ratio
Chapter Five: Goodbye, Halcyon Days

ARC II: For a Badge
Chapter Six: Leap of Fate

Chapter One: What Children Dream Of

"Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind. Ain't life unkind?"
-The Rolling Stones

When I was no older than ten, I had dreams. Like most kids my age I wanted to be a Pokemon trainer. I wanted to make a name for myself. Take on the Gym Challenge and if I got lucky, the Elite Four. I didn't want to be another trainer that would slowly disappear into the sidelines. Unfortunately for me, I never got the chance to prove myself to the world when my life was turned upside down and my dreams became nothing but.

July 14th had barely begun when I had decided to go downstairs for a drink. I spent a long time in bed wondering if I should go downstairs into the darkness and risk getting a drink. I was afraid of being downstairs alone. I was convinced that there were Haunter living in the shadows but my parents reassured me it was nothing more than my imagination playing tricks on me and I sure hoped it was. Of course, that didn't fully convince me that there weren't ghost Pokemon living in our house. I carefully tiptoed down the stairs in an effort not to awaken my parents. Halfway down the steps I noticed that the front door was wide open and immediately knew something was wrong. I should've went back upstairs to hide but I was curious as to why. To this day I regret it.

I didn't bother to shut the door as I walked passed and headed into the kitchen. I heard a muffled sound off to my left coming from somewhere within the den. At first I didn't think much about it, but after a second or so of actually racking over it in my brain, I decided to go check whatever it was out. Part of me was hoping that it'd be some ghost Pokemon throwing my mother's china from Unova around. Another part of me feared that it would be a burglar stealing my mother's china. I peered around the corner of the counters, careful to stay out of view.

My heart leapt in my chest.

My parents were bound together with rope and duct tape. My mother had tears streaming down her face and my dad was scowling, holding as best as he could onto my mother's hand. They had been beaten pretty bad. Both of their faces were badly bruised and covered in blood. My mother's eye was swollen up to the point that it looked like it would explode.

"We don't like traitors," A tall man with balding black hair and hard brown eyes said, holding a gun up to my mother's head. He pressed it playfully against her head. Both her and my father began thrashing around in their bounds. Beside him two men dressed in a black and white outfit with a large red "R" printed on the front of shirt, cackled. "Did you really think that you could leave Team Rocket that easily?"

I didn't want to believe that my parents were involved with Team Rocket. Though afterwards when I really thought about it, it all made sense. The strange work hours. The new Pokemon they would have whenever they got back from one of their business trips... Why hadn't I seen it before?

"And to think that you would even go to the police about us. To rat us out. I've told you and so many others before, our reach extends far beyond you low level thieves. How else do you think we've managed to get away with so much? With the right money, anyone can be swayed. Or if not money, their family," The man said tapping the gun against my mother's shoulder.

All of that took place in a matter of seconds. I tiptoed to the other side of the kitchen where the phone was and picked it up, hands trembling. Even before I had the chance to call the police, a loud gunshot went off and a muffled scream echoed the room. I struggled not to drop the phone and ran back to the other side to see what the fate was of my parents.

My mother lied limp in her bounds and my father, who had remained strong for so long, started crying. I did too, but quickly put my hands over my mouth to keep myself from being detected. I watched in horror as the man held the gun to my father's head and pulled the trigger. I sobbed softly into my hands. It would be the last time I ever cried.

"Find their son. I know they have a son," The man said turning in my direction. I quickly scrambled out of view and dove into the living room, squeezing behind a couch to hide.

When I was sure they were upstairs, I clambered from my hiding place and ran to the front door, careful not to alert them. I ran the fastest I could down the street not bothering to look back. That was the last time I ever saw my house…and my parents.

Turns out, I became the star witness in a trail they had been building against the leader of Team Rocket, Giovanni. Oh, and some kid named Red was the other star witness. Apparently he had taken them down through sheer brute force. It was hard to believe considering he was around my age.

I probably stood in front of Giovanni about 13 times. I could never bring myself to cry about my parent's deaths or to cry about them in general. Mostly I think it was because I felt betrayed. How long had they been lying to me? They weren't working for some exporting company. They were Rockets. And what did that make me? A son of two dead rockets who decided to turn good for their son? The only questioned that really irked me more than that was if my parents had really done all the horrible things people had said on the news, talk shows, and even on trial. After I really racked it over in ten year old and began matching up the supposed crimes they had committed with the events at home... I realized my parents were monsters just like the rest of Team Rocket. They weren't special or the exception.

Anyway, Giovanni was sent to jail and that was when I was placed in witness protection without much of a choice. I'm sure there were a lot of Rockets that wanted to put a bullet in my head or just feed me to their Pokemon for kicks and giggles.

I've had so many names, lived in so many houses, and so many different cities, in different countries. Every single time ended with my cover being blown. A handful of times it was by the Rockets themselves, just so happening to be passing through the city. Those handful of times ended in them recognizing me and sending their Nidoking or some other scary Pokemon to capture and/or kill me. Sometimes I barely escaped alive. One time I told a girl who I believed to be my friend who I really was, and it turned out that her parents were Rockets. Just my luck, right? Another time I even purposely told someone who I really was just because I didn't like Solaceon Town or the people that lived there.

Of course, a lot of them had been by accident. Sometimes I forgot if I was Roland Turner from Opelucid City or Henry Foss from Fallarbor Town. Sometimes I even said my real name without realizing it.

After a while I just stopped caring. Just because it was too much for me to remember a new lie. People often asked me why I didn't have any Pokemon and I had to make up some intricate lie. Everything that came out of my mouth when talking to another person was a lie.

And hell did I want a Pokemon. Every time I asked one of my caretakers for one they'd tell me it was too much of a risk for me to have one. They couldn't change the identity of a Pokemon and if a Rocket saw me with a Pokemon I would have to release it so they wouldn't recognize me. I begged and begged, telling them I would be careful but they always said the same thing. I grew to resent everyone with a Pokemon and my caretakers, even more.

But now that I'm 16 years old I'm determined to get away from this life. I'm going to become a Pokemon Trainer. Even if I might get killed while venturing the world by a wild Pokemon or some Rockets, I don't care. I'm sick of not being who I'm meant to be. I don't care if I don't become some big badass trainer. I don't care if I don't make it to the Elite Four. I just want to be given the chance to fail and die.

 

[Safe]

Wow this is really good, I like how you tell the story from the main character's POV it really adds to his charactarazation.

Although there were a few places were I would have liked to see a comma:

I didn't want to believe that my parents were involved with Team Rocket. Though afterwards when I really thought about it, it all made sense.

One time I told a girl who I believed to be my friend who I really was, and it turned out that her parents were Rockets.

"Find their son, I know they have a son," The man said turning in my direction. I quickly scrambled out of view and dive into the living room, squeezing behind a couch to hide.

And shouldn't this be dove.

 

[New Game Plus]

Wow this is really good, I like how you tell the story from the main character's POV it really adds to his charactarazation.

Although there were a few places were I would have liked to see a comma:


And shouldn't this be dove.

Thank you, I'll fix those errors now!

And, yes, it should be dove. I'm actually used to writing in first person present tense, so this is a bit of a challenge for me.

 

[New Game Plus]

Chapter Two: Pinwheel Forest Mayhem

"Life happens when you're making other plans."
-John Lennon

When I was 12 I lived in Johto for about two weeks before the Marshalls deemed it unsafe for me to live in. Apparently Mahogany Town had been one of Team Rocket's strongholds. I loved the place with every fiber of my being. The people there were great and the gym leader, I aspired to be like him. Pryce was a strong man despite his age. He used to take me and a bunch of other kids down to Lake of Rage when he wasn't overseeing the gym. I learned how to fish and even made my first friend. I couldn't remember his name for the life of me though. I didn't want to leave to some city where people were cold and suspicious of everyone else. Mahogany had been the first real place I wanted to call home. The first place that I would try so hard not to mess up. But, of course, the Marshalls didn't care. So I ended up being moved to the Sinnoh region. I hated everything about the Sinnoh region, especially Solaceon Town. During my time in Solaceon Town I got to watch hopeful 10 year olds pass through the town. That was when I concocted a plan that would get me on my rightful path to being a trainer in the one place I actually had good memories, Johto. I planned every detail. I knew I wouldn't be staying in Sinnoh for long and there was no way in hell they would take me back to Johto or Kanto. So that left Hoenn and Unova. I knew at one point I would be in Unova. But when, I guessed some time around my 15th or 16th birthday. I kept all the money the Marshalls ever gave me and hid it in my Spoink Bank. Whenever I did get to Unova, I would take a test for my trainer's license. I would capture a Pokemon, any Pokemon, there and then leave to Johto, the place they would least expect me to be if I valued my life.

I only stayed in Sinnoh for about a year and a half before some new group had emerged named Team Galactica. The Marshalls had told me that the leader of Galactica was in cohorts with Giovanni and I was moved again. I had no problem with that, until they moved me to Pacfidlog Town in Hoenn. It was sheer hell. The entire idea of the fact that someone would build a town on wooden rafts just made me feel uneasy. Sometimes I would take an unexpected bath with Sharpedo and whatever other Pokemon inhabited the waters. A lot of the time I was afraid to go to sleep because I was scared that the raft would break and the house would plunge to the bottom of the ocean.

Then four weeks ago, out of the blue, they move me to Nimbasa City in Unova. One of the Legendaries must have heard my pleas to get me out of that town. As soon as I got there, behind Marshall Holcomb's back I applied for my trainer license under one of the many alias I had gone by. The good thing about Unova is that you don't need a parent or guardians consent to get one either. I passed, thank Arceus, and they gave me my very first Pokedex, Pokeball, and trainer's license. They offered to give me one of the regions starters, but I declined. I'm going to catch myself a Pokemon. Not a Deerling though… Those things scare me.

And tomorrow is the day I go out to Pinwheel Forest and catch a Venipede.

"Wake up, kid," Marshall Holcomb said as he tapped his fist gently against the door.

I groaned and pulled my cover over my head. I didn't know why he insisted on waking me up before he left for work. "Just a few more minutes…"

"No. Get up. I'm leaving for work and I want to make sure you eat breakfast before I go, so get up," He said, wiggling the locked door knob violently.

Marshall Fletcher Holcomb was actually a really decent guy, well compared to the other Marshalls he was. I think he was in his late twenties or early thirties. He had short, shaggy black hair and brown eyes. His face was always shaved clean, not leaving a single stray hair. Whenever I saw him he was usually wearing a black suit with a police badge on the right upper hand side of the suit. He always kept everything neat, and I mean absolutely everything. The towels in the bathroom had to be just right or he flipped out. Even his Pokemon, an Arcanine and Vaporeon, knew not to mess anything up. Anyway, besides suffering from OCD, he was actually a really friendly person.

I crawled out of bed, wiped my eyes, and complained about whatever possibly came to mind. I shuffled over lazily to the door and unlocked it. Fletcher opened the door almost immediately and ended up hitting me in the face.

"Ow!" I yelled, holding my nose, "What the hell?"

Fletcher smiled at me then grabbed a fistful of my shirt and pulled me out of the room and into the kitchen. On the table was a plate of eggs and bacon and a glass of orange juice. Fletcher noticed that first four days I had been living with him, that I didn't eat breakfast. The idea of a growing teenage boy not eating breakfast seemed like blasphemy to him. So everyday since he made sure I did.

"Eat all of it," He said as I sat down at the table and took a fork in my left hand. "I'm leaving Lily with you today. Take her out with you when you go out and be sure to feed her or she will be most unkind. And remember to be home before eight or I will come looking for you."

I nodded my head slowly, trying to pretend that I wasn't seething with joy. What were my chances that I'd have help trying to catch my starter Pokemon? Lily would weaken that poor unsuspecting Venipede and I'd catch it with one Pokeball. I figured Lily would listen to me. I mean she was a guard Pokemon, right? She was meant to protect so she had to listen to commands easily.

Fletcher patted me on the back and told me to have a nice, hopefully uneventful day before he disappeared through the front door.

As soon as I heard the car pull off, I started to get up to throw away my untouched food since the last thing I wanted was food before I headed off to Pinwheel Forest, but Lily put her fish finned tail on my lap and hissed at me.

"Okay. Okay. I get it. No need to get snippy with me," I sighed and sat back down and stuffed the remainder of the food in my mouth. I rolled my eyes at her showed her the plate when I was done.

"Vapor!" She removed her tail from my lap, allowing me to get up. She sure reminded me of her trainer.

"Sheesh…" I sighed, as I patted her on the head. She rubbed gently against my leg as I placed the dishes in the sink. She trailed behind me as I headed up to my room to take a shower. She hopped on top of my bed and curled up in my blankets. I didn't even bother telling her to get off.

When I was done taking a shower I put on a plain black long sleeve shirt. Over that I put on a black vest with red zippers. I slipped into a pair of faded blue jeans and red shoes with straps. Lily watched me the entire time, occasionally throwing a "Vaporeon" or some form of it here and there.

I dug my hand in between my mattress for the Pokedex and Pokeball I had received from the lab. Lily stood up to get a better look at it and when she seemed to recognize it, she hit me in the face with her tail.

"Lily, you're so violent…" I moaned, pushing her tail away from me. This day wasn't going to end well if she kept assaulting me. I put the Pokedex and Pokeball into a hidden compartment in the inner side of my vest. "Well, c'mon Lily. You're going to help me capture a Pokemon."

"Va…?" She tilted her head to the side.

"I don't know if that's a yes or a no… but I'm gonna pretend it's a yes. Now come on," I shrugged, walking out of the room. Lily followed promptly behind me.

Lily, for some strange reason, decided to attach herself to my leg as soon as I stepped onto the front porch. I nearly tripped over her tail just because it was pretty uncalled for. "Lily, what the hell?" I snapped. She ignored me and proceeded to scan the area- eyes moving rapidly from side to side. Her tail swished behind her too. And for a moment I thought I was in danger until she detached herself from me and trotted off down the steps. I made sure to the doors before following after her.

Nimbasa City was actually a really nice place to live in. It had lots of sights to see such as the Ferris wheel, Musical Theather, Big Stadium, and Small Court. I usually spent my time on or hanging around the Ferris Wheel. There was something about it that was just… captivating to me. I especially liked going there at night when it was all lit up and couples would get on it.

Oh and let's not forget the Gear Station, home to the Battle Subway. I often went there to see what kinds of trainers had the guts to go through it since I heard it was brutal. Of course since I didn't have any Pokemon I couldn't go onto the train so instead I would wait until they came back from the challenge to see if they won or lost. I could tell if they won or lost judging by the way they would hold themselves afterwards or by the expressions on their faces. I hadn't seen a lot of winners.

I took a bus to Castelia. Then I had to take a taxi to the edge of the city. The cab driver turned out to be a very talkative man. Lily even tried to engage in the conversation despite the fact she didn't speak the same language as us.

By the time I reached Skyarrow Bridge it was still early in the morning but it was already packed with commuters, travelers, and trainers alike. Most of them seemed to be trainers. Some of them were stopped off to the side, pitting their Pokemon against one another. Normally I wouldn't pass up on an offer to see a Gabite and a Milotic go at it, but my main focus was on catching that Venipede.

I hoped that no one would challenge me to a battle. I wasn't sure how Fletcher would react if I came home with an unconscious Vaporeon in my arms. Just thought sent a shudder down my spine. Though it was hard to imagine Fletcher getting mad over anything other than moved cups or the forks being placed with the spoons.

Thankfully I made it to Pinwheel Forest without any incident. Lily became very weary the moment we stepped in. I patted her head in an attempt to get her to stop whining. She licked my hand and nudged me forward with her tail.

"We're looking for a Venipede, okay?" I told her as we pushed through some tall grass. I'd never been in tall grass before that moment. Just the entire ordeal was riveting. The fact that any moment a Pokemon could attack me was exciting. In reality, it really shouldn't have been. I could get paralyzed or poisoned, even worse, Lily could and I didn't have the slightest idea on how to cure her. Of course at the time, it didn't cross my mind.

I passed some Sewaddle and its evolution, a few Petilil, a few Pidove, some Pansages, and a Cottonee. Not a single Venipede. I wasn't going to settle for anything other than what I came to the forest for.

The farther we traveled into the forest, the foggier it got. I shrugged it off. I would leave as soon as I got that Venipede. I don't really know what was my fascination with the violet colored bug Pokemon. None of the Pokemon around Nimbasa were interesting. Venipede wasn't even that awesome either in retrospect. To find something like Deino or Yamask, which both had awesome evolutions, I would have had to venture further than a day's walk. I couldn't make it there and back before Fletcher came home and the last thing I wanted was a bunch of Marshalls looking for me. At least Pinwheel Forest was only an hour and a half away from Fletcher's house.

"Vaporeon!" Lily cried out suddenly.

"W-What, Lily?" I asked, cautiously taking a step back.

"Vapor!" She nudged at my leg. I just stared at her blankly. "Reon…" She hissed once she realized I had no clue what she was trying to tell me. She shot her water gun in front of me.

And there it was. A Venipede.

"Yes!" I cheered and threw my arms around Lily's neck. "Thank you, Lily!" She licked my cheek. "All right Lily," I said as I got to my feet. I pointed at the unsuspecting Venipede who, as far as I could tell was too busy chewing on a leaf to even acknowledge our existence. "hit it…uhm… softly. Weaken it just enough so I can catch it, okay?"

Lily nodded her head and slowly crept forward. I waited with anticipation as she got ready to pound. I was finally going to capture my first Pokemon. When she did, the Venipede didn't see it coming… and neither did a Cottonee who I didn't see until the last second. Lily hit the Venipede with her paw and at the same time smacked the Cottonee as hard as she could with her tail. The Cottonee disappeared within behind some bushes while the Venipede struggled to get back on its feet.

"Great job, Lily!" I smiled and pulled the Pokeball out of my pocket. I pressed the button in the middle of the Pokeball for it to expand. "Well, here goes nothing…" I threw it with all my might at the struggling bug.

But then, the most unexpected thing happened. The Cottonee that Lily had disposed of only moments before floated back and fell right in front of the Venipede.

"No!" I screamed as my Pokeball hit the giant cotton ball. Even the wild Venipede and Lily looked shocked as it disappeared into the bright white light. The ball shook violently.

Oh Arceus, no! Escape the ball! Escape the ball!

Much to my demise, the ball stopped moving and a loud beep rang out. I had caught the Cottonee.

"What the hell!" I cried out, grabbing a fistful of my hair and pulling.

 

[Akimbo]

This story is really good, and the idea is great
The way you've described the characters so far is great as well,
this is definitely a story that i'll try to continue reading

 

[New Game Plus]

This story is really good, and the idea is great
The way you've described the characters so far is great as well,
this is definitely a story that i'll try to continue reading

Ah, thank you so much.

 

[Safe]

Good chapter, I laughed when he ended up catching the cotonee.

The good thing about Unova is that you don't a need a parent or guardian's consent to get one either.

These are the only errors I found, nice job.

 

[New Game Plus]

Good chapter, I laughed when he ended up catching the cotonee.


These are the only errors I found, nice job.

Haha, thank you!

 

[HarukaJoy]

Wow! This is really good! You took an awesome, original idea and built upon it! Keep it up!

 

[New Game Plus]

Wow! This is really good! You took an awesome, original idea and built upon it! Keep it up!

Thank you for the feedback.

 

[New Game Plus]

Chapter Three: The Name Game

"Pleased to meet you, won't you guess my name?"
-The Rolling Stones

My first Pokemon had been one that I didn't mean to capture and to be quite honest, I was far from happy. I couldn't help but be disappointed. It was like telling a kid they would get an XBOX on their birthday but instead they receive some new clothes.

I didn't have the right to complain about my new Pokemon. I didn't want to go through all that trouble of having to get another Pokeball or two to catch a Venipede. I was tired and I was sure Lily was too. I would have to deal with this one way or another, whether or not I liked the situation I was in.

Lily hit her paw against the Pokeball and it rolled between my feet. She looked at me expectantly. I had a feeling she would be pretty mad if I released it back into the wild. So I bent down and took the Pokeball into my hands. "I should wait a while before sending it out,"I thought. I would obviously have to be on good terms with Cottonee before I left Unova. It would be far too dangerous for me to go off with a disobedient Pokemon. I could get killed by a wild Pokemon or worse- it could kill me.

Now was as good as time as any to get aquatinted with my Pokemon. I needed to register it and give it nickname. I searched my pockets for my Pokedex. I pulled it out then flipped it open. After a few button clicks, I was at the Pokemon registration page. I pressed Cottonee's Pokeball against a small indentation.

Cottonee, like its name, was cotton ball that floated wherever the wind took it. All I needed was a Pokemon that had a chance of being forever lost with a slight breeze. It knew three attacks; Absorb, Leech Seed, and Growth. I figured that Absorb and Leech Seed would come in handy when its HP was low and I couldn't make it to a Pokemon Center right away.

Also, according to the Pokedex, "it" was a he. That made naming him a thousand times easier. I hadn't even considered that I might catch a female Pokemon. The name I had been saving for Venipede was Spiral, but it definitely didn't fit Cottonee. I stared long and hard at the Pokeball and Pokedex to trying to come up with a name.

Lily curled up by my legs for a few minutes, then trudged off into the forest to find food- what I hoped would not turn out to be a dead Pokemon.

Most of the other names I had thought of, didn't fit Cottonee. I bit my lip and thought for a long time until I had come down to two names; Rhyme and Wiz. For a while I considered naming him Pan after the Greek god of nature, but immediately decided against it. Many people probably used the whole Greek god system to name their Pokemon. I certainly didn't want my first Pokemon to have a common name.

Why not let Cottonee choose? I expanded the Pokeball and tossed it to the ground. Cottonee came out looking, much to my surprise, terrified. He was on the verge of tears. I coughed loudly to get his attention and he immediately spun around to look at me.

"H-Hey?" I waved, bending down in front of him. A tiny part of me was afraid that, even though I hadn't wanted him, he wouldn't accept me as his trainer. But that wasn't the case. As soon as Lily came back rolling a few berries towards me, Cottonee began bawling and flew at my face.

Lily took this as an attack and lunged for the crying cotton ball on my face.

"Li-Lily, no!" I shrieked, pulling Cottonee off of my face. I rolled to the side to avoid being pounced on. "Lily! Wiz is just scared!"

And then I realized that I had just named him. Lily hung her head low and repeated "Vaporeon" in what appeared to be a form of apology. Wiz didn't take this as well as I expected him to and dug himself deeper into my vest. Lily pushed a pink berry towards me. I picked it up.

"Wiz," I said. He was far too busy crying to notice I had said his name. "Wiz," I tried saying it more firmly, but it still fell on deaf ears. I pulled him away from me and held the pink berry out to him. He looked at Lily, rather teary eyed, then down at the berry, then up at me. "Go on…" I pushed my hand closer to him.

"Vapor!" Lily cried out.

"Nee!" Wiz cautiously bit a piece of the berry then turned back at Lily, terrified. When he noticed she hadn't moved from her place, he proceeded to eat the rest of the berry happily.

I patted the two Pokemon on the head. I was pretty grateful that Wiz didn't hate me. Well, at least I was pretty sure that such an innocent Pokemon as him couldn't hate anything.

When Wiz was done eating I decided to let him know that I was his trainer. "Wiz," I said, holding him to eye level, "You probably have no clue what I'm saying, but whatever. I'm your new trainer. You're my first Pokemon. I know that traveling with me will probably turn out to be dangerous but… as long as we're a team, then we'll be all right." I really wanted to believe that Wiz, or any Pokemon that I would capture in the future, would protect me from whatever came our way. Be it Ex-Team Rocket members, wild Pokemon, or just people in general.

"Cotto- Nee!" Wiz rocked back and forth in my grip.

I glanced at my watch and found that I only had a few hours to get back home. Fletcher would suspect something if I came home late.

"Sorry, Wiz. I have to return you. I promise I'll let you out tomorrow," I apologized and returned him back to his ball. I grabbed the berries and put them in my pockets, along with Wiz's Pokeball and my Pokedex.

By the time I had made it back to Nimbasa City it was dark out. I thought about going to the Ferris Wheel with Lily but I was far too hungry and my legs ached from all the walking I had done. Even Lily was beginning to lag behind. I tried to pick her up to carry her, but she was too heavy. I wished that Fletcher had left her Pokeball with me.

When we got home I immediately hid Wiz's ball and my Pokedex under my mattress. Lily laid herself lazily over the edge of my bed and almost instantly fell asleep. I decided not to bother her and instead went to fix a meal for Fletcher and I.

I was so happy that I was probably infecting everything I touched with rainbows and unicorns. The disappointment had long worn off. I was so excited to leave Unova and start my journey. I would work hard to collect those gym badges. I would not return home until I did. Wherever home might be the next time I stepped foot in this country.

I made a salad for Fletcher, since he was a vegetarian, and a fruit bowl for me, even though I wasn't one.

Fletcher was shocked to find that I had made him dinner when he finally walked through the door.

"Did you poison it?" He asked, eyeing the salad and I suspiciously.

"N-no!" I stammered, taken aback by the question.

"I was just kidding, kid," He laughed, "Calm down." He patted me on the back, then took a seat on the opposite side of the table. "So what did you and Lily do today?"

"Walked places," I replied, putting a piece of pineapple in my mouth.

"Good. Good. I figured she'd want to go for a walk. Been far too busy lately," He smiled. He scanned the room for her. "Where is she anyway?"

"Sleeping on my bed."

"Aww, she's warmed up to you already," He laughed, "Now you just have to get to know Wilfred."

My face drained of color. I was pretty sure Wilfred, Fletcher's Arcanine, didn't like me one bit. I tried petting him, feeding him, and playing with him to win him over, but every time I got close he would growl at me. I didn't understand why he didn't like me. Maybe I was going about it wrong. But whatever the case, I certainly didn't trust him around Wiz.

"Uh… you know… I really like hanging out with Lily," I said lowering my eyes.

Fletcher groaned and put his fork down. "I know Willie can be a bit… difficult at times, but you have to keep trying with him. When I was but a wee laddie I received Wilfred as a present from my uncle. The two of us did not click. In fact, he attacked me as soon as I pulled him out the ball. Worst experience ever, but I never gave up on him. Another person could've been his trainer. They probably wouldn't have been as easy going as me," He crunched down on a piece of lettuce before continuing on, "I earned his trust eventually. But when and where, I don't exactly know. Maybe he had trusted me for a while. Anyway, one day, while I was out training with him, a wild Scolipede attacked me from behind and poisoned me. Wilfred beat the Pokemon down and pulled me to a main road where a trainer eventually found me. Willie saved my life."

I sat in awe of his story. "Wow…" was the only word that could sum up what I was thinking.

"Yeah, I know. I hardly believed the doctors when they told me my Growlithe, my Wilfred, had saved my life," He smiled fumbling around with the great ball in his hand.

"How'd you get Lily?" I asked after a long moment of silence.

"Oh, a few years back I had noticed this Eevee hanging about my first apartment. I started feeding her and she eventually warmed up to me. She would sneak into my apartment by tearing the a hole in the screen and would cuddle up next to me in bed. The first time she'd done it though, I thought she was a burgular. When I discovered it was her, boy was I relieved," He laughed heartily.

"So you were a afraid of a little Eevee, in other words," I asked, scratching my chin.

"Only for a moment!"

The two of us burst out laughing.

"It must be rough not being allowed to have any Pokemon," Fletcher whispered, suddenly. He looked pretty apologetic. I wondered for a brief second if the real reason he had left Lily with me was so I could have some experience with Pokemon. "But one day, kid, you'll get your chance. And when you do, even if I may not be around to congratulate you, I'm sure you'll turn out to be a great trainer."

I couldn't help but smile at his words. He reached across the table and ruffed up my brown hair.

For a moment, I thought about telling him that I had caught a Pokemon and was planning on leaving after a little bit of training, but I figured he was a Marshall. He probably would've turned out to be just like the rest of them. I wasn't ready to give up Wiz. Even though I had just captured him, I knew it would be teary goodbye and I would never forgive them for it.

"I know I will…" I smiled, trying to toss away those thoughts, "and when I do… I'll show you all of my amazing Pokemon."

"I'm sure you will…"

 

[Akimbo]

Good chapter, I really want to meet Wilfred now though

 

[New Game Plus]

Wilfred will be met before he leaves.

 

[Safe]

Good chapter. I love how you made eevees kinda like stray cats. :-D

 

[New Game Plus]

Chapter Four: Win-Loss Ratio

"So if you're calling me out, then count me out."
-Taking Back Sunday

Despite Fletcher's speech the night before, the next day I was saddled with Lily again. Quite frankly I was glad. Wiz would've thrown another one of his crying fits if he saw Wilfred. If Lily made him cry, there was no telling what he would with Willie and I certainly did not want to find out either.

The night before as I laid in bed staring up at the ceiling, too excited to go to sleep, I decided that I would train Wiz a bit before heading off to Johto. He didn't have to be particularly strong, just used to battling so that I would feel safe knowing that he wouldn't chicken out when I was about to get mauled by a Urasring.

Lily would be back up just in case things had gone wrong. I had a feeling they would go very wrong, even with her help.

I left the house a little after Fletcher had gone to work with Lily at my side, who was acting like a guard dog. I kept Wiz in his Pokeball hidden deep within my pockets along with my Pokedex. I didn't care if anyone saw me with Lily. The last thing I needed to be doing was flaunting around Wiz. In the city, Fletcher had friends- Marshall friends at that. If they saw me with Wiz my plan would be ruined. At least on the routes I could hide within the brush from trainers or just people in general.

My destination for today was Route 5. I'd read on the internet that Route 5 mainly consisted of harmless Solosis, Trubbish, and the OCD rodent, Minccino. The only real threat there was the Liepards. I heard they were vicious cats, often sneaking up on their prey from behind. I prayed that I would not run into one of them, though they would probably give Wiz a decent amount of experience points. Still, it wasn't a risk I was willing to take.

Route 5 was the Nimbasa-Driftveil Drawbridge entrance. The Gym Leader of Driftveil usually kept the Drawbridge up to allow ships destined for other regions like Hoenn or Kanto to pass through freely without having to reel the bridge up every hour or so. As a result not many people from Nimbasa visited Driftveil and vice versa. The only thing that brought people to Route 5 was the street performers. Despite being early in the morning, people were already crowding around the performers "ooohing" and " "aahhhing". One time I watched a man and his Magby shoot fire from their mouths. I was in awe for days. A food van was parked on the side handing out coffee and sandwiches.

I retreated into the brush far away from anyone so I wouldn't be seen by passing trainers or anyone else for that matter. When I was positive I was out of eyesight, I released Wiz from his ball… and he immediately started crying. Oh Arceus…

He must've thought he was alone, because he started crying even more when he saw that he was in an unfamiliar environment. Lily looked up at me, unimpressed by the whole situation, then trotted over him and tapped him lightly on the back. He immediately swiveled around in our direction and his frightened expression softened as soon as he saw us.

"Cotton… Cottonee?" He seemed to be asking me something, most likely unaware of the fact I didn't speak the same language as him.

"Uhm…" I scratched my head unsure of how to go about this, "Wiz, we're going to get you trained up… okay?" Horror swept over his face taking me aback. "I-I mean… We're going to make you into a… a…" I tried to think of what Cottonee evolved into, but I didn't have the slightest clue. I honestly thought they grew into a bigger cotton ball that crushed everything in its path. At the simple thought of that I shuddered. Should probably check that out later… "There isn't a better way to tell you that you are going to battle other Pokemon is there?"

"Vaaaaa!" Lily cried out suddenly, grabbing my attention. As I turned toward her, I became of a Liepard lunging at me. I let out a panicked scream as I dove to the ground beside Wiz. Lily didn't take too kindly to me being attacked and threw her head back as the Liepard went for another attack and unleashed five strong clear blue rings at it. The Liepard was knocked off balance and I took that opportunity to scramble to my feet. I don't know what I was thinking when I picked up the sobbing Wiz and threw him with all my might at the feline. He just simply bounced off and rolled to the ground. The Liepard turned its attention to him. If this doesn't get him to fight, I don't know what will.

"Wiz!" I yelled, "Use Absorb!" However, Wiz just sat in the grass shaking in his fluff. Dammit, Wiz! I thought biting my lip. I had to think fast before he got hurt. "Lily use… use scratch!"

Lily, thankfully, without delay charged at the wild Liepard that was slowly advancing on Wiz. She put herself right in front of the cotton ball Pokemon and slashed at the feline with her paw. In that moment I swore she looked like Wiz's knight in… well… slippery wet blue skin. The attack hit, but the Liepard countered with a chomp to her side. Lily shrieked in pain as its teeth sunk deeper and deeper into her skin. At that point I began to panic, especially when I saw blood dripping from her wound. "Lily!"

I threw myself at the Liepard. Somehow I had to save her even if I got hurt in the process. But then Wiz stepped in, well more like fluttered in. He began to glow a greenish color as did the Liepard. That's when I realized he was using Absorb. "Come on, Wiz! You can do this!" I cheered as the Liepard's grip slowly lessened on Lily until it eventually let go. As soon as she was free from its grip she tackled it and it fell to the ground unconscious.

Without a second thought I ran over to Lily's side. She was bleeding pretty badly. I tried to pick her up but she whined then smacked me with her tail and I collapsed to the ground. I looked over at Wiz who was now cuddled up next to her.

"Nee… Nee…" It looked like he was either trying to thank her for protecting him or apologize for her injury. She simply licked him in response. Nothing like this could ever happen again. I never wanted to see any of my Pokemon get hurt ever again. I was fighting back tears now. What if Wiz hadn't stepped in? What if that stupid Liepard hurt him instead? I wasn't even concerned with my own safety, just theirs.

"Wiz," I called out. He glanced over at me looking pretty miserable and I could tell he was punching himself mentally for Lily's injuries. I leaned over and patted him on his fluff. "Friend's will get hurt when you're a coward," I tried to say it as caring as I could, but I knew he could tell I was bothered by the whole incident. Tears started forming in the corner of his eyes, "From now on, you've got to play hero even if you risk getting hurt or losing." I picked him up and held him close. I hoped that this would be a future lesson to the both of us.

Lily began licking her wounds. I wondered how I was going to explain this Fletcher. I needed to get my hands on a potion. It would cover up the wound and then, I wouldn't have to worry about a thing.

Of course, getting out of Route 5 turned out to be a lot easier said than done. Wild Pokemon, mostly Solosis and Trubbish, attacked us almost every step back towards the main road. Dammit! What the hell is with these Pokemon? Are they taking advantage of the fact that Lily is injured?

Lily and the newly confident Wiz, together disposed of the Pokemon. Wiz didn't seem at all intimidated by the wild Pokemon. I suspected he was trying to make it up to Lily. His Absorb weren't even that effective. Alone, he probably didn't even stand a chance, but that didn't stop me from cheering him on.

By the time we had finally gotten out, Wiz was at a whopping level 13 having learned two new moves, Mega Drain and Stun Spore which he spammed as soon as he learned them. Lily was at level 36. I wasn't sure if she had grown a level or not since I hadn't taken the time to consult my Pokedex about her stats the day before. I returned Wiz back to his Pokeball and headed over to the Pokemon Center to pick up a Potion.

As soon as I stepped inside of the center, I was in sheer awe. For once, I actually had a reason to step in here. Sure I had come in before, but those times I had felt like I didn't belong in here or I didn't have the right to be in here. Seeing trainers just like me crowding around each other and talking or doing whatever they pleased sent me straight into a smiling fit. Lily butted her head into the back side of my leg knocking me out of my trance. I noticed a bunch of trainers crowded around the television, talking in whispered hushes. After I brought a few potions, I decided to see what was so interesting on TV.

"-reports that the Champion has gone missing. Police suspect foul play in the disappearance of Johto's Champion Lance Winsfield." The television blasted as soon as I was within earshot.

"He probably just chickened out. The Pokemon League is just around the corner. Maybe he's sick of being Champion and just wanted a break," A boy, no older than 13 years old, said to a girl standing beside him.

"No way!" She said, indignantly, "Lance is the greatest trainer or all time! He wouldn't simply just run off! He's better than that!"

"Okay, okay," The boy the didn't pursue the matter any further and instead trudged off to the other side of the room.

Of course the Champion would go missing right before I'm about to start my adventure. Just my luck… I thought to myself. Hopefully he reappears when I challenge the league. I turned towards Lily, who had made herself comfortable on the floor. I bent down beside her and sprayed the potion over her wound. Like magic her wound began to mend itself. She got to her feet and hopped on top of me, and begin licking my face.

"Lily!" I laughed, trying to fend her off, "Stop it! You're embarrassing me!" Her rough, wet tongue slide across my cheek leaving saliva in its wake. I wiped it off with the sleeve of my shirt.

"Va- Vaporeon!" She did not relent.

I decided to go back to Route 5 for a little more training. Plus, I wanted to feed Lily and Wiz before I started looking like their next meal. I purchased two poffins from the food truck, both of them pecha flavored. I let Wiz out of his ball as soon as I found a spot on the pavement off to the side. I handed each of them one poffin and watched them joyfully chomp down on their food without a care in the world.

Somehow Wiz managed to get the poffin all over his cotton. Lily watched him slightly amused as took her precious time eating hers. When Wiz was done he looked at me for more and I told him I didn't have anymore and he went to watch Lily.

"Cotton nee!" He said to Lily. Lily's eyes narrowed and she picked up the rest of her poffin and turned away from us. I let out a dry laugh at this.

"Hey you," I heard someone say. I glanced up and found a boy maybe a year or two older than me, hovering over Lily and Wiz. He had a malicious grin spread across his face and was tossing a great ball into the air. He had wavy burnt sienna colored hair that fell just before his brown eyes. He wore a black cardigan that had a strange golden emblem in the upper left corner. Under that he wore a golden yellow shirt to match. He wore a pair of black trousers that had yellow suspenders falling at his side.

"Y-Yeah?" I gulped. He definitely did not look like the other trainers I had seen before. To be quite frank, he almost looked intimidating despite being slender. No, he looked like the personification of evil itself.

I was getting ready to scream for help when he said, "You up for a Pokemon battle?"

Crap. Crap. Crap. I thought, I can't decline a battle.

"I haven't got all day," He tapped his foot impatiently and Lily hissed at him.

Okay. Okay. He can't possibly have anything that's that bad. I studied him for a moment. He doesn't look like the type to have a Dragonite. I've got this. I can do this. If anything, I was trying to convince myself I could beat him.

"Yeah," I said, trying to look confident, "I'll battle you."

"Great!" He chuckled, "I love sending newbies packing!"

I felt the color drain from my face. Hell, he just said "Newbies".

"How many Pokemon do you have?" He asked, standing a safe distance away from me.

I looked down at Lily and Wiz. Could I use Lily in battle against another trainer? Wiz certainly wouldn't stand a chance against whatever he had that was evident. "Two." I replied. Lily's ears perked up at this.

"Okay, I'll use one," He smiled, lobbing his Pokeball forward as he said, "Go Fluffy."

I was expecting something like an Eevee or Skitty to appear but that was no where in league with what actually came out. A Tyranitar. Yeah, I said it. This trainer had named his Tyranitar, Fluffy. What a very misleading name for a Pokemon. He seemed to be enjoying the shocked look on my face.

"Uh… go… Lily…" I commanded rather hesitantly. If anything she stood a better chance at defeating it. After all it was a part rock type. Sure, Wiz was a grass type, but he was a level 13 grass type. I wasn't wholly ready to sacrifice him to something like Fluffy.

Lily stopped eating and trotted off in front of the Tyranitar that was busy roaring.

"Fluffy, Dragon Breath!" The older teenager yelled. Fluffy opened its mouth and purplish flames erupted out.

"Lily, dodge!" I cried out, "Counter with a Water Pulse!" She pranced out of the way of the oncoming flames. One she was safely out of its reach, she unleashed a Water Pulse on her foe.

"Fluffy, get out of the way," The other trainer said with a determined look on his face. Tyranitar obeyed and stomped away from the pulse, "Use Dark Pulse." A purplish black ripple surrounded Fluffy then flew at Lily.

"Lily! Stay out of its reach and spam Water Pulse!" Lily managed to narrowly dodge the Dark Pulse and sent another Water Pulse Fluffy's way.

"I'm tired of this already," The other trainer yawned, "Dodge that attack and use Earthquake."

My heart sunk as Fluffy literally pirouetted out of the way and began stomping its feet angrily against the ground. The ground began to shake violently. I was thrown off of my feet and gripped onto Wiz to prevent him from being punted into the sky. The other trainer remained undisturbed laughing maniacally.

I was thrown into the air at least a good three feet, but I wouldn't let go of Wiz. I saw Lily struggling to stay on her feet before I hit the ground with a loud thud only to be tossed in the air once more. I was aware that I was screaming Lily's name at the top of my lungs.

"Fluffy, finish off that Vaporeon," Tyranitar began making its way over towards Lily, who was still trying her best to stay on her feet, with no problem. I had to do something fast but I was still getting thrown into the air. Tyranitar grabbed Lily by her tail and began swinging her around like a rag dol. I heard her screams over mine. A pain shot through my heart.

"I forfeit!" I found myself crying at the top of my lungs.

A grin appeared across the trainer's face. He didn't even look the least bit bothered by his Pokemon's actions. In fact, he began to mock me. "Fluffy," He said in a way that one would talk to a baby, "put the big baby's Vaporeon down." He then proceeded to go into a laughing fit when Fluffy simply tossed Lily aside like it were nothing. She fell to the ground motionless. The ground gave one final rumble before stopping completely and I hit the floor. I immediately sent Wiz, who was sobbing uncontrollably, back into his ball and scrambled over for Lily.

I scooped her up in my arms. "Lily! Lily!" I cried. She was breathing slightly. I was glad she was just unconscious.

"Oh hoh!" The trainer clapped beside me, "My. My. That's quite the performance. I give it a ten out of ten."

"B-Bastard!" I yelled, shooting him a dirty look. How could someone be so cold hearted? Even if he is a veteran trainer there's no need to be… be a jackass. I couldn't believe people like him actually existed.

He heaved heavy sigh, "Welp, this is just adorable, and normally I'd stay and watch you wallow in sadness, but I'm on a very tight schedule. So, fork over half of your money." He snickered as he held his hand out to me and snapped his fingers impatiently in my face.

I shoved my free hand into my pockets and handed the money over, not bothering to count it. I just wanted him to get away from me.

The trainer's smile as he left was just dripping with cruelty. Just when I thought he was gone for good, he tapped me on the shoulder. "Quit looking like a kicked Growlithe." He tossed a strange looking bronze diamond at Lily, then turned on his heels and continued on his way.

And thankfully, Lily began to wake up. I hugged her tightly and she licked my cheek.

I'd never… let anything like that happen to her again. I let her get hurt twice in a five hour time span due to my reckless nature. But this time, for sure, I was never going to let anything like that happen to her.

I'm leaving tonight...

 

[Safe]

OK, first of all Tyranitar is part rock part dark, not ground.

And I noticed many mistakes, nothing a proof-read wouldn't fix.

Other than that, I loved the chapter. Your writing is great, I feel that I'm there in your world. Your description is very good, and so is your writing style.

 

[New Game Plus]

OK, first of all Tyranitar is part rock part dark, not ground.

And I noticed many mistakes, nothing a proof-read wouldn't fix.

Other than that, I loved the chapter. Your writing is great, I feel that I'm there in your world. Your description is very good, and so is your writing style.

Whoops. I often forget that Rock type Pokemon even exist. I went through and fixed whatever spelling error I saw. So it should be good now.

:XD2: Thanks! I'm glad you think my writing is good.

 

[Akimbo]

This is really good work, i feel quite sorry for lily
and i have a feeling that we'll meet wilfred when he tries to sneak out of the house

 

[New Game Plus]

Chapter Five: Goodbye, Halcyon Days

"I've been waiting a long time
For this moment to come."
-Green Day

After my crushing defeat at the hands of Fluffy and its trainer, I heaved Lily over my shoulder and carried her all the way to the Pokemon Center. She flailed around for a bit, trying to get herself free from my grip. Normally I would've let her, because having a 60 pound eeveelution on my shoulder was the least bit comfortable, but she had just been a Tyranitar's chew toy.

"I hope I never see that trainer again…" I thought with a frown as I handed Lily and Wiz over to Nurse Joy. Nurse Joy gave me a serious talking to about being more careful with my Pokemon. As if I'd known that that trainer was going to have a Tyranitar. If I did, I certainly wouldn't have pitted Lily against it. I nodded and pretended to take all of her words of wisdom in.

When she was done lecturing me, I decided to take a look at the television to see more coverage on Johto's missing Champion. There weren't nearly as many trainers crowding around as there had been earlier so I was able to grab a seat in the second row.

"Still no word from Johto's missing Champion, Lance Winsfield," The female news reporter said, motioning at the home of the said Champion. Police littered his lawn with Growlithe searching for some type of clue. I, honestly, didn't think that they would find anything in his house that would lead them to his whereabouts. There were plenty of people that could've had beef with him. He was the Champion after all. I was more surprised that someone would be able to take him down. Pfft… Yeah right. No one's taken the guy down in over nine years. The idea of him running off was seeming a bit more logical in my mind. They hadn't even been able to locate his Pokemon, let alone their Pokeballs.

"I wish they would show something else on the news for a change," A trainer two seats away from me said to no one in particular, "I mean, the only thing interesting that's happened is that stuff in Hoenn a year or two ago. That was something. For all we know Lance could've just gotten into it with one of dragon Pokemon and flew off to Mt. Silver. This is just speculation. I just want to know what the damn weather is going to be like tomorrow before I head off to Driftveil."

"It's going to be cold there, as always," A trainer somewhere in the room replied, in an annoyed tone.

Nurse Joy called out for me just as I was about to laugh in response. I quickly excused myself and retrieved Wiz's Pokeball and inspected Lily for any noticeable scars. Much to my relief, there were none. I thanked the nurse repeatedly before heading home.

As soon as I got home, I started packing. Lily watched from my bed as I pulled a decent sized back pack from out of the closet. Her ears drooped slightly when she seemed to realize exactly what I was doing. She made a noise that sounded like a cry, but I pretended not to hear it. I'd made up my mind. I was leaving Unova no matter what. As much as I did want to bring her with me, I couldn't. She wasn't mine and I didn't want her to get hurt anymore on my or Wiz's behalf. She'd already helped me so much. I gave her a reassuring smile as I began to gather the necessary clothing for my journey. Among other things, I grabbed my toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, brush, comb, a small towel, two bars of soap, an extra pair of sneakers, and my wallet. I needed to deposit my cash into my trainer account quickly. I'd read that when losing against other trainers, the loser had to hand over half of their cash. And half of my cash was a lot. It would leave a considerable dent in my funds considering as I'd been saving up for four or five years. Until then I would have to do my best to stay out of sight from other trainers. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and set it on the dresser. If there was one thing I had learned from being in the Witness Protection Program, it was that the Marshalls could find out where I was from triangulating the signal on my phone. I'd most likely end up losing it anyway.

When I was finally done, I put my pack back into the closet and flopped onto the bed next to Lily. I stroked her ear softly. For some strange reason I felt… sad. For the last six years I had been so anxious to get out and become a trainer, so why was I having second thoughts? What if Fletcher thought the reason I left was because of him? What if they found me in Johto? What if I was forced to released Wiz and whatever other Pokemon I may have at that time? I bit my lip hard at those thoughts.

Lily seemed to notice my sadness and curled up closer next to me. "I had fun here, Lily," I told her in a hushed voice, "Honestly, when I first got here I thought it was going to be like the other places I'd stayed. It hasn't been. And if I didn't promise myself that I'd leave and become a trainer… well… I wouldn't ever leave. There are just so many things to love about this place, aside from Liepards with murderous intent in their eyes and trainers who name their Tyranitar Fluffy. There's you and Fletcher. For the first time, in a long time, I feel like I have a family. I hope that when I am captured by the marshalls or collect all of my gym badges that I'll be able to come back here with you guys."

I sat up suddenly and pulled out a pen and notebook out of my nightstand and began to write a thank you letter to Fletcher. It was the least I could do for him.

Dear Fletcher Holcomb,

When you read this, I'll be long gone. Obviously I can't tell you where to, because that would just ruin everything. Besides, I know you as well as the others will come looking for me. I can't have that. Sure, it's going to making my journey a whole lot more interesting, but I don't want it to end before I have the chance to win my first badge. Hopefully by the time you do find me, I'll be a decent trainer. I'm not trying to make a difference in the world. I know most trainers set off with the mentality that they're going to change the world, become champion, and find a legendary Pokemon, well not me. Especially not with my luck. If I don't get found anytime soon, I'll keep battling. I'll keep getting those badges. I'll keep getting better. I'll keep working on getting stronger so I won't need you lot to protect me.

But, that's not the real reason I'm writing this letter. It's really to say goodbye to you and thank you for being nice to me. I've been around quite a few Marshalls who were just concerned with keep me safe and not concerned with what I wanted. Mr. Appleyard, if you ever read this, I hate you, you… you… apathetic jerk. Fletcher, you made me feel at home. You made me feel like I had a family. Heck, you made me feel like I had a friend. It's because of you and Lily that I've enjoyed my time here in Nimbasa. Remember how you told me that one day I'd get my chance to become a Trainer? Well, now is that time. It may take a while, but when I do, you'll be the first person I come visit. Thank you, Fletcher, and goodbye.

I pulled the page from my notebook and neatly folded it up. I wrote his name neatly on the front and then placed it on my nightstand.

Shortly afterwards, my stomach growled at me and I decided it was time to make dinner. The last dinner I would share with Fletcher.

I made the same thing I had made the night before. A salad for him and fruit bowl for me. I gave Lily one of my cut up pieces of a Pinap berry while waiting for his arrival. She ate it happily then slunk off into the living room.

When Fletcher finally made it home, Wilfred was at his side carrying a bag of groceries. "Dinner? Two nights in a row? Now I really think you're trying to kill me," He laughed heartily as he put the groceries down on the table.

"Very funny," I grinned, getting up to help him with the groceries. I went to grab the bag from Wilfred's mouth, but he growled at me and I didn't need to be told twice to leave him be. "I'll… just… put these here away…" I said slowly inching away from the furry canine.

"Arf!" Wilfred barked.

After we were done putting away the groceries, we sat down for dinner. Lily had attached herself to her trainer's legs as we ate, while Wilfred watched us from the living room. More like watched me.

"So, what did you do today?" Fletcher asked, stuffing a piece of lettuce in his mouth.

"Get attacked by Liepard. Get brutalized by a Tyranitar named Fluffy, you?" I thought, "Just went exploring. You know, the usual."

"Good. Good." He nodded.

"What did you do?" I asked when I found myself feeling guilty for lying to him. "Get a grip, kid! He'll know something is up if you start looking like a kicked Growlithe!"

"What I've been doing for the last few days. They've been absolute horror, y'know. All because that Champion goes missing. It's like the bloody president has gone AWOL. I don't know why our lines are being flooded with… with crazy end of the world hippies. We're on an entirely different continent. Sure do hope the guy shows up unharmed soon. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take," He groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"How long has he been missing?" I asked.

"About a week now. Some locals in Blackthorn said they saw some strange men lurking around his house right before his disappearance. That's why everyone is so worked up. Some people have this crazy idea that Team Rocket is rising… again. Blasphemy, I say. You don't recover from your organization being taken down by ten year olds named after a crayon twice," Fletcher ranted. I felt my heart sink a bit.

"They're probably just some wannabees," I pretended to shrug it off. I was really quite bothered by the whole situation. If Team Rocket was rising once more- for the third time, then maybe they were behind his disappearance. He did help bring them down the second time.

"Yeah. It's nothing to worry about though. Just a bunch of nasty rumors is all," He grinned noticing a sullen look on my face. "Trust me. Even if they are, some kid named orange or purple will take them down," He chuckled. I laughed dryly with him. What if they are rising again? Talk about poor timing to start my adventure.

"Like always."

"Mmhmm. Just a month ago those Team Plasma guys disbanded. Some boy named Black and his sister White took them down. It was crazy. I was dispatched to help rid the League of those Plasma grunts. They were no joke either. But those two twins handled it like it were nothing. Kids these days, I swear."

After we were done eating, we sat down in the living room to watch some TV. The program had long since gone off. Fletcher had fallen asleep with his head buried in his canine's fur and his legs draped over Lily's body. Wilfred for some strange reason kept his eyes glued to me. I tried to ignore his stares, but he would capture my attention by barking. "What is this dog's problem?" I thought scooting over towards the other side of the couch, the farthest I could without making it seem obvious. Lily, too, was staring me down, but unlike her companion, she wasn't saying anything.

"What do you want?" I whispered loudly at them, "Why are you staring at me?"

"Arf!" Wilfred barked in response. Fletcher, still half asleep, sat up and looked around. He locked eyes with me for a very brief moment before falling back into his Pokemon.

I glanced over at the clock. "Almost time to leave."

"I'm going to bed," I told them. Lily tried to slip from underneath Fletcher's legs but she failed and Wilfred couldn't move without letting his trainer's head hit the wooden floor. He let out a growl as I disappeared around the corner.

I slowly tiptoed up the stairs in an effort not to awaken the sleeping Marshall. "This is it." I thought as I retrieved Wiz's Pokeball and my Pokedex from underneath my mattress. I sat down on the edge of my bed and took a deep breath. Everything in my body hurt. I didn't know why I was feeling the way I was. "C'mon! Why do I have to have a guilt trip now?"

I shook my head and got to my feet. I rummaged through my closet in search of any last minute items I may have forgotten. I ended up packing a flashlight, my blanket, and a pillow. I paced the room for a while trying to figure out what else I may have needed. Eventually I decided that I did have everything and I tossed my backpack on the bed.

I pulled on a black sweatshirt over my stripped white and blue t-shirt. I made sure to comb through my medium length wavy hair too. The last thing I needed to do was start my training days looking like a trainer.

After I was absolutely sure I had everything I needed, I slung the bag over my shoulder and headed over towards the window. I pulled the window open and took the screen out. I ended up having to take my bag off since I couldn't fit through the window with it on. I tossed it to the ground below and it hit the ground with a loud thud. I crawled out the window and dropped to the ground after it. I landed on top of my bag holding in a scream as I fell. There was only one thing that I was afraid of and that was heights. Probably because when I was five and I was playing on the slide and one of the kids got impatient and pushed me off the side.

I brushed myself off and picked up my backpack. I peered through the window and saw Wilfred and Lily staring at me. Lily looked pretty sad and much to my surprise, so did Wilfred. I waved my hand awkwardly at them and then set off into the city on foot.

It was weird walking around the city after my curfew. This was the first time I was venturing out after night had consumed the city. It was strange. There weren't as many people on the streets as there had been during the daytime, but it was still a considerable amount of people.

My destination was the Castelia City docks. I'd thought about just taking a plane over to Johto but it would've been expected of me. Plus, the police force had kicked up security after the Team Plasma attack on Mistralton City's airport. There was no way I could make it through there without being spotted. My best chance was to catch a ride on one of the cruise ships that traveled back and forth between the two regions. Sure it would be a lot of money, but it'd be worth it.

I continued down towards Route 4. It probably wasn't such a good idea to travel through the desert at night but I didn't have much of a choice. Sandile and its evolution were known to frequent the route. They were pretty dangerous. I had watched some programs on them a few times and found that one bite from their teeth could take a person's arm or leg clean off. I shuddered at the thought.

I pulled a scarf and a pair of goggles out of my pack before I entered the route. I wrapped the scarf around my neck and pulled it over my mouth and then slipped the goggles on. This was the necessary precaution most people traveling between this route had taken to avoid getting cut up by the shard of sand and rocks blowing about in the wind. I brought a few bottles over water out of a nearby vending machine just in case anything went wrong.

Not more than two or three minutes in, a Sandile jumped from out of the sand. I shrieked as it went to bite my leg and fled in the direction of Castelia City. I didn't want to bring Wiz out in this weather. He'd easily be blown away. But I didn't have much choice when another Sandile caught a part of my jeans and began to tug at my leg. "Get off!" I screamed, shaking my leg sporadically in an attempt to get the reptile off of my pants. "Wiz!" I pulled his Pokeball out of my pocket and tossed it to the ground.

Wiz, as usual, came out of his Pokeball looking quite terrified. Then, to my worst fears, he was buffeted by the sandstorm. I barely managed to scramble forward and catch his leaf in time. I pulled him tightly against my chest, still screaming as I tried to get the Sandile off of my pants. "Cottonee!" Wiz cried.

"Wiz, help me!" I cried, pointing to the vicious Sandile. Wiz, still sobbing, began to glow green. It sucked whatever life the reptilian creature had from it, until it eventually fell to the ground unconscious. I breathed heavily once that was over with. I held Wiz tightly, and refused to put him back in his Pokeball after that.

It turned out to be a good call on my part, because we were attacked a good twenty or more times before we finally reached Castelia City. I'd still only been out for five going on six hours. To me, I was making good time. The sun was starting to rise so it made for maneuvering the streets of Castelia a whole lot more difficult since the streets were starting to become cluttered. I returned Wiz to his Pokeball to give him some rest. I was pretty tired by now having walked the entire way. "The sooner I get to the docks the better…" I huffed and continued to weave through the crowds of people.

I made sure to pass Castelia's Gym along the way. I heard the Gym Leader was a very strange, but popular, man who loved bug Pokemon and art. A single trainer was huddled up with her Pignite outside of the front doors. "Soon that will be me." A big grin appeared on my face as I continued towards the docks.

By the time I did reach the docks, a line was already forming at the ticket booth. The tickets for the Johto Cruise Liner, Royal Johto, went for about $250 per passenger and additional $50 for each Pokemon a person carried. "Glad I've been saving up. This stuff isn't cheap."

I waited in line for about a good hour or so before it was finally my turn. I was glad. The people behind me were getting on my last nerves as were their children. The youngest one insisted on stepping on my shoe over and over. Her parents thought it was cute and did nothing to stop it and just smiled at me whenever I would turn around to glare daggers at her.

"ID please," The lady hidden behind bullet proof glass said through a speaker of some sorts. I fished my ID out of my pocket and handed it to her through a little slip in the glass. She studied it for a moment before handing it back. "Which region are you planning on traveling to?"

"Johto, ma'am," I replied.

"And how many Pokemon do you have on you?" She asked.

"One," I said holding up Wiz's Pokeball.

"If we find out that you have anymore Pokemon on you, you'll be fined $100 per each additional Pokemon found on you, understand?" The woman said in a monotone voice.

"I understand," I nodded.

"Your total is $378," She said.

I searched through my wallet and pulled out the correct amount of money and slid it through the glass. She handed me my change as well as a purple ticket that read Royal Johto.

"You're on dock number nine," She said motioning in the direction of the boat, "You'll be given your room number when you board the ship."

"Thanks," I said heading off to the dock.

It took almost an hour to get to dock number nine and find my room aboard the large cruise ship. Royal Johto wasn't just any cruise liner, it was a luxury, state of the art, cruise liner. It was equipped with everything I could've ever possibly imagined. An arcade, a casino, a pool, a tennis court, volley ball court, a cafeteria, a restaurant (for fine dining), and a battling area for us trainers. But that was only the half of it. I learned that it would take two, maybe three days to get there. I complained at first, but when I saw my room I shut up completely. Everything in it was something out of a brochure for a mansion. It even had a balcony!

"This place is awesome!" I yelled, throwing my hands into the air. "They weren't kidding when they said Royal Johto." I decided to let Wiz in on some of my happiness. As soon as he was out of his ball, he started to tear up. I quickly scooped him up in my arms to get him to stop. "Wiz!" I laughed, hugging him tightly, "We're finally going to Johto!"

"Cottonee!" Wiz smiled with me.

For once, my luck seemed to be looking up. But, unfortunately, it would be short lived.

 

[Safe]

Amazing chapter, I didn't get bored at all reading it. Good job!

I loved the way he started to think while Fletcher was talking to him, and I loved the letter and the way he wrote it, it made your character seem very realistic.

And I loled whenFletcher said "kids named after crayons."