Chapter One

The light of the mid morning sun shone vibrantly and beautifully over the towering city skyscrappers and scaffolding, the highways and streets all a rush with the typical morning traffic. The bitter cold clinging in the February atmosphere juxtaposed the cheerful sunny shimmer in the city sky.

I had never in my twenty years of living been so happy to see that beautiful ball of fire glowing in the clouds. I had began. to think it would be a long time before I could freely grasp the damp air in my longs or squint up at the livliness of an amazing morning, a new day.

I had just gone through some of the darkest moments in my life and now I was on the other side of my past and quite frankly a bit scared as my life entered completely unknown territory. But the bright sky promised a new day and I closed my eyes and vowed to myself and God that I wouldnt waste my new opportunity.

For those just tuning into my tale, I think a small flashback into what led me to the point I'm at now would be appreciated.

My name is Avery Grey. At least it is now anyway. I was born in a region that I cannot at the time name for my own personal reasons. I was raised by two loving parents. My amazing mother a school teacher and ex regional champion Pokemon cordinator Lila, had always been a nurterer and protector. She has supported my goals and aspirations for as long as I could remember and her love and loyalty knows no ends.

My father Luke a retired Gym Leader, on the other hand was always just as loving and supporting however he had a dark side and a career that had been built around not only his formidable skills as a trainer but more nefarious deeds as well.

By the time my parents had me they had stopped training and gone on to other careers and goals in life. But both had a love for Pokemon which found itself manifesting in my very own development.

For as long as I could remember I loved Pokemon. I dreamed of my very own adventures and partners as I would rise through the league and meet friends, rivals and of course partner Pokemon. I had wishes of winning gym badges and eventually winning a few championships, retiring and maybe becoming a Gym Leader like dear old dad. I wanted the American Dream that every future trainer desired.

My parents fully encouraged my dreams and gracefully allowed me and my prized Eevee, Sagittarius the opportunity to sit for my trainers lisence and go on a journey on my thirteenth birthday. Needless to say since I had been studying every trainer guide book and for that matter any texts I could find on Pokemon training, technique and strategy since I could read, I passed with flying colors.

That year I began my journey and was blessed with great successes. I managed to build an amazing team of partners, collect all sixteen (yes, sixteen) of my regions badges, win the regional championships by the skin of my teeth and take down the Elite Four as well as the exhaulted Champion.

My dreams had come true. Suddenly I was a local celebrity. I was already proceeded by my parents roots but then I had made a name for myself. I was the cool, good looking, talented trainer that everybody wanted to be by the time I was sixteen.

Life changed for me after I took the League Championship. While I declined to sit as the current champion (Most people do, due to beaurocratic red tape and legalities surrounding the position.) I did take a role as a Gym Leader.

I was sent to a three month training camp and mentored and guided on what my duties were, and how to properly manage in my role. I was a quick learner and it was fairly easy from all the years of training my own father had given me. Due to my four man team being all dark type Pokemon, Sagittarius who had now become an Umbreon, Leo my Zoroark, Gemini my dear Weavile and Aquarius the Shiftry I settled on dark as my gyms theme.

During my tenure as a Gym Leader I mastered leadership, strategy and teaching others. I was praised by the big bosses up at the Regional Pokemon League and everything in my life had fallen into place.

But of course nothing perfect ever stays that way. A reoccuring theme of secrets and back stories just kept appearing in my life. My father's unscrupulous side deals with a regional mafia found its way into my own perfect slice of life.

My gym had began to get vandalized repeatedly and I could never figure out why. I assumed it was because of some sore loser challengers who couldnt hande my band of dark physical attackers. Eventually the picture had become more clear.

My father had gotten into some kind of trouble with the mafia and I was being targeted because of his actions. I was so accomplished and successful I was the perfect target to get back at him.

Things still arent all the way known as to what he did to piss off the mafia but they certainly had a vendetta to carry out. Ski masks and guns was all I saw.

A year and a half later my life had completely changed. My Pokemon were murdered in front of me. One by one I watched my friends die. One by one I heard there screams. My perfect world shattered into a million pieces. I stepped down from my position immediately or rather I never went back to the gym. I gave up on training.

My father was arrested in connection with some drug trafficking and Pokemon cruelty and criminal misuse charges and hauled away for five years in a federal prison. My parents divorced and my trust in the world died.

I grew up after that event. I realized then that love could be truly cruel and unfair and that at anytime at any random moment your world can crumble.

In a deep depression I started drinking and using heavy drugs. This continued for about another two years as the agony of missing my fallen partner combined with the ending of my parents marriage, my love for my father and my life's dream.

I drank like there was no tomorrow before I ever turned twenty one (the legal drinking age in my region). Eventually my mother hauled me off to rehab tired of my ways and fearful of where I was headed.

That was all the past now and now I had a new life.

Today was the day my new life could begin. In rehab I worked through not only my substance abuse issues but what had caused them as well. I got closure about a lot of painful things and I realized what was my fault and what was not. Losing my partners was not my fault. Allowing life to break me down was.

But this particular morning was a different morning. An all new day.I was released from rehabilitation. This was the day I decided to change my name, change my look and I was going far away. My only goal now to live again. For me and for my fallen commrades.