One More Step Up the Ladder

I woke up and yawned, "Yet another day of my miserable existence" I sighed and got up out of bed. The names Jesse Tanaka, I'm a twelve year old, black-skinned male with green eyes. I have blue dreadlocks, and wear an orange shirt, lime green shorts and black tennis shoes.

I've been a Pokemon trainer for two year, but I've never caught or trained a Pokemon. This is because I've been a miserable wreck ever since I left Trainer's school. Most people didn't see this coming being that I was top in my class at the school. They didn't see what actually went on at recess. Every day, three kids would constantly pick on me. Their words were like sharp knives that cut down my will to train. I soon found myself thinking that I could never become a good Pokemon trainer. What kind of Pokemon would want a horrible trainer like me? So I've been taking walks around Violet city every day since, wondering what my life could had this mental breakdown. I stepped outside my family's house and decided that I was going to visit the Dark Cave today, but not before stopping by the lake.

"I wish my life would get better." I sighed and thought to myself as I walked into the deciduous forest outside Violet city and began to my normal thinking routine. I usually beat myself down in these self-talks, but today was different though, I encouraged myself and felt that today would be the day I would finally get a Pokemon. I smiled a tiny bit and came out by the lake. Sitting beside it, I picked up a stone and chucked it across the lake; it skipped a few times.

Odd, I thought, I've never been able to skip stones that well. Something must be up.

I heard someone walk up behind me and turned around. It was a twelve year old, black skinned, female with long black hair and dark purple eyes. She wore a yellow, strapless shirt, and purple jeans on and sandals on her feet. I recognized her as one of my few friends from the trainer's school, her name was Makoto Nakamura.

"Hey there Jesse," the girl smiled, "I didn't think I'd be seeing you outside Violet City."

I smiled, "There is a first time for everything Makoto."

The girl sat down next to me, "So are you going to try to get a Pokemon today?"

"Why should I?" I sighed. "I'd be a horrible trainer."

"You're still down about that aren't you?" Makoto sighed, "And here I thought you had changed."

"Makoto, why have you stayed in Violet City?" I asked, "I mean, you have nothing stopping you from getting your first Pokemon."

"There is one thing," Makoto smiled, "But I don't want to tell you just yet."

"Why?" I asked, "We've been friends since the first day of Trainer's School, you know you can tell me anything!"

"No,"

"Tell me,"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No! Not now! Ugh, sometimes you push me to my limits Jesse!" Makoto grunted and stood up, "I need to cool off, I'm going back to home!"

Makoto ran off into the forest and I sighed.

"Just my luck to get another one of my friends angry at me," I got up and walked deeper into the forest when I heard something.

"Hey this isn't fair!" a voice said.

"Oh yes it is totally fair, YOU haven't evolved! You know what it means when you don't evolve?" another, deeper voice said.

"What?" the first voice said.

Another deep voice joined in, "You're weak! We don't take kindly to weaklings around here!"

"Give me a chance! I know I'll evolve!" the first voice cried.

"Yeah right, we've given you enough chances!" the first deep voice scoffed.

"Come on, let's leave him be," the other deep voice said.

"Guys! You can't just leave me here! Guys! Guys?"

I heard a whimpering sound coming from some bushes nearby and decided to investigate. There, on a tree stump, a Charmander was cuddled in a ball.

"Why couldn't I have evolved just like the others!" the Charmander cried.

Wait a second, I thought, did that thing just talk?

I walked up to and sat next to it, "You okay there little fella?"

The Charmander looked up at me in shock, "Oh please don't capture me! I've been through enough already! Please don't capture me?"

I laughed, "I can't capture you, I don't have any Pokeballs."

The Charmander looked at me oddly, "You…you…you can understand me?"

I nodded, "You speak plain English to me."

"I thought humans couldn't understand Pokemon?" the Charmander said.

I laughed, "Yeah, I thought that too."

The Charmander sighed, "Well you're still not going to capture me!"

I nodded, "I know what you're going through."

"What do you mean you know what I'm going through?" the Charmander asked, "Aren't you humans supposed to have perfect lives? Seeing as you are the master race in this world."

I smiled, "Far from it. In fact, we believe that you Pokemon have it easy!"

"Yeah right," The Charmander spat.

"Don't believe me? I wish I could have shown you the three bullies who constantly teased me in school."

The Charmander looked up at me, "So you got teased to huh?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I've been trying to get over it for two years."

"I've been trying to get over being teased for a long time," the Chamander sighed, "Name's Trey."

"Jesse," I replied.

Trey thought for a few seconds, "You know, maybe I do need a trainer."

"And maybe I do need a Pokemon," I smiled.

Trey stood up and held out his hand, "Partners?"

I shook it, "Partners."

"Alright then," Trey exclaimed, "What are we waiting for! Let's go out and see the world!"

I nodded, got up and jumped into the air, "Onward to victory!"

I had climbed one more step up the ladder on my way to become a Pokemon master!