Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or anything besides my OC's
Prologue: Prelude to the Journey
Flashback
"Well kids, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Mrs. Andrews asked her 2nd grade class.
"I wanna be a firefighter!"
"I want to be an astronaut!"
"I want to be a doctor!"
"Those all sound very nice children. Dante, you never said what you wanted to be. Don't you have anything you would like to be when you grow up?" Mrs. Andrews asked her quietest student.
The student in question turned his attention from a Pidgey singing in a tree outside to the teacher. He was a little taller than average for his age and a bit skinny too. He twirled some of his dark black hair around his finger as he nervously said, "Well, I think I want to be a Pokémon trainer when I get older."
"No way!" A student in the back exclaimed. "Everyone knows no good trainer has ever come out of New Bark Town." The rest of the students shook their heads in agreement; appalled that Dante would even think that. (Although no astronauts had ever come out of New Bark either.)
"Now, now class, I'm sure Dante can be whatever he sets his mind to, no matter how tough it is." Mrs. Andrews chided, although not really sounding like she meant it. "Now let's get started on some math."
The class groaned and got out their workbooks and began the working on the problems. As they started working, a little black-haired girl sitting next to Dante leaned over and whispered, "I think you can be a trainer Dante, don't let them bother you."
"You really think so Rain?" Dante whispered back, looking really bothered by his classmates' dismissal of his dream.
"Of course I do. I want to run a Pokémon daycare some day, just like my grandma and grandpa. But I figure I'll have to learn how to take care of Pokémon first so that means I'll have to be a trainer for awhile."
"Well let's make a promise then, if you don't give up on being a trainer than I won't either."
Rain gave a thumbs up and a wink as she replied "Ok, you've got a deal."
….
6 years later
"But mom, once I'm fourteen I finally can register as a Pokémon trainer and start my journey." Dante, now just turned thirteen, whined to his mother.
"I just think it's too dangerous for you to start out that early honey, you've seen all the stories about the young trainers who get hurt because they left too soon." His mother explained for about the hundredth time.
"But Jacen's a trainer and he does ok." Dante countered back.
"Your cousin Jacen is eighteen now, and he didn't start out until two years ago." His mother shot back, knowing all the arguments like the back of her hand by now.
Couldn't you just talk Professor Elm into giving me a Pokémon, even if I have to wait to leave for my journey?"
"You know the Professor doesn't have any Pokémon to spare dear, besides, I'm not too sure if fourteen still isn't too young for a Pokémon."
"But Rain's going to get one for her birthday, I just know it!"
"Well I'm not Rain's mother I'm yours, and I think it's too early." His mother countered.
"I wish I had Rain's parents…" Dante mumbled to himself.
"What was that?" His mother asked with her eyebrows raised.
"Um, I asked if you had payed the rent?" Dante replied, thankful his mother hadn't heard him the first time.
"Honey we own our house, we don't have to pay rent."
"Oh well that's good then. I'm going to go outside and play. See ya later Mom!" Dante called out as hastily retreated outside before he got his mother angry.
"Ok honey, be home in time for dinner!" His mother yelled as he ran out the door. "I just worry so much about that boy," she thought to herself, "I hope he doesn't try to catch a Pokémon on his own, surely he knows how dangerous that would be."
….
Just outside
"I am so going to catch my own Pokémon." Dante thought as he headed towards the woods. "If mom won't let me have one I'll get one myself."
He then spent the next couple months in the forest between New Bark Town and Cherrygrove City trying to use a net to catch any Pokémon he could find. Unfortunately the only Pokémon in the forest were Pidgey, Rattata, and Hoothoot, all of which were much too fast to be caught with a net. That all changed however, when one day he encountered a new Pokémon.
"Wow, that's a Weedle! He must have come over from the forest past Cherrygrove." Dante remarked to himself. "I bet I can catch this one with my net easy!"
He crept up quiet as a mouse, with months of practice having made him very good at moving quietly in the woods. But just as he drew near the little yellow caterpillar, he lost concentration and stepped on a leaf. The resulting crunch from the step alerted the little bug to his presence and it quickly tensed up and turned around. Dante froze, not wanting to scare it away. The Weedle stared back and made a little hissing sound, not happy at all with Dante's presence. Dante decided to make a move, and lunged forward with his net. The little Pokémon was ready though, and used its string shot attack to trip Dante up. Dante jumped to his feet and tried again, but this time the little Pokémon rolled sideways and quickly stabbed Dante with its stinger. Then before Dante could react, it used the string shot again to encase Dante's feet, before it hastily retreated.
Dante tried to get up, but found he couldn't with his legs bound. After struggling for a few minutes, he was soon overwhelmed by a wave of nausea and dizziness.
"Shit," he thought to himself, "I must have been poisoned when it stung me." He immediately began yelling for help until his voice cracked and he neared unconsciousness. Just before he passed out, he managed to make out through his blurry vision a figure running towards him. He thought he heard them shout his name before the darkness claimed him and he saw no more.
…..
Dante woke up, and immediately notice two things. One, he had a pounding headache and wanted to throw up badly. Also, he was lying comfortably in his bed back at home. He realized in relief that someone must have found him and gotten him help, and that Weedle poison must not be fatal. Just as he started to try and figure out what had happened, his mother and Professor Elm walked into the room.
"Oh thank goodness you're awake!" His mother cried as she ran up and hugged him with all of her might. "I was so worried you wouldn't be ok!"
"Yes, you're very lucky it was only a Weedle that stung you," Professor Elm explained, "If it would have been a Beedril you might not have made it."
"Ya I guess I am pretty lucky." Dante said as rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "Was it you that found me Professor?"
"No, that would have been me kid." A voice from someone he hadn't notice come in replied. It was a young man with long blonde hair and piercing green eyes. His worn out travelling clothes suggested that the man was no stranger to wandering through the wilds and had suffered some hardship in his journeys. Dante's face broke into a grin with recognition.
"Jacen! It was you that found me?"
"Yup, lucky for you I was passing through on my way to visit you guys or you might not have been found for a long time." Jacen was broke out in a grin similar to Dante's, before suddenly turning much more serious. "Just what in the hell were you thinking anyway? Did you really think you were going to catch a Pokémon with a net? What were you going to do with it if you did catch it?"
"Well I figured I could bring it back home and tame it I guess." Dante sheepishly replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess that doesn't work then?"
"No, it sure doesn't kid." Jacen said shaking his head. "Although I guess I do have to applaud you on your effort."
"That still doesn't excuse his actions!" His mother cut in. "He could have been killed!"
"I just wanted a Pokémon of my own. Is that too much to ask?" Dante dejectedly asked.
"You should have just waited kid," Jacen answered. "You'll have your own Pokémon soon enough."
"We can discuss this later." The professor interrupted. "That poison hasn't run its course yet and Dante needs to get back to sleep."
"Of course, you're right Professor." Dante's mother responded. "Get some sleep dear, I'll be sure to tell Rain you're feeling better. She's been by several times now checking on you."
"Ok." Dante said with a yawn. "Sorry I worried you guys so much."
"Just don't do it again honey. I'm just glad you're ok."
"Alright kid get to sleep, we'll all still be here when you wake up." Jacen said as he shut the door.
Once the three made it downstairs they sat down at the kitchen table. Dante's mother quickly went to the stove and made up a pot of coffee for them, as it was very late and they had been up for quite some time.
"I just don't know what to do with that boy." His mother said with a sigh. "I swear he gets wilder and more reckless everyday."
"There's nothing wrong with him." Jacen dismissed with a wave of his hand. "He's just caught the adventuring bug a little earlier than most. Are you going to let him start travelling when he turns fourteen?"
"No I don't think so Jacen." She nervously replied. "I just think it's too dangerous to go out completely on your own at that age."
"I think so too." Jacen unexpectedly agreed. "I didn't leave till I was sixteen and looking back now that still was a little early. But his urge for a Pokémon isn't going to go away, and he'll be right back there within a year or two."
"I think Jacen's right." Professor Elm agreed. "He's just too determined to ever fully give up on that dream."
"What if I got him a Pokémon for his birthday?" His mother asked. "And then just made sure he doesn't leave until he turns seventeen?"
"That's not a bad idea actually." Jacen considered. "Then he can learn how to raise a Pokémon gradually instead of on the fly while on the road. I can even get a Pokémon for him if you want."
"Could you Jacen? That would be great if you could."
"Ya, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. It will have to be something small and easy to control. But it also can't be too boring and decent at battling. I'll keep an eye out for the next few months and see what I find."
"Wonderful! This way he'll have some protection when he goes off exploring the forest and I won't have to worry as much."
…
The months dragged on and Dante quickly recovered. Unfortunately for him though, his classmates decided to really make fun of him for his accident, saying that if he couldn't handle a Weedle there was no way he could look after any decent Pokémon. Rain was his only friend throughout the ordeal, and he got into more than a few fistfights over it. Then Rain's birthday came around and her grandparents gave her a Marill, which she promptly named Lucy. This only made Dante more jealous, although it did have the benefit of his bullies getting sprayed with a water gun when they got too mean. Soon Dante's birthday came, and his mother, Jacen, and Rain were all sitting around to watch him opening presents.
"Wonder what this one is?" Dante said as he shook the box around. "I bet it's one of those new pokegears!"
"I wouldn't count on it dear." His mother replied. "Those are way too expensive to get a fourteen-year old boy who would break it within a week."
"Well I guess we'll find out now then." Dante quickly tore through the wrapping and open the box. "Oh my god!"
"What is Dante?" Rain asked curiously.
"Look!" Dante cried out, and showed her the contents of the box.
"Oh my god!" Rain shrieked out in shock. Nestled inside the box was a little Pokéball on a stand.
"Now there's a few conditions with this kid." Jacen quickly jumped in. "For one you have to treat it with all the respect it deserves. Also, you have to agree not to leave on your journey until your seventeenth birthday. Finally, you have to agree not to go past Cherrygrove without permission, and not out later than dinnertime."
"Deal!" Dante quickly agreed. Just getting a Pokémon was beyond any of his expectations. "Can I get it out now?"
"Knock yourself out honey." His mom quickly agreed. "I'm rather excited to see it myself."
Dante didn't need to be told twice, and immediately pressed the expand button on the Pokéball and threw it on the floor. A bright light shot out from the ball, and soon solidified into a small brown shape. The small foxlike Pokémon looked around in curiosity at its new location.
"Wow it's an Eevee!" Dante shouted out in pure joy.
"Those are really rare." Raven stated in awe. "Where on earth did you get it Jacen?"
"A friend of mine found it and wanted me to take care of it." Jacen said with a smile and a shrug. "I don't currently have time for a new Pokémon, but I knew the perfect person who did."
"Thank you so much!" Dante said as he gave Jacen a huge hug. He then turned to the Eevee and started petting it behind the ears. "Well bud how about it? Do you want to be my first partner?" The Eevee replied happily by letting out a little bark and nodding its head. "Well I guess that's that then!" Dante said as he rolled around on the floor with his new friend.
….
Dante sat down with a sigh at the table. It had been three weeks and he still hadn't thought of a name for his new partner. The Eevee sat down next to him, not having gone back into its Pokéball yet.
"Hey honey, why the long face?" His mother asked in concern.
"I can't think of a name for Eevee yet mom." Dante replied dejectedly. "It hasn't liked any name I've come up with yet."
"I'm sure you'll find out a name for your little shadow before you know it." His mother said cheerfully.
"Ya I guess-Wait, what did you say?"
"I said I'm sure you'll find a name for your little shadow soon. I called him that because you never go anywhere without him by your side now."
"Hmm, Shadow." Dante mused. "How about it boy, do you like that name?"
Eevee considered it for a minute and then let out a little bark of agreement.
"Alright!" Dante cheered. "Thanks mom, you're the best!"
"No problem I guess." His mom responded with a grin. "Although I can't say I did it on purpose."
Dante just gave Shadow a hug and laughed, envisioning all of the fun he and Shadow would have in the next three years before his journey began.
….
Author's Note: Well here's the first story I've ever written. You may have read this chapter before and it looked much different. The story behind that is that when I first wrote the Prologue, it was meant to just be a summary to get some of the background info in. But then I checked the traffic stats, and I noticed that I lost well over half my readers before they even made it that far. So I thought about and realized that since that first chapter was so bad most people just left a few lines in. So here's a fixed version with all the same info, and about 2000 or so extra words.