Hello readers! Writer4fun here with my first ever "M" story. I've decided to put another idea I had on paper with "You Are Never Alone". Since it is rated "M" there will be lemons/other mature writing down the line so there's the notice. Regardless, a big thanks to you -the reader- for finding this story among the pile of Pokémon stories. I made a poll on my profile about that subject if you're interested.

I'm always open to feedback via PM or review being new to the mature scene and all. However, I completely understand if you just want to sit back & read the story. Without further ado, let's get to it. Have a good day :)

-W4f

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon but I do own my OCs.


Chapter 1- Enter Ninetales & Alex

A surprisingly warm mid-December sun was lighting up the forest located between Lavender Town and Saffron City. It was an optional path to take along Route 8 since it was filled with some Pokémon. Some trainers preferred to take the long road around to avoid any confrontation, but a lot of trainers preferred confrontation. One fairly common Pokémon that roamed the forest was Vulpix.

No doubt that there were a lot of them and they all were shy when it came to trainers. The thought of being caught made them avoid contact with humans. It was a mix of them potentially being mean and just losing their freedom. Sometimes they were captured and returned to the woods with their trainer by their side looking happier than before. Maybe they thought there was something to be gained by being caught.

One Vulpix was more curious than her siblings and ventured out into the more open part of the forest once she felt comfortable with her skills. She didn't make it too far down the beaten forest path before a Cubone appeared in front of her. Both just stared awkwardly at each other until a man's voice broke the silence.

"Use Bone Club!" The fire type was no stranger to battling so she felt comfortable dodging the super-effective move and launched an Ember; Cubone fell to the ground after the only hit. She started to walk away until a blue Pokémon appeared in her peripheral vision.

"Poliwhril, Water Gun!" The evolved aquatic Pokémon sent a powerful blast of water towards the fox. Dodging was out of the question since it was coming too fast and she took the hard hit. "Go Great Ball!" Salt was added to the proverbial wound as the ball quickly swallowed her. She kept punching at the seal from inside then finally broke it before it locked for good. Her opponent took notice. "I can't risk attacking you again with a Water Gun," he mumbled under his breath "So use Doubleslap!" She continued to take a beating from Poliwhril once its hands started flying in all different directions. One hit too many sent the fox into a tree; it was the perfect time to run away since she was closer to the dense forest. While running, she heard a loud and frustrated moan but stopped to observe the trainer from behind a bush. "Well I guess it wasn't meant to be. Great job Poliwhril! Now let's get you some food." She took that as a sign that there were kind trainers out there.

Days passed by with her battling trained Pokémon further away from the dense part of the forest. She was unsure if she wanted to be caught going into every battle but that changed once she saw that dozens of trainers verbally abused their own partners if they missed an attack; she soon decided that she would do whatever it took to remain free.

She still wanted to test her skills against trainers but would have to be cautious knowing any battle could be her last as a free Pokémon. It was going well over the next few days until she barely escaped against a Rhydon. By this point, she had battled enough to learn more advanced moves. Despite the powerful moves, she still lacked the pure power of an evolved form. Risky as it was, she left the forest for good in the evening in search of a Fire Stone knowing there were none nearby.

Night came after a few hours of searching under rocks for the one stone that would make her stronger. A large purple sign was the signal that she was approaching a dense human area; Lavender Town 1.5 miles it read. She moved on knowing that her time as a free Pokémon could potentially be dwindling. She thought maybe the stone was in town and she could find it without being caught. Sensing danger, she made a dash for a hollowed tree trunk and she was right as a trainer came sprinting through the area.

"Ghoooooost! Get away from meeee!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. His backpack was being ripped off him while he ran faster out of fear. It started to open on its own as the trainer left it floating in the air. Various items were dropped from the bag as a Haunter made itself visible, unaware that the six-tailed fox came out from the hiding place wanting to ask for an explanation of its antics in the forest.

Haunter offered the items on the ground to help a fellow free Pokémon in exchange for not ratting him out to its buddies; the ghost Pokémon of the Lavender Town tower had been working on being friendlier to trainers both in and around the town. Nothing looked of value between the antidotes, paralyze heals, and berries that could be found back home until a Fire Stone began glowing on the ground.

Compared to that first day of leaving the forest, it was starting to get drastically colder. She thought about going home to the warmth of her den, but she had always believed that a Pokémon that left the forest and not caught was a danger to others still living there. On her way back she would probably have to fight any camping trainers and she would flee to her home by instinct. Rumors of a powerful Vulpix roaming around Route 8 would attract numerous unworthy trainers to her home so she thought it was best to protect her home by not returning so everyone else could live as peacefully as possible. Any trainer that did manage to catch her would probably just use a Fire Stone anyway. Why not evolve on her own terms?

Her paw reached out to grasp her only chance to make her stronger.


The busiest times of the year in Kanto are the yearly Indigo Plateau Championships and Christmas. Vermillion City was always busy with ships bringing foreign goods into the country in addition to packages from Cinnabar Island. However, Christmas was only a few days away and Alex was reflecting on how he got to this point in his life.

The 21-year-old Alex liked Pokémon as long as he could remember, but was unsure if the whole trainer lifestyle was right for him or care for them in the long term. He was justifiably upset that his parents left overseas to work when he finished his standard education at 18 so his grandparents took him into their Lavender Town home. There was an understanding between everyone that his parents would come back a week before the Indigo League summer championships to visit. The first year they came back, both brought back numerous and different Pokémon for Alex to play with. From that moment on, he realized that being a trainer was right for him.

When he was a week away from his 21st birthday in early August, his parents could not make it back for the summer due to unforeseen circumstances. Alex expressed his frustration about the situation and how he thought he was now ready to set out on a journey until his grandmother stepped in. She handed him five Poké balls, 2,000 Poké or 2,000P as it was on paper, a backpack full of essentials, a tent, plus her own Nidorina since it obeyed Alex. The rules were laid out by both caretakers: one week to catch a Pokémon while only using what was given to him. He knew it was time to see if he was worthy of catching a Pokémon let alone owning a Pokémon for a long journey. Alex departed south to Fuchsia City after he double checked his things since it had shallow ponds and grassy fields along the way.

Day one was one to forget for the trainer in training. So many Pidgey flew away at the sight of him and a group of Oddish forced him to flee when Stun Spore rendered his grandma's Nidorina paralyzed before he got a chance to throw a ball. He tried to catch a Goldeen, only to miss it and be knocked down to four balls. Alex figured a water type was not the way to go since he didn't have a fishing rod. Luckily for him, he knew how to take care of his partner as well as pitch the tent he was given.

Day two was met with more travelling; this time it was through the infamous Route 13 maze. Trainers challenged him to battles which meant Nidorina got a nice workout after not seeing any battling action in weeks. Unfortunately for Alex, all the battles left his partner too tired to fight wild Pokémon.

Day three was a little more successful with him almost capturing a Venonat; the bug had broken out of the ball then fired a Confusion attack at them both for good measure while escaping.

Day four came up fast while a Fearow outside the Fuchsia City gate had stayed to fight but it too broke free of the ball. Upon entering the city, both travelers made their way to the Fuchsia City Pokémon Center where they rested up. It was nearly noon on the fourth day and Alex soon realized that he had to leave Fuchsia City by evening to arrive home on time with a new partner. Add in the fact that he'd have to take no breaks on his normal schedule or wake up earlier to take breaks, and it was going to be a close call.

"What do I do Nidorina? Am I really not cut out to make it?" the young trainer asked to his only team member on the way out of the center. The quadruped just tilted its head before barking happily. "Well at least you have some confidence in me."

A poster in town caught his attention with a picture of a man carrying a bug catching net plus a green looking ball. He thought it might as well be worth the time since he was running out of Poké Balls but had all his 2,000P allowance. A large building with high fences loomed in front of him after he followed the directions on the poster and an elderly man stood at the entrance.

"Welcome to the Safari Zone young man! All you can catch with 30 balls for just 500P!" Alex knew this was his best chance since there were Pokémon everywhere and he knew they weren't going to hop the fence.

"Okay then, let's do this."

"Perfect! Keep your Pokémon in its ball or give it to me; no battling in the Safari Zone. We also use Safari Balls here so no need to supply your own." The man pulled out two more bags from his pockets. "Bait in this bag, rocks in this other bag. Use them wisely when trying to catch Pokémon."

"I'll keep her in the ball. Return Nidorina." With the tools to success in hand, he was led to the back door that led to the vast grasslands.

"Good luck young man!" Nobody else was in the immediate area so he decided to look for a place to hide. The thought of an easy capture set in once the bell went off.

Alex sprinted into the tall grass to observe the various types of Pokémon at his fingertips. One Rhyhorn made its way near Alex's hiding spot and he surprised it by chucking a Safari Ball at it.

One shake.

Two shakes.

Three shakes.

Light emerged from the ball with the Rhyhorn looking at Alex dumbfounded. A frustrated Alex tossed another ball at it only to get the same result. When he looked down to get some bait the Rhyhorn casually went back to its pack. Alex thought it was best not to go after it since there were other Pokémon around.

Heat from the August sun beat down on the hopeful trainer as it crossed into the afternoon. Heat exhaustion got to him as he waited for a rare Scyther to get closer to his new hiding spot. One swig of water was not enough to keep him well because as Alex went to throw yet another ball, he collapsed on top of a rock from dehydration. It was only five minutes until he felt a warm tongue licking his face. He awoke to a small purple creature happily licking him.

"Pppthh aww man… that's kind of nasty," Alex shouted in surprise at the sudden friend he made; it just stared at him blankly. "You're a male Nidoran aren't you? I'm surprised you got so close on your own." It surprised him even more when it rubbed up against his leg. "I'll take that as a sign you want to tag along. Let's go!" No effort was needed to capture Alex's first Pokémon as he casually tossed the Safari Ball at it. The rest of the expedition yielded no further captures and ended when Alex was all out of Safari Balls. It was evening for the weary newbie after he got his belongings back from the elderly man.

One more stop in the Pokémon Center assured him that the trip back would be a little easier with two healthy party members. Walking on Route 14 felt longer once Alex started to ponder why the newly caught Nidoran acted the way it did. Surely, he thought it had some reason to act all friendly like that. With the little daylight that was left, Alex took a quick bath in the water just off the main path. Pitching the tent was a little harder despite the use of a flashlight.

"Maybe I should've done this first," he wondered out loud. "I think I can handle this whole trainer thing. Still not sure if I'll be able to win any battles though."

His hand grabbed the two Poké balls of his companions and let them out as he organized his things so he could efficiently pack up the next morning. Nidoran wasted no time curling up next to Nidorina after they fully materialized.

"Yup… I hoped it was a lie but sadly it's not," he said with great disappointment. Nidorina was called back to the frustration of the newly captured Nidoran. "Sorry Nidoran, but she can't stay with me for much longer because she belongs to my grandma."

Double Kick was used the instant Alex was done with the heartbreaking sentence. He quickly called Nidorina back out to explain the situation as Nidoran's feet dug into his back. The scent of Nidorina got the Nidoran to come over in the first place and Alex felt like he cheated his way through his grandparent's trial. He couldn't understand the conversation but Nidorina offering a kiss on its cheek made Alex feel easy. Nidorina then trotted over and sat down in front of Alex with a grin on her face.

"You told him that I'm a good person…right?" She shrugged. "Well whatever you said, it worked. Thanks. Now both of you need to get back in the ball for the night. I'll call you out when we get back home."

Morning of day five came what seemed to be too soon for the trainer and he made a considerable effort to sprint or jog the rest of the way home to make sure he would get back in time. He seemed to underestimate how long it took and ended up being spent after about an hour of stop-and-go sprinting plus two hours of jogging with his equipment. Nobody asked him to battle on the way back which allowed for a faster trip home in his mind although his body said otherwise. He slowed his pace and was forced to set up camp just on the edge of Route 12 knowing than home was just around the corner. On the sixth day of the miniature quest, Alex jogged a steady pace back to Lavender Town until he finally returned through the front door of his home with his grandparents casually eating at the kitchen table.

"I'm back a day early with this," he joyfully exclaimed as he placed the Safari Ball on the table. Nidoran was quickly let out as proof he completed the task. "You said I had to catch one and I did! Now what?" He prayed that they didn't ask how he caught it. Both relatives looked at Nidoran then at each other with smiles on their faces.

"You have what it takes to be a trainer Alex. If anyone can last a week on the road with minimal supplies, then you have what it takes to get started. That's how we've done it in our family at least. We think you should train just a little more here before you become a registered trainer. We'll tell your parents that you're on the path to being a trainer. However, it's up to you to do the paperwork and whatnot." After he got the approval, he realized there was a lot he didn't consider. For the next few days, he furiously looked for a job so that he could start saving up money for essential items like potions or food before registering.

When Alex had turned 21 just one week later, he saw in the classifieds that there was help needed at the Vermillion docks with unloading shipments in addition to fending off the occasional Pokémon that ventured onto the docks. Having no other job prospects, little money to sustain the trainer life, and no reliable gear for a long journey, Alex decided that this job could help him out in obtaining money and maybe some battle experience.

He finally got the job after playing phone tag with a shipyard supervisor over the course of two days. Mentioning that he owned Pokémon probably secured the job since most workers don't really have Pokémon to help them shoo off wild Pokémon or undisciplined Pokémon owned by families. He set off the next day on a bus to Vermillion with smiling grandparents waving him off.

No time was wasted looking for his new building once Alex stepped off the bus since the station was located by the docks. Offices for the managers and supervisors lined the main entryway and he stopped into Emily's office.

"Hey, I'm Alex...that new guy you wanted. We talked on the phone." The tall blonde woman stood up from her desk to greet him.

"Ah yes…Alex. Welcome! Here in Vermilion City you have a chance to earn some good money here since you own some Pokémon and you're the youngest worker here. You'll mostly be working on keeping the docks clear either by shooing off Pokémon or moving shipments around. There may be times where you help unload items as well or use a forklift on the docks." Emily stared at him for a second as if she was a little surprised in some way. "It's rare that we have younger people working government jobs because they're all out in the world trying to win badges." Alex took a minute to mentally digest his duties.

"That sounds fine with me. Just two things though: I need to find a place to live and I was thinking about becoming a full-time trainer down the road," he said firmly. Emily nodded her head in thought.

"Well we do have company apartments for workers within walking distance as an incentive for people to work for the city. They are fully furnished although the appliances and furniture are bland; they are still in good shape. However, rent is modest compared to the upscale ones on the north side of town. Money is taken out of your pay for rent, utilities, and television so you never really have to fork over cash out of pocket unless you want to change any of that. You're on your own for food though." She handed him a brochure with more information about the job and the benefits. "As for the trainer part, we can talk later when the time comes. Now follow me to your area and you'll be trained today. See me after your shift to see if you want an apartment." Alex was given a reflective vest plus a hard hat to keep as his uniform.

Loud beeping from all the machinery was the first sign that they entered the heart of the docks. Workers were bustling about with forklifts or Machokes were loading packages onto cargo ships. Some Pikachus were outside a fence looking in at some huge packages which caught the eye of Alex.

"People here sure love electric types."

"Yes they do," Emily replied with a sigh. "They all want to be like the gym leader here so Pikachus are owned by families to support him. Unfortunately, not everyone is good at keeping track of them. He's flattered, but anyone who challenges him to a battle to gain his respect gets beat in what seems to be record time. Based on what you told me, you shouldn't have a problem with them." They arrived to Alex's job site after dodging numerous workers.

It was an open area with seven docks that seemed to stretch out into the ocean forever while they were being connected to the main perpendicular strip that ran the length of the facility. All 14 spots were occupied by ships of all sizes as workers were sorting cargo of all sizes. The spacing was fairly large but Alex knew that the money would be worth it in the end.

"I'm responsible for keeping this huge area clear. Got it. Alright Sandslash and Nidorino come on out. We have work to do!" Nidoran evolved shortly after they got back to Lavender Town the day his trial ended while he caught a Sandshrew in a warm spot near Rock Tunnel and evolved it before he left. They've had their fair share of battles against average trainers but his team was not in the same category compared to trainers using highly skilled Pokémon. Both looked at their master awaiting orders. "Stick by me today alright? I'll tell you when you have to do something." Sunlight faded as they patrolled the docks for the rest of the afternoon.

Alex was blessed with beginner's luck since he didn't have to shoo off too many Pokémon; the ones he did were fairly docile with only one Magnemite trying to start trouble. Nobody needed his help unloading shipments either. He saw Emily wave over from the main strip to him hours later signaling his shift was over.

"Not bad for a rookie. Since you're on the bottom of the totem pole, you get stuck with the morning shift starting tomorrow." Alex internally groaned; a quick turnaround sounded terrible for his first two days on the job. He still acted confused so he wouldn't be hated immediately.

"What's so bad about that?"

"Well it's the busiest shift of the three. Night shift is 4pm to 11pm and the graveyard shift is midnight to 7am. Morning shifts start at 7 am and get out at 4 pm which is an inconvenience to the workers with families but you're young and single I presume?" An awkward silence came after Emily realized she could've asked that in a different fashion. "Anyway, the other guys around like how you're not so quick to cause explosions from powerful attacks so you started off on the right foot. Before you go, do you need a place?"

"I do. I have nowhere to stay here nor do I think it's worth it to take a bus from here to Lavender twice a day."

A key was handed to him with the number "317" on it in addition to some more information about the apartment. Through the hustle and bustle of the docks, Alex just stared down at his new key with his two partners walking beside him. All the way to his apartment he thought about how trainers don't have apartment complexes to go back to with dark alleys around every corner. Still, he knew he needed the money before he could get started. Tomorrow he would start a new chapter in his life.