Izumi sighed as she sat on her front porch. About twelve or so kids were rushing over to the lab in the center of town. All hoping to be leaving with their own pokemon. She coughed as the dust they kicked up from the dirt roads went down her throat. Littleroot wasn't a very rich town, so they couldn't afford real roads and most of the houses were made of logs or brick.

She was the only one left outside. All the adults were huddled inside, trying to finish dinner before their children came barging in with pokemon to feed as well, and the aroma of chicken and other foods wafted through the air, making her feel hungry.

Izumi ,however, stayed put. It's not that she didn't like pokemon, it's just she found none that appealed to her. She was also intimidated by the idea of leaving home to train them. Though today the idea seemed great. It's not as if she would be leaving much behind. Her parents had died five years before. Izumi had lived with some neighbors for a while then she had gone back to the old house. She was only ten when it happened.

She had planned on getting a pokemon that day, but her mother was killed in a car accident, and her father had commited suicide out of depression. Luckily, the town was small, and word of things spread quickly. Even now people would come over with plates of food, and sometimes even clothes. She decided. She would go.

Shaking slightly, Izumi lifted herself up and gaped at the giant building. You could see the huge red roof even over the treetops.

"Well," she said, "here I go."

But before she could take one step, something hard crashed into her from behind. She whirled around, expecting to yell at what she thought was some young kid. Instead, she saw a pokemon. Not one Izumi had ever seen before though.

It was a dragon, she knew for sure, and it's scales were a shimmering silver. It's wings were an odd mix of white and pink and it's eyes were a deep brown. The dragon, which was about as big as her head focused it's eyes on herown greenones. For a moment she felt as if she was drowning in a pool of brown. A loud shout snapped them both back to reality.

"Izumi! Quick, grab it!"A man gestured at the dragon that stood next to her. The dragon only hissed.

Professor Birch stopped in front of her panting. His round face sported a large gash that still bled.

"Izumi," he huffed, "that pokemon there..it was for a boy. Well, he was in the lab with me anyway."

Izumi felt disappointed. If she was going to become a trainer, she wanted something like this. Not some Treecko or whatever.

"Professor, do you have any others like it? Izumi asked.

"No I'm afraid I don't. I only found that pokemon recently, I haven't even seen any others like it. I have done some research on it though, and realized it's perfect for a trainer to start with. The thing is, it's wild and won't cooperate. It snapped at two little girls moments ago, and when I tried to stop it, it gave me this." He pointed to the mark on his cheek.

Izumi wondered if there might be a chance she could get it after all. Then again, it might not like her very much either.

A boy, much younger than Izumi ran from the lab. The boy, Brian, Izumi recognized immediately from next door. He was a spoiled rotten kid but wasoddly very smart. He often got high marks in pokemon trainers school. Especially in the water type area. Brian walked up to her and ran a hand through his black hair. As if talking down to a low-life animalhe began.

"Well, I guess you want this one to then hmm? Well I'll make you a deal; you have a match with me, and whoever wins gets the dragon."

Izumi just nodded. She would fight, but only to help the dragon. She didn't think Brian would treat it right.

Birch, being the essentric guy he is, loved watching battles. Seeing how pokemon responded to their trainers in the thick of battle was exciting to him. At least, that's what Izumi was able to gather. His eyes lit up and he nodded excitedly.

"Of course, whichpokemon will you borrow?"

Brian tapped his chin in thought. "A Mudkip."

No surprises there. Brian was known throughout the town for his talent and fascination with water pokemon.

The prof. handed him a pokeball and Brian eagerly called, "Mudkip!"

The small, blue water pokemon cocked it's head in waiting. Brian wasted no time in calling his first attack.

"Mudkip use Mudslap!"

Izumi gasped, she hadn't picked anything yet! She was about to yell at the professor for a Torchic but the dragon had jumped out in front of her, taking the attack head on! The mud hit it right in the eyes and on the wings, preventing it from flying. Izumi watched as the dragon struggled. She was struggling as well, she didn't know what move to call. Attack names buzzed around in her head;

Tackle, Hyper Beam, Water Gun, Blizzard, Fly, Magnitude, Aeroblast, Flamethrower!

They crowded her thoughts and she gripped her hair in confusion. Desperate, she yelled one, "Use...Confusion!"

The white dragon stopped it's struggling and focused. It's eyes turned a bright purple and a blue aura surrounded the Mudkip. It thrashed as it was lifted slowly into the air. Suddenly the Mudkip slammed down to the ground and landed on a rock. It tried to stumble up into a sitting posistion, but failed and passed out on the rock. A large cut bled profusely on the side of it's leg.

The dragon's eyes returned to normal and it began to wipe the mud of. So casual as if it never even fought.

Brian stood stunned in place.He didn't get it! He knew he could win. He had studied about Mudkips up until this day when he thought he might get one. But when he saw the dragon, his mind switched gears and he wanted it. But now, since the dragon was out of the question, he would take the Mudkip and train that instead. They would beat those two someday. Defeated, he went and gathered up the injured pokemon, taking it to the lab to heal.

Izumi however was seeing this in a different light. She was thrilled! She had won her first match. Izumi knew it probably just dumb luck but she didn't care at this point.

The professor was elated. "That was wonderful Izumi!"

He ran to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You have great potential. If you want I could give you a pokedex? You would be a real trainer then. And with that dragon of yours, you could probably defeat a gym leader by tomorrow!"

Izumi knew for a fact she couldn't do that, but the professor's words excited her. For a brief moment she visualized a large crowd cheering her on as she defeats the Pokemon League Champion effortlessly. Once more, the thought of leaving home wormed into her mind and troubled her. She had grown up in Littleroot, the only time she left was when her father delivered supplies to the poke'mart in Petalburg city. Then again, as she watched the dragon there licking it's wings clean, she wanted it more and more. The idea of keeping it as a pet was rejected for Izumi felt a pokemon like this should be free, even though being a captured pokemon wasn't exactly free either. Leaving home was best.

"I guess I will. Maybe I could make a name for myself."

"Good!" The professor reached into his pocket and retrieved a small red device and handed that, along with five small pokeballs to her.

Birch sighed longingly and stared at the dragon that perched itself on her head.

"I was hoping to learn more about him. All I figured out was that he was a guy."

One mystery solved.

Written: Friday June 10, 2005 1:24 p.m.