I sat on the roof of my small home and watched the sun rise over my home village of Brookmount. It was a rather dreary place, often foggy and drizzling weather, the houses blended into the rolling hills with their faded granite walls and dark soggy rooftops. The streets were empty and silent, but soon enough the trolls from under the bridge would surface. I wish I were kidding, but our fair village happens to be mostly populated by beggars. It used to be bustling with merchants, exciting and growing rapidly, wealthy in the old days, but eventually it just stopped growing, a few surrounding cities went under military occupation so outsider trading ceased, and so did the success of poor forgotten Brookmount.

I've wanted to leave as long as I could remember; it started as simply a want to explore, to see the world. From there I became interested in Pokémon, watching the Paimon Region League on the T.V every year. When I turned 10 both me and my best friend Joel applied to be in the Pokedex program, be granted a starter, but neither of us got in. It was very surprising that Joel was rejected as well as me because he has always been a genius and a Pokemon wonder child. But I never stopped trying, I have applied every year to get a starter from Professor Olive but it's been 6 years and still nothing. It is my dream to travel the land, train with my Pokémon, enter the league, maybe even become a gym leader, but it is starting to seem like that isn't going to happen. My want to leave has turned to desperation. But Brookmount has its hold on me.

The second face awake in the town is my neighbour across the street (which is really more of a path) and it is an elderly woman, Karisa, and her aging Pokémon Sylveon. I never bothered to talk to her, she always kinda freaked me out, she was blind in one eye so it was foggy and white and any time I ever heard someone talking to her she would ramble on about nonsense until Sylveon passed out, and then they would go back inside. The sun had completely breached the horizon now, and the humidity mixed with the beating rays was starting to make me sweat, so I went inside back through my bedroom window. Just in time too, I could smell breakfast being made downstairs, so I made my way down the small creaky wooden hallways of my cramped home.

I found my dad cooking breakfast sausage in his favorite apron which was white and adorned with a Gallade in a battle stance on the front, splattered with grease and a ketchup stain it looked much less impressive. We just smiled at each other, and began eating, both hungry and tired. Part way through breakfast my mother came downstairs, looking perky and energetic despite the early hour, and still being in pajamas, she was quite tall and her long blonde hair in a bun on top of her head accentuated the feature. Finally after breakfast was almost done came down my little sister Leila "Morning everyone" She said cheerily, I was starting to feel like I was the only one who knew it was morning and people were supposed to be tired. Just as we were getting ready to clean up after breakfast there was a hard rapid knocking on the door, rattling it in its hinges.

I opened the door and saw a very flushed and panting Joel, who was dressed in classic Joel fashion. Wide frame glasses, argyle sweater vest over a white long sleeve, khaki cargo shorts, and of course the reddish-brown bowl of hair that went straight down to his eye brows and not a millimeter further. "Get dressed, it's happened, I'm doing it, get dressed and come out side" he wheezed out, and then ran around to the side of the house. I had no pressing plans, and had to admit genuine curiosity, so I went back to my room and did just that. I wore blue skinny jeans, a loose fitting black tank top with a large red "&" in the middle, and messed up my medium length chocolate brown hair so it looked wispy and textured, and after slipping on my black and grey toms I was ready to go.

When I got around the corner Joel was pacing and immediately turned to me and said "Chet, what took you so long, don't you know this is important!" He had finally caught his breath but not his temper. "Alright calm down, just tell me already". He paused, I could hear my next door neighbours Espurr meowing behind the hedges in the short silence. "I caught a Pokémon." Mt heart sank. I could barely even believe it, my head raced with questions but I managed to get one out. "How?" I stammered. "With a pokeball duh, unlike some people, I've been saving my money, and as soon as I got one I went out into the fields east of here and threw it. It took a few tries but I managed to nail one and I got it, can you believe it?!" Honestly I couldn't "Show me it." He took out the shining marble sized ball and it expanded filling his hand with red and white. A bright red laser shot out and took form between us, a small blue flower fluttered in the air. At first I thought he was pulling some kind of prank, there was no Pokémon, just a normal flower from the field, but as it spun in the air I got a look at it, a small bud looking thing clinging to the top, but it had two little eyes and a bump that was a nose. "This is my brand new Flabebe, isn't she great?"

I was stuck for words, and had a not so subtle feeling in my gut that I couldn't quite place. I was happy for Joel, he may get to experience his dream after all, and I couldn't say the same for myself, and that was what was causing the feeling. A mix of jealousy and the feeling that my dream was slipping away from me. I found the words, I stuck my hand out and he awkwardly shook it not so sure what the stern look in my eyes was for. I gripped his hand firmly and looked him in the eyes and spoke clearly, "good luck in the league". With that I walked back into my house, I didn't mean to leave without saying goodbye but I had a lot on my mind. I sat back down at the dining table, alone now, silent in the room and the sunny day that was this morning had turned to a muggy grey sky, and the outside felt like a greenhouse. I covered a final pancake in syrup and ate quickly and then sat alone for a little while, day dreaming. That's when it hit me. I ran quickly up the stairs and barged into my room. I flipped the light switch and searched around my cluttered desk a while for my wallet. I found it, it was dusty and tattered which wasn't a good sign (partly because I need a new wallet) and partly because that meant it hasn't been used in a while. I opened it up and found 40 dollars, nice, much more than expected. But not close to enough. I threw some old clothes out of my closet and rummaged around until I found and old glass bowl I had been saving money in a few years ago. I almost completely forgot about it I wonder how much is here I thought to myself almost franticly. I excitedly tore the plastic covering off the top and I could feel my heart racing, I refuse to get left behind and I don't see me making much more money in the near future, this is do or die. I counted it out down to the last cent, I had totalled out at $233.89 and a pokeball costs $200.00, I have enough and even some left over for a little bit of journey supplies.

I went back out to the street and began walking quickly through the town, viewing the rickety houses and moss and grass coming through the cobblestone. Young children played in the hose water on front lawns to try to beat the heat. An old Gurdurr relaxed in a rocking chair on a porch. I was almost there when a warm rain began to fall and soak the ground. I picked up into a bit of a run, not to get less wet, but to hopefully get to more solid ground before the town was a swamp. I arrived onto the main street of Brookmount, a few blocks long the whole street was a market. Stands and kiosks lined up and down the center of the wide paved street with larger stores on the side, it was a sea of umbrellas churning over one another. I moved through the crowd as best I could, rather wet now but utilizing everyone else's rain cover, I managed to remain dry the rest of the way to the mart.

As I opened the door a small bell chimed above me, the mart was creaky and wooden much like the rest of the town and aside from the racking in rows throughout shop creating aisles, its dusty and dark appearance would remind one a saloon. I went to Pokemon Supplies aisle and opened up a glass door to reveal rows of small red and white plastic boxes illuminated by a bright fluorescent light above. I grabbed one and took it to the counter, the man was asleep, so when I put my money on the counter I slapped it down, he jumped and snorted "Wha? Who's there?.. Oh sorry, musta dosed off there for a minute" He chuckled, his large flabby neck waved and he grinned under his scruff. "What can I do ya for?" I simply looked at the items on the counter. "Oh! Well look at that" he chuckled to himself again and scanned it through, took my money and seemed to fall right back to sleep.

I stepped out onto the street and the rain had stopped and the umbrellas were gone, making it seem much less cramped. I made my way back home and back up to my bedroom where I gathered some things I would need for my next outing, a small grey back pack with 6 pokeball slots on it (I bought it years ago when my hopes were high) and I stuck the one I had taken out of the box in the clasp, a perfect accessory. I packed the bag with a retractable umbrella and a pair of boots, that's all id need for now. I went back through my house and looked in the direction of some dead trees scattered sparsely on the outskirts of town, the swamp, a perfect place to search for my first Pokemon.

Il do my best to keep updating and posting chapters, I've already figures out a slot of the story in my head, but I lead a very busy life so I apologize if it doesn't always happen fast, but hey there are a lot of other great (better) writers out there to read while waiting

I appreciate the review aerogamer, and I appreciate all reviews they really help me improve and keep going (plus I love hearing your guy's side of things) See ya next time.