001 Bulbasaur"Taking Chances"
Life couldn't get any better for Avani, a young Bulbasaur who spent her days lying among the tall grass, the large bulb on her blue back absorbing the precious sunlight as the lazy days went by. The surrounding Pokemon also snoozed in the summer heat, many resting in the ponds to cool off their thick fur coats or bare hides.
The breeze whipped across the field, the grass dancing in the wind and tickling Avani's nose. The Bulbasaur inhaled sharply and let out a ferocious sneeze, making a few curious eyes peer at her for a mere second before their heavy lids closed. Avani raised a paw and wiped her wrinkling nose, she then placed her chin back on the ground.
"I want that one, Professor Oak!" an excited voice declared. "The one with the spot on its forehead!"
Oh great, is it that time of year again? Avani pondered, although not even bothering to see who was making such an irritating noise.
"Oh, uh, are you sure? Bulbasaurs are not very tame, most trainers have a hard time training them." This familiar voice was full of concern. "Perchance you would choose a different and more suitable one?"
"Nope. I've already made up my mind!"
Avani felt the sun's rays being blocked by an enormous figure, which caused her to glare directly at the ten year old. "What do you want?! I was napping!" Avani growled, extremely annoyed.
"Ha ha! It's adorable!" he exclaimed.
After Avani blinked, her eyesight focused on a scrawny tan boy with huge gleaming red eyes and dark blue hair that stuck up in odd angles. Not very impressed, she stood up, stretching her stumpy legs, then snuggled back down with her back facing the bright-eyed male.
"Can I have it?" The boy turned torwards the Professor who only shrugged, unsure of this rash decision.
"Well actually, Bakari-"
"'It'?!" Avani repeated, enraged.
"I think she wants to come with me, too!" Bakari assumed.
"ARGH!" Avani leaped into the air, chomping onto the boy's scarf and pulled as hard as she could when she landed on the ground.
"Ugh!" Bakari choked, being forced onto the ground, face first, his gaping mouth full of dirt and pebbles.
Quite satisfied that Avani made her point clearly, she strutted off to a different part of the professor's habitat, leaving behind a petrified boy and a sighing old man.
~ * ~
The afternoon went by with the clouds soaring across the blue sky and Avani nestled next to a pond that was untouched by water-types. The Bulbasaur's out-stretched paw and picked up a small rock, she flicked it into the water and watched the pond's ripples travel across it until reaching the edge.
"Y'know, you can't stay here forever," a disappointed voice murmured, startling the grass Pokemon.
Avani stood up and turned around, seeing a fellow starter named Iro, he was one of the Charmanders that awaited a trainer to take them off into the world. She scoffed and laid back down in her chosen spot, ignoring his determined expression.
"There'll be a hard-headed person who will someday come along and choose you, but you won't be able to run away and hide." Iro sat down next to Avani, reaching around his back and grabbing his tail, and Iro stared fondly at the dancing fire.
"Since when did you become a psychic?" Avani questioned sarcasticly.
Iro rolled his blue eyes and let go of his tail which went back to its former position behind his back. "Quit being so stubborn or I am going to burn you!" he snapped.
"With what?! Your shabby tail-flame? You don't even learn a fire attack for another couple of levels, so don't browbeat me!" Avani laughed.
"I'm just saying you should give leaving here a chance. It won't be so bad, you should hear the tales the Pokemon who are staying here temporarily that have seen Kanto and other places. They say it was totally worth it even if they did have idiotic trainers!" Iro encouraged.
"Bah! I am perfectly fine where I am, there is no need to run off into the sunset with a human," she spat. "Now could you leave me to my dreams?" The Bulbasaur inhaled deeply and let out a long, exhausted yawn.
Avani knew Iro was trying to be nice, he was known for his 'pep talks' when a friend seemed to have a problem, but Iro came along to help wether you desired it or not. This is what got on the grass-type's nerves; some Pokemon did not know when to back off.
"I just want to make sure you'll always have options," Iro declared. "Besides, I got chosen by a hot babe!" Iro purred haughtily. "So I'll be leaving soon. It was fun creating memories with you, Avani, and I hope you do decide to go out there so we can meet again."
"You're...leaving?" she murmured, having a hard time locking away her sadness and her shock.
"Well, yeah! We all go away at some point, it's just my turn, and that's kinda why I hoped you'd come also so we can travel near each other. But it is your decision, I shouldn't pressure you into something you despise," Iro explained, a hint of a smile on his disappointed expression. "And you know what's really cool? The old man managed to get the babe to nickname me my real name! What are the odds, huh?"
"Iro! We've gotta go or we'll be left behind!" a girl called from the lab.
"Well, I'll see you soon, Avani. Try not to break any more trainer's bones, got it?" the Charmander said.
"Um, sure. Will do," Avani agreed solemnly.
She watched the orange lizard scamper off in the direction of the eager 'hot babe' as he put it. Avani felt her stomach snarl then twist and turn even though she had filled up on berries not so long ago, but she very well knew hunger had no hand in the pain Avani was going through.
Maybe I shouldn't judge humans so badly and just give someone a shot, Avani figured. I suppose I could run away from them if they turn out to be a braindead Aipom.
~ * ~
As a few days rolled by like the beginning of summer usually did, more and more starters began being picked up by happy-go-lucky kids, but Avani remained in Pallet Town awaiting the one person who would be too stubborn to not leave without her. The Bulbasaur figured the one trainer best for her would be more hard-headed than herself, as in one that would never leave without the Bulbasaur, this way Avani would be one-hundred percent positive that they truly wanted her.
"It's the perfect plan!" Avani vaunted to herself, as she licked up fresh water into her parched throat from a large spring.
A willow tree's long branches shaded her from the hot sun; even grass-types needed a break from the dry heat. Squirtles, Mudkips, Totodiles, and Piplups all bathed in the cold pond. Avani was still growing used to having strange starters from other regions coming here so beginners could have more choices when picking out their first Pokemon, those 'Chikoritas' also stroke Avani as the wierdest looking grass-types ever. I mean, what Pokemon has leaves sticking out of their heads? the Bulbasaur had thought.
As the morning wore on Avani laid at the shore with her patience reducing to a fearful degree that when she made eye contact with a fellow starter they flinched and went back to focusing their attention to whatever they were doing previously. And one-by-one Avani watched humans and Pokemon leaving for a long and seemingly endless adventure; she started to feel jealousy beginning to blossom inside her.
"Bye, Avani, I'll be back soon so I can kick your butt!" a Torchic warned as he followed his new master. This particular fire-type was always getting into brawls with Avani, but since the old man didn't allow fighting among the Pokemon they never were able to see who would come out on top.
When the slightly cool morning shade turned into the warming afternoon, Avani began losing hope that there'd be no human that could possibly be more inexorable than she, so the Bulbasaur started to doze off until slipping into a dreamless nap.
~ * ~
Even though the sun had moved to where its rays should've beated down on Avani there was something shading her, the Bulbasaur took notice of this and desperately forced her eyes to peer open.
"Wow, you're a heavy sleeper, I've been sitting here for the past hour and you did not even budge once," a calm and gentle voice murmured in amusement.
Avani immediately leaped to her feet in surprize and backed away from the strange human. Her mouth fell slightly, her expression filled with shock then containing an odd look when she saw that the human had a big, goofy grin.
"Sorry that I scared you, you just slept so peacefully that I hadn't the heart to take you away from whatever you were dreaming about," the person said, their eyes sparkling with great envy.
The human was comfortable sitting on the hard ground next to Avani's napping place, the Bulbasaur saw that the human was dripping in sweat because they had been shading her from the sun.
Avani nervously stepped forward, but not without her cautious glance narrowing. "I suppose you are one of the newest additions to the so called 'Pokemon League' the old man keeps on yammering about when these days come?" Avani questioned.
"I'm truly sorry, but I cannot understand your language. I always wonder why your species continues to try and communicate with mankind when we only assume what you're saying," the human sighed.
Hmm, the person's got a point, why do I even bother? the Bulbasaur pondered.
"You see, in April I turned the appropriate age to be allowed to be an official trainer, so I came here to gain a partner," the human explained. "I've been wandering around the habitat looking for a starter who'd want to come with me, and that is when I saw you sleeping so deeply."
This person is real careful with words, call us 'partners' instead of 'my Pokemon', Avani thought smugly. So far so good, perhaps I misjudged mankind.
"I wish I could ask you for your name, it might make this conversation more better," the human stated.
"Well, what about your name?"
"Heh, by the puzzled look on your face I can only guess you want my name."
Avani nodded, intrigued by the correct assumption.
"Well, my name is Hozat," he enlightened.
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Yes, I featured someone I knew in this chapter because I'd like to let Hozat know you are not forgotten.
Want to be a character in one of the 493 one-shots? Give me the needed criticism I must have to improve my writing and you can be someone (no the main character) in a chapter.
You should atleast tell me your name, species (human or Pokemon, there are no pokemorphes), and personality. I'll deal with the rest and if you have any complaints on how I portray your character then the only thing you can do is suck it up.
~Quin.