The young Chikorita was hatched in a forest, alone. Confused and lost, he stumbled around the forest until he came across a Kirlia. The Chikorita immediately recognized the Kirlia as his mother, and began following him everywhere. The Kirlia took notice after a while and decided to see what was up. The Kirlia introduced himself as Rah-Lan and proceeded asked the young Chikorita who he was. The Chikorita, unable to yet comprehend Rah-Lan at such a young age, just stared and made small chirping and gurgling noises. At first, Rah-Lan just assumed that the Chikorita was either dumb, deaf, or stupid. After a minute of staring at each other in silence (except for the Chikorita's small baby noises) Rah-Lan recognized that the Chikorita's size, mannerisms and noises meant that he must be a very young child. Rah-Lan asked,
"Where's your mama, little one?"
At the word "mama," something in the Chikorita's head clicked (for he had heard the word every day before he could remember while in his egg) and he shrieked "Mama!" as he ran towards Rah-Lan. Rah-Lan was shocked that he had been called "mama," and was in awe as the Chikorita rubbed his head against Rah-Lan with supreme affection. And then Rah-Lan understood.
The poor thing must have been abandoned...
Rah-Lan took the Chikorita to his home, and decided, from then on, to call his new 'son' Indigo because of the vibrant colour of its wonderful eyes. But after a few months, Rah-Lan noticed something else vibrant about the Pokémon. Besides his normal eye colour shifting in shades of blue every day, his leaf and buds were becoming warm hues of red, yellow and orange as the weather became cooler. A few months later, Indigo's leaf and buds turned black and withered, while his skin took on a sickly greenish-grey hue. Rah-Lan was horrified by these colours an deeply saddened at the thought of losing what might be the only son he'd ever get. Nothing he'd tried worked, and he started waiting for the worst, but as the cold weather lifted, as did Indigo's diseased colouration, turning instead the most vibrant green Rah-Lan had ever seen. He thought that Indigo had just somehow gotten over it, but, over the next couple of years, Rah-Lan noticed the same recurring colours around the same time year, each year, and after about three years of the same pattern, he finally realized that when the seasons change, as does Indigo's foliage. He was put at ease, after years of thinking that Indigo was seriously ill. Through those years, however, Rah-Lan was training Indigo (when he thought Indigo was up to it, that is) to battle in case he was ever attacked, and was quite pleased with Indigo's progress. One day, though, Rah-Lan was supremely overjoyed with Indigo, for he had come back home after some foraging with something he thought was "shiny."
"It can't be..." he mumbled "That's...That's...a...dawn stone! Where could you have possibly found that!? I've been looking for one for years!"
"Why? asked Indigo, clearly confused with the interest his 'father' was showing in the pale blue stone.
"Well, it makes me evolve. Could...could I see it for a second?"
"Of course!" chimed Indigo as he handed to stone to Rah-Lan.
"Don't be alarmed at what is about to happen, son. I will start glowing, and when I stop, I will look completely different. But just remember; I will be the same father as before, alright?"
"OK, I can't wait to see," Indigo almost yelled, obviously fascinated at the thought of Rah-Lan looking different.
"Alright. Here I go." said Rah-Lan as he accepted the stone.
After years of training with a Pokémon oh extreme valiance, Indigo has adopted some of Rah-Lan's ways. Even though he is long gone, Rah-Lan's spirit still lingers within Indigo. Having gone through an evolution helped Indigo harden up to the death of Rah-Lan.