Hello, and welcome to my first fanfiction! Please note that this is set in a slightly modified version of the Pokémon game world (Set around 15 years after the main series, and on a much larger physical scale). While the main character is my OC, many of your favorite non-main characters from the games will be returning. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, nor am I affiliated with it in any way.

Chapter 1: No Place like Home

Morgan lay on the grass, knees up, tossing the empty Pokéball into the air. She watched it intently as it travelled up through the air, only to come back into her palm. "Wouldn't it be fun…" she thought aloud. She had owned several Pokémon throughout her life. The first pet she could remember was a female Nidoran, from when she still lived with her parents. Her older brother had at one point owned a particularly unfriendly Seviper, which they had to release when it no longer fit in its cage. And she would never forget her dear Lairon, X-Ray.

At that moment, though, the idea of training Pokémon – which had never really interested her – was suddenly very alluring. There were endless possibilities: She could enter tournaments, and use prize money to pay for her college tuition and rent – hell, she might not even need those if she made enough money. It was certainly better than serving drinks at the Game Corner. While many of the customers and staff were friendly – she had even made several friends of them – some of them weren't quite as great. There was the creepy old guy, who spent his Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings at the slots with his Hypno. There were also the Friday night assholes, who flirted with her whenever she drew close to the blackjack table. They would get worse, as they drank themselves further into the night. Little did they know, Morgan wasn't at all interested in them. She pulled a very convincing act, though, because they always tipped her handsomely.

Morgan sighed and set the Pokéball carefully down where she had found it, and lifted herself up from the ground. "Maybe someone will come back for it." The sun was setting over Goldenrod Park, casting beautiful reflections that danced on the water fountain. She decided to stop for dumplings before walking home. The dumpling shop was in the Old District; fifteen minutes in the wrong direction, but she was too hungry to really care.

She walked past the dance theatre and headed toward the Brass Tower. It had only recently been rebuilt, after being burned to the ground as a result of a lightning strike nine years before. The Ecruteak City council alone hadn't had the funds to rebuild it, but as Goldenrod City expanded northeast, both Ecruteak and Violet City had been annexed into it. These two were now known as the Old District and the East District, respectfully. The large park that had once divided the three cities was now the center of the one; a quiet spot in the thick of everything else.

The street was incredibly busy. Merchants of all kinds were closing shop, with help from their assistants, human and Pokémon alike. Tourists from other regions scrambled for a picture with the towers at sunset. Goldenrod natives, such as Morgan, were strewn about the crowd, finishing their daily business. Cars passed, along with Rapidash-drawn carriages that were so iconic of the Old District. The equine species were noble-looking, but apparently were difficult to care for; one of Morgan's frequent customers at the Game Corner was a professional Pokémon breeder, and she had learned a lot about Pokémon from him.

Morgan rounded the corner and reached her destination. After enjoying a few red bean dumplings for ¥850, she left the Old District and walked back through the park toward South Goldenrod, where she lived. Once again she passed the fountain, which was now turned off. She ran her hand through the still water as she passed, creating ripples that scared a few Poliwags. A short distance away, where she had sat earlier, the Pokéball was still there. After a moment of indecision, Morgan picked it up and put it in her purse. The sunlight was fading, and whoever had dropped it wasn't coming back for it.

The receding twilight caused Morgan to quicken her pace – downtown Goldenrod was not a friendly place at night, especially away from the main streets. As if on cue, a very drunk man approached her and attempted to grab her. Instead, he received a punch to the jaw. He easily lost his balance, and fell onto shards of a glass bottle, crying out in pain. Morgan winced, but didn't do anything to help him. She hurried home.

Finally, she turned onto the familiar boulevard on which her home was located. The air was fresh here, and the big, ugly buildings gave way to townhouses of light brick and tiled roofs. She reached her rented house and unlocked the door. Almost immediately, Morgan heard an ecstatic barking. She swung the door open, only to be attacked by her Growlithe.

"Hey there, little guy! Guess who's here!" Morgan shook his fur vigorously. He was a puppy, barely two years old out of an Arcanine's long lifespan of 85. She had adopted him at age one from the couple who ran the shelter nearby. Morgan was somewhat acquainted with their daughter, Lyra, who now ran their Pokémon day-care. Morgan had given the Growlithe the name Kaiser. It apparently meant "King" in some faraway language.

Kaiser bounded to the living room, leaving Morgan to take her shoes and coat off. She followed the Growlithe and set out some food in his bowl. "Hey, I'm going to take a shower." Kaiser seemed to understand, and began gobbling down his food. Morgan climbed the stairs to her bedroom, where she dumped her bag on the floor and entered the bathroom.

Morgan checked herself out in the mirror: Her chestnut-brown hair, which she had recently gotten cut to shoulder-length, looked a lot better than it had long. She decided to keep it this way, at least for a while. Her vivid green eyes were tired from the late shifts she worked through the week. Sunday was Morgan's only day off at the moment, much to her displeasure. If she were a trainer, every day would be a day off; an adventure with Kaiser at her side. Perhaps she'd meet new people, too. And of course, Morgan would always come back home. No matter where she went, Goldenrod would always be home.

She removed her outer clothes, and looked over her body. Her arms were smooth, and her shoulders firm. Her breasts were smaller than average at size 34B, but she was happy with that. She had lost some weight: a few pounds in the last week. The difference was small, but Morgan noticed that her hips were slightly more accentuated. Finally, her legs were definitely more toned; she had started taking long walks every day, which was wonderful exercise that she could also enjoy.

Once clean and relaxed, Morgan stepped out from the shower and dried off. She wrapped her towel around her body and reached for the hair dryer. She blew the hot air all over her hair and around her neck. Feeling warm and dry, she left the room and dumped the towel on the floor. A minute later, she descended the stairs wearing a grey tank top and dark blue shorts. Kaiser was waiting for her at the bottom, his tail wagging.

"Hey, Kaiser," yawned Morgan. "What is it you need?"

Kaiser looked at her, then yelped twice. "What? Oh, you want a treat? Yes, that's it, isn't it?" Morgan reached into a high cupboard, pulled out a green Pokéblock – Kaiser's favorite flavor – and crouched down to feed it to him. He purred in satisfaction, then walked towards his little bed in the corner.

"Ah. You tired? Me too. I'll see you in the morning." Morgan retreated upstairs as Kaiser curled up on his bed. She picked up the towel and set it on the rack in the bathroom. Once again, she looked in the mirror, forcing a wide smile. Unsatisfied, she brushed her teeth before collapsing on her bed. Tomorrow was Monday, although she wouldn't have to work until the evening. She had something different planned for the morning.

My first fanfic! Hope you enjoy reading! It's a lengthy introduction chapter, but I promise the story will speed up. Until next time!

- Esp