A/N: Hi guys ^_^ This is going to be the first fanfic I write chapter by chapter so there might be a wait between chapters seeing as I have a heap of other stories (my novel, school work, etc) to work on. Hope you enjoy it! Sorry if any of my descriptions of items are a little off ^_^; some things vary from game to game and from game to anime.

Chapter One : I Wanna Be The Very Best.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Rhys thudded the empty potion bottle against the ground, shattering It into pieces. It was the only one he had had in his bag and would have kept his Flareon – Grace – conscious until he made it to a Pokémon centre but no, it had to be empty when he needed it. "I'm sorry Gracie." He smiled sadly down at the unconscious Pokémon that lay against his stomach.
"Gracie?" A girl mocked from the other side of the river. "How old are you? And besides, water always beats fire." She had seen the whole battle between Rhy's Flareon and the wild Polywhirl and had known the Flareon was doomed from the start.
"Not. The. Time." Rhys snapped, scooping up his Pokémon in his arms. "Where's the nearest Pokémon Centre?"
"We're in Viridian Forest. So you can go back to Viridian City or go forward to Pewter City."
"Geez, thanks." He muttered. "Look, she's unconscious so help or piss off. Which one is closer?"
"You should have a potion on you."
"I did, it was empty!"
"You're useless." The girl sighed. "Matt, come here."
A Vaporeon emerged from the river and walked over to the girl. She handed him something and scratched behind his ears. "Take this over to him."
The Pokémon took the object in its mouth and paddled across the river. Once it made it to the other side it shook itself dry and strode over to Rhys and dropped a bottle of revive at his feet.
"Uh…thanks?" He said, kneeling down and laying his unconscious Flareon on the grass before him. Uncertainly he picked up the bottle and – under the Vaporeon's watchful eye – squirted it into Grace's mouth.
"Rii…?" Her dark eyes flickered open and she carefully got to her feet. Rhys hugged her tightly and she snuggled into the crook of his neck, glad to be so close to her trainer.
"Hey," Rhys said. "I guess I have to…" He glance around. The Vaporeon was still beside him but it's trainer was nowhere to be seen.
"Current was a little strong!" The girl called out from a good fifty metres downstream before jogging up to where Rhys crouched with his Pokémon. "Name's Dest." Despite still being dripping wet she offered him her hand.
"Rhys." He shook her hand before shaking the water off and drying his hand on his jeans. "And thanks."
She shrugged and squeezed the water out of her hair. "I don't like people treating their Pokémon like that, it's irresponsible."
"You don't understand." He picked up Grace and cradled her in his arms.
"You put your Flareon against a Polywhirl! Water beats Fire every. Single. Time." She said the last part slowly so he would understand.
"It's not like that!" He objected, fondling his Pokémon's ears.
"I saw the whole thing."
"Doesn't mean you understand."
"I think it does."
"C'mon Grace." Rhys put her down and strode off, expecting her to follow.
"Rii-on." Grace touched noses with Yamato before following her trainer.
"Go home Dest, leave me alone." He called over his shoulder, readjusting the way his sunglasses sat on top of his head.
"And what would you call a home?" She glared after him, beckoning for Yamato to sit beside her.
"Where your parents are." Rhys answered without stopping.
"Then I have nowhere to go." She sat down beside her Pokémon.
He stopped and turned slowly. "You're…an orphan?" He walked back and sat opposite her, Grace crawled into his lap.
She shrugged and scratched being Yamato's ears. "Got a brother but I don't talk to him."
"So you've got somewhere to go" He stood up, suddenly disinterested. "More than I've got."
"Look here!" Dest snarled, flying to her feet and jabbing Rhys sharply in the chest. "There is no way – no way in hell – I am ever, ever going anywhere near him again! Do you hear me!"
"Hit a nerve." He stepped back and raised his hand defensively. "I'm sorry."
"Bullshit you are!" She spat. "Piss off and go home!"
"We just went through this! I don't have one!" Rhys sighed, calming himself. "I've been camping out here with Grace for a few weeks now."
The murderous look on Dest's face disappeared and was replaced with a more sympathetic one. "How long have you been without?"
"Five, maybe six years." He closed his eyes to think. "Took Grace and ran."
"What happened?"
"My…dad…hit me…a lot." He dropped eye contact with Dest and looked at his feet. "But…when…he hit Grace…I-I couldn't take it."
"How horrible." She sighed; she hated how people could be so cruel to the Pokémon that relied on them. "What about your mother?"
"I don't want to talk about her!" He shouted, causing Grace to flinch.
"Why not?"
"I just don't want to? Is that a problem Princess?"
"Princess?" Dest glared at him. "Who're you calling a princess you…you jerk!"
"Jerk? Really? Is that the best you've got?" Rhys taunted. "Trust a princess to be light on words."
"How about you cool down a little? Matt?" At his trainer's commanded Yamato hit Rhys with a burst of cold water.
"That's it." Rhys shook the water out of his hair and picked up his still dry Pokémon. "I hope your little Matt gets beaten to a pulp!" He shouted before storming off.
"Same goes for your dear Gracie!" Dest called after him. "And I hope Matt and I get to do it!"