This seems a bit weird to be adding a foreword after my story's initial posting, but I feel it's important that I put this here. Amazing Grace was initially written as a one shot, but that changed as time passed thanks in no small part to my fellow author and good friend, Edge Feyera. While at first I was writing aimlessly, things began to fall in line as characters were developed and the plot began to form in my head. What you're reading now might seem aimless at first, because it was! I now have a clear idea of where I want to take this story. So, if you want 100k of slice-of-life, friendship, and family then you'll probably enjoy this story. If you're looking for something more along the lines of an adventure story, then check out the sequel! (When I get it up)

Because of this, the pace may seem slow initially; that's because I didn't know where Amazing Grace was headed and didn't want to rush into anything so hastily. I now have a plan for this story, and Amazing Grace is just the beginning of what I hope will be a series of stories documenting the adventures of my protagonist. This story is essentially a giant, 100k word prologue that deals with explaining and exploring the relationship between the two protagonists.

I ask that if you choose to give my story a chance, that you take these things into consideration; the fact that you are even reading this makes me happy as an author. The genre and characters have changed a lot since my initial conception of them, hopefully for the better. That is up for you, the reader, to decide.

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy my story.

-=Amazing Grace=-

A cold, harsh rain fell on the small city of Twinsport. The city, aptly named for its port, was located in the southern Johto region to the south of Azalea Town. In reality, calling Twinsport a city was stretching the boundaries of the truth; the small, secluded community was more akin to that of a town. The presence of rain and harsh weather was common in Twinsport and the surrounding area. The port town was settled on the coast of the Great Southern Sea, and powerful squalls frequently blew in during the spring and autumn seasons. The storm that howled eerily overhead was evidence of such a claim.

A young man of nineteen years of age watched the rain fall from the stormy, purple evening sky, sheltered from the storm in the safety of his home. A bolt of lightning flashed in the heavens, only to fade away moments later as the thunder accompanying the bolt rumbled deeply through the air. Several seconds passed before the boy looked away from the window and shifted his gaze towards the center of the room he was in.

The room was fairly dim; only a few faint light sources helped to keep the darkness from completely engulfing the space in blackness. The powerful storm had knocked out power throughout most of town. As a result, many of residents had resorted to an age-old method of illumination: candles. As one could imagine, power outages and other similar situations were all too common in a town such as Twinsport, so nearly all of the residents had either candles or power generators on-hand for such occurrences.

In one corner of the room, a candle burned on what appeared to be a small, wooden nightstand. Barely visible in the warm yellow light of the dim, dancing flame was a solitary bed that ran parallel to the wall. The young man silently crept towards the bed, careful not to make any noise while doing so. In a sense, it was a redundant effort; any noise he made would undoubtedly be concealed by the pitter-patter of raindrops splashing on his home's rooftop. Upon reaching the bed, he couldn't help but smile softly as he saw the sleeping form that lay atop it.

A Gardevoir was resting atop the sheets of the unmade bed, sleeping with an expression of utmost serenity; the Pokémon's breaths were slow and heavy as she enjoyed her slumber. Tranquility overtook her features, a calmness that was in stark contrast to the roaring winds and heavy rain just outside the room's solitary window. The young man slowly lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, his weight causing the springs in his mattress to creak and moan as their steel forms were compressed and reshaped by his mass. The Pokémon began to stir as the mattress moved, disturbed by the boy's actions.

"Gard..." Her voice was quiet and confused, as though she was politely questing who had disturbed her rest; it was evident she was still sleeping despite her soft cry of annoyance, albeit not as comfortably as moments before. Reaching out with his right hand, the brown haired teen began to run his fingers through the Pokémon's soft, mint green hair in a gentle manner. Its texture was like silk and warm like the summer sun.

"Go back to sleep, Grace; don't let me disturb you," he whispered in a hushed, caring tone. The Gardevoir seemed to comply without hesitation as she buried herself deeper into the bed and scooted closer to the warmth of the teen. The corners of her mouth curled lightly into a smile as she spoke a few more sleepy, unintelligible words. The young man smiled softly as he continued to tenderly play with the Pokémon's hair, an action that seemed almost mesmerizing.

"How long has it been since I first spoke those words, I wonder?" The question was directed at nobody in particular and faded into the dark corners of the room; everybody was already sleeping. He was alone with only his thoughts to keep him company.

His thoughts, and the sleeping Pokémon next to him.

Jeremy Benper couldn't recall how many times he had spoken such things to the Gardevoir in his bed. Grace had grown up with Jeremy and was as much a part of his life as the rest of his kin. She was a member of his family, one that he treated with as much love and respect that one would show towards their parents or siblings. There were times when he and Grace would fight, often over the most mundane of things, and times when they both behaved like immature children, but that was all part of growing up. For Jeremy, the only difference between him and the other children of the town was that he did all of these things alongside his friend and companion, Grace.

Another blinding flash of lightning lit up the room for the briefest of moment, this one much larger than the last. Several seconds of relative silence passed before an earth rattling bolt of thunder resonated through the air, reverberating through the ground like a tremor. Jeremy felt as Grace burrowed her head deeper into the bed in an effort to dampen the deafening noise.

"It was a night like tonight, wasn't?" Again, the question had no recipient and simple faded away into nothingness. Jeremy looked down at his sleeping friend once more as he felt his own tiredness begin to overpower him; he had fought sleep for long enough. Lowering himself, Jeremy laid down next to Grace and let out a large, exaggerated yawn. Their bodies made contact, if only slightly, causing the Gardevoir to subconsciously hum in delight as Jeremy's body heat began to mix with her own. It was a sensation both had felt countless times before, but despite that, its significance never seemed to diminish. Closing his eyes, the teen leaned his head forward and rested it on the nape of the Pokémon's neck, stray strands of mint green hair tickling his face as they swept across it.

"Goodnight, Grace. Sleep peacefully."

Every night there was a storm, Grace could be found sleeping alongside her oldest friend; it wasn't as though she was afraid of the lightning. There was another reason she migrated to Jeremy's room every time the heavens parted and unleashed their fury upon the earth. It was an act that stretched back as far as their friendship. For Jeremy and Grace, the act was as innocent and as pure as the first time they sought comfort in each other the first time they met many years ago.

A friend in a dark place is an inextinguishable beacon of light.

-=Amazing Grace=-

From a time long ago

Jeremy was an energetic young boy, filled with the spirit of exploration. From the child's perspective, there were countless things to do but not enough time to do them all. It was late spring, and school had been let out not even a week prior. Many of the boy's friends had gone away to summer camps or gone on vacation with their families. Jeremy, however, was not nearly as fortunate. His family hadn't the means of going on vacation because of financial troubles; summer camp was also far too expensive for the young family's tight budget, resulting in the boy's summer 'staycation'.

Of course, a shortage of money was only natural considering the Benper's situation. Jeremy's mother, Rosa, had become unexpectedly pregnant with fraternal twins last autumn and had recently delivered a beautiful boy and girl into the world. Not wanting Jeremy to blame his new siblings for his lack of summer fun, Rosa and John -her husband- convinced the young Benper that there was just as much fun in Twinsport as there was in the summer camps located in the National Park or vacation spots in Kanto and Hoenn. Jeremy discovered this by venturing off into the local woods to explore the surrounding area.

Rosa and John weren't too concerned with letting Jeremy run around the town and the nearby forest by himself during the summer months. Twinsport was a small, safe community where the only crime was the occasionally robbery of the ice cream parlor's candy shelf by some mischievous children. The surrounding wildlife was also, for the most part, safe; many aggressive and dangerous Pokémon like Ekans and Houndour had been pushed out of the area by local trainers and the slowly developing town. All things considered, Twinsport was a wonderful place to live for an adventurous young individual such as Jeremy.

The young boy quickly began to grow interested in the surrounding forest of the area; he'd never been up in the hills that encircled his home town prior to school ending. They were vast and filled with a myriad of lively creatures and beautiful, if not bizarre, plants. Birds filled the air with their songs while bug Pokémon, such as Butterfree, pollinated the lush fields of flowers that lay hidden deep in the woods. Every day, Jeremy would find a new area of the woods to explore where he would let his imagination run wild. Why was he here to begin with?

"I'm being chased!"

By who?

"Team Rocket, the evil Pokémon thieves!"

Oh no! What a terrible situation; what will Jeremy do?

Thinking quickly, Jeremy throws a Pokéball and unleashes a Charizard to defeat his pursuers. Jeremy is a Pokémon master who has battled every trainer in the world, only to come out on top! Evil is vanquished, and good triumphs!

It was these kinds of scenarios that played through the young child's head day after day as he ran through the forest, pretending to be a hero or a Pokémon master. In truth, that was his goal in life. He had taken an interest in Pokémon from an early age and frequently watched gym battles on the television. When he became of age, Jeremy wanted to travel the world, battling other trainers' Pokémon with his own in the name of becoming the Champion. He would be triumphant and eventually become a Pokémon master himself.

Often times, Jeremy would lose track of time and not notice as the sun began to set behind the hills that encircled Twinsport like the rim of a bowl. The child was often scolded by his parents when he returned home after dusk for making them worry, but he still was allowed out the next day to play and explore. After all, it was either let the child play and explore to his heart's content, or keep him cooped up in the house with his baby brother and sister. Occasionally, he would return with a neat memento of his exploration such as an interesting looking rock or a strange leaf he found on the ground. In the short time he'd been exploring, Jeremy had managed to amass quite the collection of items he deemed as, 'cool'. The boy planned to show the items off to his friends once they returned from their vacations; surely they'd be impressed and possibly even jealous!

Today, Jeremy had ventured further than he'd ever gone before. The trees overhead nearly blotted out his view of the sky. Warm rays from the sun beamed through the occasional hole in the canopy of tree limbs and leaves, illuminating the soil of the forest floor. The smell of decaying leaves returning to the dirt from which they came was becoming an intoxicating scent for Jeremy; he was quickly gaining a sense of appreciation for the forest and surrounding areas.

In the distance, Jeremy's sensitive ears picked up what sounded like a creek. Water, being one of the things that interested him the most, drew the boy in like a moth to a flame. Sure enough, after several minutes of hiking through the forest, Jeremy found a small, rocky creek that carved its way through woods. The clear water flowed freely over the rocks and cascaded downwards in the direction of the ocean; the Southern Sea was undoubtedly the water's final destination.

"This is awesome! I can't wait for all of my friends to get back from camp so I can show them this!" Jeremy exclaimed to no one in particular, something he found himself doing quite often during his explorations; admittedly, the boy longed for somebody to share his adventures with. As much fun as exploring the world that surrounded his home was, the boy could only imagine it being even more fun with a friend. Maybe he could do so with his baby brother once he got a bit older? In a few years perhaps?

Ignoring such thoughts for the time being, Jeremy decided to follow the creek for a bit. The boy removed his socks and shoes before stepping into the crisp, cold stream. He shivered at the sensation of the water washing over his skin, tickling yet soothing his feet. The grainy mix of pebbles and sand blurred the water where he stood as his feet disturbed the creek bed.

Minutes passed as the boy followed the snaking creek through the lush woods in relative isolation. He must have been fairly far away from Twinsport; the blaring foghorns that usually resonated through the air from the ships in the port were completely absent. It didn't faze Jeremy in the slightest that he couldn't hear any signs of his home town; the boy's sense of direction was fairly good. He had a rather accurate idea of which way his home was.

As time passed, the magic of being near the water slowly faded and was replaced with a curiosity of what was beyond the creek. Deciding he wanted to find out, Jeremy stepped out of the water and onto the gravely shore near the edge of the water. Humming a playful, nameless tune to himself, the boy was about dry off his feet when an unusual sound filled the air; it sounded like scream.

Jeremy's head snapped up in one swift movement as the scream echoed in the wooded area. Was this his imagination? Had he been creating such vivid scenarios in his head that they were becoming a reality? Carefully putting his shoes on the bank of the creek, Jeremy stood rigidly in place, breath held, waiting to see if the sound repeated itself. Several second passed, but nothing was heard. He let out a relieved sigh; a scream could mean nothing good.

"Maybe I'm just hearin-"

"…-al!"

Another shout echoed through the forest, this one louder than the first. Jeremy's heart began to race as different scenarios began to play through his head; he definitely had not imagined the scream. "What could that sound be?"The noise repeated a third time, clearly echoing in the woods. It sounded… terrified.

"It's a cry!" exclaimed the boy's inner hero as though it was having a conversation with him.

"Yes, but from whom?"His curious side asked with a hint of caution. After all, who could possibly be up in the hills besides him? It certainly wasn't any of the children from Twinsport; almost all of them were still gone on vacation or spending time with their families.

"Somebody who needs help! We've got to find them!" His heroic side insisted, wanting to throw caution to the wind. He needed to save whoever was in danger; resolve burned inside him like a hot fire. "They may not have much time!"

"Okay… but, where could they be?"Jeremy began looking around, trying to locate a possible source of the cry, or even its general direction. In the forest, sounds echoed in a very peculiar way; unless you were concentrating exclusively on a certain noise, it was quite difficult to pinpoint the direction of origin. Sounds bounced off of trees and were absorbed into the leafy dirt like water in a sponge. Quieting himself, Jeremy held his breathe as he waited for another inevitable cry.

"Ral!"

The cry echoed in the air yet again, but this time Jeremy was prepared. It took all but a second for him to determine where the call had come from; turning two his left, the boy took off running and moved swiftly through the forest in his bare feet, leaving his shoes and socks behind for the moment. Whoever was making the cries for help may not have much time; he could always come back to retrieve his possessions later.

Climbing up a small, leaf-covered hill a small distance away from the creek, Jeremy discovered the source of the cries. It was a Pokémon he'd never seen before, and it was being attacked by a Rattata!

The Pokémon in question was white and green in color; it almost appeared to be wearing a dress of some sorts. If Jeremy hadn't known any better, he would have suspected it was a small child! Could it have possibly been a Pokémon from a nearby Contest? That didn't make much sense; why would a Pokémon from a Contest be in the middle of the woods? Besides, Pokemon Contest weren't as popular in Johto as they were in Hoenn; it was highly unlikely that one was being hosted near Twinsport or any of the surrounding towns.

As explanations for the scene in front of him filtered through the boy's head, Jeremy continued to silently examine the mysterious creature. Its eyes seemed to be hidden from view behind a full head of thick, mint green hair. Two red 'horns' in line with each other seemed to be protruding from the top of its head, separating its hair down the middle. While Jeremy had no idea what kind of Pokémon it was; what he did know was that it was in trouble.

The Rattata's attack was so... violent. Jeremy had watched Pokémon battles on TV, but never before had he seen one in person. It was different in the most horrible way imaginable. Cuts, bruises, and blood could be seen covering the pale white skin of the strange Pokémon as it cried out in pain; a faint whimper could be heard as it curled up on the ground after a particularly devastating tackle. Is this what he wanted to do when he grew up; to battle Pokémon and have them harm one another? No, he had to stop this!

Jeremy felt a knot tighten in his chest as he watched the defenseless Pokémon take the brutal beating, unable to put up a fight of its own. What could he do? He was only a six year old, frail boy; he couldn't take on a Pokémon, even if it was only a Rattata! Their sharp teeth and powerful bite would cause a young kid like him serious injury if an attack connected; even if he was older and stronger, the Rattata would still be dangerous. However, on the flipside, if he did nothing, whatever strange Pokémon the Rattata was attacking would surely die or be left in a severely injured state. Seconds seemed like lifetimes as Jeremy internally debated what to do; should he risk his personal safety, or let a poor creature suffer and, more than likely, die? The boy's eyes went wide as the Rattata leaped forward and sunk its teeth into the left arm of its victim, tearing the flesh with a wet, gut wrenching noise.

"Ral!"

The ear piercing scream of pain that came forth from the Pokémon flipped a switch inside of Jeremy. His options were weighed; he knew his odds. Attacking the Rattata would almost certainly ensure that he'd be injured, but doing nothing would result in the suffering and death of its defenseless target. He couldn't allow that to happen. Perhaps it was his naivety as a child that led him to believe that everything would work out okay or a sense of blind bravery driven by honor; he didn't know. All the boy knew was that he couldn't allow the suffering of the Pokémon to continue.

"Hey, Stop doing that!" Jeremy shouted as he ran over the hill, his small body puffed up in an effort to make himself more intimidating. The Rattata quickly jumped back and looked at the interloper. The rat Pokémon growled and began to aggressively circle Jeremy as though he were its prey. The boy gulped as the Rattata seemed to be aligning itself for an attack; it was quite large, about a quarter of the boy's size. Even with his size advantage, Jeremy knew he wouldn't be able to match the Pokémon in terms of speed and power; he had to do something, and fast. Quickly looking around, Jeremy saw a large stick lying on the ground. It was fairly thick and quite long: the perfect self-defense weapon.

Slowly side-stepping over to the stick, Jeremy quickly bent over and picked up the makeshift weapon. The Rattata seemed unfazed as it continued to eye over the intruder who so stupidly interrupted its meal. Without warning, the rat Pokémon shot forward at an astounding speed. Jeremy almost didn't have time to react as the Rattata opened its jaw to bear its razor sharp front teeth.

Almost.

The boy raised the stick he had picked up to his chest and held it in front of him, praying it would defend him against the coming attack. The Rattata impacted it with enough force to push Jeremy clean off of his feet and onto the ground behind him. The boy landed on his back as his attacker flew over him from the momentum of its attack. Before Jeremy could get back on his feet however, he felt an unimaginable pain begin to radiate from his is left arm. The boy screamed at the sensation and looked down to see its source. To his shock and horror, Jeremy saw the Rattata had turned around at an almost unnatural speed and clenched its powerful jaw onto his arm. Adrenaline pumped through the veins of the child, filling him with instinctual rage. Jeremy desperately reached for the stick he'd found earlier in an effort to use it as a weapon, but it was nowhere to be found.

Excruciating second passed as the Rattata began to chew on Jeremy's arm in an attempt to further disable him; the boy could feel as the ligaments in his arm began to tear and snap as the razor sharp teeth of the rat Pokemon cut through them. Jeremy had to find the stick, but it just wasn't there. Who knew where it had flown when he had been knocked onto his back? There was nothing around him: there were no rocks, sticks, or anything else that he could use to defend himself. He tried to use his fist to knock the rat off of him, but the small creature endured the blows, not yielding to the weak punches of the six year old. A feeling of hopeless descended upon Jeremy as he realized that there was a possibility -no, almost certainty- that he was going to die in the forest at the jaws of a Rattata. He wouldn't be able to see his parents again. He wouldn't be able to help them raise his baby brother and sister. He wouldn't be able to do anything!

So he started to cry. He cried from the pain of having his muscles ripped apart by the Rattata. He cried because he was afraid. But most of all, he cried because he wouldn't be able to see his family again. Powerful emotions of fear and grief ran through him as salty tears of agony flowed down his face.

Then he felt it.

The rough bark of the stick he'd found earlier caressed the palm of his right hand. With tears still in his eyes, the young boy gripped the stick with all of his might and swung it across his body while screaming in an anger induced rage, landing a clean hit on the Rattata. The Pokémon released its grip on his arm and jumped back several feet upon realizing that the boy was now once again armed. Jeremy struggled to his feet; he felt weak as blood streaked down his left forearm, covering his hand in red.

Just like that, the standoff began.

Neither side moved as they analyzed each other. Jeremy knew the odds were still against him, but he had to remain strong. He had to continue to think about his family and everything he had to live for; he had to think about the strange Pokémon who would meet the same fate as him if he failed. He wouldn't let himself be done in by a Rattata, not while he still had fight left in him.

Nearly a full minute passed before the Rattata made a move. It was not an attack directed at Jeremy, rather a swift retreat into the thick brush behind it. The battle was over.

Jeremy had won.

The boy didn't know what to think. He was happy and overjoyed. He felt like crying and laughing all at the same time. With the 'battle' now over, the gravity of the situation began to set in. Whatever his body had been doing to ward off the pain in his left arm had ceased. An indescribable throbbing radiated from the bite of the Rattata, along with a fair amount of blood. The sight of it began to make the boy lightheaded, but he refused to pass out. He would be strong, for his parent's sake.

"Ralts..."

"That noise…!"

Jeremy suddenly remembered why he had fought the Rattata in the first place; in the aftermath of the battle, it had easily slipped his mind. The reason why he had put himself into harm's way was the strange Pokémon he'd seen being attacked. Looking down, the boy saw the Pokémon at his feet, lying exactly where he'd found his stick. Wait, was it possible...?

Did this Pokémon give him the stick, the weapon, that saved his life?

It'd been a hopeless situation. He couldn't find his weapon while pinned by the Rattata, but that made an opening for this strange Pokémon to find the stick and help him with the fight. Everything began to make sense. While Jeremy was on the ground, fighting for his life, this Pokémon found his weapon and placed it in his hands, that's why the stick seemed to show up out of nowhere during his fight.

"You saved me... didn't you?" Jeremy asked. The Pokémon made no response, either not understanding Jeremy's question or not having the strength to respond to it. It was only now did the boy see the full extent of the Pokémon's injuries up close. The Pokémon was bruised all over, and had dozens of cuts covering its body. Just like him, the small creature had been attacked by the Rattata and had its left arm bitten; it was torn to shreds, muscle and flesh exposed to the open air.

"What's... what's your name? What are you? I-I've never seen a Pokémon like you before," Jeremy asked quietly, his strength quickly waning from his body. The Pokémon looked up at Jeremy and struggled to its feet.

"Ral, Ra Ralts, Ralts," the Pokémon weakly cried. Jeremy was fairly knowledgably when it came to Pokémon, as knowledgeable as a six year old could be that is, and knew they all were capable of vocalizing the name of their species. That's how most Pokémon species received their common, non-scientific names. After listening to this one for a bit, he had a reasonably good idea of what it was called.

"Ralts? Is that your name?" The Pokémon nodded weakly in response, though whether it was because it understood what the boy had said or because it heard its name was up for debate. Without warning, the small creature collapsed back onto the ground, a soft thud reverberating through the air as it impacted the soft soil. "Ralts!" Jeremy dropped down to his knees and hovered over the whimpering Ralts. It must have been in immense pain; who knew how long the Ratatta had been attacking it?

"Hang in there, Ralts! S-Stay strong, stay strong!" Jeremy cried out desperately as he looked around for any help despite knowing there was none to be found. The young boy's eyes began watering up again as he gazed over the injured Pokémon in front of him. "I'll get you home! My mom and dad will be able to help you; they can help anybody…! P-… P-Please, be strong!" the young boy pleaded. A heartwrenching sincerity reserved for only the most innocent of children echoed in his voice. Reaching down, Jeremy gently lifted the Ralts into his arm, hissing through his teeth as his left arm made its injuries known again. The boy grew lightheaded as he let out a silent scream of agony.

But he was strong! He had to be strong, for his parents, his siblings, and now, Ralts.

"I'll save you, then... then… maybe we can be friends...?" Jeremy asked aloud as he looked down at the Pokemon cradled in his arms. Looking up at the sky, the young boy felt a pang of panic overtake him. Gone were the blue skies and bright yellow sun that had graced Twinsport with its warmth only an hour before; in their place were dark, ominous purple clouds. The clouds were coming from the sea; storms often rolled in without warning, but never before had one of the flash storms rolled in at such a terrible time.

He wanted to scream. Jeremy wanted nothing more than to wake up and find out this was all just a bad dream. He hadn't been attacked by a Rattata, and the Ralts cradled in his arms was living happily in the forest, safe and sound. There wasn't a flash storm, and he was still playing merrily in the creek without a care in the world.

But it wasn't a dream; fate seemed to conspire against the boy as the ominous clouds moved inland. He had to continue pushing onwards.

With Ralts cradled in his arms, Jeremy began to run in the direction of Twinsport; he didn't even bother to go back for his shoes. The clock was ticking, and he didn't know how much time was left before the hands of time would stop.

The flash storm began to grow in intensity as it made its way inland. Jeremy could hear the thunder of the storm growl deeply in the distance as the dark clouds continued their steady advance across the sky. It didn't take long for it to begin raining. At first, the precipitation was only a light drizzle, but that rapidly changed into what could best be described as a torrential downpour.

Jeremy was soaked to his core. The cold rain had cooled the surrounding air and caused the temperature to plummet which, in turn, caused Jeremy to shiver, intensely at that. Ralts wasn't faring any better and was shaking nearly uncontrollably in the young boy's arms. Jeremy had managed to stop the Ralts' bleeding arm earlier by bandaging its arm with a torn piece of his shirt and tying his belt around the small creature's appendage. Admittedly, it was difficult to use his relatively large belt to secure the Pokémon's small limb, but he had to do something to stop the bleeding. Of course,he wasn't above medical care either and had used a similar scrap of his torn t-shirt to wrap around his own wound and at least slowed the bleeding.

"I need to find shelter... We- We're not going to make it like this...!"

The dark clouds had blocked out almost all of the sunlight, bringing the visibility of the already dark forest to near nothing. Peering out into the abyss, Jeremy tried to find something -anything- he could use for shelter. A downed tree, an overhang, or a cave: any of those would be a literal lifesaver. However, none of those things were within sight, and the storm was only getting worse.

Lightning danced through the sky in a show that could only be described as the most awesome and terrifying display of raw power that Jeremy had ever seen in his short life; the howling winds threatened to push over anything that wasn't deeply rooted into the ground.

Without warning, a lightning bolt shot from the sky and into the ground only several body lengths away from the frightened child and the Pokémon in his arm. For Jeremy, it was a breaking point. In an act of desperation, the boy dropped to his knees and looked towards the sky. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the ruthless rain that fell from the heavens.

He was angry, confused and scared. Why had this happened? How had he gotten himself into such a dire situation? Why him? He was only a child, he shouldn't have to go through this!

"I want to go home! Please, somebody help me!"Jeremy cried to the sky as though he were calling out to a deity of some sort. There were dozens of legends that circulated around the world about gods or godlike creatures that governed existence, beings who had pity on people such as him. Never before had Jeremy wished for such a legend to be true.

Seconds passed; the only sound that filled the air was the heavy rain that pummeled the delicate leaves of the forests' trees. The young boy continued to cry as he felt his tiredness finally catching up to him; He was cold, shaking, and terrified. Was this the end? Would the chilled, rain-soaked ground of the forest be his grave?

With both his physical state deteriorated and resolve all but shattered, Jeremy could only lower his head and close his eyes as he awaited the inevitable. Choked sobs escaped his throat as tears continued to stream down his face. The boy didn't want it to be like this; he wanted to see his family again.

He just wanted to go home.

"Come."

Jeremy let out a ragged breath as he heard the voice echo in the woods around him. The boy's head snapped up as he looked around, but nobody was to be found. Forcing himself off of his knees, Jeremy's gaze darted around the darkened forest with a panicked expression. "Hello? Is somebody there? Please help me!"

No response could be heard, only the rain, but he had heard a voice! He had not imagined it, that Jeremy knew for certain. Seconds passed, then the voice repeated.

"Come."

The voice, deep and powerful, cut through the air and seemed to demand Jeremy's attention. It was calm, comforting even, as it called out.

Jeremy looked behind him. That's where the voice had come from! He was positive. Turning around with renewed strength, Jeremy took off running towards his possible rescuer with Ralts in tow. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" The voice kept repeating the same phrase, "Come", getting louder each time. The young boy was overjoyed. He was going to be saved, he wasn't going to die!

Jeremy was near to his rescuer, he had to be. The voice sounded as though it was directly in front of him. Running as fast as his small legs would carry him, Jeremy halted as the voice suddenly stopped calling. In front of the young boy wasn't his rescuer, but something else entirely.

A large, steep wall of stone emerged from the darkness in front of Jeremy. It wasn't a wall built by the hands of man, but through the will of nature. An enormous cliff face covered in moss towered in front of the boy. However, the cliff face wasn't what caught Jeremy's attention; something else entirely was the focus of his gaze. A cave seemed to be carved into the face of the cliff. A shelter from the storm.

It was a saving grace.

Without a moment of hesitation, the boy ran through the opening in the side of the natural stone wall and let out a sigh of relief. The cave was fairly small, but had ample space to facilitate Jeremy's one and only need: shelter. The cold rain that had pummeled the child and the Pokémon he'd rescued still fell from the skies, but no longer did Jeremy have to worry about being at its mercy.

The first thing Jeremy did when he got settled inside the cave was check on the condition of the Ralts he had saved. The boy's stomach sank when he realized the severity of its condition.

The Pokémon was shaking uncontrollably and letting out barely audible whimpers of pain and discomfort. Jeremy gently brushed aside the Ralts' mint green hair and found its eyes clamped shut. Its breathing was shallow as it struggled to inhale. Placing the back of his hand on the shivering Pokémon's forehead confirmed just how cold the little thing was.

"We have to warm you up... you're going to freeze if we don't," Jeremy stated aloud. As expected, the Ralts showed no signs of hearing or understanding the young boy. Looking around, Jeremy saw that the cave was completely barren and contained nothing that could help them, just dirt and stones. It was a stretch that there'd be something in the cave to begin with, but it was worth hoping.

As Jeremy stood and debated what to do next, the Ralts let out a sneeze, causing the boy to jump in surprise. Cautiously leaning over the Pokémon, Jeremy cringed as the small creature let out yet another sneeze, indicating its illness and current physical state. Kneeling down on the dry cave floor, Jeremy hovered over the small creature at a loss for what to do. Ralts was cold and sick; if he didn't do something, it wouldn't make it through the night. As his mind tried to process the situation, the Ralts let out yet another intense sneeze. Jeremy cringed before a thought, an instinct, overcame him; in one quick movement, he pulled the Ralts into his embrace. The Pokémon tensed up for the briefest of moments before melting into the arms of the young boy.

It was all he could do, the only thing he could think of to warm up the creature. It had to work.

"I'll warm you up so you'll get better," Jeremy whispered into the petite creature's ear as he shared his body heat; he could feel his heart beat against his chest as he pulled the pale Pokémon closer to him in an attempt to warm it up. "You'll get better, and you can keep living. That's a promise."

A warm sensation came over Jeremy as he finished his sentence. The feeling seemed to be radiating from his very core, spreading through his body in a wondrous fashion. The boy had no idea where it had come from, but it felt good. No, saying it felt good was an understatement. It felt as though the emotions of happiness and joy had physically manifested themselves and wrapped him in a blanket of warmth and comfort.

A feeling of peace overcame Jeremy as he leaned back against the cave wall and continued to hold the Ralts close to his chest. "Go to sleep Ralts... We'll get out of this okay, I know it." The words were spoken not out of a false sense of hope, but of certainty; in his heart, Jeremy knew what he said was true. He didn't know where the feeling came from, but he decided to embrace it regardless.

Outside, the rain continued to pour and lightning continued to strike, causing deafening thunder to resonate through the air, but none of that mattered. Jeremy was safe inside the cave, and he protected the Ralts he'd saved. With the warm feeling still flowing through him, Jeremy lowered his head to rest it atop the Ralts' own, closed his eyes, and let sleep take him.

-=Amazing Grace=-

Jeremy and Ralts had been found the next morning after the boy's parents had reported him missing. They had used the police force's Growlithes with their expert tracking skills to find Jeremy and his rescued Pokémon. Upon their discovery, officers were shocked to find the state that the missing child was in. His left arm was severely injured from what appeared to be a bite wound, and he was suffering from moderate hypothermia.

The search group rushed Jeremy to the small hospital that Twinsport had which doubled as a Pokécenter. He fell into unconsciousness on the way to the hospital and remained so for several hours after his arrival. The doctor had assured Rosa and John that their son was going to be fine and that he just needed some good old fashion rest and relaxation, baring his injured left arm, of course, which needed to be sterilized, stitched up, and bandaged properly.

The sun was high in the sky when Jeremy finally opened his eyes for the first time since being rescued by the police search party. The boy was slightly confused when he looked around to see the sterile white tile and plaster walls of his surroundings; the scent of chemical cleaners filled the air, burning his nostrils. Before he could voice a question, the memories of yesterday began to slowly filter into the front of his mind.

"Jeremy!"

The child in question looked up to see his mother standing in the doorway of the hospital room he occupied, holding a bottle of water. The woman dropped the plastic bottle as she ran forward and pulled her son into an embrace. Tears streamed down her face as the mother held her boy in her arms.

"We were so worried! What were you doing out there? How did you get hurt so badly?" Rosa pulled back and looked over her son. He was covered in monitoring devices and had an IV in his right arm. It was absolutely essential that the boy remain hydrated, even when unconscious, otherwise he could fall further into illness.

Hurt badly? A confused look made its way onto the boy's face as he thought over his mother's words. "That's right!" Jeremy looked down at his left arm and noticed it wrapped with layer upon layer of gauze and white medical tape. He'd been bitten by a Rattata when trying to protect...

"Where's Ralts? Is it okay?" Jeremy voiced his own question, concern obvious in his voice. The boy's mother looked confused upon hearing the question and tilted her head off to the side.

"Ralts? What's Ralts?" Rosa asked.

Not missing a beat, Jeremy exclaimed, "The Pokémon I saved! Please tell me it's okay!" His voice was pleading, begging for an answer. Confusion persisted on Rosa's face until she began to recall the details of her son's rescue.

"They found you with a Pokémon; that… um, must be Ralts. It was in poor shape and is down on the first floor in the Pokécenter, but I'm not sure how it's doing. Your father and I haven't checked on it; we've been waiting for you to wake up…!" the woman answered. Frustrated that his mother didn't know the answer to his question, Jeremy tried to get out of his bed only to be pushed back down by his mom.

"Mom, I have to know if-"

"You're suffering from exhaustion! You have to stay in bed!" she scorned him, concern dripping from every word she spoke. Softening her face a bit, she smiled lightly at her son and said, "Just rest for a bit. Once you've done that, you'll be able to go down and visit the Pokémon."

Jeremy knew it was a fight he wouldn't win, so he conceded defeat and stayed in his bed, although he made it clear that he was unhappy with the decision. Upon hearing of his awakening, a nurse came into the room to inspect the boy. She was kind and was able to answer some of his questions in regards to the Pokémon that they'd found with him. Apparently, it was doing better and would defiantly survive. This helped ease almost all of the apprehension that had been building up inside of the boy. When asked if he could see it, the nurse just smiled and said after he'd eaten something.

Jeremy wasted no time downing the meal the nurse brought him, shoveling all of the food into his mouth as though he were famished; in truth, he wasn't all that hungry. He wanted to see Ralts more than anything, and all he had to do to make that happen was finish his meal. John arrived shortly after the nurse and gave Jeremy a greeting similar to the one Rosa gave; he was all too happy to see that his son was okay. True to her word, as soon as Jeremy downed the last of his food, the nurse escorted him and his parents down to the Pokéfloor of the hospital and led him to the room housing the Ralts.

Upon entering the room, Jeremy recognized a nurse and a Chansey tending to the white and green Pokémon he'd found in the woods; it was sitting on the room's examination table and looked to be doing fine. Unable to contain his excitement, Jeremy shot forward and called the Pokémon's name.

"Ralts!"

The nurse and Chansey turned around to see Jeremy running towards them, a broad, child-like smile on his face. The Ralts that they were treating jumped off of the examination table and began to run towards the young boy, surprising the medical personnel. The two met in the middle of the room when the boy dropped to his knee to embrace the Pokémon in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Ralts! I was so worried!" The Pokémon in question began singing its name happily, mirroring the boy's joy. The adults in the room approached the young boy and Pokémon, some confused and others happy.

"It seems she's happy to see you," the nurse stated with a smile on her face.

Jeremy looked up at her then back down at the Ralts in his arms. "It's a she?" The nurse nodded her headed, confirming the Pokémon's gender. "Is she a Ralts? Is that what she is?" the young boy asked, eagerly wanting to know who and what his newest friend was.

"She is, though I've never seen one in Johto before. Ralts are from the Hoenn region and are only ever seen outside the region if they're owned by a trainer or a breeder; even within the Hoenn region they're extremely rare. I have to admit, I'm curious as to how you two know each other," the woman stated. It was obvious she wanted an answer, if only to sate her own curiosity.

"I found Ralts when I was out exploring," Jeremy started. "She was being attacked by a Rattata, so I stepped in to help her." The boy's parents seemed surprised at this revelation. They were told Jeremy had been bitten, but they didn't know the reason why or by what. They had been too overjoyed to see their son awake to ask 'Why?' or 'Who?', or at least those questions had been outweighed with more important ones.

"You fought a Pokémon? Why would you do such a reckless thing?" Rosa asked, shock evident in her voice. Sensing his mother's disapproval, Jeremy quickly raised his voice in defense of his actions.

"If I didn't do something, Ralts would have been killed! I couldn't let her die!" He seemed a bit upset at being questioned by his parent. How could they know? They weren't in the situation he'd been in. They hadn't seen the blood… the horror of the battle. They hadn't heard as Ralts' bones were cracked and shattered in the powerful jaw of the wild Rattata.

They hadn't witnessed any of it.

"I'm just relieved you're okay, son," John quickly intervened and approached the child in the center of the room. Kneeling down so he was closer to Jeremy's eye level, the man smiled and put a strong hand on the boy's shoulder. "You did a brave thing, and I'm proud of you. All that your mother and I ask is that you be a bit more careful in the future."

Jeremy looked into his dad's eye and nodded in agreement. He had no regrets about saving the Ralts, but would definitely try to avoid getting into such situations in the future. After all, it's not like the experience was fun! Clearing his voice, John turned his gaze to the Pokémon in his son's arms. "Still, I wonder what the Ralts was doing here in Johto. There aren't any Pokémon breeders in the area, and it doesn't appear to have been a trainer's Pokémon either."

"It's possible that it arrived in Johto as a baby somehow or that it was released by its trainer at a young age," the nurse suggested. "Either way, it doesn't have a home to go back to, and the wild appears to be too dangerous for this young one." Jeremy looked up at the woman and frowned upon hearing her words.

"Then what's going to happen to Ralts?"

The nurse placed a finger on her chin as though she was contemplating what actions could be taken. "Well, we could place her into a Pokémon orphanage here in Johto until she's strong enough to live in the wild on her own, or we could ship her back to Hoenn and find somebody suited to take her in." Jeremy didn't like either of those options. They were just going to treat her like any other wild Pokémon; in his eyes, she was much more than that.

"I don't like those options! There has to be something else you can do!" Jeremy cried as he held the Ralts tightly in his embrace. The adults in the room glanced at each other, sharing looks and seemingly speaking without words. Nods were exchanged, heads were shaken, and glances were given that were above Jeremy's level of understanding.

Finally, the unspoken conversation that transpired in front of the boy came to an end; the nurse approached Jeremy and knelt in front of him. "There is always another option. You and your family could adopt her."

Adopt her? Now there was an intriguing idea. "Adopt her?" The woman nodded her head as the words left Jeremy's lips.

"Yes. You would take care of her as she grows up. She'd be a member of your family." Jeremy looked between his mother and father, gauging their opinion on the situation. His mother's face displayed that of neutrality while his father seemed to smile a bit in approval. Looking down at the Ralts for a brief moment, who was now staring between the adults with her own eyes, Jeremy nodded his head.

"I'd like that," he said softly as he raised a hand and slowly lowered it atop the Ralts' head. Jeremy and the Pokémon made eye contact as the boy slowly let his fingers comb through the small creature's thick, soft hair. His father chuckled lightly at the gesture and nodded his head in approval.

"Look at you, boy! When it comes time for you to become a Pokémon trainer, you'll already have your first Pokémon!" Images of the Rattata attacking the Ralts in Jeremy's arm flashed through the child's head. In an instant, the boy stood up took up a defensive posture, still holding Ralts as though he was shielding her from some evil power.

"No!" All of the adults in the room were shocked by the child's sudden outburst and took a step back to give him space. "I'm not going to battle Pokémon! I'm going to help Ralts grow up so she doesn't have to battle!" Jeremy's face was stern; he seemed to be resolute on his position regarding battle. Rosa and John were confused; all Jeremy had talked about since he was four was battling Pokémon and becoming a Pokémon master. Why the sudden change in heart?

"It's okay Jeremy, it was only a suggestion. You don't have to battle if you don't want to." The words were quiet and came from Rosa. She smiled slightly and slowly walked towards her child. "But if this Ralts is going to be a member of our family, don't you think she should have a name?"

Jeremy's stance loosened as he looked down at the Ralts and contemplated his mother's word. A name? Yes, he would give this Ralts a name; something appropriate that would reflect upon her nature and their short but colorful history together.

"Grace... her name is Grace," Jeremy whispered as Grace looked up at him. Her large, crimson eyes looked so innocent and happy, like a child who just learned of wonderful news. "It's because of grace alone that we're here today, so that seems like a good name." While Jeremy didn't intend on letting the adults know, he had a gut feeling that the voice calling him in the forest was not just his imagination. He firmly believed that some entity, be it one of legend or unknown, had mercy on him and lead him to safety. There was no other explanation for their miraculous tale of survival.

Rosa knelt down and nodded her head in approval. "That sounds like a great name, Jeremy." Turning her gaze from Jeremy to the Ralts in his arm, Rosa held out her arm and placed a gentle hand atop of the Pokémon's head. "Welcome to our family, Grace."

That was the beginning of what would be a wonderful, lasting relationship between the Pokémon and the young boy. They were survivors. They were siblings. But most of all, they were friends.

That's a wrap on Chapter One. It's the beginning of something I hope will be great. Thank you for your readership; I appreciate all reviews and would love to hear from you. If you see any blatant grammar errors, I would appreciate if you pointed them out via PM or review; I've re-written this chapter since its initial posting and probably missed a few things when I was changing around the structure of some paragraphs/sentences. I can only catch so many mistakes, regardless of how many times I go over my word document. It's the very nature of being the author of a piece; my eyes automatically correct mistakes without informing my brain of them. ;)

Have a great one, readers!

-Write by Faith-