Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. I've been kinda busy lately.

I've decided to journey back to writing Pokemon fics. I started playing Pokemon gold about a week ago, and I thought it might be fun to write some Pokemon fiction again. If that makes any sense. Haha.

Well, I hope you enjoy this fiction! I'm using mostly OCs, and I doubt Ash or any of his friends will show up in this fic. Sorry, Ash fans!

"We can't be together. You know that. Why do you keep doing this, Spirit?" the orange haired boy growled at the petite brunette girl standing in front of him.

Tears formed in the brunette's eyes, "I love you, Chase, why can't you see that?"

"I do see that," Chase sighed, running his hand through his firey locks, "why can't you see that it can't happen? It's not that I don't want it to, but god, how would we even see each other?"

"We could make it work, I know we could. True love prevails, that's what you always used to say." Spirit argued, her brown eyes narrowed in determination.

"How?" Chase asked.

Spirit was silent. She didn't know what to say.

"That's what I thought." Chase said, ending the argument. "Listen, I have to go. The boss is gonna be pissed when he realizes I've been gone. Don't come after me anymore, Spirit. That was not only stupid but dangerous. You could've been captured by another Rocket member, or worse..."

"I can handle myself, Chase." the girl hissed, folding her arms across her chest defensively.

"I've seen you in battle, Spirit. Trust me, you couldn't handle yourself against the grunts, much less the other executives. Go out that door," Chase pointed towards a wooden door with a "fire exit" sign hung on it, "and don't come back. Do you understand me?"

Spirit said nothing to the orange haired boy. Instead, she spun around on her heels and stomped to the door, swinging it open so hard it rattled the plaques hanging on the wall. She turned her head to give the boy one last cold stare before marching out into the cold streets of Goldenrod, slamming the door shut behind her.

Chase stood in the Goldenrod radio tower hallway, staring at the door Spirit had just slammed in his face. He let out a guilty sigh, wishing he could have let her down easier. But she just didn't understand. He was a member of Team Rocket now, and no matter what they had when they were young, it was gone. He wasn't about to risk getting Spirit injured, kidnapped, or even killed, just to satisfy his urge to be with her.

It couldn't happen, and it wouldn't happen. End of story.

Chapter 1

Four months earlier

"Spirit, hey, come here a sec!" a little girl, about 8 years old, with ringlets of gold called, waving her hand at her friend.

Spirit pulled her brunette waves up in a tight ponytail as she walked near the younger girl, saying, "What 'cha need, Scar?"

The little girl, Scarlet, pulled a little boy about the same age as her out from behind the rose bush he had been hiding in. "This is Petie! He's shy. Can you help him be un-shy? I want to be his friend but he's scared of me!"

Spirit laughed when she looked at the little boy. His mousy brown hair had bits of leaves and petals scattered in it from where he'd been hiding. His forest eyes were almost as big as golf balls, looking up at Spirit like the bug eyed guinea pig she'd seen in a movie not to long ago.

"I don't know how to make someone outgoing, Scar. Maybe you should work on being less scary." Spirit joked.

"Not funny, Spirit! I want him to be my friend. Or better yet, my boyfriend!" Scarlet beamed, looking at Petie with googley eyes.

Petie's wide eyes flickered from Scarlet to Spirit, silently begging for her help.

Spirit decided to bring some mercy on the bug eyed kid. She got on one knee in front of Scarlet, looking her in the eyes. "Let me tell you something, Scar. The key to getting a man is letting him come to you at his own pace. Don't be clingy, guys hate that."

"So you're saying... If I leave Petie alone he'll like me?!" Scarlet exclaimed, excited and hoping the plan would work.

"Yep. Well, maybe. It depends on Petie." Spirit explained.

"Oh! Thanks, Spear! Go away, Petie, I want you to like me faster." Scarlet said, pushing the boy lightly on the shoulder.

Petie stood in the same place for a moment, looking confused.

"Don't just stand there and stare at me, get! Shoo!" Scarlet snapped, waving her hands in a 'go away' motion towards Petie.

Petie frowned, puzzled by Scarlet's sudden wish for him to leave. He didn't want to be left all alone again, and Scarlet seemed to be the only kid in the neighborhood that wanted to be his friend. So, Petie grinned as big as he could and linked his arm with Scarlet's, making a kissy face at her.

"You kids are so bipolar." Spirit laughed. "I've got to go talk to Professor Elm. Don't get in any trouble, okay?"

"Okay, Spirit!" Scarlet beamed, happy that her plan worked so quickly. "C'mon Petie, let's go to the Pokemon Center! We can play with all the Pokemon there!"

The two kids, still connected by their arms, started walking happily towards the Pokemon Center. Spirit shook her head with a small smile, feeling somewhat accomplished. Reverse psychology always worked.

Spirit had to take off the thin denim jacket she was wearing as she walked towards the Professor's lab. She couldn't wait for winter to get there, this heat was killing her. She was amazed it was still blistering in October. Normally, it would be freezing by then. She couldn't help but wonder- did global warming really exist?

Spirit got to the lab in record time, but then again she'd only been a few feet away. She walked in the large building, her eyes landing on the overworked assistant in the front of the room. He was scrambling around the bookshelves, picking books up and moving them to different shelves. He seemed to be very focused on the task at hand- whatever that was- so Spirit decided not to talk to him this time.

Instead, she made her way up to the Professor's desk, where Professor Elm was sitting, taking notes on a large tablet. Three Pokeballs sat by the tablet, all turned facing the door, perfectly polished and ready for picking.

"Hey, Professor." Spirit said with a nervous wave, worried she was disturbing the researcher. "Are you busy?"

"Huh? Oh, hi Spirit! No, I'm just looking over some of Professor Oak's work, making some revisions. What are you up to?" Professor Elm greeted politely, stacking his papers and laying them to the side.

"Nothing really. I think I just hooked Scarlet up with that kid, Petie." Spirit replied.

"Petie Crow? He's a good kid. Scarlet must be thrilled." Professor Elm grinned.

"Yeah." Spirit agreed. She almost forgot what she'd come to the lab for. "Oh, yeah, Professor, I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay, what would that be?" Professor Elm asked, folding his arms across his lab coat clad chest.

"I was wondering... Well, I mean, I've been thinking... I kind of, well, I think I want to be a trainer. You know, like, a Pokemon trainer." Spirit stuttered.

Professor Elm raised his eyebrows, "I think that's a great idea, Spirit. You know, being a trainer is a lot of responsibility. How long have you been thinking about this?"

"A few weeks. Since my uncle gave me Maxy." Spirit replied, forgetting Professor Elm didn't know who Maxy was.

"Maxy?" the Professor repeated.

Spirit nodded, "Yeah. Maxy. My Eevee."

"Oh, an Eevee! You named it Maxy?" Professor Elm asked.

"Kind of. My uncle got him from the Goldenrod Game Corner. When he got home, he said they already named him Maxwell. So, I just started calling him Maxy for short." Spirit explained.

"Oh. That's odd, the Game Corner workers normally don't name the Pokemon," Professor Elm commented, "Anywho, are you thinking of starting your journey with Maxy? Or do you want a starter Pokemon?"

"That's what I needed to ask you. Do you think I should go with Maxy, or do you think I should get a starter, too?"

"Well, does Maxy have battling experience?" Professor Elm inquired.

"Uhh... I don't know. I don't think so. He's still fairly young." Spirit replied.

"Oh. Then you should definitely get a starter, too. The last thing you want is for a young Pokemon to faint in battle. You always want them to start off on a good foot, right?"

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Spirit nodded in agreement, "but what Pokemon should I choose? Do I just get to pick any?"

"Well, not exactly. You have three choices here in the Johto league. You can choose Cyndaquil, the fire Pokemon, Totodile, the water Pokemon, or Chikorita, the grass Pokemon. Here, I'll let them out of their Pokeballs so you can get a good look at them." Professor Elm began to pick up the three red and white orbs when he paused, "Remember one thing, Spirit. You can't just choose the Pokemon. The Pokemon has to choose you, as well."

Spirit wasn't quite sure what that meant, but she nodded anyway.

Professor Elm released the three Pokemon from their spheres out onto the table. They were all just glowing white lights at first- so bright that Spirit had to cover her eyes with her arm. But, after a few seconds, the glowing light faded, and Spirit got a better look at the three creatures.

One of them, which she assumed to be Chikorita, was a small green Pokemon with a darker green leaf attached to its head. Tiny green studs circled its neck. It looked up at Spirit with eyes almost as big as Petie's had been earlier. It looked innocent, almost child-like, at first, but after a moment of just staring at Spirit, it narrowed its eyes in what seemed like disgust. Spirit cocked her eyebrow, "What's that thing's problem?"

"Chikorita is a very... Sexist Pokemon. At least, this one is. She doesn't seem to like other females. Maybe she feels jealous or intimidated. I really don't know." Professor Elm sighed. "I hoped she would change before a female trainer to be came to get a starter Pokemon, but I guess not."

With that, the Professor returned Chikorita to her Pokeball. The other two Pokemon still sat in their places on the table. One of them looked like a tiny blue alligator, standing on hind legs. Going by its colour and shape, Spirit guessed that was Totodile. It growled at her as she walked by, so she didn't even bother thinking about picking it.

The last Pokemon, Cyndaquil, resembled a mouse with fire sprouting out of its back. Its snout was exceptionally long, and its eyes were just tiny slits. It raised its head at Spirit, tilting it to the side curiously. Spirit looked back at the fire Pokemon with equal curiosity, wondering why it wouldn't open its eyes.

"Cyndaquil is an exceptional choice for a starter Pokemon. This one's quite the little trooper, too. He doesn't give up easily in battle, even when he has the type disadvantage." Professor Elm stated, rubbing the Pokemon on the top of the head carefully to avoid getting burned.

Spirit nodded, "I think I'm gonna go with Cyndaquil. He doesn't seem to hate me like the others."

Professor Elm laughed, returning Totodile to his ball. "They don't hate you, Spirit. They just don't know you."

Spirit smiled. Then something hit her. "Wait, Professor, is he gonna get along with Maxy? They're not gonna kill each other, are they?"

"No, no, no," Professor Elm assured, "Cyndaquil is very good with other Pokemon. In fact, he enjoys their company. Especially young Pokemon, like himself."

"Oh, okay good." Spirit said with another smile. "Can I name him like the Game Corner named Maxy?"

"Sure! Feel free." Professor Elm replied. He returned Cyndaquil to his Pokeball, handing it to Spirit along with a small olive coloured bag. "Those are six other Pokeballs. That should be enough to keep you going until you get to Violet City. I don't think the market in Cherrygrove sells Pokeballs."

Spirit looked down at the Pokeball in her hand. It wasn't heavy, but it wasn't light either. It was also incredibly warm, not exaclty hot yet, but warm enough to make her hand sweat. She stared at the blal for what seemed like hours before a single word came floating from her lips, "Toby."

"Toby? That's a nice name." Professor Elm said, taking a seat in his swivel chair.

"Thanks. Well, I'll see you around, Professor." Spirit waved goodbye as she started walking to the door.

"Spirit, wait a second, I want to give you something." Professor Elm called, grabbing something out of his desk drawer and running to catch up with the trainer to be. He held out a small red device. "This is a Pokedex. I only give them to trainers I see potential in. I definitely see potential in you, Spirit. You've always been determined and reliable, ever since the day I met you."

Spirit was taken aback by the Professor's miniature speech. She took the device from his hand, running her thumb over its smooth surface. She looked up at the Professor. "I.. I don't know what to say.. Thank you, Professor."

"My pleasure, Spirit. Now go out there and make me proud. Don't forget to let your aunt and uncle know you're going."

"They know," Spirit replied quickly, "Vern was the one that talked me into it."

"That sounds like Vern. He's a persistant little devil. Good luck, Spirit."

With that, Spirit stepped out of the lab, closing the door securely behind her. She looked down at the Pokeball she held in her hand, smiling. All she had to do was go get Maxy, tell her aunt and uncle goodbye, and then it was off to...

Where was she supposed to go again?

Hope you enjoyed chapter 1! This is the first Pokemon fic I've written in... five years, I think? So if I'm a little rusty, I'm sorry! :] R&R, please.