A/N: This is the starting of an idea I had for a Pokemon Fanfic. I've got an idea and some notes for the next chapter, so I might work on this one some more.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. I own nothing of the Pokemon universe. The only thing I can lay claim to is the plot and the original characters in this fic. This is written for my own enjoyment and hopefully yours as well.
Not many people could say that they had ever seen the sun rise or set from the top of the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town. The climb to the top floor was troublesome as the resident Gastly tended to possess those who entered and forced them to attack anyone who resisted them. The people possessed were never seriously harmed, as it was just a game to the ghost pokemon.
Weston Smith had made the trip to the top floor only once when he had accompanied Mr. Fuji there. He had attempted it another time on his own, but fell victim to possession by a particularly annoying Gastly that seemed to have taken a liking to him. After waking up the following day in his bed in the attic of Mr. Fuji's house, he decided to find another way up.
Weston (just call me Wes) Smith was an orphan living in the depressing Lavender Town under the occasional care and tutelage of Mr. Fuji, the town's resident pokemon expert and head of the Volunteer Center. Wes had wandered into town as a young child with no parents and had fallen exhausted to the ground at the base of the Tower. Mr. Fuji had found him as he was returning home and gave him a place to sleep and food to eat. In exchange, Wes started out doing small chores around the house and Volunteer Center for him. As he grew, he would also occasionally assist Mr. Fuji when he went into the Tower.
With only minimal supervision and far too much time on his own, Wes started to play small practical jokes on the residents of the town as well as on the frequent visitors. This got him into trouble occasionally, but he quickly learned to talk his way out of such situations. Somewhere during his pranking escapades, he would occasionally notice a Gastly following him and watching with apparent glee as he caused trouble. He also noticed that this particular Gastly seemed to take great delight whenever any of his pranks involved fire.
Things weren't always so boring for young Wes though. He did learn a fair bit about pokemon from Mr. Fuji and from listening to the various trainers as they loitered in the Pokecenter and chatted. One thing that always bothered him though was seeing all the other young kids who were just given pokemon by that crazy Professor Oak in distant Pallet Town, or occasionally by the various Gym Leaders. He was never able to leave Lavender town to get his own, and this only fueled his pranks on those people.
When Wes was sixteen, he was finally given his own pokemon by Mr. Fuji, who had made him work for two years in the Volunteer Center in order to earn it. Wes received a young Cubone from Mr. Fuji, who had found it wandering around inside of the Pokemon Tower, as was common for abandoned pokemon. As a pair of orphans, they bonded extremely well, and the Cubone became his friend and accomplice.
Now that he had his own pokemon, Wes was able to leave Lavender Town and begin exploring the nearby areas. He would normally avoid the other trainers he'd see and tended to travel when it was dark. This would have been a problem as the wild pokemon came out in greater numbers at night, but his Cubone was up to the task and soon began to enjoy whacking them with his bone club.
Heading east from Lavender, Wes was turned away by the thirsty Saffron City guard, but made his way through the underground path to Celedon City. Eventually, Wes made his way to the Game corner and after finding a bunch of coins on the ground, he applied his skills to the other patrons and managed to pick well over a thousand coins from their pockets. Unfortunately, he was noticed by the Team Rocket thug standing off to the side of the counter and was taken down into the Rocket's hideout where he was brought before Giovanni.
Wes wasn't hurt and his pokemon wasn't taken, but he was offered the opportunity to do some small delivery and courier jobs for Team Rocket if he wished. They paid well and he would also be given bonuses for any strong or rare pokemon he could deliver on his own. Liking the idea, he quickly agreed. Giovanni's parting suggestion was that if he wanted to be a part of the Team Rocket elite, and not just a grunt, he should attempt the gym challenge. Giovanni said that he wanted smart and skilled people working for him, not just strong people.
Returning to Lavender town, Wes began to train himself and his Cubone by battling against the trainers he had previously avoided. Along the way, the Gastly interfered one time too many, and Wes caught it, bringing his total number of pokemon up to two. This was fortunate, as with Gastly to help him, and with Cubone to provide a distraction, Wes managed to steal a Pokedex from one of the young trainers who he despised so much.
Now, at seventeen years old, Wes had climbed up the outside to the top of the Pokemon Tower. With his Cubone and Gastly out beside him, they sat watching the sun rise over the ocean to the east. He knew his gym challenge had to start in Pewter town, and it was a very long way away. But every story has to start somewhere, and this is Weston's story.