It was a cool autumn morning, the sun just beginning to rise over the town of Littleroot. I was waiting anxiously outside the Pokémon Research Lab. I knew I was early, but I had to be. The best are always there first. Besides, I had to get away before she woke up. The bitch would have tried to stop me. Hell, she might not have woken up. I saw the amount of pills she took the night before. Guess I was too much to handle. Selfish cunt. Like living with her was a flowery meadow. She wasn't my mother and she never would be. I made sure she knew it, too. She never cared, though. I don't even know why she took me out of the system, although I assume it was to get more money from the government to satisfy her addiction.

The bitch was a good actress, though. She managed to clean up and look like a stable woman when they were making sure it would be a good home for me. Fuck, even I was convinced. I thought I was getting into a good situation. I was so wrong. Behind closed doors, away from the prying eyes of the government, her true nature came out. I couldn't begin to give a close approximation of how many different men I saw pass through that house over the years, but I'd say it was well into the double digits. Some of them even brought in their Pokémon. That was the part that really got me. Honestly, you think something like that would show up in a background check.

Nothing had really changed from when I was in the system. I was still taking care of myself, making money my own way. Granted, it wasn't entirely legal, but it worked. I wasn't selling my body like that whore the system recognized as my mother, so I figure I was doing better than her. The fights were easy, mainly because they underestimated me, not just because of my size but also because of my gender. Chauvinistic fools. I lost a few, of course, but for the most part I took them down.

Hard.

Forgive me. I've failed to introduce myself. My name is Robin Churchfall. I'm an orphan, as I'm sure you've figured out by now. I'm seventeen years old. I have long brown hair and dark brown eyes. My mom died when I was a little girl. Not long after that my dad went bat-shit crazy. He would drink a lot and end up gambling away our finances. There were nights he didn't even come home. Neighbors caught on quick, and when I was six the government got involved, and they took me away.

I spent seven years being shuffled around Hoenn. I got into a lot of fights, so nobody wanted me around long. It wasn't my fault. Other kids would tease me for not having parents, so I would kick their asses. It didn't stop all of them. I've reached the conclusion that some of those kids enjoyed me beating the shit out of them. Sick bastards. By the time Karen, the pill-popping prostitute, adopted me and took me to Petalburg, I figured out how to make money using my strength. I relied on myself to the point of refusing any help from the houses I was forced into. I bought my own food, my own clothes, my own everything. I didn't need anyone, but it didn't mean I would refuse the chance at a family.

Some family. I had a whore for a mother and a fuck ton of different 'fathers'. I even had to take care of the entire fucking house by myself. It would have fallen apart years ago if I hadn't been there. It was just like living alone. Eventually I managed to save enough money to end up where this story begins: in front of the Littleroot Pokémon Lab, waiting for Professor Birch. I was determined to get a Pokémon and make my way to the Hoenn League. Correction: conquer the Hoenn League. This region had no idea what it was in for.

I stood there with a mickle amount of impatience. I was ready to get the ball rolling. Pushing up my blue-framed glasses, I took a look at my watch. It was a quarter to seven. The professor was later than I expected, although I shouldn't have been surprised. It was no secret the man was unorganized and childish. It then occurred to me I hadn't knocked on the door. After all, I'd arrived an hour early. Cursing myself, I gave it a try.

"Give me just a minute!" a voice called out. To be candid, I was shocked. A few minutes later, the door was unlocked and opened. In front of me was the 'famous' Professor Birch. "Well hello there! You must be Robin, yes?" his voice was cheerful and peppy. It almost made me sick. This was strictly a business visit. I had no intention of befriending him, and he shouldn't have with me.

"Yes, I am," I said flatly, pushing past him and into the lab. I didn't pay much attention to the room. My eyes were on the case towards the back, sitting on a pedestal. It was a large silver case, most likely metal. Clearly it was housing something valuable, which for me meant the Pokémon.

"Professor! Wait!" the voice stopped me as I was making my way towards the case. Turning around, I noticed a boy around my age hauling ass towards the door. He had spiky, light brown hair and was dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt with a plunging neckline as well as a pair of blue jeans. As he made it into the lab, I noticed he had vibrant green eyes that were almost hypnotic and a light tan. There was something about him that seemed familiar, but I didn't think about it to much. Despite his running, he had barely broken a sweat and was breathing normally.

"Clover, correct?" the professor asked him. It was a strange name for a boy, but I didn't dwell on it. After all his personal life was none of my business. I was under the impression that, like me, he was starting his journey late. I didn't care what the reasons were, and spending any amount of time with him was not on my agenda.

"That's me!" the boy said with a smile. He was confident, that was for sure. It was then I realized that he was a tad more muscular than me. I decided he might be competition I needed to keep an eye on, from a distance, of course. "Am I too late, professor?"

"Heavens no! You're right on time! Right this way," Birch led him towards the case, which I promptly made sure to reach first. Professor Birch made his way around the pedestal, leaving Clover and I side by side. "As you both know, you each get to choose one Pokémon from the three Hoenn starters: Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip," he opened the case, revealing three Pokéballs secured in the foam interior. "On your left is Treecko, the grass type. In the center we have Torchic, the fire type. And on your right is Mudkip, the water type,"

"Ladies first," Clover gestured to the case.

I glared at him, feeling insulted. Without a word I reached in the case and grabbed Mudkip's Pokéball. I then pressed the white button, causing the ball to burst open. In a flash of light there was a small, blue Pokémon standing in front of me. It had a large head, wide mouth, beady black eyes, and spiky orange structures on the sides of its face, which I determined to be external gills. It was sporting a blue fin on top of its head and in the rear was a light-blue tail fin.

"Mudkip!" it cried out, turning around to face me. I must admit it was an adorable Pokémon with an adorable voice. I knew it wouldn't last long, which is exactly what I needed. As it leapt into my arms, I couldn't help smiling a little. It was a strange feeling given the fact I've never been one to get attached to a living creature. I swore off emotional attachment when I became parentless.

"Is it male or female?" I asked Birch, looking up from the amphibious Pokémon.

"That Mudkip happens to be male," he replied. "I hope that's okay with you,"

"It's perfect," I told him, looking down at my Pokémon. "I'll call you Tsunami," the Mudkip let out a cry of what I perceived to be joy. It was then I could hear Clover stifling laughter, which earned him another burning glare from me. "Problem, pretty boy?"

"What kind of name is Tsunami for something that cute?" he leaned over to get a closer look at my Mudkip, who prompted to spray him in the face. I realized that the two of us would get along swimmingly, although I would have chosen to smack him rather than spray him with water.

"Tsunamis are devastating waves. They're powerful. Threatening," I began rubbing said Pokémon under his chin, which he appeared to like. "He won't be this cute for very long. Eventually he will become a threatening creature, and I want his opponents to fear him not only for his appearance and strength but his name," I noticed the professor giving me a concerned look. Clearly he'd never met a trainer who thought the way I do.

The boy scoffed. Rolling his eyes he reached into the case, grabbing Torchic's ball. With style and flair, he tossed it above him. It was like he wanted to put on a show. Out came a small, orange-feathered chick. Its yellow wings were almost nonexistent, but its legs looked well developed. It had a crest of feathers resembling a flame on its head, a pair of blue eyes and a yellow beak.

"Tor!" it shouted, shaking its body. Immediately he began flipping his shit, squealing and acting as giddy as a fucking schoolgirl. I wanted to punch him it was so annoying. In one swift motion he scooped up the young Pokémon and did a 360-degree spin. Torchic seemed to enjoy it, given its cries of glee and the smile on its face.

"It's so cute!" Clover shouted, his voice going up an octave. "Is it a boy or a girl, Professor Birch?"

"That Torchic is female, Clover," the man told him, smiling at his enthusiasm.

"Phoenix! That's your name, you little cutie!"

At that I could barely contain my own laughter. "You had the nerve to laugh at Tsunami? That name is beyond cliché!" it took me a moment, but I managed to compose myself once more. "Please, tell me why on earth you would go with a name like that,"

He scoffed again, placing a hand on his hip. "The phoenix is a beautiful creature. It has style, glamour, and grace, all of which are timeless as it rises from the ashes and begins life anew,"

"And its flame is rivaled only by your own," I added deridingly. He flipped me off, and I responded with a smirk before turning to Birch. "If you could give me what else I ordered, I would really like to get going,"

"Of course," he made his way to a table behind him, which housed a box. Moments later he came back with five Pokéballs and a black device that resembled a large cell phone. "Here are some Pokéballs to get you started, as well as the Pokédex you ordered. This model has a map of Hoenn built in so you won't get lost while you're out there, as well as information on Pokémon not generally found in this region," I thanked him and placed the items inside the pocket of my red leather coat. "Clover, here are your Pokéballs," he pulled the spheres from his own coat pocket, handing them to the boy.

"Thank you, professor," he replied, a twinge of sadness in his voice. I didn't let it concern me. His problems were his own. I admit, I was a bit curious as to why he didn't get a Pokédex, but like I said it was his problem.

"Clover, I know you didn't really have the money for one, but since I've known you for quite some time and you've always worked hard, I want you to have it anyway," Birch pulled a green Pokédex from his pocket and handed it to the boy. "It's the same model as Robin's, so it should serve you just as well,"

I saw tears forming in his eyes. It wasn't really anything for him to be happy about, if you ask me. I worked hard to get the money for my Pokédex. His was just handed to him like it was nothing. Mine was the result of hard work and perseverance, whereas his was someone taking pity on him.

"This is all very touching," I broke the mood by being acerbic. "But Tsunami and I need to get going," I turned, Mudkip still in arm, and headed toward the door. I had to make it to the first gym, and I had to do it soon. I was falling behind my competitors; I could feel it.

"Robin, hold on a second," the professor requested. I was reluctant, but I did what was asked of me. I felt I owed him at least that much. "I'd like the two of you to travel together. It's good to have human companionship and I feel as though the two of you could learn from each other,"

I had to scoop my jaw off the floor. There was no way he was serious. "You're joking. You're fucking joking,"

"No, I'm not," Birch replied in a stern voice. "You two will be going together, unless you'd rather I take back your Pokémon, Pokédex, and Pokéballs," the look in his eye told me he wasn't bluffing. It was a sick threat; taking away the very things that made me a trainer and sending me back to that whore.

"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. It wouldn't last long, however. One way or another I was ditching the dead weight I knew he would become. I just had to figure out when, where, and how.

"Great. Now you two get going. I'll be checking up on you periodically, so be sure to stick together," he glared straight at me.

"Fuck," I muttered to myself. I was stuck with him whether I liked it or not. And believe me, I didn't. During this little spat between the professor and I, Clover appeared to be vilified. I would have found it amusing had I not been so incredibly pissed off at having him forced on me for the extent of my trip.

When we exited the lab, our Pokémon jumped from our arms and started walking ahead of us. They were having a conversation, and from the looks of things it was an enjoyable one. I was glad Tsunami had a friend, but I certainly hoped his friendly nature wouldn't affect his battling. With a quick replay to his issue with Clover I put that worry to rest.

"I wonder what they're saying," Clover mused, attempting to make conversation with me. I merely shrugged. I wasn't interested in getting to know him at all, let alone engage in idle conversation. "You know, since we're stuck together you could at least try to like me, or at least get to know me,"

"Just because our Pokémon get along doesn't me we have to," I said matter-of-factly. "Besides, we have nothing in common," we set foot onto Route 101. As we did so, I pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from my coat. Don't judge; we've all got our habits.

"Well, we're both starting out late in our lives. That's one thing," he smiled at me. I just blew smoke in his face, making him cough. "So, why the late start for you?" he asked, waving away the smoke.

"Tell you what, Clover, how about we don't worry about the past and focus on the future? I have a gym battle to train for and win," I took another hit off my cigarette. He was really getting on my nerves. Why the hell couldn't he see I wanted nothing to do with him?

"Gym battle, eh?" he was relentless. I nodded, figuring it was enough of a response. "I don't think those are for me. They're all about strength and violence," he placed his hands behind his head. "Now contests, those are the stuff, trainers showing off the beauty and elegance of their Pokémon. Sign me up for that action,"

Called it. The fact I was right about him made being stuck with him both better and worse. It meant he wasn't a competitor for the Hoenn League, so I wouldn't have to watch out for him when I made it, not that I would've lost anyway. Unfortunately, coordinators could be so damn annoying. It was always about proper love and care to make sure your Pokémon looked and performed their best. As long as my Pokémon are strong, healthy, and happy, I don't give a rat's ass how attractive they are.

There was a rustling in the bushes ahead, causing all four of us to stop. Clover opened his mouth to say something, but I quickly shushed him. Tsunami readied himself for battle, while Phoenix took shelter behind her trainer's leg. A moment later, a Pokémon slithered out of the bushes. It was mostly black, with yellow hexagonal markings placed along its body as well as small yellow bumps on its underside. Its tail was like a blade and it had two red fangs protruding from its mouth.

"A Seviper," I whispered in astonishment. Seviper were rare in this part of Hoenn, and they were powerful Pokémon. I quickly pulled out my Pokédex. Aiming it at the snake, I pressed the button, causing it to open. A picture of the Pokémon appeared on screen.

"Seviper, the Fang Snake Pokémon," the device spoke in a female voice. "Seviper is known for its angry disposition, and is able to secrete a deadly toxin from its tail,"

"Seviper, you are mine," I said to myself. "Tsunami, I hope you're ready, because it's go time. Mud Slap!"

The Mudkip turned around and began kicking mud at his opponent. In a flash Seviper dodged the attack. The blade of its tail began glowing purple and it swung at Tsunami. He dodged and hit Seviper with a Water Gun, per my command. The wild Pokémon then unleashed a stream of red-orange flames from its mouth. I nearly dropped my cigarette.

"Flamethrower?" Clover was just as confused as I. Flamethrower wasn't a typical move for Seviper. The fact it could pull it off made me all the more eager to catch the Pokémon. I let my astonishment go to my head, and realized the move had hit Tsunami. It was foolish of me to get caught up in thought during a battle, and I cursed myself for it. Luckily, given his type advantage, the move didn't do much damage to the Mudkip.

"It's nowhere near over. Tackle," Tsunami charged at the snake. It dodged, and with a hiss began opening its maw, preparing to chomp down on the mudfish. Following my command, he shot water into its mouth, nearly choking the Pokémon. I ordered another Tackle, and he sent the black snake backwards and into a tree. As the Seviper struggled to get up, I tossed a Pokéball at it.

The device shook once, then twice. I was confident this catch would be in the bag. In a flash, however, it burst open, flying into the air. I managed to catch it, but it appeared to be damaged and unusable. The Seviper shook its head, regaining composure. "Not ready to give up," I said with a smirk, putting the finished cigarette out. "I definitely need to catch you now,"

Tsunami used Mud Slap one more time, and it hit home. As it had done earlier, the snake used Poison Tail. I told my Pokémon to dodge, but I was too slow. The attack sent him back a few feet. The poison from the attack didn't seem to take hold. Still, I knew Nurse Joy in Oldale Town should look at him, especially after battling such a foe. The attacks went back and forth for a few more minutes, most of Tsunami's landing and Seviper's missing, until both Pokémon were worn out and doing little more than staring each other down. Clover had been cheering for us the entire time, which was irritating, but I had to get used to it. I figured he would be doing that at each of my battles.

Time seemed to stand still as I waited for one Pokémon to fall. I had full confidence it wouldn't be Tsunami, but he was pretty exhausted. It had been a tough fight and he gave it his all. Whatever the outcome, I was proud of the little guy, and I knew the two of us would go all the way. At last the moment was at hand. Seviper had finally run out of energy and collapsed. With a grin I tossed another ball. After a few shakes, it clicked. Seviper had succumbed to its fate.

I walked over and grabbed the ball, elation surging through me. I was about to pull out my Pokédex to learn more about my catch until I realized Tsunami was on the verge of passing out himself. I swiftly called him back to his Pokéball and returned to scanning my new Pokémon. "Let's see, female, high attack power, good defense as well as speed. We'll still need to train, but overall this is very nice," I was pleased with my catch, as well as the Pokémon that helped me obtain her. "I'll call you Secri,"

"Secri?" Clover was confused, but he wasn't taunting the name as he had done with Tsunami. I personally didn't see why the name didn't make sense to him. It seemed like a completely obvious choice to me.

"Didn't you hear the Pokédex? Seviper secrete venom from their tails, ergo we have the name 'Secri'," I pocketed the newly occupied Pokéball and continued walking towards Oldale Town, Clover and Phoenix trailing behind. It was a short distance from Littleroot, so the three of us were there in no time.

"Hello, may I help you?" Nurse Joy greeted us as we entered the Pokémon Center. She looked a bit older than most Joys I'd seen, with a few wrinkles and bits of gray mixed into her pink hair. Despite that, she looked as energetic and caring as the rest.

"Yes ma'am," I replied, taking out my Pokéballs. "I was wondering if you could take care of my Pokémon for me,"

"I'd be glad to! They'll be good as new in no time at all!" she assured me with a smile as I handed them over. I knew they would be, of course. Joys were known for being able to heal almost any injured Pokémon. It was their job.

While my Pokémon were being treated, Clover and I decided to sit in the lobby. He tried to converse with me, but I was deep in thought. I was focused on Petalburg City. It held for me multiple challenges. The most obvious was the gym, which I was sure I could take easily. Karen was my other problem. I figured by the time we made it there she would be awake, provided she hadn't overdosed on those pills. After a while she would figure out I wasn't in the house and go looking for me. She might even see me while she was on the prowl for clients. After finding me she would make me stay with her and likely get rid of my Pokémon, and legally I would have no choice. I couldn't go to the police about how fucked up she was. They'd just give me to some other family, and my luck they would be on the other end of Hoenn. I could even see the scene with that whore playing out in my head. The two of us were going back and forth, and the anger was welling up inside me.

"You won't stop me, Karen!"

"Who's Karen?" I looked up, seeing Clover's puzzled expression. It was then I realized I'd said those last words aloud. At first I was just going to blow it off somehow, but I drew the conclusion there was hardly a reason to keep it from him any longer, especially at that point. I had a feeling the odds were good he'd find out once we reached the city anyway.

"Karen is my adoptive mother," I spat the last word as though it were poison in my mouth. "My mom died when I was little, and my dad spiraled downhill," I was clenching my fists, trying to keep my emotions in check. "Long story short, I ended up with Karen in Petalburg. She's a whore and a druggie who would never let me leave, so I ran away. My plan is to get to Petalburg City, earn my badge, and get the fuck out before she can stop me,"

For once the boy was speechless. The look in his eyes told me he was sympathetic, which was something I neither needed nor wanted. It made me feel uncomfortable as well as angry. I was all the more eager to get out of the center than I had been when we arrived.

"Robin, you're Pokémon are well rested and ready to go," Nurse Joy walked up behind me, a large smile on her face and my Pokéballs in hand. "Just be more careful and try not to push them so hard next time, okay?"

"I will, Nurse Joy," I reassured her as I took my Pokéballs back. "Thank you very much," humming, she made her way back to the front desk. The pep of some people really made me sick sometimes, but it was hard to fault a Nurse Joy. "Let's go, Clover,"