"Are you really sure about this Al?" Asked Matthew, eyes worriedly following his twins movements.

"For the last time Mattie, yes!" Replied Alfred as he busily ran about gathering the last of the supplies he needed for starting his journey.

"Don't worry Mattie, I'll be fine. I'm gonna be the worlds greatest Pokemon master, take down the elite four and become the new champion, just you wait!"

"I know you like to dream big, but you've never even been past the city before and going on a journey is really hard…"

Alfred paused mid step and turned to regard his twin brother. Matthew stared at him with such worry it almost made Alfred reconsider leaving and just staying home. Almost. Taking two short strides, Alfred stood on front of his brother and gave his best smile.

"Really Mattie, I'll be fine. I'm ready to go out and experience the world for myself. And hey, don't forget I won't be alone, I've got Bouffy with me!" Bouffy, Matthew smiled at the mention of the affectionate nickname Alfred gave his buaffalant. Alfred and his buaffalant have been inseparable ever since their parents gave Bouffy to Al for his tenth birthday. A buaffalant might seem like a bit much for a ten year old, but not Al. Personally, Matthew much prefers his cubchoo, Kuma to Al's giant pokemon. Unlike most kids who got their first Pokemon for the professor at the Pokemon lab in the city near by, they got theirs from the farm their parents run. But in exchange for getting their Pokemon their parents made them wait to going on a journey until they we're older. They've both learnt a lot from working on the farm but now Al wants to get out and see the world. Honestly Matthew can't blame him, he to, thinks a journey would be good for his brother, but there's just one problem.

"But what if you run into a ghost Pokemon?"

"G-g-ghost?" Though he tries to hide it, Mat can tell Al is shaking, only slightly from the mention alone of ghost types.

"You know how scared of them you are-"

"I'm not scared!"

"-and Bouffy is a normal type, he can't fight ghost types." Al takes a moment to calm himself before smiling confidently at his twin.

"I know, don't worry I've thought about that and I know just what am gonna do!" Alfred turns back to his bag and rummages around for a few seconds till he pulls a map from the depths. "See I had been thinking about leaving for ages, but the thought of running into ghost Pokemon alone was to sc- uh, unnerving. Then it hit me! I need a travel partner who can handle the ghosts for me!"

"That's… actually rather smart of you."

"Thanks. I kinda wanted you to go on this journey with me, but we both know your a home body and I wouldn't feel right asking you to leave when you don't wanna. So then I thought, who could be my partner? Then I realised the answer was obvious, the best ghost trainer around! They can deal with ghosts since they train them and they can help me get over my, uh.. aversion. After all the worlds most awesome Pokemon master can't be afraid of ghost types!"

"Huh, I guess you have thought about this. But Al, we don't know any ghost trainers and what makes you think they'll agree?"

"I don't but, Gil told me about a guy and how to get him to agree to anything."

"Really?"

"Yup, his name's Arthur Kirk-something and all I have to do is eat some of his food and he'll be willing to agree!" Alfred gave Mat that over confident smile again but Matthew didn't feel any more reassured by it. But it did sound like a solid plan and if it worked Al would be able to get past ghost types safely and he'd have a travel partner to help make sure he didn't do anything stupid. "So… you know where to find this Arthur?"

"Yup, Gil told me where I could fined him, see?" Alfred asked as he waved his map at Matthew's face. Grabbing Alfred's wrist to stop the map, Mat could see the dark woods were circled. The woods are a 3 days walk from the farm but they're also full of ghost Pokemon.

"Al, you do realise the dark woods are full of ghost Pokemon right? And to find this guy you'll have to go through the woods, alone, right?" Mat could see his brother swallow nervously before nodding.

"This'll just be the first challenge on my journey, but I can do it!" Matthew sighed before smiling at his twin.

"There really is no stopping you is there? Okay, if you're really set on this then, good luck."

"Thanks bro, that means a lot."

XoxoxoxoxoxoX

And so that was how Alfred found himself lost in the Dark woods in the middle of the night. 'It's okay, I can handle this.' Al thought to himself. 'Just don't run into any ghosts and you'll be fine!' He had been ridiculously lucky so far and hadn't seen one ghost since entering the forest. 'Damn it! I should have known Gil would give me bad directions.' Alfred chose to blame Gilbert for his predicament and not the fact he wasn't paying attention. 'Come on, come on, where is this guy? And why does he hang out in a haunted forest all day anyway!?' Perhaps, Al thinks he should have asked that before leaving.

And so Alfred trudges on, feeling like he's being watched and seriously considering going home and just giving up on this whole journey thing. That is, until he sees the gentle glow of a fire up ahead. Feeling saved Alfred charges uncaringly through the woods towards the light. After what feels like an eternity Alfred enters a clearing and finds a small campfire and a tent. Looking around and seeing no one Al decides to sit down and wait for the camp owner to come back, the fires still going so they can't be far. About ten minutes later Alfred hears footsteps approaching. He quickly stands and looks about. Then a figure appears through the woods from the opposite direction he had come. The stranger pauses for a moment before speaking.

"Let me guess, your lost, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Now out in the light of the fire Al could see the strangers appearance better. He wore dark trousers and a grey t-shirt with a ghost symbol on the front. He also was wearing a dark purple cloak for some reason. Messy blonde hair sat atop a frowning face, green eyes piercing him with a fierce glare and those eyebrows! Al almost burst out laughing at the sight. Then the stranger spoke again.

"Fine, you can stay but only for the night, come morning your gone, got that?" They asked.

"Thanks, hey do you know a guy called Arthur? He's supposed to be in these woods but I think I got bad directions." Alfred questioned remembering the reason he came to the woods in the first place.

"Yes, I'm Arthur, why are you looking for me?" The stranger, Arthur, gave him a guarded look.

"You? But you're supposed to be some awesome ghost trainer." Alfred couldn't believe this, this guy was who he's been looking for?

"I do specialise in ghost types, what of it?" Arthur seemed to becoming more agitated but Al payed him no mind.

"Really? You don't look like it." 'This couldn't really be the guy, could it?'

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Oh, now he looked angry, better back track fast.

"Nothing, I just was kinda expecting something else I guess not uh.." 'Mr. Grumpy pants eyebrow face here.'

"Not what?" 'Oh he looks livid, quick abort plan, abort!'

"Some grumpy Grampa sculling in the woods all night." That was not what he meant to say!

"That's it! I've heard enough, leave!" Arthur stepped forward threateningly.

"What? Come on dude, I'm only joking." Alfred tries to plead backing up.

"Leave, before I make you!" Arthur continues his advance.

"Come on, it was a joke." 'This is bad, this is bad!'

"I've had enough of you! Pumpkin! Shadow ball!" Arthur calls as he pulls a pokeball from behind his back. 'Oh no, that's a ghost type move, please tell me that doesn't mean-'

"Pum- AAAAaaaaaaarrrrrrhhhhhhh!" Alfred dropped to the ground in an instant at the sight of the pumpkaboo. Clutching his ears and forehead pressed against his knees brought up to his chest, Alfred screams his lungs out.

"What the hell?" Arthur stops and stares at the boy, cowering and screaming, looking utterly terrified.

"Aaaaaahhhh!"

"Are, are you scared of pumpkin?" 'This can't be happening.'

Yup, this is the start of a wonderful adventure.


Authors notes: This was first published on tumblr but thought I might as well put it up here too. This is my first time writing a fic and publishing it so review please?