Pokémon is that base. Everybody (of my age) grew up while watching this show and playing the games. I have always liked this, but only the first series until Crystal, and now HeartGold and SoulSilver. I will not include the Pokémon from Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Black and White in this fanfiction. Maybe one Pokémon or another, but not too many.

I thought I wanted to try out and see how I do myself in this category, so here I am with a new fanfiction. It is about the journey of my OC, Mikoto Sakurazaki. I had this started a long time ago, but I am making a major re-writing, because it had a lot of grammar errors and stuff that made no sense in my mind as it was.

This story is going to portrait romance, action and lots of Pokémon battles. I am writing this to entertain the readers and for fun, so, if you don't like it this way, then you don't have to read it. I am using a FireRed/LeafGreen walkthrough as a reference to make things easier, but they will also go to Johto at some point. For those who will read, please enjoy and leave a review.

Rated T for language and possible future mature contents.

:. Ritchie x Mikoto .:

Disclaimer: I do not own any related characters from the Anime/Game that is Pokémon. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo. I only own Mikoto Sakurazaki, Ritsuka (Mikoto's mother) and Hiro, the rival.

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AN: The italic blocks in this chapter are flashbacks from Mikoto's past. Any further flashbacks in the following chapters will be properly indicated. Please enjoy.

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Chapter 01: A New Beginning

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"Hey, Onii-chan! Do you think I'll ever be able to be a good Pokémon trainer like you someday?" a young child asks, as cheerful and lively as a six-year-old can be.

"Of course." An older voice steps in and smiles at the girl. "I'm sure you'll be even better than me, Mikoto-Violet."

"Oh, no, I don't believe that." The girl giggles upon the calling of her pet-name and sits beside her older brother, who pats her head gently and asks her why would she say such a thing. "Because, because, Onii-chan, you are really kind to all of your Pokémon! And, and! They're all so strong, too!" the girl said, awed at her brother's collection. "I don't think my Pokémon would ever be as strong as yours. You have even caught legendary Pokémon! I could never get one for myself like you did." She added.

The girl turned her head when she heard a laugh. Her older brother, Max, was trying not to laugh, but couldn't hold himself. Upon listening to that sound, the younger girl, Mikoto, began laughing as well.

A figure shifted under the baby-blue covers from her bed. Some long pink bangs of hair are visible spread over the pillow. She doesn't even have to check the clock to know that it is still very late in the night. These sudden dreams about her brother were making her wake up at these late hours. She can only sigh as she curls into a ball and tries to go back to sleep. At first, she can't, because these dreams haunt her. She doesn't want to dream about this. She really doesn't.

"Watch it, make way, make way. Mikoto is going to get her first Pokémon!" the older brother said out loud, making the people look at the two. Some would giggle at them, knowing how Max is towards his little sister.

"Onii-chan, please stop that. I'm not six anymore. I'm ten. I'm a big girl now." the girl blushed and stretched down her short pink hair bangs.

"So, do you know which one are you going to choose?" Max asked, trying to distract his little sister from her nervousness.

"Um, I don't really know. I was reading my books and I think that maybe I'll chose Squirtle, the water-type Pokémon. I always kinda liked water type Pokemon."

"Hm, the Squirtle should be good for you." Max said, looking up and thinking. "For the first gym badges, it will be good help for you."

"Why do you say that?" Mikoto asked, curious.

"Because of the types of your future opponents will be using against you." Max answered, looking down at the small girl with his smile. "You got to think of everything when you chose your first Pokémon."

"Oh, alright."

She shifted again in her restless sleep. This wouldn't do. She was not going to be able to get any sleep at this rate. Maybe it was someone's Gengar who was playing a trick on her mind, making her dream like this again. But it has been so long, so who would remember this now? She sighed again.

"Onii-chan, are these the two Pokémon you were telling me about before?" Mikoto asked while looking at a photograph of Max with two Legendary Pokémon.

"Yes, it's them. I was able to catch the two Pokémon I'd always want, and I was really happy when I called you that day, remember?" Max replied, looking at the photo as well.

"Yes, I do, but why aren't they with you now?" Mikoto asked, with a curious tone of voice.

"I would love to carry them with me all the time, but you can't keep Pokémon like them locked up, or else something bad might happen to the world we all live in." He explained.

"Oh, why is that, Onii-chan?" Mikoto asked, curious.

"Because the Legendary Pokémon are who keep the balance in our world." Max explained.

"Balance?" Mikoto asked, petting her new Squirtle and looking focused at her older brother.

"Yes. The world's balance is very, very important." Max said. "Remember when all that snow kept falling all of a sudden here in Pallet Town a few years ago?"

"Ah, I remember. It was in the middle of the summer, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was. It happened because there was a very bad man trying to catch the Legendary Birds Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno."

"But, but, that man was stopped, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was. By that trainer from our town as well."

"He seems like a really nice person. I would like to meet him one day." Mikoto smiled at her Pokémon.

"Do you understand now why you shouldn't keep an important Pokémon like that locked up?" her brother asked with a serene tone of voice.

"Yes, Onii-chan." The young girl turned her head towards her brother and smiled brightly.

"Hey, I heard Onii-chan was back from his trip, so I-" Mikoto said cheerfully as she got home, Squirtle following her, but she stopped her tracks as she saw her mother's state. "M-Mommy, what's wrong?" she asked with a concerned voice. Squirtle peered from behind her, also worried.

"Oh, Mikoto.." her mother, Ritsuka, was crying. There were some used tissues around her and a pink tissue box on front of her, over the coffee table. The woman hiccupped as she spoke. "Max is.. Your brother was.. He was.."

"What? What happened to Onii-chan?" Mikoto asked with a gapped voice and tears in the corner of her eyes.

"He was found lying in one of his training spots in the other day. Your father just left for the hospital in Celadon City to make the confirmation that it was his body that was found. He was attacked by someone." Her mother said, clutching at her tissue with two streams of tears running down her cheeks. Her shoulders were shivering, meaning she was trying really hard not to break down in front of her child.

"N-No, y-you're lying." Mikoto said, taking a step back. Before she knew it, two streams of tears ran down her own cheeks as well. "O-Onii-chan is strong. H-He wouldn't lose to anyone like that. He, he wouldn't!" the young girl wasn't aware of it, but she began running out of the house as fast as her short legs could take her, with Squirtle not wanting to leave his Trainer alone.

Another sigh. It was followed by another. The figure kicked the covers away as she uncurled herself, revealing the girl that was Mikoto. She shifted herself upwards and sat up in her bed. She dared to look at the clock over her nightstand, and to her surprise, she noticed that it was almost 8:20 in the morning. She stretched her arms upwards, yawning afterwards. The girl looked at the lump by her side, noticing that her Squirtle was still sleeping. After giving him a small smile, Mikoto looked towards the large window that head to the equally large balcony of her room. It was there that she had seen them. It was the first and only time she ever saw her brother's most prized Pokémon.

It happened after the funeral. It was as if they knew she was in pain and came to her to ease her. She was crying in her room, and Squirtle was also there, but he wasn't able to make her tears stop. She wasn't aware for how long she had been crying, because she ended up falling asleep on the floor. At some time, she woke up to the sound of what seemed to be a beak poking at her window. She thought it could be just a tree branch, but then she remembered that there were no trees next to her house. Mikoto tried to clean the dry tears in her face, but failed as she walked up to the window. Upon pulling the curtains to the side, she saw them. The Legendary Lugia and Ho-Oh were there, right in front of her, at the distance of a window. She couldn't even believe it herself. Maybe she was still asleep. Yeah, that was most likely it. They wouldn't fly from so far away from where they lived just to see her. It was then that she realized that the same sound she had heard before had came from Ho-Oh's beak against the window. Mikoto regained her senses and opened the window, watching the two landing down in front of her house. The young girl ran down the stairs and barge out of home, not minding her parents' comments, with Squirtle always close to her. Once outside, she noticed how the two seemed so much bigger than her. She was afraid, though. But she still had to ask what was making her throat dry.

"Were you with my brother when he was attacked?" she asked, holding her small hands clenches against her chest.

She noticed the two leaning down their heads. They looked troubled. That could only mean no. Mikoto looked down at the grass poking at her bare feet, when a large shadow overcame hers. She looked up to see Lugia coming up to her. He leant his head against the side of hers and Mikoto shivered. He was warm, not what she was expecting. She felt a strange sensation, and then, she didn't feel like crying anymore. Maybe it was Lugia's doing, but she felt more at ease. Maybe she would be alright without her brother. She had felt so when Lugia leant his head against hers. After the two had taken off, Mikoto noticed two feathers on the ground. One was red and shiny, and the other was silver and looked sharp. Mikoto grabbed them and held them close against her head. Yes, she was going to be just fine. She then knew that Lugia and Ho-Oh would also be watching over her, to make sure she was alright.

"I guess you really want me to move on, don't you, Onii-chan..?" she asked to the air with another sigh as she looked from the window to back to her nightstand, where she kept a small dark red box. She knew what it contained. The souvenirs that the two had left that day after they were gone were kept safe in that box ever since.

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Here she was, Mikoto Sakurazaki from Pallet Town, starting her Pokémon Adventure. Current age: 17 years old. She was out to begin her trip much later than all the other trainers from her town, but it's not like she cared too much about that detail. The thing would be: Mikoto had finally found the will to go on with it. She checked the clock by her nightstand to see that it was just past 9 in the morning. She had already dressed her blue shorts and red sleeveless shirt. She adjusted the collar at her neck and then end of the shirt just below her ribcage. Her long pink hair was brushed and was straight down for now. She knew it would start getting wavy soon, but she preferred it straight like it was at the moment. Her hair was uneven in the back, with small spikes down to the small of her back. Her ruby eyes almost gleamed at her looked at the small dark red box next to her clock. She would be taking that with her as well. It made her feel safe to keep the two feathers close to her. The teen walked over to the wardrobe and grabbed her waist bag. Inside, she put the essential items she would need to continue her journey: A small notebook that belonged to her brother that contained information on Pokémon, an extra red shirt; some money; a sleeping bag; a red ribbon, given by her brother Max; her Pokégear and Pokédex. Mikoto knew she'd eventually catch a lot of items, so she kept the bag with enough space. Since Mikoto was ten, she had earned a few Pokéballs, so she would begin with those.

"Hey, for how long are you going to stay asleep, Squirtle? It's time to move." Mikoto asked with a sweet voice.

"Squir…" the blue turtle peeked from under the covers and looked at his Trainer. "Squir, Squir?"

"Yeah, that's it. We're going to do it. We're finally starting." Mikoto took two steps closer to her room's door.

"Squirtle?" it was as if he was asking if they were really going.

"Yes, now come on." The girl smiled.

"Squir!" the blue turtle seemed thrilled as he jumped off the bed and came close to Mikoto. His eyes shined with the idea of battling and meeting new Pokémon. Mikoto automatically understood the feeling and smiled again towards her starter. As she got down the flight of stairs, she noticed that her mother talking with a neighbor.

"Yes, yes, and then.. Oh! Mikoto!" Ritsuka noticed her child's choice of clothing and jogged to the young trainer. "I see you're all dressed up today."

"Yeah, I am, Mom. Look, I, uh, I was finally able to make a decision." Mikoto nodded her head and waved at the neighbor, saying good morning.

"Oh, and what would that decision be, dear?" her mother asked with a knowing smile.

"I am going to continue where I left of my journey." Mikoto said, with a clear voice.

"You are? Oh, I'm so happy for you, dear!" Ritsuka gave Mikoto a hug. "If you want I can save you some money from when you win something."

"Thanks, Mom. That is going to be helpful." Mikoto nodded her head again.

"Well, you know how to use your gear, right?" Ritsuka asked.

"Yes, Mom, I still remember." Mikoto nodded, grabbing her Pokégear.

"Okay, then. Go on and be a Pokémon Trainer." Ritsuka said, with a cheerful tone of voice. "But don't forget to call every now and then, alright? I'll worry about you."

"Alright, I will, don't worry." Mikoto smiled back at her mother gently. "Are you ready, Squirtle?" she looked down at her partner.

"Squirtle, Squir!" the blue turtle seemed pumped to start.

"Okay, let's go." Mikoto smiled again before walking out the front door of her house.