Shadows of a Trainer: Kanto

Disclaimor: I don't own the pokemon, it's franchise, or the characters.

However, I do own Rue, Hikari, and the other original characters.

Chapter 1: It starts…

The career of a Pokemon Trainer is a long, strenuous one. It is not for the faint of heart or the meek. It must be done with dedication, courage, and assertiveness. After all, it is a dangerous world out there. Most of the current world's crimes are committed by trainers themselves and occur to trainers. People have been kidnapped, enslaved, raped, or even killed. With all these results, it is a sad thought that so much of our youth has been forced into this career as their only survival choice. If only something can be done. I, myself, host fundraisers, but it is not enough to help everyone. It just isn't.

Pallet Town Times, when interviewing Professor Oak on the topic of "A Pokemon Trainer"

My right arm felt really heavy. One of the first things that I can notice is the intense heat. It burned all around me, and the smoke clouded my vision. I suppose there was an explosion, but I couldn't tell anything. I pushed through the smoke though, but it was a difficult task.

"…"

My arm was being dragged by my body. It seems like someone was saying something, but I couldn't hear them correctly. At least, not with the rumbling and smoke. I tried to say something. It didn't turn out so well as it only allowed the black smoke to come into my lungs. I coughed and fell closer to the floor, breathing in some of the last remaining air.

"…"

I couldn't really move my arm. Looking around, I can finally see some of the objects in the room. Destroyed remnants of computers and glass. I couldn't tell what the other things were. Now that I think about it, it is weird that I didn't see anyone else. Living, dead, or in between.

"…n…"

Something was holding my arm back? Regardless, if I stayed around, I would end up dieing. I forced myself forward, looking for an exit.

"…n…"

Something was holding my arm. I probably couldn't see more than two meters. I suppose there could have been more people.

"…o…n…"

Surely, there was something that I was dragging with my arm. There, in front of me were the remains of a door. It would appear that the door shattered from the impact of whatever caused this.

"…o…n…"

I took a firm hold on whatever was on my arm and pulled. I walked through the doorway, being careful in walking over the broken splinters of what remained of the door. The ground felt cold to my feet in comparison to the fire, while the splinters and rocks were merciless. My vision, while clear from the smoke, was distorted. I wasn't able to hear straight either.

"…o…an…"

I took extra precaution as I forced the thing holding my arm to follow me. I trudged forward. I felt intense pain, but I didn't care. I was alive. Therefore, I continued forward in hopes that I may continue to survive.

"…o…an…"

My arm wasn't so heavy anymore. I think the thing started walking faster to keep up.

"…o…chan…"

I turn around. The so called thing turned out to be a cute, pale, and fairly little girl much smaller than myself. In terms of an age, she would appear three, but she was clearly malnourished. Her dress, which must have been a beautiful, bright pink color, was now covered in so much ash and dirt. It hung limply on her. She was crying, rubbing tears that were mixing with the dirt on her face.

"…o…chan…"

She had sleek black hair, but at the moment, it was too hard to tell if that was the normal color. Turning back, I trudged forward. I didn't have time to think about that now.

"…o…chan…ma…"

Glancing back, I noticed that she had a backpack on. I wonder what could be inside. Despite that, I tried focused on moving forward. I don't know why, but I felt that if we stopped in one place for too long, that we would die.

"…o…chan…ma…"

Glancing back again, I could now see that the backpack was slightly open, showing a patterned surface that looked like… eggs? I tripped on a root on the ground, and the both of us fell. One of the eggs rolled out in front of me. It had patterns like… a hazard sign?

"…o…chan…ma…pa…"

Looking to the side, the little girl's face becoming clearer. She's crying about something. Maybe it's about me? I can feel a smile coming to my face. At least someone cares. Anyway, my vision was getting blurry again. Was it because I was at my limit? Was it because I was hurt?

"…o…chan…ma…pa…"

Everything was getting dark, and I could only watch as the girl was suddenly pulled away. Someone else came into view. I could faintly make out the long hair and a smile. The blurred person started talking, but I couldn't hear. There was only one thing I could hear before passing out.

"…onii-chan…ma…pa…"

6/16/XX98

…I hear a ringing. Turning to my left, I see the 9:30 glaring at me.

I keep having that dream. I guess it would be more accurate to say that it's a memory. The first memory I have, in fact. That was about six years ago.

I look to my right to see the box that I had opened the night before.

"To: Rue Mazashima,

From: Hikari Mazashima"

That's me, Rue Mazashima. Hikari is my little sister. We live together in this run down little house. It's not much, but it is ours.

That's a package that my sister sent me the other day. You see, she left to a private school about a week ago. She managed to acquire the Oak's Potential scholarship. It's no surprise, really. She was always smarter and far better with people than I am.

Looking at the contents of the box, I smile. The only things she sent me were a customized pokeball and a letter. I looked over the letter. It read:

Dear Onii-chan,

How are you doing? I'm finally getting used to the school. Pi-chan and I are having so much fun. They even have ways to customize pokeballs! The first one was free, so I sent it to you. After all, you worked a lot to catch Pi-chan for me, and you don't even have your own Pokemon yet!

Ah, yes… how kind of her to remind me. You see, we are on a pretty tight budget. I had to save and pinch a lot just to get one pokeball. After all, owning a pokemon and having a trainer's license were requirements to get into the school.

Oh, and Pi-chan is a pichu. It was paired with another pichu who, apparently, live near us. Pi-chan was the much nicer one… while the other has given me a lot of trouble.

So, I am giving you this pokeball that I customized for you, so that you can get your own first pokemon! I knew you liked the colors black and red, so I designed it with that in mind.

Looking at the pokeball, I wish she had time to call me and ask me how I would have liked it customized. She did a good job, but I wished it wasn't so… what's the word… cutesy. The ball was a pure black one with a nice, big, red heart engraved on it. Why did it have to be engraved? If it was at least a sticker, I could have taken it off, but no, it is permanent. What kind of person engraves a shape like a heart for a guy.

Do you want to know about the school? Well, everyone gets their own room. Oh, and everyone gets a sempai to help the freshmen adapt. I haven't gotten mine yet, but I can't wait.

I don't have much more time, but I hope you write back soon.

From your imouto,

Hikari Mazashima

Well, as long as she was happy.

After dressing, I stuffed the custom pokeball into my pocket. Grabbing a slice of bread for my breakfast I headed out the door.

Thank goodness school is out. I got a simple job at Professor Oak's laboratory. All I had to do was put the food out for all the pokemon and check on a few select ones. I don't even get to see or play with them. After all, I'm expected to be done before they're let out for exercise and meals.

Although I only had the morning shift, it will probably take me nearly three hours to get done. But the pay's pretty good for only three hours. That way, I also have enough time to study or play around.

I head out.

I'm finally done. The only thing I want to do is head on home….

"Chu!"

… and that's when I see it. The other pichu. The bane of my existence. It has given me enough problems like chewing through our wires or short circuiting our electronics. Granted, this forced me to learn how to repair things like the microwave, but I would have been fine without those skills.

And besides, without any pokemon of my own, I was unable to scare it off, so there is only one thing to do. I have to catch it! It will kill two birds with one stone. I need a pokemon, and this could be the one. Not only that, I also have the pokeball that my sister gave me.

I look at the pichu in front of me with a grin. This is going to be a piece of cake.

I move fast, picking up a rock and throwing it. The rock slams into the pokemon's head at it reels back. But don't forget that this is the pokemon that has given me trouble for nearly six years!

Pichu's cheeks spark and a bolt of electricity comes flying at me. I close my eyes in anticipation of getting shocked. I open them again when I don't feel anything. Pichu missed. Me anyway. I turn around. There, a girl is lying on the ground, apparently because of the shock. Further away from her, I see a few normal pokeballs that she dropped. They were broken and open. The pokemon inside apparently escaped.

I shake my head. I don't have time to worry about that now. Glancing at pichu, I can clearly see that it is stunned at who he had it. Alright! Chance!

I charge at pichu. Throwing a rock at the pokemon with my left hand, my right reaches for the pokeball.

The rock hits pichu, and the pokemon reels back. I pull my arm back to throw the pokeball…

Then it happens. You see, I can actually be quite clumsy at times. No, not in the good way like ending up in the chest of a beautiful woman. No, I'm clumsy in the way that I screw up when necessary.

Like now, before I can throw the pokeball, I trip. I manage to stay on my feet before I hit the ground, but it is too late. Pichu has recovered.

Pichu's cheeks spark once more, and the attack it unleashes upon me is painful beyond meaning. I fall back, my arm throwing the pokeball into the air.

My vision is blurry, and I can't see… just like that time. And once again, a person with long hair and a smile was above me.

I pass out.

"Hey, hurry up and get up."

I groan. Damn it, just give me five more minutes.

I blink again when I realize that I'm not in my room. Where am I?

"You're in my house. Now hurry up and get out. I need to get going!"

I have no idea why this strange person is yelling at me. You kidnapped me in the first place. Can't I at least have a nice nap? Besides, I'm an orphan, so it's not like you'll get much money from me.

"I need to get the pokemon that escaped from those balls, and I'm not about to leave a stranger in MY house."

Then why did you bring me here? Shouldn't you have just left me in the dirt road? Since when do people still take random unconscious strangers into their home rather than the hospital?

"I panicked and didn't want to deal with the paperwork now hurry up."

I get up. Then I feel something get thrown onto my lap. It's the custom pokeball. I look through the top part of the lid which is see-through like most pokeballs are. The pichu is inside.

I can only smile as I feel pride coursing through me. I don't know how I did it, but I caught my first pokemon.

I turned to the girl. Looking her over, I can see that she is very beautiful. Her hair is flowing past her shoulders like… well… hair.

It's weird, but I'm sure that I know this woman.

"Craziest capture if I'd ever seen one. What kind of person doesn't use their own pokemon to help them?"

"I don't own any pokemon. This is my first."

The girl smiled.

Now I know that smile. Where do I know her from?

"Looks like you got lucky then. Anyway, come on, the least you can do is help me for causing the incident."

"So what exactly happened?"

"That pichu of yours zapped me and cracked the pokeballs. The pokemon inside were able to escape into the wilderness."

"And who are you?"

"Me? I'm a scientist. A pokemon researcher, if you will."

Scientist? I know a lot of scientist. I met them through work. But that's not what I'm asking.

"No, I mean who are you?"

"Well, aren't you being rude. It's customary to introduce yourself before asking for someone else's name."

Ah, that's right

"Sorry. My name is Rue. Rue Mazashima of Pallet."

"I'm Daisy Oak."

Oak? As in related to Professor Oak, my boss. Now that I think about it, I think I remember hearing from the lab assistants about "Oak's grandhottie".

So she my boss's granddaughter.

….

I'm going to get fired…

Next time on Shadows of a Trainer: Kanto

It isn't easy, catching all those pokemon again. My pokemon doesn't even listen to me!

Wait Daisy, you have obedient pokemon? WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME BORROW THEM EARLIER?!?

Huh, there's fire everywhere. The leaves are burning.

I can only see the red lizard. What a badass pokemon! I want to try to catch it.

But wait, who's that guy. And why is he the fourth one? Fourth one of what? And what do you mean he's the one most likely to succeed?!?

Read on, next time in: The four chosen trainers of the Oaks.

I'm going butcher that guy trying to be cool!

Hey, so what did you think? I have to admit, that this is my first real attempt at making a serious first person story. I'm not very good at first person stories to begin with, but I thought if I kept practicing in a serious story like this, I should get better. So you should see improvements as I move through the story.

With that being said, any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated, so please review and thanks for reading!