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Chapter One:

Humble Beginnings

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It was a quiet morning in Petalburg City, as usual. The early-bird residents of the small town were already starting to work, and the Taillows were chirping their little songs. A quiet breeze blew through the town, ruffling the small trees and flowers over just a bit. The sign that stood by the town's Pokémon Center stood tall, still conveying its message to the public: Petalburg City: Where People Mingle With Nature.

One house on the western side of town drew many people's attention, with it's intricate garden of beautiful red flowers, which were placed along the sides of the little path leading to the door. There were only a couple of people who lived there, though. The mother, who was the stereotypical gardener, as well as the cook of the house. The father, a worker at the local Pokémon Mart. And the shy ten year old boy with the tea green hair.

The frail ten year old was staring out of the window that morning, watching the world go by. He desperately wanted to go and explore the outside world, but his asthma refused to let him do anything outside of the house.

He sighed, turning around to face the rest of his room. It as filled with books and maps of the far off regions of Kalos and Unova, and little sticky notes covered everything. The ten year old opened up one of the books on his bed and opened it slowly, It was about Pokémon battling, a hobby in which the boy wanted to partake in desperately.

"Wally, I'm going to go outside and work on the garden!" His mother's voice sang out from the living room. By the sound of clanking metal, he could tell that she already had her gardening tools with her.

"Okay," He answered quietly, hearing the front door close slowly. He went back to reading his book, enjoying every word written from cover to cover. He wrote little notes in a leather bound journal every so often, making sure that he got every bit of vital information in the little book for when he went on his Pokémon journey.

"You know that you won't ever get to go," A small voice inside of his head said quietly. Wally was thinking to himself, going through the same talk he had every day.

"I'll get to go eventually," He reasoned. "Maybe not right now, but it'll be soon. And I'll be the best Trainer I can be when I do!" He smiled, knowing that the last statement was true.

Wally continued to read, often dreaming about what would happen once he became a Trainer. He pictured himself battling all of the Gym Leaders in Hoenn, and even battling the Champion himself, Steven Stone. He never lost a battle, collected all of the Hoenn Gym Badges, and became Champion. He would do it. He'd do it soon.

A knock on the window released Wally from his daydreams. It was his mother, holding up a small rake. "Would you mind coming outside to help?" She asked, waving the rake slightly. "It might help with your asthma."

The ten year old took a moment to decide whether or not he would risk having yet another asthma attack. He eventually placed a bookmark in the book he was holding, and stood up. He placed the book back onto the bookshelf, and turned back to the window, giving his mother a nod. He walked through the house before going out of the front door, making sure he didn't lock it out of habit.

He knelt down next to his mother, who handed him the rake. He turned the soil in the garden that was flush with the house, already thinking about the oncoming conversation. She smiled, and said, "You need to get out more, to be honest. I understand that you don't like being out with the air quality and all, but Petalburg is a nice place to be. That's why we moved here." His mother began to split the giant daylilies from the garden so then she could sell them at the local flower shop near Rustboro.

"I know," Wally mumbled, combing through the dirt with his rake. He didn't try to breathe in too much air at a time; the Pokémon Gym next door tended to give his lungs a little tickle from time to time.

"You haven't been as social since we've gotten here, though," His mother added, taking apart a rather large daylily. "You know, your father and I have been worrying about you. You seem a bit lonesome, in my opinion."

"Well," Wally said quietly, watching a flock of Wingull fly across the morning sky. "I've always wanted someone to be by my side all of the time…" He trailed off.

"A Pokémon?" HIs mother raised an eyebrow. "Pokémon are a lot of responsibility, Wally. You'd have to feed them, teach them manners-"

"Pokémon battles," Wally added persuasively, throwing in an innocent smile. He hoped that his suggestion wouldn't be shot down quickly.

"Really Wally? Are we going back to this?" Wally answered with a slight nod. "Look, you can't go around the region with Pokémon. Your asthma will eventually catch up with you, and you could get really sick… I wouldn't even let you get as far as Mauville, with that volcano and that desert up north…"

Wally sighed. It had always ended like this. One of his parents would start rambling about all of the dangers of going on a journey, and Wally would be left speechless. His parents knew how much he wanted a Pokémon, but they felt as though one would somehow damage his lungs. He wasn't sure why though. But he had read somewhere that Pokémon often helped people cope with stress, something everyone needed at one point or another. He would need it. His parents especially needed it.

His mother was still talking, even though Wally had not been paying attention. "And the sea! Don't get me started on the sea! All of that salt from the sea could corrode your lungs, and you'd be passed out before you knew it!"

"Fine," Wally finally conceded, holding up his hands. "You win." He added dejectedly.

"I just don't want for you to get hurt, is all," She chuckled lightly before adding, "What would I do without my son?"

Wally smiled, and continued working on the garden, still daydreaming of the day he would become a Trainer.

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When Wally's father came home from work, he was greeted with a hug from Wally. He returned the hug from his son, beaming with delight. Wally did too, but it was obvious that the ten year old had something up his sleeve.

"What is it?" He asked, automatically knowing what Wally was going to say next.

"Um, do you think that it would be okay if I got a Pokémon?" His father opened his mouth to say something, but Wally continued before he could say anything. "I'm old enough to have a license, and I'll take good care of all of my Pokémon! Please?"

The two parents both looked at each other, unsure of what to say. They both wore a look of concern, but it was obvious what they were going to say.

"No."

"Dang it," Wally sighed, giving his parents a half-hearted smile. He then walked to his room, closing the wooden door slowly. He picked up the book he had been reading earlier, and flopped down on his bed. "If only I didn't have that stupid asthma," He thought to himself. "I might actually have the chance to go out into the world and see what it's really like."

He sighed once again, and started to read his book. Battle facts, strategies, and whatnot. He already knew a good bit about the subject, but he was bored. "If I had a Pokémon, I wouldn't be bored." He found a book about Sinnoh Region, and started to read about the many places he could go there. "That's better," He thought. "At least I'll be 'entertained'."

He read for about thirty minutes before he was called to dinner. Wally ate slowly, unlike his parents, who ate as though it was their last meal. There wasn't much talk, after their conversation about Wally's wish of getting a Pokémon. They watched each other, wondering if their thoughts were meant to be said out loud.

After he was finished, Wally went back to his room, saying that he was tired and wanted to go to sleep. "You need your rest anyway," Wally's father smiled as he watched his son close his bedroom door. He turned to his wife after a moment and asked, "Do you think we're being too harsh on him?"

"Well, I don't think that he's ready for one. Wally's a responsible kid, but he just can't stay home all of the time with it," She responded. "Maybe we can send him somewhere where he can be happy… without a Pokémon…"

"What about Wanda's place in Verdanturf?" Wally's father suggested. "I've heard that the air there is very clean and has that atmosphere he would love."

"Wanda's?" She asked, thinking about her niece. "I know she's a good girl, but do you really think-"

"It'll be great for him," He smiled, wrapping a arm around his wife's neck affectionately. "I can take him over there tomorrow. And maybe we'll get to have some alone time in Lilycove." He chuckled, elbowing his wife playfully.

After a quiet pause, Wally's mother said, "I think it'll be for the best. But let's tell him tomorrow; it's late and he's most likely asleep already."

"Alright," He said, clearing off the table. "He'll enjoy spending some time with his cousin anyway."

While his parents were talking, Wally had been eavesdropping on the conversation. He didn't like the fact that his parents still didn't support his wish for a Pokémon, but he was going to Verdanturf! He knew that Wanda and her parents had Pokémon, so he would definitely have a ball there.

He now had a pamphlet on the Gym Leaders in Hoenn, and noticed that the Gym Leader for Petalburg was missing. "That's weird," He thought as he got ready for bed. "I never noticed that the Gym had no Leader. Maybe I should check it out before I leave…" He quickly formulated a plan for tomorrow, making sure that he wouldn't bump into his parents before he left.

"Maybe he can give me a Pokémon," He whispered to himself as he slipped into bed. "Maybe…" He smiled as he closed his eyes, falling asleep soon after.

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Author's Notes

Hi everyone! This is my second fanfiction, the first being 'The Shifter Stones'. Please note: I'll be alternating between these two until TSS is done, so please do not freak out if it's a long time before the next chapter.

Just to clear up some questions, this fanfic is set in ORAS, so do not freak out if you're reading about 4th Gen and up Pokémon.

Wally has always been one of my favorite characters, and the lack of Wally-centered stories bothered me a bit. I feel like his story needs to be told, thus the reason why this fanfic is here.

Other than that, all I have to say is good day, and keep reading!

:)