*Chapter 1*

Hill hadn't felt this level of excitement since he was little on Christmas morning. Just like back then he had struggled to sleep and then woke up stupidly early. Despite his lack of rest he was full of energy as he buzzed around the room, double checking his pack and reconsidering other items. A book for reading material? Nah it would be too dark once they were done walking. A razor? His adolescent face may not require much grooming NOW, but he who knew how he could mature while on the road? He grabbed the razor and stuck it in a bundle of socks. When he ready to go he stopped at one last group of items. A pair of white leather gloves, a little roughly made but the materials were clearly top quality. They fit like a second skin and offered a number of uses. On paper they would be an obvious choice to take with him, but it wasn't logic that made him stop to think. He considered the inconspicuous white gloves. He didn't want to give that asshole any satisfaction that Hill appreciated the gift, but he reminded himself of the reality. He would be an idiot to refuse any leg up, and he wouldn't be the only one at risk out there. He swallowed his pride and tucked the gloves into a pocket.

Croux was unsurprised to find that Bea had beaten him to the meeting point. The fact that Hill was there already was more of a shock. He thought for sure the boy would at least still be saying goodbye to his mother. His mom had already been awake before he rose, worriedly buzzing around the living area. She had to shake his father into rising so he could offer his farewell. Croux cared for his parents, but his family was rarely emotional. He was amazed that they even agreed to let him go on an adventure, after what happened with his brother, but they likely knew that he would be going regardless of their consent. Bea was far more timid than him and even she had snuck out to escape her controlling father. That was the reason for their early meeting time, as well as why he knew she would be the first one here. Thankfully the professor had agreed to meet them.

"Croux!" Hill greeted energetically as the somber boy approached. Bea flinched at the loud sound and Croux gave him a severe glare. "Don't forget what time it is, jackass" he hissed at his friend "you could ruin all of our planning if you wake up the neighborhood." Hill winced at the admonishment and offered a subdued apology. Croux snorted and said "Let's just hurry and get to the professor's," and started off at a quick pace. The other two teens shared a quick glance before hurrying to keep up.

"Sorry. I'm just excited!" Hill said in a volume barely below regular speech. "We're keeping to what we agreed on before, right?" he questioned in a tone that said he would argue if they changed their minds. "Yes, yes" Croux said, "We are sticking to the plan on who gets what pokémon. Right Bea?" He asked this not because he thought she would disagree, but to distract her from her obvious nervousness.

"R-right," she answered sedately. But she did smile slightly as the thought of her first pokémon. "I hope the professor is ready for us".

"She should be. She agreed to the meeting time." Croux said confidently.

"Yeah, but she isn't the best organized person," Hill offered with a hint of concern.

"We'll just have to see."

Their hopes rose as they approached the building and could see that lights were on. Their excitement grew and they all jogged the remainder of the distance to the front door. Croux made a series of clear sharp knocks on the front door. They waited only for no response to come. Croux raised his hand to knock again when Hill pushed forward and heavily banged on the door. Croux glared at the lack tact but it only made Hill grin. The door opened to show a haphazard mess that was typical for the Unovan lab.

"Ah, hello there" the clearly flustered aide greeted. "I was told to expect you. Come in, come in, please"

The three entered and looked around the lab. There stacks of papers that rose high enough that their toppling over was less a question of 'if' than it was 'when'. The number of sticky note reminders were so excessive that the only memento they offered was the necessity to clean them. A minccino was chasing an emolga who was clutching half a mushy apple in its mouth. And, most oddly, a throh was in the corner tossing such fruit to smash against a wall with a messy target painted on it. The teens were less concerned with all of the chaos present and focused more on what was missing from the scene.

"Where's the professor?" Hill asked the aide.

"Sleeping, I would guess." He answered with obvious frustration. "She told me to arrive early to welcome you."

'That makes sense' all three thought in unison while rolling their eyes.

"As you can see there are other tasks that require my attention" the aide continued, "so follow me and we can get this done quickly."

He led them into a back room where the insanity more subdued. More, not entirely. There were three pokémon in the small room. The oshawott and tepig seemed to be fighting, or at least the water-type was trying to fight while the plump piglet rested its superior weight on top of it. The snivy, meanwhile, had climbed a water pipe along the wall and was tossing chunks of plaster from the wall at the dueling pair. The tepig ignored the projectiles while continuing to pin its opponent to the ground. The oshawott was literally foaming at the mouth in its attempts to escape.

"Oh, god" the aide sighed , "Missy must have released from their balls" referring to the professor's favored Minccino.

Wordlessly, both boys walked to the fighting duo and grabbed one each. Hill picked up the chubby pig and smiled down at it. Croux was quick to snatch the enraged otter before it could launch itself at its adversary. He hugged it to his chest pinning down its flailing limbs. Bea approached the green snake and met its eyes from its vantage point. With some words and a gesture she coaxed it down to her and lifted it into her arms. Instead it scrambled up her torso to drape itself across the girl's shoulders. She caressed the smooth skin of its head while flashing a thrilled smile.

"Huh. Well I guess that works." The aide murmured. "Let me get their pokeballs for you so you can register them to you."

With the balls in hand they returned their pokémon and attached them to the previously acquired pokedexs. When they got the part where they supply a name Croux instantly typed in a name he had decided on long ago. Bea considered it for a while before entering in a name. Hill considered the screen and thought. He looked around the lab for any ideas before smiling and typing in the name for his first pokémon.

"Memo?" Croux asked incredulously while looking over his friends shoulder. "You're naming it after a business term?"

"Him" Hill corrected. "And yes, I am. Because I want to always remember this moment" he said with a goofy grin.

Croux gave him a grimace. He opened his mouth to say something, only to close it and just shake his head.

Hill released his pokémon and again scooped it up into his arms. The little creature settled comfortable into the crook of his arm. "You're supposed to leave them in the ball for a while so that the programming can instill their name" the aide explained. "Nonsense," scoffed Hill, "Pokemon aren't that dumb." He shifted the piglet in his arms so that he was holding him with both hands. He lifted it close to his face and spoke, "Your name is Memo. That's what I'm going to call you. Memo, understand?" The pokémon gave no reaction that indicated he did, but apparently Hill was satisfied. He tucked Memo back into his elbow and gently petted his head with his other hand.

Croux looked ready to say something about the foolish behavior, but Bea cut him off, "that's sweet". Croux gave her an exasperated look, but she didn't waver. "It's like bonding" she said, "It's what new parents are supposed to do with their babies." "These aren't our babies, Bea" Croux criticized. "Aren't they?" she said. "They're a young, intelligent, creature who we will be forming a lifelong bond with. I think it's good to establish care early on" she commented while releasing her own pokémon and returning it to its perch on her shoulders. Croux snorted in derision and pointedly clipped his pokeball to his belt. He began to walk to the door leaving his friends to follow. Hill and Bea looked at each other again, only for Hill to shrug and follow silently. Bea quickly thanked the aide and rushed to catch up.

The three teens approached the route out of town together. They stopped for one last look at the hometown before leaving. The sun was just beginning to crest in the distance and lights in homes shone as people began to rise. Hill hesitated the longest, thinking hard about his mom and wishing he could go see her one last time before leaving. He thought about her face lighting up in joy when he introduced Memo and his eyes grew moist. Hill was the only person his mom had. She would be all alone without him…

"Hill" came a gentle voice. He turned to look at his friends. Bea was the speaker and she looked at him with sympathy plain on her face. Even Croux was respectfully somber rather than his usual stoicism. He looked at them and felt the warm weight in his arm. He took a deep breath and hardened his resolve. He turned swiftly away from the houses and started down the road.

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*Pokedex Entries*

*Snivy – These young reptilians lack the deadly venom of their cousins and have yet to grow enough to constrict their prey. They are highly dependent upon their parent or handler for food until they mature. Despite this dependence, their behavior is infamously detached. *

*Tepig- This pokemon has a larger 'internal furnace' than other fire types of its size. Their diet is generally nonspecific; their main interest being storing flammable materials in their body. Following an intense battle their fat stores can be completely depleted, leaving them thin and wildly hungry. *

*Oshawott – Despite their cuddly appearance these pokemon are highly combative. The scalchops that grow from their bodies are composed of keratin with layers of enamel. They tend to gnaw on these shells in order to sharpen the edge.*

~Edited somewhat at the advice of St. Elmo's Fire. Croux is pronounced "Crew" for those unsure, and it is his last name. My first time publishing a story so I'll admit my writing might be messy. I'm open to criticism, as long it is informative, so please leave reviews and any suggestions. Thanks for reading.~