After playing and reviving my love for Pokemon, I felt compelled to write another 'Pokemon adventure' kind of story, after a loooong hiatus from Fanfiction. I spent around two hours planning and writing down this first chapter. Have fun reading.

I don't own Pokemon, nor do I own Ritsu Tainaka. She's just my favorite character, from the anime K-On.

"D-Damn..."

The young girl shielded her eyes as explosions bounced around the battlefield in front of her. She adjusted her white hat, a habit she'd gotten used to, as she eyed her opponent.

"What's wrong, Ritsu? Finished already?"

Her fists clenched. That familiar, taunting voice she hated.

The female Trainer dubbed Ritsu offered no reply, instead she yelled out a command. Her Pokemon unleashed a blast of energy, only to have it countered by an opposing attack.

As the smoke cleared, Ritsu got a closer look at the boy she was fighting it out with. Her childhood friend-turned-rival, Aki, throughout her journey, had always been one step in front of her.

She hated it... hated him. Her eyes swept around the stadium and the audience, all looking down at them with anticipation. This was her chance to finally close the gap between them, and she couldn't let it go. Not now.

Aki frowned. "Just give it up!"

As she heard him shout out orders to his Pokemon, Ritsu quickly gave her own as well. The two Pokemon clashed, resulting in another explosion, but this one would be the last one of the long battle.

"What an unbelievable display of skill and power!" The announcer screamed.

Ritsu squinted, barely making out the two Pokemon's figures in the clearing smoke.

That was the last attack. Both of them were down to their last Pokemon, and both of their final Pokemon were down to their final energies.

But there could only be one winner.

She knew that, and the question played on her mind. Had she won it? In the smoke, one of the shadows collapsed - another stood victorious.

A flashback of her Pokemon journey came to her - every event that'd happened, every Gym badge she'd obtained, all the friends and enemies she'd made. And it all came down to this.

"And the winner of this year's Indigo League is...!"

"..."

"I think it's time to shock her, Pika."

"Pika, Pika chu!"

Drowsily, the still half-asleep girl waved a dismissive hand as she sat up. "There's no need. I'm up, I'm up." She smiled at her mother and the Pokemon beside her. "Good morning, Mom and Pika."

"Ms Ritsu Tainaka," her mother started, in a stern tone. "You do remember what today is, right?"

The young girl nodded sleepily. "My 11th birthday."

"That was yesterday, silly."

"Pika chuu!"

"Eh?" Ritsu stared at her mother. She tried to remember. Oh yeah, there was a birthday party, wasn't there? "Right. Just remembered. What day is today, then? The day after my birthday, I suppose..."

"Yes, and-"

Suddenly, as she began to feel more awake, Ritsu remembered. She threw off the covers and jumped out of bed at the shocking realization. "Pokemon journey!"

Her mother chuckled. "Well, it seems you've remembered. Now, before you're late going around to Professor Oak's lab, you should take a shower."

She didn't need to be reminded twice. Ritsu dashed out of her room.

Mrs Tainaka, still laughing softly at her airhead of a daughter, started to make her bed and turned to the Pikachu beside her.

"This house is going to get awfully quiet soon, huh, Pika?"

Before Pika could even respond, Ritsu hurried back into the room, her long brown hair still considerably wet, and with a pink towel wrapped around her body.

Mrs Tainaka blinked. "That was quick."

"My clothes, Mom!" Ritsu said urgently. "I don't want to be late!"

"At the pace you're going, you are going to be very early, Ritsu dear," was the calm response. "They're in the bathroom. Did you miss them?"

Ritsu raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Yeaaaah... I think I did. Be right back!"

And in a flash, she was gone again, only to return again in two minutes, decked out in her blue, sleeveless shirt and red skirt. Ritsu's attire was complete with her white hat, and her traveling gear stored in a moderately-sized sling bag.

Mrs Tainaka smiled. "I can't recall a time you were faster in getting ready for the morning."

"Weeell, I'm getting ready for a Pokemon journey today instead of school, after all."

"Don't think you're finished with your academics, young lady. I expect you to be reading the textbooks I packed in your bag. Even if you're on a journey, you must continue to improve yourself."

Ritsu groaned. "I won't have time for that, Mom."

"You'd better. A Pokemon Master is no Pokemon Master if he can't do Math."

"Who implanted that idea into your head?"

Mrs Tainaka had a fond grin on her face. "Your father was quite the mathematician, if I do say so myself."

At the mentioning of her father, Ritsu smiled too. She placed a hand on her bag. "I guess... since you've put it that way, I'll have to make some time for these books... even if I have no interest in them at all," she scowled.

Mother, daughter and Pikachu had a quick breakfast, with Ritsu practically chomping down everything like a Snorlax.

As soon as she'd finished, she rushed to pull on her socks and shoes.

"Can't wait to leave your mother behind, eh?"

Ritsu slipped her left foot into her shoe. "You know that's not the case, Mom. Besides, I'll be back to visit every now and then, you know!"

Mrs Tainaka shook her head. "I'd rather you didn't. It's going to be nice not fussing over you about anything for awhile."

"Aw, you know you like fussing over me, Mom," Ritsu winked, as she got back on her feet. She looked back at the place she would always call home. The living room, the decorations on the walls, her room. She would miss everything about this place. But outside of here, outside of Pallet Town, was where her true calling lied. Despite that, her eagerness calmed a bit as she realized she would be leaving the place she'd lived in for the past 11 years.

"Wait, Ritsu," her mother hurried over, Pika riding on her shoulder. "I've been thinking about this, and I think you should take Pika with you."

"Pika pi!"

"Eh?" Ritsu stared at Pika, and then at her mother. "But then you'll be all alone, won't you? I can't do that."

"I have plenty of friends in this town, Ritsu," was Mrs Tainaka's reassuring reply. "Besides, Pika wants to go with you too. Can't you see how excited he is?"

"Pikaaaa!" The yellow mouse jumped onto Ritsu's hat.

Ritsu grinned as her hand went up to pet the Pikachu.

Pika had been one of her best friends from childhood, caught by her father in the Viridian Forest and presented to her on her 3rd birthday. In all honesty, she had wanted to bring him along anyway. "If you're sure," Ritsu relented. "You ready for this, Pika?"

A firm "Pikaaa!" confirmed he was as excited as her.

Ritsu giggled at the clear excitement he was showing. A Pokeball was then pressed into her hands, and she looked at it in surprise. "What's this, Mom? Why're you giving me a Pokeball?"

Mrs Tainaka petted Pika. "This is Pika's Pokeball... obviously."

"Oh," came the sheepish reply.

"I think it's time for you to leave," her mother opened the door. Before Ritsu could walk out however, she was enveloped in a hug, one that she gladly returned. "Be careful out there, okay?"

"Of course, Mom."

"Don't forget to call back."

"Of course, Mom."

"Take care of yourself."

"Of course, Mom."

"And please, knock some common sense into this," Mrs Tainaka continued, playfully tapping the side of her head.

"Of cour- wait, what?" Ritsu broke the hug, scowling at her parent.

"Be on your way, now! Bye bye! Bye bye to you too, Pika!"

The budding Pokemon Trainer was soon shoo-ed out of her house. Ritsu gave her mother one last grin, before turning and running off.

"We're going to be the strongest in the world, aren't we, Pika?"

"Pika pii!" Pika said with enthusiasm, and then realized where they were heading. "Pika?"

Ritsu's run slowed into a jog, as she quickly gained sight of her destination. "Before I begin my journey, I want to go... there." Understanding, Pika nodded with a wide smile on his face.

The two entered the Pallet Town cemetery, and stopped at one of the graves.

The aspiring young child knelt down at that particular spot, and read the tombstone in front of her carefully, like she always did.

How long had it been, she wondered. Probably around six years. Six years since he'd been taken from her family.

What had been the cause again? Right, they'd never revealed it to her. All she knew was that he had gone missing on her 5th birthday, and a few months after that, found in the caves of the Seafoam Islands, frozen to death, with all the Pokemon he'd been carrying with him gone, stripped from his belt.

Ritsu shuddered, a single tear slowly going down her eye as she stared hard and long at the tombstone.

"Satoshi Tainaka, 1st Inaugural Indigo League Champion. Dad," she said slowly. On her hat, Pika remained silent. "I'll be going on my journey now. I'm going to follow in your footsteps... winning against every Gym Leader in Kanto... becoming the Champion... I hope I make you proud."

The wind blew around her, and she paused. She disliked the fact that every single time she visited, she would get emotional.

"So... that's what's going to happen. I want you to know I can't visit for awhile. But don't worry. I'll be back."

Ritsu stopped again, but continued speaking, saying what would be her final words to this particular tombstone for at least a few months.

"Please take good care of Mom, okay? Goodbye."

And with that, she turned and left.

It was finally time for her journey to begin.

Pika descended from her hat onto her shoulder as she looked up into the beautiful morning sky.

Are you watching, Dad?

With a satisfied feeling in her stomach, Ritsu walked on to Professor Oak's laboratory, and once she was out of there, and out of Pallet Town, it would be akin to taking a step closer to her dream of becoming the Indigo League Champion.

And that will be that. I'll definitely be continuing this since I had pretty much a lot of fun writing the first chapter already.

See you guys later.