Author notes : before starting, I'd like to specify that I don't own Pokémon and his universe. Please support the series. The cover image is an official artwork by Nintendo (I don't own it).

Hi everyone, it's my first ever fanfiction, so I'd greatly appreciate constructive criticism! Feel free to make a review or a comment.

This story doesn't take place in an already existing "Pokémon island" (not in Kanto, Hoenn, etc...) and doesn't involve already existing protagonists from the Pokémon universe. But, obviously, Pokémon are present in this story.

I hope you'll like it !

Introduction : A Choice

There are those who use Pokémon in order to fight: they put them in PokéBalls and make them fight in arenas in front of overexcited spectators: they do everything to become Pokémon masters. Atsushi is not one of them: no PokéBalls, no fights… He considers Pokémon as true friends who shouldn't fight in stadia. For sure, a lot of his friends contradict him, telling that the link between a Pokémon and his trainer becomes stronger when fighting, or that, by nature, they're made for it: but Atsushi disagrees with them all. What's the point in making them suffer for nothing? He prefers playing with them, by far.

"Catch, Aqua!"

The Vaporeon starts running in the direction of the ball, and catches it with grace.

"Well done!"

Atsushi rewards his Vaporeon with a pat on her head and gives her a treat.

Aqua has never fought in her life; in any case, not in an organized fight. Atsushi was given her when he was still a young child, when she was still an Eevee. Now he is fourteen and she has evolved into a beautiful Vaporeon. When the young boy's friends first told him about Pokémon fights some years ago, he couldn't believe it.

"Hey, Atsushi!"

Atsushi, surprised, turns back: The boy who called him is Riku, his childhood friend, who has come to visit him. He's slightly taller than him and wears a red cap, with "Champ!" written on it in capital letters. He is brown-eyed and has short brown hair, just like Atsushi.

"Hey! Hi, Riku! What's up?" he says, delighted to see his friend.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing, lazy boy!"

"What was that?" Atsushi replies, starting to get irritated.

"That's true! You never do any Pokémon fight!" Riku says, taking a proud and provoking attitude.

"So what? I've already told you I hate fights!"

Atsushi is starting to sense that the conversation will soon heat up, as usual…

"Quit than nonsense! It's the only real thing in life!" Riku continues.

"Look around you, you fool!"

He points at a nearby fight between a Rattata and a Weedle, near a big house. Their trainers seem like they aren't five years old yet!

"Even from their younger years, they're training!" Riku exclaims, in wonder by this youngster confrontation. "They'll have a bright future, if you ask me!"

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"

Atsushi suddenly rushes towards the very young trainers, filled with anger. Aqua follows him, visibly happy to run alongside his friend. He stops and interrupts the match.

"What? And who are you?" asks the boy who owns the Rattata.

"How dare you make your poor Pokémon fight against each other?"

Both kids look at each other, incredulous and not understanding what is happening.

"But it's our dad who taught us!" explains the Weedle owner.

"Look at your Pokémon," suggests Atsushi. "Do they seem like they want to fight? They hurt themselves by doing that, you know! "

The kids look at their respective Pokémon. They don't seem like they understand what this weird guy means by saying that. Atsushi feels a huge hit on his shoulder: obviously, that is Riku, trying to reason his dumb friend.

"Give it up, mate! Pokémon fights are way too popular that nobody will listen to you and your nonsense! Keep on fighting, kids!" he says, cheering the little fighters with a large smile.

And so the fight resumes, with a disappointed Atsushi unable to do anything. He turns back to Riku, rage in his eyes:

"How dared you…?"

"What are you saying? It's for their own good!" he replies, believing that what he did was right.

"You egoists! Can't you think about what Pokémon endure while you make fun letting them fight one another? They don't take any pleasure at all!" Atsushi arguments, still mad at his friend.

"Foolish! Seriously, give it up, mate. We've already had that conversation way too much in the past."

"All that I say is the truth! It's just that you don't want to admit it!"

The discussion heats up, as both Atsushi and Riku predicted. Riku seems more peaceful than his friend. Suddenly, the anti-fight boy points at his rival's PokéBall.

"Look at this! Do you really think your Pokémon is happy when trapped in this tiny ball?"

"What? As he's miniaturised, there's no problem at all!"

"That's not the issue here! A Pokémon has to play, run, and so on… So, what he needs is space! How often do you get him out of his Pokéball?"

"Well, only for fights," Riku thinks.

"You should let him out more than that!"

"Cut it out, mate…"

Riku gets his Pokémon out of his PokéBall. It's a Venomoth. Aqua looks at it with interest.

"Look! He's terribly happy!" tells Riku.

Atsushi looks at the winged Pokémon. He doesn't let pass any emotion, so it's hard to tell whether he's really happy or not…

"Listen up, Atsu. I'm gonna give up Pokémon fights…"

"Really?" Atsushi wonders, secretly delighted nonetheless.

"…If we make a fight and you win! My Venomoth against your Vaporeon!"

Atsushi can't believe it! He is provoked by his own friend! It may only be to tease him, but it's rather harsh. Atsushi, shocked by this proposition, hardly has enough time to respond that the Venomoth charges Aqua.

"NOOOO!"

Atsushi jumps on his beloved Vaporeon, panicked, in order to protect her. The insect Pokémon misses them at the last moment. Suddenly, Riku looks less pleased:

"Hey! Are you crazy? You could have been hurt!"

"I'd rather be hurt instead of Aqua!"

"Are you kidding me?" Riku says, sighing.

Aqua jumps in Atsushi's arms, relieved. She cries a little.

"Well well well… By the way, giving your Pokémon a name is frankly puerile!" Riku continues to argue.

"That's false!" Atsushi replies, still a bit shocked by what has just happened. "That strengthens the link between both of us!"

"Ah ah! By listening to you, we might think you're talking about your girlfriend!" Riku mockingly laughs.

"HOW DARE YOU?" Atsushi yells, totally fed up with his supposed friend.

Riku gives a friendly hit at Atsushi's shoulder once again.

"Whatever I tell you, you'll never change, right? You stubborn!"

"Same goes for you…"

"So… Seeya, Pokémon lover!" Riku says, with a mocking smile.

"Seeya, savage!" Atsushi replies with anger in his eyes.

After this, the two friends part company. On the way home, Aqua presses against Atsushi's legs, with a smile.

"Let's go home, Aqua!"

They have done a few meters when Aqua suddenly turns back, a bit anxious. As a result, his friend gets a bit scared as well.

"Wh… What happens, Aqua?"

He turns back too: in the fading evening light, nothing seems to be following them. All that can be seen is the slightly illuminated street and a few bushes along the way. They're just at the village entry and their home is just some meters away. The young boy wonders why Aqua suddenly looked behind for a moment.

"Don't scare me like this next time, Aqua!"

And both return home safely, while a strange-looking boy looks at them, hidden in a large oak… Visibly satisfied, he writes something in his notebook and jumps from the tree, taking the nearby city's route…