When I was a little kid, we never really had Pokemon around. It's not that my parents didn't like them, it's just that they were both really, really allergic to Pokemon dander. Even though I begged like crazy, I was never allowed to have a pet Pokemon. In fact, I never even got close to a real Pokemon, until I was six, when I went over to some other girl's house. I don't remember her name, but I remember the Pokemon, and the moment I realized when I was different.

After school, we walked to the girl's house, since her home was only a few blocks away. The whole time, she was jabbering about barbies or something, but I was too busy daydreaming to listen. When we got to her house and she opened the door, I heard barking.

"Don't worry," she said, "That's just our Growlithe, Max. He won't bite, he's really friendly."

A Growlithe! My heart leaped into my throat. A real, live Growlithe? I knew everything about them. Stats, moves, nutritional requirements. I knew everything about them, except what it was like to be near a real one. I shivered in anticipation. I stepped through the door, and was bowled over by a blur of orange and white fur. The Growlithe slobbered all over my face.

The girl pulled her Growlithe off me and asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"

I just smiled and said, "That was awesome!"

She calmed down and let the Growlithe continue to sniff me. I giggled nervously, and pet him. He stopped sniffing me, and looked up at me with his head tilted to the side and his tongue hanging out. I'll never forget that moment.

"Do you have any treats?" he asked.

I didn't think there was anything unusual about a talking Growlithe so I said, "No I'm sorry, I don't have any treats."

The Growlithe's ears drooped for a minute, before perking back up, "Can we play?"

"Sure!" I said, "What do you want to play?"

He opened his mouth to reply, before I felt the girl poke me.

"What are you doing?" she asked. She looked at me like there was something wrong.

"Oh, you're Growlithe was asking me if I would play with him," I tried to explain.

The girl looked confused for a moment, before she laughed and said, "Oh! You're kidding."

I was kind of angry and confused myself. What did she mean I was kidding? I quietly told the Growlithe I couldn't play after all, and he went to sit sadly in the corner. I played at the girl's house for the rest of the afternoon. I can't remember her house or what we played. All I can remember was the Growlithe, and our short conversation.

That night, before I went to bed, I looked in the mirror I had in my bedroom. I stared at my reflection, trying to figure out what was wrong with me. That girl had said I was weird several times throughout the day. Was I? I didn't see anything wrong with me. Just my normal blonde hair and cornflower blue eyes. I turned my head to the side a little, and the lamp light caught my features, hiding half of my face in shadow, and illuminating the other half. Maybe I was different. But maybe it was a good kind of different. I smiled at myself, before turning off the lamp and climbing into bed.

Tomorrow, I'd find out what made me different, and I'd use it to make myself Pokemon Champion. I had never dared to dream that before. Not with my background of few Pokemon interactions, but I knew I'd do whatever it took.