Maybe I should cry for help
Maybe I should kill myself (myself)
Blame it on my ADD baby

Maybe I'm a different breed
Maybe I'm not listening
So blame it on my ADD baby

-Sail; from AWOLNATION

5 Years Earlier

"Marguerite! I need your help!" The screams of a nine year old Amy Rosewood could be heard from the backyard of Marguerite's home. Marguerite was a kind, older woman who took in war orphaned children of nearby towns. Since the conclusion of the decade long war in the Origin Region, that meant a lot of people were left without family or Pokémon. Amy had been only four when her parents had perished during the war, due to an attack brought on by a Dragonite. Amy had managed to escape, only to be found by Marguerite not long after. The older woman had brought in three other orphaned children she'd found while trying to find shelter. Thankfully, the war had ended a couple months later, which meant that there could be a moment of peace for the small group. It took some time, and a lot of reassuring, but Marguerite managed to find a house that was still intact and called it home for her and the children. In no time at all, they became a family.

After the war's conclusion, and any last minute settlements were looked over, the Origin Region could finally declare peace within itself. It was only because of the disagreement of power distribution that a battle broke out in the first place. Some people wanted a change in Origin's government, others wanted it to stay the same. Too many people and Pokémon had been hurt or killed in order to come to some middle ground.

But when Marguerite heard the screams and shouts of Amy, she rushed out from the house to see what was going on. Some years may have gone by since the war's end, but that didn't mean there weren't any radicals. There were plenty of extremists from both sides who remained, hoping to ignite some kind of conflict within the region in hopes of restarting a war. A lot of people had been arrested for disrupting the peace or acts of attempted terrorism, but that was about it. For Marguerite, she feared that one of those extremists made their way onto her property and was trying to kidnap Amy. The four other kids — Hector, twins Victoria and Marion, and Jaime — had been inside, working on chores or spending some time alone. Amy had wanted to spend some time outside, playing in the backyard and enjoying the nice weather. The second Marguerite stepped foot outside, with the other kids not far behind, a look swept across the older woman's face when she saw where Amy was. The little redhead was kneeling beside a Pokémon, an Absol. That alone was enough to send chills up Marguerite's spine. Absol were known to appear before disasters struck, so that had to mean something bad was going to happen.

"Amy, get in here now," the older woman cried. "Get away from it."

Of course, the young girl didn't listen. "I think it's injured," she called. "There's something wrong with its leg."

"C'mon, Amy, get over here!" Jaime called out, his voice wavering a little. "It might attack you!"

Shooting a look his way, Amy shook her head. "We've gotta help it," she exclaimed. "Its leg is hurt, we shouldn't let it suffer."

"Absol are known to show up before big disasters," Victoria huffed. "Does that mean we have to go?"

Marguerite shook her head. "Amy, honey, come here," she begged. "Please."

"What makes this Pokémon not worth helping?" Amy snapped. "You took us in when we had nowhere to go! Why can't we take this Absol in?!"

That was when the guilt set in. Marguerite knew that Amy was, at the best of times, passionate about any problems that arose with people or Pokémon. Marguerite herself wasn't sure if Amy's passion was due to her limited experience during the war or if it part of her nature.* Pokémon seemed to especially pique Amy's interest. She had a sense of fascination when it came to them; wanting to understand them more. Her fascination ended when it came to Pokémon with the ability to fly in any way, considering it had been a flying Pokémon that had taken her parents from her. Part of Amy's subconscious remembered that, despite her being young at the time.

"Are you sure about this?" Marguerite called. Amy's nod was her answer. With a sigh, Marguerite walked over to where Amy stood and helped her pick up the Absol.

Present Day

Things at Marguerite's home were as normal as could be. There was the usual chatter amongst the now teenagers living in the home and the occasional question Marguerite would throw in. Hector, being the eldest, had come back to the home to visit after a long journey with his Pokémon partner, Combusken. It wasn't long after Amy had taken in the Absol that Hector received the Young Fowl Pokémon as a Torchic. The family celebrated Hector's new companion, making plenty of food and a lot of congratulations being said to the eldest child. It was honestly surprising that the Origin Region, at least where Marguerite and the kids were living, would continue the tradition of giving children a Pokémon partner when they came of age. Especially around a time where the rebuilding of the region was taking place.

Nevertheless, professors in different areas of the region were handing out starter Pokémon to children who were of age, if not a little older. It was the least that could be done to give a bit of normalcy back to the citizens.

While Amy appreciated that her adoptive brother was able to obtain his first Pokémon, she was still helping take care of Absol. The Disaster Pokémon was definitely one who wasn't comfortable in an unfamiliar place, and tried on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, that also meant that Absol's injured leg would end up in an even worse condition. As time went on, however, Absol became familiar with the new surroundings and with all the humans nearby. Amy took good care of the Disaster Pokémon, bringing fresh food and water; changing the bandages regularly and making sure there was no infection. In no time at all, the two had become good friends. When Absol could walk without furthering the injury, it would follow Amy wherever she went. Marguerite had continued concerns about Absol's overwhelming presence in the house, but Amy had stated that nothing had happened since the Pokémon's arrival, so that must mean nothing would ever happen. That didn't ease Marguerite's concerns.

Victoria and Marion seemed to have taken a steady liking to Amy's new, wild companion. Jaime was a bit hesitant, and Hector was indifferent on the matter. In Amy's eyes, she found it amazing that she befriended a wild Pokémon. Once Absol's injury had completely healed, it decided to make Marguerite's home permanent. Nothing could change Absol's mind, not even Marguerite's unease around the Pokémon.

"Are you guys excited?" Amy gushed, looking at her twin adoptive sisters excitedly. It was currently Victoria's and Marion's day to pick out their starters. Since things in Origin seemed to have returned to normal — as normal could ever be — traditions new and old came to the people, and it seemed to ease the overwhelming sense of dread that loomed over the region since the war's end. People were getting their homes back, families were starting over, things were starting to pick up the pace. It was a good beginning.

"I guess," Marion murmured, shrugging her shoulders.

Amy's eyes widened in overdramatic surprise. "What do you mean 'I guess'?" she exclaimed. "You're getting a Pokémon!"

"Hector's not gonna be here," Victoria groaned. "He promised he would be."

"He's all the way in Kanto right now," Amy said. "His journey's important to him. You know he'd be here if could he could." The twins mumbled something too low for the redhead to hear, and that made her sigh. Hector, being the eldest out of the four of them, was admired by the youngest of the bunch. Amy knew that his being there for the twins was important, but his travels took him all the way to the Kanto region, which was extremely far from where Origin stood. Even if he'd traveled a couple days in advance, Hector wouldn't have been able to make it in time. "Look, I'm sure he'll send a letter or something," Amy said, hoping to reason with them. "He'll probably even send you guys a gift. Wouldn't that be cool? A gift all the way from Kanto?"

Victoria gave a sheepish nod while Marion simply shrugged again. That was probably the best response she'd get from them. And it would have to do.

(A/N):

This is not my best first chapter, and I apologize. I was trying to write this while studying for a geology/ethnic studies exam, so I can guarantee you it wasn't going to be a masterpiece anyway. But if you could give some constructive criticism on how to improve this, I'd appreciate it greatly.

Nothing in this fandom belongs to me. All I own are my characters and the subplots I put in.

So, this story isn't following any particular anime season, so if you were expecting me to be writing in my own versions of episodes, I am not doing that. I guess this would be a stand-alone? I don't know. My brain's fried from studying. All I can tell you is that I will be figuring this story out as I write it, so if there's anything that doesn't make any sense, don't hesitate to let me know. Also, let me know if I write Ash or any other canon characters wrong. I'd feel EXTREMELY awkward if I wrote Ash, Brock, any of the canon characters, incorrectly and then I'd have to rewrite God knows how many chapters because of that. Some help is always welcome, I guess is what I'm saying.

With all that gibberish out of the way, I thank you all!

Raeven