Summary: Kalo has always been fascinated in Pokemon. When given one for his thirteenth birthday, he decides that it's time to make his dream a reality. However, he's going to understand quickly that he can't travel alone. And recently, the wild Pokemon in Sinnoh have been reported to have become far more aggressive as of late. What can this mean, and how much change will it bring to the land of Sinnoh, and possibly, the world? Very mild romance.

Well, this is me attempting to make a Pokemon fanfic. If all goes well, it should end up pretty long. As you might have guessed from the summary, it doesn't follow the manga/anime at all, although brief allusions to events in either may be made occasionally. I'm also accepting a couple of OCs. Note that the roles of the OCs can potentially be pretty prominent, so I'm only going to accept nicely-prepared ones. The roles of your OCs can vary from a member of Team Galactic, a possible rival for the protagonist, or even a person to accompany the main protagonist and his friend on their journies.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, only the characters I create in this story, and the plot.

Chapter One: The Start of Exploration

"Blow out your candles, sweetheart!" a feminine voice gently encouraged. The voice belonged to a woman in her very early forties with long hair, mixed in color with brown and red. Some wrinkles are noticeable just on her forehead, but other than that, she doesn't look a day above thirty-five. Her name was Karen Rover.

She was speaking to her son, Kalo Rover, who was currently seated at the head of a long kitchen table with a funny hat atop his head. The hat covered the majority of his reddish hair. Kalo was of a tanned complexion, and wasn't exactly the most muscular teenager around, to say the least. His eyes were a lively and deep brown, complemented by his almost-feminine eyelashes.

It was currently Kalo's thirteenth birthday, marking his journey as a teenager. A few friends and family that lived in the large community of Jubilife City surrounded him, watching as he heaved in a great breath and exhaled deeply. A brief gust of wind marked the death of the candle-lights, and the room erupted in a nice cheer.

Kalo grinned, standing out of his chair to his full height of 5'4", and turned to his mom. "Now can we bring out the presents?" he asked for what was probably the fiftieth time that day. He was able to collect the presents given to him by his friends (which mostly consisted of money), but his mother hadn't allowed him to even glance at the presents given to him by his family yet.

Letting out a small sigh, but letting out a large smile nonetheless, Karen nodded, her blue eyes sparkling. "Yes, yes, fine. Let me go and bring them in. You and your friends can go ahead and eat the cake," she replied earnestly, leaving the room for a moment.

Everyone began to devour the cookie-cake; everyone except for Kalo, that is. He was far too excited and eager to receive his presents to even think about eating his birthday cake. A few minutes later, his mom returned with several presents stacked in her arms. "Okay, you might want to keep the wrapping paper in one piece; you know how I like to save them for–"

She didn't get to finish. As soon as she set the presents down, Kalo attacked them in a vicious frenzy, tearing at the wrapping paper with the ferocity of a damned Tyranitar. He went through the presents in a speed that would put Santa Clause and his elves to shame. When he was finished, wrapping paper was strewn all over the floor, and his presents lay on the floor.

Kalo glanced around, shame evident on his face. There was a Pokedex, a nice, new backpack, multiple sets of durable clothing, enough to prove more convenient in nearly any type of climate, whether it be hot, cold, rainy, windy, moderate, or even some meant for climbing mountains. However, the object of Kalo's interest was absent from view. "Mom, why's there so much Pokemon stuff, but not a single Pokemon?" her son asked, an expression of absolute sadness in his eyes.

His mom feigned a look of equivalent despair on her face, while chuckling on the inside. Oh, he is going to love this! "I-I don't know, h-honey. I was sure that. . .Oh! There might have been one more thing!" she snapped her fingers, a dramatic look of discovery on her face.

"There's another one? Where?" Kalo asked, his eagerness peaked once again. Squeak! He squinted his eyes, glancing around. He was sure that he had heard some sort of noise. Squeak! There it was again! "What is that sound?"

His mother seemed to be similarly entranced by the sudden high-pitched noise. "I don't know. It sounds like it's coming from the basement." She gestured for her son to follow her while giggling like a mad school-girl in on the inside. They snuck down the stairs, trying to make as little sound as possible. Once at the bottom, Karen flipped on a switch. Several boxes, still packed with things from when they first moved into the house but never unpacked, were placed against the wall to the left on the bottom floor. On the right was a door to a bathroom, and directly ahead in the narrow hallway led to another door: this one leading to the basement.

"Ri!" another sound entered the air.

Unable to make her son wait any longer, Kalo's mother lunged forward and swung the door open, revealing a small Pokemon that almost resembled a dog in appearance. Its legs and upper torso were shaded black, while its hips, lower torso, arms, and tail were blue. Rounded white bumps rested on its forepaws, and the majority of its head is blue, while a sliver in the middle of its head was black, with similarly colored flops hanging down from the side of its face.

"Riolu!" Riolu chimed upon seeing someone.

"I didn't want to expose him to everyone at once in case they scared him," his mother explained while glancing compassionately at her son, gauging his reaction. It didn't take a mind-reader to understand that Kalo was ecstatic. Ever since Kalo had seen his sister's Riolu several years back, he became fascinated with Pokemon. When Kalo's parents divorced, his father and sister had moved away to Veilstone City; his sister becoming the Gym Leader of the city. "Her Lucario had bred one not too long ago. She figured it would be the perfect present for your thirteenth birthday," Karen added.

Finally beginning to move, Kalo slowly approached Riolu, his mind still whirling in shock. He crouched a couple of yards from dog-like Pokemon, motioning with his hand for Riolu to approach. It didn't take a lot of coercing, and soon, Kalo was holding Riolu (his mind unconsciously registering how heavy the small Pokemon was), glancing into his surprisingly kind red eyes. Kalo glanced at his mother with one of the biggest grins she had ever seen him wear. "Thank you so much!" he exclaimed.

His mother smirked. "Don't thank me; thank your sister. She knew how much you loved Lucario, so she convinced Lucario to breed with a Ditto for this purpose. He really is a cute Pokemon, and you know what this means, right?" she asked him, a small smile on her face as she awaited the answer.

Unfortunately, Kalo's sister and father couldn't make it to his birthday celebration. Apparently, there had been some sort of uprising in Veilstone City, and they had both needed to stay behind in order to quell it. Then, as if suddenly comprehending what his mother was implying, Kalo's eyes widened, and he glanced from the Riolu back to his mother. "I can go?" he whispered, only a few decibels loudly enough for her to hear.

His mother nodded slowly, her smile growing wider. "Yep! You just have to pack your things, and I'm sure you plan on bringing your new PokeDex, along with clothing and rations?" his mother confirmed, her tone gaining that motherly concern.

Kalo nodded eagerly, placing Riolu back on the floor. With a determined spark in his eyes, he said happily, "You know I am!"

When Kalo, his mother, and the new Pokemon emerged from the bottom floor, everyone immediately became buzzed with the Riolu. As Karen had expected, the small Pokemon became noticeably more shy around so much more people. The party lasted a couple of more hours until people began to make their way back home. At nearly seven o'clock, it was just Kalo, Karen, and Riolu left at their humble abode.

Shoving his sleeping bag inside of his pack, along with several pairs of clothes, Kalo set out what he was going to wear tomorrow and placed it to the side. Remembering the PokeDex, Kalo pulled it out and pointed its scanner in Riolu's general direction. Riolu glanced at the contraption as the Pokedex gave a small synopsis of the blue and black Pokemon.

When he was finished, Kalo placed his Pokedex on top of a stack of clothes. A knock at the door grabbed his and Riolu's attention. "Kalo? Can I come in?" he recognized the kind feminine tone as his mother's.

Kalo murmured his ok, and his mom slowly walked into the faintly lit room. Kalo had never really gotten around to decorating his room until his father and sister moved out two years ago. Now, the room was noticeably Pokemon-themed, with posters of well-known Pokemon and Pokemon Trainers on the walls. His bed even had a Pichu comforter.

"You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you?" his mother asked in a tone tinged with sadness. She knew that his eagerness was overwhelming him, and that it was already asking a lot that he even wait until tomorrow morning, but she couldn't help but want him to stay for a little longer.

"Yeah," Kalo replied, wincing when he recognized the sadness lingering in her voice.

They began to go over everything Pokemon-related that either of them knew. Karen asked him if he remembered all of Riolu's current moves (which he did); she reminded him about type advantages and disadvantages; and finally, she gave him Riolu's Pokeball.

"Maylene said that she didn't think Riolu liked being in a Pokeball unless he's in a public place," Kalo's mom informed him. Her tone regained that motherly edge, "And make sure that you get a good breakfast in the morning before setting off!"

Kalo chuckled. "Yes, mom." He had already packed some food for the road, packing them in containers to preserve their flavor, texture, and nutrients for as long as possible. Still, he would rely on his own food storage as little as possible to lengthen its use.

"Well, I'll leave you to pack then," his mom whispered. She hugged him and kissed his forehead, not forgetting to give Riolu a hug as well. "I'll see you in the morning, before you set off," she said, exiting his room and closing the door.

Kalo sat next to his backpack, which was filled to the brim with his items. He glanced at Riolu, petting the dog-like Pokemon on the head. "Well, we'd better get some sleep before the big day," Kalo murmured, more to himself than Riolu. Remembering what his mom said about Riolu's disposition on being in a Pokeball unless under certain circumstances, Kalo picked up the Pokemon and placed him at the foot of his bed.

Excitement and nervousness prevented Kalo from entering the land of dreams for at least a good two hours. "Riolu?" Kalo whispered, lifting his head up several inches to glance at the foot of his bed. "Are you still awake?"

Riolu had been asleep, but upon hearing Kalo, his eyelids slowly parted, and his crimson eyes glared back at his companion. Kalo chuckled uneasily, "Sorry about that. Guess I'll just go to sleep then." Kalo leaned back down, and fell asleep with a smile gracing his features.

Kalo sat at the kitchen table, digging in to a plate of eggs and a piece of toast. Next to him, perched on the floor, Riolu was calmly throwing berry after berry into his mouth.

His mom walked into the kitchen, a folded newspaper in hand. "Did you two sleep well?" she asked the two partners.

Kalo took a break from stuffing his mouth with eggs long enough to reply. "Yeah, I slept pretty well I guess." Riolu narrowed his eyes at the newbie trainer and shrugged his shoulders.

Upon seeing the blue and black Pokemon's reaction, Karen smiled, setting down the newspaper and grabbing a folded paper. "Before you leave, you're going to need this," she said, handing Kalo the folded paper.

Glancing at it in confusion, Kalo unwraveled it. As he did, a compass fell from the folded paper, which he now realized was a map. "Oh, right!" Kalo muttered. How could he have forgotten about a map and compass? It would be a little difficult to locate cities without either of the helpful tools. Kalo expressed his thanks before tucking the items away in his backpack.

When Kalo was finished, he lugged his heavy bag on his back, hooking the Pokeball to a magnetic clip on his belt. "Well, I guess this is it," he murmured, glancing at his mother, a sympathetic look on his face. Moving into a hug, Kalo whispered, "I'll see you later mom." Tears of both joy and sadness - but mainly the former - gathered at her eyes.

"You two be safe! Make sure to write! And don't forget to thank your sister!" his mother reminded Kalo as he and Riolu stepped out into a mildly cold day.

"We will!" Kalo replied with a grin. "Love you, mom!" Kalo shouted over his shoulder as he and Riolu exited the house.

"Love you too, honey!" she replied. She continued watching the duo until the large hustle and bustle of the city obscured their forms.

"According to the map, we need to go east out of Jubilife City, to Oreburgh City," Kalo said, studying the map. Currently, he was talking to himself. Riolu had retired in his Pokeball for the duration of their walk through Jubilife City because of his shyness.

"And according to the compass, east is. . .this way," Kalo pointed in a general direction. Squinting his eyes, he could make out the city limits to the east. What lurked beyond, he had no idea. Kalo continued to walk east, silently marveling at the size of the city. Jubilife City was easily the largest city in Sinnoh. Tall skyscrapers were common throughout the city, and advancements in the paving of roads and technology were made regularly. To the right, Kalo could see the Pokemon Center, easily noticeable due to its red roof with the letters "PC" engraved in the center. To the left was, what Kalo guessed, the Jubilife T.V. Station, one of the many skyscrapers in the city.

Kalo passed multiple buildings before finally reaching the city limits after over an hour of walking. Kalo examined what was past the city limits and whistled. Tall trees led to a large expanse of mountains, most likely where Oreburgh City lay. Kalo groaned; he would probably have to walk multiple hours a day for a week to reach the city. Conserving his supplies as much as possible would probably be for the best.

Unhooking the Pokeball, Kalo brought Riolu out in a bright flash of light. "We're out of the city now," he informed the dog-like Pokemon as Riolu glanced around quickly, taking in his surroundings. "Well, we won't get anywhere just standing here. Oreburgh City, here we come!" Kalo shouted, trying to muster up as much enthusiasm as he could to prove strong in front of Riolu. After all, how could he ask Riolu to be patient during this journey if he himself was already beaten?

Riolu, unfortunately, saw straight through the ruse and snickered. "Ri!" Riolu chimed, pointing to Kalo's shoulder.

Kalo blinked. "What, you want to sit on my shoulder?" he asked for confirmation. The black and blue Pokemon nodded. Shrugging his shoulders, Kalo bent down and grabbed the Pokemon. "I guess it doesn't matt- OOF! How am I supposed to put you on my shoulder? You're like fifty pounds!" Kalo exclaimed.

Riolu glared at the young trainer. "Ri? Riolu?"

"Maybe I am calling you fat! After all, it's not like you've been exercising or anything these past several months!"

"Lu! Ri, ri, riolu!"

"What do you mean I'm looking a little plump?" Immediately, Kalo began to suck in his stomach. "See? I'm not plump at all! This is all hard muscle."

Snickering, Riolu started walking down the rocky path towards their destination. Kalo muttered under his breath, following begrudgingly. The duo walked in silence for about ten minutes before Riolu's eyes narrowed, and he glanced around warily.

Kalo, noticing that his (condescending) partner had stopped walking for a moment, eyed the Pokemon concernedly. "Do you hear something?" he asked, glancing around in a little trepidation.

Riolu nodded, closing his eyes and concentrating. Kalo didn't hear anything yet, but he glanced around to survey his surroundings. They were currently walking through a small expanse of woods, with a small river flowing nearby, and several rocks, varying in size, surrounding them.

Suddenly, the rocks shifted.

It looked as if the rocks suddenly grew muscular, five-fingered arms. They levitated in the air, each one opening their trapeziodal pair of eyes. Riolu shifted, moving protectively in front of Kalo, while the just-turned teenager glanced at the Geodude, frightened.

"Riolu!" Riolu growled. The Geodude responded, grumbling parts of their name. Kalo cocked his head to the side in confusion. Were they having a conversation? Then Riolu shifted once more into a battle stance, and Kalo understood that the diplomatic approach had failed. Kalo examined their chances of winning this. Riolu was faster and had a type advantage against the Geodude, but there were five of the heavy boulders total.

"Ge-o-dude!" one of the Geodude shouted, throwing itself at Riolu.

Kalo quickly regained his composure, shouting an order. "Riolu, use Force Palm!"

Riolu quickly acted, dragging his hand back and slamming it into the Geodude, knocking it off course and into a tree. Apparently, that particular Geodude wasn't very old, because it was knocked out nearly immediately by the super-effective attack.

The Geodude began to recognize Riolu as a larger threat and thus were beginning to act more cautiously. Two of them broke off from the group and launched at Riolu. Kalo quickly backed away so that he wouldn't be open for attack or hindering Riolu's performance.

"Riolu, dodge them!" Kalo shouted, and Riolu followed suit. The blue and black Pokemon slid under the two Geodude, appearing behind them. Riolu was infinitely faster than the slow Geodude, but there still wasn't very much room to maneuver, surrounded by thick foliage.

"Now use Quick Attack!" Kalo commanded. Riolu disappeared in a blur, slamming into one of the Geodude. In hindsight, Kalo realized that this probably wasn't the best move to make, to say the least. A normal-type move like Quick Attack wasn't effective against Geodude, and all it did was bring Riolu closer to them. "Riolu, hurry and move away from the two Geodude!"

Riolu tried to comply, but another Geodude rushed him from behind, slamming its large bulk into Riolu's back. Kalo winced at the impact as Riolu stumbled forward. "Riolu, move away from them!" Kalo shouted desperately. However, the other four Geodude now surrounded Riolu in a circle, and they wouldn't let the small Pokemon slide under them again.

"Riolu, use Force Palm as much as you can!" Kalo commanded. Riolu responded by pulling his arms back and slamming them into two Geodude. This attack didn't knock them out, but it did do some damage. However, in response, the other two Geodude pummelled Riolu with several blows. Riolu turned and jumped back, away from their assault.

"Riolu, use Force Palm again!" Kalo knew that a trainer shouldn't be repetitive, but Force Palm was the only move Riolu had that would do any considerable damage to the Geodude. The battle continued for another couple of minutes, with Riolu knocking out another two Geodude, but obtaining several blows and becoming noticeably slower in movement.

One of the Geodude slammed its fist into Riolu's chest, effectively throwing the Pokemon to the ground. "Ri. . ." Riolu muttered weakly, laying against the ground.

Kalo, without regard for his own safety, charged forward and threw himself over Riolu, shielding the Pokemon's body from more harm. "Stop!" he begged to the Geodude. "Stop! You win, now let us be!" Kalo cried. Unfortunately, they didn't heed his cry, and they pummeled Kalo's body with fists. Kalo cried in pain from the multiple impacts, but he still held on to Riolu. "Help! Help!" His vision was growing dimmer, with specks of black clouding his sight. "Help!" he shouted one last time. As he fell into unconsciousness, a shout permeated the air. However, to Kalo, it sounded as little more than an echo. . .

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. The sounds continued, ringing at a monotonous level and pace. Kalo's eyes fluttered open, and he winced at the bright light. It would take a minute for his eyes to adjust to the sudden change in lighting, so he was just content to lay down and relax on the cushiony surface.

Wait, what?

Kalo's eyes shot open, though they were still in a squint. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Kalo glanced around for the source of that incessant beeping, locating some sort of machine. Studying the room he was placed in, he found that there was little contrast in colors. The majority of it all was just white. A T.V was perched in one of the corners, placed on the News channel. Various vials and jars, some filled with liquids and others not, were scattered throughout the room. Kalo looked down to find that he was currently lying in a gurney, still in the same clothes that he was when he and Riolu were attacked.

He tried to life his head up to get a better view of his hospital room, but he found that doing so pained him so greatly that he found the task excruciatingly difficult. It was then that he noticed a nurse sitting on a chair against the counter, going through a booklet. Kalo coughed, catching the nurse's attention.

"Oh! Mr. Rover, you're awake!" she sounded surprised.

"N...Nurse," his voice was very hoarse due to not being used in so long. He cleared his throat before continuing, though it did little to change the tone of his voice. "Nurse. . .what happened?" He knew that it was a rather vague question, but he had just been beaten down by a couple of Geodude, and he was sure he was going to die. To wake up in a hospital bed, while relieving, created a big gap in his mind that only a thorough explanation could fix.

"You and your Riolu were found about a mile outside of Jubilife City. Tell me, do you know Alexia Woodrow?" the nurse asked. Kalo shook his head. "Well, she said she found you getting attacked by some Geodude. She sent one of her Pokemon to fetch for help, and you were brought to the hospital, while your Riolu was brought to the Pokemon Center. You two are both in Jubilife City right now."

Kalo blinked, thinking back in his mind. It was hard for him to be certain, but, as far as he knew, he had never heard of an Alexia Woodrow. There were multiple questions that Kalo could have asked at the time, but one stood out more than the others. "Is Riolu ok?"

The nurse gave a small, reassuring smile. "They said that he was pretty injured, but it's nothing that a night at the Pokemon Center won't fix." Her smile faded. "You, on the other hand, will probably be here for another week to recuperate."

Kalo felt winded. "A-A week, but I have to reach Oreburgh City!" Deeply, Kalo felt extremely ashamed in himself. Not fifteen minutes after leaving Jubilife City, he and his Riolu had gotten attacked, and probably would have died had it not been for. . .Alexia, was it?

"You won't be able to in your current condition; I can tell you that much. You've only been here for a couple of days. Meanwhile, your mom is here and said she wanted to visit you whenever you woke up. Are you well-enough to take visitors?" the nurse asked.

Kalo's eyes widened as he thought back to his mom. What would she think? She'd probably be ashamed in him for getting placed in the hospital so early into his journey. Even worse, he probably wouldn't be allowed to leave the city again! Part of him wanted to decline; say that he was feeling too ill. However, the other half felt that things needed to be discussed. The latter half won, and Kalo reluctantly nodded his head.

"Good. I'll go fetch her then," the nurse replied before leaving the room. She returned a couple of minutes later, with Kalo's mom behind her. "I'll leave you two alone for a moment," the nurse added, before leaving the room once more.

Karen rushed towards her child, kneeling next to the gurney. "Oh, Kalo," she whispered, placing her hands on his cheeks. Her eyes were a little red; she had been crying recently.

Kalo averted his gaze. He couldn't look her in the eye. Not now. "I'm sorry, mom. I couldn't protect Riolu. B-Because of me, he's in the hospital!"

Kalo's mom fixed him with a stern gaze. "No, and don't you every say that again. It wasn't your fault and it wasn't Riolu's fault that either of you got hurt. You both did well, and I'm just glad that things aren't as bad as they could've been," she whispered, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

For some odd reason, Kalo felt like he shouldn't go out traveling again. Both he and Riolu had gotten hurt so quickly after leaving Jubilife City. He definitely wasn't ready to travel.

Kalo's mom seemed to read his thoughts. "Kalo, staying home won't make Riolu stronger, or give him the experience necessary to survive out in the wilds. Even battling with trainers in a friendly battle isn't the same as battling wild Pokemon out in the wilderness. Don't forsake your dream just because of this one little incident." Narrowing her eyes, she added, "But don't think I'm going to let you two go back out there alone. I was wrong for letting you two do that in the first place. If you want to go traveling again, you're going to need someone - another trainer, preferably - to travel with you."

"I don't know if I want to go back out there, mom. I was so useless; I made so many mistakes when I was ordering Riolu. My sister's been giving me tips about how to battle for years now through her letters, but when it came right down to it. . .I couldn't think straight."

His mom's eyes softened, and she replied in a soft tone, "Honey, don't think that you have to do this alone. All of the best trainers out there started out not knowing what they were doing. Moreover, all of the best trainers out there didn't start traveling by themselves. They brought friends with them."

Kalo thought over his mom's words for a minute. "Okay mom. I'll think about it." Some dry humor entered his tone. "I'll have a lot of time to think about it sitting in this stupid hospital bed."

Karen smiled, getting up and kissing her son on the top of his head. "I'll leave you to it, then. Is there anything you need me to bring?"

"Can we bring Riolu in here? When he gets better?" Kalo asked, hope evident in his voice.

His mom shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, they don't allow Pokemon in most hospitals, Kalo. And it's for good reason, even if it might suck." She brushed aside the curtain leading to Kalo's room, peeking her head out. "Nurse, we're done." Then she turned her head back to Kalo. "Rest easy," before leaving the room.

"I've rested long enough," Kalo muttered, turning his attention to the Television.

Happily reacting to the nurse's command, Kalo jumped out of the gurney and stretched his sore muscles. A week had passed since he had woken up, and although his body was still considerably sore, he could move around now without too much trouble.

"You've barely walked in the last several days, so you'll need to stretch your body out at least twice a day through the methods that I've showed you," the nurse said, flipping through a notepad thoughtfully. "Try not to jog too much for the next couple of days. Other than that, you should be good," she explained.

Kalo grinned, finally ready to get out of this hospital. He hadn't seen Riolu in a week, and he was eager to find his Pokemon and apologize for what happened. Yet, at the same time, Kalo was afraid of Riolu's reaction? Would he abandon Kalo for his poor skill at being a trainer? How much trust had Riolu lost in Kalo? Although the two hadn't known each other for more than a day prior to leaving Jubilife City (and returning not a couple of hours later), they had established a good connection. What was left of that connection now?

"Mr. Rover, Ms. Woodrow is waiting to see you in the main lobby," Kalo's nurse informed him before carrying on with her daily business.

Kalo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Ms. Woodrow? Who is. . .Oh yeah! That's Alexia! He recognized the woman when the nurse had explained what had happened to Kalo a week ago. I wonder what she's here for? Oh well, that would save the trouble of having to track her down. If Kalo needed to thank anybody, she was definitely the one.

Kalo wandered down to the lobby, looking around aimlessly. It then occurred to him that he had never seen Alexia before, only she him. He felt someone tap his shoulder, and Kalo whirled around, coming face to face to what he assumed was Alexia. She had straight brown hair that reached to the small of her back, and sparkling brown eyes. She had a moderately tanned complexion, and wore a white shirt that clung to her sides, a pair of black leggings that descended to her knees, and a thin jacket. Around her neck was an opal necklace. "You're Alexia, right?" Kalo asked for confirmation.

The girl, who looked to be Kalo's age, smirked. "Yeah, and you're Kalo, right? It's hard to tell when I've only seen you unconscious."

Kalo averted his gaze embarrassedly. "Yeah, uh, thanks for that. You know, helping me and Riolu out. Is there anything that we can do for you in return?" he asked. God, he felt stupid.

She dismissed his query with a flick of her wrist. "No, it's cool. It wasn't a big deal."

Kalo blinked at her reaction. Not a big deal? He was pretty sure that he would have died if she hadn't shown up. Him and Riolu. His mom had always told him that life was more important than anything else. He understood that his life may not be that important to the world, but surely he could give her something in return.

Kalo stammered, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily. "Uh, yeah, right. Well, um, is there something that you wanted. . .?" he noticed a Pokedex sticking out of her coat pocket. "Are you a Pokemon Trainer?" he asked, curious.

Surprised at the sudden change in topic, Alexia replied, "No. I'm actually studying to be a Pokemon Professor. One of the well-known ones, y'know. Like Rowan."

Kalo's eyes widened in interest. "Oh, so you have a lab and everything?" He hadn't met a Pokemon Professor before.

Alexia averted her gaze to the ground, becoming noticeably more nervous. "Uh, no. I actually just started out, and my parents. . .well, they refuse to help pay for a lab. They think trying to become a Pokemon Professor is a waste of time," at this, she became a little flushed. In fact, a sizable amount of people thought it was a waste of time. "I'm just doing small jobs here and there with the two Pokemon that I have to get some money. But at this rate, I'll be eighty-five before I have enough for a lab." She probably should stop rambling about her financial problems, but whenever she became nervous, she found it hard to stop talking.

Kalo almost pitied her position, even though he was sure that she wouldn't want pity. Not from a guy who had almost gotten him and his Pokemon killed by a group of Geodude, anyway. Still, her parents wouldn't even help her pay for a lab? Things like this made him grateful that he had such an understanding mom.

Kalo's eyes widened. "Oh, I know! I can help you pay for a lab!"

Now it was Alexia's eyes who widened. "You know someone who has that kind of money?"

Kalo nodded. "Well, I know really know the person, but I know the Champion has to have more than enough money to pay for a lab!" he replied.

Alexia began to grow excited. "You could convince the Champion to help me pay for a lab?"

"Uh, well, not exactly," Kalo responded.

"Well then, what is it?" Alexia demanded. She was beginning to grow tired of his shenanigans.

I guess I'll just say it. . ."I'm going to become Champion!" Kalo explained.

Alexia certainly wasn't expecting this. She stood with her mouth agape before regaining her compusure. "Uh, no offense, Kalo, but how do you expect to become Champion when you were almost killed by a few Geodude?" she asked suspiciously.

Kalo was a little affronted. "I can do it. I mean, I just have to train a lot and everything, but it's my dream to become the Pokemon Champion of Sinnoh! Once I become Champion, I could easily pay for a giant laboratory."

Alexia decided to go along with it for a moment. "Ok, let's say that you manage to make it to the Sinnoh League, and even this would be very difficult. There, you have to beat some of the toughest trainers in Sinnoh before moving onto the Elite Four. Then there's the Champion herself!"

"Well, the way I see it, that's probably the better option than not getting your lab when you're eighty-five, right?" Kalo asked.

Alexia hesitated; he had her there. Before she could bring up another one of the multiple problems that stood in Kalo's way of becoming Champion, Kalo groaned suddenly. "Except," he added. "I can't leave travel by myself after what just happened. My mom wouldn't allow it. And truthfully, I'm a little bummed out after almost getting my Pokemon killed."

"Uh, you know you almost died too, right?" Alexia sweatdropped.

"Well yeah, but almost getting Riolu killed seems worse to me. He could have easily outrun those Geodude, after all, and just left me there. But he stayed; just to protect me. I hadn't even known him for more than a day, and he was willing to sacrifice himself for me," Kalo explained.

Alexia's eyes softened significantly, and she even found a new amount of respect for the new trainer. "You know, you did the same for him too," she replied softly.

Kalo raised his eyebrows, surprised at her response. He had forgotten about how he had shielded Riolu from harm with his own body.

Wow. He and his Riolu have a really close bond already. And he looks really serious about becoming Champion. Maybe...just maybe. Making her decision, she said, "I'll tell you what, Kalo. I'll hold you to your promise about buying my a lab. And I'll accompany you on your journey throughout Sinnoh." Before Kalo could respond, she added, "But only if your Riolu doesn't mind traveling again."

This completely baffled Kalo. "You're going to come with me?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. He remembered her saying that she had two Pokemon.

"Only if Riolu is ok with traveling. I talked with your mom, and she said that after she picked Riolu up from the Pokemon Center, she brought him back to your house."

Kalo nodded, his face obtaining a serious composure. No matter what Riolu's decision was, he would respect it and understand it. All Kalo could hope for is that the small Pokemon will stay as Kalo's Pokemon. "Alright, I'll go talk to him." Kalo then grinned at Alexia. "And get ready to set off." With that being said, he left the Pokemon Center to find his home.

Kalo knocked on the door and waited patiently, although he didn't have to wait for long. The door swung open, revealing his mom, and Riolu standing next to her. They all stood in silence for a moment before Riolu tackled Kalo in a giant hug. The heavy Pokemon nearly knocked Kalo right over. Holding Riolu in a hug, his arms straining, Kalo laughed as Riolu licked his cheek.

He placed the Pokemon down, and hugged his mother. Although she had visited him every day in the hospital, she was still ecstatic to see him again, up and moving. "Mom, I need to talk with Riolu about something, if that's alright," Kalo said.

His mom nodded, winking at Kalo. "I think I already know what it's about, too," she mused. Nevertheless, she moved aside and let Kalo enter the house.

Kalo and Riolu went into a room alone and Kalo shut the door. Kalo sat on the floor with his legs crossed, and Riolu crawled into his lap, standing eye-to-eye with Kalo's sitting form. Kalo's voice began to crack as he started speaking. "Riolu, I'm so, so sorry for what happened. Because of me, you got hurt not even fifteen minutes after we left the city. You were ready to die protecting me. I can't thank you enough for what you did." So Kalo began to explain what had happened at the lobby room in the hospital; about his meeting with Alexia, and about the new chance to travel. All the while, Riolu stayed silent and didn't move, staring at Kalo intently.

When Kalo was done, he was out of breath and fresh tears flowed down his cheeks like a cascade. Taking a deep breath, Kalo finished, "S-So, are you ready to travel again?"

Riolu was quiet for several moments. "I-I understand p-perfectly if you aren't. I was just-"

"Riolu!" Riolu chimed, smiling.

Although Kalo couldn't understand Poke-speak, the answer was clear enough for him. "Thank you, Riolu. Thank you so much!" Kalo cried, hugging the canine.

After checking his pack and making sure that everything was packed once again, Kalo and Riolu descended the staircase to the living room. Kalo's mother was currently talking to Alexia, making sure everything was settled and done. Glancing down to Riolu, Kalo grinned. "Are you ready, boy?" he asked eagerly.

"Ri!" his partner responded joyfully.

Kalo's mom must have been finished talking with Alexia, because she approached the duo. "So you're leaving me again," but she was joking, of course.

"Thanks for the supplies, Ms. Rover," Alexia smiled earnestly.

"Oh, it isn't a problem Alexia. Thank you for agreeing to look over Kalo; I understand that he's a bit of a handful at times," his mother smiled.

Alexia glanced towards Kalo with a small smile. "I'll try to tolerate him. Are you two packed and ready?" The question was directed towards Kalo and Riolu.

Kalo grinned and Riolu repeated his name happily. "Yeah, we're good." He walked to the door, stopping next to his mom to give her a hug good-bye. "Hopefully you won't see me back again until I get my first badge," Kalo joked to his mom.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Kalo," she said, ruffling his hair. "You three take care now. Love you Kalo," she kissed her son on his cheek.

"Mom," Kalo groaned. It was one thing to do that in private, but in front of company?

"Oh, come on Kalo, say it back. You don't want to leave your mommy hanging," Alexia grinned.

Grumbling, Kalo muttered, "I love you too, mom."

Kalo's mom laughed good-naturedly, waving them goodbye as they exited the house. Kalo smiled, pulling out the map once again. "Thanks for coming with us, Alexia," Kalo said, glancing at the map.

"Just call me Lexi," Alexia replied with a brief smile.

"Ri!"

Kalo: 13

Karen (Kalo's mom): 41

Lexi: 13

Sorry if the chapter was a little fast-paced towards the end. It was growing a little long, so I didn't want to extend it out too much farther. Anyways, like I said at the top, I'm accepting OCs! Also, you see that little 'Review' button at the bottom of the page? Click it pwease. :P I'm going to try to update this every weekend.

Ciao!