Chapter 1: First Encounter

It was a cold winter night, one of many stretching out to become longer and longer as the end of the year approached. John's birthday was approaching soon. He lay on his cold, uncomfortable bed, staring out the open window at the full moon, hanging so high in the sky. He got up from bed, kneeled down in front of the window, and made a wish. He was not expecting it to be answered, but it was worth a try.

A loud thump sounded outside, the house shaking along with it. He sat up immediately, pressing his ears and then his eyes up to the window. There was another thump, and the house shook again. He was scared, but also curious. He left his bedroom and slipped out of the front door where he saw it.

Four black furry legs stood like skyscrapers in the middle of town, stretching up and connecting to the body of an immense fox-like monster. Large yellow circles were scattered through its fur, glowing bright enough to light up four blocks in every direction, but by some miracle, nobody else had appeared to wake up yet. Its large bushy tail wagged slowly, creating a small tornado that spun for a few seconds before disappating.

He blinked and rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things. But he wasn't. Pokémon were just another fantasy species to learn about in mythology class, or so he thought. But here he was, looking up at an… Umbreon, as they were called. It was a wish come true.

The Umbreon looked down and noticed John standing far below them. Adrenaline shot through his veins as they moved their large head to the ground, creating a small crater as if offering him a ride. He blinked in confusion for a few seconds. Then he overcame his fear and jumped onto their head, sinking slightly into their thick, soft fur.

The Umbreon moved their head back up into the air, causing him to slip. He clung desperately to their face as the behemoth sniffed him. He immediately became still, wondering what he was being tested for and if he would pass it.

After a minute, the sniffing ceased and the Umbreon licked him. Their huge tongue slid back and forth along his whole body, making him completely and utterly wet. He choked, attempting to force the saliva out of his throat. He stuck his fingers into his ears, attempting to clean them out.

"What was that for?" He shouted.

"You needed a bath," The Umbreon said in a surprisingly feminine voice. "Sorry for startling you."

"Wow! You can talk?" He said. He hadn't actually been expecting the Umbreon to actually reply to his question. "I thought you would just say 'Umbreon' over and over."

"That's ridiculous," She said, laughing loudly and causing a window to shatter. "Where did you hear that from?"

"Our textbooks," John said. "In school, we were always told that Pokémon were mythical creatures."

"Well, it looks like you're talking to a myth," She said, laughing again. "Nice to meet you. You can call me… Umberina."

"I'm John," He said, petting the fur that currently surrounded him. She purred slightly, barely feeling his touch but still enjoying it. "So why are you so big?"

"Why are you so small?"

"I'm a Lilliputian. I can't help it."

"I'm a Pokémon. I can't help it either."

"So why are you here?" John asked Umberina.

Umberina took a moment to think about this. "My friends have all gone missing, and I've been looking for someone who is willing to help me find them. Everyone else here is so small, and I'm so big, so they fear me. You're different, though, aren't you?"

He frowned a bit. He didn't want to tell her about the wish he had made, or how unusual it had been for it to come true. He was still afraid that it still wasn't real, that it would slip through his fingers and become a dream again if he ever spoke a word of it to anyone else.

"I don't know. It's just hard to fear someone who's so cute."

If he had been able to see Umberina from a distance, he would have noticed that her cheeks had brightened slightly, as if in a faint blush.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me," He continued.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I live alone here in the town. I realized tonight that I didn't know anyone well in the slightest. I had no friends. And then you arrived."

"Wow. We must have been meant to meet each other."

"I will ride with you," He said, steeling his resolve. "Wherever you go, I will go there with you. My life could use a bit of adventure, and your life could use a bit of friendship."

Umberina was pleased by these words. She was glad to have made a new friend, and even better, one that was willing to help her find the rest of her friends. John sunk under the soft surface below him, nearly disappearing between the giant hairs that made up her warm black fur.

"Are you ready?" She asked him.

"Take me anywhere you want," John whispered into the bottom of her tall black ears.

She obliged and began to walk, leaving the city and joyfully strolling through the wide-open wilderness that lay beyond it.

John was just as happy to be there as Umberina was about him being there. He layed back and fell asleep to the sound of her rhythmic breathing.

A/N: And thus the great journey begins! This is going to be a long story, so bear with me. It will be finished eventually.