Author's Note- The following is based purely on my take of the Pokemon games, as I haven't seen the anime or read the manga. I've taken the liberty of changing a few details in order to make it seem more true-to-life. This is my first attempt at tackling a large project, and I'm hoping to hone my writing skills with it. That being said, I'd be very grateful if you'd post a review so that I can know what to change and what to keep up with. I'm very passionate about this story and I'd like to develop it into many, many chapters. I'm open to suggestions, so if there's a particular direction you'd like to see it go in don't be shy. I sincerely hope you enjoy my chronicling of Rachel and Luna's adventures.

Chapter 1- Finding a Way

The girl sitting at the kitchen table was beyond crying. Tears simply leaked from her eyes as she stared beyond her mother, who was sitting at the table across from her and watching her daughter sadly. The kitchen was aglow with soft muted light as the setting sun illuminated the curtains, and it was silent aside from the humming of the refrigerator, the ticking of the colorful kitchen clock shaped like a HootHoot, and the young woman's sniffling. Her mother reached out a hand hesitantly, taking it as a good sign when her daughter didn't throw it off her shoulder.

"Rachel, dear," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I really don't know what else to say. But there's nothing we can do, except pray that he's well taken care of."

A spark of anger flared in Rachel's eyes. Despite the harshness of her daughter's next words, Mary felt almost relieved. From the moment she had come home from work to find the backyard empty, Rachel's eyes had been empty and distant. Mary had feared that she had gone into shock-which, Mary thought, she probably had. For a while, at least.

"Well taken care of?" Rachel said, her normally soft voice hoarse and rough from unuse. She pushed her long hair away from her red and swollen face and glared at her mother. "Anyone who takes a creature against his will isn't going to take care of him! Why would they take him? Why not catch their own? The woods are full of Aron. He's only special to me. What could they possibly want from him?" Her initial outburst ended, and Rachel finally began to cry in earnest. Her relief overshadowed by grief for her daughter and her overwhelming feeling of helplessness, Mary leaned forward and embraced her daughter.

"That's right, get it out," Mary said softly. "Holding it in won't help him."

Rachel glared at the floor and said nothing. Her anger and misery were burning in her stomach like lava, but they were nothing compared to her guilt. If she had left Axel at the daycare, or safely in her room, he never would have been stolen. It was her fault, all her fault. Her best friend, her pride and joy, her fiercely devoted and rambunctious companion; gone.

Lost as she was in her thoughts, she barely registered the soft bumping at her knee until she wiped her eyes and glanced down. She was surprised to see Luna, the family pet, gazing up at her with soft, empathetic eyes. Rachel slowly stroked the Furfrou's soft springy coat, which was currently clean, fluffy, and decorated with pink hearts. Luna had been part of the family for nearly ten years, but she was haughty and aloof. Luna preferred Mary's company but largely ignored Rachel, the same relationship (in reverse) that Rachel had shared with Axel. The comfort that Luna was currently offering, therefore, touched and calmed Rachel in a way her mother's words never could. Her presence pierced Rachel's haze of pain, and she began to regain a bit of her composure.

Her thoughts no longer quite as cloudy, Rachel began to think. She looked up at her mother.

"So no one is going to help us? Police, investigators, anyone? What did they say when you called?"

Mary, who tried to hide her relief that her daughter seemed to be coming back to herself, straightened her glasses and said, "No. I called the police station here in Kiloude, and the bigger one in Lumiose, as well as the bureau in Lumiose. No one has the time or the resources to investigate. The detective there said he might be able to come down to help us, but he isn't sure when that'd be."

Rachel leaned forward, her eyes on fire. "There has to be something we can do. Someone to talk to. At the very least we can get some leads. Who would steal a Pokemon?"

"Sadly, many people," her mother said softly. She fell silent, and Rachel knew her mother was thinking the same thing. Team Flare was, of course, the most famous Pokemon thieves; but for the most part they had been bumbling and stupid, not to mention very easy to trace. In any case, Team Flare had been disbanded a year ago. No, Rachel didn't think they were involved.

But there was a nasty undercurrent in the Kalos region, one many people knew about (in passing, at least) but no one wanted to speak of: the illegal underground trade of rare Pokemon caught, raised- or stolen. What happened to the creatures, what purpose they were being put to, Rachel didn't know and had always been afraid to find out. But she had to. Even if these people had nothing to do with Axel, she had to find out for certain. It gave her a certain purpose, a place to start. She met her mother's eyes, and she knew Mary had come to the same conclusion.

"Mom-"

"I know." Her mother's eyes, which had stayed nearly dry throughout the entire ordeal, began to fill with tears. She stood up and opened a cabinet, her back to Rachel. Rachel knew she was doing this to avoid being seen crying. "You're eighteen. You're of age, and I can't stop you. I wouldn't if I could. I also know you won't let me come with you."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Rachel mumbled. "But I need you to take care of things here."

"Yes, I know." Mary turned to face her daughter, and Rachel smiled to herself when she saw the same determination she felt had replaced the helplessness on her mother's face. "What's your plan? Where will you go first?"

"I'm not sure," Rachel admitted. She reached down to pet Luna again, but found that the Furfrou had already moved on to the other side of the kitchen to drink from her water bowl. Rachel almost felt the distance growing between them again; the bonding moment was over. She averted her eyes from Luna, not wanting to admit that she wished Luna was still at her side, and saw that Mary was watching the Pokemon thoughtfully. She glanced at Luna and back to her daughter.

"If I may offer a suggestion," she said slowly, "I think the best place to start would be to take the train here in town to Lumiose. There, you could find Professor Sycamore at his lab. He knows everything there is to know about Pokemon, and it's a very big city. He might have heard rumors; he might have a lead. It's a place to start."

Rachel nodded and smiled. "Yes…yes it is. I think I'll do that."

"But first," her mother said, "you need a Pokemon to take with you. It's dangerous without one. Who knows where you will go and who you will meet? I'm afraid for you; I don't want you to go, but I know you have to. If I'm to stay here, I would feel much better if you had a partner."

Rachel stared at her mother. Children sometimes left home early with a Pokemon in order to travel, battle, and become Trainers. Those who didn't remained home, went to school, worked, and eventually moved away to lead normal lives. Rachel had chosen to not become a Trainer; pitting creatures against each other held little appeal for her. It seemed barbaric. She had never battled with Axel; she had adopted him from a breeder three years ago and she had never seen him as anything other than a playmate and friend. But her mother's words rang uncomfortably true. Having a Pokemon with her would make the journey both safer and more comfortable.

Rachel took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "I suppose I can always ask Professor Sycamore for one. He does that, right?"

Mary shook her head. "He only gives Pokemon to children, Rachel. You're too old."

Rachel gritted her teeth. "I guess I'll have to catch one, then."

"Maybe not," Mary said. She gestured towards the kitchen floor, where Luna was currently eating daintily out of her bowl. "Why don't you take Luna with you? She's smart, she's strong, and she can help you more than you might think."

"Luna?" Rachel said skeptically, laughing in spite of herself. Her laughter quickly died away when she realized what her mother was implying. "Mom, I can't take Luna."

"Why not? She's a Pokemon," Mary said with the same strained patience one might use in explaining something simple to a fussy toddler.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"I know you aren't as close to her as you were with Axel, but if you give you're patient with her, she might surprise you."

Luna glanced up from her bowl and narrowed her eyes slightly at Rachel, who suddenly had the unnerving thought that Luna understood everything that Mary had said and wasn't very happy about it. Rachel's mother slowly stroked Luna's head as she tried to reason with her daughter.

"Look, you know how the world works. Nobody goes very far without a Pokemon to protect them."

Rachel knew this was true. Outside of the cities, wild Pokemon could attack anyone. The only way to counter the powers of a Pokemon was with another one. However, she simply didn't see how one little Furfrou could be of much help. She knew that Pokemon were powerful creatures with amazing magical abilities, but the only ability Luna had ever shown was the tendency to eat more than the rest of the household combined.

"I don't know, Mom. What makes you think Luna would even want to come?"

Almost on cue, Luna promptly stuck her pointy nose in the air and stalked out of the kitchen. Rachel pointed at her retreating shadow. "See?"

Mary smiled sadly and shook her head. "She'll be fine. So, what do you say?"

"I don't know," Rachel said. "I guess I don't have much choice. I have to find him, Mom. He was counting on me to protect him, and I let him down." Rachel swiped her sleeve across her face, hating the tears.

Mary crossed the space over to her daughter and offered her arms. Rachel paused, then returned the hug. "Get some rest, think it over. You'll feel better in the morning."

Rachel bit back her retort, and hoped that her mother was right.