Pallet Saga: Chapter 1: Victory over Victreebel!

Pallet Town. A small town in the south of the Kanto region. Lying below the much more industrious and larger Viridian City, Pallet Town was considered the rustic, out of the way part of Kanto. It wasn't a city, it didn't have giant neon lights, it didn't have any stores, and it didn't have a Gym Leader or a Gym, or even a Pokémon Center. The only thing that made it worthwhile to most were the crops it produced year-round for the rest of the region to enjoy.

Pallet Town was small and the residents liked it that way. It was peaceful, quiet, and calm. Untouched by the industrialization that had gripped most of Kanto, it stood as a monument to the past. Within its borders were rice patties, fruit trees, and gardens ripe with fruits and vegetables. The roads were dirt and gravel, completely unpaved. Grass grew tall and wild. The native Pokémon were (usually) tame, and easy to domesticate...

What is a Pokémon? Well, that affords some explanation. Pokémon, also known as Pocket Monsters, are mysterious creatures that inhabit this world. They were much like animals, only much more intelligent, capable of understanding human speech and recognizing words. They came in many shapes, sizes, and elements. There were some who are less than a foot tall, and some that were twenty feet tall. Some soared through the skies, some swam through the seas, some swung through the trees of jungles and forests, and some dug miles into the ground. There were over one hundred and fifty Pokémon native to Kanto, and there were many, many more in other regions. The people of Kanto, and every other region, relied on Pokémon. For some, they were pets - for others, they were used to compete in non-lethal, totally safe Pokémon battles. Many people, such as the before-mentioned Gym Leaders made a career of battling others, and helping them train their Pokémon – and others still used Pokémon for crime. This world could not exist if all of its Pokémon were taken away; it relied on the amazing creatures completely.

As I was saying, Pallet Town was a peaceful community – "was" being the keyword, sadly.

It was a warm, sunny day. It was summer, and though it was early into the season, the weather was pleasant, and the flowers were blooming, bright blues, reds and yellows dotting the fields.

Near the edge of Pallet Town, right next to the vast and dark forests that surrounded the town, was a little girl. She had dark black hair and jade eyes. She was wearing a white t-shirt and a green skirt, along with a pair of black shoes on her feet. The girl quietly and gently searched through the bushes, her jade eyes keenly searching for her lost ball. She knew that it wasn't safe to play this close to the forest - her mother had told her so many times - but she hadn't meant to come this close. She just kicked the ball too hard, that's all. Besides that, it couldn't hurt just to take a peek, right?

Right?

The girl frowned. "Nibbles, do you see it?"

"Eeee!" her partner replied, shaking her furry head. Nibbles was the girl's Pokémon, her partner and friend, as well as her protector. She was a Rattata, a small, purple mouse-like Pokémon with scarlet eyes and a large fang poking out her mouth. Rattata were incredibly common around Pallet Town, and many children enjoyed their company as pets and companions. Nibbles and her human, named Mary, had chosen to spend this evening playing ball - when they had accidentally knocked it into the woods.

Mary huffed as she folded her arms, feeling very frustrated. "No fair!" she mumbled crossly.

"Eeeee..." Nibbles agreed, scratching a furry ear.

Mary kicked a pebble on the ground. "Now what do we do?" she asked her Pokémon. "We don't have the ball... and it's almost dinner-time, too! Mommy will come looking..."

"Eeeee," the Mouse Pokémon said with a nod.

Mary sighed unhappily. "Oooooh..." the young girl said with a pout. "Let's go... This place is scary, anyways!" she added, casting a wary look at the darkening forest.

"Eeee!" her partner agreed.

The girl and her Pokémon swiftly made their way back into Pallet Town, leaving the dark, creepy forest behind. If they had left the woods, they would have made it home without any sort of incident or problem.

However, the gleam of brightly painted rubber caught Mary's eye. She slowly turned her head to get a better look, and saw something shining inside a bush, glinting in a small shaft of sunlight that had made it through the canopy of the trees.

Mary grinned as she pushed through the branches and leaves. There, lying in the twisted foliage, was her red and white striped ball. "I found it!" she told Nibbles eagerly.

"Eeee!" Nibbles squeaked, feeling relieved that coming into this place hadn't been for nothing.

Mary grabbed the ball and picked if off the ground - completely unaware that in doing so, she had stepped on a thick vine that was lying on the ground. As the girl happily ran off with her ball, the green tendril slowly slithered away. A pair of beady eyes opened, and a low, growling sound gurgled from the trees above.

"Beeeeeeeeeeel..."

Slowly, a huge shape began to slide down from the trees and began to crawl after the tiny, human girl. Vines snaking across the ground, and small eyes watching the human with aggressive intent.

Mary remained blissfully unaware, her attention focused solely on her recovered treasure. She hadn't heard the creature, nor did she see it - until it had her.

She had just made it out of the edge of the woods, ball and Rattata in tow, when a green vine suddenly wrapped around her ankle and yanked her back. May screamed as she hit the ground face-first, losing her grip on her ball, which bounced uselessly away. "Nibbles!" Mary cried, tears spouting from her eyes. "HELP!" Her fingers uselessly grasped at the ground as the tendrils began to pull her back into the forest.

Nibbles swiftly noticed her trainer's predicament and ran to the small girl's aid. "Eeeee!" the Mouse Pokémon shrieked as she leaped at the tendril and sank her teeth into it.

"Beeeeeeel!" a low, guttural voice growled. The long tendril wriggled with pain, struggling to toss the Ratatta off. However, Nibbles was, as stated, a Rattata, a Pokémon infamous for its powerful fangs and vicious bite. The Pokémon held firm and sunk her teeth deeper and deeper into the vine-like limb, drawing clear blood from the beast. With an angry shriek, the beast released its grip on Mary, releasing the frightened child. Mary fell to the ground and swiftly crawled away from the vine. Remembering Nibbles, she froze and turned around. "N-Nibbles!" she cried, terrified.

The Rattata squeaked in pain as the tendrils wrapped around her, constricting her with great force. Nibbles bit and scratched as she struggled to break free, but the beast's grip was too strong. Mary laid there, paralyzed with fear, forced to look on helplessly as her best friend was choked right in front of her.

Then, she saw the Pokémon come out from the forest.

It was a large, yellow creature coming out from behind the trees, beady white eyes glaring down at its prey. It had a massive, barrel-shaped body, covered in blotches and spots. A large mouth, easily large enough to swallow Mary, was on the top of its body, with its tiny eyes below it. Razor-sharp fangs protruded from the top, along with a sweet, honey-like scent. Two large, sharp looking leaves were at its side, and a long vine was attached to the back of its huge body, which was wrapped firmly around Nibbles.

Mary felt a scream welling up inside her as the beast approached. She knew what kind of Pokémon that was - she had seen one in TV once; specifically, she had seen it on a special about Pokémon that could easily kill human beings. "A... a Victreebel..." she whimpered, terrified.

"Beeeeel..." the Victreebel growled as it eyed the girl hungrily.

"P-please!" Mary begged. "Let Nibbles go!"

"Beeeel!" the Victreebel snarled, lashing out with its limb again. The vine wrapped around the terrified Mary, easily able to grab the girl even though it was already holding Nibbles. With a hungry snarl, the Victreebel began to drag the struggling girl and her Pokémon to its open maw.

"N-no!" Mary shrieked, horrified. She was screaming and crying as she pawed uselessly at the grass and tree roots, struggling pathetically to stay alive. "MOMMY!" she cried, tears spouting from her eyes as she neared her unfortunate fate. "HELP ME! MOMMY!"

"Lucky! Confusion!"

"Freeeeh!"

Suddenly, a violet wave of shimmering energy struck the Victreebel. The Fly-Catcher Pokémon snarled with pain as its tendrils loosened around Mary and Nibbles. Mary gave a surprised sob as she hit the ground, wondering who on earth had saved her.

"Kid!" the same voice from before shouted. "Move! Get out of there!"

"N-Nibbles..." whimpered Mary as she ran from the Victreebel, heading back towards town as fast as her tiny legs could carry her. Nibbles followed, just as eager as her trainer to get out of there.

"Beeeel!" Victreebel snarled. It began to hop across the grass, its barrel-like body propelling him towards the girl. It lashed out again with its wounded vine, aiming for its fleeing meal.

Before it could hit, however, a purple and white form intercepted the attack. The whip was easily deflected from by creature. With defiant courage, it stood between the Victreebel and girl.

Mary, for whatever reason, came to a halt. She looked on with wonder as the Victreebel seethed with hatred, hissing and spitting up poison as it glared at the new arrival. It was a small Pokémon, with a fuzzy, purple body, cute red eyes, and a pair of massive white wings. "A Butterfree..." she said, amazed.

As the Butterfree glared at the angry Victreebel, refusing to give an inch, its trainer arrived. He was a young man, thirteen years of age (though he would be fourteen tomorrow), with bright blond hair. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt over a long-sleeved blue shirt, and a pair of navy blue jeans. He turned to the terrified Mary and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Stay back, kid," he said, staring at her with icy-looking blue eyes. "We'll handle this!"

"M'kay..." Mary murmured, amazed. W-who is he? she thought, staring at the brave boy with wonder.

"Beeeel!" Victreebel roared. It opened its mouth wide and spat up a huge glob of sizzling toxins in a deadly Acid attack. The disgusting poison sailed right towards the Butterfree who stared silently back, not frightened at all. She waited calmly for her trainer's orders.

"Alright," the boy said. "Dodge, and use Confusion!"

"Freeeh!" the Butterfree cried. With a flap of her wings she zipped to the side, the Acid attack missing her completely. Then, eyes glowing brightly, she unleashed a second powerful burst of mental energy into the Victreebel.

The Grass/Poison-type roared and snarled as the attack struck its tiny brain, sending spasms of agony through its plantlike body. With a wheezing shriek of pain, the Victreebel fell to the floor, twitching and moaning, drooling poisons from its gaping maw.

"Heh," the boy muttered, "all bark and no bite, just like I thought. Good job, Lucky," he told the Butterfree.

"Freeeh!" Lucky chittered happily, and relieved that the fight had been just as easy as she had thought it would be.

Mary looked up at the duo, eyes wide. This young man was a Pokémon Trainer - she could tell by the Pokéballs on his belt. He was someone who used Pokémon to battle against wild Pokemon and other trained Pokemon. This trainer was quite skilled, to take down a fully evolved Victreebel so easily.

"Hey. Little girl."

Mary blinked, shaking her head as she came back to reality and realized that the trainer was actually talking to her. He looked down at her, although he was not much taller, his ice-colored eyes full of concern. "Is your Rattata okay?" he asked.

Mary gave a relieved sigh - partially because she and Nibbles were now safe and partially because the trainer wasn't scolding her. "N-Nibbles is fine," she said, picking the bruised, but alive, Rattata off the ground. "T-thank you," she said, gratefully bowing her head, leftover tears of terror trailing down her cheek.

"Welcome," the boy said. He put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "So, wanna tell me what the heck you were thinking?!" he demanded, his voice suddenly becoming harsher.

Mary sadly bowed her head. Here came the scolding...

The boy kneeled down in front of the girl, the Butterfree still at his side, and the stunned Victreebel at his back. "Don't you know how dangerous it's been with the wild Pokémon nowadays?" he asked, staring at the girl with his cold-looking eyes.

Mary nodded. "Yes..."

"Then why would you go and do that?" the boy questioned.

Behind him, the Victreebel slowly pushed itself off of the ground with its vine. Poisons and pollen frothed from its mouth as it glared at the trainer's back. Growling hatefully, it slowly began to drag itself across the ground towards the humans and the Butterfree.

"Why would you go near the woods?" the trainer asked again.

Mary's nervous eyes couldn't meet with his, so she looked pathetically at her feet, feeling humiliated and stupid. "I... I wanted to get my ball..." she said.

The boy shook his head and sighed, though not unkindly. "Is a piece of rubber really worth your life?" he asked in a low voice.

"No..." Mary said, feeling very hot and humiliated.

"Beelll..." the Victreebel growled quietly. It raised his vine, aiming the deadly tendril straight for that boy's back...

"Now, don't do that again," the boy warned. "We can take on a Pokémon like that because we're more experienced, but you're just starting with your training. I don't want you getting into any danger, okay?"

"Okay..." Mary said, looking away from Tony. Her eyes widened. Raised above them, poised to strike, was the Victreebel's vine. "L-l..." she stuttered, terrified. Nibbles gave a frightened shriek and hid behind her trainer's legs.

"Never again, okay?" the boy repeated, still expecting a response.

"Look out!" Mary finally managed to shout.

"Beeeel!" Victreebel shrieked, thrusting its Vine Whip towards the boy and his Butterfree.

The boy, however, was completely unimpressed and completely unsurprised as he unclipped another Pokéball from his belt and dropped it to the ground. It popped open in a scarlet flash that blinded Mary for a brief moment.

"B-Beeel?!"

"Bzzzzzz!"

Mary blinked, and slowly opened her eyes. The Victreebel was staring at another Pokémon, who had a long, lance-like stinger placed right between the Fly-catcher Pokémon's terrified eyes. It was a sleek, dangerous-looking creature, built for speed and damage. Long, bluish black arms and legs held it off the ground higher than Mary was. Its insectoid body was bright yellow and striped with black, with a sharp stinger on its abdomen and a pair of bright, ruby eyes on its head. A pair of wings were perched on its back, and on its arms were two, long stingers. Mary knew of this Pokémon, too. It was a Beedrill, a Bug/Poison-type renowned for its aggressive, territorial behavior, delivering dangerous stings with all three of its stingers, each of them the length and sharpness of a well-sharpened steak knife.

The boy sighed. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this…" he muttered, shaking his head as he turned to face his opponent again. "But you asked for it, pal! Spear, Twinneedle 'im!"

"Bzzzzz!" the Beedrill cried, striking the Victreebel viciously with both stingers twice. The Victreebel shrieked as he hit the ground for yet a second time.

"Now we've got you!" the boy cried, pulling another Pokéball out and tossing it. The sphere sailed through the air and struck the Victreebel right between the eyes before popping open. A beam of scarlet energy burst from the capsule, enveloping the beast, shrinking it down, and sucking it inside. With the Victreebel inside, the ball plopped down to the grass, shaking wildly as its prisoner tried to escape.

"DING!"

The ringing sound signaled that it was safe to approach; Victreebel was caught. The boy grinned as he scooped up the Pokéball, staring into the transparent top. The Grass/Poison-type glared back at him, unhappy with being stuck inside. The boy chuckled. "Not so tough when you're in there, are ya?" he asked the Victreebel. "That'll teach you to pick on helpless kids." He turned to his two Pokémon. "Good job, Lucky, good job, Spear," he told them, giving them each a thumbs up.

"Freeeh!" Lucky said with a nod.

"Bzzzz!" Spear agreed. He struck a fighting pose and threw several stabs into the air with his stingers.

The trainer looked down at the shocked Mary and Nibbles. "Alright, kid," he said. "What's your name?"

"H-huh?" Mary shook her head, overcoming her shock. The Beedrill had appeared so fast and wiped out Victreebel even faster. "Oh... I-I'm Mary..."

"Alright, Mary," the trainer said, "which way is your home?"

Mary sighed. "I'll show you..." she said, knowing that she was in a huge amount of trouble now.

"How could you be so stupid?!"

The voice of an angry mother can carry far and wide, and Mary's mother, Kim, was no exception to this fact. Mary hung her head, ashamed and sorry for what she had done. There was no question in the matter - she could have very well been eaten by that Victreebel due to her own recklessness.

Mary was very much the spitting image of her mother: Kim had dark, wavy hair and jade eyes. Her skin was pale. She was wearing a blue, flower pattern dress. Her pretty face was contorted with anger and worry as she stared down at her daughter, who had just marched into her front yard with some boy. Said boy proceeded to explain that her daughter had nearly missed supper time in order to be a Victreebel's supper - and that she had gone too far into the Pallet Woods.

"I... I can't believe you'd do something like that!" Kim shouted. "You could have been killed!"

"Sorry..." Mary murmured.

"Eeeeeh..." Nibbles squeaked.

"D-don't..." Kim kneeled on the grass, and put her arms on Mary's shoulders. "Don't ever do that again," she managed to say.

"I won't..." Mary whimpered. Then, seeing that her mother was now in a much more sympathetic mood, and that she was safe at home and could express herself in private to her family, she finally broke down, tears spouting wildly from her eyes again. "W-waaaaah!" she cried, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck. "Mommy! It was scary!"

"I know..." Kim said, patting her still frightened daughter on the back. "I know..."

There was a long pause to the conversation as the girl and mother embraced one another, overjoyed to see that Mary was safe from harm. The trainer looked on at the two in silence, a look of relief, happiness… and envy in his eyes. He shook it off and stepped forward.

"Hey."

Their hugging interrupted, Mary and Kim turned in unison to see the boy looking down to the two of them. "Listen to your mom," he said to Mary. "Wild Pokémon numbers have been growing lately, and they've been pushing into places that are normally safe. They've already taken Viridian Forest and now they're moving into the Pallet Woods."

Mary sniffled. "I-isn't there anything we can do...?" she asked.

The boy smiled. "That would be my job," he said, jabbing his thumb to his chest. "You're still too young - but you won't always be." He turned away, looking up to the sky. "Hmmm..." he said to his Butterfree, who was floating next to him. "It's getting late."

"Freeeeh," Lucky agreed.

The trainer reached to his belt and picked up the Pokeball containing Victreebel. "And I need to think of something to do with you…" he told it in a parent-like tone, as if he was scolding a disobedient child. "Come on guys, let's go home."

"Freeeeh."

"Bzzz."

The trainer and his Pokémon began to head off. Only the sudden shout of Mary as she chased after them brought them to a halt. "Wait!"

"Yeah?"

"I..." Mary stuttered over her words, before finally saying, "I don't even know your name!"

The trainer gave a boyish grin and waved. "It's Tony - Tony Miller!" he said. "Seeya!"

With that, he ran off, without a thank you, without an offer for payment, without anything that would be considered rewarding. He was a Pokémon Trainer - his reward was his ability to train and keep creatures that could rip humans apart and devastate cities, should they so choose. He could use this power for himself - he could use his Pokémon for crime, he could use them to gain fame and fortune, to dominate or to show off. But instead, he used his skills for others. He was a true Pokémon Trainer - he treated his Pokémon well, he cared for them, he loved them, and he thought of them as his companions and friends, rather than his tools.

It was that day when Mary knew who this Tony Miller really was - and it was that day she knew what she wanted to be. She looked from Nibbles, than to her mother, and then to her mother as she stared after Tony.

"One day... I'm going to be a Pokémon Trainer," the starstruck girl promised herself. "Just like him..."

Author's Note:

Words cannot describe how happy I will be if you actually ever read this little notice. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to read my silly little fanfiction. I really appreciate it. For those of you who have stuck with me through thick and thin, reading my stories despite my own faults and late updates, I thank you for giving me yet another chance. Here's a smiley face for you all: :D

If you liked this chapter, please review and let me know what you liked! If you disliked this chapter, then review and let me know what I'm doing wrong! Reviews help me know what fields I need to improve in. Besides, I like to know what you guys think. So, review away, if you'd please!

The next update should be up next Friday if I can manage it. If not, it'll be up on Saturday!

Next time: Pallet Saga: Chapter 2: My Little Ponyta (Shut up, it was the only Ponyta-related pun I could think of).