I used to think I was normal, nothing special. I never thought I was rare or especially strong for that matter. I wasn't trained especially for the art of battle, fieldwork, or reconnaissance. I was simply run of the mill, or at least, I thought I was.

I had no idea how valuable I really was, until it was too late. I was a gold mine, a way to reach ultimate potential. I was a weapon, but I had never fought a battle of my own. I never knew my true meaning, until I was told the hard way.

I hated who I was, who I had become, but if this was my destiny I had to face it, no matter how hard it was for me to swallow.

This is my story. My name is Sudowoodo. I am a pokémon.

I'm a rock type, a pure rock type, though I don't appear the part. I actually look the part of a grass pokémon, and I appear tree-like, kind of like the stem of a Bellsprout taffy stretched.

As I've said before, I never considered myself rare. Turns out I was a one-of-a kind pokémon who only appears once to a trainer, a breed so rare they appear to trainers only once in a lifetime. Of course, there was no way I could know that. I wasn't the original one my trainer caught. I was hatched from an egg. I also had a twin brother.

I don't remember much about being in my egg, only that I was lugged everywhere. I'd never seen the real world, nor had I ever seen any other pokémon other than myself. I remember in my late stages I was capable of making noises from inside my shell. I remember lots of sounds coming back whenever I did that, which is why I made sounds often. After a while I was able to hear through the eggshell. What I heard were battles, many battles. I wasn't born yet, so I had no idea what was going on. What I knew was I wanted to join the fun, whatever it was. I didn't want to be alone anymore.

I eventually hatched. I remember arms enclosing around me, cradling me while I cried. I also remember not feeling any fur, metal or wood on those arms. I longed for my mother, but this was as close as I had gotten to one. When I opened my eyes I saw a human girl holding me close, shading me from sunlight yet filling me with her body warmth. I will never forget that moment. She made the same sounds for me as I had done to her, only now we were face to face. She loved me, and so did I. I do remember some other fuzzy shapes around her I assume were her other pokémon, but they stayed fuzzy to me. I didn't bother to focus in on them. I was holding the image of that girl in my mind, capturing every line of her face and hair. Her laugh, her smile; all I was trying to save. All I saw was her, and that was all I needed for my world to be complete.

That moment didn't last long. After enough bonding was established I was introduced to my pokéball.

I hated it. I wanted to be with my mother again, to be safe in her arms. But instead I was introduced to a metal version of my egg. It didn't have the security of my egg. In my egg I was warm and the walls were thin, but here everything was cold and contained. I cried out for my mother, but she didn't answer me like she did when I was in my egg. It was the walls. They were thicker; soundproof. I was alone again.

It stayed that way for a long time. I trusted her instantly, and she'd put me in here. I didn't want to accept that, but it was shoved down my throat as well. She'd put me in this weird place, a PC or something. I don't know what PC stood for; my guess was Pokémon Container. There I stayed for days, months…and I waited for her. Had she left me? Had she lost me?

Then she came back. In the same 'box' as me was my brother, another egg hatched from my parents. She would stat check us while we were in the pokéballs.

She kept me, and finally took me out of that PC. Then she released my brother, because I was the stronger one. That was the first cold act I had ever seen her do.

I was still naïve, even after her new treatment towards me. I had hoped to see battles when I was finally out of my pokéball.

She did take me to a battle. An Elite Four battle.

I knew very little of this 'Elite Four', but from their names they sounded like tough trainers with strong pokémon. I was worried that I would not be able to win, as I had never been in a battle before. More, I worried about disappointing my trainer, who only kept me because I was stronger than my brother. If I showed weakness…she might not want me anymore.

On our way to Indigo Plateau we camped in front of the Pokémon Center for one night, the next day to be the day of the battles. My trainer went into her tent, as she preferred sleeping outdoors rather than in the Pokémon Center. That made her tough in a way. I admired her.

I was tempted to go in after her, lay sleeping in her arms like I had done so long ago. But I could not. She not only seemed like a strong trainer, but actually was one. Her other five pokémon…scared me. There was a Scizor, a Togetic, an extremely rare Raikou, a Furret and a Shuckle. All looked strong and wore the tough masks built from pokémon battles. Not only that, but the group had a unity to it, a unity I disturbed just with my presence.

The Togetic spoke first. "Welcome new member!" Despite its strong appearance, the Togetic had a mild tone, and a friendly greeting. Still, it was my first welcome…

"H-hello."

"Don't be shy new member! What's your nickname?" the Togetic smiled, fluttering its wings as it spoke.

"Sudowoodo."

"Oh, I see…" the Togetic trailed off on a sad note, a shock compared to its previous tone. I had given him the right answer, what was wrong?

"She hasn't given you a nickname, you won't be here long," answered the Raikou in a gruff barking voice.

"What does that mean?" I was almost too afraid to ask.

"She's going to be training you for a while, that's all. But she's not going to keep you, or use you in battle after you've done what she wants of you," explained the Furret in a diplomatic voice, like a rehearsed speech.

She was using me? "What do you still mean by that?"

The Shuckle spun, like a slap shot hockey puck, rolling to a stop at my feet. It poked its yellow head up through its berry colored rock shell sighing. "Allow me to tell you, I've seen it all before. Ya see, we're her usual group, meaning her field pokémon. She carries us with her everywhere she goes; why you may ask? Because we possess the skills she needs to get from town to town and to train her 'battlers', pokémon she uses for battle purposes. For example, I am a field pokémon because I can turn berries into berry juice. I also am a stand-in."

I was too afraid to ask, but the Furret answered for me. "It means Shuckie here goes out whenever one of TAYLOR's battlers faints. Shuckie goes out for one turn, during which turn TAYLOR revives her battler. When Shuckie faints TAYLOR sends out her battler and wins the match, all the experience points to the battler. Just the way she likes it."

Somehow it made sense, logically, but was obviously cruel. Yet Shuckie did not flinch or cringe at the mention of fainting in every battle he was chosen for.

"Raccoon over there knows how to Surf, Cut and Strength, skills needed to go from town to town. Eggy, the Togetic, knows Flash and Fly, two moves also used for the field. And Rainstorm over there knows Dig, TAYLOR uses that whenever she gets lost in caves." The Raikou lifted up a paw of acknowledgement, but did not open his eyes to me.

"We're her field pokémon, we've seen a lot of pokémon like you before. TAYLOR's trained a lot of pokemon. Aside from me, all the other field pokémon are level 100. They aren't used in battle though, unless TAYLOR's in a tight spot."

I nodded, trying to take in all this information about my trainer. She had seemed so kind before, but from Shuckie's words Pokémon training was a science for her. Did she care at all for me? Why was she so nice to me then?

"Oh, and the Scizor's Rocket. He's the battler TAYLOR's currently training." I took one look at the Scizor, shuddering instantly. Rocket was sleek warrior, with a shiny metal casing dented from battles. That and his claws were flexing open and closed, looking like the mouths of two monsters warming up their jaws to gobble me up should I go near. Rocket looked like ninja with a body made to slice.

TAYLOR had trained him well. He would be a fearsome opponent to the Elite Four.

It seemed that all of TAYLOR's pokémon had a title, a job and purpose. I dared to ask. "What am I to TAYLOR?"

Shuckie cast his eyes to the ground, wriggling uncomfortably. "You…are a breeder."

The next day was the battle against the Elite Four. Taking what I had learned from Shuckie I was more cautious to my trainer, but how would I trust her to battle me then?

When we came to the first room, one with a green platform surrounded by ice, the door slammed shut behind us, a rock wall blocking our exit. TAYLOR was so calm, so used to the sound, as were her other pokémon. I hid behind TAYLOR's leg. She didn't seem to mind.

It was then I saw the first Elite Four, a man much older than TAYLOR wearing a red and black mask and outfit. One of his eyes was ghostly white, Gastly ghost white. He spoke for a while, TAYLOR nodding though obviously bored.

Then he cast out his first pokéball releasing an Xatu, a fierce opponent.

I was terrified to fight. Me? Against a pokémon that large, that strong? I'd never seen a battle before, let alone been in one. Did TAYLOR have a way for me to win? She knelt down next to me, giving me a stroke on the head. I knew then that Shuckie was wrong; TAYLOR cared for me more than a breeder, whatever that was. TAYLOR put a small bar in my hands, curling my green ball and stem fingers around it.

She then tossed out a pokéball, releasing Rocket.

TAYLOR only uttered one word before Rocket shot off into the fray. "Slash."

It was then I knew I wanted to be a battler. I didn't know what a breeder was but I did not want that title. I wanted to be a battler, oh how I wanted to be one! To watch Rocket fly off, a streak of red cutting the very air itself so it looked like the air in the room was bleeding. Rocket flew right in front of the Xatu, and opened one claw, the mouth of the monster open. With a killing grace Rocket cut right down the Xatu's shoulder blade to its left foot. The Xatu fell before it could even launch at attack, overpowered by Rocket's pure speed. It fell to the ground, Rocket standing over it, the victor.

Pokémon battles…were beautiful. I hoped I could be in one, or at least possess the strength, speed and agility as Rocket.

Then the bar in my hands glowed, the light engulfing my hands and arms.

Then I felt it. Strength…power…experience flowing into me. I felt fatigue though I had not moved; I felt knowledge that had just unlocked from deep within me. I felt stronger, my muscles developing and growing all at the same time.

I was now tired, but invigorated. Adrenaline rushed to me though I had no reason for it. It was like I had been in a battle…

I turned around to see TAYLOR nodding at me, and Shuckie shaking his head.

TAYLOR called me to her side. "You went up a level, only a few more to go." She let me stay by her, lean against her. And I was happy once more.

It was like that for the rest of the match. Rocket would fight, and after every victory I would feel strength rush up to me as if I had been in that same fight. The bar TAYLOR had given me somehow connected me to the battle. And I watched Rocket fight. I wanted to be strong like him someday.

It continued like that for many battles. TAYLOR defeated the Elite Four many times, fighting many battles and defeating the five trainers again and again. Before every match she would give me the bar, and Rocket would fight every match.

The bar, I found out, was EXP Share. And through it I got stronger, and I felt closer to Rocket's strength after each match. I knew that one day my level would be high enough for TAYLOR to send me out into battle. I grasped the bar tightly after each match, waiting for her to call me out to fight.

After every match she would always say. "Just a few more levels…"

One day I got an attack rush, a time of pure intense mind concentration that happened whenever I learned a new attack. TAYLOR plugged the machine she called a Pokédex to me, and began stat checking.

I hate attack rushes. It's like a new idea pops into your brain but you don't have enough room for it. So it just hovers about your brain while you scurry to make room. It's like squeezing another person into a packed elevator. And during attack rushes all I can think about are my attacks: Low kick, Flail, Mimic and Rock Throw, and this new attack that I did not have a name for yet.

TAYLOR smiled at me, and in a clear voice said, "Sudowoodo, forget Rock Throw and learn Rock Slide."

And then the attack rush was over. My new idea had stayed, how to summon the rocks, how to throw them and how to perform the move instantly and perfectly. But yet, I could not find the knowledge about Rock Throw anymore. It was as if with those words TAYLOR had altered what I could and could not remember.

TAYLOR went away from the Elite Four after that, taking me to a Pokémon Center in a town called Goldenrod to get checked. I liked the extra attention she showed me during the days of that trip, though all her other pokémon just shook their heads at me.

I wondered why. I thought they were jealous.

Shuckie, as usual, was the one to tell me. "TAYLOR does what is called 'selective breeding'. It's putting together two specific pokémon to get a specific result. Usually a pokémon with a rare move that they don't normally learn. You see, pokémon can learn moves based on who their parents are and what their parents know."

I wondered if my parents were part of selective breeding…

"You are a breeder, a pokémon TAYLOR trains just because you have the ability to pass a move down to your children. She only trained you to learn a move you would give to your eggs. She will make battlers out of your babies, but not you."

Realization hit me. She had been using me the entire time, just because I could learn a move. Did that mean she cared less about me? Oh please let that not be the case.

"It's not, dear friend. TAYLOR cares about pokémon for battles. Sure, she'll treat you right, but all she wants is strong pokémon. She'll be nice to you, befriend you, but once she has no use for you she'll put you in the PC, move on to another battler, and only take you out when she needs you. TAYLOR isn't mean, just efficient."

After all that I wanted to run away, run back to Route 36. But I could not, not after what she had done for me. Sure she only wanted to use me to have children, but she was nice to me, let me level up, kept me and stayed with me. I owed it to her to fulfill my purpose. I wondered if her other pokémon felt this way.

TAYLOR took me to this place south of Goldenrod, a small building with a large fenced backyard and a river flowing gently near the fence. She left me there, with an old couple tending to me. TAYLOR then flew somewhere on Eggy's back, saying she'd be coming to get me once she took care of something.

I waved good-bye to her. I missed her afterwards.

The next day she came back, a pokéball in hand. She left that pokéball in the hands of the old couple that I knew were to take care of it.

TAYLOR had gone out to catch a Geodude, a female one. I quickly made friends with her, as she was timid and scared. TAYLOR had just caught her, and the Geodude knew nothing of being a trainer's pokémon. I stayed by the Geodude's side until we became friends. Then she never left my side.

She was sweet and kind, Geo as I called her. In the days we spent together in that daycare we were very close, closer than I was with Shuckie.

I cared for her, and her for me. I never wanted her to leave my side, ever, and we were always together.

TAYLOR would come often to check on us, teasing about how close Geo and I were. TAYLOR was so kind to us, and Geo and I had the same affection for our trainer and for each other. But yet, somehow, whenever TAYLOR came she always seemed disappointed, as if she was looking for something that wasn't there.

One night, I let Geo sleep by my side. She was a rock pokémon just like me, but her skin is much harder and more rock looking than mine. It was uncomfortable to have her sleep next to me, but I put up with it. I wanted Geo next to me.

The next day I found a bump under my head. Between Geo and me was a strange rock, pale gray with dark green spots on it. Geo and I, thinking nothing of it, played catch with it. Then the daycare man saw us doing it, and took the gray rock away from us.

He told us it was an egg. Geo did not know what an egg was, but I had hatched from one. I had just mated with Geo.

I feared the day TAYLOR would visit Geo and I after we had our egg.

When TAYLOR did come she finally looked happy, like a child getting out of sermon. She took the egg, and I did not mind that. TAYLOR had taken such good care of me as an egg; I knew she would nurse my child well.

I was put in the PC after that. Geo was released.

My child, Crumble, as he was nicknamed, grew to become a strong Golem, and trained all the way to level 100.

I took him to Mt. Moon one day and showed him Geo, who had evolved into a Graveler through time. Crumble did not recognize me as his father or Geo as his mother. He almost attacked Geo.

I saw him battle once. Saw him clobber through the Elite Four with Rocket's ferocity. I saw him use Rock Slide, the move he inherited from me. I am proud of my son. And I will produce many more, many more battlers.

My name is Sudowoodo. I am a breeder, a father, and my children are the best.

The events in this story are based on actual events. I did train a Sudowoodo for the sole purpose of breeding it to teach other rock pokémon Rock Slide. I did train my Sudowoodo through EXP Share and used my Scizor Rocket as the sharee. The pokémon mentioned are my actual pokémon with their actual nicknames. The reasons given as to why I always keep them in my party are the actual reasons why I keep them in my party. Matter of fact, every event in this story is real just with a fictional account stringing them together.

My game name is TAYLOR, which is why in this story the name is always in all capitals. After all, aren't all pokémon game names all in capital? Taylor is not my real name.

I wanted to create a story that was based solely on the games, and centers around the pokémon. There is a sequel to this, the story of my Ledian and Espion, a story of psychics. Please tell me if you like this story or not, as feedback is major in keeping this story going.

After all, doesn't it make you wonder? What do the pokémon in your game think when you train them?