Starting Out

The wind around Lake Verity, which had been a warm westerly wind, suddenly changed course and brought in the cold from the north. This was a very unusual event for the small stretch of water in the area around Twinleaf Town.

A twelve year old girl with hot pink hair and amber eyes crunched up slightly as the cold wind cut her to the bone. She brought her legs up closer to her chest. Her legs had on a very light blue knee length pants, matching skirt and white running shoes with a pink flower on them. Covering her torso she had on a white sleeveless shirt with a blue pokeball design on the side and a small vest over that. With a sigh, the girl looked up at the sky. At the same time, she tightened the black bandanna with red design around her neck and fiddle with her necklace, which had a Charizard's fang on it.

"So tomorrow's the big day, huh Carissa?" the girl, Carissa Joy, said to herself, shivering slightly. "I just hope that this wind isn't a bad omen…"

The girl stared at the lake a bit longer. Admiring how the light from the evening sun made the surface sparkle and shine. The wind stopped blowing, letting Carissa warm up once more. She sighed before standing up.

"Alright, this time tomorrow you'll have your first Pokémon and well on you're way for your first journey!" Carissa said to herself once more. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a Pokeball that her father had given her. "Watch out world, 'cause here I come!"

With a wide grin, Carissa put away the ball and started to walk away from the lake. As she neared the entrance to the lake, there came a rustling sound from the trees. Carissa froze and looked over at the forest.

"It's okay…" Carissa muttered under her breath. "Pokemon don't attack you unless you're actually in the same area as them…Man, what is it with you and talking to yourself today!"

The rustling sounds continued to come from the trees before it suddenly stopped. Carissa stared at the spot, waiting to see if anything more would happen. But there was nothing but the lapping of waves from the body of water behind her.

Curiosity over took the young girl as she slowly inched over to the trees. Carissa looked at the trees before taking in a deep breath and walking into the forest. Not much into the forest, she saw slash marks on the trees and even more then one branch cut off.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…" Carissa muttered to herself. However, she continued to move through the forest.

The slash marks and broken branches in creased as she went deeper into the forest. Obviously some kind of major battle went on, and Carissa just really hoped that she wouldn't get involved in it. It wasn't long before saw a clearing up ahead, where the slash marks were most violent and even some thin trees were cut down. Carissa entered the area, and gasped at what she saw.

Lying on the ground on a patch of dirt was a Scyther. But it was unlike any Scyther Carissa had ever seen before. It was all white except for a few dark blue markings around its eyes and abdomen. It had somewhat larger wings with the and bigger blades. The membrane of the wings and the blades themselves were of an ice-blue color. A purple anklet with a sliver skull on a chain was around its right foot.

Carissa stared for the longest time, amazement clouding her eyes. It was strange enough that a Scyther was here, but a shiny Scyther that wasn't even the regular color of a shiny Scyther…what was going on here?

Very carefully, the young girl began to walk over to the downed Pokémon. As the shock went away and she got closer, Carissa noticed many cuts and bruises on the Scyther. It was even bleeding some a few areas. She bent down to one knee so that she could get a better look at it. Carissa titled her head at the strange looking Scyther and gently placed her hand on its head.

The Scyther's eye lids suddenly flew open, revealing crimson orbs. Carissa yelled as she fell back, just dodging a slash from the injured Pokémon. She scuttled away as the Scyther tried to get back up. It only got up about halfway before falling down again from the effort.

Carissa stared, once again bewildered at what was happening in front of her. She had no clue what really happened here, but it was clear that this strange Pokemon was badly injured. She winced when the Scyther tried to get up once more, but fell down again.

"H-Hey…hey there," Carissa greeted, flinching back when the Scyther turned to glare at her. "A-Are…you okay…?"

The Scyther just let out a low growl and tried to get up again. Carissa sighed, realizing that the Pokémon probably didn't want her here. But she really wanted to help it…even though it had tried to cut her head off.

Still…there was nothing that Carissa could do for the Scyther. She had no Potions on her and didn't know about any kind of healing plants. Not to mention that the only thing that could heal the Pokémon would be a Pokecenter. But the only way that she could get it there would be if she had a Pokeball…

Carissa could feel the click in her head as she figured out what to do. Though it was very dangerous and she didn't if the Scyther would be willing to go along with it. But the young girl just had to try.

Carissa quickly took out the Pokeball that her father had given her and got back up. She walked slowly over to the Scyther, trying to ignore the threatening growl it was giving off.

"Hey," Carissa greeted again, still moving closer to the Pokémon. "I know you don't really know me…and I don't really know you…but I want to help you."

The Scyther's growl increased but Carissa continued.

"Look, you're hurt really bad, I don't even know if you can hunt or do anything while like this. So," she took a deep breath, "here's the deal; I capture you with this 'ball and then take you to a Pokecenter to heal up. After that, I'll let you go, okay?"

The Scyther stopped growling. Or, at least, wasn't growling so loudly. Carissa thought it was thinking over what she said and took another step forward. The Mantis Pokémon let out a loud growl, stopping Carissa in her tracks. It then stopped and sighed, seeming to regret its action.

There was a tense silence between the two. Then, the Scyther pushed itself up slightly. The Pokémon looked over at Carissa. It stared into her eyes before reaching one of its blades out and touching the button in the middle of the Pokeball. The ball grew in size and the Scyther touched the button again. The 'ball opened and the Scyther was taken in it with a red light. It didn't even wobble slightly.

Carissa stared at the 'ball, not really believing what had happened. But it had happened, the Scyther really trusted her to heal it. She could not betray that trust. Carissa held the ball to her chest and ran back the way she game. One good thing about the slash marks, it helped her find her way out of the forest.

/-/-/-/-/-/

Carissa burst through the Pokecenter door and crashed right into the counter. As she held onto the counter a Nurse Joy with the same hot pink hair and amber eyes as Carissa appeared from the back. Her eyes widened as she saw who had appeared.

"Carissa, what are you doing here?" The Nurse Joy asked concern in her voice and eyes.

"Mom..." Carissa gasped, trying to get her breath while talking at the same time, "I found…this…Pokémon…It's a…weird...looking…Scyther-"

"A Scyther!?" Carissa's mom interrupted. "Honey, you know that those Pokémon are dangerous!! What would make you want to go anywhere near one? How did you even find it?"

"Mom, it was really hurt," Carissa said, having gotten some breath back from her mother's interruption. "I mean it was bleeding and everything! Plus it's really weird looking. Also, I have no idea how it got to this part of Sinnoh."

"Okay…well then I guess I should ask the most important questions; where is it and how did you get it here?" The Nurse Joy asked.

"Well…" here Carissa got nervous. But she took a deep breath and placed the Pokeball on the counter. "…I kind of caught it…"

"What!?" Joy yelled, causing one or two trainers to look at her. "Honey, you were supposed to save that ball for a very special Pokémon!"

"It is special!" Carissa yelled. "You should see it! It's nothing like any Scyther out there! Not even a shiny one!!"

"Yes, but are you planning on keeping it?" Her mother prodded. "For your sake, I hope you don't."

"No…I promised I would send it back into the wild after it was healed…" Carissa muttered.

"I thought so," Carissa's mother said, then side. "Well, I guess there's nothing we can do about it now. I'll make sure it's healed, though your father won't be happy with you." With that, the Nurse Joy took the Pokeball, placed it in a tray and wheeled it to the back room.

"I know, I know…" Carissa said, letting out a loud sigh as she went to sit on one of the couches.

/-/-/-/-/-/

A good time had passed and Carissa was still sitting in the same spot. The girl was really worried about the Scyther and wanted to see what would happen to it. Of course her mother had noticed and hadn't approved.

"Honestly Carissa, he's not even really yours," the Nurse Joy had said. "What ever happens to him doesn't really concern you."

"But I just want to-"Carissa was about to say when she realized that her mother and called the Scyther a 'he' and a 'him'. "Wait, it's a boy?"

"Yes, he is," Carissa's mother said with a sigh. "Well, if you're so excited by that bit of news then I doubt I can convince you to leave."

Naturally, though, her mother had called Carissa's father shortly after. It only took Dr. John, a near middle age man with brown hair, blue eyes and an average bulk, of the human hospital in Twinleaf a few minutes to drive over to the Pokecenter. About ten or twenty seconds for him to walk to and enter the doors of said building. He quickly located his daughter and moved over to her.

"Carissa, what is this I hear about you going near an aggressive and injured Pokémon and then capturing that same Pokémon with my Pokeball?" Dr. John asked, looking down at his daughter.

"He was really injured dad…" Carissa answered meekly. "I couldn't just leave him there to die…he's really special…"

"You really do have your mother's blood in you, don't ya?" Dr. John asked with a sigh, sitting down by his daughter. When she didn't answer he continued, "But I guess there's not much we can do about now, can we? At least you are going to get rid of him."

"Do I really have to?" Carissa muttered.

"Carissa, even experience Trainers can have trouble with Scythers. They're very aggressive and not easy to control. Do you really think that a, not even, beginning Trainer like yourself has a chance?"

"No…" Carissa admitted.

"Don't worry honey," Dr. John said, causally ruffling Carissa's head. "You'll soon have so many Pokémon, you won't know what to do with them!"

"Sure…" Carissa admitted.

It was at that time that Carissa's mother walked around the corner and approached her family.

"Well, the good new at least, the Scyther is going to be fine," the Nurse Joy said. "He suffered some pretty serious wounds but he should be okay now. He just needs to rest."

"Really? That's great!" Carissa called out happily, but then shrank back when her father turned around to give her a 'look'.

"Well, now that you know, will you finally come home?" Dr. John asked.

"Yes dad," Carissa said with a sigh, sliding off the chair and walking towards the door.

"I have to do just a couple more things and then I can go home as well," Nurse Joy informed her husband.

"Alright, see you later hon." Dr. John said before kissing his wife and following his daughter out of the Pokecenter.

/-/-/-/-/-/

The next day found Carissa standing at the edge of the forest on Lake Verity. The young girl sighed very heavily as she looked down at the Pokeball in her hand. She thought back to this morning when she went to the Pokecenter to pick up the strange Scyther.

Not that there was much to remember. Her parents had escorted her to the Pokecenter and her mother had gone to get the Scyther. Once the Pokémon was retrieved, both of Carissa's parents strongly repeated that she must not keep the Scyther and release it back into the wild. Carissa had muttered that she understood and that there was no need to worry.

Of course, her parents still had come with her to make sure that she did get rid of the Scyther. Though, thankfully, they weren't watching her now. They waited just outside of the lake area.

Carissa sighed again and shook her head to dismiss the thoughts. "Come on Carissa, lets just get this done and over with," the young girl said to herself and threw the Pokeball into the air.

The 'ball opened up and in a flash of red light the white and blue Scyther appeared before Carissa. The Mantis Pokémon looked around himself and sniffed the air a couple times. He seemed to be happy to be out once more. Carissa cleared her throat and the Scyther turned his head to look down at the young girl.

"Well…you're healed up now…" Carissa said, looking down at her feet. "And I promised that once you were healed I would let you go…"

The Scyther's eyes narrowed. He couldn't help but wonder if the human was now going to go back on her deal. Not that she would be a problem to take out.

"So…see ya. I release you…" Carissa muttered.

The Scyther blinked, surprised to hear the girl's words. She seemed so sad to say them. The Bug-Type Pokemon wondered why she would be so sad. But he didn't think about it for too long. He was free and that's all that mattered. The Scyther turned to leave.

"Wait!" Carissa called out, making the mantis pause. "Um…I was just wondering…something…" she looked down at the ground again. "Um…do you mind if…I give you a nick-name? I know we may not see each other again but…just in case?"

The Scyther turned around and tilted his head at Carissa. He wanted to get going but he was also curious as to what the girl would name him. So, after a pause of thought, he gave an affirmative grunt.

"Right," Carissa said, nodding. "So…I was thinking…how do you like the name Masamune? You know…like the legendary sword?"

The Scyther seemed to think about the name for a little bit, his brows scrunched up together in thought. He then looked back at the girl and nodded.

"Great," Carissa said with a smile. But she remembered what was going on here and sighed. "Well, see you around, maybe, Masamune."

Masamune nodded again before turned to the forest and flying into it at a high speed. Carissa stared at the trees for a little while. Hoping an unreasonable hope that maybe the Scyther would turn around and decide to let her be his trainer. But nothing happened for a minute or two.

Carissa finally gave a deep sigh and walked back to the entrance of the lake. Once she was out her mother and father walked over to her.

"So, did you get rid of him?" Carissa's father asked.

"Yeah, I did," Carissa muttered, kicking the dirt.

"Don't worry about it honey," Nurse Joy said with a kind smile. "I know you'll feel better soon, real soon."

"Why do you say that?" Carissa asked.

"Oh come on dear, did you really forget?" Dr. John said with a wide grin. "This is the day you've been waiting for nearly all of your life! The day you get your Starter and become a trainer!"

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Well I hoped you enjoyed this first chapter.

So, good? Bad? Awful? Constructive criticism? If there's something you want me to know that isn't hurtful don't feel afraid to press that green button and tell me about it.

Love,

Inuhoono