Chapter One

"Hey, wait up!" Her annoying voice rang through the mountains as she ran to catch up with me, echoing dully. "Grr, listen to me, Green-san!"

"Go away," I told her for the hundredth time. "You don't have anything but that stupid Jigglypuff and Horsea. You can't expect me to take care of you here." My voice was level, but she must've felt my melancholic aggravation.

You could practically hear her cheeks puff up, just like that baby pokemon of hers. "Jiggly and Horsea are useful. Horsea can scope out large lakes and oceans, and Jiggly can carry you high into the sky. They're far from stupid." Was she trying to make a point? It's like her mouth was moving, but all I heard was "Blah, blah, blah."

I couldn't believe this delinquent had followed me on my way to train with Chuck-sensei. Blue sure was an interesting person… interestingly hard to get rid of. So far on our journey, all she'd been good for was scamming a few hikers for some extra cash. When she wasn't playing the con card, her mouth couldn't stay closed. I swear my ears bled once or twice due to her insistent chattering.

"My Scyther can fly as well. And we're nowhere near any lakes or oceans, so both of your pokemon are virtually useless to me." Leave me alone, I silently chanted, hoping she would get it through her thick head that she wasn't wanted here. "Just go back home to Johto."

Her footsteps stopped, and for a moment I'd thought I'd actually hurt her feelings. I hadn't thought such a thing was possible. Oh well, I told myself, what's done is done.

Five seconds passed as I continued forward, refusing to look back. Blue didn't make a sound.

How unusual.

I glanced back over my shoulder to see that she wasn't, in fact, paralyzed by anguish at my words, but by fear of the Fearow passing overhead. What the Hell? Why didn't she battle it like she'd battled all of the other pokemon in her path?

Oh, it clicked, as her face paled. She's got a fear of birds. Wonderful.

"Blue," I tested how big of a phobia she had by calling out her name. "Hey, Blue, it's more scared of you." A lie, but I didn't feel like having to save her at the moment. "Just battle it."

Her head turned away from the Fearow and looked over to me. "Not if it can sense fear, you dummy." She crossed her arms and tried, unsuccessfully, to appear tough. Huh, so she admitted to being afraid. But why couldn't she conquer her fear?

The pokemon seemed to notice her hesitation, as well. I'd seen that look on a Fearow's face before- it had taken her body language as the sign of a challenge.

This day was going smoothly.

Ten. Fearow swooped down to attack Blue.

Nine. I grabbed for my Scyther.

Eight. I released Scyther.

Seven. Fearow reached Blue. She screamed.

Six. "Scyther, use slash!" I shouted.

Five: Scyther quickly and easily tore Fearow's left wing.

Four. Fearow cried out in pain and turned on me, forgetting Blue.

Three. Blue looked amazed. I smirked. "Again, Scyther!"

Two. Scyther slashed at its other wing.

One. I reached for a pokeball.

Zero. I threw the pokeball at the enraged and severely injured Fearow.

The pokeball opened up and trapped the wild pokemon inside of it. Shake, shake, shake. Ding. Fearow had been caught.

"Good job, Scyther." I nodded to it and held out its pokeball. "Return." The small red flash of light brought it back to me. It looked pleased with itself.

I picked up Fearow's pokeball and placed it on my belt next to Scyther. "Apparently this pokemon will be useful for your training. I might as well keep it if you're going to be tagging along." I looked to Blue, checking to see if she was harmed. A few minor claw marks, nothing serious. "Or better yet, you keep it. Train a bird pokemon and you won't freeze up like that anymore."

She scowled, looking peeved that I'd saved her. Didn't she even have the courtesy to thank me? What a pest. I silently gestured to the pokeball in response to her sullen look.

A look of conflict crossed her face, and then she snatched the Fearow from my belt. "I didn't freeze up, I stalled. There's a difference."

"Fine, whatever. Then next time you won't stall." A sneer crossed my face. "If you're going to train with Chuck-sensei, neither is approved by him. Get that in your head, Blue." A half a week had passed since this girl had started sticking to me, and I was sick of her company. I came to the mountains to be alone with my pokémon and my teacher, not with some bratty little girl who couldn't pull her own weight.

She blinked, then smiled innocently. That was never a good sign. "So, in conclusion, I'm allowed to come?" My eye twitched.

I sighed. "If you come, it's not my choice. You've followed me this long; I give up." Although, not really. I was still going to try and lose her. I'd just have to be slyer in the way I did it. And I had to make sure she fell for my tricks, not the other way around.

She beamed in mock excitement. I could tell when someone was faking an emotion. "Oh, yay! You're not going to regret this. Green-kun!" She'd started referring to me as her friend? I already regretted my decision.

"Stop sucking up to me and let's get going." I turned away from her and continued for the canyon in the mountains where Chuck-sensei was waiting. Impatiently, no doubt. That man was always jittery. To think he had the gull to lecture me on my 'improper' training methods when he couldn't even sit still. It irked me. But I respected him and his teaching, at the very least. He was a top-notch gym leader, somebody worthy of training me so that I could never lose.

…

Blue didn't deserve to be trained by him. She would only upset him with her troublesome ways and then he'd lose his temper and I wouldn't be allowed to learn anything from him. If that happened, all of the negotiations my grandfather and I had made would be for nothing. I would have to suffer through those pitiful looks of his again, when he begged, 'But I could train you! Give this old man a chance!'

He didn't understand that I was aiming for more than becoming a mere trainer.

"Green-kun? Green-kun?" Blue, irritatingly, interrupted my thoughts. "I hate to bother you, really," she teased, "but isn't this the place?" She motioned towards the valley below us. In the far distance I could make out my teacher's silhouette.

I didn't acknowledge her, only rolled my eyes and jumped down the ledges towards the bottom of the wide pit. I could navigate my way around the area with my eyes closed now, I'd been there so many times. It was almost as much a home to me as Pallet Town was. I heard Blue's unsure footsteps behind mine. Unlike my first time, however, she wasn't clumsy in her movements.

Had she had previous training?

I didn't have time to question it. Chuck-sensei had spotted me, and his Hitmonlee jumped up to meet us. I gave it a slight nod and swiftly turned on it with a roundhouse kick. He blocked my attack and countered with a high-kick, which I dodged with a roll just in time. After a few minutes I held my hand up in defeat and, exhausted, sat down against the edge of the rock wall. No words were needed- we'd said hello in combat.

"Bwahaha!" I heard a voice to my right chuckle. "I see you've been practicing back home, Green. That's the longest you've ever held out against my Hitmonlee!" My teacher didn't give praise lightly. I was proud of my improvement. A faint smile crossed my face for a moment before disappearing.

"Hey, do I get to battle?" Blue questioned curiously. Chuck-sensei turned his attention to her, raising an eyebrow skeptically. His eyes flashed to meet mine for confirmation that, no, I hadn't invited her.

He stroked his mustache in thought. "Hrm. And who might you be, little lady?"

"Blue, at your service, sir!" Her brown hair bobbed up as she bowed her head in greeting. "I'm here because I overheard Green-kun talking about you, and I was wondering if maybe you'd train me? It would be much appreciated!" Her politeness factor was overkill. My teacher would never buy her fake sweetness.

"Oh, so I have another pupil, do I? If you can prove your worth, that is," his eyes lit up with fighting spirit. "So, Blue-chan, what tricks might you have up your sleeve?"

She grabbed all three of her pokéballs and called them out. "Horsea, Jiggly, Feary!" They were released and entered the canyon with fighting poses. Horsea and Jigglypuff's attempts at toughness were laughable, and Fearow looked too beat up to seem threatening. Pft.

"Mm… Your pokémon look incredibly weak. Is that a strategy of yours?" Chuck-sensei seemed amused. "Or are they worn out from the journey?"

"Kind of both," she answered. "Jiggly and Horsea are a lot stronger than they look, and Feary's worn out from when Green-kun assaulted it. In fact, do you have a super potion it could have? Those cuts look deep, the poor thing!"

The Fearow glared at me. Great, it held a grudge. I could take it down again if necessary, of course, but its anger towards me seemed unneeded. And what did Blue mean, poor thing? If it hadn't been for me, she'd be dinner by now. Disrespectful, ungrateful girl.

I spoke my thoughts. "If your pokémon are so strong, how come you didn't fight it when it attacked you? You were scared stiff." I sounded overly cynical to get my point across. She tilted her head like I'd said something utterly idiotic.

"I could've fought it, but your Scyther was big enough so that it wouldn't get caught in Feary's claws, and I got a pokémon without having to lift a finger because of your brave efforts. Besides, Feary doesn't hold a grudge against me; why should I be frightened of it?

It was all an act.

Wait a second. That couldn't be it. Nobody could act out that kind of fear unless it was at least partly real. She was just good at hiding it.

So, she was more tactical than she appeared.

"Hrm!" My teacher gave a deep belly-laugh. "Smart girl, getting boys to do things for you! But you'll have to learn to train yourself if you learn under me, not to train others." He motioned for his Machoke, who had been lying against a boulder for a break, and it walked over to Blue's Jigglypuff. They stared at one another for a few seconds, testing each other's courage.

Oh, no.

Blue's cerulean eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Jiggly didn't blink once! I passed, right?"

Chuck-sensei's mustache twitched upwards in a grin. "I suppose you have, Blue-chan. I like your anticipation. If you think you're up for it, I'd be more than happy to have you join Green and I in training. Welcome aboard!"

He welcomed her? Not the slightest bit of angry shouting? No. This wasn't happening.

Scyther shook in his pokeball as if expecting a fight to occur.