A/N: Something different, and something that's been stirring in my mind for quite awhile--and unlike Filling In, I have most of the plot already worked out!

I know the story may not seem enough for a "T" rating yet, but there will be swearing later on, and violence.

Note that, naturally, considering Diego is still alive, this takes place before Filling In. As a matter of fact, it takes place, for all intents and purposes, in an alternate timeline, since I don't want to worry about blending what occurs here with my other story.

I know that this all sounds like it's based on another story; and it is. I wrote a story dealing with the origin of Ren and Diego, and the others (which does exist on the internet, and if the name Zarla means anything to you might know where to find it), but it is not my best work and is (will be), in any case, largely explained herein. I'll do my best to build good beginnings in the story, in the form of flashbacks, where applicable. Which means that if I leave something unexplained in one chapter--and it's important, either to this story or for the purpose of character development--just be patient. It will be explained.

I use the following formatting system:

"Double quotes" denote human speech or when text is being read passively (i.e.: He glanced at the sign, which read "Route 201," and then continued walking) as opposed to actively (i.e.: "The sign said 'Route 201,'" he clarified.).

'Single quotes in italics,' to denote translated Pokémon speech, which should apply mostly to when Pokémon are narrating the story.

"Double quotes in italic"' denote untranslated Pokémon speech, when humans are narrating the story.

Italics indicate throughts or telepathic speech.

+Plus signs+ indicate the first- or third-person narrator, though the former will only apply to three characters (Diego, Ren, and another who will be introduced a little ways in) while the latter will apply to anyone else. Note that I will not always use these.

Three plus signs in a row (+ + +) indicate a timelapse.

Three exclamation points in a row (! ! !) indicate a flashback, and (end) indicates the end of a flashback.

I don't own Pokémon or any related trademarks, nor do I own Javier, who is my friend's Diamond character, but I do own Raymond "Ren" Ashlocke, Nicholas Mendoza, and any persons related to them, as well as the personalities of their Pokémon, as well as the idea of Bugsy's "real" name.

Also: the Dawn mentioned in this story is the female player character from Diamond/Pearl, who has become Sinnoh's Champion. Javi takes Lucas's place, but is also an active Trainer (as opposed to Lucas in the game, who seems to be more of a researcher) and is head of Sinnoh's Elite Four (being the second-best Trainer in the region). Brendan is the male player character from Emerald, who holds the position of National Champion (as opposed to just Hoenn Champion).

In case you're wondering, Gold holds the title of Johto Champion, and Blue is acting as standing Kanto Champion for Red, who is currently wandering the world. But they're not important to this story.

Consequences

Chapter 1 - Setting Out Again

+Ren+

"Raichu?"

I moaned and turned over. Couldn't I sleep just a little longer?

"Umbri!" snapped Fang promptly in my ear. I shot straight up and was standing on the floor beside my bed before I could think again.

I turned back to my Umbreon and slouched slightly. "Honestly, Fang, did you have to do that? It's too early for scares..."

"Umbreon," he said, apparently uncaring.

"Chu, Raichu," said Diego scoldingly. Fang shrugged and began to wash himself.

I glanced at the digital clock on my end table, which read 8:29, then a moment later flicked to 8:30 and began blaring an alarm, which I immediately shut off.

"Your timing is impeccable," I muttered to Fang sarcastically. He ignored me, which wasn't terribly unusual.

There was a soft, warm nudge on my leg. I looked straight down and at Myst. The Vulpix murmured "Vul," and indicated a package just inside my bedroom doorway.

I smiled reassuringly down at her and went to pick it up, then noticed a note on top.

"Ren

I'm sorry I'm not here to see you off, but something's come up that I really have to tend to. These are

some new clothes as well the most recent Pokédex model, courtesy of Javier (but he told me to tell

you the clothes were Dawn's idea). He also said to call him once you get to Hoenn--he's got someth-

ing else that he wanted to give you, but didn't tell me what it was.

I know I've said this a lot lately, but I can't tell you how proud I am of how you've been coping with

the truth of your father's death, and I'm sorry it ended up bieng Brendan who had to tell you. Know th-

at I fully support your choice to become a Breeder, though I have to admit I don't think I can ever under-

stand your reasons.

I love you! Give Diego a big hug for me!

Mom

P.S. Try out the Pokédex! You'll be surprised!"

I opened up the package and picked up the Pokédex, which looked similar to the one I already had. I was surprised that they had a new model already, but then I remembered watching a report by Sinnoh's Professor Rowan about having to rearrange the Pokédex based on the discovery of Pokémon that weren't originally beleived to be native.

"Try it out, huh?" I muttered, then shrugged and turned to Diego, opening the Pokédex and pressing "Scan Species."

"Raichu," said the Pokédex instantly in its cool feminine voice. "The Electric Mouse Pokémon. Its long tail serves as a ground to protect itself from its own high-voltage power. It exudes a weak electrical charge from all over its body, which allows it to glow in the dark. It may become aggressive if it builds up too much energy, so regular discharges are necessary."

The top screen then shifted, showing an image of a Raichu in the upper-left corner with average height and weight below it, while running several paragraphs of text down the right side.

Huh? I skimmed over the text. Physiology... Care and Diet... Most of this stuff isn't in a regular Pokédex!

I tapped the Home button, then highlighted the About function and pressed "OK". The Pokédex spoke again: "National Pokédex, ver. 5, 'Platinum' Breeder's Edition. Registered to: Raymond Daniel Ashlocke, 11, Azalea Town, Johto. This unit contains extensive data on all known breeds of Pokémon including but not limited to average height and weight, phyisiology, attacks which can be learned, and any available abilities a Pokémon species may have, as well as read information on specific Pokémon, including but not limited to exact height and weight, moves the Pokémon has learned, and training level. It may also be used to keep track of Pokémon within a Breeding Center's system. This unit is currently not assigned to a Breeding Center."

"Wow!" I exclaimed. "This is cool!"

"Raichu?" asked Diego, apparently confused. I smiled and scratched him between the ears, and then grabbed the clothes (khaki pants, a green long-sleeved shirt with a PokéBall symbol over the breast pocket, and a teal/silver windbreaker) and went to the bathroom to dress.

(+ + +)

Only Myst walked beside me as I left the house, as Fang and Diego, as well as Ring, my Sentret, all opted to return to their PokéBalls. I was slightly worried for the Vulpix, as she wasn't fully mature (she still had only four tails), lacked a great deal of self-confidence, and had quite general allergies that always acted up when she went outside. But I did not question her decision--and truth be told I welcomed the company.

I headed west, towards Ilex Forest, which wasn't that far of a walk. The main hazards were the Slowpoke, who had fallen asleep where they stood and had not woken up yet. I barely saw a soul as I walked through town, but as I rounded the corner towards Ilex's gate, I nearly ran into Jeremy--or, as he was more popularly known, Azalea's Gym Leader, Bugsy.

"Whoa!" said the Gym Leader, stepping around me. "Sorry, Ren, didn't see you."

"You just caught another Weedle, didn't you?" I asked. Bugsy was always in a hurry to return to the Gym and train after he'd caught a new Pokémon.

"'Another'?" Bugsy said incredulously, as if he couldn't believe how easily I could dismiss Bug Pokémon. "I'll have you know it's a female Kakuna! If you could realize just how awesome Bug Pokémon are--Hey," he said suddenly, noticing the fact that I had PokéBalls on my belt and a bag on my back, "I thought you were done with your Leage Challenge--What happened to 'Four badges is enough for me'?"

"I'm not going on a Leage Challenge, Jeremy--"

"Bugsy," he corrected reflexively. "Why can't you just call me Bugsy!?"

I shrugged. "Sorry, Bugsy. But I'm not going on a Leage Challenge--I'm going to Hoenn to learn from the elderly Breeder couple in Hoenn."

"Vulpix," agreed Myst quietly.

"They would be the best people to learn from, I guess," acknowledged Bugsy.

"I talked with them over the phone a few weeks ago, and they said they could handle another apprentice--one of them just got his liscence, so they had a spot open."

"Interesting outfit if you're just going on a plane ride to Hoenn, though," Bugsy pointed out.

"It's at least a day to Goldenrod unless I push it," I pointed out. "Never mind that the plane lands in Lilycove City."

Bugsy chuckled. "Wheter you admit or not, there's still a part of you that likes the whole adventuring deal behind being a Trainer."

I shrugged again, then stuck out my hand. "See you around, Bugsy."

He shook it. "Later, Ren."

He headed back toward the Gym. I stared after him, and then glanced around once more at what I could see of Azalea Town.

"See you around," I breathed, and then walked into Ilex Forest.

(! ! !)

(One Year Earlier)

It was raining.

Even through the thick foliage of the ilex trees, the ground was soaked, and there were no Pokémon in sight.

I sighed, leaning against one of the thicker trees and staring out into the gloom. Once again I questioned why I had decided to take a walk in a rainstorm, but the only answer I could come up with was that I had to. I had stood up and come out here, and that was all there was to it.

I waited a few minutes more to be sure, but the rain showed no signs of stopping, or even lessening. Resigned, I pulled up my hood and started walking back towards town, taking a slightly different route than the one I'd taken to get to this point.

It's just as well it's raining, I mused, hands in my pockets, head down. Since I won't have a Pokémon until tomorrow...

On the word "Pokémon" I heard a small rustle off to my right. I paused, thinking it may simply have been a large raindrop. Then I heard it again, along with a weak-sounding, muffled "Chuu..."

Very slowly I stepped in the direction of the sound, intrigued. For a moment I saw nothing out of the ordinary, then, without any prior warning, I heard the sound of electricity sparking wildly, and the bush off to my right began to smolder. The rain increased for a moment, and the bush stopped smoldering.

Electricity?

I began to drop to my knees to see what was under the bush, but I froze as I heard whatever it was under the bush decide to come out.

There was very little to see at first; only the rustling and slurping of mud coming from that general direction told me something was moving. Then, very slowly, I saw a Pikachu's head emerge from under the bush. Its eyes were half closed, and it seemed to be dragging itself forward with its forepaws.

Slowly the rest of the mouse Pokémon's body came out from under the bush. As its rear paws finally came into view, it collapsed to the ground, apparently from exhaustion.

This time I really did drop to my knees, as much to see what was wrong with it as from the shock of seeing a Pikachu in Ilex Forest. I reached my hand out to try and touch it, but its eyes snapped open as my hand neared its head and it tried to back away, muttering, "Chuu..."

"Hey," I said as gently as I could over the rain. "I won't hurt you, I promise."

"Ch...Chuu..." it said again, shaking its head.

Realizing that even now I may have been intimidating it, I very slowly reached up and pulled my hood down. The rain soon plastered my long black hair to my head, but it was a small price to pay. Then I tried speaking again: "It's okay, little guy. I want to see what's wrong."

It shuddered. "P-Pikachu..."

But it did not try to move away as I touched it gently between its ears. It took a great deal of self-control not to snap my hand back instantly: this Pikachu was burning up!

It was still shaking slightly, and it started as I tried to rub its head, but then relaxed.

"There now... You're awfully sick, you know that?"

"Pika...Pikachu..."

"I can help you," I promised gently. "I can take you to a place where they can make you better."

"Pi..." It seemed about to say something, but then it collapsed again, and aside from its breathing did not move.

I've got to get this thing to a Pokémon Center fast!

So as gently as I could, I picked up the Pikachu and, holding it tightly, went as quickly as I could back toward Azalea Town.

(end)

"Vulpix?" asked Myst, drawing me back to the present.

"Hm? Oh, nothing," I said in response to her inquisitive glance, then danced out of the way as she sneezed, spraying embers everywhere. Amazingly, nothing caught fire. "Are you sure you don't want to be in your PokéBall?" I asked.

"Vul," stated Myst. Then, in a hurt tone, "...Vulpix?"

"What? No!" I said dropping down to be closer to her level. "I don't think you're a nuisence, Myst. I can't get angry about something you can't control. I just think it'd be easier on you."

"Vulpix..." said Myst uncertainly, then started and looked off to her right. I followed her gaze.

There was a young man there, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, with dark-blond hair and green eyes. He wore a green shirt similar to mine, blue jeans, and solid black shoes. In one of his gloved hands he held a PokéBall, at which he was staring intently, apparently not noticing Myst and I were there.

I stood back up. "Uh... Hey, you alright?"

"Hm?" He looked up. "Oh... Didn't see you there."

"You look somewhat lost."

"Lost?" He put the PokéBall away. "I'd imagine that's not hard to do in this forest." He chuckled.

"Not for me. But then I've lived in Azalea Town my whole life."

"Ah," said the young man. "I suppose that would help."

He seemed slightly tense, or else shy. "I'm Ren. Ren Ashlocke."

"Ren..." he said quietly, then nodded. "Interesting name. I'm Nicholas Mendoza. Who's this?" he asked, shifting his gaze to Myst.

"My Vulpix, Myst."

"Oh?" He stepped forward. "May I...?"

"Huh?" Then I realized he'd meant he wanted to get a closer look. "Uh... Sure. But she's shy, and if she inhales sharply get out of the way."

He looked puzzled, but dropped to one knee anyway and reached out to pet Myst. Normally she would have ducked behind me, but I was surprised to see her walk forward of her own will.

"There, that's a good girl..." said Nicholas gently, scratching under her muzzle.

"She likes you," I blurted out stupidly.

"Vulpix," said Myst, apparently agreeing.

"A lot of Pokémon do," said Nicholas. "It's more of a love-or-hate thing, though... You should see my Sneasel." Myst inhaled. "Now, now, none of that!" he added quickly, holding a finger across her nose. Very slowly she exhaled. "See? It's a matter of control."

"Vulpix?"

I blinked. Nicholas seemed more comfortable with her than with me. Not only that, but this was the most social I had ever seen Myst.

"Good girl," he said one more time, and then stood up again, seeming slightly more at ease. "None of my Pokémon are quite as polite as she seems to be."

"She's always been that way--either shy or extremely polite." I stepped forward and added in an undertone, "I found her on the way to Goldenrod City a few months ago when she still had only two tails; she'd apparently been abandoned by her own family, and I think she's afraid I'll do the same to her if she doesn't behave right."

Nicholas nodded. "I understand..."

There was a pause. "So... Where're you from, Nicholas?" I asked finally.

"Sinnoh," he replied. "I got seven of the badges there and then got called to Johto for some important family business, but I don't really feel like going back. There's something... I don't know... peaceful about Johto. Nearly all of the towns are based off of some kind of wood or flower--Mahogany, Violet. That 'nature-y' feeling pervades the whole region. Not like the stark colors of Kanto..." he trailed off.

I said nothing, honestly unsure of what to make of this guy. He seemed nice enough, but one moment he seemed extremely shy except with regards to Pokémon, then started talking about the names of the towns.

"...I'm sorry," he said finally. "I've probably come off as somewhat of an odd person. I assure you I'm not--I simply tend to flounder in conversations until I get to know someone." He shrugged. "And I've always been a little more comfortable around Pokémon than people, as odd as that sounds."

"I've heard of people like that," I said.

"Yes..." He trailed off. "I've kept you long enough, Ren. I'm sure you've got somewhere to go..."

"Uh... Right," I said, remembering where I had to get to. "Nice meeting you, Nicholas."

"By the way... Do you have a Pokétch?"

"Uh... PokéGear. Why?"

"...I don't know why, but I'd like your phone number. You strike me as an interesting person--and you certainly have at least one interesting Pokémon."

It was true that my phone function's list was rather small--Mom, Kyra, Brendan, Javi, and Dawn. I had the room. "Sure, why not?" I spouted my number automatically; he dialed it into his Pokétch and then rattled off his number, which I input into my Gear.

"See you around, perhaps?" he said, smiling slightly.

"I'm headed to Hoenn," I explained finally. "So probably not."

"Oh..." Nicholas seemed slightly put out. "Well, the 'Kétch gets service from Hoenn, so there's still that."

"Yeah." I nodded and waved. "Talk to you later, Nicholas!"

"Vulpix!" said Myst.

He smiled. "Until we meet again, Ren."

As I walked away I saw him pull out a PokéBall--perhaps the same one from earlier--and as I ducked around a particularly thick tree I saw him staring at it intently as if to open it with the sheer force of his will alone.

A/N: I should point out now, for purposes of this story I don't pay attention to regular Pokémon "nests" (where the Pokédex says a particular Pokémon can be found), most specifically in the case of Myst, as Vulpix cannot normally be found upon Route... What was it? ( I should know this... I was just playing Crystal... Oh well)Between Ilex Forest and Goldenrod City. This also applies to Fang, who was captured just outside a small fraction of forest beside Union Cave between Violet City and Azalea Town as an Eevee (which rarely, if at all, are found in the wild).

Don't expect all the chapters to be this long. I was in a good writing mood, which rarely happens on its own. But I hope this makes up for the shortness of everything else...