Disclaimer: I do not own or have any association with Pokemon.

It was a cool, breezy day on Route 1, perfect for all the Pokemon trainers heading out to start their journeys. They would all be on their way to complete the Kanto Gym Circuit and eventually challenge the Elite Four and Champion. Each of them had some rare starter Pokemon that couldn't be found in the wild: a Squirtle, Charmander, or Bulbasaur which was just as excited to go as its trainer. They would make friends, find adventure, catch new Pokemon, and become powerful enough to travel and do whatever they wanted to. They would be given special privileges and join different tournaments and events, win a medal at something, and return home with something to be proud of.

There was a small group of five setting out today, with three Charmanders, a Squirtle, and a Bulbasaur. People always seemed to prefer the little fire Pokemon to the others, mainly because its final evolution had come to be a symbol of power and achievement since the Champion, Lance, trained one. I, personally, thought that a Bulbasaur would be much better. As a plant Pokemon, they could easily put anything to sleep before mercilessly employing various spores to sap their enemy's energy and will to fight.

Of course, I didn't get a Bulbasaur. I wasn't a trainer.

I was a messenger.

I wouldn't be fighting Gym Leaders or striving to get stronger. I wouldn't be entering tournaments or becoming a great battler. I wouldn't return to my home in glory.

I would be delivering packages to different important people all over Kanto.

Yeah, sure, I got a Pokemon. But it wasn't anything rare or special.

It was a Pidgey.

I had asked my dad why in Mew's name I would be given a baby Pokemon to help me with my job and how something so small could possibly assist me in any way. I pointed out that I wasn't a trainer; I wouldn't exactly have time to train it between towns. It would've been better to give me something already strong, like a Pidgeot, because my purpose wasn't to learn about raising Pokemon, it was to just make sure everyone had their packages delivered.

He had laughed and said that Pokemon skills were an important part of the job and that if I had gotten a Pidgeot it would eat me alive the first day. I figured that would probably be a better fate than dealing with the humiliation of traveling all over Kanto with this ridiculous messenger jacket and hat.

Due to the apparent difficulty of traveling, you weren't given a full-blown suit for being a mailman. Instead, they provided you with a thick leather bag capable of being stuffed with letters and packages along with a separate section for whatever you yourself would need: clothes and food and such. It would protect its contents from weather, feral Pokemon, and anything else Kanto could throw at you. I actually thought it was a pretty cool bag: dark brown with a few complicated silver clasps designed to keep thieves from easily stealing from it and curious Pokemon from opening it.

The hat and jacket, though, were less than desirable. Both were a dark navy blue, which I guess was alright, but the jacket had golden stripes running down the arms and sides and lining the zipper, which was silver. It was made of a light, breathable material for easy traveling, making it look pretty cheap. There was a large white nameplate with "KANTO MESSENGER" engraved in gold lettering. The hat had a golden stripe around the rim and a silver bill with the same words printed on the front.

You were required to wear the hat at all times, and the jacket you were only spared from wearing on insanely hot days, which Kanto didn't have many of. Our summers peaked at 80 degrees Fahrenheit on the warmest days.

I think that, with this getup, I'd be paid more as a clown than as a delivery person. Especially now, while I was a Junior Messenger. It'd be quite a while before I would be just a regular messenger and be paid more. I needed to be in service for a year, have at least one fully evolved Pokemon, and have the ability to travel all the way from Pallet to Cerulean in less than a week. You could get promoted again if you've been in service three years and can travel that same distance in four or less days. Then there's, of course, applying to become an international mailman, but that's a whole different story.

But, for now, I was a junior, and it was the only way to get out of my house, so I suppose I'll have to deal with it.

I looked over to where the five trainers had been standing moments before. Footprints were all that was left.

I had known a couple of them from school; they were destined to be successful.

I sighed and released the little Pidgey again.

"Gee, gee!" it chirped and I picked it up, setting it on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I suppose we should get going, shouldn't we?" I muttered, heading down the route. The Pidgey leaned on my neck and chirped again.

My first assignment was to deliver a box from Professor Oak to Giovanni, the Viridian City Gym Leader. I was supposed to deliver it by sundown tomorrow. It couldn't be that difficult, could it?

Of course, the moment I finished my thought was the same that a flock of Pidgey took off from the trees and mine decided to try and follow them, but instead of actually flying it just flopped off my shoulder and onto the ground, letting out a loud wail for help, waking up an angry Raticate that was dozing off to the side of the road.

Actually, I thought as the Raticate stomped over, maybe this could get a little ugly.

I quickly recalled what little I knew of these creatures; they were fast and fearless, but overall not very strong. I had no hopes of outrunning it.

"Pidgey," I whispered, squatting down and scooping up the tiny bird. "We gotta try and fight. Come on, calm down."

The baby bird looked up at me, looking pathetic.

"No, no sad eyes. Fight! Be fearless!"

"Pidge, pidgey," it wailed, and I all but screamed as I noticed the Raticate leap at us, fangs bared.

"Use tackle!" I shrieked, and my Pidgey seemed to snap out of its pity party long enough to jump at the oversized rat and peck at it. The Raticate squeaked and was forced to land away from me, which I was more than happy about. But, as it snarled at my only Pokemon, I knew that we had no hope of knocking it out. "Aim for the legs!" I shouted, praying that the little bird understood. "We can outrun it if you can at least mess up one of its legs!"

The Pidgey, though, was a lost cause. It did nothing but peck at the Raticate's head. The tan brute soon got enough of that and turned to snarl at my only Pokemon, who fearlessly bit off a whisker.

The Raticate screeched and fell over, and I took the opportunity to grab the Pidgey off of it and run for it.

Raticate use their whiskers to balance, I realized, thinking I had learned something about that in school. I suddenly felt a surge of disbelief and despair. I'd have to dig out everything I knew about Pokemon if I were to survive this job. Unlike trainers, I didn't have the luxury of owning a Pokedex to come to my aid whenever disaster struck.

I didn't stop running, however, until I was halfway down the route and panting hard. I gently returned the Pidgey to my shoulder.

"Pidgey, gee," the bird said cheerfully, and it nuzzled into my neck.

I checked to make sure I had my messenger bag, straightened my hat, and continued walking ahead. Route 1 was the shortest route in Kanto, so I figured I'd arrive in Viridian pretty quickly. Then there was just the matter of finding the gym and delivering the package. After that I'd stop in the Pokemon Center and head back to the mail department and accept anything else that would have to be delivered nearby.

"Hey!" a voice snapped me out of my plans. "I challenge you to a battle!"

I spun around just to see a young boy hugging a Ratatta and running towards me.

"Um, kid, I'm not really a trainer," I said, backing up.

"Then why do you have a Pokemon?" he demanded. He was wearing cargo shorts and an oversized ball cap that drooped to the side of his head, making the scrawny boy look even tinier.

"A companion, and later maybe something to help me deliver mail," I explained. "I mean, I've got the licenses required to keep it and care for it, but I assure you, I am not a trainer and I just left home half an hour ago."

The boy frowned. "Wait, what are you then?"

I scowled. "Are you illiterate?"

"What?"

"Can't you read?"

The boy blinked and scanned me once again, and his eyes widened in shock, as if he just noticed the ridiculous outfit I'm wearing. "You're a mailboy?"

"Yeah, basically. Now, I'd better get going," I said, turning back around. I heard my Pidgey turn back around and give an affronted chirp before settling down again and facing forward.

"Wait!" the boy shouted.

I sighed and turned back around, noting the sun's position in the sky. It was still morning, so perhaps he wouldn't slow me down too much.

"What is it now?" I asked.

The boy huffed. "Someone's moody," he muttered quietly, just loud enough to let me know he wanted me to hear it. "You can still battle, can't you?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure."

He nodded. "Yes. You can. Anyone licensed to own a Pokemon has the right to battle the creatures as long as means of healing them is nearby, unless you're a trainer in which case you have special rights that allow you to battle anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances."

Well. The midget knew what he was talking about.

"Now, as I have quite the collection of potions and berries, you and I can battle!" he concluded cheerfully, and the Ratatta in his arms squeaked as well. "So, once again, I challenge you to a battle!"

I winced. My Pidgey was still just a baby, hatched two days ago according to my dad. There was no way we stood a chance. But the boy seemed eager to battle, and the Ratatta didn't look particularly experienced either, so maybe we weren't too hopeless. Besides, we somewhat took down a Raticate earlier! That had to count for something.

"Okay, I accept your challenge," I hesitantly said.

"Great!" The Ratatta hopped onto the ground, and I picked my Pidgey up off my shoulder and set it on the ground.

"Larry, use tackle!" the boy ordered.

"Peck it!" I ordered my Pidgey, registering that the Ratatta actually had a name.

"Dodge it and try tackling again!"

"Try and jump up into the air!" I commanded, hoping that the bird out on the battlefield had some inkling of what I was saying. It seemed to understand the peck command alright.

The boy frowned as my Pidgey did, indeed, launch itself into the air and land on the Ratatta before pecking its head. I grinned. This battle was actually going pretty well.

"Larry, try shaking it off!" the boy suggested, and the Ratatta quickly obeyed. My Pidgey was tossed off and started squawking pathetically as it tried to stand up. "Now tackle!"

"Sand attack at its eyes, pronto!" I snapped, and my Pidgey quickly obliged, kicking sand up at the charging Ratatta. Sadly, the attack hit anyways.

The boy and I both waited for the dust to clear before the results of the battle were clear.

Both our Pokemon had fainted.

"Oh sheesh," I muttered, but I was glad we hadn't lost. It made me feel somewhat accomplished. I walked over to where my Pidgey lay and gently picked it up as the boy did the same.

"That was a great battle," he said happily, holding his hand out. I shook it.

"That was. You did pretty good," I agreed. I swung my messenger bag around and started rooting around for an Oran berry. "Well, I'd better be off now."

"Wait!"

"What now?" I spun around, still half-occupied looking for a berry.

"I just wanted to ask you if you'd named your Pidgey," he said sheepishly.

"No, I haven't. Why?" I looked up at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Well, if you're going to be traveling with her, I figured she might as well have a name," the boy said, shrugging. "And if you're going to name her, you have to do it soon or she'll never be able to adjust to one from you."

I frowned. I wasn't even aware it was a girl.

"I'll think about it," I said, and continued down the beaten path to Viridian, cradling my Pidgey in my arms.

I reached Viridian in the afternoon with my Pidgey fast asleep on my shoulder. At first I was worried the stupid thing would fall off and hurt itself and I would need to spend another half hour searching for medical supplies, but it held on tight.

Probably dug her talons into my shoulder and left marks, I thought as I scanned my surroundings.

Viridian City was huge compared to Pallet Town. It was nothing like the cities I'd seen in magazines and brochures with oversized buildings that seemed to touch the sky, but it was a lot bigger than I was used to. I'd been here once before, when I was four, but ten years later I wasn't really impressed. There was no awe-inspiring "Oh my God the world is so big!" moment; it was more of a "Yeah, I really lived in a tiny town," thought.

The smell of coffee drifted from a nearby shop, which I figured I would stop in later. A Pokemart sat nearby with a faded blue roof and a sign missing a couple letters. Standing next to that was an equally rustic-looking Pokemon center. You could see through a window though that the place was fairly busy, with younger and older trainers alike loitering in the lobby. I recalled that Giovanni was the last gym in the circuit, and would only agree to battle those who already possessed the other badges. Then, of course, Victory Road was to the west. Viridian City was also a popular first stopping point for beginning trainers, mainly because of the nearby Viridian Forest, but also just to see everything they would eventually accomplish.

For me, it was the setting for my first mission: deliver a package to Giovanni.

I started down one main street. Job training explained that when in doubt, find the largest street you can and follow it until you find yourself somewhere recognizable. I could easily see why; everything branched off from here.

I continued walking for a while, not really sure of where the gym was, just taking in the sights around me. I would be spending a lot of time in very different environments as a messenger. People were bustling back and forth, but none of the streets were overly crowded. A couple Pokemon were wandering around, some standing next to their obvious human companions, and others by themselves. Young children were chasing Ratatta and the occasional Caterpie that wandered into the streets. My Pidgey remained asleep. I absently wondered what it would be capable of if handed to a real battling trainer—probably nothing special, but enough to get a trainer through their first couple gyms. It wouldn't be considered too much of a threat afterwards. It would still be kept, though; trainers never removed their starter from their party. Emotional bonds were way too strong.

About half an hour later, I ran into a sign stating "GYM" pointing to the left. I went ahead and strolled down the street, keeping note of my surroundings.

It wasn't long before I reached the building. It was large, brown, rusty and plain, with dark windows. A sign outside stated that it was the Viridian Gym, but whatever else was written on it was rather faded. It looked as if someone had vandalized the sign, too.

I hesitantly knocked on the door, receiving an angry shout from the inside. Moments later it swung open, nearly whacking me in the face. I quickly stepped back.

In front of me was the biggest man I had ever seen; he was at least seven feet tall and wearing a dark suit. I craned my neck to see his face, which was currently scowling down at me.

"What do you want?" he demanded, voice booming.

My voice suddenly lost me as I paled. The stupid Pidgey on my shoulder woke up at the loud noise and chirped in fear, and nudged my head, a silent plea to make the giant go away.

"Um… sorry to bother you sir, I have a package…" I squeaked, pulling out my messenger bag. I quickly pulled out the small brown box and offered it to him. "From Professor Oak…"

His face remained in a firm scowl as he plucked it out of my hands. "Good."

With that, he slammed the door with thundering force.

I felt something wet trickle onto my shoulder. It took me a second to realize what it was.

"OH MY ARCEUS, EWWWWWWW!" I shrieked and shoved my Pidgey off my shoulder, returning it to its Pokeball. "That is disgusting!" I shed my jacket quickly and folded it, careful not to touch the sticky, yellow substance on it. I'd have to wash it once I reached the Pokemon center.

"Stupid thing," I muttered, returning the way I came. "A Pidgeot would eat you alive, and you need Pokemon skills," I say mockingly. "Yeah, great decision. The jacket's probably going to have a permanent stain on it now."

It was probably about one o'clock when I finally burst into the Pokemon center and beelined for the laundry room. I dumped my jacket into the nearest empty washing machine, dumped soap in from a nearby dispenser, slammed the thing shut and paid for a quick wash before heading back out to the lobby.

There were still quite a few trainers around, but now that lunch was over it seemed as if most had dispersed, leaving only a few lounging around in chairs. I went ahead and took an open seat, releasing the Pidgey again. It gave a rejected chirp is it formed on the floor.

I sighed as I studied it. Dull brown feathers, pale tan breast, boring expression, boring colors, boring everything.

"Why'd I get stuck with you?" I whined, scooping up the pathetic thing. I cautiously set it on my leg. "I should've just left with no Pokemon. You're worthless."

The Pidgey chirped and hopped up onto my shoulder, seemingly unaware of my contempt towards it. It just seemed happy to be off the floor.

"Now, do you really mean that?" a voice asked from behind me. I turned around in the chair to come face-to-face with a guy probably fifteen years old. His eyes were soft and kind, but he had a slight frown on his face. He was wearing a hat with a Psyduck face on it. "Pokemon are our companions, and this one clearly likes you. Do you really think so lowly of it?"

"It peed on my jacket," I stated, wondering why the heck this person cared. "It's stupid."

"You peed yourself when you were a baby, like this Pidgey is," the guy pointed out.

"Yes, but I don't have time to raise it. I have a job," I snapped.

"Quit referring to her as an it. Pokemon are not 'it's, they are our friends," the guy said, looking slightly amused and annoyed. "You haven't been on your journey long, have you?"

I crossed my arms and glared at him. "I left this morning."

"Messenger?"

"Yup."

He seemed to think for a second. "Has this Pidgey done anything wrong other than have an accident on your shoulder? She looks like a good Pokemon to me."

I considered this for a second. "No, not really. I mean, she got in a tie with this one kid in a battle, and didn't really listen to me when I tried to get it—I mean, her—to slow down a Raticate we encountered."

"You seem to be relatively unharmed. Did she stop the Raticate in the end?"

"Kinda, yeah…"

"Then why are you angry? She has done very well for a baby Pokemon to have taken down a Raticate," the guy said. "And getting in a tie? Were you battling an actual trainer?"

"It was some little kid who wouldn't leave us alone."

"See, that's an accomplishment. She's done well. Don't be upset with her; she's not with you. Pokemon take time to train. Don't fret so much over her not obeying everything within five minutes," the guy said and walked off.

I felt the Pidgey rub her face against mine as I considered this.

"…Well, okay then, but it's still your fault there's a pee stain on my jacket," I said accusingly, and headed to the laundry room to see if my jacket was clean.

The next day I woke up in a center room, feeling rather rested and accomplished. My first mission was a huge success; I delivered the package in half the time required. My jacket was clean. I wasn't robbed in my sleep. My Pidgey hadn't had another "accident" during the night.

I grabbed a couple free cookies the Center had sitting out, breaking off a piece for the drowsy Pidgey on my shoulder. It awoke at the smell of the food and nearly snapped off my finger before swallowing it whole.

"Someone likes sweets," I muttered as the little bird tried to grab the remaining cookies left in my hand. I broke off another piece of one and then stuff the other in my mouth before heading to the mail counter. The clerk was a young woman with red hair and a slightly bored expression, which disappeared as I approached.

"Hello," I said, and the Pidgey chirped her greeting as well.

"Hi," the woman responded. "Are you a junior?"

"Yup."

"How long have you been on the job?"

"A day. I just finished my first assignment yesterday afternoon."

She nodded. "Okay. I think this'll be appropriate then, if not a challenge. I have five letters that need to make it to Pewter by July 15th," she explained, pulling five letters out of a bin and handing them to me. "There's also a package here too, but it's pretty heavy. Think you can handle it?"

I shrugged, putting the letters in my bag. "I think I can." She grinned and took out a flat, rectangular box.

"There you go, then. The reason the deadline is so far away is because Viridian Forest is a tricky place to navigate around. My advice: keep medicine and a map on you. Nurse Joy will give you some basic healing items, and because of the close vicinity to the forest the one here also has some treatments for poison, but nothing too strong. There's a forest equipment store a couple blocks away. I'd look into getting something there. Beedrill poison can be pretty nasty stuff. There's also free maps of the forest in its gate. Get one, and just mark the path you're going down on it. You should be in and out of there within a week if you don't get lost."

I nodded, keeping track of all this information and thanked her as I placed the box into my bag. It was a pretty heavy package, but nothing I couldn't handle. I headed out of the center ready to face the world.

A/N Hello! I decided to combine the first two chapters together into one due to how short they are. It makes things easier for me, anyways. So here we are once again, with the beginning of Mailboy. Thank you all for reading, and please review with your thoughts on what I'm doing well and what I can improve on!