Chapter 1

"Bye Dad!" Rose shouted, as she dashed out the door of her home. She hear her father call goodbye from inside, but the voice sounded faint as Rose got further away from the house.

Rose's swift pace was influenced by the errand she was tasked with, given to her by her dad. The thought of getting to see her closest, childhood friend Nick, had her excited. She darted quickly down the street, carrying a small wrapped box under arm. For a long time, Rose's family and Nick's family had been close. The two families would get together occasionally, and Rose always enjoyed Nick's company whenever they could meet up. The two would always just head off with their pokemon into the hills, and enjoy the day. It was enjoyable for everybody, especially the pokemon. The thought of keeping them cooped up in their poke balls always made Rose frustrated, but due to the size of some of her pokemon, Rose had to keep them cooped up when she was at home.

In their childhood, Rose and Nick had managed to start their dreams of training their pokemon early on. They had trained since the age of ten, and had managed to give each other positive influence in the other's training style. Admittedly Rose was the more experienced trainer, believing that a nurturing nature often improved a pokemon's morale. She had managed to go to five different gyms throughout Unova, winning the signature badges from each. Nick respectively was a good trainer, but had only two badges. It wasn't so much his skill level, but he hadn't cared much for battling pokemon.

Rose's long auburn hair flowed behind her as she ran, her hat surprisingly staying fastened to her head. A flock of pidgey flew off as she drew closer, chirping after her in frustration. Her pace slowed down as she reached the outskirts of Icirrus city. She peered back, huffing from her jog, looking out over her home city. Admiring it's simplicity, with Dragonspire tower standing majestically in the distance. Rose had always admired the tower, but no civilians were ever allowed to visit it. It had been closed off due to tale of a creature that had made it's home there, but to Rose it was only rumors.

She reached down to her belt to grab hold of a resting poke ball, nestled firmly and neatly in a holder. Four out of six slots had been filled, and judging from the condition of the two remaining spots, there hadn't been any other poke balls that have occupied them for a long time. No matter. Rose often tried to keep a solid team with her. She tapped the small release button on the poke ball, feeling the cool steel from the ball expand in her hand. She lightly tossed the ball in the air, watching it jiggle from the anxious creature inside. As the ball landed, it snapped open, a red glow shining from it. Rose watched as the red light shone on the area in front of it, a creature materializing from the beam. A hulky, four legged beast came into full focus,a large series of pink petals blooming around it's neck.

The pokemon turned to it's master, revealing itself to be a Meganium. A long necked, green colored beast, Meganium was the final evolution of the grass pokemon Chikorita. Two stamen-like protrusions sprouted from the end of it's nose, each tipped with their own anther. It looked at Rose with a pleased expression spread across it's face, bowing it's head in respect. Rose walked towards her companion, and rested her hand on it's nose.

"Hello there my friend," she whispered, reaching her other hand up and softly stroking her large friend's chin. Meganium eased it's head comfortably in Rose's arms, feeling comfort at it's master's touch. The bond between these two had been strong since Rose's childhood. Meganium had been in Rose's care since it was a mere Chikorita. They had been through many experiences during their time together, Meganium proving it's loyalty a thousand times over. The creature stepped back and tilted its head to the side, awaiting Rose's request.

"I don't suppose you can give me a lift can you?" she chuckled. "The jog kind of tired me out. Do you mind?"

Meganium smirked. It walked around to Rose's side and knelt down, allowing her to climb onto it's back. Rose held onto the petals sprouted from around her friend's neck, feeling Meganium rise back onto it's feet. The two headed down the road towards route 8, in the direction of Nick's place. The trip itself was not a long one, but Rose found enjoyment in her time with her life long companion. Meganium did not mind letting it's master ride on it's back. It was the least it could do for the care that it's friend had provided for it over the years.

The twosome headed off into the hills, the sun shining down on their backs, and the trail stretched out behind them. The time of the trip did not phase either of them. Their time together was all that mattered.

The door opened wide to reveal Rose's beaming face, and her raised arm with a clenched hand ready to knock on the door.

"Great timing!" Rose remarked, regarding the timing of the door compared to the timing of her hand. The door had managed to open before Rose had the chance to knock. Nick must have been either waiting at the door, or must have seen Rose and Meganium approaching from the road. Nick spread his arms out and embraced his friend in a hug.

"I try," Nick remarked. "How are you?"

"Not too bad," said Rose, raising her arm to reveal the package to Nick. "My dad wanted me to bring this to your dad. He around?"

Nick shook his head. "Nah. Him and mum headed out this morning. Had to run errands of their own. What is it?"

"Hell if I know! I don't ask questions, I just deliver it, no questions asked. To be honest I'm not a fan of being sent to do this shit. My dad's legs, he knows how to use em."

"Says the girl who I saw riding her Meganium," Nick huffed. The expression on Rose's face turned to one of lacking enthusiasm, raising her middle finger, but in a playfully joking gesture.

"Oh, thanks," Nick replied sarcastically, followed by a chuckle. "Yeah no, screw you too. Gimme the package." He grabbed the wrapped package out of Rose's hand and held it up to his ear. He shook it lightly, trying to hear the sound of whatever was in it. He could hear a small rustle inside, giving off the impression that it was something small, something the could probably fit in the palm of your hand. Not much else could be identified from what was inside. The dimensions of the object inside were a mystery, especially that it sounded like there was stuffing inside to keep the object from bouncing around too much.

"Any idea what it could be?" Nick asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"Nope," Rose replied, shaking her head. "All my dad said was deliver it. Too bad we can't look at it."

A look of mischief crossed Nick's face. "Why not?"

"My dad said it wasn't for us. Your dad's eyes only!"

"That's bullshit!" Nick exclaimed. They both shrugged it off, and Nick put the package on the table at the entrance to his home. "Oh well, whatever. So what's up for the rest of the day?"

"Well," Rose said crossing her arms. "I was thinking you can grab your buds, and we can take both sets of ours into the Moors. Let em out for a bit of a stretch. What do ya think?"

Nick shrugged. "Meh, sounds like a plan. I'm not busy today. Might as well. Just wait two seconds, I'll grab my belt."

Nick headed upstairs, his stomping footsteps on the hardwood stairs echoing through the hall. Rose turned towards Meganium, whom was waiting patiently off to the side.

"You know he's probably bringing Blastoise right?"

Meganium gave a disgruntled look, and turned it's head upwards, showing it's distaste at the thought of Blastoise coming along.

"You gonna behave yourself?" Rose asked with a cocked eyebrow. Meganium shot her a stern look, as if to imply that Blastoise was going to be the main problem on the trip. Those two had never clicked. In their youth, Chikorita and Squirtle were civil, but during the late stages of Meganium's former Bayleaf evolution; as well as Blastoise's former Wartortle stage, the two had not gotten along. Blastoise was a brute in nature, and would often carry a narcissistic persona when it was in front of other pokemon. It would often push the others out of it's way if it were walking somewhere. Meganium grunted at the request and turned it's nose back up.

"Please?" Rose pleaded. "You think you can keep your cool? I know Blastoise can be a bit of an ass, but don't let it get to you. Can you just ignore it? For me?"

Meganium looked pensive, then finally lowered it's head in acceptance of Rose's request. Rose walked over to reach up to lightly pat the creature's head. "Thank you," she replied. "I appreciate it."

A sound of the door closing alerted the two to Nick's presence. Nick had his belt on, with five poke balls placed in their slots. He shot Meganium a smile, and the giant grass pokemon nodded in response. The three companions headed out into the trails leading back behind Nick's place. Nick's family home was ocated in a small rural area not on any map, but close enough to the Moors of Icirrus that someone could identify it was at the bottom of the road from them. The group headed up the trail, peering up at the high rising hills that sat just before the high Unova mountains.

"Here we are!" Nick exclaimed cheerily. "This looks like a great spot to let em out." He reached down toward his belt, pulling the poke balls off of them.

Rose removed the other three balls from her belt, looking out at the apple orchard spread out before them. She nodded in approval and looked to Meganium, whom had a look of serenity on it's face. Rose tossed the poke balls into the air, and watched as they popped out their pokemon residents. Out popped in order; Sandlash, Misdreavus, and a Rufflet. They all paled in comparison to Meganium's larger size, but each looked happy and healthy. They each stretched out their limbs from being cramped inside their poke balls, and they looked towards Rose for instructions.

"Go on you guys!" she said excitedly. "Shoo! Go have fun! Go play!" They each perked up and headed out into the fields. Rose heard various noises coming from the other end where Nick was standing. A group of various creatures swarmed around him anxiously. Amongst the crowd; a Sawsbuck, Lucario, Kadabra and Weavile each crowded their master in affection.

"Ah! No, get off me! GUYS!" Nick shouted frantically. "Go! Go that way!" Each of the pokemon departed and ran off through the orchard. Nick sighed heavily from the swarming, looking to Rose who was now laughing. Nick took a deep breath before plucking off his last remaining poke ball from his belt. He tossed the ball into the air, and watched as his champion Blastoise emerged from it.

A massive bipedal tortoise pokemon stood proudly before it's master. On it's back, it carried a tough brown shell, with two water cannons sticking out of the top sides of it. It looked to Nick for a command, kneeling down before him.

"It's roaming time big guy!" Nick said eagerly. "Stretch your legs a bit. Have fun!"

The creature nodded with a smirk spreading on it's face. It turned to head off into the orchard, giving Meganium a snide look as it passed. Meganium glared harshly at Nick's Blastoise, it's upper lip quivering in anger, revealing it's teeth followed by a low growl. Rose snapped her fingers and pointed a stern finger at Meganium, giving it a silent command to behave itself. Blastoise moved on, giving a series of deep hums to resemble a condescending chuckle. Meganium gritted it's teeth, but calmed down at Rose stroking it's long neck to comfort it.

"You can wait if you want before joining everybody," Rose whispered softly. Meganium sighed and laid it's head down on the grass to relax. Nick walked over, petting Meganium's head with his hand.

"This was a good call!" Nick said to Rose approvingly. "It's been a while since they've been out."

"Yeah," Rose replied. "Seems like they could use the playtime."

Off in the orchard, the two teams of pokemon moved playfully through the trees. Rose's young Rufflet clawed at the tree, eyeing the bright red apples ascended above it. It squeaked and jumped into the air flapping it's tiny wings. It's wing flapped vigorously, hoping to fly up and catch an apple. Suddenly it felt a weird sensation lifting it up into the tree, where it snatched an apple out of the tree. It chirped happily as it descended to the ground, with Nick's Kadabra hiding behind the tree motioning it's hand in unison with Rufflet. It smiled at the small bird pokemon as Rufflet ran up to it and chirped excitedly at it's unknowigly assited achievement.

Many on the other pokemon had no troubles getting apples on their own. Pokemon Like Sandlash and Weavile used their long claws to climb into the trees and grab apples for themselves. Many of the pokemon crowded around Sawsbuck, the noble deer pokemon, as the flowers growing from the antlers rapidly sprouted into a full set of leaves, blooming on each one. They sat amazed at the majesty of the transformation, the change being an indication of season change from spring to summer.

The rest of the pokemon scattered throughout the orchard, eventually finding a tree with large apples hanging from it. They each gawked up at the big apples, hoping to get one of their own. The sound of Meganium's heavy footsteps alerted them. The giant pokemon observed the tree they were looking and and smiled at the crowd.

Two vines sprouted from the leaves around Meganium's neck and rose up to grapple two of the larger branches of the tree. Maganium's vines jerked the branches violently to shake the apples out of them. The apples each fell with a thud from the tree, and the other pokemon happliy swarming them. As they went to grab them, they were halted by two powerful jet streams blowing the apples away. Each of the pokemon looked to see Blastoise towering over them menacingly, moving out of it's way as it walked towards the apples it had pushed away. As it approached, it watched the tiny Rufflet prance over to one of the apples happily, unaware if what had just happened. A look of anger crossed Blastoise's face. It quickened it's pace and stormed towards the tiny hawk pokemon with a clenched fist. As it approached, it was stopped abruptly by something equally as large. A large green flash emerged into it's peripheral vision before coming into focus.

Meganium glared menacingly at Blastoise, standing between the full grown behemoth and the youngling pokemon. The leafy plumage around it's neck flared up in anger, as Meganium gave a low snarl. Blastoise smirked, and shifted itself into postition, aiming it's back cannons towards the giant grass pokemon. They both stared each other down menacingly, neither of them showing any intention of retreating. No flinches made from either opponent.

They each reared up for an attack, but were stopped by a whistle heard back at the main meeting spot. All the pokemon scampered back to respond to Nick and Rose's call. Blastoise slowly moved back, not taking it's eyes off of Meganium, before finally turning around to answer the call.

Meganium kept looking at Blastoise as it walked away, then finally decided to follow it back to the meeting spot, keeping it's distance from the large tortoise pokemon. It kept walking then came to the realization that Rufflet was not with it. It turned back around to see Rufflet looking off the other way in curiosity.

Meganium stepped next to the small hawk pokemon, looking down it with a puzzled expression. The small bird just kept looking straight ahead. Meganium looked ahead to see what Rufflet was looking at, then cocked its head back in confusion. Off in the distance was a long eared, fox like creature. It was not like they have ever seen before. A yellow furred, long eared fox with a very short tail, almost like a fringe of spikes on it's rear. It was slender, and had a white spiky collar around its neck. It glared back with dark eyes, keeping a large distance between itself and them.

Meganium felt a rustle go past it's foot. It looked back to see Rufflet heading back the other way. In the distance it could hear Rose calling for it. It quickly shot it's head back around, only to find that the mysterious pokemon had vanished.