So here's chapter two! It's kinda long, so beware. I tried to keep it short, honest, but somethings I felt I had to put more detail into or explain.

This is the last "introductory" chapter. So it'll be the last boring chapter (at least for awhile) if you're looking for lots of Pokemon battles. Starting next chapter, Jade and her Chimchar are going to be out on the road, so there'll be wild Pokemon and trainers.

Thanks to all those who reviewed! I really appreciate the feedback, and it certainly encouraged me! =D

Disclaimer: I do not own the Pokemon franchise, because I'm not a millionaire. Wish I was, but sadly I'm not. The only thing original in this story are my own characters, like Jade. Right now, Jade and her parents are my only brain childs in this story.


Chapter Two: A Long Overdue Beginning

In Jade's arms, Chimchar cheered and wrapped its arms around her neck. It then climbed onto her right shoulder, where it sat, again hugging her around the neck. Jade laughed and poked it in the chest, making it giggle.

"A good choice," Professor Rowan said, nodding.

"A Chimchar!" Jade's father stood next to her, a hand extended to Chimchar. For a moment, Chimchar gazed at her father's hand, sniffing curiously. Then the Pokémon jumped from her shoulder to her father's arms, sniffing his pockets. "Haha, he's a curious one, isn't he?" Reaching into a pocket, he withdrew a cookie for Pokémon; Chimchar devoured it before it was out of her father's hands.

"Is it a boy?" Jade asked the Professor. She smiled as her Chimchar continued to sniff her father's pockets. Her Chimchar. She had a Pokémon – she was a trainer!

"Yes, he is." Professor Rowan held out a PokéBall, which Jade took. "This is his PokéBall. Would you like to give him a name?" he asked. "Some trainers do that, others don't; it's up to you."

Jade looked at Chimchar, who ran to her, free of her father's arms, stomach slightly bloated. She laughed and picked him up. "You have crumbs all over your face," she told it. Chimchar ran his hands over its mouth then climbed up on her shoulder. "Do you want a name?" she asked.

Chimchar paused for a moment then nodded. "Chimchar, chim!"

"Alright." Jade looked at Chimchar's PokéBall, thinking. A fire name would be good – and name that meant 'fire' or something close to it. Blaze is used too much, she thought. But there was always one fire name she liked. "How does Tyson sound?" she asked.

"Chim, Chimchar!" Chimchar – Tyson – wrapped his arms around Jade's neck and squeezed lightly.

"Tyson, huh?" Jade's father put his hands on his hips, smiling. "That sounds like a good, strong, name." On her shoulder, Tyson nodded.

"Here, Jade." She turned to see Professor Rowan offering her five more PokéBalls. These were in their small form meant for traveling, not the enlarged form that was used when Pokémon were released. Taking the other five and minimizing Tyson's, Jade put the PokéBalls in her pocket.

"You can only have six Pokémon on you at a time," the Professor told her. He motioned to a machine near his computers that she recognized as a transporter for PokéBalls. "However, if you do catch more than six, those that are extra will be sent to me. Your father and I will look after the Pokémon not on your team. If you ever which to switch Pokémon, let me know and I will send some over to you, though you have to be at a Pokémon Center to do that."

Motioning for her to follow him, Professor Rowan walked over to the computers. Inside a slot that connected to one of the computers, was what Jade recognized as a Pokédex. Back in Kanto, Professor Oak issued Pokédexes to the trainers that he gave starter Pokémon to. Did Rowan do the same?

"Professor, are you going to give me a Pokédex?" she asked, hopeful. A Pokédex was truly a useful item; it identified Pokémon to a trainer and monitored what Pokémon had been seen by the trainer.

"Yes, I am," Rowan replied. While Professor Rowan ejected the Pokédex from the computer, Tyson hoped off Jade's shoulder, looking inquisitively at the different lights flashing on the computers. "Don't push that button," he warned Tyson, who had a finger hovering over a large button, "you won't like the loud noise that follows it." Tyson, wide-eyed, nodded.

"Hey Tyson, come here," Jade called to her Pokémon. As Tyson climbed from her leg to her shoulder, she took the Pokédex offered to her by Professor Rowan. "Thank you so much, Professor!" The Professor nodded and she opened the Pokédex, showing Tyson.

"It'll tell me about Pokémon we meet," she explained to him. "Watch." Taking Tyson off her shoulder and kneeling in front of him, she pushed a button and the Pokédex's screen popped up with a picture of a Chimchar.

"Chimchar, the Chimp Pokémon," it said. Tyson jumped, squealing in surprise, before racing around Jade's arm to look at the Pokédex as it continued. "It is very nimble and able to climb up the sides of mountains. Before going to sleep, the Pokémon will put out its tail to prevent fires."

Tyson's eyes were wide as Jade used the arrows on the Pokédex, scrolling through the options. Finding an option that said "Pokémon Moves", she pushed the Select button.

"This Chimchar knows the moves: Scratch, Ember, and Flame Wheel,"the Pokédex told her.

"Awesome, Tyson!" Jade put a hand on Tyson's head, petting it. Tyson closed his eyes, content. "You know quite a few moves already!"

"That is all I have to give you," Professor Rowan said, drawing her attention back to him. "Now it is up to you to decide what you will do as a Pokémon trainer."

"Thank you so much, Professor!" Jade stood, Tyson clinging to her arm and climbing to his place on her shoulder. "How can I ever repay you?"

"You can repay me by being kind to all Pokémon." Professor Rowan smiled. "I don't think that will be a problem for you, though."

"No, of course not!"

"Your time has finally come, Jade!" Jade's father clapped her on the shoulder not occupied by Tyson. "You're an official trainer, now!" She couldn't help but smile as Tyson cheered on her shoulder. "Let's go home, so we can show off Tyson to your mother!"

-

Jade's mother held Tyson in her arms, watching nervously as Jade packed her backpack. When Jade and her father had arrived at their house with Tyson, her mother had been thrilled. Tyson immediately loved Jade's mother, who had finished making a lunch of sandwiches and fruit. He showed no interest in the sandwiches, but he devoured most of the fruit that Jade's mother gave him.

"He's quite the eater," Jade's mother laughed. "I hope you don't let him eat too much, Jade, or he'll get too chubby." Jade's mother poked Tyson's stomach, which made him laugh.

However, the laid back and excited attitude Jade's mother had dropped the second Jade said she wanted to leave that day. Now she sat at Jade's desk, holding Tyson who stared at the news station on TV that was running a story on the travels of the Sinnoh League Pokémon Champion, Cynthia.

"Are you sure you want to go today?" Jade's mother asked.

Jade paused in folding another jacket and glanced over at her mother. When she had announced she wanted to leave after lunch, she knew it would be hard on her mother. In Kanto, there was an organization called Team Rocket that moved throughout the whole region, stealing Pokémon from trainers and causing trouble. Around the time Jade had turned ten, Team Rocket had held a whole Pokémon Center hostage in Pewter City, demanding the city's Gym Leader surrender his Pokémon to them in exchange for the safe return of Nurse Joy and the Pokémon trainers held captive. Since that incident, Jade's mother had been terrified to let Jade go on a Pokémon journey, fearful of the same thing happening to her.

"Mom, I don't want to wait any longer." Focusing on her packing again, Jade put her jacket in her backpack. "The longer I wait, the harder it'll be for me to leave. If I make it quick it'll be easier on all of us – like taking off a band aid."

She knew that she would miss her parents, but she also knew that she would be fine on her journey, accompanied by her Pokémon. It would be hardest on her parents. If I give them less time to think of a reason I should stay a little longer, it'll be easier for me to go without any problems, Jade had thought.

"But the next city is Jubilife, isn't it?" her mother asked. "That's about a day walk, isn't it? You'll be spending the night in the wild!"

"Trainers do it all the time." Jade waved off her mother's words.

"That doesn't make it safe."

Sighing, Jade zipped her backpack. She had packed an extra pair of jeans, t-shirt, and another jacket in the smaller part. In the larger compartment, she had a thin mat and a blanket to sleep on. In a bag next to her sleeping things was a small bag of Pokémon food that – if she could keep Tyson from eating it all at once – should last until the next city. There were also instant noodles she could make with the small camping pot that she had packed as well. It was enough to get her through to the next city or to a Pokémon Center, where there were sleeping quarters and a small café for trainers.

"Mom, I'll have Tyson," Jade said. Hearing his name, Tyson looked at Jade, and seeing her put her backpack on her back, jumped from her mother's arms and into her own. "Once I get on the road, I'll catch more Pokémon, too. Soon I'll have a whole team and we'll be able to take care of ourselves." Looking down at Tyson, she asked him, "Right?"

"Chimchar!" Tyson nodded.

Jade's mother pressed her lips together in a tight line. "Is there anything I can say to stop you?" she asked. Jade shook her head and her mother sighed. "No, I guess not…you've been wanting this for a long time." Standing she forced a smile. "You do look like a real trainer, though."

Jade smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

She was wearing a pair of light jeans and a blue jacket, with a white shirt underneath it. Her backpack was blue with white lines and zippers. Jade adjusted the straps of her bag to make sure that it didn't get too heavy, avoiding her mother's watery eyes. Her journey was four years overdue and now she was about to leave. When she left Sandgem Town, she didn't want to have any regrets on leaving her overprotective mother. It was her time to leave home and begin her life as a Pokémon trainer.

"I can't believe you're leaving!" Suddenly her mother's arms were wrapped around her neck, throwing Tyson off her shoulder and tightening.

"Char!" Tyson protested as he landed on the floor with a thud. He paused in his muttered protesting when he saw tears rolling down the side of her mother's face. Tilting his head to the side, he asked, "Chim?"

Jade let her mother hug her for a moment, before stepping back. "Mom," she said, putting both hands on her mother's shoulders, "I won't be gone forever. I'll visit and I'll come home. I promise."

Her mother nodded, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and wiping her face. "R–right."

Jade felt her heart tear at the sight of her mother crying, but she forced herself to look away, motioning to Tyson. "C'mon, Tyson!" Pulling his confused gaze from Jade's mother, Tyson ran to his trainer and jumped into her arms.

As Tyson took his place on her shoulder, Jade looked back at her mom. At least her mother was holding back her tears now. "I'm going to go now, Mom," she said.

Nodding, Jade's mother closed her eyes for a moment. Jade waited and her mother looked back at her. "I–I guess I'll walk you out then…I think your father is out with Professor Rowan."

Jade smiled. Maybe her mother would be okay…eventually. Jade followed her mother out of her room, pausing to turn off the lights. Before doing so, she looked around one last time. It would be awhile before she slept in her room again. The thought made her heart quicken, out of fear and excitement. What would her life be like when she returned?

Following her mother downstairs, Jade took her time, looking around her house. She hadn't been in this house for very long, but she had grown to like it in the few weeks she had been there. It seemed similar to their house in Kanto, a basic two-story house with a room for herself and her parents upstairs, and a living room, dining room and kitchen downstairs. Tyson tightened his grip on her shoulder as they stepped outside into the sun. Waiting for them outside was her father, Professor Rowan and their colleagues.

Her father hugged her, making Tyson jump off her shoulder to prevent being knocked off again. "You'll be fine," he said, quite the opposite of his wife. "You have Tyson and you're smart."

"I know," Jade replied. It was good to hear one of her parents encouraging her.

Tyson jumped into her father's arms when he had let go of his daughter. Laughing, Jade's father looked at the Pokémon in his arms. "Look after Jade, alright?"

"Chimchar!" Tyson nodded, smiling.

"Look after each other," Professor Rowan added, looking from Jade to Tyson.

"We will." Jade assured the Professor as Tyson jumped down from her father's arms to stand by Jade.

"What will you do as a trainer?" one of the Professor's assistants asked. "Will you be a coordinator or go join the Pokémon League?"

"I think I'll join the Pokémon League," Jade answered. Looking down, she said, "We'll become strong and compete in the League, right?"

"Chim, Chimchar, chim!" Tyson cheered.

"Be careful." Jade turned to look at her mother, who stood near her father, eyes still watering. "Take good care."

Jade smiled. It still hurt to see her mother so upset, but that's why she wanted to leave. Her mother would get over it quicker that way…hopefully. "I will, Mom." Turning to Tyson, she asked, holding up his PokéBall, "Tyson, do you want to go inside your PokéBall now?"

Shaking his head, Tyson jumped onto her shoulder and pointed towards the road. "Chimchar!"

"Alright," Jade laughed. Looking back at her mother, father, the Professor, and his staff, she smiled. "I'll see you guys later, then."

The group in front of her house waved as she walked towards the road and she waved back, smiling. Now she felt a wide range of emotions inside of her. She was happy to be leaving on her journey, but sad to leave her family behind, when they were so upset to watch her go. Well, at least her mother was, as her mother waved weakly, tears shining on her face, and her father waved wildly, yelling words of encouragement after her.

But at least she still had people wishing her well, and they would be there when she returned. Jade looked forward, smiling at Tyson who was waving back at her family and friends as well. "Are you ready?" she asked him.

Tyson nodded. "Chimchar!" He jumped from her shoulder and ran down the road, leading her away from Sandgem.

"H–hey! Wait for me!" she cried, running after him. At least she had a friend that would keep her good company and busy.