Arthur got on his bicycle, and raced out of town. It wasn't the first time his mother forbid him to start a Pokémon journey. This time, his frustration got the best of him. "Stupid mom... So many times I help her out with the house, can't I get anything for it...?" he thought. He was overrun with feelings. He reached Ilex Forest.

"I drove all the way to Goldenrod for her, for Pete's sake...!" Arthur kept on.

Arthur was already halfway through Ilex Forest. He reached a crossroad and a direction sign. He stopped there, and parked his bicycle. He looked at the sign. It read:

^, Goldenrod City | , Pokémon reserve (WARNING: WILD POKÉMON PRESENCE)

Arthur turned to his left and looked down the path. The path went quite deep into the forest. First he took a couple of steps down the path. "Mom won't let me go on my journey? Too bad for her, then. I'll go on one anyway...!" Arthur said in himself. He ran back to his bicycle and cycled off to the reserve.

Arthur cycled slowly across the path. He had never been in this part of Ilex Forest. It was like he discovered a whole new world. The path ended at a piece of water. It was somewhat large, but not really large enough to be called a lake. Numerous Wingull and Pelipper flew over the water, maybe hunting for Remoraid jumping above the water. Arthur cycled around the water, and reached a field of tall grass.

"Well... I'm going to catch my first Pokémon. Whether my mom likes it or not." Arthur said to himself.

He stationed his bicycle, and grabbed a stick. Armed only with said stick, Arthur set foot into the tall grass. It wasn't long before he encountered his first Pokémon. He encountered a female Nidoran.

"A Nidoran! There's something you don't see here everyday!" he cheered.

Arthur got into a wrestling-like stance. The Nidoran awaited carefully on Arthur's first move. "You're mine, Nidoran!" Arthur called as he dived towards Nidoran, but the Nidoran quickly jumped out of the way. "Geez, that's quick...!" Arthur said as he got up. The Nidoran took a couple of steps backwards, as it quietly let out a high-pitched nervous moan. Arthur decided to follow up with the same tactic. He timed his jump, and went for the attack. He jumped right on time, and grabbed hold of the startled Nidoran. In a last defensive attempt, Nidoran decided to use Bite, and bit Arthur firmly on the cheek. A scream was heard throughout the whole forest.

"WOOO-AAAAAHH!" flocks of Pidgey and Taillow flew up from the trees.

The Nidoran fled in the tall grass. Arthur was left behind lying on the ground with a hurt cheek and a damaged ego. He stood up, and looked around in an attempt to spot the Nidoran again. No, it appeared to be really gone.

The day went by, but Arthur just couldn't manage to catch a Pokémon. He was chased down and pecked on by a Murkrow, he was webbed up a few times by Caterpie, and he had to dodge a Hyper Beam once while getting away from an angry Gyarados...

"...What was I thinking, pitching into a Gyarados with only a stick!?" Arthur panted behind a tree.

The he heard a cry coming from a small distance away. He couldn't recognize it from a Pokémon; it must have been from a person. A little girl even. Arthur jumped onto his bicycle, and headed into the direction the cry came from.

"No! Anyone, help me!" the voice sounded terrified. Arthur stopped at a bush. The voice clearly came from behind the bushes where he stopped next to.

"Please! Anyone!" the girl screamed.

"Sssandshrew!"

Arthur hesitated after hearing the cry from a Sandshrew. Was this girl attacked by it? Could she possibly be the niece of that guy that hysterically ran to the construction workers a while ago? Anyway, Arthur couldn't let that Sandshrew attack that girl. He had been beaten up quite a lot today, so why not this time as well? With that thought in his head, he got a stick and a rock, and he ran through the bushes, towards the Sandshrew. Arthur swung his stick around, knocking Sandshrew back and off its feet. Arthur took this moment to speak to the girl.

"What are you doing here? Can't you see it's dangerous?"

"I-I dunno! I lost my uncle, and... I don't know where to g-go!"

The Sandshrew got back on its feet, and curled itself up into a ball.

"Look out!" the girl yelled.

Arthur was hit in his back by the Sandshrew's Rollout attack. He was thrown on the ground. "Uuhhhng..." he moaned, stretching his back. The wild Sandshrew stopped rolling, and stood up normally.

"Sandshre-e-e-eww!"

It sounded as if the Sandshrew was making fun of Arthur. It was just mocking him. Arthur was getting angry.

"Stop laughing at me!" he yelled, rushing towards the Sandshrew with the stick.

Sandshrew curled itself up again, moments before Arthur could hit Sandshrew. With all of his strength, Arthur hit the clenched Sandshrew. The result however, was a broken stick, and Arthur's arm feeling sore. Sandshrew spun over the ground, leaving a large sand trail behind it. He was charging a massive Rollout attack.

"Oh no, not again!" Arthur shouted as he run off, Sandshrew following him closely.

"Run! Run as fast as you can!" the girl yelled.

Arthur ran circles in panic, hoping the Sandshrew would grow tired sooner than he would. After a while, he noticed the Sandshrew slowing down. "It's working! He's getting tired...!" he throught. The Sandshrew stopped rolling. It panted heavily, and couldn't stay on its feet. He fell over on the ground, and surrendered. Arthur managed to defeat it.

"I'm not throwing my chances away to catch you!" Arthur said, and he threw his only Poké ball.

The Poké ball captured the Sandshrew, but shook heavily subsequently. Arthur turned his back on the Poké ball, and crossed his fingers. If this didn't work, he was going to have to explain a great deal to his mother. After a heart-pounding minute, the Sandshrew stopped fighting, and the Poké ball beeped. Arthur had caught his first Pokémon.

"...I... caught it..." "I caught my first Pokémon...!" He cheered.

Arthur retrieved the Poké ball, and turned to the little girl. The little girl thanked him a lot for rescuing her. "Um... well done on catching Sandshrew..." She said.

"Thank you... What's your name?" Arthur asked.

"Natalie."

"Okay, Natalie... I think I've seen your uncle in the forest. He is looking for you."

With the bicycle at hand, Arthur walked with Natalie towards the crossroad. Graveler cries were heard softly.

"Pretty big chance he's still with the construction workers!" Arthur said to Natalie.

The two went further onto the cycling road, to where the Graveler cries came from. Natalie's uncle was looking with a few workers and Graveler from the construction team. Natalie's uncle noticed Arthur and Natalie quickly.

"Natalie! There you are! Oh thank God!" the man said.

"Uncle!" Natalie cried as she jumped in his arms.

"Oh don't you ever run off again by yourself...!"

Arthur smiled, and turned away. He was just about to get on his bicycle, as he was called by Natalie's uncle.

"Did you find her? I don't know how I can thank you enough..."

"It's nothing, everything worked out just fine."

Arthur cycled off. Back towards Azalea town. Natalie and her uncle walked off the other way, hand in hand. Natalie looked over her shoulder with sparkles in her eyes

"Arthur… I want to be just like him!"