Chapter 2

1 year later

Dust swirled around Kenchi's feet as made his way down the road. He looked up at the sky as he thought, "So it's been one year now, one year since I left home. I wonder how Annie is doing." He had given everything up, just so that he could grow stronger and search for the one that had taken his family and broken it. He had made a promise to his mother when they had laid her to rest that he would grow stronger so that he could return when the time was right and help Anna on her quest when she became of age. He stopped when he heard a growl come from the trees.

Then he heard a "Kirrliaa!" which was followed quickly by a "kirrrrr!" and a explosion. He went in the direction of the explosion. There was a crashing from in front of him as a badly burned Kirlia flew into a space in front of him. It crashed into the ground and slid until it hit a tree. Kenchi then watched as a pack of Houndooms appeared. They then began to charge up attacks which Kenchi Recognized as the beginnings of flamethrower attack.

Without thinking he leapt out at the three Houndooms and threw a upwards palm strike that struck the middle one in the jaws which redirected its flamethrower into the air. Kenchi followed the strike with low round house kick that knocked it into a tree. "Houndooom" Kenchi flipped over one as it tried to head butt him, while still in mid flip Kenchi struck at a pressure point that knocked it out. The third one tried to bite him as he landed, but Kenchi socked in the eye causing it to yelp and jumped back. He ran over to the Kirlia and quickly scooped her up into his arms, then sprinted back towards the road. He ducked a flamethrower and used a tree for cover as sat the Kirlia down and used his jacket to make a makeshift cushion for her. He turned around to find himself with a face full of teeth. Kenchi quickly grabbed its jaws and flung it a few feet away.

He quickly pulled out a small dagger just as the houndoom leapt for him. Kenchi rolled under him and slashed at it's underside causing it yelp and crash into the ground. The last one seeing its fallen comrades decided to turn and run. Kenchi sighed as turned back to the barely conscious Kirlia and kneeled next to it as he pulled out a hypo spray and dulled the creature's pain with it. He then carefully picked her up and ran towards a nearby village marked in his pokedex.

~A small mountainside town in Hoenn

In a small town built into a mountainside, it was the beginning of another day. Children were out playing, and the adults were out doing whatever they had to in order to get by. In this town, training, coordinating, breeding, anything frivolous like that was unheard of. Everyone born there lived there, worked there, settled down there, and stayed there for most of their lives. It was so out of the way, no Trainers or other travelers even bothered to find their way there. Everyone there was happy; no one dreamed of anything more.

No one, that was, except for one small boy. While all the other children played with each other, or walked along the sides of their shopping mothers and fathers, one was left alone. He didn't talk to or play with the other children. This little nine-year-old had been wanting to leave the town since he was little. He wanted to be able to travel together with pokemon and be friends with them. To raise them and work together with them. Why was this one little boy so drastically different from others? He had an ability no one else had, the ability to speak with pokemon. With this ability, he befriended pokemon easily, and grew even more inseparable bonds than most did. He wanted to use this ability to befriend and raise many pokemon, and travel outside that small town. It was a large dream for a nine-year-old, and one that most people in the town thought, or hoped, he would outgrow. He wasn't paid much attention.

Perhaps that was how this small nine-year-old managed to sneak out of town so often, and climb his way up the treacherous mountainside. Why did he go there? Well, he went there because his real friends lived on the mountainside, pokemon. He spent more time with the mountain pokemon than he did with the humans that lived in his own town. A lot of people found it strange that this small boy would have conversations with any mountain pokemon that wandered into the town, but that was the way he was. He found more camaraderie among pokemon than humans, they actually listened to him, and played with him, which was more than he could say for most humans in his town. Even a small family of three Absols that lived high in the mountain, some ways from the town, took it upon themselves to shelter the small human that often climbed the treacherous slopes to pay them and other mountain pokemon regular visits, for the past three years or so. They had gotten attached, just like the other pokemon, to this bright young boy.

The child in question was currently walking through town streets with his parents when a robed figure came rushing up with small bundle in his arms. "Where is the poke center!" he demanded. The surprised mother said "I-I'm sorry we don't have one." The man said "You're kidding me right. My pokedex says this town has one." At that moment the bundle gave a slight and Pain filled "Kirr." Alarmed the boy wrenched his hand free from his mother's momentarily loosened grip and ran up to the robed man and said quickly "We have a poke doctor! Come on, I'll take you to him!' The boy ran off as the mother shouted "Haku, get back here!"

Kenchi took off after and followed the boy as he ran through the town easily side stepping many a pedestrian, Kenchi also noticed the looks he was getting from the people. "Guess they don't get much company up here" he thought, as he noticed that the boy, Haku was getting strange looks as well. Haku led him towards a small house with a row of flowers in front of it. On the porch in a porch swing was slight elderly man with graying hair dressed in a blue jeans white polo shirt. "Hey Mr. Welsh, this guy needs your help!" The wizened man slowly stood and walked over to them. "Hello Haku, what seems to be the problem?" Haku said "This man's pokémon needs help!" The elderly man smiled at Haku as he gently took the injured Kirlia and said "Come on in and I'll have a look." Kenchi bowed his head and followed after. Haku watched as the old doctor and the stranger went inside the house then took off for the small trail up the mountain so he could play with his friends. "Maybe, even play with Absol!" He thought.

Kenchi waited the elderly mans front room while he looked over the Kirlia. "Young man, could you go into my room and bring out my med kit, it's the room down the hall to the left." Kenchi nodded and went to retrieve the med kit. When he came back the man, Mr. Welsh if Kenchi had heard correctly set to work spraying some antibacterial liquid onto the many cuts the covered the injured creature, the wrapped several layers of gauze around it's stomach where a particularly deep gash lie. When he was done the man put some serum into a syringe and injected it into the Kirlia.

By this time the Kirlia had fallen asleep and was breathing regularly again. "Thank you sir, how much do I owe you for your services?" The old just waved his hands and said "bah, just let her sleep for a few weeks and help me out around the house while you are waiting in her to heal and I'll call us even." Kenchi said "Of course." The man motioned for Kenchi to follow him outside to the porch and motioned for him to sit. Kenchi sat as the man said, "You know It's customary to show your face when you're about to talk to someone." Kenchi hesitated before lowering his hood, surprising the man at how young he looked. At the look on his face Kenchi said "I'm 11 sir." The man said "Aren't you a bit young to be a trainer?" Kenchi said "Actually I'm not a trainer; I rescued the Kirlia from a group of Houndooms. Since I have only some basic knowledge of Pokémon medicine, I hurried over to the nearest town, which happened to be here." Kenchi gestured to the town.

Kenchi then remembered that he had forgotten about Haku. Looking around, he tried to find the kind boy. "If you're looking for young Haku, then you might want to try up the mountain." The man said as he took a sip of water. "Why would go up the mountain, isn't it dangerous?" The sighed as he said "Because that is where all his friends are." Kenchi gave him a questioning look. "I'm sure you noticed the looks you and him got on your way here." Kenchi nodded and said "Yea, I was wondering about that. The looks I got were probably because the town doesn't get many visitors, but the looks the kid was getting, was something else entirely. Why was he getting those looks?"

Welsh just sighed and said "He has a rare gift, and for it he is shunned. Here in our quaint little town people don't look for excitement or adventure. You are born here, you live and marry here, and you die here. No one here dreams contests or training. The few outsiders who do show are viewed with fear and suspicion. All that is, but young Haku. He dreams of leaving this town, to get away from the looks and adventure. You see, the gift he has is the ability to understand Pokémon. Each growl and whimper he can understand, each screech and roar is like music to his ears. It is thanks to this ability that he has befriended the wild Pokémon on the mountain, including a pack of Absol. He journeys up the slopes to play with the Pokémon and be his self, for even his parents are ashamed of him."

Kenchi suddenly stood and walked off the porch. "Where are you going?" Without turning Kenchi replied "To take him with me when I go. He has no human friends, so I shall be his friend." He turned towards the mountain and started up.

Haku clambered over a boulder and tumbled over into the path of a young Onyx. "Graahhoor" (Haku!). "Onyx!" Haku Squeaked as he wrapped his arms around his friend, or at least tried to. Onyx grumbled and nudged his friend's arm. Haku giggled and rubbed it's snout and began to tell him all about the stranger and his injured Kirlia. He had just finished when the Onyx grumbled and encircled it's friend as a strange robed figure dropped down in front of it. The figure stood and stared. Then to the Onyx's and Haku's surprise the figure knelt and said "I mean no harm great Onyx. I just wish to speak with the boy who comes up here." The Onyx rumbled as Haku peeked out and said, "What is it Mr?"

Kenchi dropped his hood to reveal to the nine year olds shock a boy that seemed to be only a year older than he was. "First off I'm 11, so don't call me Mr. Second I just wanted to thank you for helping me out. Third You can call me Kenchi." Haku watched as Kenchi stood then said I have an offer for you for when you come down. I'll be staying at the doc's until Kirlia has healed, so come see when you are ready." With that Kenchi turned and started down the path. After he had vanished decided to ponder what the new guy said later. For now he just wanted to play with his pokémon friends.

~ Several hours later, in the mountainside

The small boy was trekking up the mountainside, playing with some wild pokémon that knew him along the way. Since he was small, he managed to worm his way past several of the natural dangers of the mountains. Others, he got by simply by knowing his way around the mountainside as if it was his own back yard, which it practically was. He spent more time there than anywhere else, after all. As he worked his way up, he stopped to have conversations with some of the mountain pokémon. Several of them, though, would say things like "Alittlehumanlikeyoushouldn'tbecominguphere", "Isn'tthisplacedangerousforyou?", and "Youshouldbecarefulclimbingsohighup."

After a while of climbing, the little brunette decided to take a rest, sitting on one of the large rocks nearby. This was fun for him, spending time in the mountains. He smiled a little as some of the pokémon walked up to him to chat or play. To him, playing with them was more fun than playing with any human kid his age could ever be. However, even though he was having fun, the child kept glancing around the group of pokémon that were playing with him. He was looking for a specific one, well, three that lived there. He was pretty sure he was close enough to the top to be near their home, too. Well, they didn't always come.

Right as he got back to playing with the pokémon, a small pack of three Absols came walking up to him. He continued to play, but grinned at the Absols as they woke up. "Hello! I'm here to play with you again, today!" He could tell by the looks on their faces that the older, bigger Absols were worried about him coming up there, like the other pokémon. The smaller one, however, simply came up to him and barked greetings. "Hey there, Absol!" he said with a smile.

"Haku!It'sgoodtoseeyouagain,let'splay!" the Absol barked.

"Littleone,getbackhere," one of the elder Absols, a male by his bark, said, reigning in the young one. "Littlehuman,Haku,wecameheretodaytowarnyou,nottoplay.We'vesensedalarge-scaledisasterthatwillbecomingsoon.Fleethattown,gowhereit'ssafe."

"Trytotakeasmanyotherhumansasyoucanwithyou," the other elder, a female, said.

Haku looked up at them, a little worried. He knew of the Absols' abilities to sense oncoming disasters. Because of this, and the way they always tried to warn people, people always mistook them as pokémon of misfortune. He gave a small nod. "I'll be able to come back and play again, right?"

"Oncetheproblemhassettleditself,wewouldbehappytoseeyouagain,littleHaku," the female replied.

"I'll do my best to warn everyone, then!" Haku said, heading off and clamoring down the mountain. He had to let everyone know, even if they didn't believe him. It was the right thing to do.