"Let's go Kage!" a very excited ten year old Brendan Maple called out.
Brendan ran down the stairs with a bag on his back and his best friend Kage, a Poochyena, on his heels. Now ten years old, Brendan had certainly grown. His dark brown hair was cut short with a white bandana covering up most of it; he stood a little less than 5'6'' and was still growing. He was dressed in his normal outfit of black pants with a red and black shirt.
Smiling, Brendan turned around and picked up Kage off of the floor. Kage licked his trainer's nose and wagged his tail. Kage had grown as well, and was now Brendan's closest friend.
With Kage in his arms, Brendan ran in the kitchen to find his mom making breakfast. Caroline looked up and smiled when Brendan entered and put a plate full of food in front of her son.
"Thanks Mom," Brendan said cheerfully. Kage began drooling at the smell of the food and tried to sample Brendan's breakfast until Caroline put a bowl full of Pokémon food on the floor for him. "Eat your own breakfast Kage," Brendan scolded.
Kage scowled a little, but jumped off of Brendan's lap to devour his own breakfast.
"So are you ready Brendan?" Caroline asked a little sadly.
Brendan swallowed the food that was in his mouth and gave his mother a thumbs up. "Yup. I packed yesterday and I've triple-checked everything to make sure that I haven't forgotten anything."
Caroline wiped her eyes too quickly for Brendan to notice. "After you pick your Hoenn starter from Professor Birch I would like it if you would come back home. I want to meet your new Pokémon and I've got a present for you."
"Sure thing Mom," Brendan said cheerfully. A low growl came from the floor causing Brendan to look down with an amused expression on his face. "Don't worry Kage. I'm just getting a Hoenn starter, but you're still my first Pokémon. You'll be top-dog on my team."
Kage brightened up at that and began wagging his tail. The pair finished their breakfast before quickly jumping up and running out the door. "I'll come back after Mom!" Brendan called over his shoulder.
Caroline watched Brendan and Kage run towards the large research lab at the edge of town with a sad smile on her face. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out a small box. The box shook a little when it was moved and Caroline sniffed loudly.
"My baby starts his journey today," she said to herself. "With Norman working as gym leader at the Petalburg Gym, and Brendan running off to take the gym challenge, I'll be home alone." She looked at the small box in her hand and felt her tears begin to well up. "He's quite a young man Abigail. You would be proud of him."
Brendan ran as fast as his feet would carry him with Kage keeping pace with ease. Even though Brendan had been training Kage ever since he was five, the thought of getting a new Pokémon excited Brendan.
"I wonder which one I'll take," Brendan said to Kage. "I totally think Treecko are awesome, but Torchic evolve into an even cooler Pokémon. Mudkip are okay, but I don't think they're as cool."
Whatever you take is fine, Kage barked. I'll still be the strongest on the team, he added smugly.
Brendan laughed with Kage. They had been able to understand each other perfectly their whole lives, and they were as close as anyone could get.
They reached the research lab panting ten minutes later. The lab was a large two story building with a few acres of land behind it filled with Pokémon. Shaking with excitement, Brendan led the way into the building with Kage on his heels.
"Hello!" Brendan called into the seemingly empty lab. There were papers scattered everywhere, and the books were piled up around the desks.
"I wonder where everybody is," Brendan commented to Kage who shrugged.
"Can I help you?" a quiet voice called from above them.
Brendan and Kage looked up to see a nervous looking man wearing a lab coat glancing down at them.
"Um, I'm looking for Professor Birch," Brendan said.
The research assistant laughed and walked down the stairs. "It's almost impossible to find the Professor in the lab. He loves doing fieldwork. The last I heard, he was examining around Route 101. It's not far from here, and if you already have a Pokémon you should be okay." He looked at Kage and raised an eyebrow. "If you already have a Poochyena why are you getting one of our starters?"
Brendan scowled and picked up Kage. "I've been best buds with Kage my whole life. Plus my dad, the Petalburg gym leader, is friends with Professor Birch. I got a call a few weeks from Professor Birch asking if I wanted a Hoenn starter and I said yes."
"Well he's not here," the assistant said, irritated by Brendan's superior attitude. He pointed out the window towards a path that led out of town. "That's Route 101, try looking there." Without another word, the research assistant turned around and headed back to where he was working.
He was a little rude, Kage remarked from Brendan's arms.
Brendan shrugged. "People tend to act that way when I tell them how famous Dad is. I wonder why that is?"
The two friends quickly ran out of the lab and headed towards Route 101. They were both very excited to explore on their own. Even though Brendan boasted about being a great trainer, his mother never allowed him to explore alone with Kage. Route 101 was filled with trees and other plant life. Kage inhaled deeply and felt his nose swim with the scents of new Pokémon.
"Can you smell Professor Birch?" Brendan asked.
Kage rolled his eyes and twitched his ears. I've never met the guy, how am I supposed to know his scent? he demanded.
Brendan opened his mouth to retaliate when a loud cry carried over the trees, scaring flocks of Taillow. "What the heck was that?"
Kage shrugged and the pair ran along the path to try to discover the source of the sound. They searched through trees and bushes calling out to whoever screamed when a shadow ran through the bushes and right into Brendan.
"Ow, watch it," Brendan complained.
Brendan looked at the person who had run into him. It was an adult who looked to be in his 30's. He had a thick build, brown hair and beard and a bemused expression on his face. Brendan immediately noticed that the guy who ran into him was wearing ragged looking tan shorts, blue shirt, and a dirty lab coat over it.
"Oh are you Professor Birch?" Brendan asked excitedly.
"What? Oh yes," Professor Birch said distractedly. He shook his head quickly and leapt to his feet. "Have you seen a girl? About your age, blue eyes, brown hair in pig tails, wearing a red bandana?"
Brendan shook his head and got to his feet. "Why are you looking for a girl?"
Professor Birch groaned and dug through his shoulder bag. "She's my daughter, she got scared when I showed her the starter Pokémon and she ran out here without any Pokémon with her."
"Why would she get scared?" Brendan asked, bewildered.
"She's afraid of Pokémon," Professor Birch sighed. "I had hoped that she would start her own journey, but I can't even get her to hold a Pokémon." He turned to Brendan and jumped back in surprise. "You're Norman's boy," he exclaimed. "Brendan right? You're getting your starter today!"
Kage growled causing Professor Birch to scratch his head in confusion. "Kage doesn't like it when people assume that the Pokémon I'm getting from you is my first," Brendan explained. "Kage has been with me my whole life, but he doesn't like the idea of sharing me."
Professor Birch laughed half-heartedly. "Well he'll learn that your bond can't be broken by a new addition." He looked over his shoulder towards the thicker sets of trees before turning back to Brendan. "I know that I'm imposing, but would you mind helping me find my daughter? I heard her cry out earlier, but I haven't heard her since."
Brendan shared a glance with Kage. "We heard her too; do you think she's in trouble?"
"She gets scared at the sight of Pokémon," Professor Birch sighed. "But I don't like the idea of her out here alone."
"We'll help you," Brendan said while Kage nodded. "Do you happen to have anything of hers that Kage can scent?"
Professor Birch frowned and continued to dig through his bag. Finally he pulled out a torn, red bandana. "This is my May's old bandana; I carry it around when I go in the field since I don't know when I'll be back. I brought her with me today to try to show her how amazing Pokémon are, but she freaked out when I released the starters."
Brendan took the bandana and kneeled down, holding it out for Kage to sniff. "Got anything pal?"
Kage inhaled deeply before trotting away from Brendan with his nose to the ground. He paced back and forth for a minute before he looked up to Brendan. I think she is close, she definitely ran through here, and not too long ago.
"Great job Kage," Brendan praised. "Lead the way."
Kage nodded and sprinted into the deeper part of the forest with Brendan and Professor Birch close behind. They ran through the trees and Professor Birch felt his worry for his daughter increase when he heard the increasingly loud cries of the wild Pokémon in the area.
"Are we getting closer?" Professor Birch asked anxiously.
"I don't know," Brendan puffed.
Suddenly, Kage stopped and turned around to face Brendan. The girl's scent is really strong here, but there's a lot of Pokémon around here. If she's scared of Pokémon, I wonder how terrified she must be feeling.
Brendan shifted uncomfortably. "Kage says she's close, but there's a lot of Pokémon close by."
Professor Birch inhaled sharply and ran ahead of Brendan and Kage. "May!" he shouted anxiously. "May where are you?"
"Dad!" a scream echoed from further in the forest. "Help me!"
Without waiting for Brendan, Professor Birch sprinted into the forest. Brendan followed after him with Kage bringing up the rear. They ran until they reached the bottom of a thirty foot cliff. They searched around anxiously for the frightened girl.
"May!" Professor Birch called again.
"Dad!" May yelled from above them.
Brendan and Professor Birch looked up and saw a young girl, who Brendan assumed was May, standing at the top of the cliff. For a second, Brendan felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw her brilliant blue eyes looking down. But he quickly snapped out of it when he saw the pure terror in the eyes.
"Dad, please help me," she begged. "There's a pack of Poochyena chasing me, I can hear them coming."
"Calm down May," Professor Birch shouted. He took his bag off of his shoulder and began swinging it back and forth. "I'm tossing you my bag; release one of the Pokémon so you can defend yourself."
Even thirty feet below, Brendan could hear May whimper in fear. "It's okay," Brendan shouted up at her. "Just release them, you don't need to touch them, I'm coming up to help you!"
May hesitated a moment before nodding and holding out her hand to catch the bag. Her dad threw the bag up and May barely caught it. Quickly opening it, she grabbed a Poke ball with shaking hands. She reached to grab another Poke ball but it rolled away, falling off the cliff.
"Oh no!" she gasped. "Dad the Poke ball!"
Brendan looked up and felt his stomach drop when he saw the Poke ball quickly falling. Sprinting forward, Brendan leapt and landed roughly on his stomach with the Poke ball in his hands.
Are you okay Brendan! Kage asked in alarm when he ran up to Brendan.
"I'm okay," Brendan said a little winded. He looked at the Poke ball anxiously and sighed in relief when he dubbed it safe. Looking up he shouted, "It's okay May! I caught it!"
May's scream wiped the smile off of Brendan's face. Turning around Brendan saw Professor Birch wearing a terrified expression and trying to climb up the steep cliff in an attempt to reach his daughter. Brendan minimized the Poke ball and put it on his belt before looking around for a way to quickly get to the top of the cliff.
Brendan look, Kage barked.
Brendan looked to the direction where Kage was pointing and saw a large pile of rocks that looked like they used to be part of the cliff. Sprinting forward, Brendan quickly climbed up the rocks with Kage lightly leaping ahead of him. Kage reached the top first with Brendan bringing up the rear, panting.
"Don't gloat," Brendan gasped when he saw Kage's smug face.
Brendan pulled himself on top of the cliff and ran forward towards the edge where May was. He skidded to a halt when he saw May cowering at the edge, clutching the Poke ball to her chest, and a ring of Poochyena surrounding her.
"I hope you're not against battling your own kind," Brendan remarked to Kage. Kage snorted and ran forward. "Kage use Tackle!"
Kage rammed his head into the closest Poochyena, knocking the opposing Poochyena off his paws. Half of the pack began attacking Kage while the other half continued to advance on May. Kage bared his teeth at his attackers.
"Use Bite," Brendan ordered.
Kage sprung forward and dug his teeth into the closest Poochyena's let. The Poochyena howled in pain and tried to shake Kage off. Brendan frowned in frustration when Kage was thrown off and tackled by another Poochyena.
May cried out again and Brendan tore his eyes away from his trusted partner and gasped in alarm. The pack was leaping forward and nipping at May's ankles. Occasionally May cried out in pain when one of the Poochyena made contact with her skin. She was trembling so hard that she could barely hold onto the Poke ball.
"May release the Pokémon!" Brendan shouted over the growls and snarls.
May looked at Brendan in shock and shakily nodded. Shaking violently, she threw the Poke ball into the air. The Poke ball opened and a flash of light emerged and solidified in front of May. Standing in front of her was a small orange chick with stubby wings. It opened its beak and let out a pitiful cheep before turning to May and tilting its head to the side.
"Order an attack," Brendan shouted desperately.
"I-I can't," May stuttered. "I don't know any attacks."
Brendan shook his head irritably and gasped when Kage got tackled into a tree. "Kage!" he shouted. He sprinted over to his best friend and held the hurt Pokémon in his arms. "You okay pal?"
Kage winced and let out a soft growl. I can still fight, he said feebly.
"There's too many for just you to take on," Brendan said gently.
Then lend me some back up, Kage snapped.
Kage jumped out of Brendan's arms and tackled the closest Poochyena while Brendan searched his brain for how he could help. A couple of seconds later Brendan groaned at his own stupidity. He took the Poke ball he saved off of his belt and threw it in the air. The familiar flash of light came out and formed right in front of Brendan's feet. It was a small blue Pokémon with a fin on top of its head, orange gills on its cheeks and a thin blue tail.
"Mudkip," it said with a smile.
Brendan smirked. "Cool a Mudkip," he exclaimed excitedly. He quickly thought about what his father had taught him about Mudkip. "Use Tackle Mudkip!"
Mudkip looked at him in confusion before he started running towards the closest Poochyena.
"No Mudkip not that Poochyena," Brendan called. "That's Kage, he's on our side!"
Mudkip skidded to a halt and ran to tackle a different Poochyena.
May watched Brendan battle in awe. She couldn't believe that he was commanding a Pokémon he had never met before with such confidence. Looking down, she saw that the small chick, which she remembered was called Torchic, was looking at her expectantly.
"Um..Torchic…um," May stuttered.
"May!" Professor Birch called from the side of the cliff.
"Dad?" May looked over the cliff and saw her dad trying to climb up the cliff. "Dad quick, what attacks does Torchic know?"
Professor Birch was sweating and struggling to climb to the top. So far he was only halfway. "Torchic knows Scratch and Growl. Scratch is an offensive move and Growl is a defensive."
"Okay," May said nervously. Turning back to the top of the cliff, May felt her heart skip a beat when the Poochyena started advancing again. Torchic's feathers were fluffing up in alarm, but she didn't move from her spot. "Torchic use Scratch," May ordered hesitantly.
Torchic looked up at May before leaping forward and drawing her claws across the closest Poochyena's face. The Poochyena yelped in pain before turning tail and sprinting towards the forest. Torchic smirked confidently, but cried out in pain when another Poochyena tackled it from the side. Torchic landed in front of May with a loud 'thud' and shakily got back on its feet.
May watched Torchic with a mixture of terror, worry and admiration. No matter how many times Torchic got hit, it got right back up and attacked the closest enemy. May felt tears begin to fill her eyes when she watched Torchic get bitten and thrown ten feet, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. May watched Torchic, expecting it to get right back up, but it didn't move.
"Torchic?" May asked, voice quivering. She ran over to the chick's side and picked it up with trembling hands. "Are you okay?"
Torchic looked at May in surprise and cheeped weakly. It was covered in dirt and there were bruises covering its body. Despite its injuries, it wriggled out of May's grasp and walked toward the pack on wobbly legs.
"No Torchic," May cried, tears running down her cheeks. "You're hurt."
Torchic glared at May before turning her defiant glare towards the Poochyena. The lead Poochyena snarled at Torchic before running forward, teeth bared.
"No!" May cried. Without even thinking, May ran forward and threw her body over Torchic. She braced herself for impact, but when it didn't come she hesitantly opened one sapphire eye.
The lead Poochyena was knocked on its side and the rest of the pack was sprinting towards the cover of the forest, their tails between their legs. Standing close to the lead Poochyena was Kage and Mudkip, both panting, but otherwise seemed alright. Brendan was standing behind the two Pokémon with a triumphant smirk. He looked over towards May who had begun to cry again.
"Are you okay?" he asked sheepishly.
May gave a small nod before picking Torchic up in her arms. The little chick looked at May with wide eyes before nuzzling against May's chest in content.
"May," Professor Birch panted from behind them.
Brendan and May turned around and saw Professor Birch pulling himself over the edge of the cliff. Professor Birch took a deep breath before crawling forward and pulling his daughter into a hug.
"You alright honey?" he asked gently.
"I'm okay daddy," May whispered. Her legs had a few bite marks, but they were shallow and were no cause for alarm. "Torchic is hurt though."
Professor Birch felt his eyes widen in surprise when he saw his daughter, who had a paralyzing fear of Pokémon, cradling the little Torchic. With a warm smile, he helped his daughter to her feet.
"Let's go back to the lab, I can treat Torchic there." He turned to Brendan and smiled when he saw the young man holding both his Poochyena and the Mudkip. "You should come with us too Brendan, it looks like your Pokémon need healing too."
"Thank you Professor," Brendan said.
May looked at Brendan and felt a warm smile fill her face. "Thank you Brendan for saving me," she said sheepishly.
Brendan blushed lightly and mumbled a barely audible 'you're welcome'.
Professor Birch laughed in amusement and led his daughter and his friend's son back towards his lab. This was going to be the start of a very strong relationship.
A/N- Review! And any suggestions for Torchic and Mudkip's nicknames? Oh BTW Kage is pronounced: kah-gay, it's Japanese for either shadow or shade (I forget which). REVIEW!!!