Chapter 2: The Disobedient Child

Two weeks had passes since my dad and I had our little chat and he convinced himself that he convinced me from becoming a gym leader. Unbeknownst to my family, I had taken the liberty to fill out an entire application for a Training Card claiming that I was only a beginner. In my opinion, I wouldn't call myself a beginner per se, but that would get me a starter Pokemon, and what they don't know won't hurt them.

And with my brilliant planning, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. The circus had just started its off season which meant my parents weren't hovering about twenty-four seven. They had taken my sister to go see a 'My Little Ponyta' movie. They offered to take me along, but I was more than happy to refuse. An hour or two after my family had vacated the house the doorbell had rang signaling the arrival of my package.

I ran to the door with Fenrir right on my heels. Right before I opened the door, I calmed my composure so I would seem like a responsible young adult, because, after all, that is what I am. I opened the door and regarded the delivery woman. "Yes?" I questioned innocently.

"Delivery for, umm…Tyson Sommers," she said in a bored tone while noisily chewing on her gum in an irritating way.

"That would be me," I said trying not to let my excitement seep out.

"Well sign on the dotted line," she said as she continued to grind her teeth into her gum like a Miltank gnawing on cud causing me to cringe a bit. I quickly signed an illegible signature with the pen provided, then pretty much snatched the box from her hand.

"Jeez kid," she exclaimed. "Well thanks for choosing -"

Any other day I would have let her finish her line, but today I quickly closed the door in her face. I was honestly just saving both of us time. She didn't have to give her forced heartfelt thanks and I could rip into this package quicker.

Yet there I was staring at the package like it was a warhead. I had been so quick to get in my possession but now I had no idea what to do with it (well opening it being the obvious response). Fenrir sniffed at it cautiously as if someone had planted a bomb in it.

…Then I blew up.

Well not literally…figuratively. I couldn't handle the suspense anymore so I sort of pounced of just pounced on it and started to tear at it until I ripped to top to shreds. I felt like some sort of feral animal ripping into its first kill for weeks and it felt sooooo good.

A white block of Styrofoam had been placed in the box with indents fitting a trainer card, a Pokedex, a container holding five empty Pokeballs, and one full Pokeball.

I looked at it with awe. In that Pokeball was my second Pokémon (according to the League it would be my first, but we already said what they don't know won't hurt them). I knelt down and picked the round red and white ball up as if I was picking up something fragile. It lay delicately in my hands, cold to the touch. That was until Fenrir decided that it would be cute to bark loudly right next to my ear.

I pretty much threw the Pokeball away from me as fast as possible as my spastic dog filled me with shock. Time seemed to be moving in slow motion as the Pokeball descended. I resisted the urge to dramatically call out 'NOOOO' in a slightly deeper voice as I slowly tried to catch it. As it neared the ground, a part of me expected it to shatter into a million and one pieces when it hit the floor. Of course it didn't though. It instead released its contents onto living room carpet as if it was vomiting a bright light.

"Char." A knee-high, orange reptile standing on its hind legs was now eye level with me staring at me with a curious look. Oh and did I mention that at the tip of its tail was a small, yet extremely hot flame? That's right my 'starter' was Charmander. What else would you expect though; I was trying to become a fire-type trainer after all.

I put my hand out slowly to the Charmander trying to show I was a non-threatening friend. The next part would have been amusing to me if it was happening to anyone else, but since it was happening to yours truly, I wasn't too thrilled, as a matter of fact it filled me with dread. My Charmander got on all fours and started to run from me and Fenrir as if we were the police and it was an escaped convict.

An escaped convict with a live fire burning brightly at the end of its tail…that could light up the whole house in flames. I didn't actually think this far ahead, so I did what any normal responsible young adult would do. I panicked.

I scrambled to my feet and picked up the fallen Pokeball as I chased the speedy little lizard through the house. Surprisingly nothing had caught fire yet, but the Charmander was swishing it's all over the place, so it could be a matter of seconds before the whole house went up in flames. And if white hot flames didn't manage to kill me, my parents sure would when they came home.

All the while Fenrir was barking like this was some sort of game to him. What good was a dog that thought everything was just a game for fun? We rounded the hallway and slid into the kitchen, where my Charmander was slipping and sliding all over the tile floors like some sort of ice rink.

I immediately slipped and almost hit my head on the counter. Socks plus slippery socks multiplied by fast moving objects did not equal safety. As I hit the ground I bit my lip causing metallic tasting blood to seep into my mouth.

I stood up and wiped my mouth clean of the crimson liquid just as my slippery, little Charmander escaped up the stairs. Still no fires and hopefully it would stay that way until I returned the insane, cardio-obsessed gecko to its Pokeball.

"Fenrir," I yelled angrily causing my Growlithe to yelp in surprise. "Let's go re-catch us a Charmander."

We sneaked around the upper level of the house formulating a possible ambush plan, or at least I was. Fenrir was just wagging his tail still thinking this was some sort of game. Each bedroom door was open meaning he could be any one of these rooms. Thankfully I didn't smell smoke though, so we were safe…for the moment.

I tiptoed into my master bedroom. No sign of the Charmander here. I pointed the Pokeball around like it was a firearm. "Here, Charmander," I called in an innocent voice.

Almost immediately I heard fast footsteps and when I turned around standing behind me was my Charmander. "Did you just listen to me?"

The Charmander sat waiting for its next command, but Fenrir then let out a loud friendly bark towards my lizard causing it to almost fall back in fear. It then turned around and ran downstairs in fear with Fenrir quickly chasing behind.

"Arceus help me," I muttered to myself as I too found myself puttering after my two Pokémon.

I walked down into a scene that must have been taken from my own personal hell. Fenrir was pounced on top of my cowering Charmander licking its face, and at the doorway stood my family staring in shock at the scene.

Well my parents were in shock, my sister only smirked. "See Daddy! I told you Tyson was going to disobey you. I'm the good child," she squealed with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. Dang psychic six-year old sisters. They'll get you every time.

My parents were beyond furious. They had been yelling at me for the past three hours and it was actually kind of scary. As if to make it worse they called out their Pokemon to help them keep their cool. I don't know how bringing out your super strong Pokemon would help calm the situation down.

Nox, the Noctowl, rested on my mother's shoulder and watched me with wide, unsettling eyes. Normally their Pokemon didn't scare me, after all I had grown up with them so they were practically like brothers and sisters to me. But at the moment it seemed like there might be some sibling rivalry by the time the day ended…and I probably wouldn't get out alive.

"Why," my dad questioned. He was so worked up his face was bright red, and I was sure if he got any angrier it would pop like a balloon. "Why would you betray us like this?"

"I think the word betray is a bit harsh," I said meekly. "Besides I told you I can't do this circus thing anymore. I just can't."

It was my mother's turn to speak, and although the colors of her face didn't change, I could tell she was much more upset than my father. I wondered if she was planning my 'accidental' death right now. "And what did you exactly plan on doing once you left the house," she asked in a deadly tone. "With no money, food, or ways of communicating. I'll tell you what would've happened. You would have died." Nox's eyes started to creep me out even more after she stated that. "This isn't some sort of game, where if you lose a life you'll be able to press the restart button and begin again. And the world won't take so kindly to you. Did you think that the world would just hand everything to you?"

I looked down at the table, to afraid to respond.

"Huh," she asked belligerently. "I can't hear you! You're so grown! So tell me how-"

"I don't know," I said quietly.

She stood there for a few seconds while rapidly tapping her foot. "Go to bed and take that Charmander with you," she said callously. "We're taking that lizard to the adoption center tomorrow…I might even consider leaving you there too."

I bit the inside of my cheek as I fought back the bitter tears of defeat. I may have not known Charmander long, but its jittery personality was starting to grow on me. I walked over to my two Pokemon and I picked up the box that still contained all the goodies that the Pokemon League had sent me. As I passed my sister, she stuck her tongue out at me and I resisted the urge to blow fire straight at her (not enough to hurt her, but to give her a little scare you know).

I walked into my room and closed the door as soon as my Pokemon entered. The moonlight was the only source of illumination in my room, but it was just enough for Fenrir and my Charmander to see a mischievous grin spread across my face like a fissure splitting the ground. "My acting was pretty good if I do say so myself," I said as I gave a bow.

I sat cross legged on the ground facing my Pokemon as my eyes glinted in the moonlight. "So here's the plan…"

Charmander: Charrr!

Tyson: No, we're not going to die. Just trust me, I've gotta plan.

Growlithe: Grow...

Nothing can keep me down and when I say nothing I mean nothing! Besides if my parents honestly thought that locking me in my room with a Machamp guarding the door was was enough to keep me down, they had another thing coming. Catch me in my next chapter, Runaway!