Sorry it took me awhile to update ^_^ If you haven't guessed by now, most of my stories are kind of depressing or emotional. Sorry about that if you don't like that sort of thing :\ That's just how I write, I can't really help it. If you want, you can send me PMs of a character I should add to the story and I shall try to fit them in somewhere! There is cussing. lol. I try to relate to the real world and not something completely random, this is a girl's struggle with family and worldly issues -3- On to the story!~

Astrid walked through the glass halls of the facility, staring at the ground. A towel hung over her shoulders and damp hair dripped droplets of water behind her. Did her dad hate her? He was just being protective... Astrid shook her head vigorously, he was the one thing that was important to her. Her mom had ignored her from the day she was 13, choosing to flirt with her boyfriend who was also part of the rebellion. Paul is his name. Astrid balled her fists at the thought of him. Paul was a bitch. He had always acted superior to the other members of the facility, yet Dawn seemed to fawn over his every movement.
Her eye's stung as tears spilled over her eyelids, dropping down on the floor. She had always acted immature and wild to hang on to that one hope she could regain her childhood. But no, her childhood consisted of sobbing in her lonely, cold bedroom. The only warmth, her father's comfort. Sighing, Astrid silently wiped away the tears that glistened off her cheeks. Her footsteps echoed off the walls of the facility. Happening to glance to the side, she saw Dawn and Paul making out on a couch that was slightly hidden from view. All she could do was stand there.
Dawn's eyes looked to Astrid's. Dawn and Paul broke the kiss and looked to Astrid. "Say hello to Paul, honey" Dawn said, holding his hand.
Astrid stayed silent. Her tear-stained face and grimace did not throw Dawn off one bit.
Dawn frowned. "You are being very rude." she whispered quickly.
Paul smirked. "How about I start. Hello I'm Paul." he said.
Astrid rolled her eyes. "Idiot," she thought.
Dawn's face was enraged at her daughter's attitude. "Just say something to him!" she yelled.
Astrid balled her face and glared at Paul. "Bitch." she seethed.
Dawn looked at her daughter with horror. "What has gotten into you!" she gasped.
Astrid stormed out of the room, not caring what her mother felt. Dawn was an idiot, Paul was an idiot... Astrid bent her head, letting her bangs cover her crying face as she walked to her father's lab. She had normally gone there whenever she felt lonely, sad, or lost. Gary had always been there to comfort his darling daughter.
Astrid stepped in a looked between a part in her hair to see Gary sitting in the middle of the makeshift meadow. Hesitantly, she stepped forward. "D...Daddy?" she stammered quietly.
Gary looked back at his trembling daughter and motioned for her to sit down next to him.
Astrid did as she was told and let Gary put an arm comfortingly around her shoulder. "She did it again." she cried.
Gary nodded silently. "I know why you don't want to accept Paul, but why your mother?" he asked.
"She's being an idiot, she's blind to his arrogant, conceited, horrible, lying..." Astrid went off sobbing into her hands.
"I understand." he said.
Those two words meant the world to Astrid. The feeling that he understood, that someone understood, made her feel not so lonely. "I love you." Astrid said.
"You know what? I think you're old enough." He said, smiling.
Astrid looked up, "Old enough for what?" she asked.
Gary wiped away a hair stuck to her face and stood up. "For your own pokemon." he said.
Astrid gaped at him. "R...Really?" she said disbelievingly.
Gary nodded. "But, you'll get a wider range to choose from." he said.
Astrid hopped up and wiped some grass off her pants. "What are my choices?" she asked.
Gary put a hand on his chin in thought. "I think the starter pokemon from every region will do. But, I would prefer you use a fully evolved one." he said.
"But I can train it to be fully evolved." Astrid said hopefully.
Gary smirked. "Do you want to go on that raid or don't you?" he said.
Astrid nodded, unable to process that her dad agreed to let her go.
Gary held out some pictures to her, containing the pokemon that she could choose. Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Meganium, Typhlosion, Feraligtr, Sceptile, Blaziken, Swampert, Torterra, Infernape, Empoleon, Serperior, Emboar, and Samurott were the given choices.
Grass pokemon never appealed to Astrid so Torterra, Serperior, Meganium, Venusaur, and Sceptile were out.
Fire and water appealed to Astrid equally, and this decision was hard for her. But, it had seemed that water pokemon were her best choice since they were better and easier to train. Blastoise, Feraligtr, Swampert, Empoleon, and Samurott were the final choices. Astrid furrowed her brow in thought as she gazed at the pictures of the five pokemon.
"Empoleon. I want Empoleon." she said decisively.
Gary seemed surprised by that choice. "Are you sure?" he asked.
Astrid gave of nod of approval. "Yes, I'm sure." she said.
Gary smiled warmly at his daughter. "Good choice, now I want you to pick two other pokemon from the lab." he said.
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Can't I just catch pokemon on the surface?" she said.
"Pokemon are getting scarce, most have been captured and put into facilities. But, they have to be anything but water type." he said.
Astrid crossed her arms. "But why? I'm better with water type!" she argued.
"So you'll have variety. Grass type pokemon could completely take out your water pokemon. I want you to get one fire and one grass type." he said.
"Fine" Astrid groaned, thinking just having pokemon handed to her would take away from the experience of actually catching one.
Many pokemon littered the plastic grass fields. Some hung in trees, others flew overhead, few burrowed underground, and the majority rested on the ground. Her eyes drifted over to a herd of deerling and Sawsbuck. The young deerling frolicked among the elder Sawsbuck as they grazed. As Astrid watched with an odd interest, a lone Sawsbuck with beautiful antlers that resembled cherry blossoms caught her gaze. The sawsbuck was very beautiful, but it seemed to be shunned from the herd.
Astrid walked up to the Sawsbuck and smiled. "I want you." she said.
The sawsbuck gave her a questioned look but it was replaced by surprise when Astrid hugged it's neck.
"Now, to find a fire type." she said, furrowing her brow as she scanned the meadow for fire pokemon.
Some Flareons were sunning themselves on some rocks, vulpix tackled eachother playfully under some trees, and the eerily beautiful Arcanine rested in the grass. Yes, Arcanine appealed to Astrid. She walked up to one and crouched down to it's level.
"You want to be my pokemon?" she asked.
The arcanine opened one eye warily but closed it almost as soon, obviously not caring what she was saying.
"Well your coming anyway!" Astrid said, laughing. She brought out a pokeball and captured the Arcanine with ease. She then turned around and captured the sawsbuck as well, stuffing both the pokeballs in her pocket.
As she wandered back to her father, she discovered a majestic looking Empoleon standing next to Gary. "Meet your trainer, Empoleon." Gary said.
Astrid smiled happily. "It's beautiful." she said.
"Now go on, May has already left." he said, motioning to the door.
"I love you dad!" Astrid said, capturing the Empoleon and dodging pokemon as she raced out of the room. She messily grabbed three other pokeballs and some rations for the trip and opened the hatch outside.
She summoned Empoleon from it's pokeball as she put the mouthpiece on. The empoleon jumped through the hatch and Astrid did so to, grabbing on to its back as it swam with amazing speed to the surface.

I feel like there should be more in this chapter but oh well, you'll have to wait for the next one! Really, if I don't update a story for awhile just PM me and I'll work on it. Until next time!~