Okay, guys, here's the thing. Best Wishes was good, yeah, but my writing style and my ideas for the story have changed. Therefore, readers, Wolfie has spoken: There shall be a Best Wishes reboot. It is currently in the works and I will begin posting when I have completed Unending Wish. I will be keeping all of the main characters the same, obviously. So, here's a little excerpt of the new and improved Chapter One! Enjoy and let me know how you like it! Unfortunately, there are no lemons until Chapter Two this time, but I promise you, this is the beginning of a new age in my writing. There will be more character development, backstory, plot and fluff as well as improved lemons. I'll be keeping the classic, most-loved chapters but improving on them. If there are situations you want to see Riley in with her boys, N, Skye, maybe a Unova Gym Leader or two, review or PM me please. If you have Facebook, find me at /Moonwolf3000, my page for juicy excerpts, exclusive artwork and maybe even a competition or two! Anyways, I'll get on with it and here's your insight to the new Best Wishes!

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW
BEST WISHES (2.0)
EXCERPT – CHAPTER ONE

I am really not a morning person. My bleary eyes opened slowly, taking their time to finish spotting at the adjustment of light. Sunshine streamed through my open window, the cooling breeze blowing them away from my window frame. The morning sun scorched through the net curtains, making me realise how sweaty I was under the covers.

With a grunt of discomfort, I threw them off, realising I was naked. I rarely went to bed in my birthday suit unless I'd slept with someone the night before. Catching a look at the time, I saw that it was nine-thirty and the date…Oh, Arceus. Today was the day I was supposed to pick up my first Pokémon! Thanks for the insistence of my friends, I had gone out to celebrate leaving small-town Nuvema for the rest of the Unova region. This morning, I had a slight headache and could smell pancakes – Mum was obviously up already and making my favourite breakfast.

I heard the shower come on, realising that whoever I'd slept with was in my en suite bathroom. What was his name? Adam? Adrian? Something with an Ad beginning. I vaguely remembered coming home, having my mother's Stoutland giving me the chewing-out of a lifetime and falling into bed with a blond guy. Judging by how sore I was this morning, he'd given me one hell of a night.

I grabbed my dressing gown off the back of my desk chair and wrapped it around myself, heading into my en suite bathroom, noticing three condom packets beside my bin and a used one drooping over the edge. Charming enough but at least I'd had enough common sense to use protection, even while drunk.

I went into the bathroom, finding the hot blond guy behind my clear shower curtain. "Hey, you," I smiled, trying desperately to remember his name.

He turned towards me, surprised at first but then smiling. "Hello, gorgeous," he replied, squeezing some of my unisex body wash into his hand. "You haven't been asleep long."

I rubbed my slightly achy head. "Couple of aspirin and I'll be fine," I said with a shrug, leaning against the sink counter.

"Hey," he purred. "Lose that dressing gown and join me. A hot shower does wonders for a hangover and…other aches."

I chuckled. "I would go for some morning sex but I have somewhere to be in about half an hour but I'll still join you," I laughed, stripping off my dressing gown and slipping past the shower curtain to snatch my body wash off the in-shower shelf.

"I forgot," he chuckled. "You're picking up your first Pokémon today, right?"

"Yeah," I mused, squeezing some of the honey and shea butter gel into my palm and rubbing it all over my body. "I don't really know which to pick, though."

"Well, I chose Oshawott for my starter," he mused, taking the body wash and soaping my back up. "They're loyal and very loving. My brother chose a Tepig and she is pretty hot-tempered."

I laughed softly and rinsed off. "I have to be there at ten-thirty to get my Trainer ID and everything," I told him, smiling at the hottie. "I think my mother is already up and making breakfast."

His face fell. "I guess this is one of those times when I have to climb out of the window?"

I snorted. "No, Mum's used to me bringing people home but it's usually my friends. Since Caz left, she's sort of come to expect me bringing guys home instead."

That seemed to cheer him up as I washed my hair with honey shampoo and conditioner. Arceus, I still couldn't remember his damn name even as we playfully dried each other off and got dressed. Thankfully, his clothes were clean enough so a splash of Dad's cologne and deodorant meant he didn't have to wear a towel while Mum courteously washed and tumble-dried them.

Instead of my usual jeans and tee combination, I opted for a pair of khaki combats with multiple pockets, a pillar-box red T-shirt, a pair of hard-wearing running shoes and a ponytail. I decided against makeup, since travelling with my various products wouldn't be all that good in the way of 'light packing' – but my eyeliner and red lipstick had to come. Then again, I had already packed my dimension-compressing bum bag with all of the necessary items, including a gas-powered camping hob, dehydrated food and bottles of water, not to mention camping gear, clothes and all of my savings.

Originally, I had planned to go on to study at the Opelucid City University of Pokémon to get a degree in Pokémon Breeding before beginning my own business, like my mother had, but decided against it. Well, it was more the persuasion of my parents that stopped me from going straight to uni, since both of them had done that exact thing. Mum was a self-employed Pokémon Breeder, specialising in Dragon, Water and Fairy types while Dad was a famed Pokémon Doctor who had even treated the Pokémon of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four members in every region I could think of. Both of them had insisted I start off by getting my first Pokémon at seventeen and going on a journey around Unova. Apparently, this would give me a better chance of actually getting into uni, since they prefer their students to have experience raising Pokémon, even though I already had plenty of that from helping Mum for most of my life with her breeding business.

"Riley!" Mum called up the stairs. "Breakfast is ready!"

"Coming!" I replied, lacing up my trainers as…er, whatshisname shoved his phone and wallet into the pockets of his jeans. "Want some breakfast?"

He smiled coyly. "No, thank you. I'm not all that hungry," he said smoothly. "I have to get home to my Dad. He burns water if he even so much as touches the stove."

"Fine by me," I mused, clipping my bum bag around my waist and checking the time. Nine-fifty – just forty minutes until I picked up my first Pokémon!

I saw my one-night stand out before Mum could coax him into staying and went into the kitchen for breakfast.

"He was cute," Mum said with a grin. "What was this one's name?"

I shrugged. "I was too drunk to remember," I said with a guilty smile. "Adrian or Adam or something similar to that."

She laughed. "You really need to get a Pokémon, baby girl," she teased. "Who do you think you'll pick?"

I shrugged again. "I don't know. I mean, I know I get to pick from Oshawott, Snivy and Tepig and they'll all be male, but I'd prefer to use them to battle first to see which one suits me. I don't think Professor Juniper would allow that."

"It's true, Aurea can be a little funny about how you pick your Pokémon," she said, taking a sip of her orange juice. "But you know how to spot the best potential in a young Pokémon, Riley. For Arceus' sake, I'm the Breeder and I defer to you when the little ones come into their abilities to see which will be the best for breeding and battling."

I chuckled. "It's a skill. I reckon I'll just know which one I'm supposed to be with when I see it. It's a kind of feeling I get when I know something is right."

We continued chatting like that until we had finished breakfast. After an emotional goodbye to our two family Stoutland Abbey and Doc, I set off with Mum to Professor Aurea Juniper's lab, which was located beside the mouth of Route One. Mum drove me in her cranky old pickup to the entrance of the lab, where she kissed me goodbye and gave me the gift of a Unova map book to guide me along my way.

I walked into the lab, finding Professor Juniper's assistant at the reception with the usual receptionist. They were talking about a late new Trainer, who was supposed to pick up his Pokémon an hour earlier.

"Hi," I smiled at them both. "I'm Riley McCabe. I have an appointment for the New Trainer's Program with Professor Aurea Juniper."

The blond, whose nametag identified her as Bianca, grinned. "Hi, I'm Bianca, Professor Juniper's assistant." She came out from behind the desk and shook my hand. "We've been waiting for you, Riley!" She looked at the brunette receptionist. "Don't worry, Julie, I'm sure Brandt will turn up eventually. For now, can you send the Professor a message saying I'm on my way up with a new Trainer, please?"

"Sure, Miss Kyriaki," Julie replied as Bianca ushered me down the hall.

She chuckled as we got to the end of the hall. "This always reminds me of when me and my friends got our first Pokémon," she giggled. "It was so much fun! We all fought about who would have which one, too."

"Thankfully, it's just me," I said with a smile. "I'm just a little nervous."

"Don't be," she assured me. "Professor Juniper is wonderful but strict. She'll make you pick one today, I guarantee it!" She pushed open the door. "Professor, your ten-thirty is here!" She looked at me. "Go on in. She's expecting you."

I went inside, thanking Bianca for showing me the way. Professor Juniper was a woman in her early thirties, maybe late twenties, with chestnut hair and calm eyes. She was standing beside a desk with three Pokéballs, a Pokédex and a set of five Pokéballs on its surface.

"You must be Riley," she said with a warm smile. "As you know, I'm Professor Juniper. I was a good friend of your mother's back in university and since I know what you're capable of already, I expect excellent stuff from you." She shook my hand firmly. "Now, let's get down to business."

I nodded as she handed me my Pokédex and Trainer ID card. Following that, she gave me a run-down of the Pokédex functions and what the Trainer ID card allowed and disallowed at the beginner stage and how it was upgraded whenever I beat a Gym Leader. She proceeded to tell me about the three starter Pokémon I was about to encounter.

"Oshawott, the Water type," she said with grandure as she released the first Pokémon.

Oshawott, as a rule, were very cute Pokémon. This young male had snowy white hair and pallid ivory skin. His round black eyes were curious and his mouth opened in a little O shape. He was about five feet and five inches tall with a slightly chubby frame. He wore a pale blue body warmer over a white long-sleeved T-shirt, darker blue shorts and a pair of brown and blue flip-flops. On his hip was a cream-coloured war fan that his species called a scalchop.

"Tepig, the Fire type," Professor Juniper grinned. "This is my personal favourite starter Pokémon."

Tepig are usually very chubby or very muscular, depending on their environment. This one was quite muscular and stocky at five feet and four inches tall, my height. Flaming red hair peeked out from under a black and yellow bandana while coal-coloured eyes looked up at me with awe. He wore an orange T-shirt, black cargos and a pair of black and red trainers. On his hip, he wore a red mace, sans spikes, with a long black chain connecting it to his hip.

"And finally," Professor Juniper smiled, "Snivy, the Grass type."

This young Pokémon was quite a bit taller than both the Oshawott and the Tepig at five-eight, since Snivy tended to be quite tall. His dark brown eyes were hard and cold but there was something there that made my instincts go haywire. I should have been put off but his coldness, but my heart did a little sing-song. Grassy green hair, pulled back in a ponytail, reached his shoulders but just barely. He was lean yet muscular. He wore a green long coat over a cream T-shirt with a pair of green jeans, leading down to a pair of army boots of the same shade. His high cheek bones and full lips gave off an air of royalty and with the way he held his head so high, he thought it of himself. Arrogance came off him in waves.

"So," the Professor said, "who do you want to pick?"

I bit my lip. "Can you tell me something interesting about each of them?" I asked.

She pursed her lips. "Well, Oshawott, here, was bred from your mother's Samurott. Tepig is quite the avid reader. And Snivy…well, this Snivy is one we've had a lot of problems with. Four Trainers have brought him back so far because he refused to bond with them and didn't obey their commands."

I gave the Snivy an appraising look, which he returned with a nasty glare. I felt a smile pulling at the corners of my mouth as he stared me down, his lips pressed together in a hard line.

"I'll pick…Snivy," I said to Professor Juniper.

Her eyes widened as if surprised. "Are you sure you can handle him?" she asked, giving the Snivy a worried look. "He is very stubborn and quite rebellious. I've lost count of the amount of times he's tried to escape."

"Seventy-three," the Snivy interjected proudly before looking at me. "I made it to Castelia City sixty per cent of the time."

I shrugged. "I don't know unless I try. Besides, I have a good feeling about him." I looked back at the Snivy, whose serious expression had faltered, a shred of shock glimmering in his cocoa-brown eyes. "How about it, Snivy? Do you want to come with me?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not like I have a choice," he said, his voice like audible chocolate with its deep tenor. "See you in a few days, Professor."

"I wouldn't count on that," I said firmly. "You might have had crap Trainers in the past but I know exactly how to handle Pokémon. Neither of my parents know anyone who can get through to a raging Gyarados except me."

"That's true," Professor Juniper confirmed. "I can recall a time when you were small that you were playing with your mother's homicidal Noivern!"

I chuckled at the memory of Mum's Noivern Sasha. "Yep, she was one batty bitch, but she adored me for some reason. Sasha, I mean. Not Mum."

The Professor laughed heartily before looking back at the Snivy. "So, what do you think?"

Snivy raised a brow. "It sounds like she can hold her own but I'm not convinced," he said in a bored tone.

I shrugged. "What were your names with the last Trainers who thought they could take you on as their own?" I asked, needing a little inspiration.

He snorted. "They were stupid names but I was called Basil, Darnel, Cypress and Brian."

"Brian?" I asked.

He nodded. "Like I said. Stupid."

I chewed my lip for a moment before the right name hit me, making me smile. "I think I'll call you Lorne."

"Seriously?" he said bluntly. "Lorne…I guess it fits."

"It does, to be honest," Professor Juniper mused. "It suits you more than Brian did anyway."

I snickered. "Brian wouldn't have suited you at all."

The Professor laughed as she turned to retrieve the usual new Trainer equipment bag. "In here are five empty Pokéballs, six Potions, your Trainer ID, two Antidote, Paralyze Heal and Awakening each, an Escape Rope and a coupon for a Fresh Water at the Aspertia City Gym, the first Gym of the League."

I nodded. "Isn't that Cheren Tetari's Gym? I've heard he only trains Normal types so it should be pretty easy."

She smiled. "Trust me. If he was allowed to use his usual team, nobody would win a single badge from him until they had beaten the Elite Four! He started with my assistant Bianca and Touya, the Nomad Champion."

I nodded, feeling comforted. "That's good to know, except I'd have to get to Castelia City first and I've heard that the route is pretty long."

Lorne snorted. "I've walked back from there in a week," he muttered, leaning against a pillar close to use while the Tepig and Oshawott played a little clapping game on the floor.

I glanced at the clock just as Professor Juniper's pager beeped. She said something about another new trainer being late before turning to me. "Sorry, Riley, I have to get you to scoot," she said playfully as she returned Tepig and Oshawott to their Pokéballs and replaced Lorne's empty slot with a newer Pokéball.

"Okay," I said with a smile. "Thanks again, Professor." I looked over at Lorne, who was rolling his eyes. "You coming?"

He sighed heavily. "If I must," he grumbled and followed me out of the lab, muttering something insulting, his shoulders tense.

I bit my lip as I listened to his slew of curses, mostly directed at me or my mother. Once the lab was out of sight, I turned to the bitching Snivy.

"Why do you hate humans?" I asked without warning.

He stopped and looked at me with a glint of shock. "Because you're all the same," he snapped. "Either too weak or weaker. You all think that just because you chose me, I have to listen to you."

I frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that," I said calmly before smiling at him. "I tell you what. I'll cut you a deal. If you help me to catch another Pokémon, I'll release you permanently."

He gave me a measured stare, regarding my expression intently. "We have a deal."