Author's Notes:
Hello all, and welcome to my attempt at a Fire Red Nuzlocke Challenge. Now for those who don't know what a Nuzlocke is, there are a few rules that I need to point out so you know somewhat what might happen.
1 – I must give a nickname to every Pokémon that I catch, which makes rule number three seem a lot more real as we get really attached to Pokémon along the way. I know they're just graphics in a game, but believe me, I've played Nuzlockes of Fire Red before, and it really really hurts when you lose something you've raised say from level 2 all the way to level 40 only to lose it to something random… Miss you a lot, Soren the Pidgeot!
2 – I can only catch the first pokemon that I encounter in each route. For the sake of having variety on my team instead of say five Rattata's and my starter, I'm using the Duplicate's clause on this one. That means that if I encounter something already caught, I can ignore that one and catch the first thing I have not already caught on that route.
3 – The most painful rule of them all. If a Pokémon faints in a battle, it is considered dead and I can either box or release them. I tend to return to the closest Pokémon Center and put them in a box, as I want to be able to go back and see who died when later on.

I'm sort of working through a game log that I've been working on as I play through, so yes, I know who will die (hopefully not too many) and will see what goes on. Please tell me if you think this is going badly, or if you have any naming suggestions in your comments. I might be unable to use the name for a pokemon you suggested (I may have already finished Fire Red) but I might indeed be able to use them in another Nuzlocke, as I plan on making a series throughout the regions, excluding Unova as I struggle there even with a normal playthrough!

Okay, on with the story!

Chapter Management

Chapter Text

Someone's gotta go find out what's going on out there. Ella looked out the small window that let in some slight into her bedroom. She could see people working in the field, chopping wood to help with making more houses for Pallet Town. Getting up from her sleeping place, a mattress on the floor with a blanket and pillow, she headed out of her bedroom, picking up a tan coloured backpack on her way through the doorway.

"Mum?" she called.

"Oh Ella, you're up!"

Ella smiled as a Flareon came running over to her, before rubbing its warm little body against her legs.

"Yes Flora I am, have you seen mum?"

Flora looked up at her. "She'll be back shortly. She just went out to get the workers some water. Don't worry. You're heading off today, aren't you?" Flora's eyes had shifted to Ella's bag.

Ella nodded. "We all knew this was coming. No one's heard from the other towns, I'd rather see for myself what's going on, and see if I can get help for Pallet Town."

Flora sighed, shaking her head. "Be careful. Oh… wait here a few moments." She darted off into the room Ella's mother slept in usually. Soon she returned, carrying something in her mouth. What looked like a pair of shoes. "Irina said to give these to you. They're for running, though I'll never understand why humans need different shoes to run in. She also said, don't wait for her, get going over to the Pokémon Lab, and just come back and show her the Pokémon that you choose before you leave town."

Ella chuckled, changing her shoes. "Thanks Flora. I'll be back soon, it shouldn't take too long before I have a Pokémon of my own."

Flora licked at her knee with her warm tongue. "See you soon. Can't wait to see what you bring home with you."

Ella scratched between Flora's long ears for a few moments before getting up and heading out of the house.

It only took a few minutes to walk to the rather large and somewhat fallen into disrepair woodened structure that served as Professor Oak's lab. Over the years it had been repaired many times. She carefully pushed the worn door open and stepped inside. It was well lit up inside, with huge windows allowing a tonne of sunlight in. She blinked seeing a boy with spiky bronzish hair standing with his back to her at the far end of the room.

"Blue? What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Ella." He turned to face her, smirking. "Someone's gotta make sure you stay in one piece on your trip so I told mum and grandfather I'd be leaving Pallet Town today."

Ella shook her head, shocked. "You don't think I can look after myself, do you?"

Blue shrugged. "I also don't want to always be here in Pallet Town. Sometimes you gotta make your own choices."

Ella frowned. "Always the one to not want to stay in one place. Not to mention I doubt you're really that worried about me. You're just doing this because Red went off a year ago, aren't you?"

"If this had anything to do with that brother of yours… I'm not gonna say so," Blue retorted. "Sides, he hasn't been back since. Dunno where grandfather is. Should've been here."

Ella rolled her eyes before turning and walking back outside again. She noted on her way outside, that Bailey the Bulbasaur was still there, he belonged to Professor Oak, so there was no chance the Professor could have gone too far. Bailey wouldn't be there if he had gone to a place where he might find wild Pokémon.

She did not have to look around for long, she soon saw the Professor coming toward the lab.

The old man smiled at her as he reached her. "Ah Ella, you're already here are you?"

"Yeah, Blue's here too, waiting for you," Ella said, returning the smile.

Professor Oak shook his head. "Guess he hasn't dropped that sudden idea to leave Pallet Town then. His mother and I hoped he would after he dropped that little decision on us last night."

Ella winced. "He really did not think ahead."

"Unlike you." Oak shook his head. "Come on in, and I'll give you a few things that will get you started."

Ella followed the professor inside, and Bailey followed them, likely glad to see his trainer back home again.

"About time!" Blue turned to look at them. "Where've you been, grandfather!"

Professor Oak shook his head. "I had to make sure there was no one suspicious watching the path north, Blue." He looked at Bailey. "Bailey, could you get those two pokeballs down please?"

"Sure." Bailey extended the two vines hidden under the bulb on his back, reaching up onto a very high shelf. They retracted shortly, before putting the two red and white balls in Professor Oak's hands.

"Thank you Bailey."

"No worries."

Professor Oak turned to them. "Well Ella? Which one do you want out of these two? Been some time since they've been out of their pokeballs."

"Grandfather! What about me?" Blue asked, a little annoyed. "Why Ella first?"

Professor Oak's voice was stern as he answered his question. "You need to learn some patience, Blue. Ella's been planning this for months. You only decided yesterday so that's that."

Ella looked at the two pokeballs. One had a fire like emblem on it, the other some sort of water symbol. I'm used to firetypes like Flora soo. She reached for the fire pokéball.

"I think this one is the one for me."

Professor Oak smiled at her. "You'll have fun with that girl."

Ella grinned, before releasing the Pokémon. Out appeared something mostly orange, with a flame on the tip of its tail. "Hello there."

The Pokémon looked up at her, blinking. "Oh you must be Ella! The Professor told us about you! I'm Cynder, and I'm a Charmander! Nice to meet you! Are we going to be travelling together?"

Ella smiled at her. "Yep, that's me. So you want to come with me?"

Cynder moved her tail side to side a little, nodding eagerly. "Sure do!"

Ella nodded. "Thank you."