Kanto, In Pictures

-The Legal Stuff:-

-I am not at all affiliated with Game Freak or Nintendo, nor any other company that writes/produces Pokémon or Pokémon merchandise.

-I do not own any part of Pokémon.

-I do claim the rights of my original characters.

Chapter One:

Pallet Town.

Pallet Town. It's neither busy, nor exciting. It doesn't have any great markets, or world renowned restaurants. It is merely a small town that exists in the southern area of the Kanto region. And it is my home.

Born in Pallet Town almost eighteen years before, I lived with my parents and my younger brother. Our house, while not large, was comfortable. I had my own room, my own space away from my sometimes-theatrical family.

The walls of my room were covered with small, square photographs, photographs I had taken of the Pokémon that I had come across in the Pokémon Academy and in Pallet Town itself. As I hadn't been selected to leave on the Pokémon adventure when I was ten, I was stuck here, learning secondhand knowledge from wannabe Pokémon Masters.

I didn't want to be a Pokémon Master, I wasn't going to pretend that I did. I didn't even want to be a spectacular Pokémon trainer. I wanted one or two Pokémon that I could be close with, Pokémon that could protect me in case wild Pokémon attacked.

I wanted to leave Pallet Town and explore the Kanto region, taking photographs of any and all the Pokémon I could find.

Pallet Town was a nice place for a home, but it was no place to take great pictures.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror tacked to the back of my bedroom door. My blonde, almost white, hair hung long, straight, and loose. I swept it over my shoulders so that the front of my light pink t-shirt wasn't covered by it. I smoothed the front of my shirt out and re-tucked it into the high waistline of the black, pencil skirt I wore. I glanced down as I slipped my feet into a pair of comfortable, nude pumps. I checked my reflection one last time before leaving my bedroom and heading for the kitchen. I had no sooner sat at the table in front of a plate of food that was waiting for me, courtesy of my mother, when my little brother began making demands of me.

"Pass the ketchup, Piper." My brother pointed at my plate.

"I don't have the ketchup, Martin," I sighed. "No one in this house uses ketchup on their eggs. Except you."

"Well go get the ketchup." My little brother had a mop of wild, blonde hair that hung low in his eyes. He had an equally wild personality and rarely stayed focused on anything for more than a few moments. He was shoveling a mouthful of oatmeal into his mouth as he stared at me expectantly.

"You're closer to the refrigerator," I said, waving to the large appliance right over my brother's shoulder.

"Mom!" He suddenly wailed at an insanely, high volume. He was also very obviously the baby in the house, getting what ever he wanted with a single, high-pitched scream.

"Piper!" My mother shouted from the back of our house, where she was getting ready for work. "Leave your brother alone."

I rolled my eyes and slowly let my breath out as I pushed my seat away from the table. I walked over to the refrigerator, grabbed the condiment my brother wanted and slammed it on the table in front of him. "Thank you, Piper." My brother gave me a bright, obnoxious smile. "I love you."

"Go fall in a hole," I muttered.

"Mom!"

"Piper!"

"I didn't do anything," I shouted to her.

"Leave your brother alone."

"Yes ma'am," I hissed.

My mom finally walked out into the dining room, ruffling my hair as she passed and kissing my brother on the top of his head. "You both ready for school?" She was blonde, slender, and graceful, traits I had inherited from her. She had been a dutiful mother growing up, always there when we needed her the most. I had never even seen her interact with a Pokémon; I wasn't even sure if she had ever had interest in pursing life as a trainer.

"Yes," I answered.

"Do I have to go today?" My brother asked.

I rolled my eyes as Martin yet again tried to wheedle out of going to school. He was only ten years old and he already hated school. The Pokémon Academy he and I attended required us to go there from the age of six to eighteen. I was about to graduate. Granted, if kids were picked by Professor Oak of the Pallet Town Pokémon Laboratory to go on the Pokémon Trainer Adventure at the end of each school year, they would be out before eighteen. That was something I hadn't been picked for and it hadn't really bothered me that I wasn't chosen. I had never expected to be chosen.

"Yes Martin," my mom sighed. "You have an end-of-year test today."

"The tests are so easy," my brother told her, slathering the eggs on his plate in ketchup. I couldn't help but to make a face at the concoction.

"Everything is easy when you're in fourth level classes," I muttered, which my mom luckily missed. My brother however, did not.

"Mom!"

"Why can't you leave your brother alone today, Piper?" My mom sighed as she turned to look at me. She held in her hands a large cup of coffee.

"I'm not doing anything!" I replied.

"You guys need to get going," my mom said, stepping towards the table after she took a large gulp of coffee. She took my plate and my brother's before he even had a chance to eat his ketchup eggs.

I pushed away from the table headed towards the door of the house. I snatched up my backpack and slung it on my back as my brother ripped the door open.

"You sure I have to go?" He called into the kitchen.

"Go Martin," my mother shouted back.

"Darn it," he sighed as he and I walked out onto the front porch.

"Oh, hey guys," my dad smiled as we headed down the steps and across the front yard. He was up on a ladder, our family Pokémon, a Girafarig, standing beneath him, eating leaves my dad dropped from the tree he was pruning. "Where ya guys headed?"

"School, Dad," I reminded him. I walked up to Girafarig, or Gia as we all called her, and patted the top of her head. She smiled up at me as she crunched loudly on a mouthful of crisp, green leaves.

"But if you need my help, I'll stay," Martin called.

"School is too important, Kid." My dad came down off the ladder, heading in our direction. He was tall and could seem intimidating when people didn't know him, but my father was down-to-earth, and was always described as 'the nicest person I know' by friends. "So I'm sorry, but you have to go, you don't have a choice in the matter."

"See," I hissed.

"Daddy," Martin's lower lip dropped in a pout. "Make Piper be nice."

"She's right Kid," my dad patted his shoulder. "You need to go to school and not be difficult."

"Ha," I scoffed at him, rubbing Gia's head again as she whinnied at me. "Mom may be on your side, but Dad's on mine."

"Shut up," Martin spat.

"Go on." My dad waved us away.

"We'll see you after school," I called as I gave Gia a final scratch and headed for the sidewalk. We walked to school because everything was within walking distance in Pallet Town. "Take care of Lady Bird for me," I called over my shoulder to Gia, referring to my beloved feline companion. She wasn't a Pokémon, just my mostly normal, white with black splotches cat. She had some sort of condition that would cause her to remain small, like a kitten, for her entire life.

"I don't want to go today," Martin pouted as he trailed behind me, his arms crossed over his chest. He was dragging his feet and muttering to himself as he followed me.

"Who knows?" I sighed, hoping to avoid him taking his anger out on me. "Maybe today will be a good day to go?"

He scoffed in return.

(Break)

I sat on the floor, next to my brother's locker, waiting on him to meet me here. I flipped through one of my school books that I was holding, not really reading it, just using it to pass time. School had ended a few minutes before and I had finished my last test of the year. While we still had a few days left, it was mostly just graduation preparation. I would have already been on my way home, but if I left without Martin, I would never hear the end of it from my mother.

"Piper!" The door of the building opened and Martin came charging down the hallway, much like an angry Tauros.

"Finally," I snapped, pushing up against the lockers and slowly making my way to my feet. "What took you so long?"

"You were totally right!" He was shouting as he ran towards me. "Today was an awesome day!"

"Didn't I tell you?" I said, standing up off the floor. "Let's go home now."

"Yea! I can't wait to tell Mom and Dad!" Martin shouted excitedly, he was already hurrying toward the exit of the school building.

"Tell them what?" I hurried after him, but I couldn't move nearly as quickly as he could. "What happened today?"

"No, I'm not telling you yet! I want to tell you all at the same time!" Martin was waiting at the door, holding it open. As I neared, he grabbed my hand and yanked me out of the building with a lot more strength than I was expecting from a ten-year-old.

He practically dragged me all the way home, where he pushed through the front door and slammed it shut behind us. He startled my father, Gia, and Bird, who were sitting in the front room watching television together. "Dad! Kitchen! Come quick!" He shouted as he finally let go of my hand and ran into the kitchen at the far side of the living room.

"What's up?" My dad asked me as he vacated his seat and came up beside me.

I shrugged as I rubbed the hand that Martin had been gripping tightly with my other hand. "I don't know, he wouldn't tell me."

"Must be big news, I hope he didn't fail another test." My dad glanced down to me as we walked together into the kitchen. He scoffed. "I still don't know why he was so excited about that the first time."

"He had the lowest score in the entire school, that's something to brag about," I giggled as I recalled my brother's excitement.

As we came to a stop at the dining room table, waiting for Martin to come back into the room with my mother, I felt a nudge in the middle of my back. I turned and found Gia standing behind me while Bird wound herself around my ankles. "Hello," I said, rubbing her head before leaning over to scoop my cat up, she climbed out of my arms immediately and perched herself onto my shoulders.

"Mom, Dad, Pipe!" Martin cheered as he came into the room and hurried to stand on the seat of one of the dining room chairs.

"Marty! Get your feet off that seat!" My mother immediately scolded him, albeit gently. She grabbed his arm and helped him down.

"It's big news, Mom, I need a stage!" Martin retorted, glaring up at our mother. She merely shook her head in response.

"Well, what is I, Kid?" My dad asked him.

"So, I went to school today," he began. "And I went to class, had a test on something, I don't remember now."

"Oh, no," I whispered. My mother, nor Martin heard me, but my dad did. I heard him laugh, but he gently nudged my shoulder, prompting me to press my lips tightly together.

"But after the test, Ms. Zuper requested that I go to the office."

"Martin," my mother sounded exasperated, "what did you do?"

"Nothing, Mom! I swear!"

I looked over at Gia as Martin continued to ramble about his day. She was staring intensely at Martin, who, much like my father and I did, spoke with his hands. When telling a story, he would flick his hands all over the place in line with the whatever he was saying. Gia stood, staring in rapture as Martin's hands danced around in front of his chest. I couldn't help but smile as I set my hand on her head. She quickly looked over at me, her eyes narrowing into a smile as she met my gaze.

My dad had been given her as an anniversary gift from his office the year before. He had reached the ten-year mark working for his current company and she had been given to him along with a basket of yummy, local treats. My dad and I had spent many weeks bonding and training with her, and while she was a very capable and strong Pokémon, I had always viewed her as a beloved pet and companion.

"Congratulations honey!" My mom suddenly shouted and I jumped, instantly snapping out of my thoughts. "I'm so proud of you."

"We knew you would be able to do it, you've been training and preparing for months," my dad added as my mom embraced my brother.

"Congrats!" I hurriedly added, pumping a fist so Martin wouldn't think I hadn't been listening.

"I cannot believe that Professor Oak chose me as one of the three students to go on the Pokémon Adventure!" Martin shouted excitedly, jumping up and down.

I had to bite my tongue to keep from outwardly expressing my shock. I felt my eyes involuntarily widened, but I managed to suppress any words forming. My brother, who had the attention span of a Magikarp, was going to be let out of the house, on his own, to explore the Kanto region.

"You should be proud of me," My brother said, propping his hands proudly on his hips and puffing his chest out.

"Proud," I agreed, "and very surprised."

"I am gonna be AWESOME!" Martin actually ignored my flippant statement.

"Did Professor Oak tell you when you were leaving?" My mom asked.

"I didn't meet Professor Oak, Mom, gosh!" He rolled his eyes as his posture relaxed. He shook his head before continuing. "Were you even listening? Mr. Cannon, the principal, told me and Logan, and Lindsay that we were gonna go," he explained again. "We go meet Professor Oak in his lab the day we leave, which is on Saturday morning." When he finished, he crossed his arms sternly over his chest. He remained serious for only a moment though before his excitement took over and he threw his hands up in the air. He turned and ran away from us, towards his bedroom at the back of the house. "I'm going to start getting ready."

"Saturday," my mom repeated, looking from my dad and then to me. "Right after the last day of school."

"Good for him," I muttered, feeling suddenly and unexpectedly disappointed.

"I am shocked he got picked," my dad commented, then furrowed his brow. "Are we sure we want him to go, Caroline?"

"I don't think we can stop him," my mom laughed in response.

From his bedroom, my brother screamed loudly. "I am going to be a Pokémon Trainer!"

I left the kitchen, making my way to my own bedroom. "And I am going to be," I whispered to myself, pausing as I tried to think of what exactly I was. "Stuck here."

Author's Notes: Kanto, In Pictures Chapter One:

It has been a very long time since I have posted on this website. Many, many years ago I requested OCs for this story that I was writing. I have been rewriting and editing it lately and have decided to share it.

If you would like an OC perhaps exhibited in this story somewhere, PM the information you think I will need, otherwise, please enjoy the edited Chapter One and look out for following chapters.