Pallet town – Day 1

It makes us grow!

Last time: Two years ago, Clover and Gary attempted to catch a wild Bulbasaur without Pokemon on their side. All the warnings weren't enough, and they would soon realize a wild Pokemon can be extremely dangerous. Their attempts were futile. Panicked Bulbasaur knocked down the oil lamp, burning the barn where it slept. Gary managed to escape the fire, but unfortunately Clover lost her leg.

Two years later

Contrary to the expectations, it wasn't hard to wake up in the morning. Lazy kids catch the cold, but early Pidgeys catch two Caterpies – or so the saying goes. This is why Clover picked not one but two alarms, wanting to be the first to choose her Pokemon from professor Oak's lab. Four kids were scheduled to set out for the journey today: quiet boy Red and his unexpectedly vivacious sister Leaf, a headstrong boy Ash Ketchum and her, the girl with a peg leg from the Pallet town. Naturally, professor's grandson set out on a journey last week.

At the end, one alarm was enough. Clover was so excited, she barely slept. All night she thought about the Pokemon she will get, and it was no other than Bulbasaur. She just LOVED Bulbasaurs. When she was eight, during that terrible accident, Bulbasaur was the one who saved her life and the tiny plant Pokemon became her personal hero. True, it might have caused an accident in the first place, but she was always a forgiving person. While she never found the particular Bulbasaur that saved her, her life was changed forever. Mom and dad often teased her for her Bulbasaur themed clothes, her friends jokingly called her Beanstalk, even neighbors around Pallet referred to her as the Green Beret. It was even funnier because Clover was not her nickname, but her real name.

All things considered, it felt like training a grass Pokemon was her destiny.

"Bulbasaur, I'm coming!" she jumped over the steps of her family home, her heart pounding with excitement.

"Clover, dear. I know you are anxious to get your Bulbasaur, but take care of your leg! You don't need another injury!" mom regarded her with trepidation.

Clover fit the beret on her head, and a beaming grin escaped her lips.

"Bulbasaur, mom. Bulbasaur!"

She did not wait for the answer. Neither the wound, nor a prosthetic leg could hinder her. She left the house so fast, a casual observer could see her shadow struggling to keep up with her pace.

"The lab is not open yet, young lass." Oak smiled.

"I know! I want to be the first one here!" she uttered, rubbing her painful thigh with a groan.

"Mhm, quite right. I'm yet to have my first coffee, in fact."

"Professor, I have a very important question."

"Hmm, all right."

"Do you have a Bulbasaur in there?"

"A Bulbasaur, you ask? Why yes, I do. In fact, as you could have already learned, Bulbasaur is one of three starters I hand over to promising young trainers such as yourself!"

Clover's eyes filled with tears of joy.

Crowd had already gathered around the lab. There was Red along with his sister Leaf. Few other trainers joined to cheer the rookies along with their family members. Naturally, Gary Oak appeared with the cheering crowd of fans. Of her neighbor Ash there was no trace.

"Form the line, please! No pushing! All rookies will get their Pokemon in the order they appeared!" Oak barely managed to contain the crowd.

Clover was the first to go in. She approached the pedestal with Pokeballs, carefully leaning over to inspect each one of them. Small, feeble Squirtle slept inside of one. Second one had an angry looking Charmander, but her sights were set on the third ball. Unlike others, it was opaque, meaning she could not see through the Pokeball. For a moment, she thought it was empty.

"Professor, where is Bulbasaur?" she asked.

"Ah, yes, I forgot to mention. This Bulbasaur has a slight... disability. Along with some slight physical disabilities, she's sensitive to sunlight and harsh light. She gets agitated and rushes to hide. I've been deliberating whether I should give her to the rookie trainer or not but I believe she will only master her shortcomings if she travels with a trainer."

"Well, I am willing to give it a go. I will take her."

Out-of-doors, everyone was waiting for her, yet the realization her Bulbasaur had such a fault worried her.

"Hey, Beanstalk! Have you taken your losermon yet?" Gary asked her.

"Stuff your face, Oak!" she uttered.

"I'm just pulling your nose. Have you seen Ash around?" he asked.

"No. He's probably asleep." Clover let out a small sigh.

"Figures. That loser doesn't even bother coming to get his first Pokemon! Well, spares me the trouble of beating his ass in the Pokemon battle. At least you got yours, Beans."

"Yes, but she… well, has a problem. Apparently, she's suffering from a disability."

"Much like you, eh? How's your leg holding up?"

"Capital. I'm used to it by now."

"At any rate, my Squirtle has no such problems. Hey, listen, I have an idea. Gramps has a shed behind the lab. How about we go there and I show you what a proper battle looks like?"

"Another shed? I hope this one doesn't have any oil lamps."

"We'll be cautious, okay?"

"Right. No battles if there's risk of an accident."

Gary took the half of the Pokeball from his pack, looking at it with pity.

"I expected more from Ash." he let out a sigh and ordered her to follow.

Gary took the Pokeball from his waist, smirking as he did.

"My Squirtle has the week of advantage. Even though it's weak against your grass type Bulbasaur, it won't lose!"

"How about you shut your braggart mouth, Oak, and show that skill you boast about?" Clover chuckled.

"Feisty, huh? Not bad for a loser like you! Squirtle, go!" he lobbed the ball and the confident Squirtle landed on the field with a flip.

"Bulbasaur, go!" Clover yelled out.

Bulbasaur appeared from the beam of red light. When the sun ray appeared between the boards of the shed, it's eyes widened in fear and it scuttled to the shadow. Gary looked at the Pokemon, and suddenly his face flashed with realization.

"Wait, Beans! Squirtle, return!" Gary recalled his Pokemon.

"What? Already throwing in a towel?"

"No, you moron. This Bulbasaur looks familiar. Can't you see?"

Clover knelt to the side of her Bulbasaur. It was hiding in the shadow, as far from the ray of light as possible. Even though her thigh still hurt, she put her weight on it to crawl under where the Bulbasaur hid, looking at her with fear.

"Hey, Bulbasaur. I'm Clover! I'm your trainer!" she said.

"Bulba..." Bulbasaur uttered, not even wanting to come close.

"I know you're frightened. I understand, trust me. But hiding from our fears won't help us."

Bulbasaur meekly crawled out, looking at her with fear. Their eyes met for a second before the Pokemon stopped and looked at her for a long while. Suddenly, the flash of memory came over her. She looked down at her prosthetic leg. Patch of skin right above her knee still had scars from that terrible night. Scar tissue formed pinkish and white valleys and hills, as the skin tried replacing what was practically melted away but never managed to do so. She remembered the tragedy as if it was yesterday, the weight of the wooden beam across what was once her leg.

"By all that's… no, that can't be! Gary, look at her!"

Gary came closer, and now they both observed Bulbasaur. As it returned back to the light, they noticed why the Pokemon looked so odd.

"It's her! It's the Bulbasaur that saved me!" Clover yelled.

She had patches where the skin never got its green hue back. She was full of these whitish patches, similar to the scar on her leg. Little frog-looking Pokemon meekly looked at her and the tears filled it's eyes.

"Bulba..." it uttered again.

"You… I've never got to thank you! Thank you so much, you've saved my life!" she cried.

"Bulba… Bulba!" it said.

"I'd say it almost killed us." Gary uttered.

"Come now, Gary! Don't be mean! She returned to save me!"

"Yeah, after it cost you a leg."

"But she regrets it! Can't you see this in her eyes?"

"Nope. For all I care, it almost killed my best friend and me. I don't feel a thing about it!"

Bulbasaur looked at him and snarled.

"See? Now you've gone and angered her again!"

"I don't give a shit. If it's any good, it will fight me to prove its intentions. Unless it wants to run away, like the last time?"

Bulbasaur snarled and screeched, and it's eyes narrowed in anger.

"Oak, shut your trap!"

"I won't, Beans! I hate this thing! If it wants to act all nice, fine! But I'll teach it a lesson this time! Squirtle, I choose you!" Gary let his Squirtle out.

"That's it, Gary! You've crossed the line this time! Bulbasaur, go!"

Bulbasaur looked at Gary with the same anger in his eyes, the one it felt two years ago. Only this time, Gary had a Pokemon by his side. Squirtle stood with clenched fists and frown, regarding its opponent down with the arrogance of its trainer.

"We'll show this guy you're a changed Pokemon! Bulbasaur, use your vine whip!" Clover yelled. However, Bulbasaur looked at her with troubled eyes, not budging an inch.

"Figures! The coward will stay a coward! Squirtle, withdraw!"

Squirtle withdrew into its hard shell.

"Now, Squirtle, use rapid spin!"

Squirtle started spinning rapidly, before his rigid shell hit the Bulbasaur so hard it flew over the room, almost hitting the wall.

"Bulba..." it uttered.

"Bulbasaur, what's wrong?" Clover uttered.

"I'll say what's wrong! It's cowardly, same as it ever was! When there's sign of trouble it tucks its tail and runs!"

"No, that's not it! No time for explanation, Bulbasaur, use tackle attack!"

Bulbasaur didn't wait for even a bit. The Pokemon rushed over the field and just as the Squirtle went out of its shell it aimed right for its chin, hitting the tiny turtle under the jaw so strong that it flipped backwards several times before finally coming to a halt.

"Such meager attack won't stop my Pokemon! Squirtle, use rapid spin! Aim at that plank over there!"

Squirtle tucked his head and limbs in the shell, hitting the plank. It got loose, and a beam of sunlight shone over the Bulbasaur. It screeched in fear.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Clover yelled.

"It's a battle! All is fair in the Pokemon fight! Now, Squirtle, use another rapid spin to finish it off!"

"Bulbasaur! Move out!"

Bulbasaur lost its mind in fear, trying to escape the sunlight rather than focusing on defense. Gary anticipated this, and his Squirtle hit Bulbasaur's side so hard the Pokemon screamed, tossing and turning before it ultimately stopped moving.

"That was easy. Squirtle, return!"

"I hate you! Look what you've done to her!"

"It's a Pokemon battle, and you should learn how to lose!"

"You're cruel and heartless! I hope your Pokemon will one day experience the same!"

"It won't, because it's not a weak coward. Smell you later, loser."

Clover cried, grasping her Bulbasaur. It was on the verge on fainting, heavily breathing, looking at her with eyes half closed. Thin stripe of blood trickled down its chin.

"I'll take you back to the professor. He will heal you. Thank you for fighting for me, you were very brave."

"Bulba..."

She gently pulled the bulb up, revealing the place where the Pokemon kept its vines. Now, both of the vines were merely burned stumps. This is why it couldn't use the vine whip attack.

"I guess we won't use vine whips then." she said, gently patting its bulb.

"Bulba… Bulbasaur.."

"No, that's okay. I understand. My leg is also in a bad shape. Nevertheless, I will become the best Pokemon trainer in the world! You will see! And you will come with me. Who needs legs and vines anyway? Pfft!"

"Bulba-saur!"

"That's right!"

Next chapter: My friend, Leaf!