Pokémon

Pokémon

The Journey – A New Trainer story by BenRG

Legal Disclaimer

Pokémon, the Pocket Monsters and all characters and institutions connected with them are the property of Nintendo Entertainment, Game Freak Software and 4Kids Entertainment. This is a non-profit work written for free distribution through the world-wide web. No infringement of any copyright or legal property intended.

Peter Croft is entirely my creation, as are all the other original characters in this story, for now.

Author's Notes

Some New Trainer stories are good, some are not so good and some are just dire. I've never tried this genre before, so I'm going to try it now. If this is bad, then say so for pity's sake and I'll stop!

Okay, usual warnings apply. I don't know the continuity or the moves very well, so I'll be faking it most of the time.

On that subject, I just want to make a little comment… What do you want from me? I asked at the beginning of the last chapter not to browbeat me over my lamentable lack of knowledge of Pokémon and what was the first review I got? "Oh, you got this wrong: That attack is actually called something else…"

*GHAAAaaaAAArrrGH!*

What will it take for people to drop this obsession with canon names, hmm? Do you want me to beg? Okay, I'll do it! I'll BEG!

Please! Don't complain about wrong names for attacks! Please!

*Clears throat.* Right, I feel better now.

Text in Italics is thought or psychic communication.

Text in "Quotes and Italics" is speech from some kind of loudspeaker, phone, etc.

Censor: PG – Because Pokémon fight, and fights can be unpleasant things.

Continuity Note: This story starts six years after Ash Ketchum started his own Pokémon Journey.

The Journey

Chapter 2 – Day One

After a few miles, Route 1 turned north from the Pallet-Viridian trunk road. Within only a few minutes, Peter and Eevee had lost all sight of civilisation and the young Novice Trainer suddenly felt more afraid than he had ever felt in his life.

Up to now, it had been just a kind of game in a way. He had imagined being on the road, walking through the woods with his Pokémon friends and seeking adventure. What he had never imagined was the implacable wildness of the forest and the complete lack of any kind of comfort or warmth about his situation. Peter realised that he was feeling lonely and frightened. The sensations were so powerful that he stopped in a clearing and fell to his knees.

Eevee walked up to his Trainer and butted his shoulder with his snout. "Eev-eev, ee-vee-vee-vee-eev?" Peter heard the questioning tone and the concern in his Pokémon's voice and guessed that he was asking him something like: [Peter, are you all right?]

Peter smiled slightly and hugged Eevee. "I'm, okay, Eevee," he said in a quiet tone. "I guess it has just hit me that I'm going to be out in the wilds all on my own from now on. That is a little difficult to handle…" Peter coughed and impatiently wiped a tear from his right eye. "It is also a little frightening."

Eevee looked at Peter sternly as the boy hugged himself, suddenly caught by a shivering fit. Intellectually, Eevee knew that humans did not normally leave the family den until they were almost twice the age of his Trainer, and that he ought to expect a reaction like this. However, Eevee himself had been born in a breeding centre and separated from his dam at only nine months of age. If he had got used to being apart from his family, so should Peter. "Eev-eev, ee-ee-vee-vee-eevee, vee-ee?" he said gently. Peter got the gist: [Peter, you are not alone when I am here, remember?]

Peter looked Eevee right in the eye and felt rather strange. It was one thing to say you were going to be your Pokémon's friend, but another to have to rely on them for warmth and companionship in such a harsh environment. It was impossible, wasn't it? Eevee was just a kind of fox that talked, wasn't he? Peter looked into Eevee's intelligent, friendly eyes and couldn't agree with that. The little Pokémon seemed to understand Peter's sudden feelings of loneliness. "It is going to be difficult, Eevee," he said at last. "Will… will you be my friend and help me when it gets too cold to be on my own?"

Eevee grinned in a vulpine way. [That is what friendship is for,] he said. [And Peter, I will be here for you always, even when you don't think you need it!]

Peter smiled broadly. He got that one immediately. "Thank you, Eevee," he said, looping an arm around the fox's neck in a gentle hug. Peter sighed and, after a moment, he stood up. "It is going to be difficult, I know," he said. "I know it will be easier if I rely on my friends though." Peter reached down and tickled Eevee between his ears. The fox leaned into the caress appreciatively. "I'm glad that you want to be my friend, Eevee."

Eevee said something that Peter didn't understand. Peter bet that it meant something like: 'That's the spirit!'

Despite getting over his sudden attack of nerves, Peter didn't feel any particular need to move on. Instead, he sat down and began to stroke Eevee. "You know," he said, "as I'm your Trainer, I think I should start training you, don't you think?" Eevee cocked his head but remained silent. "If you are going to get stronger, I'm going to have to work at it!"

Eevee seemed in agreement to the concept of doing a bit of training. Peter, however, didn't have the first clue as how he should go about it. Peter slid his pack from his shoulders and pulled his Pokédex from his belt. "Let's see what I can find out about Training," he said. He opened his Pokédex and called up the index. Peter frowned at the green-on-black text on the left-hand screen for a moment. "Hmm… Okay, let's see what it says under 'Basic Concepts,'" he said. He used the alphanumeric keypad to key in the appropriate URL and waited for the Pokédex to play the file.

As the Pokédex began to speak, the text of the file began to scroll across the right-hand screen in glowing green text while the left-hand screen displayed appropriate animated pictures.

"Pokémon are a sub-section of the Animal Kingdom entirely restricted to the Kanto Islands," the Pokédex announced. "This subsection is broken into a number of different 'kinds' or 'Genus' to use the appropriate scientific term, which refers to their specific biological attributes. These 'kinds' are as follows: Bug, Electric, Earth, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Ground, Ice, Morphing, Normal, Plant, Psychic, Poison, Sonic and Water. As well as defining the powers and vulnerabilities of each kind of Pokémon, the 'kind' classification also determines breeding compatibility.

"Pokémon are differentiated from normal animals and plants in that all have the ability to use Elemental Powers such as flame, water or Ley energy as part of their natural defences. All Pokémon have the ability to learn any number of specific manoeuvres using different elemental powers which can be used to fight other Pokémon. These 'Attacks' and 'Defences' are natural skills. However, while Pokémon instinctively understand how to use their basic powers, they must be trained how to direct these powers into more complex attacks.

"Furthermore, many species of Pokémon have quick-mutating DNA, meaning that evolutionary changes can happen during a single animal's life-span. If trained properly or exposed to the radiation from an appropriate Elemental Energy Gem or 'Evolution Stone,' they will mutate into a far more powerful form, often with additional abilities.

"Pokémon are all highly empathic creatures. When in the company of humans with better-than-average psychic potential, they are able to share their feelings and perceptions. It is also possible for those humans to communicate with Pokémon far more efficiently than would be possible by speech alone. Using this Empathic Link, it is possible to train a Pokémon in how to direct their powers to even the most complex of attacks or defences.

"Captured Pokémon are generally friendly creatures and they will bond very closely with their Trainers. However, they are also proud and powerful and they must be treated with the appropriate respect if a Trainer wishes to have them attain to their full potential. A Pokémon performs to its' best potential when it is respected, loved and properly trained.

"When not battling or training, tame Pokémon generally prefer to rest in their assigned Sliph Corporation Molecular Containment Trap and Transport Shell (MCTTS), known colloquially as a 'Pokéball.' The Pokéball allows the Pokémon to rest and regenerate in a state of near-perfect stasis. It is theoretically possible for a Pokémon to remain safely sealed in a Pokéball for centuries without suffering any ill effects.

"However, it is far better to allow your Pokémon at least one hour's exercise in a standard day. Along with appropriate feeding and grooming, this is important for allowing your Pokémon to attain to the optimum physical, mental and emotional health (see Happiness Quotient for more details)."

Peter paused the playback and looked at Eevee thoughtfully for a while as Eevee looked back at him with an equanimous expression. "I don't know, Eevee," he said at last. "We've walked quite a way… Would you prefer to rest in your Pokéball?" Eevee looked at the red-and-white ball Peter was weighing thoughtfully in his hand with an air of distaste that Peter understood at once. "You don't have to if you don't want to," he said in a hurried assurance.

[I don't mind being held in that… machine,] Eevee said at last, his voice dripping with distaste, [but I prefer to feel the sun on my face.]

That was the most complex concept that Eevee had clearly communicated to Peter. In the years to come, the boy would realise that this was the moment he stopped consciously hearing Eevee speaking in his native language. From then on, he was automatically translating in his head.

"Well… okay," Peter said at last. He put the Pokéball back onto his belt and picked up his Pokédex again. "If I'm going to start training you, I suppose I'd better learn a bit more about you, eh Eevee?" He stopped the playback of the introductory file and called up the information of the Eevee species.

"Pokémon #133 – Eevee," the Pokédex announced. "Eevee is a normal-type Pokémon with a unique species attribute. The Eevee's genetic code is highly responsive to its environment meaning that, unlike virtually every other Pokémon, it can take several possible evolutionary paths depending on how it is trained.

"While capable of learning a wide range of normal- and earth-type attacks, the Eevee's greatest advantage is its' compatibility with a wide range of Training Machines, meaning that you can optimise an Eevee's training for any of the major elements: Earth, Electric, Fire, Water, Plant or Psychic.

"Despite their small size, Eevees are strong and intelligent creatures, well-able, when trained, to handle even much larger Pokémon in battle. Eevees are renowned for their clear-headed intelligence and the rewards they can give to those who train them properly.

"The Eevee's evolutionary path is as follows: Eevee can evolve into any one of six second-level forms, depending on which Evolution Stone you expose them to. These are Arboreon (Leaf Stone), Espeon (Psi/Sun Stone), Flareon (Fire Stone), Jolteon (Thunder Stone), Umbreon (Moon/Dark Stone) or Vaporeon (Water Stone). Eevee naturally evolves to Umbreon when it reaches experience level 22. It will then evolve to the recently-discovered third-level form, Eeveon, at experience level 45.

"Eevee instinctively knows the following attacks: Bite, Tackle and Tail Whip (Normal); Sand Attack (Ground). You can also train Eevee to learn Quick Attack, Growl and Take Down (Normal); Aurora Shield; Focus Energy and Hyper-beam (Earth). You may train Eevee to use other attacks of the Normal, and Earth-types either through directed Training or by the use of Training Machine powders."

"Wow!" Peter said, much impressed. "You really are hot, Eevee!" Peter shook his head. "You are pretty much the ultimate Pokémon! I'm sure lucky to have you!"

Eevee looked smug. [This goes without saying,] he replied proudly, making Peter chuckle.

Peter frowned at the Pokédex for a moment. "Okay, but how do I go about training him?" he asked rhetorically. To his surprise, the Pokédex responded. He forgot about the device's AI 'help' application.

"Normal-type attacks and Ground-type attacks are taught by the use of simple exercises," the Pokédex explained. "Use a simple practice target and train your Pokémon to perform the attacks on the target. Explain how to perform the attack and encourage your Pokémon. If you believe in your Pokémon, they will believe in you and themselves."

Peter looked at Eevee speculatively. "How about it?" he asked.

[Let's do it!] Eevee responded with a grin.

Pretty soon, Peter and Eevee were having the time of their lives. Peter decided to use his backpack as the 'practice target,' and was letting Eevee do his worst. A charge aimed to collide with the target on its' lower half was called 'Tackle,' and Peter was confident he could stop a large, running Pokémon using this attack.

Tail Whip was a strange thing to see. When Peter was younger, he visited his uncle on Seafoam Island and met a strange Growlithe-like creature called a 'Dog.' What was stranger was that this creature apparently didn't know any attacks at all. Peter doubted that at the time, and as he watched Eevee practice Tail Whip by batting his tail across the backpack again and again, he felt he was right to do so. Dog had used this same attack on his uncle when he first saw the visitors, though why it should have used an attack when happy was something of a mystery to the young Novice.

Bite was an easy one to teach. Peter immediately added a little twist to the attack. "Eevee," he called. "The next time you do Bite, can you do something else? Try and flip the bag over your back."

Eevee gave Peter a strange look. [That's something new,] he said. [I'll try it if you want.]

"Please," Peter said.

Eevee lined up on the backpack and padded forward, snarling in a fearsome fashion. [So, you evil Backpack,] he growled, [you think you can best me? You are in for a surprise! Banzai!] Eevee charged, bit the pack hard and yanked his head back and to the left. The backpack flew into the air, but it dragged Eevee along with it. Backpack and Pokémon fell into a heap in a comical fashion.

After Eevee's melodramatic challenge, it was kind of funny seeing the little evolving fox dumped under the backpack, but Peter was alarmed. That pack was bigger than Eevee, not to mention twice as heavy! What if he was hurt? "Eevee!" Peter shouted, running over. He flung the pack off of his friend and dropped to his knees beside him. "Eevee, please be okay! Please don't be hurt!"

Eevee, who was lying on his back, opened one eye and looked up at his Trainer. [Okay, maybe that is more difficult than it looks,] he said.

"Are you all right?" Peter asked desperately.

Eevee rolled over, got to his feet and shook himself all over. [Down, but never for the full count, Peter,] he said. [Why don't we try that again?]

"Are… are you sure? That fall looked pretty painful!"

[My pride is most hurt,] Eevee replied. He turned to Peter and nuzzled his face affectionately. [Your concern does you credit, but I am not hurt. I wish to continue now.]

Peter laughed, slightly hysterically, and hugged Eevee. "Okay," he said. "Just remember to let go when you throw the blasted thing next time."

Eevee glared at Peter's backpack. [I didn't think of that,] he admitted darkly.

This time, it worked perfectly. Eevee threw Peter's backpack across the clearing. "That's great," Peter yelled, running over to his Pokémon. "You've just learnt 'Bite Toss!' I saw Master Ash's Houndoom use that during the League Championships this year! You are going to be the strongest of them all, you know that?"

Eevee looked slightly abashed. [If I am anything, it is because you are training me well," Eevee said, making Peter blush in embarrassment. [What is next?]

The last trick of the day was Sand Attack. Basically, Peter encouraged Eevee to turn his back to the backpack and dig up the dirt with his hind legs, kicking it at the backpack like an impromptu sand-blasting.

Eevee was eager to do more, stating that he felt he needed to continue to practice in order to perfect the attacks. Peter could tell he was beginning to tire. He wasn't about to exhaust the little Pokémon on his first day on the road. "Eevee," he said gently, "we've got nine months until the next season starts. There's no rush."

Eevee looked at Peter for a moment and then, abruptly, sat down and began to pant. [Okay, I would like a break,] he admitted. [I guess I'm a little hungry too,] he added.

Peter's stomach suddenly growled loudly, making the boy laugh. He had been so focussed on training that he had forgotten about lunch. According to his watch, it was now three in the afternoon. "Okay, dinnertime," he said.

Peter didn't waste much time on dinner. He ate a military-style ration bar and fed half of what the Pokémart called a 'Pokémeal Bar,' to Eevee. He drank a little water and let Eevee drink some himself out of a plastic bowl that Peter had packed with the rest of his equipment.

After the meal, Peter spent some time trying to clean Eevee's fur, which had become dirty in the rough-and-tumble of Training. He also made sure Eevee wasn't hurt after the mishap while learning Bite Toss. Finally, Peter pulled out his Pokédex and set it to perform a Statistic Scan on Eevee.

Peter watched with some pride as the measurement of Eevee's health, happiness, strength, and agility statistics appeared on the right-hand screen. What made him even prouder was that 'happiness' was above average and, at the bottom of the table, a message blinked in golden yellow text: "Eevee serial no.: IND-PAL66D-PHC-0001. Experience Level: 3.' When Peter had first scanned Eevee that morning at the Research Centre, he had been Experience Level 2. What he saw on the screen now could mean only one thing.

Peter beamed. "I've done it," he said. "I'm a Pokémon Trainer." He leaned over and hugged Eevee hard. Eevee, who had been enjoying a relaxing nap after his dinner growled at the sudden manhandling, but not too loudly.

Peter and Eevee were walking down Route 1 again, heading for Viridian City. Peter hoped to cover a few more miles today, but he didn't expect to reach the regional capital before tomorrow noon at the very earliest. Neither he nor his Pokémon was in a hurry. Now the two of them had gained some confidence in each other, they were looking for Pokémon to capture.

[We should start with something simple,] Eevee said, looking up from where he had been checking for interesting scents, [something not too difficult. Perhaps a Charizard or an Onyx.] Peter shot the little normal-type a 'You-are-not-serious' look. [What? Don't you have any confidence in me?] Eevee said, sounding a bit hurt.

"Confidence is one thing," Peter said. "Putting you up against a Pokémon that is about 200 times your size and can level a small city unaided is something different." Eevee snorted. "Don't worry, pal," Peter said with a laugh, patting the fox's head, "your time will come. Until then, let's start on easier prey. Something like a Pidgey or a Caterpie."

[You're no fun,] Eevee said with a vulpine pout.

"Hey," Peter knelt and Eevee turned to look at him in surprise. "I said that your time will come and I meant it. I don't want you getting yourself killed before then, okay?"

Eevee sighed, rolled his eyes and rubbed his Trainer's face. [Okay, Peter,] he said in a tone of profound martyrdom.

The two friends got underway again. Something was tickling at the back of Peter's mind and he couldn't get his attention off of it. "Eevee," he said, "would you like a name? A proper name, I mean."

Eevee didn't deign to look up from his search for scents. [Why? I know who I am!]

"Yeah I know," Peter said in a slightly embarrassed tone. "It's just a bit… well… undignified, don't you think? Me calling you by your species name? It's like you calling me 'Boy' or me calling my Mom 'Woman!'"

Eevee considered this. His sire and dam had named him in their species' own language, of course: a combination of the three phonemes that made up the word 'Eevee' that was totally unpronounceable by a human's tongue. He didn't really like the thought of being given a new name. That smacked of 'ownership' and he didn't want to be any human's slave, even one as nice as Peter. Even so, he could see Peter's point. He clearly felt that 'Eevee' was too generic and wanted some individual identification for him. [Okay, what did you have in mind?] Eevee asked in a neutral tone of voice. And if he says 'Fluffy' or 'Cutie-pie,' he continued silently, I swear to Mew that I'll use Sand Attack on him and run off to join Team Rocket!

"Something that defines you," Peter said.

Peter had noted the way Eevee was sticking close to him. Since the moment he had first let the Pokémon out of his Pokéball, he hadn't been more than three yards from him. Despite not being on a lead, Eevee was keeping close to his Trainer's side as if he were attached to him by an invisible rod. Even when they were training, he had been quick to return to Peter's side when he wasn't doing something else. He was also a quiet mover. Peter had to continually look down to make sure the Pokémon was still with him.

"Okay, you stay close to me and you are quiet," Peter said uncertainly. "How about 'Shadow?'"

Eevee mulled that over in his head. Even if Peter's reason made him sound like a dreadful creep, It gave an impression of mystery and power that appealed to the fox's ego. [I've heard worse suggestions,] he said thoughtfully. Eevee looked up at his Trainer and decided that the human had definitely decided on this 'name' thing. Well, this was better than most, and he couldn't come up with one that described him better. [Yeah, okay,] he finally said. [Why not? 'Shadow' it is!]

Peter laughed. He stopped and knelt again to hug his friend tightly. "Okay," he said. "It's good to meet you, Shadow."

[Entei! Less with the physical stuff,] Shadow growled. He might be making out he was angry, but the warmth and friendship he could feel coming from Peter made him feel good. It made him feel very good.

Suddenly a piercing scream rent the forest around the two friends. "Get away from me! HELP!" It was a young, female voice.

Peter almost fell over in surprise. "What the hell is that?" he blurted.

Shadow turned around and cocked his prehensile ears. This adaptation, that let Eevees hunt Rattata and Sandshrew in near-total darkness, allowed an Eevee to use its' hearing to pinpoint a source of a sound with a great deal of accuracy.

[A human female a short distance to our left and slightly ahead,] Shadow reported, suddenly tense. His instincts were making his hackles rise as he felt something unlike anything he had felt before: battle nerves.

There was another scream. "She sounds like she is in trouble," Peter said, and immediately kicked himself mentally for saying something so dumb! "We'd better see what is going on!"

With Shadow at his side, Peter dived into the forest, dodging past several trees and jumping a few fallen limbs. Within a few seconds, he halted before a most singular sight.

A girl with a narrow oriental face, waist-length black hair and chocolate-brown eyes wearing hard travelling clothes not unlike his own was sitting on the branch of a tree, looking down at the ground in terror. It was obvious that something had chased her up there. Peter looked down, wondering what it could be. Maybe an Ekans or a Sneasel? What he saw surprised him to no end. A blue rodent with sharp incisor teeth was snarling up at the terrified girl.

There was a tiny possibility that Peter had identified the creature wrongly, so he pulled out his Pokédex and hit the 'scan' button. The Pokédex identified the Pokémon immediately and spat out a basic summary report.

"Pokémon #019 – Rattata," the Pokédex reported. "A normal-type Pokémon. Rattata is common in all forested areas of the Kanto region and is also common in urban areas. It is the most common type of Pokémon known and it is rare to encounter a Trainer who does not have at least one of this type.

"Rattata is a dangerous fighter and, like other members of the Normal-type, can learn a wide range of attacks from various elements. Rattata is frequently looked down upon because it is common and it lacks the power of many other Pokémon. However, it is a loyal and aggressive fighter, well capable of besting other base-level Pokémon that enjoy a paper advantage.

At Experience Level 20, Rattata evolves into Raticate."

Peter stood there, staring at the Pokémon, which hadn't noticed him and Shadow yet. "It's only a Rattata," Peter called up to the girl. He recognised her now. Talia Ayumi McAlester was one of the other Novices who had left Pallet earlier that day. Her family was rich, very rich, and the girl had always looked down on Peter as a non-entity. She wasn't mean like a lot of them, but she was coldly indifferent. It was a different story now, obviously.

"It is a horrible beast!" she blurted. "Get rid of it!"

Peter laughed scornfully. "It is a Rattata!" he insisted. "Why don't you use your Pokémon to drive it off? Or better still to capture it?"

The girl (who always thought of herself as 'Lia') turned tear-reddened eyes to look angrily at Peter. "Why should I risk getting my Chikorita hurt facing that… filthy horror!" she hissed. "If you're so tough, you little dirt-poor twerp, why don't you and your little mangy fox deal with it?"

Peter felt his heart harden as his cheeks flamed red in anger. Perhaps she was mean, after all. "If you are so wonderful, rich girl, you handle it," he hissed. "Maybe it is your own fault for disturbing it!"

Peter turned and was about to storm away when Lia screamed out to him. "WAIT!" Peter turned back and was shocked at the look of desperation on the girl's face. "Please don't leave me here," she begged. "I'm sorry I called you names. Please help!"

Peter tried to sneer and ordered his body to turn away again, but he had very little cruelty in his soul. He wasn't able to abandon someone who needed help. "Why did you call me names?" he asked quietly.

"I'M SCARED!" the girl wailed. "It made me angry and I wasn't thinking! Please…"

Peter drew in a deep breath, and suddenly felt a great anticipation. He leaned over and stared at the Rattata, which had finally noticed him. Peter suddenly had a great urge to have a cap like the one Master Ash wore, so he could reverse it as the new Master always did when he was about to begin a battle. "Okay, Shadow," he said, "we're about to break our duck."

Shadow grinned in anticipation and stepped forward. [I'll show her who's mangy,] he promised.

Sensing a chance to run, Lia began to clamber down the tree. The Rattata noticed and turned back to her with a terrible Fearsome Face attack. Lia squeaked in panic and scooted back up the tree again. Peter used the distraction. "Use Sand Attack!" he ordered.

Shadow reversed his position and started to kick dirt at the Rattata, who was knocked onto its' side by the sudden attack. The creature snarled and launched itself towards the Eevee. "Dodge," Peter ordered. Shadow jumped to the left and the Rattata hit the dirt. "Great work, now use Bite Toss!" Shadow lunged forward, but the Rattata used Tail Whip, hitting the Eevee across the face and making him jerk back in surprise.

The Rattata turned and prepared to launch itself forward again. Peter suddenly had an inspiration. "Wait, Shadow," he ordered. At the moment Rattata jumped, Peter ordered: "Tackle!" Shadow caught the Rattata mid-air and sent him flying. "Yeah! Direct hit!" Peter was dancing with glee. "Let's finish this! Use Pound! Jump on that thing with all four feet and kick as you do it!"

The impromptu command surprised Shadow, but he did as he was ordered and nearly flattened the Rattata. The creature didn't move. [Ha! I win!] Shadow exulted.

"Hey, yeah you did!" Peter shouted back. He ran forward and hugged the Eevee in excitement. Lia sighed in relief and began to move down the tree again. Peter had the strangest feeling that he had forgotten something. Then, he realised what it was.

Peter released Shadow from his hug and reached behind him to a pouch containing his unused Pokéballs. He pulled a minimised ball, the size of a marble, out of the pouch and squeezed it to bring it up to its full size. "Pokéball go!" he shouted, throwing the device. The ball struck the Rattata on the back and opened as the Pokémon flashed into red light, which was sucked into the trap. The ball dropped to the ground, flashing three red lights around the edge of the recall lens. After a few seconds, the lights went green and the Pokéball locked shut.

Peter was stunned. He walked up and picked up the Pokéball, which was suddenly warm to the touch. "I… I've caught a Pokémon!" he whispered in disbelief.

[You've caught a Pokémon?] Shadow asked, sounding offended.

Peter laughed. "Okay, we've caught it," he said. "Thanks Shadow. You were so brave and strong! You are a great fighter." Peter touched the 'Max/Min' control on the Pokéball to reduce it to its' intermediate 'transport' size and slid it onto his belt.

[Shucks… it was nothing really,] the Eevee demurred.

"Don't tell me you're keeping that… thing?" asked a suddenly-cultured female voice.

Peter turned to look Talia McAlester in the eye. "Why not?" he asked. "Rattata are good fighters!"

"They are as common as dirt," the girl corrected in a snobbish tone of voice. "I'm going to save myself for something much better!"

"If you don't work for the common ones, how will you catch the rare ones?" Peter wanted to know. Lia shot him a strange look. "You can't just expect Pokémon to fall into your lap because you're rich, you know Talia." The girl went red in anger at the slightly condescending way Peter was talking to her. "Well," Peter said, not giving her a chance to reply, "I was glad to help, Ma'am. Try to keep out of trouble in future." Peter touched two fingers to the peak of an imaginary cap, turned and, with Shadow dancing at his side, he walked back to Route 1 and his Journey.

Lia stood there, amazed that that… poor kid would dare to talk to her in that way. Didn't he know who she was? Her parents could buy him a hundred times over. She opened her mouth to assert herself, but the boy was already gone. "What… hey! Come back!" she shouted, sprinting after him.

Peter was walking along the forest trail when he heard Lia behind him, shouting for all she was worth. "Hey! You!" she was calling. "Come back here! You can't talk down to me like that! Who do you think you are? Come back!"

Shadow looked up at his Trainer in confusion. [Aren't you going to reply?] he asked.

Peter shrugged. "She just wants to tell me that she is a wonderful rich person and that I should show her respect," he replied. "I've heard it all before, though not from her I admit. I don't really want to hear it again."

"Come back here!" Lia continued. "Stop where you are! Hey… POOR PERSON!"

Peter froze in his tracks. Lia jogged up beside him, breathing heavily. She had lost a lot of ground having to retrace her steps to find her pack (she had dropped it in her panic when she nearly trod on the Rattata). It had taken her a while to catch up with Peter as he was setting a fast pace and she wasn't really in particularly good shape, having been driven virtually everywhere before now.

"What did you say?" Peter growled, swinging around to face the rich girl. "Is that how you thank someone who helped you? By insulting them?"

Lia felt strangely intimidated. "Well… well you wouldn't stop when I asked," she said. "I wanted you to stop." Why couldn't this twerp figure that out for himself?

"I didn't think we had anything to say," Peter said dryly.

"Look, you can't talk to me the way you did back there," Lia snapped. "My father owns the biggest chemical company in Kanto and my mother is the region's most influential fashion designer! Show me some respect!"

"Prove that I should show you respect," Peter said stubbornly.

"Well!" Lia snapped. "What's to prove? My family could buy you a thousand times over!"

To Lia's surprise, Peter wasn't daunted. "So?" he asked. "A fat lot of good all that money would have done you if that Rattata had gnawed your limbs off!"

"Uh… it wouldn't have… would it…?" Lia said hesitantly. She shook her head as her training and instincts told her to get on top of the conversation. "Anyway, it doesn't matter because you helped like I asked," she concluded. "Just show the proper respect in future!"

"You still haven't proved you deserve respect," Peter hissed. He shook his head. "Come on, Shadow," he said to his Eevee, "let's leave the little rich princess to her Journey." The boy and his Pokémon turned to leave.

When she realised he was just going to leave her, Lia suddenly felt afraid again. She jumped forward. "Hey, wait!" she shouted.

Peter rolled his eyes and paused again. "Yes?" he asked.

"All right, I know what this is about," Lia said in a resigned tone of voice. "You want a reward for helping me don't you. Okay, just let me get my purse…" Lia swung her backpack off of her shoulders and reached inside for something.

"What… No!" Peter was initially shocked, then surprised and finally really offended by this. "I don't want your money, Talia!" Peter shook his head, feeling disgusted at the rich girl. "What is it with you people and your damn attitude?" he snapped. "I've got a news flash for you: I don't want your money, you know. I didn't help you because you are rich, I helped you because you were someone in trouble… as pathetic as being scared by a Rattata is."

Lia didn't know whether to be embarrassed by the boy's refusal (she still didn't know his name, but it didn't surprise her that he knew hers) or angry at his cavalier dismissal of her courage. She settled on the latter. "Hey, look, that damn rodent caught me by surprise!" she shouted. "If I hadn't been so shocked, I probably would have caught it!"

Peter was pleasantly surprised. He had expected another threat, or maybe a call to her father to have him beaten up for his impertinence. He wasn't expecting injured professionalism. "I'm sure you would have," he said more quietly. "Look, I'm on a schedule here, I've got to go."

Lia was confused and a bit disoriented. Her father had taught her an extreme scorn for the less-well-off of society, most notably the children of working- and lower-middle-class families. He had taught her that they were not her peers and that she shouldn't consider them as important. He had warned her that they came in two sorts. The first were a sly, greedy lot who would do anything for her money. The second were proud and aggressive and would hurt her because they were jealous of her wealth and superior position.

Somehow, she had always doubted her father's stereotyping. Peter was only making those doubts worse by being proud, but kind and helpful. His refusing a reward had shaken the foundations of her perceptions.

At the same time, she was honest enough to admit that she didn't have the first clue what to do out here. She had a fantasy of sunshine, flowers and semi-tame Pokémon walking up and begging to join her in her quest to find some measure of an independent place for herself in the world. Instead, she had experienced fear, disorientation and a Rattata that seemed determined to bite off her limbs. She looked at Peter thoughtfully. Maybe… maybe he could be of help to her.

Peter was just as surprised as Lia was. He had seen lots of the children of Pallet Town's large rich community down at the Mall. They paraded around in their designer clothes and generally treated the other kids as being less than dirt. They always looked physically perfect and totally self-possessed. He had expected snobbishness and an absolute confidence.

Although the girl before him was arrogant and insulting, there was something unexpected about her. Her designer clothes and makeup job were both dishevelled from her day's adventures and there was a fear about her. She seemed surprisingly normal and human to Peter. She was probably afraid about being out here alone. Peter could understand that, as he felt the same. Nonetheless, there was something else that caused her to fear.

"Um… could I come with you?" Lia asked quietly.

Peter was surprised, but he didn't mind. "Sure," he said. "Just remember one thing: I don't take orders. I'm not doing this for money and I'm not doing this as my 'duty' to my 'betters,' okay?"

Lia snorted. "Proud punk," she muttered.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?" Peter snapped.

"Well, come on," Lia shouted, "you are coming on so tough and independent, but you know I'm better, don't you?" That was another thing her father taught her. Working-class types always knew their betters, no matter how much they might deny it.

"No I don't," Peter shouted back. "I am a Pokémon Trainer on his journey and I don't see you as being any different from me! I don't need anyone to give me orders!" Peter growled deep in his throat and tried to regain control of his temper. "I've camped out here with my father every summer since I was five! I can look after myself!"

"Well so can I!" Lia shouted back at him. "Probably better than you can!" No I don't, she reminded herself. My holidays have always been to big hotels or my family's villa on Seafoam Island!

"That's it," Peter snapped. He turned and strode away.

Lia panicked. "Hey wait, I said I want to come with you!" she said. She started to dance in fury. "Look, blast it, why can't you at least try to respect me?"

Peter turned around and strode back towards Lia, who backed up, fearing an incipient mugging. "Look," Peter said, "I have had enough of your arrogance. You haven't done anything to claim respect from me except wave your money in my face. I'm not impressed by that, you know!"

This was the last straw for Lia. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH," she screamed and burst into tears. "I… I should have l… listened to Daddy," she wailed, falling to her knees. "I wanted to prove that I could make something of myself on my own! But all I've done is get lost and now I'm being shouted at by a penniless bully!" Lia tried to pull her mobile phone off of her belt, but got all tangled up in the webbing. "I'm calling Daddy and asking him to… to take me home! He… he said this isn't an occupation for a… a lady and he was right! I'll never be anything but a rich man's daughter!"

"Hey!" Peter felt like crud now. He hated seeing girls cry, even arrogant rich ones. What made it worse was that he had so obviously made he cry. He stepped forward and tried to grab Lia's shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. "I… I'm sorry, Talia. I didn't mean to make you cry!"

"GET OFF OF ME!" Lia screamed, knocking Peter's hands away. She started crying some more. "I… I'm a failure! You know it… everyone knows it! That's why you don't respect me! I'm a know-nothing, air-headed rich girl failure!"

"Hey, who said you're a failure?" Peter asked. "Okay, I don't like your attitude, but I don't think you're a failure!"

"But… but I'm lonely and scared," Lia whimpered.

"I was lonely when I first got into the woods too, Talia," Peter said, kneeling beside the girl and putting a hand on her shoulder. This time she didn't try to shake his hand off. "Being so far from my home and family scared me too, you know."

"R… really?" Lia asked, surprised. She had stopped crying now. "I… I suppose it's natural, huh?"

Peter shrugged. "Don't ask me," he said. "I haven't done this before!"

Talia laughed slightly. "I really don't know what to do out here," she admitted. "I… I could use some help, you know. I want to learn to be my own person, but I don't have the first clue how to start!"

"I'd be glad to help," he said. "I've only one condition to make. No going on about the fact I'm not rich and that this makes you better than me. We're both Pokémon Trainers, and that should go beyond all other barriers."

Weird concept, Lia thought. However, she liked the concept. "I'll agree if you promise you won't look down on me for being a rich girl who has had everything given to her before now."

"I promise," Peter said. He stuck out a hand. "Peter Croft," he said. Lia looked at him for a moment then took it for a shake. "We've got a deal, Talia," he said.

"Lia," the girl corrected quietly. Peter blinked at her in confusion. "Everyone calls me Lia… except my parents of course."

"Lia it is," Peter said. He gestured to his Eevee. "And this is Shadow the Eevee," he added.

"A nice name," Lia said. She reached out and Shadow allowed this female to touch and caress him.

The two stood up and looked at each other thoughtfully. "We… we really got off on the wrong foot didn't we?" she said ruefully.

"That's one way of putting it," Peter admitted. "I expected you to be a rude, abrasive and arrogant rich girl and I got what I expected."

"And I expected an impertinent, insulting and difficult poor boy and I got what I expected too," Lia said, something sparkling in her eyes. "But I wasn't expecting you to be kind and helpful."

"I wasn't expecting you to want to achieve something," Peter said quietly. He shook his head. "I guess we're both guilty of expecting the worse and making sure we get it!"

Lia was grinning madly. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said. "You really got me mad, you know," she said with a slight giggle. "You should have seen the look on your face when I offered you a reward for helping me out!" She started laughing.

"You should have seen the look on your face when I refused it!" Peter countered. Suddenly the two of them were laughing like old friends while Shadow looked on in patent surprise.

After they sobered up a little, Lia looked at Peter seriously. "I really need someone to get me going," she said. "Can I come with you?" Lia's voice was filled with a desperation that touched Peter's heart.

"Of course!" Peter said. "It will be good to have some company on the road." Shadow grunted and butted his leg. "Human company, I mean," Peter amended, tickling his Eevee between the ears.

"So have you been trying to train your Chikorita?" Peter asked Lia as the two new companions walked down Route 1.

Lia shrugged. "I've introduced myself and tried the basic attacks," Lia said. "I'm really not all that clear on what 'training' means, though."

Peter was surprised. "Haven't you checked your Pokédex?" he asked.

Lia blushed. Pride and self-confidence were something so ingrained into her, that she hadn't thought to check her Pokédex. She knew best, after all. Suddenly she realised what a stupid attitude that was to have. "I… er… I guess I forgot," she said lamely. Peter had stopped suddenly and Lia walked on a few yards before she realised that she was on her own. "Hey!" Lia turned and ran back. "What's up?"

"Maybe we should do some Training now," he suggested. "I want to start working with my new Rattata anyway."

Lia looked nervously at the Pokéball that Peter was holding. "Um… Okay," she said at last. "Just let me check my Pokédex first. I want to make sure I haven't forgotten any of Chikorita's attacks."

Peter watched as Lia took off her backpack and retreated under a tree to review the Pokédex entry on her Pokémon. He had never appreciated before exactly how vulnerable a rich person could be. Having easy money must be fun, of course, but it seemed to make it more difficult to look after yourself when you were on your own.

Peter shook his head, touched the 'release' control on the Pokéball he was holding and tossed the ball forward. The ball split open to reveal Rattata, who looked around himself in surprise. "Ratt-at-ata-at?" he blurted. Peter guessed that meant something along the lines of 'What happened?'

Taking a bit of a risk, Peter knelt before his new Pokémon. "Hi, Rattata, I'm Peter," he said. Rattata looked at Peter thoughtfully, but didn't reply. "I'm going to be your Trainer. I'll help you grow strong."

Rattata looked at the human in some surprise and wandered over to him. Peter reached out with his right hand and let the normal-type rodent sniff his fingers. "At-rat, Atta," Rattata said with a toothy grin. Peter instinctively knew that that meant [Hi, Peter!] The rodent cocked his head. "Rat-atta-at-at-rattata-rat-rat?" The questioning tone was clear, as was the tense posture of the little Pokémon's body.

"I want to train you to be strong and know how to fight well," Peter said. "If you like, we can be friends too."

Rattata looked up at Peter in confusion, shot a look at Shadow and then grinned. "Rattata-rat-at-ata-attata-rat!"

[He said: 'I like the sound of that, let's do it!'] Shadow explained to his Trainer. Peter laughed.

Over by the tree, Lia was puzzling over the Pokédex entry on Chikoritas when she heard Peter's laugh. She looked up and saw the boy holding his hand out in front of him and encouraging his Rattata to try to grab him before he moved his arm. She shook her head. She would never understand why Peter decided to keep that filthy-looking vermin! She was going to concentrate on graceful, powerful Pokémon like Dratini and Charmander!

Suddenly, Peter was looking at her in a very concerned way. "Lia," he said, "don't move." Peter padded over and knelt in front of her, looking slightly concerned.

"What… what is it?" she asked nervously. "A Beedrill? An Ekans? Please, God don't let it be an Ekans!"

Peter pulled a minimised Pokéball, maximised it and, with a pitch that would easily get him entrance to the Junior World Series, he tossed it at something over Lia's left shoulder. The ball caught whatever it was and dropped to the ground, its' green LEDs glowing. "It was only a Caterpie," Peter said as he retrieved the ball, "but I didn't want you panicking and scaring it off."

"What…?" Lia was furious. "Look here you Twerp, I'm not scared of bugs! I'm not scared of anything!"

"Except Rattatas," Peter said with a malicious grin.

"Aargh! I already said it was because that blasted thing took me by surprise!" she shouted. "Why the sudden abuse?" She scowled at the grinning boy and realised that she had fallen victim to teasing. This made her even angrier. "I'll show you! The next time we meet a Rattata…!"

Lia didn't get to finish her promise. "Well, I've got Buck," Peter said. Lia gave him a surprised look. "My Rattata," he said. "Why not find out if you are scared? We can put him against your Chikorita. I haven't had the chance to do much work with him, so you should have an advantage."

Lia was shocked, and then intrigued. "Okay, you're on," she said. She pulled her one Pokéball off her belt and activated it. "Go Chikorita," she said.

Her plant-type materialised at her feet. The cute critter looked around and then grinned infectiously when he saw his Trainer. [Oh, hello Lia,] he said. [What's up?]

"Some new Training, Chikorita," Lia said, kneeling beside her Pokémon. "You're going to have your first Battle!" Chikorita seemed excited, and a bit nervous. "You against a Rattata," Lia said. "I know that it will be easy, but I need you to prove something to my travelling companion here." Lia looked at Peter and stuck her tongue out at him.

Peter frowned and called Buck the Rattata over to his side. "Okay, Buck," he said, "get ready! It's you verses a Chikorita."

[I'm ready,] Buck said, grinning at the plant-type and stalked forward until he was halfway between Peter and Lia.

Lia looked at Peter questioningly. "He said 'I'm ready,'" he explained.

Lia nodded and stood up. "Okay," she said. "Chikorita… Tackle!" Chikorita charged at full speed right at Buck.

"Dodge!" Peter yelled. Buck jumped out of the way and Chikorita overshot his mark and had to skid to stop before he hit Peter. "Fearsome Face!" Peter commanded. Buck snarled, showing his impressive teeth. Chikorita froze in instinctive fear. "Great, now use Tail Whip," Peter shouted. Buck ran over and slapped his prehensile tail across Chikorita's face, making the plant-type reel away.

"Oh no, Chikorita!" Lia cried. "Leave him alone, you bully!" she shouted at Peter, tears threatening at the edge of her eyes.

"Don't shout, fight," Peter said sternly.

"I'll show you!" Lia fumed. "Use Poison Powder, Chikorita!" There was a quiet 'puff' sound and a cloud of grey dust puffed out from Chikorita's body, making the air go opaque. The cloud of toxic spores covered Buck too, who started to cough.

"Back off, Buck," Peter called, alarmed for his Pokémon. The Rattata staggered out of the cloud. "Are you okay?"

[Uh… woozy,] Buck muttered, shaking his head.

"Buck, focus on my voice," Peter shouted. The weakened Rattata looked at his Trainer in a dull, confused way, but as he looked into Peter's eyes, the boy could see the Pokémon's awareness sharpening. He was still able to fight.

"Yeah!" Lia crowed. "Now let's finish this! Use Tackle again, Chikorita!"

"Wait for it…" Peter warned. Chikorita burst out of the cloud of poison dust, which was now settling to the forest floor. "Now, jump back!" The Rattata jumped back from Chikorita's charge and the plant-type skidded to a halt, surprised that his target was no longer there. "Now, forward and use Tackle!" Peter commanded.

Buck jumped forward and slammed himself against Chikorita's lower jaw, making the plant type's head snap back, his eyes glassy. "Okay, Buck, use Tail Whip again!" Peter called, feeling a victory coming on.

"Chikorita!" Lia shouted in fury and fear. "Focus, Chikorita. Use Poison Powder!"

Chikorita shook his head and scowled at the Rattata. He breathed in and blew a jet of sparkling grey dust into the Rattata's face before he could even turn around and use his tail. Buck's eyes crossed over and he fell over. "Ouch," Peter said with a wince. He walked over and knelt before his stunned Pokémon. "I'll need to use some antidotes on you," Peter remarked.

"I… I won?" Lia could not believe it. "I won! How do you like them apples, Peter Croft?" she crowed. Lia dropped to her knees and held out her arms to Chikorita, who ran over and jumped into her arms, squeaking ecstatically.

Peter gritted his teeth, but forced himself to be complimentary. He was the one who suggested this after all. He should be pleased that the girl wasn't scared after all. Nonetheless, he wasn't happy to see Buck hurt like this. "Yeah, you won," he said. "Good work."

That surprised Lia. She was vaguely disappointed that there were no accusations of cheating or tears. "Oh… so… you don't mind?" she asked.

"Oh I mind," Peter said with as much cheer as he could manage. "It is just that you won fair and square… so there's no point me complaining is there?" Peter sucked in a deep breath. He had just fed Buck a general antidote for plant-type poisons, and the Rattata was already coming around. He tried to look at this objectively, but failed. "Still, at least you didn't beat me too easily," he said.

Lia felt it possible to be magnanimous in victory. "Well, you gave me a couple of nasty scares," she admitted. "I guess that Battle could have gone either way."

"I guess," Peter agreed.

There was an awkward pause while Peter made sure that Buck was on his feet again and Lia recalled her Chikorita to his Pokéball. After he was sure Buck was recovering well, Peter recalled him too. Shadow walked over.

[Next time, use your best if you want to win,] the Eevee said.

Peter laughed. "I had to exercise Buck, Shadow," he said. "Besides," he said more quietly, "I think Lia needed a jolt to get her confidence up."

Lia turned from where she was fussing over her backpack. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," she said.

Peter squinted over the trees and noted the length of the shadows. "It is getting late," he said. "I guess this is a good place to make camp as any."

Lia looked nervous. "Make camp?" she asked. "You mean… you want to stay out here tonight rather than get to Viridian City?" The very thought of sleeping out in the wild made her feel queasy and scared again.

"We'll never make it to Viridian before nightfall," Peter said. "We should make camp while there's still enough sunlight to see anything."

Lia still looked a bit nervous, but she nodded in agreement.

As it turned out, it was Peter who made camp. Lia didn't even know how to start, and this made her feel depressed and inadequate again. Peter found enough firewood for a fire and managed to light it without burning down the forest or burning off his eyebrows (something that his Dad said happened to him once).

Lia fussed over the arrangement of the backpacks and tried not to look too nervous about spending a night out in the woods. "Lia," Peter said after she had adjusted the position of the two Trainers' equipment again, "it's going to be fine."

"I… I just want everything to be right," she insisted.

Peter walked over to her. "I'm nervous too," he said. "I've never done this on my own before!"

Lia blushed and it got worse when her stomach complained in a loud, liquid tone. "I've never been so hungry," she said.

"Didn't you have a lunch or dinner?" Peter asked in surprise. Lia blushed as deeply red as Peter had ever seen. "Let me guess, you haven't done that before either?"

"I know how to eat," Lia said, angry and embarrassed. "It is just that… well I didn't want one of those dry, horrible ration bars. I wanted real food."

Peter could understand that. "Well, let's see what we can put together between us," he suggested.

About an hour later, the two Trainers were eating a re-heated rice dish from foil containers. It wasn't much, but Peter didn't really know how to cook either. Re-heating a pre-made meal in a pan of water was about the best he could manage. Lia was a bit uncertain of this rather plain fare, but her complaining stomach persuaded her to try it. She wasn't disappointed. After the hot course, she unbent enough to give Peter one of the apples her parents had given her as a 'packed lunch.'

After digesting their meal, they both went about the daily chores that were involved in being a Trainer, feeding, watering and grooming their Pokémon.

Twilight became night, and the only light in the forest was the blazing warmth of the two youngsters' campfire. The two ten-year-olds watched the fire for some minutes before Peter spoke. "You said earlier today that you are saving yourself for something special," he said. "What did you mean?"

Lia blushed, she hadn't told anyone about this before. "I'm going to get the base level of every elemental Pokémon," she said. "A Bulbasaur, a Chikorita, a Charmander, a Cyndaquil, a Dratini, a Pidgey, a Squirtle, an Abra, a Totodile, a Pichu and a Clefa. Then I'm going to train them until they are have reached the third level and then I'm going to win the Supreme Championship!" Lia's excited recital had left her a bit out of breath. "Anyway, find the best, that's the only way to do it," she said. "No offence, Peter, but I don't know why you wanted a Rattata and a Caterpie."

Peter laughed. "I meant what I said about getting the common to get the rare," he said. "You can't turn your back on any Pokémon because they're not rare or because they won't evolve into a massive engine of destruction like a Typhlosion or a Blastoise. I want to catch every kind of Pokémon there is. I won't be able to catch the Legendary Birds and Dogs, of course, Master Ash caught them some time ago, but every other kind…" Peter nodded firmly and grinned. "It will make getting those rare and powerful Pokémon easier if I have a strong team to work with when I find them."

Lia nodded. "I guess," she said. "I suppose I'll have to unbend tomorrow and find a few other Pokémon. I can't expect Chikorita to do all the work."

Peter nodded. After a moment, he stood, stretched and yawned; feeling more completely exhausted than he had ever been before. "It's time for bed," he said. Lia looked up at him and sighed, feeling incredibly tired too.

"I'm not looking forward to this," she said, "but I've got to sleep before I fall over!"

After making sure he knew where everything was, Peter damped down the campfire and then kicked dirt over it to put it out. Lia blushed and looked away as, by the light of the stars and moon, the boy stripped of his shoes, socks, jeans and jacket and slipped into his sleeping bag. As soon as she was sure Peter was not looking, she pulled off her jeans and blouse and slipped into her own sleeping bag.

There were three 'pop' sounds and a brief flare of light from Peter's side of the camp as he released his Pokémon again. "Settle down guys," he said sleepily. "It's time for bed."

Peter felt Shadow curl up beside him. Buck crawled into his sleeping bag and curled up at his feet. Bugsy the Caterpie got into the sleeping bag too, and curled up on his chest. Peter felt the warmth of his three friends and their reassuring presence only made his eyes heavier. He was just about to slip into sleep when a nervous voice spoke up.

"Peter?"

"Yes Lia?" he muttered.

"I… I'm lonely, I'm cold and I'm scared," Lia said. The girl was close to tears. She had never felt so utterly alone and vulnerable as she did at this moment.

Peter was too tired to be nice. What did she want? Him to crawl over and cuddle her until she fell asleep? Yuck! Cooties! "Why don't you let Chikorita sleep with you?" he murmured. "He'll be glad to reassure you." With that, Peter determinedly closed his eyes and slipped off into the darkness.

Lia lay there, exhausted but wide-awake from fear for several minutes. The whole thought of sleeping with an animal disgusted her, but… Lia sighed. Chikorita was more than her Pokémon. As the oath said, she was supposed to be a friend, not a mistress. She reached over and found her Pokébelt by touch. She activated the single ball attached to it, and looked into Chikorita's dimly shining eyes. "Chikorita, would you like to sleep beside me?" she asked.

[Yes, I would, Lia,] Chikorita replied. The plant-type walked over and settled himself beside Lia. Lia reached out and touched his warm body. On an impulse, she turned over on her side and wrapped her arm around her friend, as she would have one of the dozens of cuddly toys on her bed at home. Reassured by her Pokémon's presence, Lia finally dropped off to sleep.

To be continued…

Afterword

Hey, don't stop sending in requests to be characters in the story! The first guest characters will start appearing from the next part (who knows when I'll get around to doing that). Seriously, I welcome all feedback, and I welcome anyone who are good enough sports to be turned into 10-year old novices for me to torment ;-)

Hey! I want to be in on this one too!