Hi everyone! It's been years since I've written any fanfiction. From college to now working full-time, it's been so hard to find the energy to write. But I've always had story ideas bouncing around my head and honestly? I just kinda missed it. So I've decided to try getting back into it!

This fic is my take on the FRLG games, with some HGSS thrown in. I have ideas for other games too- let's see if I can finish this one and make a series out of it.

Without further ado, here's chapter 1. I hope you enjoy!


Part 1: Trainer

Chapter 1

She hadn't meant to walk into the room.

Really, she hadn't.

She had just gone upstairs to use the bathroom. The toilet on the first floor needed to be repaired. As she made her way back to the dining room, where her parents and the family that invited them over for a Welcome to Pallet Town dinner were laughing over something, she glanced around the long hallway. Pictures were hung up all over. Here, the family was having a picnic. There, they were in a city whose buildings pierced through the clouds. Nearly all the photos had Pokemon in them. It was when she stopped to study a photo of the grandpa when he was much younger, wearing a white lab coat and proudly holding up a golden plaque, that she noticed a blue light trickling from one of the rooms.

She knew somewhere in the back of her head that her mom wouldn't want her to enter someone else's room without their permission, but something compelled her to open the door. When she did, her hazel eyes widened.

The light was coming from a large, empty fish tank, sitting on a table next to an office desk. But that wasn't what caught her attention. Against the wall were shelves holding countless PokeBalls, their smooth surfaces illuminated by the light. She slowly, then more confidently, approached the lowest shelf and plucked a PokeBall off. It was so small, about the size of her palm. It was hard for her to believe that a Pokemon could fit inside it. The red and white halves were separated by a jet black line. At the center of the line was a white button. She pressed it and the PokeBall suddenly doubled in size. Out of surprise, she dropped the PokeBall and it split open, a blinding light bursting out. Instinctively, she stepped back and blocked her eyes with an arm. Almost as quickly as it came, the light faded and a high-pitched screech sliced through the air.

Flying wildly above her in circles was a brown and cream-colored bird. She recognized this Pokemon from a TV program she watched, but couldn't remember the name of it. Not that she was given time to think about it. As the bird flew around, it knocked down several other PokeBalls and released more screaming birds in a great shower of white.

She hadn't realized she was on her knees, holding her hands over her head, until everyone else arrived. The grandpa, who was not wearing his lab coat tonight, scooped up the PokeBalls and aimed each one at the flock, sending out a beam of red light that sucked them back inside. Her parents crouched beside her, worriedly checking her for any cuts or bruises. The other parents, along with their pretty, teenage daughter and spiky-haired son who was her age, watched by the door.

"Are you alright?" The grandpa asked as he placed the PokeBalls back on the shelves.

She hesitated, then nodded.

"What happened?" Her mom demanded.

After she shakily told the story, her mom shook her head. "Leaf, you shouldn't be touching other people's belongings! Tell Professor Oak you're sorry."

The grandpa, Professor Oak, laughed. "It's no problem, really. This happens all the time back at the lab. The lab is being repainted now, so we had to move all the Pokemon here." He knelt down and smiled warmly at Leaf. "The Pokemon you saw are called Pidgey. They can be quite loud. Leaf, do you like Pokemon?"

Leaf smiled back and nodded. Although the Pidgey scared her just now, she loved Pokemon more than anything else in the world.

"Then one day, you can become a great Pokemon trainer."

That one, simple sentence struck a chord in Leaf's heart. She was only five years old, but she knew that his words were true. She would become a great Pokemon trainer. Not just great…

"...The greatest!" Leaf exclaimed, slamming her fist on the kitchen table.

"Don't hit the table like that, Leaf!" Mom snapped as she washed their plates. From her position, Leaf could only see her back––cotton t-shirt and jeans, tightly tied hair, brown like hers––but she knew her brows were twitching, in a way they only did when she was getting frustrated. "It's not good for it."

"You care about what's good for the table. What about what's good for your child? You know it's my dream to become a Pokemon trainer! Are you really going to take this away from me?"

Mom sighed. "You know I want you to be happy, but you're only fifteen! You can't travel around Kanto on your own."

"Red and Blue are doing it, and many other people my age have done it in the past," Leaf pointed out.

"Yes, but I'm your mother and I say you shouldn't be missing school."

"I can just go this summer," Leaf said. "I don't have to skip a single class if you don't want me to."

Mom said nothing. Both her and Leaf knew that many Pokemon trainers didn't even have a high school diploma. Real trainers, that is. Becoming a master required full-time commitment.

Leaf turned to her dad, whose nose was buried deep in his morning newspaper. "Dad, tell Mom that I need to do this. Please."

Dad pushed up his wireframe glasses with a finger. "Listen to your mother, Leaf. She knows best."

Leaf's heart plummeted. Once Dad took Mom's side, whatever chance she had of winning evaporated. Fighting back tears, she dashed to her room, slamming the door behind her. She looked at her Jigglypuff-shaped clock and saw that it was almost 10AM. Red was probably walking over to Professor Oak's lab right now. No doubt, Blue was there already. Leaf let out a sob.

It wasn't fair. Why was she the only one not allowed to go on a Pokemon journey? She wanted this more than anything else. Last month, when President Ken announced the creation of the Indigo League, where trainers from Kanto and the neighboring region Johto could compete to see who the strongest was, her parents rolled their eyes, saying it was just a ploy to establish that Johto was now a part of Kanto. But Leaf saw images of herself defeating all the other trainers, of being crowned Champion, of being celebrated as the best trainer in the world. She had called Red immediately to talk about it.

Then, a couple weeks later, on the last day of school, she and Red were walking home when they passed by Professor Oak. He mentioned that Blue, his grandson who was the same age as them, was going to start his Pokemon journey this summer. He was going to give him his first Pokemon. Would they like a Pokemon, too? Would they like to join Blue in becoming a Pokemon trainer? The yes came out of Leaf and Red's mouths instantly.

Leaf's excitement had died down a bit once her and Red separated. Red's mom would certainly let him go. She couldn't say the same about hers. Leaf needed to be strategic. She began dropping hints to her mom, trying to plant the idea of her daughter growing to be a successful, happy trainer. Everyone always says their Pokemon journey was the best experience they ever had. Or, I heard some trainers end up making millions. Finally, on the day of, she asked the question during breakfast. Mom didn't even pause to think about it before saying no.

Leaf was lying on her bed now, watching the hands of the clock move painfully slow. 10...10:30...11...12. Red and Blue had already received their first Pokemon, maybe even caught a second on their own, and were on their way to Viridian City. Envy gnawed at her. She should be out there now with a Pokemon at her side. Why did she have to be stuck at home? No matter how hard Leaf thought about it, the only answer that came to mind was that Mom didn't understand her at all.

At one point, there was a knock on the door. Dad came in, giving Leaf an awkward smile that was meant to be comforting but didn't help in the slightest.

He sat on the bed and cleared his throat. "We know it's hard, Leaf. In fact, your mother understands even more than I do how much you want this."

Leaf snorted. "She'd never get it."

"Oh no, she gets it. She was in your shoes once." When Leaf looked at him quizzically, he said in a low voice, "She used to be a Pokemon trainer."

The room became quiet and still, as if the entire world had frozen over. Once her mind finally processed Dad's words, Leaf desperately began studying his face, searching for any sign of teasing, waiting for him to laugh and say, Of course she wasn't a trainer! That's ridiculous. She found nothing and he said nothing of that sort.

Instead, he explained, "She went on a Pokemon journey when she was around your age. She wanted to be the greatest trainer, too. Dropped out of high school and everything. Unfortunately, she couldn't make enough money to get by and had to give her Pokemon away. Since she didn't have a diploma, she couldn't go to college and had to work in that coffee shop where I met her." He paused. "She doesn't like to talk about it. She still misses her team."

When Leaf didn't respond, he got up and left, gently closing the door behind him. Leaf's mind was all over the place. Mom? A trainer? She never spoke of Pokemon in general much to her. Leaf didn't even think Mom could name one. The more she contemplated this revelation, however, the more it made sense. Quite a few times, she had noticed her mom peeking at the TV whenever a tournament was airing. Leaf had chalked it up to natural curiosity, but now that she thought about it, there had always been a strange, wistful glow in her eyes. It explained, too, why Mom was so against her becoming a trainer. She was afraid of history repeating itself, of Leaf failing like she did.

But Leaf wasn't her mother.

Leaf sat up. Once she stepped out of her room, Mom's hawk eyes would be glued to her. There was only one way of sneaking out the house.

Leaf opened her window. A summer breeze brushed her face pleasantly. She looked down. Her room was on the second floor of the house. She wouldn't die if she jumped down, but she was still fairly high up. Leaf swallowed. A tiny voice told her to close her window, go downstairs and pretend it was just another normal Saturday. To forget, at least for now, about becoming a trainer.

Leaf clenched her fists. No, she couldn't give up. Mom had once told her that as a baby, she always reached for the Pokemon toys. From the moment Leaf was born, she was destined to be a Pokemon master.

Taking a deep breath, Leaf climbed onto the windowsill and leaped. As soon as her feet hit the grass, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her ankle.


In bed again, this time pressing an ice pack to her ankle for the umpteenth time. Mom hadn't yelled at her when she found Leaf lying on the ground, clutching her ankle. She hadn't yelled at her after they went to the doctor's office and was told Leaf had sprained it. In fact, Mom had barely said a word to her for over a week. For some reason, that made Leaf feel worse than if she had hurled every insult at her.

Once Leaf finished icing her ankle, she went downstairs to the kitchen. There was a turkey sandwich on the table. The TV was on. There was another news segment about the Indigo League. The rules had been decided on. In order to qualify, a trainer needed to defeat all eight Gym Leaders of their respective region. At the Indigo Plateau, where the league was set, a trainer would battle the Elite Four, four of the most powerful trainers in Kanto and Johto. Leaf had heard of them before: Lorelei the Ice Queen, Bruno the Iron Fist, Agatha the Ghost Whisperer, and Lance the Dragon Tamer. The Indigo League's first Champion needed to be able to defeat them. Subsequent challengers needed to defeat both the Elite Four and current Champion.

Leaf wondered who the first Champion would be. She wondered if Red and Blue would compete. She felt a pang in her heart at the knowledge she could not.

The front door opened and closed. Leaf didn't know Mom had been out. When she entered the kitchen, Leaf's body instinctively tensed, as if she were on the alert for danger. She expected Mom to silently tend to whatever business she had. Instead, she sat down next to Leaf, gazing intensely at her.

"How's your ankle?" She asked.

"It's fine," Leaf mumbled, looking down. "I can walk pretty normally now."

"Normal enough to go on a journey?"

Leaf's head shot up. She gaped at her mom in disbelief.

"I was just talking to Professor Oak," Mom replied. "He still has a Pokemon he could give to you. You could leave today, if you were feeling up to it."

Leaf jumped up. "I am feeling up to it. More than up to it." Her heart was racing, as if she had just run a marathon.

Mom smiled. "I figured. That's why I called your father and told him you were going. He can't get out of work now, but since you'll be heading towards Viridian City today anyway, it doesn't really matter."

"Mom, I––" Leaf swallowed. Her mind was spiraling. "I don't know what to say. Thank you so much."

"I know that you know about my past," Mom said. The smile faded. "It's hard being a trainer. You're living as a nomad, off of money you earn through essentially gambling. As much as I loved battling, as much as I loved my Pokemon, it was too much for me. If it ever becomes too much for you, please know that I will always be here for you. I am your mother and I want nothing more than for you to be happy."

Tears stung in Leaf's eyes. She wiped them away. "I know, Mom. I know I can be difficult and you just want the best for me. Thank you so much for this. I promise that I won't let you down."

Mom stood and wrapped her arms around her. "You won't. Now, pack a bag and then we'll head over to Oak's lab."


Professor Samuel Oak's lab was situated on a hill in the corner of Pallet Town, facing the ocean. Virtually all the buildings in Pallet Town were identical, so the lab, with its crimson roof and sunny facades, stood out. Leaf had not been inside in a while, but it looked the same as it did years ago. Shining white floor and walls, cabinets and tables holding important-looking documents and equipment. Men and women in white lab coats shuffled about, fervently writing in their notepads.

Professor Oak was standing at the back of the lab, looking out a window. Leaf knew from before that the lab had a large, enclosed backyard where the lab's Pokemon played. Professor Oak liked to observe the Pokemon, not just for scientific reasons, but for the sake of it.

As Leaf and Mom approached him, Professor Oak turned around and beamed. "Leaf! I'm so happy to see your ankle has recovered."

Ten years ago, when Leaf first met the professor, his auburn hair only had a few streaks of gray. Now, the auburn was completely gone and his face was lined with wrinkles. Despite his age, he was no less impressive. Professor Oak was well-known and respected, not just in Kanto but the whole world. He was a pioneer in Pokemon Science. As a young man, he compiled an extensive encyclopedia on all the Pokemon in Kanto and Johto. Now, his studies concentrated on the relationship between humans and Pokemon.

Leaf returned his smile. "No one is happier than me."

"Of course! You are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. I'll admit, I was disappointed when your mother told me you wouldn't be able to do it. I'm glad that something's changed."

Mom laughed. "Leaf is just too stubborn for her own good sometimes."

"That's how you know Leaf is a trainer at heart." Professor Oak stuck a hand into his pocket and pulled out a PokeBall. Leaf's back straightened. "I had three Pokemon to give out. Blue and Red got to choose who they wanted. This is the only one left."

The PokeBall opened, letting out white light that formed into a shape. Once the light vanished, Leaf gasped. Standing in front of her was a blue, stout, four-legged Pokemon. Darker blue spots covered its body and on its back was a large green bulb. It looked up at her with big red eyes, brimming with curiosity. It barely stood up to her knees.

"Leaf, meet Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon," Professor Oak said. "He will be your very first Pokemon."


And that's chapter 1! I always headcannoned Leaf as a stubborn girl who started her journey a bit late- it's exciting putting it all into words. I know in the manga, Squirtle was her starter but to me, Bulbasaur suits her best.

Thanks for reading and I would appreciate any reviews!