What has gone before...Patrick is a fourteen year old boy who is about to set out on a Pokemon journey unique in its own right from his newly adopted home of Pallet.

"What's up, Rattata?" Patrick asked innocently enough. Suddenly the Pokemon, mistaking Patrick for a threat, attacked him. He sped up to an extreme speed and Patrick felt a breeze blow by him. He looked down at his leg where a slash about six inches appeared. A thin line of blood rolled down his leg. He spun around as the Rattata began a second charge, with its mouth open.

"Bite attack." Patrick mumbled under his breath. "He must think I'm food!"

And Now...

Chapter 5: Friends in Viridian

The next morning, Patrick woke up to find his leg still slowly bleeding. A little later, a girl walked into the Pokemon center. It was still slightly before breakfast. Patrick, never being around many people, was probably the only one in the center's lobby who didn't seem to notice the girl. He was to busy looking down at his left leg, mumbling cusses under his breath at his own stupidity. He had been naive enough to think that all Pokemon would be friendly.

"What happened to you?" the girl said, walking up to Patrick.

"A Rattata's quick attack," Patrick said, looking up. "It's just a scratch."

"Let me see," the girl said, bending down to examine Patrick's leg. "By the way, I'm Angel." Angel smiled at Patrick, brushing her dark blond hair out of her hazel eyes. "When did this happen?"

"Last night, around seven I think," said Patrick.

The smile disappeared from her face. "And it's still bleeding? That's not good." She said, sitting down next to him. "We'd better go to the hospital so they can look at that."

Patrick agreed that he should probably go. "Thank you, but you don't have to come with me." He tried to stand up, but fell back down when he put weight on his left leg.

"I think you do." She said.

"Okay, fine. You win." Patrick said, smiling, though obviously still in pain.

Angel stood up and went to the phone to call an ambulance to pick Patrick up. A man standing a little ways away walked over to Patrick. "You're a lucky boy to have someone like that talk to you and offer to help you like that."

"Lucky, Am I?" Patrick said, rather annoyed. "You try having a gash like this," He paused and motioned to his leg, "and then you tell me how lucky I am."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't specific enough. Most people won't go out of their way to help someone else who's injured. That's all I meant. "And I'm sorry about your leg."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I got mad at you." Patrick said in a sincere tone of voice. "By the way, I'm Patrick." He said, sticking his hand out. The man grabbed Patrick's hand and shook it.

"I'm Ryan," he said. Angel walked over and Patrick introduced the two trainers he barely knew himself.

As nurse joy walked around the center to give trainers their breakfast, she saw three trainers sitting together. Ordinarily, this would not strike her as odd, except that the girl was holding one of the boys, as if to support him. She then noticed that the one being supported had a bandaged leg that looked like it might be bleeding. She walked over to the three to see what she might do to help.

"Are you okay, sir?" she asked.

"My friends have called an ambulance for me, ma'am, but I appreciate the thought." Patrick said, rather weekly.

"I'll tell the EMT's where to come when they get here, then," said Joy.

Joy left the three and continued to pass breakfast out to the trainers. "I can't come with you to the hospital, Patrick. I have some things that I have to do in town," Ryan said, and then turned to Angel. "You gave me your number, so I'll call to find out where to come when I finish my errands."

"That sounds good," said Patrick, now dazing in and out of consciousness from loss of blood. "If it's okay with you, Angel, I think I'll pass out now..." he said as he fell deeper into Angel's arms.

"He's right back this way," Joy said to the EMT's who had just arrived.

The EMT's walked behind Joy, carrying a stretcher.

"How long has he been unconscious?" one of the EMT's asked Angel.

"He just passed out," Angel replied.

"We'll take it from here," An EMT told Angel. "If you know anything that might be helpful, might you come with us?"

"Sure," Angel replied. "I'll call you as soon as we know something, Ryan." She called as the EMT's hurried Patrick towards the ambulance.

Later that day, Patrick's condition had stabilized, but would have to stay overnight for observation. Angel and Ryan sat in his room and the three talked about there plans. Though Patrick was not aware, Ryan and Angel had decided to go with Patrick.

Ryan was a year older than Patrick was. His Parents lived in Pallet, and he had come to Viridian to study the kinds of Pokemon and try to capture some; he had failed at the later. Angel was just a month older than Patrick was, and her family had an extensive history of Pokemon training. She hailed from Cinnabar Island. She had just started her journey, and had one Pokemon, a Pikachu. The three went to sleep about ten that night. Patrick slept in the hospital bed, Ryan slept in a chair in the room, and angel slept in the visitor room.

Patrick was discharged from the hospital at ten the next morning, with Angel and Ryan in tow. Patrick turned to speak to his friends. "I guess this is goodbye, then. I thank you for everything."

"Do you really think your getting rid of the two of us that easily?" Angel said in an accusatory tone. She put her hands on her hips for emphasis and cocked an eyebrow. "Well?"

"You," Patrick paused, pointing a finger at himself in disbelief, "want to come with me?"

"That's right, kiddo," Ryan said in a playful manner.

"Well then, I guess we're all set to go!" Said Patrick. "Nowhere but up!"