Pokemon: Black
by: Jengo
(c)2005

Chapter One

"Kirk, Kirk, wake up, honey, your dad's on the phone," said a voice next to my bed. I looked up and my mom was holding a phone in her outstretched hand inches from my face. With a sigh I pulled away my blankets and sat up taking hold of the phone. As I rested my elbows on my knees, raised the phone to my ear, and emitted a groggy, "Hello?" as I looked to the floor. I heard no reply. He must have hung up. As I held the phone away from my face, I gazed into the phone as if it had just insulted me. "Maybe he was disconnected, Kirk, you know how those people at the Pokephone company are," said my mother in my father's defense. I replied with a scoff and ran my fingers through my long jet black hair.

"You know, Kirk, maybe you should visit your father down in Stonemanor, I'm sure he'd like to see you," stated my mother. "Sure, he'll get me down there and laugh at how weak Eevee is again, I know how he is," I replied. "He's so arrogant sometimes, it really gets me going." My mother sat down on the bed next to me. "Honey, I'm sure he just wants to see how well you've been training Eevee," she remarked. To that I stood up and grabbed the solitary Pokeball on my dresser. I placed it in it's holder on my hip as I grabbed my black trench coat. "Maybe you're right mom." I threw my trench coat around my back, placing both arms into their corresponding sleeves. "Eevee and I are going out." I walked to the door and placed my feet in my boots. They were old, ratty, black boots my father had given me years ago for some occasion. I laced them up and bid my mom farewell.

On the way down the stairs my mother stopped me. "Kirk, wait! Before you leave, I'd like you to have this." I stopped and looked over to my mom who was digging in the hallway cabinet drawer. "Ah! Here it is," my mother exclaimed. "Your father's old Pokedex. With this you can record the Pokemon you catch and gather information about each one," she explained. "Thanks" I said as I took the Pokedex, placed it in my pants pocket and continued down the stairs. When I reached the bottom I grabbed my pack which was propped up against the wall next to the door. Inside I found some potions my mother had obviously put there the night before. "I haven't been training in weeks and still she acts like I've been doing it my whole life." I zipped back up my pack and threw it over my shoulder as I opened the door and made my way outside.

It was dark outside. But then again, it was always dark outside. The elders spoke of an ancient Pokemon that cast a shadow over the entire world, causing chaos and disorder. The tales also told of a brave hero who calmed the chaos, however, the light never returned, nor did the brave hero. THOCK! The Pokeball at my waist containing Eevee suddenly sprang open. The red bolt of electricity shot out nearly ten feet in front of me. When the dust settled, Eevee was standing emitting his usual "Eevee" call. "What's wrong, Eevee, don't like your ball?" I asked. "Eevee, eee, vee!" screeched Eevee. I could tell he was frustrated. "Alright, man, you don't have to stay in that ball." I let out a small chuckle. "You and I are quite the pair, Eevee. Together we can show my dad that I'm not just a grunt, but the world's greatest trainer in the making!" Eevee let out a cry of affirmation. I laughed and we started to walk through the town of Thickweed.

As I walked off of my property into the center of the town, a voice came from the house next door. "Kirk, come here!" Taken aback by the sudden order, I made my way over to the house with Eevee by my side. When I reached the front door, my neighbor Anna was in the doorway. "Kirk, help please, I don't know what's happening." She led me inside her home. I heard a distant roaring coming from the second floor. She led me up the hardwood staircase and down the hallway into her room. The moaning was getting much louder and as we approached her room it was shockingly apparent that the ferocious roaring was coming from there. She opened the door and immediately I was presented to a blinding, flashing light emitting from her star Pokemon, Growlithe. Growlithe was on the ground writhing and growling as though he were being ripped apart by some phantom being. The flashes got brighter and faster and suddenly and explosion filled the room and shattered our eardrums.

When the smoke cleared, Growlithe was gone. However, in his place, a larger and much more intimidating creature was passed out on the floor. I heard a faint tone emitting from my backpack. Startled by the noise, I reached around and took off my backpack. Placing it on Anna's desk on my left and attempting to take my eyes away from the creature, I reached into my backpack and found the source of the noise. It was my father's Pokedex. I opened it up immediately and as the tone stopped, I was greeted by an electronic voice. As it spoke I looked down at the creature, it wasn't moving.

"Arcanine, the evolved form of Growlithe. It is admired for its beauty and agile movements. It has razor-sharp teeth and a ferocious roar that scares away small Pokemon." Suddenly Anna spoke, "Evolved form? Did… did my little Growlithe evolve?" "It would appear so… but is a Pokemon supposed to pass out like that when it evolves," I questioned. "I don't know," answered Anna. "Growl--… I mean… Arcanine? Are you alright?" The creature didn't respond. "Arcanine, wake up!" Anna screamed. She got down on her knees and placed her hand on the creature's face. She brought her face close and spoke. "Please, get up!" She began to cry as she spoke to the unresponsive Arcanine. "Arcanine, please… please get up."

Slowly, Arcanine began to breathe. A glimmer of happiness shined in Anna's eyes as the creature's breath blew the hair on her face. Arcanine's eyes slowly opened. Anna's eyes lit up like stars. "Arcanine, you're okay!" Arcanine roared and quickly rose to his feet. Anna gasped in fear and spoke. "Arcanine, what's wrong?" Arcanine roared even louder and opened his mouth bearing large teeth, dripping with gelatinous drool. "Arcanine," said Anna in fear. Suddenly, Arcanine attacked Anna, grasping her left hand in his teeth. Anna screamed as she attempted to get up and run. Arcanine's grip was unyielding. He quickly jerked his head to the right, throwing Anna against the wall. I was in shock. I could not believe what I was seeing. My neighbor was being attacked by the best friend she had ever had. While Anna lay unconscious on the ground and I paralyzed by shock, Arcanine began to tear at Anna's body.

When the growling and tearing was over, Arcanine raised his head and turned towards me. I stuttered in fear. "Vee!" screamed Eevee, standing to my right, narrowing his eyes and bearing his teeth. "Eevee, no!" I screamed as I looked down at him. "Vee, eevee," he screamed as he looked up at me. He was attempting to scare away the Arcanine, however I knew it would never work. "Eevee, don't get us hurt with your bravery!" Quickly, in a flash of light, Eevee ran up and plunged into Arcanine's side, knocking him off of his footing. "Eevee, what are you doing?" I questioned as Eevee backed up ready to charge with his Quick Attack again. "Vee!" he screamed as with another flash, he head-butted Arcanine with his Quick Attack. Arcanine regained his footing and pawed at the ground, snarling at Eevee as he pawed. "Eevee, do you know what you're doing?" I asked. "Eevee, vee, vee," said Eevee in a reassuring tone. Eevee turned back to Arcanine and mimicked his movements; pawing the ground and snarling ferociously. Arcanine let out a gut-wrenching roar that threw off Eevee entirely. "Eevee, come on, you can do this, focus," I said boosting Eevee's morale.

Eevee called affirmatively and stared down Arcanine. Eevee charged. Arcanine growled and as he did so, he let out a stream of fiery embers that scorched Eevee and sent him to the ground. "Eevee!" I screamed out in fear. Eevee was on the ground and Arcanine was slowly approaching for the kill. "Back off you bastard!" I yelled as I reached into my backpack and took hold of the knife I had packed. I pointed the knife at Arcanine and screamed again. "Back the Hell off, you bastard! You're not hurting Eevee!" Arcanine growled and let out a stream of embers in my direction. I grabbed my pack and dove out of the way. I reached into the pack and grabbed a potion. I aimed it and sprayed it at Eevee. Suddenly, Eevee rose to his feet and bit Arcanine's underbelly, breaking the skin and pouring Arcanine's blood onto the floor. Arcanine screamed as mass amounts of blood streamed out of his stomach. Eevee ripped at Arcanine a second time, this time tearing through and spilling Arcanine's innards onto the floor. Arcanine fell with a loud roar and began to twitch.

I called Eevee off and rose to my feet. I looked down at Arcanine. He was choking on his last few breaths. I stood over him, knife in hand, hyperventilating with anger. "Nobody… human or Pokemon… tries to hurt my Eevee." With that said I took my knife and plunged it into the right eye of the fallen Arcanine. I pushed it as far in as my adrenaline would fuel my muscles to go. As I pulled it out, a spurt of blood hit my chin. I spat what little blood that got into my mouth on the floor next to Arcanine's corpse. I looked down at Eevee, which despite his scorched fur, looked as brave as ever. I had never been so proud of him in my entire lifetime of knowing him. "You're a feisty one, Eevee." I laughed. Eevee flashed me a smile and let out a loving call, "Vee."

Eevee and I walked over to where Anna had been disemboweled. Eevee winced as he laid his eyes on the sight. I, however, could not look away. The destruction was simply unbelievable. How could this creature do this to his owner who had shown it nothing but love and compassion? A solitary tear trickled down my face as I bid a fond farewell to my departed friend and the best Pokemon trainer I had ever known. I reached down and patted Eevee's head. He had his face buried in some laundry Anna had left on the floor. "Come on, Eevee, we should go." Eevee looked up but did not follow me. I got to the door before I noticed this and looked back. Eevee was softly weeping.

"Eevee, you did all you could do. Neither of us could have saved her." I pulled the right side of my trench coat away and reached into my side pocket. I pulled out a cookie that I had swiped from my mom's baking sheet the night before and knelt down. "Here, bro, take this, it'll make you feel better." I dropped the cookie on the floor and sat down. Eevee walked over and sat in my lap, completely ignoring the cookie. Tears were soaking the bristly fur around his eyes and nose. I fought back the tears welling up in my eyes and reached for the cookie. "Come on, man, let's at least eat the cookie. You wouldn't want me to tell mom that you passed on one of her homemade cookies. It's Nana's recipe you know?" I let out a small laugh as Eevee looked up and smiled. "There you go, that's the Eevee I know." I broke the cookie in half and gave one piece to Eevee, which he consumed in one bite. I placed the other half in my pocket. "Come on, Eevee, let's get out of here and start down the road." I took Eevee and placed him on the floor next to me as I stood up. We both walked towards the door with heavy hearts.

On the way out the door I spotted a map of the region on Anna's desk. I decided that I would fold it up and take it along with us. It would be a memento to remember Anna by as well as an aid in our journey. I looked back over at Anna and bid one last farewell as I left. Eevee had walked on ahead and was already starting down the stairs when I finished zipping up my pack after I had placed the map inside. "Wait up, man." I caught up to Eevee. "I'm beginning to think that you're more excited about our training than Mom is." Eevee let out a call and continued walking by my side. When we went outside, I decided that we had better look at the map before we start walking out of the town. Eevee seemed to grow impatient as he was walking in small little circles. "Chill, bro," I said as I looked at the map. I reached into my pocket, still looking at the map and grabbed the other half of the cookie. "Here, man, munch on this while I find a good route to Stonemanor." I lowered my hand and had Eevee take the cookie from my fingers. I could hear Eevee crunching the cookie as I studied the map. "Alright, Eevee, we need to go up route one, which is right past those trees over there" I said as I pointed past my house to the path leading through the woods that encircled our town. Eevee let out a call of affirmation and was already beginning to walk towards the path. "Slow down, slick." I called to Eevee, "It's a long journey and I don't want you using up all of your energy before you even fight another Pokemon." Eevee smiled and slowed his pace enough for me to catch up. "Spaz" I laughed as I lovingly kicked him in the side.

We left our small town of Thickweed en route to Stonemanor. As I looked at the map, it appeared that we would have to pass through the town of Silverburg. "Alright, Eevee, it looks like we're headed to the city of Silverburg." "Vee?" questioned Eevee. "I don't know, Eevee, I think it's where Mom goes to shop. I've never been there." Eevee and I continued down the path. This was just the beginning and I had already seen my best friend killed by her own Pokemon. I was beginning to fear that the road to victory would be a long and arduous one. I looked down at Eevee who seemed to have no problem with the eminent dangers that lay ahead and smiled. I looked down the path that was lined with tall grasses and filled with the sounds of wild Pokemon. Suddenly, I heard a rustling in the grasses to my right. I looked over but saw nothing. I looked down to Eevee who had apparently heard the same disturbance I had heard. I looked back down the path and started to walk. "Stop right there, grommet," came a voice from behind me. A boy stood behind me wielding a Pokeball in his right hand. "You walk these roads; you take the challenges given to you. Now let's go, punk," said the challenger. "Whatever, man, we're going to Silverburg, leave us alone." I responded. "Go! Ratatta!" he screamed from behind us. THOCK went his Pokeball as the red beam came out revealing a small rat-like Pokemon. My Pokedex emitted the same tone heard in Anna's bedroom. I whipped it out and opened it. "Ratatta. A small rat Pokemon. Its razor sharp incisors prove a worth adversary for any Pokemon. Its tail is used as a whip to lower a Pokemon's defense." "Hmm," I thought, "this shouldn't be too hard for Eevee. Alright, pal, you've got yourself a challenge." My first of many Pokemon battles had begun.

-- End of Chapter One --