Chapter One

Starts and Beginnings

Okay, so if you're a Simpsons aficionado like me, you definitely know the reason I named this chapter what I did. xD If not, go buy the closest and cheapest copy of The Harpooned Heart, possibly read on tape by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Trust me. It's worth it. xD

Uh, speaking of the actual fic? o-o; Yeah. It's based on Emerald, though the storyline is different and stuff. The main characters will (probably) be Reina (fictional main character/May person but not really xD), Wally, Steven, Brendan, and others (aka I have no idea yet). o-o; Uh. Enjoy? xD;

Reina sighed and leaned back in her chair, flipping through her magazine. The weekends were always slow and tedious at the Petalburg Gym. When she told people that's where she worked, they always sounded impressed, until they found out that she was only the secretary. Like Gyms even needed secretaries! The only thing she ever did was greet people and make them sign up on fake sheets that made them feel important. Though, of course, the main point of them was to make her feel important.

She'd only gotten the pointless job because her father was Norman, the Gym Leader. He had wanted her to become a trainer in his Gym, but her first Pokemon battle had gone disastrously. And her second, and third. Until finally she had admitted to him that she didn't want to be a trainer.

Actually, in fact, she didn't want anything to do with Pokemon. She didn't like them. After all, they couldn't talk. She didn't understand how people could become so attached to them. You couldn't even communicate with them.

Reina actually had her own Pokemon, a pathetic Zigzagoon chronically positioned at level 6 – the level her father had caught it in. She had nicknamed him "Sprinkles", for no reason she could think of now, when she was little. Sadly, Sprinkles was a terrible fighter. And she was a terrible trainer, so that was somewhat of an obstacle from the start.

Yawning loudly, Reina collapsed on her desk, head buried in her folded arms. Saturdays were so boring! Her dad made her work here, and she couldn't even go do things with her friends. Unfrotunately, though, most of her friends were trainers, and nearly all had left on their own adventures. Reina, 17, was stuck there, alone and annoyed.

A timid knocking came at the door. Sliding her huge sunglasses up to rest atop her auburn hair, she made a face at the door. She hated when people knocked instead of coming right in. It was a Gym, after all – you didn't give such a great, strong impression by being polite. Well, maybe now the challenger would open the door by themselves and actually be useful. No such luck: the knocking continued.

"Arrgh," she said again, sliding back her chair with a squeak and rising. Walking briskly to the door, she yanked it open to give the challenger her best "what do you want" face.

It was a small, shy looking boy, with greenish hair. He was pale and fragile looking, as if he wasn't quite over some sickness he had. To back up this theory, he coughed lightly into his balled-up fist.

"Are you a challenger?" Reina asked boredly.

"Uh… no, not really!" he squeaked. He glanced around in a paranoid manner.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if I could talk to the Gym Leader?" he asked tentatively.

Reina sighed and hesitated. "Fine," she said, holding open the door and stepping aside to let him through. The boy hurried in.

"I'll take you to go see him," she said. Leading the boy through the first door, she made her way through each of the doors and rooms until she reached the last one, where her father was. His eyes brightened with the thought of a challenger.

"Don't get too excited, Dad. He just wants to talk to you. This is…" Reina frowned and looked at the boy.

"Wally," he said.

"Wally. Right. Dad, this is Wally."

"Nice to meet you, Wally!"

"You too, sir!"

Reina stifled a yawn and began to leave.

"Reina, wait," Norman said. She turned reluctantly.

"So what are you here to talk to me about?" Norman asked Wally.

He bit his lip. "Well… I was wondering if maybe…" He looked around again. "Norman, sir, I really love Pokemon, and I want to be a trainer!"

Here we go, thought Reina bitterly.

"That's a fine idea, Wally. Do you have a Pokemon yet?"

"No, sir. But, you see… my parents won't let me."

"Why not?"

"Well, I'm not very healthy. I've always been kind of sick, ever since I was little."

"Oh, I see…" Norman frowned. "So they won't let you go off on an adventure by yourself?"

Wally shook his head. "No. And you're my idol, so I finally decided to come ask you about it! I don't get to leave my house much, so I had to sneak out."

Norman looked a bit worried. "Maybe I should talk to your parents," he said. "I'll go over there right now! Maybe I can persuade them to at least let you catch a Pokemon, even if you don't go off."

Wally's eyes lit up. "Really? You'd do that?" He coughed a tiny bit. "Thank you, sir!"

"Reina, you stay here with Wally. If any challengers come, try and stall them with the paperwork."

Reina sighed. Now she had to entertain this kid?

When she and Wally were back in the lobby, he bombarded her with questions.

"What's it like being Norman's daughter?"

"I don't know. Annoying?"

"Do you have a Pokemon?"

"Sort of. It's useless."

"How can you say that about a Pokemon? They're all great!"

"Well, I don't like it. It doesn't like me."

"Don't you want to be a trainer?"

"No," she said. "I don't see why anyone would want to be."

He stared at her in shock. "I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to be!"

"Well, I don't." Reina flipped through her boring magazine pointedly.

"What's your favorite Pokemon?" he asked.

"I don't like them, remember?"

"I know. But if you had to pick one?"

Reina sighed. "I don't know. Eevee?"

"Me too! I mean, that's one of my favorites. They all are, I guess."

"Mmhmm."

"What attack is your favorite?"

Reina sighed. This kid never shut up! Thankfully, her father came back with Wally's parents after not too many more questions.

"Wally, you shouldn't have run away!" his mother cried. "We were so worried about you."

"You know you can't do that, just leave without telling us where you're going," his father agreed.

"I know, I'm sorry… I just wanted to see Norman." Wally looked down in shame.

"Oh, we're not too mad at you, son. We know you've always wanted to be a trainer." His father sighed. "I guess we should have recognized it sooner. You are growing up, after all."

"Wally, we've decided you can go on your own adventure," his mother said, smiling.

Wally looked up, mouth gaping open. "Really? Really and truly? I can? I can? Oh, thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!" He hugged them both.

Reina turned a page in her magazine, ignoring the Happy Family Bonding Joy just feet away from her.

"Reina," her father said. She looked up to see him standing near her. "You're growing up too, and you need to have more responsibilities. Now that you've finished high school and have so much free time, I have a job for you."

"What, secretary isn't enough?" she asked suspiciously.

"Wally is still sickly, and he needs someone to travel with him. Someone who's older and can keep an eye on him. I was hoping you could be that person."

Reina was stunned. Didn't he remember how terrible she was at Pokemon battles?

Wally's parents smiled at her. "We know this is a huge thing to ask of you. But you're Norman's daughter, and he's said you will help Wally. We don't know anyone else who can go on this journey with him, so if you can't, then I'm afraid he can't go," his father explained.

Wally turned to look at Reina with pleading eyes.

All Reina wanted to do was have fun with her friends and someday become something. The something, though, she wasn't quite sure of yet. She didn't want to go off on some long adventure where she had to sleep in the woods, watch over a sick boy, fight Pokemon, and hike up mountains. She hated the mere idea of the adventure!

It wasn't as if Wally was her friend or anything. She'd only known him all of two minutes. But she realized this was his dream. She valued people's dreams, even if they were for something as idiotic as being a Pokemon trainer. After all, she wanted badly to realize hers so she could do something with her life besides sit around, bored, and wait for her friends to come back. Besides, even when they did, she didn't know that they'd live there anymore. And of course they'd be changed from their traveling.

"Please," Wally whispered.

Reina heaved a sigh. "Oh, fine," she said. It wasn't fair. Only a monster could deny the sweet little invalid child a chance to achieve his dreams. She might have been cynical, but she wasn't a monster.

Wally jumped for joy and hugged her tightly. She awkwardly pat his back, and glared at her father when Wally's parents weren't looking. He smiled back at her.

"I'm very proud of you, Reina. Now, do you want me to call Professor Birch and see if he has any Pokemon you two can start out with?"

Reina rolled her eyes and pried Wally off of her. "Yeah, whatever."

"As soon as Wally's ready, you two can walk there, so you can get your things from home too," Norman said brightly. "Your mother will be so happy! And then you can go get your first Pokemon!"

"Right," Reina said through gritted teeth. This is going to be a nightmare.

x

"Bye, Wally!" his parents chorused. "We love you! Call every day! Be careful!"

"Bye! Love you too! I will!" he called back happily.

"Bye, Reina! Good luck!" Norman's voice called.

"Yeah, bye," she said, just loud enough for him to hear.

"This is so great!" Wally chirped once they were on the road towards Littleroot Town.

"It sure is," she muttered.

They walked along in silence for awhile, Wally grinning foolishly and sometimes spinning around as he walked. Reina said nothing. If she told him to stop, he might start talking to her again. At least this way he wasn't asking so many questions.

She avoided the grass, and Wally followed her. After all, neither of them had a Pokemon yet. But as they rounded the corner past some tall trees, a figure leaped out at them, knocking Reina over.

"Aggh! What the – " Reina shoved whatever it was off of her and stood up, brushing her clothes off meticulously. She readjusted her sunglasses and turned to glare at whatever it was.

It was a dog-like Pokemon, with a white body and large black claws. It had a scythe on its head, and claret-colored eyes, as well as a large fluffy white mane around its neck.

"What is that thing?" Reina asked, crossing her arms and giving it her best look of contempt.

"It's an Absol!" Wally cried happily. "Wow! Absols don't even live around here! I wonder if it has a Trainer?"

The Absol tilted its head and looked at him. Then it shook its head, tongue lolling out of its mouth.

Wally laughed. "Look! I thought Absols were so quiet and dignified, but this one looks so friendly!"

"Not really," Reina pointed out. "He did knock me down."

"He probably didn't mean to," Wally defended the Pokemon. "Hey, Absol! Can I catch you?" He held up a Pokeball.

The Absol instantly shrunk away from him and leapt back into the tall grass.

"Wait! I'm sorry!"

"Come on, Wally, let's go," Reina said, exasperated. Wally sighed and followed her.

As they walked along, Reina felt eyes on them. She knew they were being followed by the Absol. But as soon as they got to Littleroot, Reina was going to go begging to her Mom. Maybe she would let her off the hook.

Reina quickened her pace and noticed Wally did the same. They passed Oldale Town and kept going, until finally Littleroot was in view. Unfortunately, they now had to walk through some grass. Reina hated this part and always hurried through it. This time, though, a Pokemon leapt out at her and Wally before they could get through.

"Ahh!" Reina screamed. She glared at the thing attacking them. It was a Zigzagoon. "I should have guessed," she muttered. "Come on, Wally!" She tried to get around it, but the raccoon-like Pokemon blocked them. It Tackled Reina and sent her falling to the ground again.

"Reina! Are you okay?" Wally asked. He tried to help her up, but the Zigzagoon did the same to him and sent him sprawling on the ground, coughing.

Reina stood up. "Go away!" she yelled at the Zigzagoon. It rammed into her again, and this time when she fell she hit her arm hard. "Ow!" Rubbing it, she angrily realized tears were collecting in her eyes. She looked to see that her elbow had hit a rock when she fell.

Grabbing a smaller rock, this one loose, she jumped up again and hurled it at the Pokemon. "Leave us alone!" The rock easily missed the Pokemon, and it braced itself, about to spring at her again. Reina closed her watery eyes tight in anticipation.

But the Zigzagoon never hit her. She opened one eye tentatively to see that the Absol had joined them, and was standing between her and the other Pokemon, teeth exposed. The Absol started to growl softly, and the Zigzagoon glanced around, worried.

Wally managed to stand, though he was still coughing. "Absol!"

The Pokemon glanced back at Reina, as if wondering what to do.

"Well, don't look at me!" she cried. "I don't know a thing about Pokemon."

"Use Quick Attack!" Wally said.

Absol didn't do anything.

"Maybe it doesn't know it?" Reina wondered.

"You try!" Wally said.

"What?"

"Just do it!" He coughed.

"Uh, Absol, use Quick Attack!"

Absol bent its legs, then sprang in a flash at Zigzagoon, ramming into it so fast it was all a blur to Reina. She watched as the Zigzagoon pulled itself off the ground and zipped away after the attack.

Wally coughed a few times more before he cleared his throat. "Thanks, Absol!"

Absol turned around to look at them.

Reina found herself nodding. "Yeah, thanks," she said. She looked to Wally. "Are you okay?" After all, she did have to look after him, and he was coughing a lot.

"Yeah, I'm fine… I just got the wind knocked out of me, that's all."

"Well, let's get out of the grass," Reina said. They walked out of it, and were now just yards away from the town.

Wally looked down at the Absol, who was sticking close to them. "Absol, what are you gonna do?"

The Absol looked towards Reina, then nudged her hand. She looked back at it, confused. "What?"

Wally smiled. "I think Absol wants to go with you," he said.

Absol nodded, looking at Reina as if asking her permission.

"Um…" Reina paused. "Oh, sure. Okay. Come along with us. You did help us before."

The Absol grinned in a doggy way. "Ab-ab!"

"Yay!" Wally hugged the Absol. "Don't worry, Reina won't put you in a Pokeball, Absol!"

"First, though, we need a nickname for you," Reina said.

Absol looked at her. "Ab?"

"Well, I'd hate to be called 'person'."

Absol and Wally both nodded at the same time.

"So what should I call you?" Reina wondered. "Fido, Sparky, Max?"

Absol cocked its head.

"First, you should figure out if Absol's a boy or a girl," Wally said logically.

"Right. Uh, Absol, which are you? I don't really want to check very badly."

"Ab-ab!"

"What does that mean?" Reina frowned.

"Absol, are you a boy?"

Absol nodded. "Absol."

"Okay, he's a boy!"

"Right. So what are Absols like?"

"Well, they're a Dark type. They also predict natural disasters," Wally informed her.

"Dark type?" Reina remembered she had always wanted a Dark Pokemon when she was younger and still had the same dream as everyone else. But it had been an Umbreon she'd wanted, and her father couldn't catch her an Eevee. They didn't live in Hoenn. She remembered the nickname she'd always wanted to give to the Umbreon she caught. She had a stuffed toy of an Umbreon, and she played with it incessantly. And what had she always called it?

"Shadow," Reina said. "Can I call you Shadow?"

The Absol nodded and gave her a grin. "Sol!"

"Okay, Shadow," she said, smiling a tiny bit at her new Pokemon.

Wally pulled her sleeve. "Come on! I want to get my Pokemon too! And I bet you want one of those Starters!"

Reina sighed and followed him as he hurried towards Professor Birch's lab. As she trailed behind him, she looked down at Shadow. "I guess this is where our adventure begins, huh?"

He licked her hand. She made a face. "Ugh, Shadow!" He grinned back at her.

"Come on!" Wally called. Reina and Shadow hurried, and followed him to the door of the Lab. Again, Wally knocked, to Reina's annoyance.

"Just go in," she told him.

But the doors were already being opened by a middle-aged man in a white coat. "Well, hello there!"

Uh, that was totally an ending that makes sense. I actually just needed to end the chapter since I'm more tired than anything ever was in the history of the world plus also on Mars and Pluto, which is still a planet in my opinion. X3 Please review!