Chapter 2: A Pallet-Able Meeting

A foghorn blew, and you couldn't get me out of bed faster. I jumped into my clothes, packed up, and raced out onto the main deck. The land spread out as far as the eye could see. "There it is, Shinx, the Kanto region! I don't know about you, but I'm psyched."

When the ship docked, we skipped off, unable to hold back our excitement. "Ok, it's time to go see Professor Oak!" I needed to know where to go, so I asked a woman near the front gate. "Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to Pallet Town from here?"

"Ah, you must be going to see Professor Oak. Well, you're in luck as it's only a short walk from here. All you have to do is follow that path." She pointed to a dirt trail heading away from the harbor. "You should be there in no time."

"Thank you, ma'am!" I sprinted away.

ooooooooooooooooooo

Within no time at all, we came across the open fields of Pallet Town. "WOW!" We stood on a hill overlooking the quiet town. It was mostly trees, grass, and dirt trails with a few houses in between. It looked tranquil and peaceful. "Nothing like the hustle and bustle of Sunyshore. I love it!"

On the far side of town, we saw a big hill covered in trees with a stone pathway going up the side. A house with a massive wind turbine sat on top watching over the town. "That's got to be Professor Oak's lab. Let's go!"

As we headed to the lab, we came upon a bit of a problem. Someone crashed into me. It felt like being hit by a train. I glared at the attacker: a boy my age with messy, black hair. He looked like he'd just rolled out of bed. "Hey, watch where you're going, kid!" I growled at him.

"Sorry!" He quickly helped me onto my feet. "I'm kind of in a hurry so bye. Nice meeting you!" He ran off, calling back to me, "I really am sorry!" The kid quickly disappeared.

"Well, he was in a hurry. I wonder where he's going." Shinx jumped on my shoulder and barked.

Getting to the lab, an enormous crowd gathered at the base of some steps. My natural curiosity got the better of me, and I asked the closest person, "What's going on?"

A girl my age replied, "A new guy's starting his journey today. Oh, he's going to be such a strong Trainer, I know it. So cool and handsome! Look! There he is!" The girl's voice spiked in volume to match the screams of her crazed friends.

A young boy stood on a red convertible, addressing his fan club. "Thank you! Thank you to everyone who came to witness such an extraordinary event! It's a huge honor! I, Gary Oak, will promise to become a Pokémon Master and make Pallet Town known all around the world! Now with my new Pokémon," he spun a Poké Ball in his hand, "I am off to learn the ways of a Pokémon Trainer!" A group of cheerleaders sang a quick cheer before Gary got in his car and drove away.

The crowd chased after Gary, leaving me in the dust, literally. I coughed to clear my throat. "Who the heck was that?"

A voice replied, "Gary Oak. Don't ever trust anything he says. He's a lying sack of—"

Recognizing the person, my eyes popped out of my head. "Hey, you're that kid that ran into me!" There was no mistaking his spiky hair.

"Sorry, who?"

That didn't sit well with me. "Do you not remember the girl you so rudely crashed into a few minutes ago? I'd be more than happy to remind you!" I lunged at him.

"Wait! Wait!" He raised his arms in defense, forcing me to stop. "I do remember. Yeah, I do. I apologized for that already, didn't I? I'll repeat it to be sure! Sorry!"

I crossed my arms and huffed. "Apology not accepted."

"Well, that's all you're going to get. I don't have time to talk right now. I have to go see—"

An old man approached us and said, "See who?"

"Oh, Professor Oak! I'm here for my Pokémon!" The boy smiled gleefully.

My eyes widened. "Professor Oak?! It's really him!" I gasped under my breath. It blew me away to be standing in the presence of one of the most accomplished Pokémon researchers in history.

"Your Pokémon?" asked Professor Oak to the boy.

He vigorously nodded. "Yes, I'm ready."

"You look like you're ready for bed, not for Pokémon Training. I don't think you're going to train in your pajamas."

My theory from earlier confirmed, I stifled a laugh. He shot a glare in my direction. "Uh, no, you don't understand. I got mixed up this morning, and I was a little late, but believe me when I say: I'm ready for a Pokémon!"

"Ah, then you must be Ash."

He replied with a very cheerful, "That's me!"

"You are a little late, indeed." Then the Professor looked at me. "And you must be Rosa, correct?"

That surprised me. "How'd you know?"

"Professor Rowan gave me a phone call just the other day and told me to be expecting you. He suggested giving you some useful info on the Kanto region and its Pokémon. I am more than happy to oblige."

"Really? That'd be awesome, Professor. Thank you!"

"Let's get going, then." The Professor turned and started up the stairs to his lab.

Following behind him, Ash grabbed my attention. "Hey, uh, about earlier, I really am sorry for crashing into you. My alarm clock broke this morning, so I woke up late. I was in such a rush to get here that I wasn't paying attention at all. Sorry."

I gave a smile. "That's alright. It's not entirely your fault. I should've been paying attention too. I appreciate the apology though, and I'm sorry I nearly pummeled you earlier."

"Friends, then?"

"Only if you tell me your name. A proper introduction never hurts."

"I'm Ash."

"My name's Rosa." Shinx barked at me. I laughed and picked him up. "Oh yeah, this is my partner, Shinx."

"What kind of Pokémon is that? I've never seen one like that before."

Shinx climbed onto my head to get a better look at Ash. "I'm not surprised. I don't think you see a lot of them here in Kanto. We're both from Sunyshore City, in the Sinnoh region."

"Sinnoh?"

"Yeah. It's a bit far from Kanto, to the south, I think. I can't imagine you've ever been there."

"Sorry, I haven't."

"Well, I do recommend going one day. It's a wonderful place to go with all sorts of awesome things to do and neat Pokémon. Of course, Shinx is the best of them all. You can pet him if you want."

"Really?" Ash reached out to touch Shinx, but he snapped at Ash's hand. "Hey, what was that for?"

"He must still be mad about you crashing into us." I glared up at Shinx. "You should know better than to snap at people like that. Ash is our friend now. Be nice." Shinx bowed his head in guilt. "Try it again."

Ash reached out his hand again. "Hi, Shinx. I'm Ash Ketchum. I promise I won't hurt you." Despite some reluctance at first, Shinx melted into the palm of Ash's hand. Then Shinx jumped onto Ash's shoulder and nuzzled his furry head against his cheek. "That tickles."

I laughed. "He likes you, Ash. You must be good with Pokémon."

Professor Oak welcomed us into his home. The first floor contained the living quarters: a common room, a study, one or two bedrooms, and a kitchen. The Professor kept all his fancy tech upstairs on the research floor. The heart of the laboratory, the second floor included several machines and equipment used for the Professor's research. Windows sat on the far wall with an inner balcony providing a magnificent view of the fields surrounding the lab.

According to Professor Oak, those fields are together called the Oak Corral, a natural environment he created for Pokémon development and research. All sorts of different species live on those fields, giving him the unique opportunity to study natural Pokémon behavior up close.

Professor Oak asked to see my Pokédex, offering to update it. He went off to do that and also make some preparations for Ash to start his journey. While he did, Ash, Shinx, and I waited around together. I told him about just starting the day before, and about my first Pokémon battle ending in a tie.

The three of us went out onto the balcony to get a look at the Oak Corral. Shinx and I saw all sorts of Pokémon we'd never seen before, piquing my curiosity to the point where I could hardly contain my excitement. I desperately wanted Professor Oak to finish so I could head out as soon as possible.

Ash and I discussed starter Pokémon as well. The three Pokémon you can get in Kanto are Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, and Ash would be picking one of them. "And are those Pokémon the traditional Grass-type, Fire-type, and Water-type, in that order?" I asked.

He nodded. "That's right. I'm guessing it's like that back in your region?"

"Yeah." I glanced over at Shinx. "And if it's that way for two regions, it must be the same for all other regions too."

"Speaking of tradition," I looked back at him, "I hope this doesn't sound rude, but Shinx isn't a usual starter, right? He's not either of the three types. How'd you start your journey with him?"

Turning to my beloved Pokémon, I answered, "Shinx is my best friend."

Ash seemed a little baffled by my response. "Your best friend?"

"My brother gave him to me for my fifth birthday. We're inseparable. We get along so well, and we do everything together. The moment I decided to become a Pokémon Trainer, my first Pokémon had already been decided for me." Shinx licked my face and bumped his forehead into my chin. "It's true that Trainers starting their journeys with Pokémon aside from the standard three is a bit strange, but I never cared about that. I only cared about accomplishing my dreams with my best friend in the whole world."

After a moment, Ash said, "That's pretty amazing of you, Rosa, picking your friend over what anyone else might think. You two really seem like a great team."

I fought back a blush. "Thanks, Ash..."

Professor Oak stepped over to us. "You'll find that the most important thing for a Pokémon and Trainer is how much they care about each other. If you remember that, there's no doubt you'll grow stronger."

We nodded our heads.

"So can I pick my Pokémon now?" Ash asked.

"Right over here." He showed us a table with three Poké Balls.

Ash looked super psyched. He reached for a Poké Ball with a water drop on the front. "I thought about it a lot, and it took me a long time, but I finally decided who to choose as my Pokémon: Squirtle!" He opened the Poké Ball.

"It's...empty?" I muttered.

"Already taken by someone who was on time," said the Professor, folding his arms.

Ash grabbed a second Poké Ball, one with a leaf symbol. "I wish I hadn't overslept, but now I will choose as my Pokémon: Bulbasaur."

Professor Oak rubbed his chin. "That one was also taken by a kid who wasn't late."

Though very disappointed, Ash's optimism never wavered. "Well, that's no problem because my Pokémon will be Charmander." The last Poké Ball had a flame symbol, and again, it was empty!

"The early bird gets the worm, or in this case, the Pokémon."

Ash looked so heartbroken. "Does this mean all the Pokémon are gone?"

"Well, there is still one more left but I—"

"Professor, I'll take it!"

Reluctantly, Professor Oak pressed a button. A fourth Poké Ball rolled onto the table. It had an exciting symbol on the front. "A lightning symbol? An Electric-type?!" I gasped, resisting the urge to open the Poké Ball and see for myself.

"I have to warn you. There is a problem with this last one," said the Professor.

"I have to have a Pokémon!" Ash replied.

"Well, in that case…" He handed the Poké Ball over to Ash.

The Poké Ball opened and from it emerged a small yellow mouse Pokémon. My eyes lit up in excitement. "It's a Pikachu!" I smiled.

"Correct," Professor Oak said.

"It's so cute! It's the best of all," Ash said.

"You'll see," muttered the Professor.

Ash picked up Pikachu. "Hi, Pikachu!" He hugged the Pokémon. It shocked him.

"It's also known as the Electric Mouse Pokémon. It's usually shy but can sometimes have an electrifying personality."

Pikachu finally stopped zapping its Trainer, who coughed out, "I see what you mean…"

"Shocking, isn't it?" Then Professor Oak pulled out a handful of Poké Balls and a Pokédex, which looked a bit different from mine. "Now take these, your Pokédex and Poké Balls."

"Thank—" Pikachu started shocking Ash again, and this time it zapped Professor Oak too. "YOU!"

"YOU'RE WELCOME!"

"That's an Electric-type," I grinned. Shinx nodded his head.

Pikachu finished its attack and looked over at Shinx. The two greeted each other.

Professor Oak also returned my Pokédex. "Rosa, I believe this is yours. It now contains information on all the Pokémon found in Kanto that it didn't contain before."

To test, I pointed the Pokédex at Pikachu. "Pikachu the Mouse Pokémon. Pikachu can generate electric attacks from the electric pouches located in its cheeks. It raises its tail to sense its surroundings, and sometimes gets struck by lightning while doing so."

"Thank you so much, Professor!" The Pokédex claimed its permanent spot in my jacket pocket.

We all exited the lab, going down the long flight of stairs to the front gate. Pikachu zapped Ash a few times along the way. At the bottom, we found a small group of supporters with banners wishing Ash luck on his journey. Despite not containing nearly as many fans as Gary's cheer squad, it still impressed me that Ash drew this big a crowd.

A lady stood at the front with a tearful smile. "Mom!" Ash gasped in surprise.

She approached us. "Oh, Ash, I'm so proud of you. You're finally going to fulfill your dream and start your Pokémon training, but I'm going to miss you so very much. Oh, my little boy!"

"How nice," I jokingly whispered to Shinx.

Then Ash's mother opened the green bag in her arms and unloaded tons of stuff into her son's arms. "I packed your sneakers and jeans, nice clean shirts and underwear, and your favorite snacks and some hot chocolate in case you want something hot, but be careful not to burn yourself! There are some rubber gloves to do your laundry, a new clothesline to hang it up to dry, and…"

Ash must've heard me laughing because he quickly snatched the backpack away from his mother. "Mom, you're embarrassing me in front of all these people here. Don't you know I'm a big kid now? Pokémon Trainers can take care of themselves, you know."

"I understand." She then looked down at Shinx. "Is that your Pokémon?"

"Oh, no, that's not my Pokémon. That's Shinx, who belongs to Rosa." He pointed at me.

I waved. "Hi, Mrs. Ketchum. I'm Rosa. I just met Ash earlier today. It's nice to meet you."

She smiled and clapped her hands together. "Oh, it's wonderful to meet you too. I can see you're already making friends, Ash. Are you a new Pokémon Trainer, too, dear?"

"That's right."

"Well then please try to help my son as best you can. He needs a lot of help when it comes to laundry, and I don't want—"

"Mom! That's enough!" Ash yelled. I held my stomach in laughter.

"Oh, sorry. Then that one must be your Pokémon." She looked at Pikachu.

"Yep, that's my Pokémon." Pikachu saw Ash's gaze and turned away. "Well, with Pikachu at my side, I'll get all the Pokémon in the world."

"I thought all Pokémon stayed inside their Poké Balls. Why doesn't this one?"

"Oh yeah," Ash said. He grabbed Pikachu's Poké Ball. "Pikachu, get in the ball now." He threw the ball, but Pikachu hit it back with its tail. Looking surprised, he tried again; Pikachu kept hitting the ball back with its tail.

"Oh, you're playing catch! You're friends already!" said Mrs. Ketchum.

"Uh, sure." Ash picked up Pikachu. "Pikachu and I are real pals. Aren't we?"

"But, it's a little weird."

"Weird?" Pikachu got annoyed. I stood back and watched Pikachu zap the entire crowd.

"Those rubber gloves your mom packed will come in handy!" I warned.

"WHY?!" Ash screamed.

"Rubber blocks electricity!"

"GREAT!" Pikachu stopped attacking, and everyone collapsed on the ground.

Mrs. Ketchum coughed out, "Don't forget to change your underwear every single day."

Ash hid his embarrassed face while Pikachu smiled.

After that ordeal, Mrs. Ketchum and her crew all went home. Ash wanted to follow her, needing to get back to his house and make sure not to forget anything important. "Like changing out of your pajamas?" I teased.

"Yes, like that," he admitted with a shameful grin. "Are you heading out?"

"Yeah. I want to start my Pokémon training right away."

"Well, I'll see you soon then, I'm sure."

"Definitely, and next time we meet, what do you say to a battle? Shinx against Pikachu?"

Ash burst with a level of confidence I've never seen in anyone. "Count on it."

I shook his hand. After Shinx did the same with Pikachu, I looked at him. "That means we've got to start training, Shinx. Let's go!" We waved to Ash and his Pokémon before going our separate ways.

We left town, passing a small signpost along the dirt trail:

- Route 1 || Pallet Town -

"Route 1, huh? Hopefully, it's not too far to the next town," I said, looking up ahead. We couldn't see a city on the horizon, just trees and more trees.

Shinx howled at me, suggesting that we go back, find a store, and get a map.

I shook my head. "That'd take too long to go back, and what if they didn't have one? I suppose asking Professor Oak is an option, but then I'd be causing him too much trouble. I'm sure we just have to get through that forest." I pointed at the trees up ahead. "So we're fine. Just relax."

My Pokémon didn't seem very relaxed.

"Oh, quit worrying. We don't have time for it. Besides, isn't this super exciting? Venturing into the wilderness, and feeling the air in your fur like that?" I paused to let the breeze play with my hair. "I'm so glad I decided to become a Pokémon Trainer."

Shinx nodded, marching ahead to be the leader of our two-man troupe.

Feeling the wind pick up for a moment, I looked at the sky. Grey clouds slowly rolled in over our heads. "Hmm. Hopefully, it won't storm too bad before we reach the next town." I considered recalling Shinx to his Poké Ball. Replaying Mrs. Ketchum's words in my head, it became a sure thing.

"You know, Shinx, you should probably go into your Poké Ball to rest. It looks like a long walk, and it'll suck if it gets all muddy from the rain. I'll call you out when I've found a Pokémon to battle." I held out his Poké Ball.

Shinx glared at the ball and angrily shook his head.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to relax for a bit?" He shook his head again. "Is something wrong with the Poké Ball? I mean, all Pokémon are supposed to stay inside their Poké Balls, aren't they? Even the Pokédex says so."

I took out my Pokédex and asked about Poké Balls. "While being trained, a Pokémon usually stays inside its Poké Ball."

"You see?" Shinx jumped up and pressed a button.

The Pokédex continued, "However, there are exceptions. Some Pokémon hate being confined."

"Just like Ash's Pikachu. Well, okay. You win this one." Shinx barked happily. "I do have one rule, though. If we ever get in a dangerous situation, and I tell you to get inside, you're not allowed to refuse. Deal?" Hesitantly, he nodded.

Suddenly, a small bird jumped out in our path. I recognized it as one of the Pokémon living at Professor Oak's lab. "A Pidgey right off the bat? It's our lucky day, Shinx."

The Pidgey didn't seem to notice us. It pecked at the ground searching for a snack.

"Shinx, go get it!" Shinx growled and prepared to fight. "Tackle!" Shinx dashed forward.

Alarmed by my shout, Pidgey lifted into the air and flapped its wings to create a gust of wind. The small twister immobilized Shinx. "Hold on, Shinx! Go, Poké Ball!" I chucked an empty Poké Ball. Pidgey quickly dodged the toss and flew away.

Reclaiming my empty Poké Ball, I fell down beside Shinx. We checked the Pokédex for information on Pidgey. "Pidgey the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Among all flying Pokémon, it is the gentlest and easiest to capture. It's a perfect target for the beginning Pokémon Trainer to test her Pokémon's skills."

Shinx and I both sighed. "I wish this beginning Trainer caught it…"

A purple rat suddenly emerged from a patch of grass nearby. Also recognizing it from the Oak Corral, I rose to my feet. "We'll get it this time! Shinx use Shock Wave!" Shinx jumped into the air and blasted the other Pokémon with a jolt of blue electricity. It fell down and struggled to get back up. "Tackle!" Shinx launched himself at Rattata.

The rodent leaped out of the way of Shinx's attack just in time. I prepared to deal with the dodge, throwing a Poké Ball just after it jumped. "You're not getting away!" My Poké Ball sucked the rat inside.

Racing over, the Poké Ball shook twice. I crossed my fingers praying for a successful catch. Unfortunately, Rattata burst out of the ball. It kicked up sand in our faces to blind Shinx and then made its escape.

I rushed to Shinx's side, using my sleeve to clear away the sand in his eyes. "This should help. There. You can open your eyes now." He slowly cracked them open and then made an irritated cry. "I'm sorry. I guess it's not our lucky day…"

Shinx pawed my side. He pointed his tail at a small hill nearby. Bird feathers stuck out of the grass, probably someone else looking for a snack. "I wonder if that's Pidgey? Dex?"

My Pokédex replied, "No Pokémon found."

"Is the grass blocking it, or is it maybe too far? Well, Pidgey or not, we'll catch it anyways. Shinx use Swift!" Shinx lit up his tail and spun his body in a circle, launching a barrage of gold stars. The attack made a direct hit, but the attacked Pokémon turned out to definitely not be a Pidgey. It glared over at us, a bump appearing on its head. "What's that?"

My Pokédex answered, "Spearow. It has a terrible attitude, unlike Pidgey. It is very wild and will sometimes attack other Pokémon and humans."

Suddenly, Spearow swooped down and tried hitting Shinx with Peck. He narrowly dodged. "Swift, once more!" Shinx launched another set of gold stars.

Spearow spun around and flapped its wings to create a strong gust of wind. The stars got blown right back in Shinx's face, dealing plenty of damage. Spearow finished him off by pecking him multiple times. After Shinx got thrown into my arms, making me fall over, the wild Pokémon flew away.

I pouted. "Man, this is so much harder than I thought. No way are we going to catch any new Pokémon if this keeps up."

Shinx crawled out of my lap. Then, he yelled at me and insisted on not giving up.

"He's right, you know," said a voice.

Jumping out of my skin, I sprung onto my feet. We found a boy standing behind us with black hair, glasses, and an apron. He seemed about as old as my brother. "Where the heck did you come from?!"

The boy grinned and rubbed his head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I just saw you trying to catch Pokémon and thought you might be a new Trainer."

I whispered to my Pokémon, "Is it that obvious?" Shinx nodded. I looked back at the newcomer and scowled. "Just how long have you been standing there anyway?"

"Since you tried catching that Pidgey."

"That's a long time." Getting defensive, my glare intensified. "You some kind of creep or something?"

He nervously waved his hands. "What? No, I'm not creeping or anything, I promise. I was just on my way to Pallet Town. Look." He retrieved a small package from his satchel. "I'm delivering this. I work at the Poké Mart in Viridian City."

My ears perked up. "Does that mean Viridian City isn't too far?!"

"Just a walk past those trees." He pointed behind him. Then, his face grew a smile, and he bowed slightly in my direction. "I should introduce myself. My name's R—" He suddenly paused.

The way he froze earned a funny look from me. "Something wrong?" I asked.

After a second, the boy cleared his throat and nervously adjusted his glasses. "Uh, you can just call me Green."

"Green," I repeated. A giggle escaped my lips. "That's a funny name."

Green seemed a little hurt. "What? What's wrong with my name?"

I waved a hand. "Oh. Nothing's wrong with it. You just never hear people being named colors these days. Actually, I've only ever known one other person with a color name. It's unique."

Grumbling, he folded his arms. "Unique in a good or bad way?"

I shook my head. "A good way."

"Yeah, right." He cleared his throat again. "Anyways, I noticed your unsuccessful attempts to catch Pokémon. Sorry to be blunt, but from the beginning, I could tell that you don't have much experience yet. You and your Pokémon weren't in sync."

"Not in sync? That's ridiculous! Shinx and I are the best team ever! Right, pal?" Shinx agreed with a loud bark.

Green knelt down, motioning for Shinx to approach with an outstretched hand. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you." The blue cub hesitantly stepped forward. He sniffed the boy's hand once before melting into his palm, earning his favorite scratch behind the ears.

My eyes popped out of their sockets. No way! That fast?! It made me give the boy a curious look. Does Shinx know him from somewhere?

"Tell me something," Green said softly. "Have you had a battle yet with Shinx?"

"What? Oh. Yeah, just one though."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to battle you." He retrieved a Poké Ball from his pocket and showed it to me. "A one-on-one?"

Surprised, I gazed at him. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I'm a Pokémon Trainer too, and I want to see what you two can do. Don't worry. I'm not that good."

Exchanging looks with my Pokémon, I confidently smirked and nodded. "Okay. We accept your challenge—"

"But first!" Green barked, startling me. "You never told me your name."

"Oh. It's Rosa. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. Now…" He took several steps backward and then tossed the ball into the air. "Shall we begin?" A Bulbasaur appeared on the grass before him. The Pokémon yawned and stretched its legs.

Remembering what Ash told me, discouraging thoughts swarmed my mind. "This'll be tough. Grass Pokémon are resistant to electric-type attacks," I muttered. Shinx worried over the same problem.

"You can have the first attack, Rosa!"

"So then we just won't use any! Start with Swift!" Shinx jumped and launched the attack from his tail.

To my surprise, Bulbasaur dodged the attack without a command. "Tackle!" Bulbasaur raced for Shinx.

My Pokémon looked to me for an order. "Forget what I said! Shock Wave!" Shinx jumped into the air again and shot blue lightning at Bulbasaur. It dodged again.

Green smirked. "I'm afraid that's a miss!"

I focused on Shinx. "Calm down! Take your time!" Before he could react, Bulbasaur suddenly crashed into my Pokémon with its hard head. Shinx fell back on the ground and quickly got back to his feet. "Spark!" Covering his body in electricity, Shinx charged at his opponent. Bulbasaur jumped to the side, letting Shinx run right past him. "Spark once more!"

"Tackle!" Bulbasaur flung its body into Shinx, sending him flying again.

"What's the matter? Use Swift!" Shinx struggled to get back up. "Get up! Hurry!"

Green didn't seem the type to give us a chance to attack. "Razor Leaf!"

Shinx launched Swift too. Unfortunately, the stars got easily overpowered by Bulbasaur's leaves, resulting in a powerful hit to Shinx's face. I only got more frustrated. "I don't get it. Why didn't you dodge?"

"Is that all you got? Razor Leaf again!" Bulbasaur fired another barrage of leaves.

Shinx dodged and backed off from his opponent. "Don't just run away! Come on and use Swift!" Before he had a chance to attack, its opponent fired one final Razor Leaf. While distracted, Shinx got hit with a Tackle attack and pinned to the ground. "Ah! Shinx!"

"That's good enough, Bulbasaur!" Green suddenly called. Bulbasaur listened to its trainer and backed off.

I rushed over and cradled Shinx in my arms. "Shinx, are you okay?" He nodded.

With the battle resulting in a win for Green, he knelt down beside Bulbasaur and pet its head. "Great work. Thank you." It happily cried back.

"Not that good, huh?" I grumbled.

"Not really. I just caught this Bulbasaur in Viridian Forest."

"And I've had Shinx since I was five, so that battle should've been mine."

"Except that I won. Clearly, something's off if a newbie by myself just won a battle against a veteran like you."

"Well, I never said veteran, so…"

"Rosa, here's a question. Do you understand your Pokémon?"

"Understand my Pokémon?"

"Do you understand their type and characteristics? Understanding Pokémon is the first step to getting in sync with them. I mentioned earlier about you and Shinx not being in sync."

"Yeah, so? What's your point?"

"Pokémon respond quickly to their Trainer's instructions and use their own judgment because of their strong connections. Pokémon battle well when they clearly recognize and trust their Trainer's power."

"Their Trainer's power?"

"Pokémon won't connect with Trainers who don't have any. The strength of a Pokémon is proportionate to a Trainer's power."

"You saying I don't have any strength? I assure you I have plenty!"

"I'm not the one that needs to see your strength, because I wasn't your partner in the battle you just lost." He nodded towards the fluffy creature cradled in my arms.

I looked down at Shinx. "Your strength… is proportionate… to my power?"

"And if you don't have any…" Green continued. "Then victories in battle won't come very easy. You can forget catching another Pokémon, or any goals you have in mind. I'm sorry, but it's the harsh reality of being a Pokémon Trainer."

Pondering his words, my head slumped forward. Shinx pawed my face.

"Well, thanks for the battle." He recalled his Bulbasaur. "Excuse me." He turned to walk away.

Before he got too far, I roared at him: "You're right!"

Green stopped walking.

"I don't have any power. None at all." Setting Shinx on the ground, I rose up and turned towards the boy. "That's why I have Pokémon! They give me power. Shinx gives me power! The power to believe in myself, my skills, my goals. My power comes from them. I'm nothing without my Pokémon!"

My eyes burned holes into his back. For a while, Green stood still, absorbing my words.

Finally, Green turned to face me. "Can I ask something else?"

I nodded. "Sure."

"Why are you here? Why are you here as a Pokémon Trainer?"

Thunder cracked over our heads. Cue the dramatic effects, I guess…

"To get stronger!" I replied without a moment of hesitation.

Both Shinx and Green gazed at me even as rain poured down from above.

"I will get stronger, and I will do it all with Shinx as my partner!" When I gestured to my beloved Pokémon, he faced Green and barked loudly, supporting my claim. "My goal is to become stronger, and become the Pokémon World Champion! That way, nobody will ever call us powerless again. And that way…"

Rain poured down my face. When the lightning flashed around us, memories of that day also flashed before my eyes. The raindrops masked the ensuing tears that traced my cheekbones. Seeing those images replay in my head made my hands ball up into fists.

A low growl escaped my lips. "...And that way, I will never be like that again!"

After a moment, a hand reached out to pat my shoulder. I looked up and gazed into two beautiful brown orbs. "That's good," he muttered with a smile. "You have something you want to accomplish, and it's at the forefront of your mind. Clearly you're ready to do whatever it takes to see that goal met. I like that about you, Rosa."

I grinned. "Like I said, it's not me that should be commended." My head dropped down to look at Shinx again. "I trust my Pokémon, and he trusts me. That trust provides limitless power, enough to accomplish whatever we do together. Shinx, you do trust me, right?"

His yellow eyes locked with mine. Then, he bounced back a step, barked as loud as he could, and shot off a massive bolt of lightning into the sky. It was far more powerful than any attack he'd ever conjured before, illuminating the immediate area.

Perched above our head, the thunderstorm absorbed the attack. It responded with a loud sequence of cracks and booms, before falling to silence again.

Green laughed. "From the looks of it, you two must love thunderstorms."

I responded with my own laughter. "Oh yeah. Bursts of electricity shooting down from the sky. The continuous drum roll above the clouds. Buckets and buckets of rain. What's not to love?" Shinx replied by hiding underneath my legs, using me as an umbrella. "Well, he's not a huge fan of the rain, but still."

"You must be a fan of electric-types then, huh, Rosa?"

"What gave me away?"

"You know, you remind me of my sister."

Flattered with the comment, I blushed. "Really?"

"She loves thunderstorms too, and electric-type Pokémon. She's about your age too."

"Well, I'd love to meet her someday—Ah!"

Suddenly, a bird Pokémon swooped down and tried hitting Shinx with Peck. It missed when he jumped off my head; instead, the Pokémon's sharp beak hit me. When it got clear of my head, Shinx angrily launched a Shock Wave attack at it.

"What was that for?!" I angrily shouted, rubbing my head with one hand.

The black and brown bird cawed back as it made a u-turn.

"A Spearow?" Green said.

"It's probably the same one I tried to catch. Did you change your mind?" I called out to the bird, reaching for a Poké Ball.

After Spearow landed in the dirt, it turned its head and let out an ear-splitting cry. Off in the distance, a gigantic flock of birds emerged from the trees. Nervous chills went up and down my spine. "Please tell me I'm seeing things," I squeaked, noticing Shinx start to back away.

"Nope. That must be this guy's flock," Green replied. I heard him gulp.

My eyebrow raised. "But, why are they all attacking us?"

"Well, Spearow aren't the friendliest of Pokémon to begin with, but that flock in particular is pretty nasty. They like to cause trouble around here for new Trainers and their Pokémon. I'll bet Spearow didn't like you mouthing off to it."

My neck snapped when I looked back to Spearow. "Aw! Did you get your little feelings hurt? Well, maybe you shouldn't go jabbing people in the head!"

A vein bulging on its forehead, Spearow lifted into the air as its flock approached.

I felt challenged. "Yeah? Think your friends will help you take us out? Think again! Come on, Shinx! Let's show these punks who they're messing with!"

Shinx jumped onto my shoulder and barked in agreement.

Green quickly grabbed my arm. "Wait! You're going to take on the entire flock?!" he shouted, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Of course. What else did you plan on?"

"I don't know. Running away?!"

I ripped my arm away from him. "No, it's better to stay here and fight!"

"You're insane, Rosa!"

Ignoring him, I glared at the Spearow beginning to surround us. My arms stretched out wide with Shinx perched on my shoulder. The flock of birds scowled at me prepared for a vicious fight. "Alright, you! I don't think you know who you're dealing with! I'm Rosa from Sunyshore City, and I'm going to become the first ever World Champion Pokémon Master! Mess with me, or Shinx, and you're going to lose! Together, we're going to catch all of you Pokémon at once!"

The Spearow got angry and cawed loudly.

"Ready to attack, Shinx?"

He nodded his head.

"Then hit us with your best shot, punks!"

The Spearow flew quick circles above our heads before diving straight at us. We stood our ground as thousands of angry Pokémon came charging at us with the intent to do some severe damage.

Time slowed down for a moment.

My leg felt a light tap, followed by one on my back, then my shoulder. A flash of yellow and red went past my ear, leaving me frozen in place. A lightning bolt then struck down from the sky, scoring a direct hit on the yellow creature. It retaliated with an electric attack far stronger than the original. The resulting explosion knocked me off my feet.

ooooooooooooooooooo

When I came to my senses, the sun had started to set. Clouds rolled away to make room for the last bits of sunlight, though the smell of rain still filled my nose.

Opening my eyes, two bright eyes peered back. "Shinx?" my voice cracked.

He cried out and licked my face.

"What… happened? There… was an explosion. Wasn't there?"

He barked.

I slowly sat myself up. "But man, that was some blast. Are you okay?"

He nodded and then nuzzled my cheek.

Relieved, I smiled and scratched his head. "Good. I'm glad. But…" Holding Shinx in my lap, I gazed around for any sign of another person. "Where'd Green go? And that yellow creature? It wore something red on it. Did you see it?"

Frowning, Shinx mewled and admitted he had no idea. He couldn't remember anything between the Spearow charging us and the explosion before it knocked us out.

"Oh boy. Let's get you to a Pokémon Center as quickly as possible. I want to make sure that explosion didn't hurt you too badly." He agreed with another nod. "But seriously, where'd that boy go anyway?"

Suddenly, Shinx barked, his head pointing up.

When my gaze turned towards the sky, a shimmering golden Pokémon flew overhead towards a rainbow. Every flap of its wings sent a pinch of glitter into the air. My jaw smacked into the ground. "What's that?"

My Pokédex answered, "There is no data. There are still Pokémon that have yet to be identified."

Watching the mysterious Pokémon, we spotted a small feather fall after another great big flap of its wings. It floated down to us, landing in my hands. Colored like a rainbow, it glowed when touched. I stared at it, and then back at the Pokémon. It crossed the bright rainbow before disappearing, and with it, the light from the feather quickly faded.

"Hey, Shinx, someday we'll meet that Pokémon." He climbed onto my shoulder and barked. "And someday, we'll meet Green again too."

Shinx asked what made me so sure.

"I can't explain it, but I feel like I know him. And that yellow creature… the flash of red with it… now that I think about it, it kind of resembled a hat."

Confused, Shinx cocked his head.

I laughed. "Maybe I should get myself checked out too."

Very weak and tired, I struggled to my feet. Following the rainbow with our eyes, we spotted a city near the end of it. "Hey! That must be Viridian City! We made it!"

Shinx cheered before collapsing in my arms.

"Let's not push it until we get there, okay?" He agreed. I made sure nothing had fallen from my pockets and headed off. In the distance, a man in a red cap watched us continue on our way, removing his fake glasses to clear the water from the lenses. He had a smile on his face, and a Pikachu on his shoulder.