Pallet Town

Winter

Evening

A fluffy Pokemon is lost in the middle of nowhere. He has no trainer and it was shivering, despite having the thickest fur on its body.

An Eevee is limping all the way through snowy weather, from Route 1 to a town where people and Pokemon are throwing a snowball at each other. Eevee was nearly trodden by a Nidoking that was playing with his trainer who's also playing with her friends.

"Vee…" All this Eevee thinking about is how his trainer replaced him with another Eevee which evolved into a Jolteon.

Inside a house is a girl waking up from her bed and coughed. A brunette girl, Leaf, made an expressionless face before moving her eyes towards the window. Watching a lot of raining snowflakes while Pidgeots are protecting their young and Rattatas are hiding in their holes, Leaf's eyes are watching a peaceful weather with noisy neighbours laughing.

"So pretty." Her raspy voice called before she heard a Pokemon cry.

"Eevee…"

"Hm?"

Glancing down from the window, Leaf witnessed an Eevee slouching from the wilds and walking straight towards a lab.

Sliding herself out of her bed, Leaf appears in her pyjamas and walks towards the door and then down the stairs which caught a middle aged woman's attention.

"Leaf? I thought you were sick."

"I'm just getting the door, mom." Said Leaf before opening a door which had a very low temperature.

After the door, Eevee stopped and stared upwards towards a trainer and then took a few steps backwards.

"Vee…" Eevee growled.

"Hm? You're…" Leaf had changed her slippers and put on her trainers in order to go outside and take a closer look at a Pokemon that pulled out his claws.

Walking towards Eevee, Leaf can tell that Eevee is only backing himself away from any trainer he came across. Afterwards it was picked up by his front paws as Leaf examined this Pokemon that has an unknown nickname or never had one.

"Thank goodness you made it…" Leaf's tone sounded like she's getting emotional as Eevee is safe without being attacked by some Beedrills. "Who abandoned you? What made you like this? Why did they do that?"

"Vee…"

While comforting an Eevee, footsteps arrived at Leaf's right hand side.

"Hello? What happened here?" A voice asked which had both Leaf and Eevee turning their heads towards the same direction.

"Professor Oak?" Leaf looked surprised about a professor being in front of her and an injured Eevee.

"Oh hello, Leaf, I see you're out in your pyjamas. That's unusual. Hm? That Eevee, looks like it's abandoned." Examining closer towards an Eevee, Professor Oak looked curious to see why that Eevee looked hurt.

"How did you know?" Leaf asked out of suspicion.

"Same as you. Rarely, Trainers let their Eevees go, but that one's a surprise." Sighed as Oak rubbed his chin. "I wonder if Red and Gary are getting along as well as Ash making friends with more Pokemon. Either way, they never ever released their own Pokemon."

Leaf stood up from crouching while carrying an Eevee by her arms, letting him look in the same direction as the girl who was carrying an Eevee like himself.

"Um… Professor Oak. You wanted to take care of this Eevee, don't you?"

"Well, it is what it is. Maybe you can be a Pokemon Trainer right now."

Leaf paused and turned her head down while thinking about going out with a starter Pokemon in that condition.

"I don't know…"

"Trust me. You're overdue, and also your Pokemon licence is waiting for you in my lab." Said Professor Oak.

Leaf doesn't understand the situation of this Eevee, but her only option is to give this angry one to Professor Oak.

"Don't feel down, Leaf. You'll see Eevee again, and you might show it your starter Pokemon."

"Thanks, Professor Oak." Leaf bowed and coughed while hurrying towards her house.

After the door closed, Professor Oak was looking down at his arms as well as an Eevee looking straight up as both Oak and Eevee looked at each other in the eyes.

"You look familiar."

"Vee."

After that, Oak is walking down the streets full of playful children before another voice calls.

"Akane! Nidoking! Dinner's ready"

"Okay, mom!" A young girl stopped her snowball fight and dashed towards her house.

"King!" Nidoking did the same while grinning.

"Interesting. Have you played with any other trainer like that?" Oak asked.

"Vee?" Tilting his head as an Eevee has no understanding of playing with a trainer.

"Oh dear, but would you be my lab partner?" Oak sighed and opened his lab door while asking Eevee a suggestion.

"Eevee." Eevee nodded.

"Excellent! Honey, I'm home!" Called Professor Oak.

Early Morning

The next day, Leaf in her bedroom is checking to see which her clothing can fit for her journey outside of Pallet Town.

"Let's see… Would I wear a blue vest top or would I get away with the black dress?" Leaf murmurs while being in a towel as her antenna part on top of her hair shaped like leaves still remain.

Thinking about what to wear, Leaf had already decided on her clothing decision; she took out her blue vest and red skirt as well as putting on her hat.

A few moments later, Leaf is now prepared as well as looking like a young trainer girl.

"Hm, this'll do. But I'm not sure if I'm okay like this." Leaf could tell that her condition from yesterday isn't getting any better.

But she'll leave it at that and focus on following Red, Blue and Ash's footsteps, considering that Leaf is a few years older than Ash Ketchum. Slapping her cheeks, Leaf looked at herself in the eyes by the mirror and took herself.

"Okay, Leaf, don't let it get to you. This is your story, okay? Okay, let's go!" Encouraging herself as Leaf took her bag and stopped by the door after her mother called.

"Wait, Leaf!"

"Hm?"

"I had a call from Professor Oak and he told me that he had his Pokemon prepared for you." Leaf's mother approached her daughter and sorted Leaf's hat and then hugged her. "I'm so proud of you. I know it's hard living like this, but being a Pokemon trainer is a very tough one."

Leaf could agree, but her reason is to see her friends again and sitting back won't help her having a reunion with Red Ketchum and Gary 'Blue' Oak. At least her mother is proud but was also worried about Leaf's health.

"While you leave, I packed you a diary, I packed you some running trainers because no trainer would ever feel comfortable without wearing these, I also packed you a Poké Com, did you check your underwear, because I packed you some clothes in case you're out on a messy route because every trainer always have personal hygiene."

"Mom! I get it, I can see all that in my bag. No need to go over-" Before Leaf finishes her sentence, her coughs cut her off as Leaf is trying to resist it.

"Leaf…"

"I'm fine, mom. I'll be okay, but… I might not see you in a few weeks or months." Leaf lowered her head while thinking about her own mother being lonely.

A woman's hands are holding her daughter's hands and pulling a smile on her own face.

"It's okay, Leaf. Everybody is always on their journeys, so I'll be cheering for you."

"Mom…" Leaf's bursting into tears while keeping her mouth shut and sniffles.

"Good luck on your journey, my little Trainer."

Like every Trainer's mother, Leaf's mother wished her daughter's luck and waved goodbye to Leaf.

Leaf waved back and ran from her house to Oak's lab.

"My daughter's just like your sons. Optimistic and have high spirits." Leaf's mother sighed as Red's mother arrived by watching Leaf moving towards the lab.

"Well, most children these days are craving for an adventure. I just hope Ash is okay without Red's assistance." Red's mother felt her beating chest as she missed both Ash and Red.

"Mime?" Mr. Mime pat Red's mother's back while also watching.

Oak's Lab

Inside a lab as many scientists are clamouring out of concern and confusion along with a surprising reaction.

"Oh my… Oh dear… Eevee, you're..."

Professor Oak was interrupted by a door which has a trainer arriving behind.

"Professor Oak! I'm here for my starter!" Leaf cheered while dashing towards a group of scientists which had her confused about their reaction. "Hm? What's wrong?"

"Leaf. This Eevee… Was my grandson's and it's nicknamed 'Loneliness.'" Professor Oak answered with a straight face after knowing that his grandson, Blue, replaced his Eevee with another one.

"Blue? Abandoned an Eevee and named it 'Loneliness!?'" Leaf couldn't believe it as she read through Oak's data which could mean…

'Loneliness' was abandoned a week ago.

Dropping down on her knees, Leaf couldn't believe her eyes that Blue, a rude yet lovable idiot and Red's rival, threw away his own partner like that.

"Why…" Lead asked.

"Who knows, I want to know why Gary did abandon that poor Eevee." Oak's expression is how he feels towards Blue's action; disappointed by what happened, Oak is now waiting as there's 3 empty Poké balls.

"And why hadn't Sycamore sent down Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle?" Grumbling as Oak becomes agitated with the situation.

That means Leaf is without a Pokemon, knowing that there's a delay for the delivery.

Fortunately for Oak, Leaf had only one option and he speaks out since it hits his head.

"Leaf."

"Yeah?"

"While we have no Pokemon, but you can have this Eevee! So congratulations!" Oak said with a false smile and nudging as the other scientists are playing along by cheering.

"Wait, really!?" Overwhelmed as Leaf had no idea what's going on.

"Of course! Now Loneliness is yours, if you can change its nickname! Oh wait, if you wanted to?"

"Thanks, but I don't think I should. If that Eevee's name is Loneliness, then its Loneliness." Leaf pointed out the rules of Pokemon and their trainers which means they're not allowed to change nicknames. "Well, Loneliness, looks like we'll be partners until the very end!"

"Vee!?"

'Partners' is just a word to Loneliness, hence why he refused to have a trainer with him. Raising its paw as well as releasing the claws, Loneliness hastily clawing Leaf's face before it took off instantly.

"Ow! Loneliness! Wait!"

"Loneliness!" Oak shouted after Loneliness zoomed out of the door and left Pallet Town.

"Loneliness…" Leaf slowly realised that this Pokemon needed some love, and Leaf won't stand with that kind of behaviour.

Yanking the kitchen knife from the table as Leaf opened the door.

"What are you doing? Carrying a knife and using it against people and Pokemon is illegal." Oak exclaimed.

"But how am I going to catch up to Loneliness!? He might get hurt if this keeps up! So, please... Let me keep it as a trainer!" Leaf burst out about what's going to happen if she doesn't save Loneliness. "I'll raise him, feed him and train him and give him some friends to play with. Please."

Oak can see the potential behind this weak girl with a strong spirit. It's just like his flashback, a faceless girl with a Bulbasaur, teaming up with Red and Charmander, and Blue and Squirtle. But to Oak, Leaf looked familiar as his memory is fuzzy.

Grinning as he tossed Loneliness' Poké ball to Leaf, Oak knew that Leaf had a lot of potential to be like Red, a Pokémon master.

"Good luck, Leaf, and be careful with that knife, otherwise Officer Jenny might arrest you and hold me accountable for this."

"Don't worry, Professor Oak, I'll be careful. See ya!"

Then, she's off, leaving the lab as well as moving to Route 1 in a cold weather, she's lucky that her mother packed her a scarf as Leaf put it on and now off she goes.

Her journey has begun.