Hi guys! I hope you are enjoying this story. I know I am a little late at updates because there are days when I just don't feel like writing and then sometimes when I do feel, something comes up. I don't want to bore you all so instead of saying anything more let's go on with the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon in any way. Satoshi Tajiri and his team own it while I am just a fan of this franchisee and love to write about it…

However, I do own the plot and the OC's.

In addition, all the characters in this story are fictional and bear no resemblance to any human dead or alive!

Chapter 4: The important parcel and the injured Pokémon!

Leo's POV:

I woke up early as the very first rays of the sun hit me. I packed all my camping stuff, kept the poke-egg in my bag with the zip open (I did tell you that I believe it breathes) and started off towards Floccesy ranch.

As I walked on, a boy stopped me.

"Hey, want to battle!" He said enthusiastically.

"I can't! I don't have a Pokémon that can battle," was the answer I gave. His enthusiasm just vanished into thin air. But before I could say anything he ran off towards another boy (probably a trainer) and challenged him to battle.

That was when I thought of catching a Pokémon. Also I needed a Pokémon to battle the first gym. I suddenly noticed a big group of Patrats. I took out a pokeball, took a stance and threw a pokeball at a Patrat. The pokeball hit Patrat on the head and bounced back. I should have made him weak first but how. But then I looked at the Patrat and it was sure not happy with the pokeball that hit it. Suddenly all of the Patrat were glaring at me with those red eyes.

I gulped and did the best thing possible, I took to my feet. I ran as the whole group of Patrats ran behind me. I learned two lessons at that time, first to make a Pokémon weak and then try to catch it and second never to hurt a Pokémon when it is with his group. And yes, all this I am talking while running.

After a while of running, I hid behind a bush. The Patrats went forward without noticing me. I sighed. After sitting for a minute or so, I got up and started off towards the ranch again. I came to the ranch. It had a big sign saying 'Floccesy Ranch'. I walked inside and suddenly two dog like Pokémons started barking at me. I started walking a few steps backwards when a voice called out,

"Don't worry they won't do anything to you." A man came forward. He had a bit of tanned skin with a red bandana and a red apron like thing.

"Herdier and Herdier, get back!" He told them and the Pokémon walked back.

"Herdier?" I said while taking out my pokedex.

Herdier,

Loyal dog Pokémon,

This Pokémon is very loyal towards his trainer and friends. It is also seen taking care of other Pokémons.

It is the evolved form of Lillipup. It can be found on routes 1, 2 and 3.

"A loyal Pokémon! So these two are yours," I asked the man.

"Yes, they help me maintain the ranch and take care of the Mareeps. They help me a lot. By the way, I am the owner of this ranch. What can I do for you," He asked with a smile.

"I am Leo, Leonardo Jayson and I came here to receive a parcel for Alder,"

"Oh! Alder has sent you. It's in my house. Let's go." And the man led me towards his house. I went in to see quite a good house. I saw the two Herdiers sitting in a corner. And when they saw me, they stood on their feet. I gulped again.

"Don't worry," He reassured me and the Herdiers sat down.

"So what is this parcel about? Alder looked quite interested in it," I asked.

"I can't tell you. It's a secret." He gave me a very serious look and I understood not to speak about it anymore. He went near a table and opened a drawer and took out a medium sized wooden box. He came near me and handed it to me but took it away again.

"You have to promise me that you will hand this to Alder and no one else." I nodded.

"One more thing, do not open this box!" This time he was more serious than the last and it did sent a chill through my body this time. I promised him and then took out the egg and placed the parcel in its place. The owner awed at the site of the egg. I was now quite used to it.

"This is my starter," I said to him and he looked at me in surprise and astonishment.

"Really, this is your starter Pokémon?" he exclaimed.

"Yep! This is my starter, a poke-egg." I replied.

"This is your starter, I mean this poke-egg is your starter," He asked again.

"Yeah, this is my starter," I was started to getting a little uncomfortable at how the owner looked at the egg.

"You are quite lucky, my friend, quite lucky!" He exclaimed again.

"Uh… I have to go now. I have to take this parcel back to Alder," I said trying to get out of that awkward situation.

"Oh sure, you don't want to be late," He regained his posture back in a second and this terrorized me a little. I started walking as fast as possible out of the ranch.

"That was awkward!" I said to myself as I walked out of the ranch. I looked at the egg in my hand and wondered why the ranch owner got so excited after seeing this. I just could come to two conclusions. Either the owner hadn't seen an egg before or he was a mad guy.

I started walking towards Floccesy again. I was nearly half way there, when I heard a voice.

"Ri..." I couldn't identify the sound but it sure sounded hurt. I stopped and concentrated where the voice could be from.

"Ri…" It came again and it came from near a patch of grass. I walked towards it in hope of discovering where the voice came from. When I reached there, I saw a blue fox like Pokémon sitting holding its left leg. I removed my pokedex to scan it.

Riolu,

Emanation Pokémon,

Riolu uses the shapes of auras which change according to the emotion to communicate with others. It uses this aura to attack and defend. It is Pokémon native to Sinnoh and rarely found in Unova.

"Oh, a Pokémon that uses aura," I said to myself but then my attention went towards its leg, the one which was hurting. It was hurting it a lot and probably that's why it didn't attack me. I thought what I could do. But nothing came to the mind. The only reasonable way was to take it to a Pokémon centre.

I wondered how I could take it all the way to Floccesy and then an idea struck me. I removed one of my pokeballs. But when the Riolu saw the pokeball it suddenly stood up frightened limping on its left. It slowly started walking backwards.

I kept the pokeball back inside the moment I found out it got frightened. I slowly approached it but the Riolu was now frightened more.

"No no… wait! I am not hurting you. I want to help you," I said to him trying to calm him down. It didn't listen. I tried convincing him more and it seemed to work. As it calmed down, I started to approach it. I found out that he was afraid of pokeballs but no other idea came to my mind. I sat there thinking, the Pokémon beside me. It was hurting quite a lot so I gave it a potion that my mom had packed for my starter. It felt a little better but the wound needed dressing and there were no medical things with me. I had to take it to Pokémon centre somehow but how.

But then I thought why not lift it up and take it there but then there was no place for the poke-egg in the bag due to the parcel. I was just out of ideas.

"Leo!" I heard a very familiar voice from behind me. I stood up and saw Sabrina.

"Sabrina, you here!" I said. She wasn't wearing the hat while her hairs were tied in a ponytail.

"Didn't expect to see you here… sitting," She said.

"Oh… no," I got up and continued, "I found this Riolu hurt and was thinking how to take him to the Pokémon centre. I tried using the pokeball but it seems he doesn't like pokeballs." When I finished, I found she wasn't hearing me but looking at the egg in my hands.

"Uh… Sabrina!" I called out to her.

"Oh yes. I was just wondering about the poke-egg you have there," She replied.

"This is my first Pokémon, kind of." Hearing this she shouted on top of her lungs,

"Whaaaat!?"

"Uh yes, this is my starter Pokémon," I tried to tell her again.

"Oh, that's quite weird," She exclaimed. But suddenly my attention swapped to the hurt Riolu.

"Oh yes, Sabrina, look at this Riolu, it's quite hurt and I don't know how to take him to the Pokémon centre."

"Oh," She went near the Riolu and tried to calm it down, "You said he hated pokeballs, right?"

"Yes," I replied, "Also I can't carry it because I have a parcel for Alder and then I have the egg."

"Oh," She said.

"I will carry him. Wouldn't you like it Riolu?" The Riolu for some reason wasn't afraid of her at all and got ready on one foot (no pun intended).

"Good idea, I guess." I said as she lifted the Riolu off the ground.

"So let's go," she said and started running towards Floccesy. I followed her. After a while we reached at Floccesy town's Pokémon centre. We entered it.

"Nurse Joy, we need help!" We called. The nurse joy came running when she saw Riolu's leg followed by a pink and skin color Pokémon behind her.

"Audino, bring a stretcher!" The nurse ordered as the Pokémon behind her went running in a room and brought out a stretcher. She put the Riolu on the stretcher and took it into the operation theatre. We sat on the benches outside the theatre as I removed my pokedex to find Audino. I typed its name and searched,

Audino,

Hearing Pokémon,

Its auditory sense is astounding. Using the feelers on its ears, it can tell how someone is feeling or when an egg might hatch. It has a radar-like ability to understand its surrounding through slight sounds.

"Now Leo, would you like to tell me about the egg," Sabrina asked me and I nodded. I told her how I found the egg and then about the parcel and then Riolu.

"Oh quite a start for you, mine wasn't so exciting. After I got Eevee, I first went to the Aspertia gym but failed miserably so I decided to train a bit and so I ended up near the Floccesy ranch trying to train my Eevee and catch some Pokémon," She told me.

"So any luck, catching any Pokémon?" I asked.

"Yeah, I caught an Azurill and it seems to bond well with Eevee," She replied smiling.

"That's good," I said.

"Hey you want to meet them," she asked but before I could say anything, she had already called them out.

"Eevee!"

"Azurill!" Both the Pokémons called out their names respectively. Fortunately, I had seen an Azurill before so I didn't remove the pokedex this time.

"Hey Leo, if you don't mind, can I hold… the egg?" She asked hesitantly.

"Oh sure!" I replied handing the egg to her. She took it slowly and just sat there admiringly. I saw Azurill getting angry. I laughed a little and then I took notice of Eevee.

"Hey Eevee, do you remember me," I went near the little Pokémon and it smiled motioning to me that it identified.

"The Riolu is fine," Nurse Joy said coming out of the operation theatre.

"It was very badly wounded. You shouldn't have worked him out so much."

"No! Actually, he is not my Pokémon. I found him hurt on the Floccesy ranch. So we brought him here," I told her.

"Oh! Then you did a good work, I guess."

"So can we see him now?" We both asked and she nodded. Sabrina handed my poke-egg back to me and went in followed by me and her two Pokémons. He was sleeping on the stretch table with his left leg tied up with bandages and all.

"Ri…" he woke up probably sensing our presence.

"You are good now. You don't need to worry," I said smilingly.

"Ri… olu!" It smiled.

"He will be all back again with just a little rest," Nurse Joy said assuring.

"Let's wait here till Riolu gets better."

"I was thinking the same," she replied. After a while, Riolu started walking perfectly. Nurse Joy gave him some poke-food. After that we said bye to Riolu and came out of the centre. But then something started pulling my leg. I looked at it and found out that it was Riolu.

"Hey what are you doing here?" I asked it as it probably should rest more.

"Ri… Ri… Riolu!" he cried.

"Uh… I do not understand you."

"He probably wants to join your team," Sabrina chimed in.

"Really?" I looked at him and he nodded.

"Then let's do it!" I said, took my stance, pulled my wrist band a little up, took out a pokeball and send it flying towards Riolu. It hit him on the head, opened and a colorful light absorbed him. The ball fell down wriggling with the red light on its button and then it stopped.

"I have caught Riolu!" I shouted as I took it in my hand and jumped up high. I called him out and hugged him. But suddenly an idea struck me.

"Hey Sabrina, I have an idea. Why not we become travel companions. That would be fun. As also you are going to Aspertia again to challenge the gym, we are going the same way, what say?"

"Good idea. I don't mind at all. What do you think guys?" She asked her Pokémons.

"Eve… Eevee!"

"Azurill!"

"Ok then, let's go then. But first we need to give back this parcel to Alder," I said looking at it in my bag.

"Ok!"

And now Leo has got a parcel for Alder, a new Pokémon and a new companion to travel with. He and Sabrina are now going to give that parcel back to Alder and then challenge the Aspertia gym. But something is brewing up and someone has an eye out on these guys.

"I want that egg, no matter what!"

"Yes boss, we will get it for you,"

"Do not return failed or else…"

"No… boss, we won't!"

Stay tuned….