X.X... this turned out BADLY...

I'll try to do better next time, I swear!

- - -

It started in Sandgem, with a blue and white penguin-like pokemon.

It sickened me at how cute it was.

To tell the truth, I'm a sucker for cute things. And I hate that. You see, it ruins my image… I'm supposed to be all tomboyish… So yeah…you get the picture…

I stared at that nauseating thing. It was so cute that I wanted to hug it… or at least poke it and watch it fall over. I had no choice, I would have to go with the monkey thingy… or that weird green one that I couldn't figure out what the heck it was supposed to be.

"Hey, Professor Rowan, would you mind if I took Turtwig?" asked the boy to my right with the dark reddish brown hair that fell in spikes around his ears and barely brushed the tops of his shoulders.

That was Makoto Yamato, one of my childhood friends who lived next door to me my entire life. He, like me, doesn't stand out much, and wears pretty neutral clothes- although he DOES have a habit of wearing heavy jackets year-round… He has a bit of a habit of over-analyzing everything… he probably had thought the entire scenario through about ten times before choosing his starter.

"Sure, sure, just take it." The rather annoyed professor practically threw the pokeball and forest green pokedex at him.

Alright, that was it. I had to take the stupid monkey. I opened my mouth.

"I WANT THE CHIMCHAR!!!!" I twitched. That was the boy to my left, with the goggles holding back his wild sand-blonde hair.

That was my other childhood friend. Haruki Shirogane, who lived a few blocks over from me. Did I mention that at that moment I hated his guts? Well, actually, I hate his guts a lot, practically every time I see him. Haruki has a way of standing out in a crowd. He's shorter than most people, but the fact that he's so energetic and will strike up a conversation with ANYBODY makes him the center of attention. He also has a tendency to wear bright colors (especially red), and has a sort of wacky style. The polar opposite of Makoto, he never thinks before he does anything.

"So, Yoruko, you get Piplup." Rowan growled while shoving the bright red pokedex into Haruki's hands.

"Umm… isn't there anything else I could get?" I asked desperately. I would NOT take that syrupy, sugar-coated… THING with me.

"NO! JUST FREAKIN' TAKE IT!!!" The old man practically exploded before thrusting the three of us plus pokemon out the double doors of the lab, pausing slightly to throw an indigo, squarish device in my hand before slamming them shut.

We all stood there shaking for a second before Makoto got a hold of himself and began walking off without a single word, but silently waving backwards at Haruki and me.

"Wh-whelp, see ya, Yoru!" Haruki exclaimed, still obviously scared, but stumbling off in another direction. Maybe I should have told him that he was walking towards Twinleaf Town and there was nothing there… But of course, that wouldn't be entertaining, now would it?

I stared at IT. It had somehow gotten into my arms, and was chirping happily.

"Okay, let's get a few things straight, first." I explained to it. "One, I hate your guts. Two, PLEASE don't spontaneously jump into my arms!" I growled as I recalled it. Stupid thing. I would have to catch several kick-butt pokemon so that I could put in the storage system ASAP.

- - -

In about an hour I had two more pokemon. It was a start, but WHAT GOOD WOULD IT DO IF 'IT' WAS STILL IN THE PARTY?

Well, actually, I had caught three… but I didn't count the Budew I had captured, it was on my list of 'Pokemon Too Cute for me to Use in a Battle if I Want to Maintain my Dignity'. But I guess I'd HAVE to hold on to it… my two evil, cutesy pokemon were the only ones that would work in the first gym I would have to face…

I sighed, staring aimlessly at the tree in front of me as I released my four pokemon from their balls so that they could all enjoy… er… hide from the horrible, smoking, pitiful attempt at a fire that I had made… Hey, it was my first night in the woods, what do you expect?

Ozora, the Starly I had captured, didn't seem to mind it at all… but she WAS a bit annoyed as Aorai, a Shinx, attempted to scatter the hot embers around the makeshift campsite. (Which, might I add, annoyed me quite a bit as well, seeing as it got several scorch marks on my sleeping bag, and that does not help against the cold AT ALL.) The Budew and Piplup instead tried to cuddle with me… but they stopped once I explained that if they did it again, they'd end up spending the night in my pack that I had hanging from a high branch... I think that's supposed to help with keeping food from wild pokemon, or something, but I don't really know…

Don't get me wrong, quite frankly, I actually appreciated the two of them, but, being stubborn, I couldn't let myself give in to their sickly cuteness.

So that night, by light of a hopeless campfire and with four pokemon as my witnesses, I swore that I would catch as many pokemon as possible to make up for the start of my journey.

………. You thought it would end there, didn't you? Well let me tell you, that's only the beginning…