YO! GUYS! I'M BACK!

I actually just started a new story on here. It's called "Pokemon University".

I think it will be better than this one!

Please do me a solid and go check it out, if you don't like it so far, don't worry, you can come back here, this story ain't goin' away!

Okay, now this chapter is a little on the dark and somber side of things, but that's only because the story is making a turn!

Enjoy!

Chapter 17

I felt strange. I knew that I was in a dream, but at the same time, everything felt so real. I doubted whether I was dreaming or not. I was in the wilderness, but I was on a path. Huge trees surrounded this path. The nearest sign read "Route 201". Hey! Route 201! I had been here before! The path comes directly from Twinleaf!

Once again, as per my other dreams, a yellow pikachu hopped onto my shoulder, as if I had been its trainer for a very long time. I somehow felt that he was trying to tell me to continue down the path. So I did.

A mysterious figure began to appear in the fog in front of me after only about 10 steps. I jumped at first, but decided to investigate. It was a woman. She had short, light-brown hair and she was fairly tall. "Ash," she said.

Whoa, whoa. That voice! It was HER voice that I had kept hearing in all of my dreams.

"Based on your recent actions, you will have to make a great decision in the upcoming future. You will need to choose your destiny. As a trainer, or not."

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"Ash, this pikachu is YOURS. It has been given to you by a certain professor who is in a high position in the pokemon association. Legally, we cannot give it to you because you are not of age. However, you may obtain your license early within our ranks. Ash, we require your assistance. You are one of the chosen ones to become a pokemon trainer under the pokemon council in order to defeat the evil-doers, Team Galactic and Team Rocket."

I looked over at the pikachu on my shoulder. He gave me a re-assuring pat.

"Okay," I finally replied. "This is a lot to take in, so I'm just going to ask as many questions as I can before I wake up."

"As you wish." She replied.

"How are you in my dream? And why are you manipulating my mind all the time?"

"A dream-entry device. Quite a common device over here. Ash, this is the safest way to contact you. No one, including the bad guys, can track or record us."

"How do I know this is real and I'm not actually dreaming this?"

"Oh come on, Ash. I literally SPOKE to you in your head during class when you were AWAKE."

"True. Why me, though?"

"Ash, we have our reasons. But instead, prove to us that we made the right decision in picking you!"

"Wait, I've heard of both teams, why will I be fighting both?"

"Ash, this is the whole reason we are recruiting young trainers. They have teamed up and are planning something huge, something unimaginable, in Sinnoh."

"So what do I do from here?"

"We will come to you, you have no need to worry."

"Okay, last question. You said that I will have to make a great decision because of my recent actions. What is that all about?"

"Ash, on your travels as a trainer, you will not be traveling alone. You will have a companion. However, you do not get to choose this person. This person is chosen for you."

"Okay..." I started to worry a little.

"Ash, would you like to meet your traveling companion?"

"Yeah, that'd be great!"

I couldn't wait to see who it was. I imagined some huge, bulk, experienced trainer in his twenties to walk through the fog. Boy, was I ever wrong.

A beautiful girl, around my age, with long blonde hair in a ponytail, blue eyes, and slightly shorter than me came through.

"Hi, I'm Yellow." She said softly.

"Ahh, your name is a colour?" I asked. Probably a poor choice of first words. However, she began to blush and looked down at the floor.

"Y-yes"

"You still haven't caught on yet, huh?" The woman asked.

"Naw, shoot."

"Ash, Yellow over here will become your traveling companion. Now, as I understand, you recently acquired a girlfriend, yes?"

Oh no. No no no no. Not Dawn. Please don't tell me this will screw up my relationship with Dawn. I worked SO hard for that.

"Um, yes." I said.

"Mhm. Well, this is where the decision comes in. Ash, in order to fulfill your destiny as a pokemon trainer, you will rarely get to see your girlfriend for a long while. And you will be traveling with Yellow over here for a long while, which I'm sure she will not be very happy about."

Yellow was blushing like crazy at this point. I mean, it was obvious that she liked me, or at least found me attractive. I mean, I wasn't DEVASTATED about that; she was cute and seemed nice and sweet, but I didn't know how that would affect our travels. Oh yeah, and did I mention, I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?

"Ash, you must choose. Your girlfriend, or your destiny as a pokemon trainer. You must decide before your next sleep, as that is when I, and Yellow, will appear next. Think hard and logically about this."

"Wait! Am I allowed to tell people about this?"

"You parents only. I guess you could tell your girlfriend to ease the pain, but you're one lucky man if she believes you!"

Everything began to fade, like in the other dreams, and I regained consciousness. It was still dark. I had a pounding headache for some reason. I sat up. Oh yeah, that's why I had a headache. The tranquilizer lay on my bed. I was glad that my mom didn't come into my room and see that. I decided it would be a good idea to put that away right now and get some Advil.

As I headed downstairs quietly, I couldn't help but think about my dream. Wow, becoming a pokemon trainer would be awesome! Now that's living the life! And that pikachu seemed so cute, strong, funny, and awesome! Travel the world, battle bad guys, become stronger, and train pokemon; that's every kid's dream job!

But Dawn. Dawn. We had just started a relationship that I had worked so hard to get going. I mean, would she believe me if I told her? And would she want to keep going?

But I think it would be selfish to refuse this offer. I'm sure that those two teams are up to no good; that's for certain. People's lives are most likely at stake. the council must have had their reasons for choosing me, and I will have some duties to fulfill there. To give all that up just because of one girl...

But it isn't just one girl, it is the girl I love and cherish. Ugh, this is so difficult!

It was very hard to make up my mind, and I literally spent so many hours on my couch staring at the walls and thinking that my mom started to worry.

But eventually I had made my decision. I chose what I thought was the right thing to do. There will be several consequences to my decision, but it is necessary.

I was to become a pokemon trainer. And if Dawn couldn't realize the importance of what I was doing, well then maybe she wasn't right for me.