"Poké-speak"

Ash would grow if I owned Pokémon, but I don't.

I made my way cautiously into the grass on Route 1, my ears and eyes alert to every rustle and shadow. Remembering the videogames, Pidgey and Rattata were the only Pokémon that appeared. However, in the anime the Spearow flock attacked Ash and Pikachu, so I was ready for whatever came at me. As soon as I left the first patch of grass I heard movement from behind me.

"Who's there?"

My fur stood on end, and I suddenly doubted myself and my battling skills. Practice makes perfect, but I had no clue what I was getting myself into. A strained growl sneaked past my bared teeth as I took a step backwards.

"I'm warning you! Either attack or run!"

Yeah, I wanted to battle, but the thought of actually fighting made me apprehensive. I'm not…or wasn't…a violent person, and would rather avoid conflict. Something suddenly sprang up from the tall grass, and I jumped and yelped out of surprise.

"Poochyena?"

I stared at the child with my head tilted in confusion, and almost immediately my eyes widened as soon as I processed who he was. What the hell is he doing here? He could get hurt from the wild Pokémon around here, and he doesn't have Pikachu to save him!

He edged towards me slowly as he wrung his hands and kept looking around. I could tell that he was frightened, and knew I needed to get him home quickly and safely. I snorted out of my nose to catch his attention and walked towards him. Ash knelt down and immediately hugged me.

"I couldn't find you at home, and when I looked outside I saw you walking away so I thought that you were leaving and I got scared and please don't leave Poochyena I'm sorry for whatever I did you're my best friend and-"

I licked him profusely just to make him stop, and wagged my tail hard and quick while whining to let him know that I would never leave. He smiled and laughed softly, and then set me back down.

"Let's go home, okay? We shouldn't be out here…" A small frown appeared on his face and I could feel the worry set in. I tugged at his shorts to let him know it was time to leave, and we started back towards Pallet. However, after a few feet I heard more rustling from behind us, and I immediately let out a cautionary growl.

"Uh…Poochyena?" I turned around and found myself facing a Rattata.

"Get out of here! This is my territory!" I breathed out slowly, and gulped a bit. My head lifted bravely, and then nodded.

"I apologize for intruding…but I need to take my young friend back home, so if you'll allow us to leave…" The Rattata then glared at me and bared its teeth. Apparently it didn't believe me, and I knew arguing wouldn't help our case. My first battle was about to begin. I looked up at Ash, and barked once as a warning. His brows crinkled as he breathed deeply before standing straighter. I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow, and Ash looked at Rattata with courage.

"Rattata! My friend and I challenge you to a battle!" My jaw dropped as my ears went back against my head, but I quickly shook myself to get ready to fight. I shakily stepped forward, and got into an athletic position, meaning legs bent and head down. The Rattata seemed to size me up, and ran forward to make the first move.

~/o/~

Sir Aaron, are you sure she's ready for battle?

"Don't worry, Lucario. She's trained long and hard, and will be quite alright."

I looked back at my teachers with confidence in my heart and faced my opponent: a Zigzagoon. It seemed to watch me warily before making the first move. I sprang out of the way of the incoming Tackle, and our battle had begun.

~/o/~

I shook my head to bring back my focus, and was suddenly tackled to the ground by my opponent. Shoot! I immediately stood back up and glared at the Rattata. When I searched behind me for my trainer, I found Ash staring at me with fear and worry in his eyes. I sensed his nervousness, but I gave him a toothy smile and panted in a relaxed manner to let him know everything would be alright. He smiled back in return, and threw his hand out in front of him as he stated his first command.

"Alright Poochyena! Give 'em a Tackle!" I nodded in confirmation, and sprang forward quickly. The Rattata dodged, and I skidded to stop.

"Try using Bite!" I showed my teeth and ran at the purple mouse once again. As the Rattata tried dodging again, I bit down on its tail, causing it to yelp out of pain and surprise. I let go, and coughed to get the loose hairs out of my mouth. That didn't taste good. Yuck! The Rattata then prepared itself for an attack, and its teeth shined bright. Ah, poop.

"Dodge Poochyena!" No, duh. I ain't getting hit with those chompers! I danced around the Rattata's attack, and looked around to see some thick branches on the ground. Now that's an idea.

Ash had confusion written all over his face until he saw the sticks too. "Do it Poochyena!" I grinned and grabbed the largest stick I could find. The Rattata ran at me once again and I stuffed the stick to force the rat's mouth open. It struggled to get it out of its mouth, and with that I gave it the hardest Tackle I could produce. It landed in a nearby bush, stick knocked to the ground, and I stood my ground panting hard.

"Is it over?" Ash asked. I continued staring at the bush until it rustled and the Rattata tumbled out.

"Okay, Poochyena. You win. You may pass." I jumped and barked a "Thanks!" I then proceeded to grab the hem of Ash's shorts to make sure he followed me away.

~/o/~

The next day, Ash and I walked up hill and rested against the tree. The view of the town below and the surrounding hillside really took my breath away every time I saw it. I curled up against Ash, head on my paws, as he stroked my fur. The peaceful atmosphere, along with the cool breeze and cloudless sky, really made me appreciate the moment. I knew that I needed to continue to work hard at getting stronger and refine my battle skills, but nothing said I couldn't enjoy a lazy day with my best friend.

"Hey, Poochyena?" My ears twitched before I let out a yawn. "I think I want to become a Pokémon Trainer." I placed my head on his lap, letting him know I was listening. "I really liked battling with you, and I wanna help other Pokémon get stronger and grow. Maybe I'll even be a Pokémon Master!" He then stood up excitedly, bouncing up and down like the little kid he was. He looked at me and smiled brightly, then crouched, arms around his legs. "Wanna go on a journey with me? We can both get big and strong together!" I smiled at his antics and barked in agreement, standing quickly and wagging my tail hard in shared excitement.

"Let's be the best there ever was!"

Heh. Gotta catch 'em all…

A/N:

Thanks for reading! Thoughts, comments, concerns? Questions? Lemme know!