"Let's go and see the world together!"

Those words were the ones that changed my life forever.

I was nothing but a simple Bulbasaur. I hatched outside the human building known to many as the Daycare Center. There was no one who waited for me to hatch. I remember that I felt discouraged, but I continued to smash the shell that protected me. My soft paws and head made the task difficult, but I kept on going. Maybe, just maybe, that my parents were simply asleep, or weren't home yet. Imagine how disappointed I was when there was literally no one there. No one was around me. I didn't even had any siblings.

I was alone...

I guess I made myself deaf to my surroundings when I started crying. I didn't even notice the old human woman approaching, until her old yet gentle hands carried me off of the ground. I was surprised by the sudden motion, and when I saw her face, I was...happy. I wasn't alone.

There was someone there for me.

But gone were the days where she and her husband would feed me and help me fall asleep. Once I grew old enough to understand my surroundings, the parental feelings I had for them...simply began to fade...to neutrality...

I wasn't the only one hatching without a proper parent. They needed to split their attention to so many other hatchlings. After I realized that, I decided that I'd help them.

"You're no fun. You know that?"

I helped the old couple with their tasks in the daycare. But there were two of them, and only one of me, so I decided to always stay with the first face that I saw when I hatched. She didn't mind, which made me happy. She wasn't my real mother, that I knew, but I still felt the feeling of connection. And, I suppose helping around was my way of showing thanks?

"Why are you always so busy, anyway?"

It was but a simple lie to myself. I was trying to show them that I could be useful. My mind was still too young that time for me to completely understand what was truly going on around me.

I didn't want them to give me away to other humans.

That was why I kept myself busy with helping them around the best that I can. Was it fear that drove me to do so? They didn't give me away, so I supposed it worked. And I supposed that fear made my love for them dwindle and...disappear? No, not completely, just...less, I suppose.

A year or two later though, I finally understood how things truly work in the daycare. The fear of being given away was gone, after I learned that the trainer who owned my parents decided to leave me there. I was glad to hear that I wasn't going anywhere, and I was glad that I wasn't abandoned by my parents, but I was sad, hurt even, that I won't be able to see my parents... Because their human trainer forced them to abandon me...

...humans make the rules in this world...

"Yeah, right! You know that's not true!"

There was still a small flicker of hope that it wasn't true. Humans weren't really that superior to us Pokémon, that much I've learned. We were more powerful, yet, humans command us around. I never understood why. I never even questioned it... I just accepted it...without even realizing it. Do I hate it? I wasn't sure. I mean, the old couple command me around, but not in a harsh way. I understand that they were old and frail, that they find it difficult to do simple things with their age. But they took care of me. They fed me. They gave me shelter.

They helped an abandoned Pokémon.

"Not all of them are as kind as those old poops, you know."

That was true. It was easy to tell from all of the old humans' 'customers.' Human trainers often leave one or two of their Pokémon for them to take care of, while the human trainer goes elsewhere.

The way they talked, and the way they acted. Humans were as different as there are different Pokémon in the world. While some are close to as kind as my human parents, most of them weren't. I suppose it was a good idea for me not to go near them and simply ignore them.

Unfortunately, I couldn't ignore the many Pokémon the trainers leave with us to take care of.

"Heheheh! This place is full of strange Pokémon!"

Strange were their behavior. It was as if they also had their human trainers' attitudes. And most of them were...really annoying, especially the female ones who kept on distracting me. But I tried to stretch my patience and smile at them, as I try to reason with them, or if that won't work, ignore them. Just like my human mother always does.

"Why don't you try and give them what they want? I know you know that it'll be easier if you give in! Ouch!"

That was the first time I ever hurt anyone with my vines, and truth be told, I wasn't sorry.

Fay was a strange Pokémon. She lived inside the forest nearby, but she kept on visiting the daycare, and she kept on stealing the food that we were giving to the Pokémon we were taking care of. But we're friends now, so gone were the days where my human mom and I would chase her away, and leaving the two of us with her giggles.

If we can't beat them, befriend them. That was what my human mom said from our last attempt of chasing her off. She slipped, and her back was really hurt, so I had to help her back to her bed. That was probably the longest time I have spent with her. She kept on telling me stuff she doesn't normally say as I kept a watchful eye on her. She told me her childhood experiences, the days when she was still a tough and rough trainer. The gym badges she earned. The leagues, contests, and villains that she conquered. She didn't win them all, but she enjoyed her journey.

And then she told me how sad she was for me. She told me that I would never experience how fun and dangerous the world would be if I stayed. Those words kept echoing inside my head since then.

"Well, why don't you come with me? It'll be fun!"

I have never felt so conflicted with my life. I've seen so many pictures in books. Pictures of many different places, both amazing and wonderful. I wanted to go out and see them one day. But when? I wasn't sure. I don't want to leave my human parents all alone. They were old, yes, and needed so much help with...stuff...

A few days after that, I woke up from a commotion. There was an angry human trainer in front of the counter, and she called out a large, blue, two-legged and intimidating Pokémon, and she threatened to destroy the place if...if... I don't remember what it was all about.

I never knew I would feel fear again. Time seemed to stand still after the large Pokémon rushed towards my human parents, with its big jaw wide open. Their cries of panic, as well as the Pokémon around me, rang in my ears, as my mind went blank. The next thing I knew, I already threw myself towards the large Pokémon, right before it could have hurt them. I pushed the monster to a wall, and it crashed. It quickly got back up and roared at me, and fear froze me into place. It rushed towards me, but I couldn't move to save myself.

But then, something happened.

The Pokémon we were taking care of attacked, and quickly overpowered the blue monster.

"Black clothes? I bet'cha it was those nasty group of humans. They do nothing but trouble, I hear. But it's really cool that you evolved to save those old poops!"

Evolution. One of the many great things that Pokémon can achieve. They say that it was a magical process of growth and maturity, and my human parents were very proud of me. But, it was also a sign, my human mother said, that I had so much potential, that I shouldn't waste it by staying there.

I told her that I didn't care. With evolution came new power! And I've never felt so strong like this before! And I was willing to learn to use it to help them more, and to protect them.

But she simply smiled at me. She stood up, and looked around. I didn't know what she was doing, until I looked around as well.

There were so many orphaned Pokémon around the place now, and I didn't even notice until now! And they were the ones who took down that giant Feraligatr. She told me that they'll be the ones who'll be helping them now, and protecting them, when it'll come to that. And, of course, when they're mature enough, they'll be letting them go to see the world, just like what she was doing to me.

...and she was too stubborn for not accepting 'no' for an answer.

"Heheheh! So, like, you were kicked out? Hahahah!"

Despite that though, I decided to accept it. It was my mom's wish for me to be happy. Elsewhere. She knew, probably, that I would never be truly happy if I stayed. She never said those words though, but I felt it, through our hearts, as we embraced each other for the first, and last time...

"So. Saur, right? Right! Well, you ready? Let's go and see the world together!"

I finally let out a breath as soon as Mew finally lets go of Jay. She was shining so bright now. She turned towards Darkrai, and nodded. He nodded back, and Mew then turned to the evolution gem. She slowly hovered towards the gem, and when she was finally within reach, she touched the surface with both hands, and closed her eyes.

She grew even brighter, as the gem hummed and started to glow as well.

"J-Jay?" Vixie called out, stepping closer.

I then looked back at Jay. He was lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Jay...?"

"He is still asleep," Darkrai said, before closing his eye. "But with the extraction now complete, it's time for me to wake him up. Prepare yourselves, Latios and Latias."

"I'll apologize in advance," Latios said angrily, "but I'll kill him the very moment he tries something funny."

Vixie turned to him with a sharp glare.

"Brother," Latias tried to calm her brother, to no avail.

Latios growled, turning to his sister. "He hurt you! I may as well stop him before he'll get another chance of h-hurting you again!"

Latias simply smiled at him, and then hovered closer to nuzzle him. "He won't."

"Y...y-you don't know that!"

"And you don't know if he'll attack us again or not."

"And that's the point!" he snarled.

"You okay?" Fay suddenly asked me.

I blinked and turned to her, and smiled. "I will be."

She frowned, but she nodded anyway, before turning back to Jay. "And...a-and Jay? Do you think he'll be okay?"

"We've seen him in worse conditions, yes?"

Fay's frown deepened as her ears drooped. "That's...not really reassuring, Saury..."

I slowly pulled out a vine and gently rubbed her back. "Have faith. He'll be fine."

"I sure hope so," Shock suddenly said, sitting beside me. "Else we'll be dealing with..."

I blinked at him, waiting for him to finish. But after I noticed his sad eyes lingered on something, I followed it, and saw Vixie, who was fighting the urge to sob as she sat beside Jay.

I frowned. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes again, and smiled. "He'll be fine."

"How do you know that?"

I turned to Shock. "Because..."

...he'll never let his friends down? No...

...he'll never let Vixie worry? Hm... Maybe...

But... "I know for a fact that he'll never give up the chance of getting back home."

"Oh, right," Fay said, nodding. "I think that's true."

Shock sighed. "I sure hope that you are right... For her sake..."