With everything settled, we headed to the Route 1. A while ago I followed this road back with pain, anger and vengeful will. But now I have my pokemon with me. Now I have hope for the best future. And all the rest too, it still hurts.

So I reached Route 1 - nice countryside with tall trees and plains. I stopped, smelled the gracious odor of flowers and decided to show all this beauty to Dumpling. With that in mind I took pokeball and opened it. Dumpling was beamed out to the ground, curled and sleeping.

"Hey, friend, wake up! Look at all this! Nature, fresh air and clear sky. Isn`t it great?"

Dumpling raised head up for a second, yawned and went back to sleep. His amazement wasn`t as strong as I expected.

"Hey, you rested enough, and now there is no time to waste! We`re going to train you!"

Charmander opened his eyes and just noticed that he lies on ground now. So he slowly stood up and came to my leg, scratching it gently and growling.

"What is it?"

Dumpling stopped spoiling my pants and looked to the pokeball I hold in my hand. I still didn't get it what he is up to.

"What do you want, Dumpling? Do you want to eat?"

He thought through it for a second, but after that shook head with a "no" sign and angrily looked at me. A few seconds passed, and he jumped right to the pokeball height, smacked it with his hand and was beamed inside. Okay, lazy guy, my aesthetic lesson course will start right now!

But after a short break. I haven`t slept for a few days now, and really want to have a rest. I found a perfect tree to sleep under and headed to it. Nice shadow on the farther side will cover me from sight of sun and unwanted strangers. Right now I have nothing to take, but still I don`t want anything like that happen again.

So I laid under the tree and closed my eyes. So many events happened in the last few days… Not all of them are good. Not all of them will stay without any consequences. But all of them will definitely be remembered for a long time. Many different thoughts crawled in my mind, making it hard to relax and send me to slumber.

After a few minutes I realized that I can`t sleep. Maybe I should read that pokemon basic guide professor gave me?

Sure, why not. I took the journal from the inside pocket of my coat and opened it. The first page managed to scary me with a huge wall of text, but I knew this could be important. I flipped some pages forward to see what this journal has. Starters information, evolution charts, moves tables, type schemes… A step-by-step instruction to using Running shoes? Thirteen pages? Maybe it`s good I don`t have it.

I don`t know how long I`ve been reading the guide - maybe an hour passed or two. I always liked gaining new information, and this one was really a good one. I learned about some pokemon types, their strong and weak points. I learned what moves my Dumpling will learn and when he will evolve. I learned what moves can be expected from Douchebag`s Quartz when we will meet next time. I learned some tips to team compatibility – collect more different types of pokemon and use different types of moves, cover their weaknesses with stong points of another teammember. But the most interesting thing to me was the list of pokemon that starting trainers usually catch first and some info about them. Statistics show that the first caught pokemon usually are Caterpie, Weedle, Pidgey, Spearow, and Rattata, because they usually can be encountered at any place in Kanto. Nothing very interesting to me, except for the Weedle that will evolve into a fearsome Beedrill. A perfect pokemon for my personalty. I definitely will catch one! I already know the name I will give to it.

"Looks like I`ve found another trainer!"

Some strange young voice called to me from the side. I didn`t care about him and tried to ignore it. But loud steps were approaching me very quickly.

"Hey, I`m talking to you! Let`s battle!"

I wasn`t in the mood to battle again. All I wanted was just to have some rest and read this book.

"I don`t want to. Leave me alone" I responded to the voice.

By my peripheral vision I saw a young boy in strange farmer clothes. He carried a net behind his back. And he looked very serious about all this. Seems like that was another bug catcher I hear about sometimes. Strange guys, bugs fanatics, annoying idiots. I don`t understand them.

"When trainers meet each other`s eyes, there is no another way than to battle!" The boy stood right in front of me, but I didn`t raise my head to see him.

"Our eyes didn`t met. Go away." I said.

He was silent for a moment. I thought he will just walk away, verbally defeated, but instead he pushed his head between my head and book and stared at me with his mad eyes.

"Now our eyes met!"

Damn them, stupid rules. Why must I follow them? What will happen if I refuse?

But something inside me didn't want to decline this challenge. Something just wanted to show this annoying pest his place. And, despite to my fatigue, I… wanted this battle!

"You`re going down, kid!" I shouted at him, trying to look as scary as I could. I think, it worked.

With a jump back I took my battling pose and waited for his move. Bug catcher made some steps back and faced me again.

"You will never beat me and my mighty Caterpie!" He shouted while throwing a pokeball. A cute little bug was released out to the battlefield. Despite the size, he pokemon looked pretty confident in his strength.

"Remember – it was YOU who challenged me to a battle!" I replied to him while taking out my pokeball. With an epic throw from my side Dumpling appeared on battlefield, and now he was really pumped to fight. The appearing of fire-type pokemon shocked bug catcher for a moment, but he tried to keep himself calm.

"Type advantage doesn`t matter when you battle ME! Caterpie, use String shot!"

Oh, this is exactly the page where I stopped – Caterpie moves. Naturally it can learn only Tackle, String Shot and Bug bite, and I doubt this little bug knows any so-called egg moves, so I was ready to anything.

"Dumpling, Ember this thing!"

The opponent launched a clot of web into my pokemon, but Dumpling was faster this time and managed to burn it right in the air. When the initiative came to us, he repeated this move, striking fire embers right into the Caterpie`s face. I guess, that was super effective, because bug jumped back in pain. His master looked worried, but fought back.

"Answer him with tackle!"

Pokemon rushed toward Dumpling, aiming right into his stomach.

"Welcome him with another Ember…" I commanded to Dumpling.

My partner nodded to me and launched another ember pack to the opponent. Caterpie was scared of the incoming attack and tried to slow down and dodge it, but bug was not fast enough to do that, and embers hit him pretty hard. That was another super effective attack against him, causing fainting.

Well, that was too easy… I could even say suspiciously easy. But what can be so hard in battles if you just always use type advantages?

"Well done, Dumpling." I raised my thumb to him, and he spitted fire in the air, victorious style.

"Not bad for a newbie." Bug catcher said. He beamed Caterpie back to pokeball and headed to me. "But you will not be so lucky next time we meet!"

Oh, great, more threats, I`m so used to it. But if he will have just more bugs next time… I think Dumpling will handle then for sure.

"Yeah, okay. Now leave me with my pitiful newbie victory." I pointed him the way away from me. Charmander repeated my jest. Bug catcher looked at me, then at Dumpling, and after that turned away and gone, mumbling angrily.

And just now I realized. My first victory. Our first victory. The feeling of it is so strange, but really satisfying. I wonder how it will be to win a gym battle or maybe even a champion battle. But I`m so far away from it, and my goal is completely different. And yet it is so good to know that you have such a power in your hands.

Of course, that was just a Caterpie, I couldn`t think of a weaker opponent, really. But I will not stop on that. I will go and find and beat stronger pokemon and stronger trainers. I will crush that Team Rocket and return what is mine. I will be the very best, like no one ever was! And I will complete my mission – with my team!

"You were great, Dumpling." I said to Charmander. "Do you feel something amazing burning inside your soul?"

Dumpling watched right in my eyes and nodded with a satisfying smile.

"Me too. I think we will be great partners. Now have a rest."

I returned Dumpling back inside his pokeball. Now, when the last traces of sleep had gone, I have nothing more to do than continue my way to Viridian City. Maybe, I will meet somebody on my way and challenge them to another pokemon battle. I think, I will get to the city before the nightfall, and then… We`ll see what we will do next.