Let it be known that I am not a morning person.

I'd set an alarm for 6:30 in the morning so me and Tifa could hit the road early and cover more ground. There were specific places I wanted to see, and things to do. Best get it out the way now so we didn't have to deal with any hassles later down the line. That was the smart thing to do.

But I am not smart. As such, it was no surprise that I found myself trying to ignore the alarm as my own Pokèmon tried to drag me out of the goddamn bed.

"Dino!"

"Five more minutes..."

"AUDINO!"

"I SAID FIVE MORE--GAWUH--!"

Sanctuary was out of reach, leaving my grasp as I tried to reach for it futiley. The world around be spun as I sailed through the air like a beyblade and ended up crashing onto the floor in a painful heap. I refused to let out a noise of pain, to give her the satisfaction as she stood over me, the blaring beeps of the alarm digging more salt into the growing wound.

I huffed and glared up at Tifa, who stared me down with a triumphant look back. "You win this time."

In the end, I was up and making my way to the bathroom to freshen up and change. A quick five minute shower and I changed into a fresh pair of clothes. Though I paused and looked in the mirror, taking a look at my new body. The unkempt pink hair was still a jarring sight, but something I could get used to. With the wild bangs falling over my face, growing out longer on the left side which lightly obscured my left eye.

Eyes so bright they could be mistaken for burning blue stars. White pupils and a gold ring circling the iris on closer inspection. Smooth, unblemished tan skin, growing out of what can be considered baby face and on the cusp of maturity, yet no hair seemed to grow in, adding onto a youthful appearance.

My body was fit and athletic for someone of my age. I was mildly surprised that I had abs. I wasn't unfit in my old body, and by no means unathletic. I'd played my fair share of basketball and exercised a great deal to stay in shape, but never like this.

But I supposed it made a modicum of sense. Trainers braved the dangerous, albeit colorful world of Pokèmon everyday. It wasn't that much of a stretch to say that they were even superhuman, capable of lifting things twice their size, carrying Pokèmon that weigh several tons - looking at you Ash with that damn Larvitar - like they were nothing, tanking direct blows from Pokèmon and somehow coming out alive.

I mean, throw a normal human here from earth without the perks of the borderline superhuman abilities of the people here, and they wouldn't survive a day. So I guess it made sense a lot of trainers would be in peak condition, given the dangers they faced.

I smirked lightly. The thought of wrestling with something like an Ursaring was both a funny and intriguing thought. Maybe I should at that to the bucket list.

Pulling my shirt down and throwing on my vest, I was greeted with Tifa munching down on those pokèpuffs Nurse Joy had so graciously given me. She peered up at me with a curious gaze and I smiled, snatching my hat and fastening it on my head with a flourish, and grabbing my bag.

"Let's hit the road, eh?" I smirked at Tifa's energetic reply back. I stretched and thrust my fists into the air. "Then let's GO!"

Tifa mimicked my movements and cried out, "DI~NO!"

There was a bang on the wall, supposedly from next door that threw us off near instantly.

"SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"Oops."

[WHITEMAGE]

I'd bought a map, pen, and journal just before we left the center. This was it, the start to an adventure of a lifetime. New foes, friends, rivals, enemies, and most of all, Pokèmon were waiting just around the corner! The excited grin that stretched across my face was hard to contain. I had plans to head to Santalune City to challenge Viola first and foremost. To do that I had to go ahead and walk through Route 5, head through Lumiose City, and then through Route 4. A pretty long journey all things considered, but I wasn't too worried. I had the appropriate gear to camp outside and food for myself and Tifa.

Good thing, too. There was a Pokèmon I wanted to pick up on the way to Santalune, and I'd be able to get it through Route 5. That Pokèmon was a Pancham. Pangoro was a solid Pokèmon and a pretty strong one at that, and also one of the coolest. That'd make do for a good heavy hitter. To be perfectly honest, I didn't want to plan my team out. I more so wanted to let things fall as they may, but there are two Pokèmon that I want. The first is, of course, Pancham.

And then the second is an Eevee. By Arceus if I don't get a Vaporeon, there will be hell to pay, and everyone will have to suffer through my complaints until I get one!

Which has led me and Tifa to walking through Route 5.

It still stunned me that I was here in the world of Pokèmon. But I knew I wasn't dreaming, and that made it all the better. To see actual wild Pokèmon roaming about through the grass and skies, the occasional trainer hanging with their own Pokèmon, and the crisp morning breeze was enough to fire up my nerves! Arceus, I was so pumped!

"Hey, mister!"

Snapping me out of my musings was a young boy wearing a t-shirt, a pair of blue shorts, sneakers, and a blue baseball cap that matted down his shaggy brown hair. He wore an excited grin on his face as he held up a lightly scuffed pokèball.

"Let's have a battle! Me and my Rattata have been itching for one all morning!" he proudly declared, and I couldn't help but snort. How cute. Seems I've encountered a Younger Joey.

I couldn't just deny such a bold challenge. Besides, this could give me some experience. "Sure, kid." I glanced down at Tifa. "How about, Tifa? Ready to battle?"

"Di~!" she affirmed with a determined cry, pumping her paws and hopping forward.

"Huuuuh?" Joey looked a tad dissapointed. "An Audino? I was hoping for something cooler to fight my totally awesome Rattata!"

I smirked as Tifa twitched and released an angry snort. Ooh, boy. Seems he hit a sore spot. "Sorry kid, this is what you get! Scared to lose to a little Audino?"

The look of indignation was satisfying. "Huh?! No way! Come on out, Rattata!" the pokèball was tossed into the air, and out came the Rattata in a flash of light. A lot bigger than I'd expected it to be.

"Alright, Tifa." I clenched a tight fist. "Just follow my lead, and this fight'll be smooth sailing!"

Tifa nodded and clenched her paws. The Rattata dug it's haunches into the dirt. Both Pokèmon glared fiercely at each other, the eagerness for battle gleaming in their eyes. Joey was the first to initiate the fight without a moment's hesitation, thrusting a hand out with a grin. "Alright, Rattata! Use Hyper Fang!"

Rattata rocketed forward, it's fangs gleaming with energy and elongating in length as it sailed towards Tifa. I let out a low whistle of surprise. Pretty strong move for a Rattata. Would have expected that from a Raticate. Regardless...

I can handle it just fine.

I smirked and felt the inner geek in me shine through as I punched a fist forward. "Let's make this flashy! Tifa, dodge and break into his guard with Pound!"

Tifa did just that, swiveling to the side just in time for Rattata to graze her fur. She chambered a paw back as it shined brightly and dove it into the Rattata's stomach. The rodent let out a sharp cry as it tumbled across the dirt and into a pained heap. Joey's eyes widened in shock as I pressed forward, snapping my fingers. "Now, Disarming Voice!"

Panic arose in Joey's eyes as he swiped his hand and shouted a command, "Rattata, get up and use Quick Attack to get out of the way!"

Rattata proved to be made of sturdy stuff. It's eyes sharpened as a white aura flowed around it's body and it took off in a burst of speed just as Tifa charged up enough Fairy Type energy to fire off a Disarming Voice! It blurred out the way and impacted her in the chest, eliciting a sharp cry from her. Joey pumped a fist and grinned. "Keep it up! Don't give her a chance to breathe!"

The aura around Rattata shone brighter and it darted across the field like a bullet, striking Tifa at different directions, with the Hearing Pokèmon unable to dodge and forced to tank the attacks. My eyes narrowed and my smirk only seemed to widen despite what appeared to be a dire situation. So this was a Pokèmon battle.

I could see why so many people enjoyed it! This was loads different from watching it from the screen or playing it through emulators. This was the real deal! I could feel my heart begin to race, the blood begin to flow. This is what I'm talking about. I could see Joey matching my grin with his own, the battle's just started, but I'm already this fired up...

It made me wonder how the future battles in store would turn out.

That lit a fire in my belly. I felt the adrenaline soar and take hold, and I laughed. "Nice one! But not good enough! TIFA!" she snapped to attention near instantly. Atta girl! "Use Pound on the ground! Let's kick up some dust!"

She blinked in confusion for a solid second but nodded. I could feel the unwavering trust from her as she slammed a fist into the ground hard enough for it to crack. A plume of dirt was kicked up, shrouding her in a makeshift smokescreen just as the Rattata darted towards her.

"Uwah?! A smokescreen?!" I could hear Joey's exaggerated cry from the otherside. My smirk stretched into a grin.

Bingo. I tugged the brim of my hat down, snickering. "UP, TIFA!"

"CATCH HER BEFORE SHE CAN MOVE, RATTATA! QUICK ATTACK!"

Rattata burst through the smoke and hit nothing. The rodent and it's trainer looked around in startled confusion to find that Tifa wasn't there at all. "Huh?! Where'd she go."

I smiled in amusement and lazily pointed up. They followed my gesture and their eyes simultaneously widened to see Tifa high above in the air. My grin turned fierce, as I clenched that very same hand into a fist and chopped it down in one swift, fluid motion. "LET'S ROCK! DISARMING VOICE, PUT ALL THE POWER YOU GOT INTO IT!"

Tifa inhaled sharply, a large intake of air causing her cheeks to bulge out and her eyes to shine as she gathered the accumulated Fairy Type energy within herself. Joey's eyes shrunk in panic as he desperately sputtered out a command, "Rattata, dodg-!" but it proved futile as Tifa released a deafening shriek that forced us all to cover our ears. The soundwaves slammed right into Rattata and set off an explosion of pink dust and dirt. I held my hat down to protect my eyes as Tifa landed a little ways away, and all fell silent.

As the dust settled, Joey piped up. "Rattata! Are you alright?!" there was no response. Rattata was revealed to have fainted, it's eyes replaced by dizzying spirals. It was actually kind of funny to see it in action myself, but also weird.

Wonder if I'll see anymore anime tropes put into action.

I grunted as I felt something crash into me. Then came the sounds of delight, and I grinned softly as I reached down and wrapped my arms around Tifa, scratching the back of her ears, eliciting a gentle coo akin to bell chimes. "You did great, girl. I'm proud of ya."

I looked up to see Joey returning his Rattata with a disappointed frown. The feeling of defeat only lasted for a few moments before childlike curiosity and energy replaced it as I was shot a broad grin. The boy practically skipped my way with beaming eyes. "That was awesome! I didn't know Audino could fight like that!"

That made me raise a brow. I knew Audino weren't generally combative or competitive Pokèmon, and more of a support role, but he made it sound like Audino didn't get down and dirty period. Oh well. "Thanks, kid. Your Rattata wasn't half bad, either. Must be pretty strong to know Hyper Fang in it's pre-evolved state."

Joey beamed with pride, thumbing the underside of his nose. "Heh, thanks! One day I'm gonna be the trainer with the strongest Rattata in the world! So I've been training real hard!"

I liked this kid's enthusiasm. My mind started trailing back to strategies people would make to solo the Elite Four and Champion with nothing but a level 1 Rattata. My lips quirked up in amusement and I huffed out a chuckle, offering him a hand. "Well, keep working as hard as you are now, and that dream will be far closer in reach than you think."

Joey's smile brightened and he shook my hand vigorously while fishing out some cash with his other hand. "Thanks, mister! Here. My mom said to always be a good sport even when I lose."

I took the cash gratefully and counted it all, 50 pokèdollars. Putting it away, I pat him on the shoulder and nodded. "Your mom sounds like a cool woman. I've gotta go, kid. But keep training hard, alright?"

"Gotcha! Bye, mister!" the little scamp waves goodbye and ran off down the road. I shook my head and smirked softly, peering down at Tifa.

"Well isn't he nice?"

"Audi..."

"You're still mad about what he said? C'mon, he didn't mean anything by it!"

Tifa pouted something fierce and harrumphed, and I let out a sharp bark of laughter at her attitude.

Sheesh, I landed a feisty one, didn't I?

[WHITEMAGE]

"Where are the PANCHAM?!"

My roar echoed throughout Route 5, no doubt scaring some of the wild Pokèmon around and startling the good few trainers that wandered about. I felt as though my frustration was valid. I'd been wandering through the tall grass for what felt like hours and I've found absolutely no Pancham in sight. I've found Skidoo, Doduo, the occasional Furfrou, Plusle and Minun, and Bunnelby.

So many FUCKING Bunnelby...

"Bunnelby!" Speaking of which.

"Tifa. Disarming Voice." I groused. Tifa obeyed obediently and we both watched as yet another Bunnelby got sent flying into the horizon by a juiced up blast of soundwaves. I let out an explosive sigh and ran a hand down my face. "Ugh, this is some bull..."

Tifa pat my leg in reassurance. I appreciated the gesture, but that made me feel worse.

I adjusted my cap to block the sun's rays and snorted harshly, looking around to see the horde of fainted wild Pokèmon that surrounded us. I blinked owlishly and felt sweat roll down my chin. Yeesh, how many of these guys have we been fighting? I mean, I thought it'd make for good experience for Tifa. Get her more accustomed to battling and all that, but I didn't know we'd taken out so many.

I hope this doesn't screw up the ecosystem or something.

"Man. We may as well call it a day." I sighed. "We've been at this for hours. No Pancham around here."

Tifa blinked and cocked her head to the side, and paused. Her ears perked up and she turned towards the rustling grass. I felt her tug on my pant leg and let out a noise of confusion as I followed her pointing paw. I practically felt my heart skip a beat as I stared at the grass that shivered, moving as something rushed between them. I reached for my belt to unclip an empty pokèball. This was it. I'd be getting my-!

And then, out hopped a light blue quadruped with large spiny ears, oversized teeth, whiskers, and wide ruby red eyes. Small spines ran along it's back, and darker blue spots covered it's body. A small sharp horn jutted out of it's forehead. The mammalian Pokèmon sniffed at the ground in an adorable fashion, having yet to notice our presence.

That was no Pancham. That was a motherfucking Nidoran.

My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.

...

Okay, I lied. I'm not that upset. This is still a solid find. The Nidoran line are actually pretty damn strong, and Nidoking and Nidoqueen are exceptionally powerful with a pretty good typing. Sure, you need a Moon Stone to get one, but those shouldn't be hard to find. I'm pretty sure finding Mega Stones would be a lot harder than finding Evolutionary Stones. 'Specially since at this point, Mega Evolution is still a newly discovered phenomenon and being researched by Professor Sycamore.

It may not be a Pancham, but we don't always get what we want! And I think Nidoqueen is pretty cool. I actually like them more than Nidoking. It's the colors, honestly.

Also? This thing was freaking adorable. I want it now.

The Nidoran finally spotted me and Tifa. It stared blankly, and we stared back. There was no sound made. Pure unadulterated silence. The damn thing didn't even move. It just continued to stare at us... with those blank dead eyes. It was actually kind of unnerving.

...

So I threw a pokéball at it.

Next thing I knew, the little fucker spun on it's heels and shot it's hindlegs outwards, kicking the pokèball back at me and striking me dead on in the face. "OW, BITCH!" I could feel the pokèball sink into my face before bouncing off like rubber and falling to the ground harmlessly. I hissed in pain and cradled my nose, which no doubt was now sporting a bruise. But I wasn't worried about that. There were other matters to attend to.

The pokèball bounced off my face.

Bounced. Off.

"Sweet ricecrackers." I blinked in astonishment. "Do I have toon force?"

Snickering broke me out of my musings, bringing me back to reality. Tifa was glaring at the Nidoran, who was the one holding back laughter. A mischievous glint lied within those eyes, and I felt my brow twitch as a strained smirk tugged at my lips. I crouched and grabbed the offending pokèball, snorting.

"That's how you wanna play? Okay." I rolled my shoulders. "Tifa, Pound."

Tifa rocketed forward without hesitation, swinging her fist forward for a devastating strike. We were both surprised when the Nidoran nimbly leaped out of the way and bounced across the field like some kind of acrobat. She blew a raspberry at Tifa, who grew frustrated and charged forward again at an attempt to catch it. It soon devolved into a game of cat and mouse, with the Nidoran dodging every attack Tifa threw her way.

This thing is fast. My eyes widened, and I smiled. Yeah. I can make this work.

As Tifa shot forth with another Pound, the Nidoran flipped over her attack and landed on her arm. Twisting her body in a surprising showcase of flexibility, her hind legs shone with a powerful aura and two sharp kicks were delivered directly to Tifa's face. The Hearing Pokèmon released a sharp cry of pain as it tumbled across the grass. I winced, that must have hurt. Double Kick is super effective, and Tifa's a Normal Type, after all.

The Nidoran landed on the ground and tensed, it's horn bubbling with a purple, acidic-like substance before firing several poison barbs at us. I pushed Tifa out of the way just in time as to not get stung, grimacing as one of the barbs tore through my sleeve and nicked my arm. "Ah, shit..." the bloody cut turned purple near instantly. I could feel the poison spreading through, as if someone was pumping lava through my bloodstream.

Tifa noticed and let out a startled cry, I raised a hand and shook my head. "Focus on the fight first. We'll worry about me later."

Reluctance flashed in her eyes, but she ultimately nodded with a determined frown. Atta girl. "Alright, Disarming Voice! Wide spread!" Tifa hopped to her feet and fired off several Disarming Voice attacks, forcing the Nidoran to go on the evasion. As it leapt to the right to avoid a blast of soundwaves, I smirked. "Get in now with Pound!"

Tifa dug her feet into the ground and shot off, catching the Nidoran off guard with a fist to the jaw. As the Poison Pin Pokèmon sailed through the air, with unparalled swiftness it twirled through the air and fired off more Poison Stings. Tifa broke out into a sprint to dodge, rushing the Nidoran with another Pound as it touched the grass. We were both shocked when the it was suddenly wreathed in Dark Type energy, eyes gleaming a malevolant red as it smoothly dashed around her fist and impacted her stomach.

As Tifa slid back from the impact, I blinked in surprise. "Was that Pursuit?" I don't recall Nidoran being able to learn Pursuit naturally through level up... this must be an egg-based move then. It gained it from one of it's parents.

I grinned. I have to catch this now. I paused at the burning sensation rushing through me. I sucked in a breath and bit down the pain. "Tifa, it's time to get flashy! Wait for the time to strike with Pound."

Tifa nodded and stood back. Nidoran dug it's haunches into the dirt and rocketed forward with another Pursuit. Tifa swerved out of the way and twisted her body, throwing all of her weight into the next punch as it dug into the Nidoran's stomach. There was the briefest of cries as the wind was knocked out of it, and it sailed into the air again. We couldn't let it recover.

"Now, Disarming Voice!"

Tifa parted her legs and inhaled sharply, charging the Fairy Type energy within herself and firing off a powerful blast of sound. The Nidoran tried to recover mid-air but it proved futile as it was struck by the attack. An explosion of pink sent shockwaves rippling through the air, forcing me to hold my cap down to brave the buffet of wind. I squinted past it all to see the Nidoran fall out of the smoke cloud. If anyone else were around, they would have caught the gleam in my eye.

"This game is SET!" I quipped, cocking my arm back and throwing the pokèball with all I had. The ball spun through the air and smacked dead center into the Nidoran, sucked it in in a ray of red light. The pokèball fell to the ground with a bounce, and both me and Tifa watched in anticiparion as the ball wriggled a few times.

Soon, it clicked and stopped moving. I paused, staring at the motionless ball with stunned eyes. I don't think it truly clicked for me that I caught the Nidoran until the tingling sensation of poison snapped me out of whatever daze I found myself in. The grin that broke out on my face was massive as I rushed forward and snatched the pokèball with enthusiam.

"HOLY CRAP!" I laughed in unadulterated glee, whirling towards Tifa who blinked in surprise. No doubt stunned by the energy I was exuding. "Tifa! WE CAUGHT OUR FIRST POKÈMON!"

She stood there silently, as though she didn't understand. Slowly, it began to register, and a delighted smile broke out across her face and she released a happy shout, leaping into my arms. I nearly fell over from her weight, but I didn't care. I only laughed. I caught my first goddamn Pokèmon!

I knew I was going to catch them, hell, I was planning on catching a Pancham earlier. But after the action is all said and done... what's left is this feeling of accomplishment. This surreal feeling, this overwhelming joy. I don't know when I've ever felt like this.

But I love it!

My laughs died down and I collapsed onto my backside, letting out a sigh of exhaustion. Joy or no, who knew Pokèmon battles could be so exhausting? Actually, nevermind. That's probably the poison talking. "Hey, Tifa. Mind hitting me with a Heal Pulse?"

A nod. A wave of green energy washed over me and I let out a relieved huff of air, closing my eyes and letting the soothing feeling take over. Surely enough, the burning feel went away and I felt as good as new. I gave Tifa a grateful smile and a few earrubs as reward for her help, to which she was happy to accept.

I found my eyes drifting down to the pokèball in my hands. And the elated grin from before returned. I felt as though my eyes were sparkling as I gazed at the smooth metal surface. Resting within was the same Nidoran from before, caught by me. The first out of many to join my team. My family.

Gosh, that felt so surreal to say...

"Let's say hi to the our new teammate, huh?" I smirked at Tifa, who nodded in turn with a smile. I pressed down on the button and tossed the ball into the air. In a burst of light, Nidoran was released.

It stumbled onto it's feet with a grimace, nose twitching as it blearily gathered it's bearings. It blinked in surprise when a green aura washed over it's body and the damage it had received vanished as though it never happened in the first place. Nidoran turned to see me and Tifa's smiling visages.

"Hey, there." I greeted softly, "So, I caught you. You pulled off some pretty cool moves in that fight that definitely caught my eye. I'm looking to face the best trainers in the world and see loads of new sights, and have tons of awesome adventures. Really make a name for myself, y'know?"

Nidoran seemed pleased and rather proud at it's--her moves being called 'cool'. I smirked. "And I'm gonna need a strong team to make all that happen! So, you wanna be part of it? I'll teach you all kinds of cool moves and tricks. You'll blow all the other Pokèmon out of the water!"

Her ears twitched as she peered up at me in silence. Eventually, she leaped up my leg and crawled up my arm and onto my shoulder with shocking speed. I blinked in surprise as she purred and nuzzled her muzzle against my cheek. I snickered and scratched the back of her ear. "Guess that's a yes! Now, what to name you..."

I glanced towards Tifa, then at Nidoran. Making a show of cupping my chin, I closed my eyes with a hum for a moment, before snapping my fingers. "I got it!" I hopped to my feet and scratched the underside of her chin. "To keep the theme going, I'll be calling you Yuffie. That sound good?"

Yuffie nodded in affirmation with a cheer, thrusting a paw into the air. I grinned and placed my hands on my hips, shooting a glance towards a smiling Tifa, and then off towards the ending road of Route 5.

"Alright, then. Next stop... Lumiose City!"