Now with a pokeball for Riolu, Kaleigh started down the road to the next town. Along the way, she looked around and occasionally glanced behind herself.

Kaleigh stopped as an off-white fuzz ball ran onto the path ahead of her. It stopped in the middle of the road and stared at her.

"A-ah hi-hi there? I just want-want to go pass y-you… No nee-need to attack me…" Kaleigh stammered. She narrowed her eyes and saw it was a Mankey. She took two steps to the left before she slid a foot across the ground towards the Pokemon. Mankey watched Kaleigh quietly, while she moved slowly towards it until she froze. The two stared at each other in silence, the only movement was from Kaleigh's trembling legs as she wanted to push her left leg forward, but couldn't bring her foot to move.

A flash startled the both of them as a light came from Kaleigh's pocket. The light formed into Riolu, who ran close to his trainer and hugged her leg.

"R-Riolu?" Kaleigh looked down at her new friend before she turned her attention back to the Mankey who started to charge at them with an attack scratch ready. Gasping, Kaleigh picked up Riolu and jumped to the right. The Mankey ran passed and slid to a stop, it turned back to face her and snorted. Riolu looked over at Mankey and then up at Kaleigh who was taking another step back away from it.

Riolu wiggled itself from Kaleigh, who tried to hold onto him and jumped into a fighting position.

"Riolu we need to run!" Kaleigh shouted at her partner but was ignored as Riolu rushed at Mankey with a quick attack. Sending Mankey back a bit Riolu took the moment to look back at his trainer and bark at her.

"Ri Riolu! Rio Riolu Lu!" Riolu seemed to have the confidence that his trainer lacked. Kaleigh looked into Riolu's eyes momentarily before the corner of her lips turned up slightly.

"Okay Riolu, let's do this together!" Beamed Kaleigh, stepping up to the battle just as Mankey stomped its feet around in anger.

"Riolu use-ah umm use…" All the confidence Kaleigh had felt, shattered down as she knew nothing about Pokemon moves. Riolu stared at Kaleigh waiting for a command, only to receive a fury swipe.

"No Riolu!" Kaleigh shouted. The final swipe sent Riolu to the ground, but he got back up and used bite on Mankey.

"Riolu please let's just go!" Kaleigh begged. Riolu shook his head quickly and barked again before charging at Mankey with a quick attack. Mankey rolled back from the attack. Slightly dizzy it got up and looked at Riolu before it ran off the path quickly.

Riolu stood proudly at his victory before turning to his trainer who had a solemn look at her face. Slowly Riolu walked over to Kaleigh and took her hand.

"I'm sorry Riolu… I'm not a good Pokemon trainer…" Kaleigh sighed. Riolu closed his eyes and a second later the aura sensors on his head glowed slightly. Kaleigh blinked as she felt a comforting feeling and looked at Riolu.

"How are you doing that?" Kaleigh questioned making Riolu bark. She gave a soft smile at the little Pokemon before she continued to walk, but this time with Riolu out to keep her company.

Kaleigh continued to walk down the path well into the night. Riolu back in his pokeball to let him rest she kept going, figuring that she would sleep during the day so she wouldn't run into anyone who would take her back to her mother.

One night while Kaleigh was walking through HopHopHop City, she saw a Pokemon center and went in to heal Riolu. Once inside she looked around the empty lobby and walked over to the counter.

"H-Hello?! Anyone here?!" She called out. She waited a moment when a voice caught her attention as Nurse Joy came around the back corner.

"Don't you know how late it is?" Nurse Joy yawned, a hand covered her mouth before she gently rubbed her right eye.

"How can I help you?"

"I-I'm sorry, but could you heal my Riolu?" Kaleigh asked as she grabbed the pokeball and held it out. Nurse Joy looked the child up and down with a slightly puzzled look.

"Just what in the world were you battling?" Kaleigh looked away while placing the pokeball on the counter. "I'll take care of your Pokemon, but please clean yourself up and rest."

Nurse Joy then picked up the pokeball and disappeared behind the corner. Kaleigh let out a small breath, closing her eyes while rubbing a hand through her long hair. She then looked around the center and went to the washroom.

Inside Kaleigh went over to the sink and turned it on. Splashing water onto her face she felt her hair fall onto her face, sticking to it. Sighing she pulled her hair back out of her face, she looked at herself in the mirror and frowned. She leaned forward on her toes and reached her right hand out to the mirror. Once her hand touched her reflection her eyes moved to her arm. The burn and scares on it brought forth unwanted memories.

"NO I'M SORRY-MOMMY I-I'M MOMMY PLEASE!" She remembered screaming, begging as her mother's Salazzle used fire blast to punish the young 5-year-old Kaleigh.

With a blink the memory faded away and Kaleigh stared at her face again. Flushed with anger she balled her hands into fists for a second before huffing and turned off the tap. She walked out of the bathroom and sat down on a couch.

Kaleigh waited, having nothing else to do as time slowly passed by. She thought back to the battle with the Mankey and how she couldn't call out a move like a proper trainer. That Riolu battled as if it had no partner.

"How…" Kaleigh's voice started but faded off as a ding was sounded throughout the center. She looked up and around before she saw Nurse Joy walk out towards her with her pokeball.

"There you go Riolu is just fine!" Nurse Joy smiled. Kaleigh gave a small smile back as she took her pokeball.

"Tha-Thank you… Do you know um how I can learn wh-what moves my Pokemon has?" Kaleigh asked, standing up from the couch. Nurse Joy cocked her head to the left a bit confused.

"Well, your Pokedex should be able to help you determine the moves." Kaleigh rubbed the back of her neck with her right hand raising that shoulder at the same time. "I, actually don't have a Pokedex…"

"You don't? Wait a minute, are you?" Nurse Joy paused her question turning her head to the bulletin board.

"You are! You're the missing girl! I thought you looked a little young for starting your journey, and without a Pokedex that just explains more." Nurse Joy turned back to Kaleigh to her eyes wide and brows raised.

"Young lady, did you run away from home? Your parents are probably worried sic- HEY STOP!" Kaleigh had dashed away from Nurse Joy and out the door. She ran down the road, turning down random streets panting heavily before she darted down an alleyway and leaned her back against the wall. Her head tilted up and back with her eyes closed gasping for air.

"I am NOT going back."

Once Kaleigh caught her breath she leaned out of the alley and looked around. Once she determined that the coast was clear she walked out and down the road slowly. Making her way down the street she came to an intersection and saw some lights on the road slowly moving towards her. Leaning towards it and narrowing her eyes she realized it was a police car. Quickly Kaleigh turned the opposite way and ran down the road. She jumped into another alley and hid behind some garbage bags.

Waiting as the police drove by Kaleigh struggled to keep her breathing quiet. She went as far as holding her breath until she knew that they had moved on before letting it out. Leaving the alley she looked down the street where the police were heading.

"I bet that Nurse Joy called them…" Kaleigh mumbled to herself. She let out a gasp as her right arm was grabbed and pulled to turn her around. She inhaled as her arm bent, pulling her closer to her captor.

"Let me go!" Kaleigh cried out. The captor was a tall muscular male dressed in a black suit covered by a trench coat. He held up a piece of paper, his eyes scanned over it before moving over to Kaleigh who was trying to pull her arm out of his grasp.

"Now, now. I've been looking for you for a couple of months now. Kaleigh." The man snickered. Kaleigh looked up at the man, she didn't recognize him but knew that if he knew her name, it wasn't good.

"W-why? Who sen-sent you?!" Her voice quivered. The man smirked as he started to pull Kaleigh by her arm.

"Who do you think." With panic rising, Kaleigh tried to pull her arm out of the man's grasp, but he pulled it right back as he reached around and pulled her other hand behind her back. With both of her tiny wrists in the man's hand, he used his other hand to tie them together.

"Please let me go." Kaleigh pleaded with the man but was answered with a hand grabbing her arm to pull her along. She leaned back away from the direction the man was trying to pull her in. Her feet burned as they slid across the pavement.

Her head whipped around looking for anything to help her. The man let out a low grumble as Kaleigh struggled against him. Huffing, she swung her left leg into the man's right leg. However, this only made the grip he had on her tighten.

"Please, please! Lord please, someone ANYONE HELP ME!" Kaleigh thought to herself as she let her legs give out and tried to use her body weight to force the man to let go. The man growing thin with patients growled before picking up the child and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Enough!" The man shouted in frustration. Kaleigh tried to wiggle around on his shoulder. "I'm surprised that she's fighting so much but hasn't cried out for help.." The man continued to walk to a nearby car and opened the back seat before placing Kaleigh in. As he stood up she kicked him in the groin, causing immense pain where the man tumbled to the ground for a second.

Kaleigh rolled onto her stomach and tried to worm wiggle her way to the other door only to have a hand grab and pull her left leg quickly making her shriek. A hand then tightly grabbed her face, covering her mouth and nose, cutting off her air.

"Listen little bitch! I may need you alive but that doesn't mean unharmed! Try anything again you will not have legs anymore." The man threatened, the grip on her face tightening. "Do you understand?" Kaleigh's eyes were wide staring at the man, her body started to tremble but she nodded her head quickly. Tears formed around the corners of her eyes as the man pushed her head away and shut the door.