Hello potential readers!

This isn't my first time writing a story for FFN, but my other stories are on a different account. I am not particularly proud of them, so I made a new account for my new attempt at writing a story.

I cannot promise a set schedule for uploads. I only ever really write when I feel like writing. I enjoy doing this, but I don't want to force myself to make finish a chapter to reach a deadline. So, I'll only upload a chapter when I've finished the one after it. For example, I only uploaded this chapter because I've already finished the second one.

Anyway, enough of the talk. Hopefully, you enjoy it!

"Listen, I'll pay double the amount tomorrow if you just leave us alone, okay?"

A small Eevee peeked around the corner of the chair he was currently hiding behind, listening to the older pokemons' conversation with curiosity. This young Eevee is Rainbow, and he was told by his mother to hide behind the chair and make no noise. Rainbow, not one to disappoint his lovely mother, did as he was told and hid behind the chair and made no noise, but that didn't mean he couldn't watch what was going on.

Currently, both Rainbow's father and mother were standing at the open door to their home, speaking to what appeared to be a large Gengar with an even larger smirk. Rainbow's father was puny in comparison. He is a thin, and frankly a very weak, Umbreon. Rainbow's mother had a lot more meat on her bones than Rainbow's father, although she also could not fight very well. She was a gentle Espeon.

"Double?" The Gengar smirked even more. "What happens when you don't have that much tomorrow?" Rainbow's father visibly shrunk from the Gengar and started sweating.

"Then you can take what we do have." Rainbow's mother spoke up from beside her mate, not wanting him to take all of the heat. The Gengar snorted.

"Whatever is left, you mean." He mocked as he looked behind them to scope out the room. Rainbow's family lived a humble life, which is to say they couldn't afford much in the way of comfort. They were settled in a single room apartment decorated with a straw bed in the back corner followed by a few chairs in the middle of the room.

The Espeon avoided eye contact with the Gengar. "...whatever is left." She relented to him. The Gengar smirked one last time, before turning away from the pair.

"I'll hold you to it then. Until tomorrow, friends." He then casually walked off, leaving the pair to quickly close the door behind him.

The room was silent for a moment before the mother let out a sigh. She nuzzled against the smaller Umbreon, before turning away and immediately locking on to the eavesdropping Eevee. She trotted over to Rainbow, before bending down and licking his forehead in affection.

"Don't mind that, sweetie. It was just adult stuff." She encouraged him. Rainbow looked as if pondering just what kind of 'adult stuff' that was. He looked to his father, who turned to look lovingly at the scene before addressing the two.

"We have to hurry, or the good ones will be picked already." The Umbreon urged his mate and child. Rainbow's mother activated her Psychic, lifting two wicker baskets and placing them on her son's and mate's backs. She then tied down the baskets with a length of rope for each. Rainbow's father then opened the door and waited for the other two to follow him to the world outside.

"There's no way all of the good berries have been picked already! It's way too early in the day." Rainbow exclaimed to his father as they all walked out of the door and onto the street. Rainbow's mother sped up to walk next to her mate's side, with Rainbow walking by himself behind them.

"You never know, this city is home to some vicious berry pickers!" The Umbreon chuckled. Rainbow quirked an eyebrow at his father.

"But I've only ever seen us sell Appa berries at the market before?" Rainbow's mother looked behind her and smiled at the boy.

"Even still, sweetie, one must always be prepared!" She exclaimed before turning back to look where she was walking. Rainbow smiled, taking his mother's advice to heart before looking around.

It was very early in the morning, just after sunrise. The street was nearly empty, save for a few Pokemon exiting their homes to start their day. Rainbow's family currently lived in the city of Quartz, a mostly backwater city with many poverty-stricken residents. Quartz consists mostly of wooden structures, with the only stone constructions being the Baron's palace and the wall that surrounds the city. A river runs straight through the city and out on either side into the wilderness. Outside of the walls was a dense forest which was mostly safe unless you head deep into it, to which you will start to find feral pokemon. However, as long as you stay in the immediate area, you can find many delicious berries ripe for the picking. This is where we now find Rainbow and his parents.

Rainbow grunted as he felt the basket straddling his back grow heavier. He turned his head and saw a steady stream of Appa berries hovering into the container, which was already half full. He glanced to his right and saw his father who seemed to be struggling with the same amount.

"You sure you're alright, dad?" Rainbow expressed his concern, bemused. His father stiffened a small bit, before shooting a smile Rainbow's way.

"Well, I can't be outshone in this test of strength by my own son, now can I?" He chuckled. "Keep piling them on, honey!" Rainbow heard his mother release a sigh.

"This tree is almost finished," she notified the two males, "We can probably finish one more before heading back to the marketplace." Rainbow's mother quickly picked the rest of the berries with her Psychic and split them evenly between her husband and son. "But dear, you really must take it easy."

"No way! In fact," Rainbow's father turned to his son, "let's make a wager."

"A wager?" Rainbow questioned, curiously meeting the older Umbreon's eyes. Rainbow's father nodded.

"How about, whoever is carrying the most berries by the time we leave the forest will have the rest of the day off." The Umbreon gave the young Eevee a challenging grin.

Rainbow studied his father, noting the strain in his eyes and legs, as well as the small stench of sweat wafting off of him. Rainbow was already handling his share better than his father was, that's for sure. He replied in confidence.

"You're on." The pair looked back at the lone female of the group with hope in their eyes. The Espeon rolled her eyes, used to their antics, before nodding in compliance.

"I'll allow it." She sighed, giving closure to their expecting faces, before releasing a small grin herself.

Rainbow, suddenly revitalized, shot towards the nearest Appa berry tree and awaited his parents' arrival. He missed the pleading look his father gave his mother.

"48, 49, and 50!" Rainbow's mother exclaimed. She smiled apologetically down at her mate, who was currently laying on his stomach and trying to catch his breath. "Sorry dear, but the strength of youth seems to have prevailed."

Rainbow's father groaned, then glanced at his currently celebrating son.

"You won this time, but next time won't be as easy!" He challenged, trying not to let his hurt pride get the better of him. Rainbow stopped in front of his basket, which victoriously held 51 Appa berries, and puffed out his chest in confidence.

"I'm pretty strong, right?" He beamed at his parents. The group was currently just outside the forest, having a rest before heading back to Quartz.

"Yes, yes, very strong. I don't have any idea where all of your energy comes from." His mother replied, nuzzling the top of Rainbow's head. "But don't count your father out just yet."

"Now," Rainbow's father stood back up, before allowing his mate to use her Psychic to latch his basket onto his back once again. "Just as I promised, you can get the rest of the day off. Your mother and I can handle the stall today." Rainbow hopped up in excitement and was about to dart back into the forest before his mother grabbed him with her Psychic.

"Not so fast, mister. We need some ground rules first." Rainbow grunted in acknowledgment, not being able to open his mouth in her hold. "First, your father and I will be in the same spot as usual if you need us. Second, don't get into any trouble while you're alone. Third, I expect you to be back home by sunset. Lastly, under no circumstance are you to enter the feral territory in the forest. Are we clear?"

Rainbow grunted once again, this time with part agreeance and part annoyance. He had already heard this all before, and he was eager to be set free. His mother sighed, then dropped her hold on him. He immediately broke off sprinting, not wanting to waste even a second of this day.

It wasn't long before Rainbow was out of sight from both of his parents. Rainbow's father then turned to his mate.

"Well then," he turned back towards the main path, "shall we?" The Espeon nodded in agreement then, after securing her own basket, followed along.

Rainbow remarked on how beautiful the day was as he sprinted through the forest. It was now a few hours after he and his parents had left the city of Quartz, and while the air before had been a bit brisk, it was now as warm as ever. Rainbow had wandered aimlessly through the forest, exploring every nook and crevice in his path. He greeted other berry pickers and politely warned them of how late it was getting, though it was only just after midday.

Rainbow took in the nature around him and gleefully hopped once again. It had been a while since the last time he had a day off and he certainly felt it. Every morning his family would awaken bright and early to get a head start on the fresh berries that grew in the immediate forest. The freshest berries sold the best, after all, and his family could only really afford to sell the freshest berries. That Gengar's gang made sure of that.

Rainbow may be young, but he was not stupid. He knew what was happening under his mother's guise of "adult stuff", even if he did not show it. He knew the Gengar leeched most of the selling profits off of his parents. He knew how much money they should be making, but how much they actually kept. He was there with them at the stall most of the time, after all. He knew whenever his father excused himself to 'handle business' after the day was over, he was really just paying that Gengar off.

What he didn't know, was why his parents were doing it in the first place.

That had always puzzled Rainbow when he first took notice of these things a few months ago. Sure, his parents did not know much in the way of fighting, but surely they could not alert proper authorities? Did they not know anyone that might help them out with a situation like this? Surely the right people would care that something like this was happening to his family?

Rainbow shook his head, abandoning all thoughts of the situation. This was his day off, a day that came very rarely, and he would not waste it on such negative topics. He regained a pep in his step and carried on into the forest.

He failed to notice just how dense it was becoming.

Okay, Rainbow will be the first to admit that he was lost. Even if he sprinted off in a random direction to who-knows-where he knew that he could easily find his way in the immediate forest. The abundance of signs and paths could always help a lost one find home again. But as he studied his surroundings he quickly found there were no signs or well-beaten paths in sight. All the friendly berry pickers were long gone, and the warming sun was sparsely shining through a thick canopy overhanging tall, foreboding, and dark trees.

Rainbow couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in his head that he had disobeyed one of his mother's key rules. The rules that he halfheartedly agreed to abide by. Well, he still knew where his parents were, so it was not that. He wasn't in any trouble currently, well he thought he wasn't anyway. The limited sunshine he saw was still bright and yellowish-white, indicating it was still around midday. So it definitely was not near sundown yet.

Rainbow let a look of horror slowly creep onto his face and he cursed his absentmindedness. How was he so unobservant that he accidentally wandered into the feral forest? Probably the most dangerous place around Quartz, and he found himself inside of it on accident.

He froze in his tracks and glanced around, noting the silence he now found himself in. The forest was quiet and notably darker than it had previously been. Not wanting to stay here any longer than he needed, he turned around and wandered, hopefully, back to where he came from.

He walked quietly and cautiously, trying to make himself as small and inconspicuous as he could. He hoped that he could get back to town without any feral pokemon taking notice of his presence. He only made it a few paces before he heard a few sticks crack to his left, followed by a low, threatening growl.

It would seem fate had other plans for him.

Going against every instinct in his body, Rainbow stopped and slowly turned his head to his left. He then made eye contact with a very pissed-off-looking Houndoom. A chill ran down Rainbow's spine, administering to him a rough shiver that stood his fur in their ends. He bowed his head, hoping that the Houndoom would take this as a sign of submission. The feral pokemon started to take slow, great strides towards the terrified younger pokemon.

Rainbow realized his look of submission was failing, and he instead opted to slowly back away from the Houndoom. With every step he backed away, the feral pokemon took a large step towards Rainbow and was quickly gaining. Knowing there was no other way out, Rainbow bit his lower lip and steeled his nerves. He turned around and bolted.

He couldn't tell where he was going. For all Rainbow knew he was heading deeper into the feral forest. He glanced back and, sure enough, the Houndoom was bounding after Rainbow, its barking felt like thunder and it was shaking Rainbow's bones down to the marrow.

He knew from his mother that feral pokemon were different than pokemon like him. They let their instincts control them instead of their intelligence. They could not speak nor understand the pokemon language, so it was useless to try and reason with them. The Houndoom only saw Rainbow as an intruder to his territory, or as its next meal. Either way, Rainbow was not willing to find out exactly what the pokemon thought of him.

The Houndoom was gaining on him now, each of its great strides equal to four of Rainbow's. Rainbow rushed into a particularly dense group of trees, using his smaller body to quickly maneuver through the patch. He cursed as he launched headfirst into a small berry bush, emerging with many small cuts along his body and few thorns on his front. His instincts started to go into overdrive, his mind racing faster and faster. He thought he could feel the Houndoom's abnormally high body temperature like all fire types had. He dismissed that thought, though, as he veered to the left and dodged a searing hot Flamethrower. Great, Rainbow thought, it wasn't playing around anymore.

As Rainbow pressed onward, he felt the ground start to steadily incline. He looked ahead and sharply inhaled as he now found himself on a ledge, with nothing but a sharp drop to the forest below. There was nowhere left to run.

He turned around and faced behind him, hearing the Houndoom's paws strike the ground with a rumbling strength. Rainbow crouched down, his legs trembling in fear. He breathed, trying to calm himself, and once again steeled his nerves. If there was nowhere to run, he had no choice but to fight. He focused on the bristling thicket in front of him. He had only one chance.

The Houndoom burst out of the treeline, locking eyes with Rainbow and dashing towards him. The rage Rainbow saw gave him shivers, but he did not back down. The Houndoom opened its great jaws, an orange light radiating out of its gaping maw. It was going to unleash another Flamethrower. Rainbow could use that.

An extremely fast line of twisting flames erupted from the Houndoom's jaw, shooting towards Rainbow. He waited, and waited, and as the flames got close enough to lick Rainbow's face, he shot to his right. He grimaced as he felt a bit of his fur singe from the fire. As the fire dissipated, the Houndoom noticed that Rainbow was now to its left. As it tried to turn towards Rainbow, its speed worked against it as it began to slide towards the cliff. It stopped before it slid off the cliff, however, and it turned to look at Rainbow.

Before it could react, Rainbow sprinted towards it. He built up energy in his shoulder and ran straight at the Houndoom's torso. He hopped just before he hit, colliding against the feral pokemon with a Tackle. The attack pushed the Houndoom back, throwing it off of the cliff it tried to stop before. Rainbow hit the ground, trying to ignore the whimpering of the now falling Houndoom. Feral or not, it was still a pokemon. But Rainbow knew it was either it or him, and he had parents to get back to. The whimpering gradually quieted until it eventually stopped altogether. Rainbow choked up at its silence and bit his bottom lip once more. He slowly rose to his feet. It was time to go home.

Again, fate had other plans for the poor Eevee. Rainbow stiffened as he felt the ground he was standing on start to slide. He darted towards the forest, but it was too late as a large portion of the cliff cracked and started to crumble down the steep incline it was above, taking Rainbow with it. Rainbow screamed out in terror as he fell before he was abruptly smashed into a body of water.

He lay limp in the dark for a few moments, not feeling the energy he needed to swim upwards. That energy came back to him as he felt his body convulse from the lack of air. He desperately paddled upwards, desperately trying to escape the pull of the dark void below him. He felt the same feeling as when he was being chased by the Houndoom, except it was a magnitude times greater. He felt as if some entity really was pulling him in and that this entity could destroy him without a second thought if it chose to.

Much to his great relief, he breached the surface of the water. He felt a great deal of liquid splurge up his throat. He hacked and gagged, releasing the water that invaded his system. When he was sure it was all out, he observed his surroundings as he panted for air.

He was in a cavern, the only light coming from a breach in the ceiling above him. Faintly, he could see the cliff he tumbled from in the distance above him. He found a small shore beside the water and swam towards it. He beached himself onto the gravelly surface, face down as he rested. His energy left him once again, leaving him to lay limp on the ground. He really wanted to go home, but he was overjoyed that he was still alive.

Rainbow did not know just how long he lay on that beach, but by the time he looked up at the opening in the ceiling the rays of the sun were coming from the far west. This meant that sundown was drawing near. He had to go home, he had already failed his parents today and he would not do so again. He shakily rose to his feet once more and started his search for an escape.

A ray of light from the sun shone through the hole and pointed directly ahead of Rainbow. Following its trail, he found a small pile of rocks bunched up on the ground. He would have left it undisturbed, had he not seen a small sparkle come from a small crack in the pile. Curious, he pushed a few of the rocks out of the may and marveled at what he had revealed.

Staring back at him was a slab. This slab was around Rainbow's length and looked to be made out of a glass-like material. What enamored him, however, was the design. The slab looked to have black smoke move across its surface. This smoke swirled around the slab until it was sucked into a black vortex in the middle.

Rainbow was entranced. Something about this slab seemed to just… call to him. He reached towards the vortex, its darkness was pulling him. Not just him, he thought, his entire being.

So it was you who has found it first.

Rainbow yelped in surprise, rocketing backward away from the slab. He shot a look all around him, looking for any other pokemon in the cavern. When he found none he crouched down, alert.

Calm yourself, Rainbow. I am not a threat.

Fat chance, Rainbow thought. A disembodied voice in a cavern in the middle of the feral forest isn't anything but threatening. His thoughts then caught up with what else the voice had said. He glared at his surroundings once more, challenging it.

"How do you know my name?"

I know a great many things, Rainbow, your name the least of them.

Rainbow growled.

"Where are you?"

In a place beyond your thoughts, but a place that exists nonetheless.

Okay, what was that supposed to mean? Rainbow's searching gaze landed on the slab.

But to you, I am in your head.

Rainbow was a bit unnerved at this. Sure some pokemon could use telepathy to speak to someone directly through their mind, but that just means that this voice is an incredibly powerful pokemon.

"Who are you?"

I am the beginning. I am the creator. I brought everything into existence, yet my subjects rarely speak of me anymore. The voice mused, seemingly unperturbed by this fact. Seeing as the voice was not a threat, and it did not show signs of it being one, Rainbow relaxed a slight bit and made his way to the slab once again.

"Why haven't you tried to attack me yet?" Rainbow heard the voice emit a light chuckle.

Attack you? I am afraid to. That Houndoom set a good example, you know.

Rainbow scowled at the response. The voice was clearly mocking him. He reached the slab once again and peered into its dark vortex once more.

That plate is stunning, isn't it? I daresay it is one of my favorite designs.

"You know what this is?"

I should hope so. It is mine after all.

Rainbow's eyes narrowed as he reached for the vortex once more. This time, he tapped his paw against it and felt its cold.

"What are you?"

A blinding light disturbed the cavern, protruding from the plate itself. The light engulfed the plate before overtaking Rainbow as well. Rainbow squeezed his eyes shut as the light seemed to grow brighter with every second. As soon as it started, the light stopped and allowed Rainbow to open his eyes once more.

The slab was suddenly missing, the rocks it was laying on now empty. Rainbow felt a sudden weight around his neck. He looked down, but couldn't see what exactly was weighing his neck down. He rushed back to the water and studied his reflection.

There was a metallic band around his neck, silver in color but otherwise plain. What got Rainbow's attention was what hung off of the band at its base. The slab was now several times smaller than before, and it now hung off the band as if Rainbow was wearing a necklace and the slab was the jewel.

Rainbow reached up towards the band and tried to pull it off. It was incredibly sturdy, and he would soon break his neck before the band itself broke.

"What is this?"

A gift.

"A gift? How do I take it off?"

You cannot. Not yet, at least.

"What do you mean not yet? I didn't agree to this!"

Does one agree to accept gifts? Usually, you receive one and accept it. Rejecting a gift is just bad manners.

Rainbow huffed. This disembodied voice was getting on his nerves.

"It may be bad manners, but usually a stranger expects something from you if they just hand you something like this out of the blue."

Hmm. The voice seemed to think. How about this: Get that plate out of this dusty cave for me and keep it safe.

That was it? For an item as beautiful as this slab, or plate as the voice called it, he would have thought the voice would want to rope him into something crazy.

"And if I don't agree to these terms?" He could almost feel the voice smile.

Well, it's not like you can take that plate off right now, so you kind of have to keep it with you.

The voice was right, as much as Rainbow disliked it. He would have to agree to this deal no matter what he thought.

So, do you agree to these terms, young Rainbow?

"I guess so." Rainbow relented.

Good! Now allow me to help then, friend.

Rainbow had no time to question the voice before the blinding light came back, this time emanating from Rainbow himself. He squeezed his eyes once again. He felt the cold stone at his paws turn to grass. He opened his eyes once the light died down in a mix of shock and surprise.

It was light. He was standing in a small clearing in the forest. The grass was a light green color, and the trees were softer and smaller than the feral forest. He recognized himself to be back in the immediate forest around Quartz.

"How-"

No time for more questions, young Rainbow. It is almost sundown and I believe you have places to be?

Rainbow didn't even acknowledge the voice as he looked to find the sun almost at the horizon. With purpose, he jolted back towards the city, his restored fur and skin going unnoticed.

There it is! This is just the start of the adventure I have in mind. A lot of things are going to be set up before the main story really kicks off, so bear with me. See you next time!