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(*Disclaimer:This is a fan fiction. All Pokemon, Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, The Eight Gym Leaders The Johto Region and all related characters, names and locations are legal trademarks of GAMEFREAK. Any characters in this story that are unrelated to Pokemon are mine, and cannot be used without permission. Also, this is my first fiction on SoFurry. Please, feel free to submit any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism you may have. I want to become as good a writer as foozzzball, so again, constructive criticism is wanted and gratefully accepted.)

I awoke to the steady monotonous buzz of my bedside alarm clock, blinking in the early morning sunlight. I sat up groggily, groaning like a corpse rising from the grave and reached over to hit the off button, dropping the room back into a heavy silence. I picked the clock up and looked at it. 9:30 am. I was used to waking up this early; I'd had to be to survive 12 years of Trainer school, but since I'd already graduated, it didn't matter up until today what time I woke up. Today was a special day indeed for me. Not only was it my nineteenth birthday, but it was the day I would start my Pokemon journey. Most Trainers started their journeys at age eleven, but I had wanted to wait until I at least had graduated Trainer's school, and now that my bright shiny new diploma was hanging in a decorated picture frame over the fireplace in the den, I felt I was finally ready to start my journey as a Trainer. Not only had I done my research on the 8 Gym Leaders of Johto, but I had also studied the strengths and weaknesses of all seventeen Pokemon types, plus the strengths and weaknesses of dual types, the evolutions of many Pokemon, and breeding pairs. I felt as though I was fully prepared to take the entire Pokemon world by storm.

I tossed the covers aside, slid out of bed and stretched. All tiredness left my bones and I acquired a pep in my step as I thought of the day ahead. I'd already planned the whole thing out in my head: First I'd pack my bag. Since I'd already done that, I could cross packing off the list. Second, I'd get dressed. I was putting on my clothes at the moment, my favorite outfit, my red pokeball cap, khaki shorts and matching red shoes, so that could be crossed off as well. Now to eat breakfast. I headed out of my room and down the stairs toward the kitchen. As I approached, I could smell the wonderful aroma of baking cinnamon and syrup wafting into my nostrils. I knew instantly what was being made. I walked into the kitchen to the most wondrous sight. My mom was standing in front of the stove making my favorite breakfast, french toast and pancakes with butter and maple syrup on the side. When she heard me enter the kitchen, my mom turned and smiled brightly at me. She was still dressed in her housecoat and nightgown, with the curlers still in her hair. This was a bit strange for me, because mom always had been dressed and ready for work when I woke up in the morning, and she certainly never had time to cook breakfast for me, yet here she was, still in her night clothes and cooking away. She must have noticed my confusion because when she spoke, it was in a 'Why the wierd look?' kind of tone.

"Well, good morning to you too, Mr sleepy! Why do you have the same look on your face as a Slowpoke when it finally notices that it's been hurt?" she said with a lighthearted chuckle.

I grabbed a piece of french toast off the plate next to the stove and nibbled it a bit before answering. "Well, I was kind of expecting you to be at work right now, so it was a bit shocking at first to see you at home. Kinda caught me off guard a bit there." Mom worked as an overseer of production at the PokeGear company. It was a great paying job, but it demanded her presence almost constantly, so she almost never had time off. I went over and took a plate out of the dish strainer, heaped it with more french toast and some pancakes, took the syrup and a fork, and went to the table to eat. Mom followed me with her own plate.

"What? and miss the beginning of my son's Pokemon journey? Never! I can't believe you'd even think I'd miss such an important day! This is even bigger than your graduation from Trainer's School!" As she talked, her first Pokemon, now a fully evolved Meganium that she had elected to nickname Folia, entered the room, walked up to mom, and affectionately rubbed her leaf against her cheek, adding a soothing spicy aroma to the already tantalizing scents wafting through the house. "Meg, Meganium..." Folia cooed as mom gently stroked her head.

"Hey there old girl. Oh! that reminds me Tony, which Pokemon are you going to pick as your partner?"

I had already begun wolfing down my breakfast, so it took me a few seconds to finish chewing and swallowing the last few bites before I could speak.

"Well I uh, the truth is, I haven't really figured that out yet."

It was true. I hadn't really come to a decision on which of the three starter Pokemon I wanted to choose. I thought back to the chart that Professor Elm had sent me. All of the starters seemed like great choices to me, so it had left me at an impasse. Would I plant the seeds of tradition and follow my mom, going with the gentle grass type Chikorita? Or would I ignite the flames of my ambition and pick the hotblooded fire type, Cyndaquil? Maybe I could douse the flame of indecision and get Totodile, the energetic water type? Arrgh! decisions decisions decisions! I hated deciding! Mom seemed to sense my distress and came to the rescue with a wise plan.

"It's almost time for you to head up to Professor Elm's lab anyway, honey, Why don't you go now? I'm sure that by the time you reach his lab, you'll have come to a decision on which Pokemon you want."

I could've kissed her. So I did.I got up and gave her one big, syrupy kiss right on the cheek "Thanks mom, you're the a real life saver!" I said happily. I went and put my dishes in the sink, then I dashed back toward the stairs, practically flying over them in my rush to get my bag. I'd already cleared about half the staircase when mom yelled after me. "Slow down a bit speedy! I've got something for you when you get back down, so be a dear and hurry!"

That was all the incentive I needed. I was in my room and back downstairs in what felt like the space of a millisecond, rushing to see what my mom had in store for me. When I reached her, she was holding a small package no bigger than the palm of my hand, wrapped neatly in pokeball print wrapping paper.

"Happy birthday honey!" She said with a smile almost as wide as the one I had on. I took the package with shaking hands and gently tore off the wrapping. When I saw what it was, my grin got so wide that my jaw actually started to ache.

It was a shiny new PokeGear, in my favorite colors, silver and chrome.

Mom chuckled. "Like it? It's the latest model, fresh off the assembly line. Not very many people can get these yet, seeing as they're so new, but then again, most people don't have a mom who's the overseer of production at the PokeGear company, do they? Well don't just stand there grinning like an Aipom, come give your mom a hug!" I quickly moved to do as she said, happy beyond my wildest dreams that she was my mom. Folia came and joined in the hug, wrapping her vines around us both in a sort of grass Pokemon group hug. It was me who broke the hug. I gently extricated myself from Folia's vines and kissed mom on the cheek. "Well mom, I guess I better get going. Don't wanna hold the Prof up!" I said, turning to head out the door, grabbing my bicycle, which was leaned right next to the door. "Goodbye Tony, don't forget to call me every now and again, that PokeGear doubles as a phone! Don't talk to strangers! Dress warm! Be safe! Don't forget to come back and show me your new partner!" I chuckled heartily as mom continued to dole out useful, but unneeded advice. Moms were always sad to see their kids leave home. I hopped on my bike and rode off down the street, looking back at mom standing teary eyed in the doorway until she was lost to view around a corner. One chapter of my life had just closed, but a new one was already opening, one filled with endless adventure and opportunity for me and soon, my Pokemon partner.

New Bark Town was a moderately small town, so it didn't take me long to find the forest path leading up to Professor Elm's Lab. I got on the path and rode along at a leisurely pace, enjoying the feel of the wind on my face, and the sounds of nature around me. There had still been twenty minutes leading up to the actual time I had been scheduled to come and visit Professor Elm, so I decided to use the extra time to enjoy the serenity of nature. Several Pokemon species made their home in these woods, mostly bug types like Weedle or Caterpie, crawling along branches and nibbling on leaves overhead, stopping to glance at me before returning to their meals Their evolved forms, Kakuna and Metapod also occupied the forest, hanging motionless from tree trunks and following me with their eyes. I wondered if I'd see any Butterfree or Sentret wandering around. I was so caught up in the beauty of nature that I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard the voice of a human shouting commands.

"Ekans! Use Poison Sting!" The command was followed by a loud noise like bullets bouncing off of a wall, then a gut wrenching howl, and the triumphant call of the human. "Yeah! that oughta teach that little runt to run away! Alright guys, let's finish this up so we can get back to headquarters!" Headquarters? What was that supposed to mean? Whatever it was, I certainly wasn't interested in it. What I was interested in was the prospect of seeing my first real Pokemon battle. So far, I had only read about them in books, or watched them on tv. This would be a real treat, and a valuable learning experience. I decided to follow the voices. Maybe I could get some pointers from the Trainer who was battling. Soon I came upon a small glade, and the voices got louder the closer I got. I stopped just behind some bushes and peered through them. I could see two strangely dressed people, one male and one female standing behind two gigantic snake-like Pokemon I recognized as Ekans. The Trainers were dressed all in black.The male's uniform consisted of an all black jumpsuit with matching wrist length grey gloves and boots.The female's uniform was slightly different in the fact that it consisted of a skirt that went about halfway down her thighs, and a short blouse that revealed her midriff. The two uniforms were similar in the fact that they had a giant red R in the center, and both male and female wore caps with the visors pulled low, concealing their eyes.

They were standing over a small creature that seemed to be trying it's hardest to stand and get away, it's tiny green body was covered in all manner of ugly bruises. As soon as it managed to stand, the female trainer kicked it back down. "Yeah, that oughta knock some sense into you, flea bitten little runt!" She said, causing her partner to break out into peals of laughter.

"Ekans! Use Wrap!" He commanded. This had been the voice I'd heard earlier. I watched in horror as the Ekans hissed evilly and shot forward suddenly, wrapping the little creature in it's purple coils and squeezing it hard. The Pokemon cried out in pain as it's body was crushed by the snake's powerful body. I looked at the Pokemon in distress closely. It was strikingly similar to a Pokemon I'd learned about in Trainer's School. It was small and dog-like, with green fur and a mask like patch of black fur over it's eyes. From what I could see of it's eyes, they were a stunning shade of emerald green. But what Pokemon looked like that? I thought hard for a few minutes racking my brain for the answer. Small, dog like, with rounded bumps on it's forepaws, a black torso, and long black ears. But the green fur and eyes were throwing me off. The female Trainer shoved the male angrily.

"Cut it out stupid! We're supposed to get that Riolu back to the boss ALIVE! How the heck d'you think we're gonna do that if you off it before we can get it back to HQ? Call off your dunce of an Ekans!" The male grumbled at his partner and called off his Pokemon. "Ekans, let it go!" The Ekans did at it was ordered and released the Riolu. It fell to the ground limply and lay there unmoving, too badly injured to put up a fight anymore. Riolu! That's what it was?! But that was impossible! Riolu were extremely rare, even in the Sinnoh Region, where they were said to nest. What was one doing here in the Johto Region? And for that matter, what was with it's coloring? Riolu were normally mostly blue, with black torsos, ears, and red eyes. This Riolu was green and black, with emerald green eyes. What was I doing?! People who'd hurt such a rare Pokemon on purpose didn't deserve to have one! Before I knew what was happening, I had launched myself from my hiding place behind the bush, taking the assailants by surprise.

**"I don't know who you kooks are, but you better let that Riolu go, or else!" The Trainers quickly got over their surprise quickly when they saw me, and began laughing uproariously. When they were finished, they grinned evilly and called their Pokemon to their sides, leaving the Riolu alone.The male spoke first "Looks like we've got ourselves a witness, eh Carina?" He said, advancing on me menacingly.

The one called Carina advanced as well, grinning devilishly."Yeah, clearly this kid doesn't know who he's dealing with, Blake. How's about we give him a little taste of what happens to kiddies when they mess around in the affairs of Team Rocket?"

"You read my mind! How's about a little Poison Sting?" said Blake.

"Ekans, attack!" They shouted in unison. Both of the Ekans slithered forward, hissing. As they reared up to attack, I chastised myself one last time. Smooth move, Tony. You just had to play the hero. Now you're gonna wasted before you can even start your Journey! I closed my eyes and waited for the attack that would end my life right here on the spot. But instead of feeling the pain of a thousand needles digging into my flesh, I heard the strangled cry of the two Ekans. I opened my eyes in time to see them being swung around in a circle by the Riolu, a move I recognized instantly as Seismic Toss. The two Rockets just stood there, mouths hanging agape in disbelief as the Pokemon they thought they'd beaten into submission let go of the Ekans, sending them sprawling straight into their owners. Then, completely spent at last, the Riolu collapsed onto the grass out cold. At that moment, I saw my opportunity for escape and seized it. While Team Rocket was busy untangling themselves from the bodies of their Ekans, I dashed forward, scooped up the unconscious Riolu and ran as fast as I could back to my bike. I placed the Riolu in my bag hopped onto my bike and pedaled out of there as fast as I could, heading in the direction of Professor Elm's lab, where I could get my unfortunate passenger some much needed medical attention.**

Behind me, I could hear the angry yells of Team Rocket as they scrambled to catch up with me. Hearing that only spurred me forward. At the rate I was riding, it didn't take me long to reach Prof. Elm's lab. I rode right up to the door and hopped off my bike before it even had time to stop. Running at full speed, I reached the front door and pounded on it with my fists, then I took the still unconscious Riolu out of my bag and held it protectively in my arms. Each breath it took was shallow and rattled audibly, and it felt unnaturally hot. Indeed, it was sweating profusely, and it seemed to be in pain. I sorely hoped the Professor wasn't out running an errand. Luckily, there was a noise behind the door which told me that someone was about to open the door. The man who opened it was not who I'd expected him to be. I had expected Professor Elm to be an older, grey haired man, possibly bent with age and using a cane. Yet this man wasn't anywhere near old. As a matter of fact, he looked to be somewhere in his early to mid twenties and in the prime of life. He was a tall bespectacled man wore a blue dress shirt, brown dress pants and matching slacks. His brown hair was spiky and looked a bit disheveled, as though he'd been pulling at it in stress. The pockets of his lab coat were full to overflowing with various odds and ends of paper. He was handsome, despite being a bit pale. His face brightened a bit when he saw me, but not by much.

"Ah, you must be Tony! You're early! Please, come on in!" said the Prof with a smile. I walked inside and he closed the door behind me.I looked around. The lab was even messier than the Professor looked. Mountains of papers and lab equipment littered the tables and floor. Several of the shelves where full to bursting with more books and papers, as well as plates with the remains of meals still in them. Clearly someone was devoted to their work."So Tony, I take it you're here for your starter Pokemon?" He asked. I shook my head.

**"Well, that's why I was headed up here at first, but now I'm here because of this little guy." I said, holding the Riolu up for the Professor to see. He adjusted his glasses and looked closely. His eyes widened. "But... is this a...Riolu?!" "Yes Professor. It is, but can we save all that for later? It's in need of some serious medical attention. I think it's been poisoned!"

The Prof took on a serious tone. "Right then. Bring it this way."

A couple of hours later, after the Riolu had received the proper treatment and was sleeping soundly in Recovery, I told the Professor the story of how I had been headed to the lab and had stumbled upon Team Rocket attempting to abduct the Riolu. When I had finished telling the story, Professor Elm acquired a grave look. He paced back and forth, absorbed in thought. When he finally spoke again, it was in an exasperated voice.**

"Hmm... This is serious. There's been a rash of Pokenappings lately, in fact, the latest happened earlier today at this very lab. I had already handed out two of the starter Pokemon to two rookie trainers yesterday. I was planning on saving the last one, Cyndaquil, for you. But early this morning, some young hooligan with red hair broke in and stole the Pokeball it was contained in. So as of now, I'm afraid I don't have a Pokemon to provide you with. And what's worse, Team Rocket seems to be connected somehow. I just don't know what to do." He turned to me with a concerned look in his eye.

"Actually Professor, if it's all the same to you, I think I've already chosen who my partner's going to be." I said, looking through the Recovery Room's one way window at it's lone occupant.