FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

New story I came up with a while back. Took some determination and planning to actually get this first chapter out of my head. It's told from the first-person perspective, but in journal, or at least as close as I got it. If anyone finds mistakes I made in it, please, let me know so that I may correct them as quickly as I can. Now, please enjoy what I got out of my head. =)

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Crud. That was the only word for it. Crud. It's the finals, and I'm already five pokémon down while my opponent still has two more of hers left. Not to mention I had already pulled Vivian out in the middle a battle because she had been hit with a Confuse Ray earlier. I hoped as I threw her pokéball up in the air, her confusion had cleared away by now. The bright flash of light that always happened when I called one of my pokémon out, and Vivian appeared in the arena. The Espeon shook her head, looking a little worn from her earlier battle. "Vivian, stay strong!" I called to her, and she replied enthusiastically, ready to battle. Here it was, my last partner up on the battle field, facing down a Torterra. The tension was getting high in the surrounding stadium, everyone cheering for their favorite trainer....But I think I'm getting ahead of myself here.

I just got this digital journal, and wanted to type down all my adventures. I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Cecil Faire. I'm an eighteen year old, 5'7" male. I have dark brown hair, but mostly I wear a plain blue cap on my head. It's not that I don't like my hair color, I just really like my cap. My clothes are pretty ordinary, pretty much a black T and blue jeans, with some off brand pair of white sneakers. Nothing fancy, the way I like it. But enough about me, I bet who ever reads this journal is probably wondering why I started it off in the middle of such an intense battle. Well, let your curiosity be dulled, because I'm going to tell you the beginning of my journey in the Pokémon World.

Although, I didn't generally start out in any of the well known towns. No, in fact, I never knew such a world existed. Yeah, that's right, my life started on Planet Earth. Boring, old, same as usual, war almost every century, Earth. Everyday was almost a practical bore the older I got: Wake up, take shower, get dressed, go to school, learn stuff, leave school, hang out with friends, come home, do homework, then go to bed. See, gets old after a while, huh? Not very adventurey and out there like I'm currently doing now. I know what you're thinking, why am I giving back story? Why dilly dally if the main reason for this journal is about pokémon, right? Well don't worry, I'm getting to my point.

So, as I saying, grew up, boring life, blah blah blah. When I finally graduated from high school, thank god, I wanted to take some years away from classes and learning before I started college, and get the degree in my future career. Now, I'm not much of a news listener. Never really watched it, because mostly whatever is on is some tragedy in someone else life. So it's understandable I missed the broadcast about someone incidentally teleporting themselves off our world, and finding a way back the same way. And that someone, I don't really know who it was, but they decided to recreate the phenomenon that sent them off world. And it worked too.

Soon, everyone was wanting to vacation to this new world the guy found. Even a few of my friends, and I didn't even know this teleporter sent people to the Pokémon World. I just thought they wanted to go someplace that was new. Well, I was completely wrong about that. I didn't listen to the news, never even watched any of the channels. After the ceremonies, I bid them farewell, and wished them a good trip.

Before anyone thinks that since I didn't keep my ear out for the news, that doesn't mean I was completely ignorant to what Pokémon is. I've seen a few episodes, idly played some of the games, so I have some basic knowledge. Right, time to start how my journey began.

I was sitting in a chair on my parents front porch, sipping lemonade while enjoying the sunlight on a late Saturday evening. I was glad my boss let me have the day off, as I needed the rest. Stocking shelves isn't as easy as it seems. So I'm resting, enjoying my solitude until I see a girl jogging by. Now, at first glance I thought she was walking a bunch of dogs while she was jogging. "She's cute," I say to myself. I was just going to stay in my seat, but something about her. I wasn't sure, but I felt like it was good idea to try and talk her up, maybe even get her number.

I stood, and stretched my muscles, limbering myself up just a little so I didn't pull a muscle. I soon found myself running to catch up with this girl, panting a little as I shouted, maybe a little too loud, "Hey, wait up!" She turned her head, stopping just a few yards ahead of me. Wow, I thought joggers usually wore earphones, and listened to music that blasted they're ears off. I slowed myself as I caught up easily now, stopping just a few inches away. I had to catch my breath at first. That probably didn't look cool, but for some reason she giggled anyway. She probably thought I looked funny.

Once I was able to, I straightened myself, and said, "Hi, what's cutie like you jogging all by yourself?" She giggled again, smiling as well as I found her giggle cute as well. From what I had seen when I approached her, and now up close, she was a little shorter than me, dirty blonde hair with almost brilliant emerald eyes.

"I'm not alone," she said, "I have my friends with me." Friends? She considered the dogs her- Wait, where'd they go?! I had only just lowered my head to look at them, and they weren't there at all. "It's okay, he's not going to hurt anyone," I heard her say. I soon saw their heads poking out from behind her. They must have been hiding from me behind, and I thought dog were friendly towards other people.

But now I was finally getting a clear view of what they looked like now, and they certainly weren't like any dogs I had seen before. When I hadn't been able to get a clear view before, the dogs that I thought she had been walking looked like corgi's. But now, I wasn't sure what they were, though they did seem familiar. I was kind of entranced at first as I tried to make out what they looked like. "Something catch your interest?" she asked me.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry," I said, finally bringing my attention back up to her. "Let me introduce myself. My name's Cecil Faire." She smiled, holding out her hand for me to shake, and I did, noting she had a firm grasp.

"Jennifer Collins. Nice to meet you. Do you live around here?" she asked me. Man, I couldn't get enough of her smile.

"Yeah, I live just a couple houses down. In fact, you passed by where I live just a few moments ago," I replied. I was about to say something else, until one of the creatures pulled on my pants leg, distracting me. I looked down to see what it was doing, noticing how cute those eyes were. How strange, I knew it looked familiar. Why couldn't I place it though? "Looks like someone else wants your attention. Go ahead, and pet him," she said, urging me to do so. Well, I didn't want to be rude, so I got down on knee, and brushed my hand along its fur.

"Wow, really soft," I remember saying, my fingers rubbing lightly at the base of these things ear. While I was petting it, I heard a little "Vee," sound come from it, which kind of surprised me a little. And it was just the spark to help me remember. "Wait, is this-"

"An Eevee? Yes, he is. I'm surprised you didn't know," she said, interrupting me, but I didn't really care. Soon, all of the her Eevee's were gathering around me, wanting a turn to be pet as well. "Ok, ok, one at a time guys. Don't scare him off," she said, trying to settle them down a little. I didn't mind though, I was just amazed that I was petting a bunch of pokémon. Until then, I didn't even know they existed except in video games, and here I was, surrounded by a mass of brown and white, each trying to rub up against me, or trying to hog some attention from my hands. I don't know when I started laughing, but who would actually care when they have bunch of Eevee's trying to get attention. Jennifer was giggling as well, obviously finding her friends each trying to get my attention cute.

"Wow, this is amazing! I didn't even know Pokémon were real!" I said finally once all the fur balls finally decided calm down, and stop clambering all over me.

"You don't watch the news much, do you?" she asked me, in which I replied by shaking my head. "Hehe, well, I was just as surprised as you are when I found out as well." She had knelt down as well by now, and was petting one of the Eevee's on the top their head. Since I was clueless about how she had pokémon, she took the liberty of telling me how it all came to be. Admittedly, I didn't really understand some of what she said, but I got the gist of it though. I do remember she had said the teleporting things were made about a year ago at the time I met her.

"Wow, I guess I should have kept my ears open. I probably would have jumped at the chance to get my own," I said after she had finished. I don't know why, but I think my eyes showed longing now. Before then, I never thought much of pokémon and the whole genre. But now I was wanting a pokémon of my own. She must have seen this as well, because I wasn't expecting what she did next.

Apparently, she thought I could be trusted, picking up one of the Eevee's. She hugged the fluffy pokémon close, and asked me, "Can I trust you to watch over this little cutie for tonight?" I was kind of amazed at her proposition, and a little stunned as well.

"Wait, are you sure?" I asked back, hardly believing what she just asked me to do.

"Yeah, I'm sure! You seem pretty trustworthy. Besides, I need someone to watch her tomorrow. My day job gets pretty busy, and it gets a little difficult to watch over all of my Eevee's," she said, giving me a bright smile. The little Eevee in her arms looked at her owner with a pout. Jennifer rubbed the pokémons head to calm her down, before carefully handing her to me. The Eevee was shy towards me, even as I pet her head softly to help her warm up to me. Before I knew, I was standing once again, leading Jennifer to my home.

It wasn't too long of a walk, but when we got to the porch, she asked, "Could I borrow a pen and paper?" All I could think of was score. I rushed inside while the Eevee she was letting me watch for a while, locating a pen and some scrap in no time at all. I was back outside within seconds, handing her the materials. She quickly jot down something on the paper, though I was hoping it was her phone number. Though that was dashed when she handed the paper and pen back, but on the paper was an address. "Meet me at this address tomorrow, ok?"

"Er, is it okay if I drop by in the evening?" I asked her, hoping it wasn't going to be a problem.

She nodded, and said, "Sure, no problem. Oh, and I'll be by later again to drop off some food for her." Jennifer then said her good-byes to me and her Eevee, giving her another head rub, before she began jogging down the sidewalk again with her several other pokémon following behind her.

After she left, I stepped inside my home, and set the shy Eevee on the floor. She began to sniff at the floor, looking all over as she got used to her new surroundings. I couldn't help but smile while I watched her, sitting down on the sofa, which faced a decently sized TV with a glass coffee table in front of it. I silently watched as Eevee started to run up to things in the room, looking them over for a moment before finally sitting front of the TV on the other side of the table.

She had just started to lay down when my mother entered the room. "Cecil, do you know where I place my scissors? I swear, it feels like the darn things grow legs, and walk off sometimes." My mother, Janice Faire, stands a few inches shorter than me, but I inherited her deep brown hair. She was wearing a simple white blouse with matching dress. For someone over forty, she's still a very pretty woman.

"Sorry, mother, I haven't seen them. Did you check in your stitching drawer?" I replied. She was about to say something until she spotted the Eevee looking up at her. The brown and white furred pokémon having walked up in front of her, and said with a soft "Vee?"

At first mother just blinked down at the cute little creature at her feet, before she said, "Oh my, what a cutie! Where did you come from?" She bent down, and picked up Eevee, softly hugging the fluff ball close. It seemed Eevee liked the attention, because it nuzzle into my mother's shoulder.

"I met a girl just a few minutes ago, and she had a group following her," I explained, before remembering mother probably didn't even know she was holding a pokémon. "She's an Eevee, a pokémon. The girl I met said I could watch over her tonight and tomorrow."

"A pokémon? Like that game you used to play?" mother asked me, holding the cute Eevee to get a better look. "Oh, I remember now. There was something on the news a year ago about pokémon. I wasn't paying much attention to the broadcast, but I guess is what it meant." Yes, my parents watch the news, so it wasn't surprising to me to hear that mother had seen the broadcast.

"Yeah, Jennifer said there had been a broadcast about it. That explain why I hadn't heard of pokémon being real before," I said, chuckling as my mother hugged Eevee again, before putting her on the floor.

"Well, I better go find those scissors before I forget. Make sure she doesn't get into anything she shouldn't," my mother said, going back down the hallway once more, probably returning to her stitching room. I was already doing that by keeping an eye on Eevee.

The evening went by pretty much the same way they've always done. It's was starting to get a little dark outside by now before my father finally returned home from work. By then, I had lead the Eevee to my room. Now, my room may not completely tidy, but it wasn't a complete mess either. Just a few shirts laying on the floor really.

I was busy playing with Eevee on the floor, the cute little thing having finally warmed up to me after a while. I had just started petting her head when my door opened, and father stepped inside to talk to me. "Hi father! Was work alright today?"

He paused for a moment, seeing the Eevee currently murring as I rubbed her head. My father, John Faire, stands at a little over six feet tall, with black hair with some gray growing in. I'm sure back in his day he looked really handsome, since turning 45 had given a few wrinkles on his face. "Yeah, it was alright. What's that your playing with?" he asked. I think I must have imagined it, but I thought I detected a slight growl in his voice. Eevee was obviously frightened a little, and hid from father, using my body to block his sight of her.

"I'm just watching her for a girl I met today for tonight and tomorrow, father. She's an Eevee, a pokémon. Is that a problem?" I asked him. In hindsight, I probably should have been a little worried. Father has been unusually strict about animals, particularly dogs and cats. I remember one time I had asked if I could have a puppy, but promptly shut me down, saying I was too young to take care of an animal. Well, I certainly wasn't too young now. I was prepared to retort any answer he might give me.

He gave a heavy gruff, then turned as he said, "Fine, as long as you aren't keeping it. Your mother says dinner is almost done." He left without another word, almost slamming the door as he left. I huffed, then petted Eevee on her head.

"Well, that was certainly rude of him. I'm sorry he scared you. He's not the friendliest sometimes, but he grow on you after time," I said, almost as if I believed Eevee understood me. She nuzzled into my hand, making soft "Vee" sounds. I then stood up, stretching my muscles a little. I was surprised as Eevee had jumped onto my bed, then jumped onto my shoulder, surprising me a little as I raised my hand to help her stay on my shoulder. I couldn't help but chuckle at this display, finally stepping outside of my room, shutting my door.

I made my way to the living room just a knock sounded on the door. That must be Jennifer I had thought to myself, walking to the front door, and opening it. Just as I had guessed, Jennifer was standing there with a small canister in her hand with a little bowl on top. "Hi Cecil!" she said energetically, happy to see her Eevee on my shoulder. She must have been pleased that Eevee had taken such a liking to me so fast.

"Hi Jen! I see you brought the food you mentioned earlier," I replied, wearing a smile as well. Actually, I can't remember when I actually stopped smiling since meeting her. I think I blushed a little when I realized I called her Jen. "Uh, um, you don't mind if I call you Jen, do you?"

She giggled, and shook her head. "No, it's quite fine. I don't mind at all," she replied, handing me the canister and bowl. I held them close, making sure I didn't drop the items. "It seems you two have gotten pretty close already. Is Cecil a good guy like I thought, Eevee?" she asked, to which Eevee replied with a happy, "Eevee! Eevee!"

I chuckled, amused that these two talked as if they understood each other perfectly. "I'm guessing I passed a test or something?" I said, still chuckling.

"Yep, Eevee seems to like you a lot! Now, all you have to do is feed her tonight, and again in the morning. Also, you should brush her in the morning as well. It helps keep her coat nice and fluffy." Jen informed me. I nodded, noting it all down in my mind. It didn't sound all that hard to do really.

She then pet Eevee on her head, the cute pokémon nuzzling into her hand as she did so. "Alright, I'll get out of your air then. Don't forget, meet me at that address tomorrow. Okay?" she said.

"Right! I won't forget. Take care on your way home, Jen," I replied. She nodded, and said good-bye to Eevee, and soon she walking down the sidewalk again, headed for home. I stepped back inside, and shut the door with my foot. Once I turned around, I saw mother standing just barely in the hall, apparently having heard most of my conversation with Jen.

Oh boy I thought to myself right as I heard my mother giggle in joy. "Awww, my son found a girlfriend!" she said.

I blushed up bright at the mention of mother saying Jen was my girlfriend, to which I replied, "She's not my girlfriend! She's just a friend...who I met today...And let me watch over her Eevee...." Yeah, I don't think I was making much of an argument.

"Oh, don't be so bashful! She's so cute too! You should go on a date with her!" mother said, further embarrassing me. I rolled my eyes, and made my towards the dining room past my mom. She followed after me, giggling like she was back in high school or something. I groaned, trying to ignore her the best I could for now.

Father was already at the table, waiting for mother and me sit down at the table. Mother sat down at the table while I had set Eevee, and her bowl on the floor, setting her bowl where father didn't see her. I then opened the canister, taking out one of food pellets. It didn't look like much, but I shrugged as I poured some of the cans contents into the bowl, making sure not to overfill it.

Once I had finished, Eevee went straight to eating the food pellets. With the way she was eating, it apparently was tasty. I chuckled, standing up straight only to take my place at the dinner table. I then folded my hands in front of me like my parents had done, and my father started saying grace.

I won't bother writing down what he said, as it's probably the same for many families. After saying grace, we began eating the dinner my mother prepared; oven-roasted pork chops with sides of corn and green bean. Never liked eating my greens, but I did anyway to stay on my mother's good side. Trust me, she's way scarier than father when she's angry. We ate in silence, though it felt like father wanted to say something about our dinner guest. I only hoped he wouldn't say anything.

No such luck though. "That thing better be gone before I come home tomorrow." Typical. That's all there was to say about his behavior towards Eevee.

"Father, she's not a thing. She's a pokémon, and she's also known as an Eevee," I said after finishing the bite that I had in my mouth.

"Doesn't matter, I don't want it here. Pets will distract you from accomplishing your full potential." Why the hell was he picking about this subject. It also angered me for some reason when he called Eevee a "pet".

"Ok, that's another one. Pokémon aren't pets, they are friends to be made. And in case it slipped you, they have more intelligence than cats and dogs," I retorted.

It looked like he was about to say something else, until mother shot him a warning look. I always found it amazing how she could keep him bursting with anger with just a simple glare.

Dinner proceeded as usual after that, Eevee long finishing what I had poured into her bowl. She had crept silently under the table, and leapt up into my lap while I was eating. I remember that really cheered me up a lot. Father's words had left me a little depressed, knowing that he didn't like any form of animal or pet inside the house.

I've always believed he had a pet long ago, but he's never said anything about that sort topic. After I finished my dinner, I excused myself from the table. I put Eevee back on my shoulder while carrying my plate to the sink to be washed. I then went back into the dining room only to collect Eevee's bowl and food canister, making a beeline to my room after doing so. I didn't want to spend another second in father's presence. He could be so aggravating sometimes when he wants to.

As it was getting late, and I had an early day in the morning to go to work, I felt it best to turn in early. I set Eevee down on the floor as I stripped down to only my boxers after setting her bowl and food canister on my dresser, stretching my arms and legs a little afterwards. A yawn escaped me, genuinely feeling tired now.

I then slowly crawled into my bed, puling the covers over me. I was surprised when Eevee jumped up onto my bed, and wiggled her way under the covers, getting comfortable laying next to me. I chuckled, rubbing her head softly before clapping my hands, the lights shutting off. Clapping my hands to shut the lights off always reminded me of that movie Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman starred in, chuckling again just remembering. I closed my eyes, falling into a deep slumber.

--*--

The next morning, before my alarm clock could start buzzing, I was woken gently from something wet and slippery licking at my cheek. I slowly opened my eyes, staring into the cute eyes of Eevee. I then looked over to my alarm clock, blinking my eyes as I read 7:34 in the morning. I rub the back of my hand against one of my eyes, yawning loudly. "Seems like this morning I have my very own furry alarm clock," I said, giving a soft chuckle.

It was a quite early for me to be awake, but I had a clue why I was woken so early as Eevee began saying "Vee vee eevee!" I blinked, not understanding what she meant. I guessed it was pretty important though. It was then the thought of sleeping the night away only made one thing in mind clear. With realization, I hopped out of bed, slipping on a pair pants, then opening my door as I made my way to the back door. Eevee followed closely behind me, and just when I had inch the door open, she stormed outside. I saw looking around, before sniffing the ground. After seeing her starting to squat, I turned my head away, and went back inside. Yeah, she needed to find a place to take care of business. It was then I realized I needed to visit the porcelain goddess myself. Leaving the door open so Eevee could come back inside, I made my way towards the bathroom.

To spare people of mental scarring, I'll leave my business to myself. After a few minutes, I stepped out of the bathroom, stretching my arms and legs to get them moving. I then noticed Eevee rubbing up against my leg. Chuckling, I went to back door to shut it, before making my way to my room.

Just before entering, I turned and knelt down to pet Eevee. "Go explore more of the house, ok Eevee? I won't be long," I said to her. She yipped with a "Eevee!" sound, turning to run off down the hall. I just could not help but smile, stepping into my room. First things first, I lifted my arm, and smelt arm pit, deciding I didn't smell that bad, though I put on some deodorant just to be safe.

I then started dressing for work, a simple uniform of a blue shirt. I left on the jeans I had put on earlier, not seeing any stains on them yet. If anyone wants to know, I work in a mini-mart nearly 20 minutes from my home. The manager isn't strict on what else I wear, so long as I wear my workplaces uniform shirt. After slipping on my socks and shoes, and putting on my watch, I stepped out of my room, only to meet my mother's cooking wafting through the air. My stomach growled loudly, it being obvious that I was more than a little hungry.

Looking at my watch, I saw I more than 40 minutes ahead of my original schedule, figuring it wouldn't hurt to grab a bite to eat before bolting out the door. Before I even knew it myself, my legs had already started me towards the dining room, arriving to find Eevee with her bowl full of food on the floor, the cute brown furred, white mane pokémon eating in delight. I blinked, wondering when my mother had entered my room to grab her bowl and food. She must have came in while I had been sleeping earlier. She did wake up early to make breakfast for father before he left for work.

"Morning, Cecil! I saw little Eevee wandering around, and thought she might be hungry. There's some extra eggs and toast in kitchen if you feel hungry," she informed me, smiling brightly. I could only chuckle, and made for the kitchen to fix my plate, and grabbing a glass of water.

I then took a chair at the table in the dining room, digging into my breakfast. I stopped for a moment, swallowing what I had in my mouth to ask my mother a question. "Mother, why did father not want me to have any pets while growing up?"

She shrugged her shoulders, and replied, "I'm not sure sweetie. You'll have to ask him yourself. I never bothered asking him." I sighed, starting into my breakfast again. "Eevee is so cute. It's a shame I won't be able to see her adorable face around here after today."

I smiled, knowing at least my mother liked the cute pokémon. I soon finished my meal, letting out a silent burp. Even though it was silent, mother always seemed to notice when I burped, giving me a knowing face. "...Excuse me," I said softly. I swear, I think she has telepathy or something. It's almost creepy how she always seems to know. I looked at my watch, seeing the time. "Time for me to go to work as well."

I stood up, seeing Eevee had finished her own meal. After taking my plate to the sink, and grabbing my small lunch bag from the fridge, I picked Eevee up, and held her close. Mother came over, and gave me a kiss on my cheek before I could get away, handing me a little baggie with some poke food for Eevee, which I took. "Take care. You know how much you worry me on your bike."

"Mother, I know how to drive it! I swear, I'll be okay," I said, trying to ease her worry. I gave her a small hug before making my way to the garage, grabbing the piece of paper with the address Jen gave me the day before. Stuffing the paper in my pocket, I grabbed my helmet, then sat on the seat of my Suzuki bike, strapping on the protective head gear. I had set Eevee in the seat in front of me, though she didn't seem quite scared of it. I figured she must know someone with motorbike as well, or probably heard them often enough to know what was coming next.

I released the brake, backing up enough to slam my hand on the garage door opener, the thing sliding up and over my head. I then backed my bike up enough until it was finally outside, before starting it up, revving the engine to make sure it wouldn't die after getting it to turn over. Mother had complained the first time I started it in the garage, saying it was way too loud. I noticed Eevee had folded her ears down, possibly drowning the loud noise. After backing the bike up, and turning so I could drive out of the driveway, I was soon making my way towards my job, periodically making sure Eevee was okay.

Once during the ride, I noticed she seemed let the wind hit her face, probably liking the feeling. With Eevee riding with me, the drive to work didn't seem to take as long as before as I soon parking my bike in a parking spot. I took off my helmet, turning off the bike as I set the stand in place to keep my bike up. After hanging my helmet on the handle bar, I started for the mini-marts front doors. I was pretty early that day, grinning as Eevee followed close by me.

The day went by pretty normal, though I got more than enough attention with Eevee following me everywhere. She seemed to draw attention with how adorable she looked, getting lots of attention from kids their parents had dragged to the store. More than once I had to save Eevee from being mobbed from little kids, picking her up and setting her on my shoulder, rewarding me with a nuzzle.

If hadn't known better, I could have sworn my bringing Eevee to the store had brought in more customers. I spied a bunch of people watching me as I pushed a cart full of supplies toward one of the aisles one time, with my cute little friend following close to my feet.

Honestly, I felt pretty nervous about having so many watch me work. Usually people just let me do my thing, and not talk to me unless they needed help locating something.

Spending a whole day with me at my work, eating lunch on my break, and all the attention we were grabbing seemed to strengthen our bond. I was starting to wonder how I could go a day without the ball of fluffy happiness at my feet. I had noticed long before then I had been smiling a lot more too.

Once I was done for the day, and clocked out, I took out the piece of paper I had in my pocket, checking the address. After reading it more closely, I found I knew the street sort of. At least I knew where it was anyway. What threw me off were the letters after the street name: PWTTS. I turned my head one way, not sure what to make of it.

I put the paper in my pocket again, looking around to find Eevee, only to find her sitting patiently on the bike seat. I grinned, putting on my helmet, and strapping it securely. After starting my bike, I backed out of the parking spot, and started toward the address Jen wanted to meet at.

It didn't take me long to arrive, getting close to the meeting time. I was just street left to turn down, waiting for the blasted red light to change. Considering I was in one of the more densely populated areas of my home town, it sort of made sense why it took so long. I still hate the wait though.

Finally the light changed, turning down the street. Finding a place to park my bike, I turned off the engine, and set the stand. This time though I felt it best to carry my helmet with me, grabbing the keys from the ignition as well. Looking around, I started trying to find Jen, not seeing her off the bat. What did catch my eye was a building quite different from the surrounding as it was red and blue, and didn't match with the area. On the front I saw the name Pokémon World Transport and Training Services. That seemed familiar, so I took out the paper with the address. "Oh. Oh! She wants to meet inside!" I said to myself, Eevee automatically jumping up onto my shoulder. Carrying my helmet and keys, and with Eevee on my shoulder, I waited until I could cross the street safely before making my way towards the building. I was soon standing in front of the glass doors, stepping inside just in time to see a Blastoise and his trainer walking out.

After looking around, I saw Jen sitting at a table, waving for me to come over. As soon as I was within ear shot, I said, "That was a Blastoise! I just saw a Blastoise!"

This seemed to make her giggle, and replied, "Take another look around!" Doing as she said, I was surprised I missed the sight around me. All around me were people and pokémon of different shapes and sizes, blinking my eyes to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

There were so many pokémon! Many I couldn't recognize, but I know I saw a fierce looking Charmeleon, a lazy Slowpoke, a tough Geodude, Graveler, and Golem. There were just so many in the building, I couldn't keep up with the names for each one. "Whoa! I can't believe I missed so much!" I exclaimed, sitting on the bench next to Jen.

Eevee hopped from my shoulder, and nuzzled up to girl. Jen just kept giggling, apparently finding my shocked and pleased expression very amusing. "I'm glad you like it here! There are several building all over the country and world now, it's almost become a common sight to see pokémon now." If that was true, then how did I miss this?!

"I can't believe I never noticed until yesterday. This is so cool! Oh man, is that a Dragonite!?" I couldn't keep my excitement contained, seeing the cool dragon type. I was finally snapped out of my excitement when I felt Eevee nuzzle her head into my hand, chuckling as I pet her softly.

"Hehe, seems you two have gotten pretty close in just one day," Jen said, observing Eevee closely. "Eevee, was I right? He's a good guy, right?" she asked the pokémon, to which Eevee replied with a happy "Eevee!" This seemed to satisfy Jen, smiling at me now. "I knew I had a good feeling about you! You see, I'm training to be a pokémon breeder! But I've always had a good sense at detecting good qualities in others."

"A pokémon breeder, huh? Sounds like pretty good career to follow," I said, giving Jen a bright smile. She nodded in agreement, picking up Eevee, and hugging her close. I wasn't sure, but I think I saw a sad expression on Jen's face, but it was gone so fast, I wasn't completely sure. She then looked at Eevee, her fluffy tail wagging hard as it seemed they shared some wordless thoughts between each other.

Jen looked at me, setting Eevee in her lap, giving me a serious look. "Cecil, I can see that you and Eevee have bonded so strongly after only a day. As a breeder in training, I have to make sure the pokémon I take care of are happy, and Eevee will definitely be more happy with you. What I'm asking is would you like to raise Eevee as your very first pokémon?"

I must have froze when she asked that, blinking a few times as I barely believed what I heard. She was really offering me her Eevee! I look from her face, to Eevee's, then back to Jen's. My mind was racing, trying to decide as quickly. I knew for sure father wouldn't like if I chose to take Eevee as my own. Just the thought of him kind of angered me. I know I threw what he might think out of my head, not caring how he would feel. "Of course! I'd love to raise Eevee!" I said enthusiastically.

Jen smiled, happy to hear my words. "Good! Come with me then," she said. We both stood, leading me to the front desk in the main lobby while she carried Eevee. Behind the desk was a dark haired beauty typing something into her computer. She looked up when she us standing at the desk. "How may I help you?"

"Hi, I'm breeder in training, Jennifer Collins. This is Cecil Faire next to me. He would like to adopt this Eevee from me," Jen had said to the receptionist. The woman nodded, and began typing up something again.

"I'm sorry, we have no record of Cecil Faire in our database. Would you like to create one sir?" she had asked me. I wasn't what was going on at that point. Did I need to be member or something?

"Um, I'm not sure-" I was then interrupted by Jen. "Yes, he will. His occupation will remain blank though. Use the funds in my bank for the cost." Just few keystrokes, and receptionist was ready to input new data.

"Whoa wait, Jen, I couldn't ask you to spend money on me. I could just use my own money to do that," I said, feeling guilty that now she was paying for me to be entered into the database.

"Nonsense, I'm perfectly fine with this. Besides, if you do decide on something later, you can use your own money then," Jen had replied. Before I could object, the damage had already been done, blushing a little that Jen would do something so nice for me. The receptionist had then started asking me questions about myself to put into my account, to which I answered truthfully.

It barely took five minutes before all the information was entered, and then to officially register as Eevee as mine to raise and take care of. I couldn't believe it, this was really happening. "Alright, everything is in order. Eevee is now officially registered as Cecil Faire's very first pokémon. Would you like to give her a nickname?"

A nickname? Wow, that was sort of sudden. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to give Eevee a nickname. I thought for a moment, but it soon came to me. "Yes! My Eevee's nickname is Vivian!" I said happily. Wow, at the moment of calling her mine, I felt shivers of excitement go up my spine.

Up until I met Jen, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do for a living. Call it fate, destiny, or whatever, I just knew somehow, somewhere in the back of mind that these circumstances were going to influence my future decision.

The receptionist finished typing up everything with incredible speed, almost inhuman when I thought about it. "And that completes everything! Welcome, Cecil Faire, to the Pokémon World Transport and Training Services!" She said energetically, holding out her to shake mine, which I took her hand and did so. A weird printer thing next to her activated while we were shaking hands, and once it stopped, and leaned over to grab whatever came out of the smallish slot. I was suddenly reminded of getting my drivers license as the card she handed me had my picture, and a picture next to mine, only her portrait was smaller. When did the receptionist managed to capture our pictures? I could only guess she took them while typing up the information.

"Thanks!" I said, a wide smile on my face, pulling out my wallet to stuff registration card away, putting my wallet back in my back pocket again. Vivian jumped into my arms happily, nuzzling into my neck. If that wasn't obvious she was happy to be under my care, I don't know what is. From there on, Jen acted as my tour guide through out the building, explaining everything as we through. There were rooms in the building meant specifically from training, and others to teach people just about everything there was to understand about pokémon. It was all so fascinating, I found myself not wanting to leave. But, it was getting close to six in the evening, and I was sure mother was wondering where I was.

Jen lead me back to front while I carried Vivian on my shoulder. She seemed to like perching herself up there. Jen then lead me outside, turning to face me. "I expect you to take good care of Ee- I mean Vivian, Cecil."

I nodded, and replied, "Don't you worry, I'll make sure to do my best! And thanks for covering the cost Jen. I really appreciate it." I was smiling brightly, happy to have a pokémon of my own. "I'll make it up to you someday."

I wasn't expecting what happened next as Jen suddenly leaned forward, and kissed me sweetly on the cheek. "I'm sure you'll make me proud someday. Take care Cecil!" she said, and ran off to head home I believe. I just stood there, stunned because the kiss she placed on my cheek. Vivian soon snapped me out of my trance, poking my cheek with her paw.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Let's go home Vivian!" I said, waiting to walk across the street to my bike. After putting on my helmet, and turning my bike on, I began the drive back home, making sure Vivian was comfortable sitting in the seat in front of me.

As I pulled into the driveway, I steeled myself for what my father would say or do. The garage door without me having to do much, guessing mother had heard my coming, and pressed the switch to open the door for me. I pulled into the garage, switching off my bike before it entered so I didn't anger mother. After putting the stand down, Vivian jumped off the bike, and shook herself off. I was right as mother was waiting at the door leading into the house. "Cecil, what's Eevee doing here? Wasn't her owner supposed to take her back today?"

"Her name's Vivian now mother!" I said happily, "And as of today, she's my very first pokémon!" Mother saw the happy smile on my face, as well as my pokémon too, grinning a bit herself.

"That's wonderful news, sweetie!" she said, walking up to me to give me a hug. I hugged her back, before finally noticing father's car in the garage. "The hell that's wonderful news!"

I groaned when I heard his voice just around the door, definitely not wanting to deal with this right now. "Dear, please don't do this right now," mother said as she let go of me, turning just in time to see father stepping just inside the doorway. He scoffed, and skulked off further into the house, glad I didn't have to deal with him just yet.

"I'm sorry, mom, I just couldn't say no when Jen asked me if I'd like to take care of Vivian," I said, but she pressed her finger to my lips.

"Don't be sorry, Cecil. After you go to bed tonight I'll talk to your father. Right now, you just keep your mind on your new friend," she said, understanding what I had said the night before at dinner. I smiled, picking up Vivian, and making my way for the door. "Dinner is almost done. Make sure to wash up before you come to the table." I nodded, heading to my bedroom.

Dinner that night was more awkward than ever as we all sat in silence. I never looked up from my plate, but I could tell my father was staring intensely at me. He was obviously angry at me for doing something against his strict rules. I didn't let it bother me though. It was my decision, and I sure as hell was old enough to do what I wanted. It shouldn't matter to him what I do, right?

After dinner, I made a beeline back to my room, not wanting to spend another second in his presence. I stayed up a little while longer playing with Vivian, seeing as I didn't have to go work until noon. I then heard father bellow at the top of his voice through my door, but whatever he said was too muffled to make sense.

This had shocked Vivian quite a bit, calming her down. "If you want, you can hide under my covers, Vivian. I'm going to see what he's yelling about," I told my pokémon. She seemed to like that idea, and immediately ran to jump into my bed, and crawl under the covers. I stood up from the floor, and exited my room to met by another yell from my father.

From the sound of it, he was in the living room with mother. I snuck down the hall, hearing what he said clearly. "HE WAS SUPPOSED TO GET RID OF IT, NOT ADOPT THE DAMN THING!!"

"Can you blame him though?! You never let him have any fun, and had him focus on his studies! It was a miracle our son even made friends while growing up!" I heard mother say, raising her voice. I knew she wasn't going to back down.

"And there was a reason for that! But now with that pet, he'll be more distracted than ever!" he retorted. A reason for his behavior in pushing me through my studies? What was he getting at?

"You didn't really think he was going to do what you wanted, did you?! I know it's what you wanted, by Cecil is his own man now! You can't force to do something he doesn't want to do!" mother nearly screamed. It seemed father was getting her angry by the second.

"Who's says I can't force him?! Damn it, Janice, he was supposed to be taking my place at the company after I retired!" What?! He was trying to make me into him?! I couldn't believe what I heard! My own father was trying to get to follow a path I wasn't even interested in

I couldn't stop myself, and probably didn't want to I stepped into the living room, and yelled at my father, "Well I'm glad to disappoint you, father, because I'm sure as hell not becoming some weapons manufacturer!" I think I shocked my parents with my sudden appearance in the room. They had stopped yelling at each other to look at me. I knew what I said angered father though.

He went red in the face, and started yelling at me, "You don't have a choice! I decided it before you were born, so you are taking my job when I retire!"

"It was never your decision to make, father! It's mine, my own choice, not yours! And I'll do with my life as I see fit!! You have no right to tell me what I should or shouldn't do!" I yelled back, angered by his arrogance. At the time, my mind was racing, faster than I ever had my thoughts racing through my head. I don't know what it was, but I think I decided what I wanted to do after what he said next.

"You'll do as your told while living in my house young man, or I'll kick you out myself! You're becoming a weapons manufacturer whether you like it or not!!" He was up in my face, spittle landing on my face with how angry he was.

I stood my ground, and roared back, "FINE!!! I'll be out of here in two weeks!! I'm going to put in my two weeks notice, and I'm going to the Pokémon World to become a trainer!!!!" I was surprised by my own words, but no more surprised as my father. I must have shut him down hard, but I didn't bother to stay, turning and going back to my room.

I slammed my door hard behind me, shaking as I tried to calm myself. It was only then that I realized the gravity of my own words. I said I was going to become a trainer. To this day, I don't regret my decision, even when things got tough. I leaned against my door, sliding down to the floor to sit. I heard stomping pass by my door, knowing it was father turning in for the night, not bothering to keep up the argument with mother.

Mother. I wonder how badly I shocked her as well. I didn't glance at her before I stormed away, but I had guessed I must have hurt her badly. I didn't get a chance to dwell on my thoughts as Vivian had crawled out a few minutes after the yelling died, and came up in front of me to lick my cheek. She pulled me out of my thoughts, wrapping my arms around her to hug the adorable Eevee close.

"Vivian?" I said, calling her attention. She responded with a soft "Vee?" sound. "If I became a trainer, will you come with me on the journey?" I wasn't sure if she understood what I meant, but she licked my cheek, and responded to my question, "Vee eevee eevee!" She sounded energetic, so I guess she did know what I meant. It made me happy, and I hugged her closer. I soon got up, and laid in my bed, letting Vivian rest next to me, having gone to sleep in my arms. I yawned silently, pulling the covers over me as I fell asleep as well.

--*--

The next morning started out the same, and soon I was driving to work with Vivian on the bike. As soon as I arrived, parking my bike after turning off the ignition, I walked inside the mini-mart, and gave my boss my two weeks notice. I think it saddened him to find out I was quitting. "Are you sure you want to quit?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I'm sure, Henry," I replied, scratching Vivian's ear as she rested on my shoulder. My boss looked over paper that I gave him to notify him of my quitting the job.

"Well, alright, but do you even know what you're going to do after? Any plans for your future?" he asked, looking up at Vivian.

"I think I have an idea of where I'm going next," I said. He nodded, dismissing me so I could get to work. I nodded in return, and went to go do what I had been hired to do. The day went by pretty normal. After lunch though, I saw Jen in one of the aisles.

Seeing her made a bunch of questions pop in my head, so went to go talk to her. "Hey Jen!" I called to her. She looked around, seeing me approach her, giving me a smile as I closed the distance.

"Hey Cecil! Whoa, kinda looks like you had a rough night last night. You okay?" she asked me, obviously concerned.

I dismissed her concerns, "Yeah, I'm fine. My father and I had a round last night. I slept a little roughly is all. Anyway, I want to ask you a few questions."

She didn't like that I had said my father and I had an argument, but she didn't appear to let it bother her. "Well, go ahead and shoot. What do you want to ask?"

"I was wondering if it cost anything to change my occupation?" I asked her.

"Yeah, it does, but the cost varies for what you it changed to. Why?"

"I want to become a trainer!"

She squealed when I had said that, "That's wonderful news! Well, to have it changed to trainer status, it will cost a little over two hundred, and if you want to go the Pokémon World, that's going to be an extra three hundred."

"So over five hundred in total. That's not too bad. They must make a lot for providing such a service," I said, looking pretty eager to go.

"First things first though, if you really are going, you're going to have to choose a region to start off in, as well as prepare ahead in time. P.W.T.T.S. only provide basic care services to help pokémon owners here on Earth. When you're on your journey, it's going to be up to you take care of yourself and your pokémon. It takes a lot of work to be a trainer."

I gulped, this new career sounding a little difficult with her warning. But that only made me want to go through with this even more. "I want to do it! I want to be a trainer!" I said. She liked my response, smiling at me.

"Good! You're going to need that determination!" She said, and then told me to meet up with her again at P.W.T.T.S.. I nodded, agreeing to do so. After saying goodbye to her, I went back to doing my job, stocking the shelves. I was happy, knowing I was going to embark on an adventure soon. The thrill that gave knowing my days of regularity and boredom were finally coming to an end.

The day seemed to go by faster, clocking out, and running as fast as I could to my bike with Vivian running close by. She jumped onto the seat while I was putting on my helmet, swinging my leg over to sit on the seat behind her. I started up my bike as quick as I could, and started driving my way to meet up with Jen.

It was late when I arrived, but the place didn't seem closed. I was thankful that was a significant decrease in traffic when things began to get late. After I parked my bike, I ran to the front of P.W.T.T.S., and stepped inside. This time I took my time in looking the place over. I realized that the place had a pretty high ceiling, possibly so some pokémon wouldn't feel cramped inside. The half of the walls were painted blue, and the other half was red, the two colors meeting in the middle where the reception desk was.

Jen had seen me first, and ran up to me. "Hey Cecil! Come on, if you're really sure about being a trainer, we should get you licensed quickly!"

"Ha ha! Okay, okay! I'm coming!" I said when Jen grabbed my hand, and pulled toward the desk. The same receptionist from the day before saw me as she looked up, smiling at my return.

"Welcome back, Cecil!" she had said. I nodded, and she then asked, "How can I help you today?"

"I'd like to change my occupation," I eagerly said, which prompted her to ask what I wanted to change it to. "I going to be a trainer! I've thought it over all day today, and I want to go on a journey in the Pokémon World!"

Her fingers worked like lightning on her keyboard as I watched, knowing she was drawing the necessary funds from my bank account to pay for it all. I surprised as I saw a large flat screen began to rise out of a counter behind her, soon displaying the entire Pokémon World on the screen. "Please choose your destination! We at P.W.T.T.S. inform all trainers to be that it will take up to one to two weeks for the transport request to be accepted."

Names of places of starting points on the large map were displayed, as well as starting pokémon pictures displayed underneath the names. There had to be at least over a dozen regions to choose from, so it took me a few minutes to decide. "Uh, let's see. Hmm," I said, looking over the locations carefully. It was hard to choose, but I know I didn't want to start of in Kanto. I'm sure there were enough people who had chosen to start there to follow in the main characters steps.

"Take your time, Cecil. No rush needed for this," Jen said, giving me some mental relief. I had the feeling she had someone else before me, but I never asked her if she did. I then stared at the portrait of a small orange and yellow chick looking pokémon, seeing the name under the picture said it was a Chikorita. I couldn't help but think it was cute looking.

"I think I'll start in the Hoenn region. There's probably lots of adventure to found there!" I said. Vivian cheered in agreement, nuzzling into my cheek. The receptionist nodded, and started typing everything down. "Alright, Beginning Trainer Cecil, when your request is accepted, you will be teleported to LittleRoot Town. There, you will meet Professor Birch, and receive your starter pokémon and pokédex. Your first pokémon, Vivian the Eevee, does not count as your starter. We recommend you sit in some classes on taking care of your pokémon so you know what to do when something bad does happen. Now, with everything typed up, and sent to be reviewed, please take your time, and enjoy the facilities."

I remember back then that I was pretty stoked in hopes that everything went over well. I took the advice the receptionist gave, and let Jen lead to one of the few classes still teaching something so late in the day. It was like being in school again, but everyone in the class was of different ages. Some were younger than me, and others looked like they were middle-aged. It was surprising to find out how popular pokémon had become. With Vivian sitting silently in my lap, I listened to the teacher intently, taking down mental notes about everything he was teaching.

The class lasted about forty-five minutes, before everyone was dismissed. I stretched my limbs, quite tired after today, and needing to go home. Jen saw me out of the building, saying good-bye to her as I walked up to my bike. I was always safe when I drove my bike, making sure Vivian was okay periodically. As I approached the home I was going to be leaving for the last time soon, I turned off the ignition, and rolled into the drive way silently. It was almost past ten at night, knowing my parents were probably asleep by now. "We got to be quiet Vivian." I said to my pokémon, nodding at me as she understood. I put down the stand, getting off my bike as I approached the garage door. Instead of opening the garage door with a press of a button, I manually did it, lifting it as quietly as I could. After getting it open enough, I pushed my bike inside, and shut door the door behind me.

Now that remember that, I'm kind of surprised father hadn't locked it to keep me out. Then again, he probably tried, and mother just unlocked the doors when he wasn't looking. As I entered the house quietly, I made my way to the kitchen, seeing a sticky note for me from mother. It said 'Dinners in the microwave. Enjoy, and see you in the morning. Love, Mother~' I smiled, glad to know that I hadn't hurt her as badly as I had thought. I grabbed my plate out of the microwave, ate what was on my plate, and washed it off when I finished. I chuckled when I walked into the dining room, seeing Vivian had finished just finished her food as well.

I was definitely going to thank mother for her kindness come morning, making my way to my bedroom. But just as I had reached for the knob, I heard a soft sob coming from inside. At first I had thought it was mother, but as I listened closer, the sobbing had sounded more masculine. Father had been crying?! What for? Had he been that devastated at my out burst? <Ugh, damn it, he's making me feel guilty when I've not done anything wrong,> I began thinking to myself, <But it serves him right! He has no right to decide what I should do! The sooner figures that out the better!> I pulled my hand away, going to the living room instead. If he was going to be in my room, I might as well let him stay as long as he needed. Besides, the damage was already done, and I was going to see it through.

Vivian had followed me closely, jumping up onto the couch with me. She nuzzled into my side softly. "Vee" I heard her say softly. I smiled softly at her, petting her head. I'm not sure when it was that I had lied down on the couch, but I soon found myself asleep, laying comfortably on the soft cushions. Sometime during the night, one of my parents, I don't know who, must have seen me, and got one of the extra covers, and laid it over me.

--*--

The next several days went by pretty fast, at least it felt that way. On one of my days off, I had went shopping for some camping items. I was definitely going to need a good traveling pack for my journey, as well as a few extra clothes to wear as well. I had ask Jen to help me when I met her at P.W.T.T.S., to which she didn't seemed to mind at all. I was looking over boxers, wanting some good pairs, and she decided getting the denim jeans I would need. Even Vivian had helped as well, as she found a cap for me to wear. I remember chuckling as I took it from her, putting it on my head to try it on. I had to say, Vivian had an eye as it looked pretty good on me.

I was still attending the classes to make sure I was prepared for what I needed to do in emergencies. Those classes helped me lots, as I remembered everything I learned in them.

I was slowly gathering lots of attention at work as well, as all the customers wanted to get a look at the stocker with the cute adorable Eevee. In fact many people approached me to pet Vivian, and tell me how adorable she looked. A couple days I wasn't real sure if my caring for her was paying off, but it seemed like really was. Taking care of her was nowhere near as hard as I was lead to believe. It was actually pretty fun!

The night of my last day working at the mini-mart, I came home from the pokémon class I had attended after a long day stocking shelves, mother had came to me, and said that my request had finally been accepted. The full weight of what I was going to be doing hit me pretty hard. After dinner, I was packing the things I would need, the extra canisters of pokémon food I had bought for Vivian being stuffed into my traveling pack. I had started feeling nervous as I packed my things, and I couldn't get to sleep once I had finishing packing. I had long decided who I wanted for a starter pokémon, but the fact that I was going to be on a long journey had finally sunk in.

Again, I don't remember falling asleep, but I was soon woken up by my alarm clock, stirring me awake. I blinked, turning it off, wondering why Vivian hadn't woken me with licking my cheek. I then saw my door ajar, getting and slipping some pajamas pants on. I wandered the house, finding the back door open. As soon as I got close, and looked outside, I saw Vivian playing in the grass, while father was watching. <He let her out? I didn't he was so nice.> I walked up beside him, looking up at his face.

He looked at me in return, his expression stoic and unreadable. He then finally spoke, "Do you understand what you're going to be doing?" I blinked, nodding my head in response. "Good. I don't you coming back crying because it got too hard." I frowned, scoffing as I turned my head to look away.

"Don't worry, I won't. I'll make sure of that," I said, my eyes watching Vivian now. He didn't stay outside, heading back in the house without another word. It was only then I had noticed how chilly the morning air had been. Vivian finally noticed me, and ran up to rub into my leg. I chuckled, kneeling down to pet her.

She then ran inside, hearing food pellets being poured into her bowl. Seeing no reason to stand outside, I walked in too, closing the door behind me. Mother had been the one to pour her food, seeing her scratching behind Vivian's ear. I smiled, walking up to her. "Morning mother."

She looked up, smiling, but I saw some sadness on her face as she said, "Morning sweetie." I couldn't blame her though, I was leaving for my journey in Hoenn soon. I let her be, and made my way to my room, stepping inside, and shutting the door. Slowly, I got dressed, the actions feeling so alien to me now, and I had been doing this for years. My excitement must have been getting to me, and making things feel new to me.

I left my pack and cap in my room for now, making my way back to the dining room, seeing a plate of eggs, toast, and sausage prepared for me, as well as mother and father with their own plates in front of them. I took my seat, and instead of father doing the honors, I began to say grace. "Dear fatherly lord, thank you for a good life with my parents. Today, I start my own adventure in life. As I walk through hardships and happiness, please watch over me as you always have. And please watch over my mother and father while I'm away from them. They have raised me right, and owe it to make them proud of me. Please keep them in good health so that I can return, and visit them before I start future adventures. Amen."

I think father must have choked up a little, but he never showed it. He had calmly started eating his breakfast. "That was beautiful, Cecil," mother finally commented. She had a tear in her eye, but she wiped it away before it could fall, then started eating her eggs. I followed suit, meaning every word I had said, even though father had been a complete ass the past two weeks.

After finishing my meal, I took upon myself to wash the dishes since I felt I should. What kind of son would I be if I treated my parents poorly on the day I was moving out. After washing the dishes, I went back to my room, and picked up my traveling pack. After putting on my cap, I left my room, and made my way to the garage. But, when I got there, I was surprised to see mother and father in the family car, with Vivian in the back seat. It seemed they wanted to see me off, smiling as I got in the car. At least now with my bike at home, it wouldn't have to worry about parking tickets.

After giving father the address, he quietly drove, the awkward silence almost deafening in the car. I was almost glad that it was broken when we arrived, father parking the car. We walked inside with Vivian on my shoulder like always, and I was pleasantly greeted by Jen. We had become good enough friends that greeting hugs were pretty normal. We walked up to the reception desk, the receptionist recognizing me instantly.

"Good morning! Are these your parents?" she had asked, to which I nodded. "Very well then. Here's your official trainer card, Cecil. Make sure you don't lose it!"

"Yes ma'am! I won't lose it," I replied, getting my wallet out to put slip it in, then replacing my wallet back in my pocket.

One of the ladies who worked in the building had then approached us, and greeted us with a friendly, "Good morning! This way please." She lead us to an elevator, getting in as she pressed one of the buttons. As the elevator rumbled up, I began getting more nervous, my hand trembling. Vivian must have sensed it, and nuzzled into my cheek, calming me down a good deal.

Once the elevator stopped, and the door opened, our guide lead down the hall, and into a room. There were a bunch of monitors, but what really stood out was the large, cylindrical, pod looking device in the back of the room. It was the teleporting device that would send me to the world of pokémon. We all stepped forward, looking up at it. "This is your entry point, Cecil," Jen spoke up.

Of course she wasn't surprised by the looks of it. She's probably been there plenty of times already. "Give us a moment as we activate the teleporter. You should take this time to say your good-byes," our guide said, helping the other technicians. I stepped forward, in awe of it all, before turning to face mother, father, and Jen.

Mother had started to sob, stepping forward as she wrapped her arms around me to hug close. I patted her back, a little sad as well. "My little boys all grown up! Why'd you have to grow up so fast?" she said, sounding kind of corny. I couldn't help but chuckle, hugging her back. Vivian had leapt down off my shoulder, letting me have some time to my family

"Oh mom, you knew I was going to leave someday," I said, trying to console her.

"I know, I just wish it didn't have to come so soon," she sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks, "I'm going to miss you so much..."

"I know, mother, and I'm going to miss you lots as well," I said, patting her back softly. I was surprised she pulled, and kissed my forehead, making me blush a little.

"Now, make us proud of you, Cecil. I'm sure you're going to be a wonderful trainer," she said, finally letting me go. Jen had stepped forward this time, giving me a hug as well.

"Before I forget," she said, reaching for her belt, and grabbing one of the small balls of it. I barely even noticed she wore a belt. She then pressed a button on the ball, making it enlarge rapidly. "I kept forgetting to give you Vivian's pokéball." She then handed it to me, smiling at me brightly.

"Thanks Jen! I'm glad we met. You really helped me decide where I wanted to go in life. And for that, you have my deepest gratitude," I said, smiling back at her.

"Aw, now you're making me blush! Hehe, if you really want show your gratitude, then you better take me on a date when you get back," she said, winking at me. I'm pretty sure I blushed, mother giving a soft giggle as well.

It was my father's turn now, but he didn't bother stepping forward. We just stared at each other in awkward silence. I was about to dismiss that he was actually going to say something, but then he spoke up, "Son." I turned my head, looking at him again. Silence followed again, but he visibly looked like he was struggling to say something. ".........Knock them flat!"

I blinked, but then smiled as he was finally encouraging me. "Yeah, no doubt!" I replied, giving him a thumbs up.

"Everything is set. Please return your pokémon to her ball, and give her to us. We have to send you separately," our guide had said. This was a first for me, but had seen a couple episodes of Pokémon, so maybe returning pokémon to their pokéballs was just that simple. I pointed the button at Vivian, and said, "Vivian, return?"

It really was that easy. A beam of red light shot out of the ball, and Vivian sat still as it hit her. She then vanished where she stood, successfully returned to her pokéball. What happened had surprised mother and father, the guide seeing their reaction. "Don't worry folks, she's safely inside the ball."

Just make sure they didn't worry, I pressed the button again, the ball opening as white light shot out of it, and landed on the floor, shining brilliantly as Vivian appeared again in front of me. "EEVEE!" she said happily. I think the show relieved them, so I returned Vivian once more. I then turned, looking at the pod after handing the guide Vivian's pokéball.

This was it, I realized. I was about to embark on an extraordinary journey. I was so nervous, almost in a trance before breaking out of it. I stepped forward, time seeming to slow somehow as my heart beat increased. After standing in the center, I turned as the glass panes fell slowly, and sealed me inside. I saw Jen and my parents watching me, everyone waving. Just as the lights had brightened, I gave everyone a thumbs up. Everything next was like a brilliant white flash.

I can't explain accurately what it felt like being teleported, but it definitely felt like time was almost at a stand still, only I wasn't aware of it. It felt minutes to me, when it was only seconds when everything came back again, color coming to my eyes.

At first I thought I hadn't been teleported, but when I looked out of the pod, I saw Jen and my parents weren't there. Only technicians sitting at computers, only they weren't same people I had just seen seconds ago. The glass panes slid up, letting me walk out of the pod. "Am I?" were the first out of my lips.

A completely different guide walked up to me, and said, "Welcome Cecil Faire. You've arrived safely. You're pokémon arrived just seconds ago. Here you are, and a complimentary trainer belt so you have somewhere to carry future pokémon." He then handed me Vivian's ball, in which I immediately let her out again. She yipped happily when she appeared, and I knelt down so should jump up onto my shoulder. She nuzzled my cheek, which made me chuckle. The guide then directed me out of the room. I then slipped on the belt, finding it fit me pretty well. There were also little pouches on the sides, guessing that's where any pokémon I caught would be placed. There were even snaps so the balls wouldn't accidentally fall out as well.

The windows across from the room showed me a completely different scene. Instead of the city I lived in, I saw a portside town. The water was a brilliant crystal blue, and cruise yachts were coming and going from port.

"Welcome to the World of Pokémon!" my guide said, it being obvious I was astounded by what I was seeing. The nervousness I had been feeling all morning was suddenly gone as I stared out into new world. I'm sure the smile on my face was quite big as I let out a chuckle.

"Oh man, this is amazing!! I can't believe it! I'm really here! The Pokémon World!" No amount of words could ever accurately describe my joy, that was for sure. But I guess if I had to put things simply, I would say I felt like I finally had step out of a world of black, white, and gray, and into a whole new world filled with color!

"Right this way, please? Professor Birch hasn't yet arrived, his assistant had said he went out into the field to do some research," my guide said, leading me to an elevator. While I was looking out the window, I thought I saw a flock of bird pokémon I hadn't seen before. Then again, I guess that shouldn't surprise me since I was never able to keep up.

"Wow, I wonder what kind of pokémon they are! I can't wait to get out there, and explore Hoenn!" I guess my attitude must have been amusing seeing as how old am. I heard my guide chuckle as we stepped into the elevator, and were finally moving towards the ground floor. He may have thought I wasn't listening to him about the professor, but I heard him quite well.

The moment that elevator door opened, and we were on the ground floor, I bolted past him. "Hey wait! You're supposed to wait for the professor!" I heard him call out.

"I can't wait! I'll go find him myself! Thanks, and see ya!" I hollered out, stopping short of the doors as they opened automatically, before resuming my running again. Once I had gotten outside, Vivian had jumped off my shoulder, and ran alongside me.

I don't know how long I had been running, but I easily reached the edge of town, running along the road a ways further. It wasn't long while running that I saw a jeep parked just off the side of the road, stopping to inspect it. No one was in it, so I looked around to see if anyone was nearby. "Weird, a jeep all by it's lonesome? I wonder if it belongs to the professor?"

I then said to Vivian to follow me, and she did I started walking out into the woods. "Professor Birch! Are you out here?!" I called, wandering further in. I didn't wait long, soon hearing someone call for help. I raced in the direction the voice had came, looking around only to see some angry pokémon growling up at a tree. When I looked up, I saw an older man in the tree. He had brown hair with sideburns and a short beard, and he was also wearing ordinary clothes under a white coat.

"Hey you! Help me out here! The Poochyena are mad at me for dropping in on them unexpectedly!" he cried out. He was obviously in a bind, but the sudden situation made me panic at first. Looking around, I saw a bag with pokéballs next to it. <Maybe.. Wait, what am I thinking?!> "Vivian! You ready?!" I heard yip in agreement.

I remembered what Jen had told me once during my two week wait that Vivian had only been born five months ago. Knowing this, I knew she wouldn't have any good attacks. But as I sized of the angry pokémon turning their attention towards me and Vivian, they didn't seem extremely tough. Barely in the world, and I was already in my first battle!

"Ok Vivian, let's try Tackle! Hit the one on the right!" I called, and Vivian obeyed. She ran forward, and, with her head down, slammed into the gray and black pokémon the guy had called a Poochyena. The other two were surprised I had called the attack, but soon leapt in with Tackle attacks of their. "Watch out!" I found my self yelling. Vivian managed to dodge one of them, but got slammed by the second.

Though the attack seemed harsh, she got up quickly, ready to attack again. "Tell her try a Sand-Attack," the man in the tree yelled his advice. I shrugged my shoulders, seeing these Poochyena starting regroup again. "Alright then, let's try it. Vivian, hit them with Sand-Attack!" At the time, I knew I remembered hearing the attack before, but I couldn't recall it, hoping it was a devastating move.

Even that hope was dashed, what I saw happen next definitely disappoint. Vivian turned around, and began kicking up dust at the wild pokémon with her hind feet. "Right, now I remember! That lowers accuracy!" I exclaimed, my spirit back up again. The Poochyena had busied trying to get the dust out of their when I commanded Vivian to use tackle once more. This time she managed to hit all three without them interfering, knocking them to the ground.

Once the Poochyena had finally opened their eyes, the found Vivian growling at them. That seemed to scare them, as they got up and ran away. "Alright! We did it, Vivian!" I yelled, running up to her, and picking her up. I held her close, I think I even twirled as well because how well the battle went. The man in the tree breathed a sigh of relief, and fell from his perch, landing firmly on his feet.

"I must say, you did pretty well after you gathered yourself! Thanks for coming to my aid! I would have been stuck in that tree for the rest of the day if you hadn't came along! Hahahaha!" he said, cheery after such an ordeal.

"Yeah, your welcome. I'm surprised myself because that was battle Vivian and I have ever been in," I said, being truthful after all.

"Your first battle? Your joking! It's obvious you have some talent then. Hey, you wouldn't happen to be Cecil, would you?" he asked me.

"Uh, yeah, and this is Vivian, my Eevee. How'd you know my name was Cecil though?"

"Well this is perfect! I was supposed to meet up with you, but I got kinda distracted," he said. Wait, he was supposed to meet me?

"You mean YOU'RE Professor Birch?!" I asked, a little stunned. Wouldn't a professor of pokémon be able to defend himself against unexpected encounters? I remember thinking maybe this guy was a bit of joke. Then again, if he hadn't advised me to instruct Vivian to use that Sand-Attack, I guess we really would have lost that battle. I didn't even know she was able to use that status effecter. So I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"That's right, I'm Professor Birch. I was planning on letting you decide at P.W.T.T.S., but since we're almost to my lab already, why don't we head there so you can choose," he said. How could I turn him down?

"Sure!" I replied enthusiastically. We got to his lab rather quickly after he got his bag and the pokéballs, and soon hopping into his jeep. He then lead me around the place, showing me a few of the devices that allowed him basic research. "You know, for a lab, it isn't really filled up with a lot of advanced equipment. Then again, I guess you don't need much to do research."

"Yeah, many of the bright and upcoming trainers that arrive to get their beginner pokémon usually expect lots of stuff in a lab. But you are right though, basic tools are really all that's needed. And also have other equipment around in case someone's pokémon appears hurt or ill," he explained as he lead me to his main researching room. I then dug into his bag, and pulled the three pokéballs I saw earlier, and set them on a table. "Inside each of these pokéballs is a starting pokémon."

He then picked one of the balls, and let a pokémon out. "Treecko!" it exclaimed. "This is Treecko, a grass type pokémon." I bent over as I got a closer look. It was mostly green, almost looking like a lizard or gecko.

"Wow, such a cool looking pokémon!" I said, Vivian getting up close to Treecko. It seemed they were both saying hello to each other.

Professor Birch grabbed another pokéball, and another pokémon popped out. "Mudkip..." it said shyly. "This is Mudkip, a water type."

I tried to reach forward, and pet Mudkip, but it backed away from my hand, looking rather scared. Getting a good look, it was mostly blue, except for it's orange, spiked cheeks. "I think this one is afraid of me. Still, looks like it can be a strong pokémon one day."

The professor then grabbed the last ball, and let out the pokémon it contained. "Torchic!" it said almost bravely I think. "And this is Torchic, a fire type."

This pokémon didn't seem afraid of me at all, and when Vivian approached it, Torchic energetically said "Tor!" as it said hello. It looked just like portrait I saw of it two weeks ago with orange feather with some yellow-orange on its head and around it's neck. "Hehe, this one is cool too! Their all cool pokémon!"

Vivian had started playing with them all, looking like it was a game of tag. I couldn't help but chuckle, seeing the skittish Mudkip finally join in as well. "So, have you already decided which of them you want?" Professor Birch asked me. To be honest, I had already made up my mind, but now I was having second thoughts. Each one seemed like a great choice to have traveling along side me.

"Well, they all seem great, but now I'm having a hard time choosing. I bet they would make great friends in the long run," I said. I crossed my arms over my chest, and lowered my head with my eyes closed as I started to think. I didn't know a thing about any of these pokémon, which makes my start in Hoenn perfect. It was my first reason, because I'm going to be learning about these new pokémon I've never seen before. I'm quite sure Earthlings before me who knew about them when they started out as trainers knew so much about them. I always thought things like what I'm doing, it's best you learn as you go.

"Torchic, a fire type. Mudkip, a water type. Treecko, a grass type. Any of them look like they'd be great when I arrive at the League after battling in the eight gyms. I think I go with the one I settled on choosing before I arrived," I said a loud, talking my thoughts helping set my mind straight. I knelt down just as Torchic ran by, stopping it in its tracks. "Torchic, would you like to travel with me?" I asked it.

It tilted its head at first, but then chirped, "Torchic tor!" That sounded like a yes to me if any. "Torchic it is then! Take good care it," Birch had said, handing me Torchic's pokéball when I stood back up, "Your pokédex and empty pokéballs are all on the counter." As directed, I walked up to the counter, and picked up the balls, putting them into a side pocket on my travel pack. I then picked up the slim mini-computer thing that was called a pokédex. I opened it by pressing a white button, then folded it over, revealing a screen in the center. Automatically, it began giving me saying information on the pokémon around me.

"Eevee: The Evolution Pokémon. Eevee has an unstable genetic makeup that suddenly mutates due to its environment. Radiation from various stones causes this Pokémon to evolve.

"Treecko: The Wood Gecko Pokémon. It makes its nest in a giant tree in the forest. It ferociously guards against anything nearing its territory. It is said to be the protector of the forest.

"Torchic: The Chick Pokémon. If attacked, it strikes back by spitting balls of fire it forms in its stomach. A Torchic dislikes darkness because it can't see its surroundings.

"Mudkip: The Mud Fish Pokémon. On land, it can powerfully lift large boulders by planting its four feet and heaving It sleeps by burying itself in soil at the water's edge."

I blinked, almost unable to take in all that information at once. I shook my head, close the pokédex, just in case it began doing that again. "That's a little too much information to take in at once, thank you very much," I said, which cause Professor Birch to laugh.

"Well, in any case, that pokédex will store data on all the Pokémon you manage to find and catch on your journey through Hoenn," he said, soon leading me back out of his lab after I returned Torchic to its pokéball. I still couldn't believe all the things that had happened after arriving so far, and it was still so early in the day. Perfect to make my start in this huge world. "North of Littleroot is Oldale Town. Once you arrive there, you should head west to Petalburg City as soon as you want. You'll my friend, Norman, there. He's a Gym Leader, and that will probably be your first stop."

"Thanks, Professor Birch. I appreciate all the help," I said as Vivian jumped up to my shoulder. I then turned after pocketing my pokédex, heading off towards Oldale Town like he said I should. "Goodbye, I hope we meet again!" I called out, turning my head waving him. He waved back with a smile. You know, I guess you don't have to look the part to do the work. His appearance had thrown me off when I first met him.

"See ya! And good luck on your journey!" he called back. And so, as I head out towards Oldale Town, my head was full thoughts about what my journey would be like. I knew one thing though, it was going to be exciting!