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[Rytiko]

Chapter 1
A New Journey Begins

?Hey, Rytiko? Are you nervous??

?How could I not be? This is such a big step to take.?

?Yeah, but it?ll be worth it. Take it from me, little brother. The Pokemon really grow on you, in a way you couldn?t understand until you?ve spent as much time with them as I have.?

?I guess you?re right? But this just seems so sudden. To think, tomorrow will be the last time I wake up from this bed and eat mom?s cooking for who knows how long.?

?You don?t have to come with me if you think you?d rather stay home with mom.?

?I know. But I?m still coming.?

?Okay. Glad to hear it.?

Rytiko turned over in his bed, thinking about the adventure on which he was about to embark. Despite his fears, he knew that, alongside his brother Shiku, things would be fine. After the final words of their late night conversation, each of them basked in the silence of the dark room for only a short while longer before willing themselves to drift to sleep.

* * *

The sun poured through the window onto the bottom bunk of the bed in the formerly dark room, heating the place where Rytiko lay. As miserable as waking up hot and sweaty would be, Rytiko was happy not to have to suffer that feeling. The boy of no more than fifteen lay wide awake amidst the piles of white bedding and pillows that filled the bottom bunk, once again thinking about the journey ahead of him. He imagined a path filled with adventure, glory, love, happiness, friends to cherish, foes to conquer? It would be a marvelous journey indeed. It began today.

?Shiku, come on. I can hear mom calling us for breakfast.? Rytiko rolled out of the bed, stretching in a rather exaggerated manner as he did so. Scratching a head full of dark, flat, straight, and stringy hair, he nudged his brother. Moaning, he turned his head to face Rytiko and put on a smile to compliment his twinkling blue eyes, a trait shared by the two brothers.

?Today is the day, little bro, that you become a man,? Shiku said as he climbed from the top bunk to the floor. ?But first, it?s time for breakfast. I?m starved!?

Their mother, teary eyed, had already set the table and gotten the duo their food by the time they got down the stairs. The aroma of pancakes filled the air, with a large amount of syrup poured over them. Accompanying them was a generous helping of sausages as well as a heaping pile of scrambled eggs for each of the two brothers. And what breakfast would be complete without the always delicious banana nut muffins that their mother was so good at making?

?Um? Rytiko? You?re drooling, bro.?

?Huh? Oh, yeah, right? Mom, this looks delicious!? He moved so quickly from the bottom of the staircase to the table it seemed that he teleported, and within no time at all, his plate was cleared completely. He almost asked for more, but upon getting the feeling that his stomach was about to explode, he decided it may not be in his best interest to do so. Bloated, he leaned back in his chair with some kind of a moan. Shiku grinned and continued eating without a word. Yeah, that was best. He doubted he could manage to talk anyway.

In the hour or so it took them to get ready, Rytiko managed to regain movement of his body and speaking abilities. There was little conversation though, as his mother only cried and Shiku spent his spare time trying to cheer her up. Rytiko spent it almost wanting to throw up. Not only because of over eating, either ? His nervousness was returning, and was biting even harder now that the day had come.

Rytiko looked to the Pokemon egg his brother had given him upon his return a few weeks ago for comfort.

?That Pokemon is a Torchic. It?s from the breeder, even the same two parents, of my Blaziken. The Pokemon are brothers, just as we are. This?ll be the bond we share on our journey.? As Rytiko reminisced of this moment, the most important gift he?d ever received from his older brother, he absentmindedly dressed himself in a plain black t-shirt and jeans, though topped it off with a signature black sweatshirt with silver stripes down the sleeves. He continued to comb his hair so that the bangs swept off to the left side, though the top was not parted, making it so that his hair completely covered his forehead. It was a hairstyle that his brother had once worn, before leaving on his journey for the first time. Rytiko truly idolized him?

?Rytiko, don?t forget to call whenever you can! And don?t go running into danger! Listen to your brother, and ?

?Mom, please, calm down,? Rytiko said, breaking off his panic-stricken mother. ?I?ll be okay, I won?t forget to call, and I?ll listen to Shiku. I have everything I need, and I?ll be with Shinji ? Don?t worry.?

Though she didn?t look completely convinced, his mother smiled and embraced both he and his brother. ?I love you, boys.?

?We love you too, mom,? they said in unison. As the embrace broke, the duo walked out the door together. This was Rytiko?s first step in his new journey, one that would surely change him forever?

?Well, the first thing we have to do is catch you a Pokemon to use while you wait for that Torchic to hatch. Any ideas on what kind of Pokemon you want?? Shiku asked as they exited the door of their home. Before allowing Rytiko to answer, though, he began to rummage through his backpack. He finally emerged with a pokeball in hand, and he tossed it to Rytiko.

Catching the pokeball, Rytiko looked to the ground in embarrassment and said ?Well, not really? I don?t know much about Pokemon, only what you?ve told me.?

?Ha, don?t worry. We?ll just catch you whatever you see first. Oh, and I almost forgot!? Shiku dived into his backpack once more, looking much like a raccoon in the way he did so. This time, he emerged with a small red rectangular device. ?This,? he stroked the machine, ?is called a Pokedex. It shows information on any Pokemon you meet and examine with it. It?s a very handy database, so treat it with care.? Handing him the machine, he smiled at his little brother, who had become his prot?g? in all things Pokemon.

Rytiko joyfully took it and examined it thoroughly. It was sleek and cool looking, with a decent sized screen and a simple interface. It was truly a cutting edge piece of technology.

?Who made this???

?Who else? Professor Birch. That guy is amazing ? the true pride and joy of Littleroot town. This place wouldn?t be recognized at all if not for his accomplishments as a Pokemon scientist?? Shiku seemed to go off into a dream-like state. He got that way whenever he thought about any great genius, in any field. Whether it be a great trainer, scientist, or even clown, he seemed to look upon them with utmost admiration. Greatness ? that was what Shiku had desired all his life, and following in his footsteps, Rytiko also desired greatness. Both of them hoped that this journey would help them achieve it.

?Anyway, the trail is right up here. Start looking around for some Pokemon ? trees, rocks, high grass ? look anywhere you think they might hide. You?ll see them out in the open too, but usually not this close to town.? Shiku?s words of wisdom were approved with Rytiko?s nod, and he began examining his surroundings closely.

For awhile, nothing at all happened. There was no movement not caused by the wind, no noises other than birds and bird Pokemon too high to bother trying to catch. After awhile though, a large bug ? no, a small Pokemon - walked out of a small patch of high grass to cross the trail. Spotting the duo, it quickly returned to the grass.

?Get out your pokedex and point it in its direction,? Shiku ordered. Rytiko did as he was asked and pointed the handheld in the direction of the small Pokemon. Having only opened the front cover, the machine spoke. Having been a bit surprised by his lack of activity to create such a reaction, Rytiko didn?t hear all of the computer-like voices words. The main thing, though, is that this was a bug Pokemon named Nincada.

Shiku had already released a Tailow from one of his own pokeballs. ?Peck!? he bellowed, and with a cry of its own name, the Tailow attacked, swiftly and fiercely pecking the Nincada. The details of the battle were hard to discern do the the upsweep of leaves and grass, though Tailow?s brutal assault was not being countered by the small Pokemon. Shiku called it off, and motioned for Rytiko to toss the pokeball he had given him before. Nodding, he obeyed. The ball flew towards the grub-like Pokemon, and in a brilliant red light, pulled the Pokemon into its depths. The center still glowed red, though, and Shiku put an arm out to stop Rytiko from advancing on the ball. As the red vanished, however, Shiku?s arm descended back to his side. With a wide grin on his face, he spoke.

?You, my little brother, have yourself a Pokemon!?

Picking up the small red and white ball, Rytiko smiled. This was the second step in his journey, perhaps more important than the first. But the world of Pokemon could not be as small as the Pokemon in this area ? There were hundreds more to see, and in pursuit of greatness, Rytiko vowed to see them all before his journey truly ended.

[Rytiko]

Chapter 2
En Route to Oldale Town

Tired, hungry, and admittedly a bit bored, Rytiko let out a heavy sigh. Shiku laughed and responded ?Come on, you can?t bet tired already. We?ve only been walking for- ? he checked his watch, ?Six hours since our last break.? His face shifted and he stopped suddenly, causing Rytiko to bump into him. ?You?re right. We should sit down and rest. I brought some of the stew mom made last night to eat ? we?ll buy more food once we get to Oldale Town.?

A bit dazed after running into his brother and falling to the ground, Rytiko merely nodded. He was glad to be off his feet, though, and didn?t even bother to get up from the ground. His legs, now realizing their fatigue, would probably not let him even if he had wanted to.

Setting aside the Torchic egg he?d been carrying in his arms the entire trip; he lay down in the grass, looking to the brilliantly colored clouds as the sun began to set. It was truly magnificent; the orange light washed over the entire area of the grove, the clouds shone in various shades of pink, orange, and red and the nocturnal Pokemon were waking, showing themselves for the first time that day.

?Sights like this? These are what keep you coming back out here, even after the tiring travel and homesickness. I can never settle down in a city for too long before I find myself going back out in the wilderness. It?s hard to stay away from things like this,? Shiku said, looking up from the fire he had just started with some help from his Blaziken, who had already been called back into his pokeball. In a dreamy state, he continued to pour the thermos of leftover stew in a small pan he had been carrying in his backpack. Holding it over the fire, he continued to speak. ?Rytiko, I?ve been thinking about something?. I want to know if you?re up for something.?

?Of course, whatever you want,? Rytiko said, puzzled that his brother had even bothered to ask.

?Don?t answer until I tell you what I?m talking about. Please, keep quiet for a bit,? Shiku said. His tone was not forceful, but spoken in a way so that Rytiko knew not to disobey.

?There are three Pokemon in this world, which have sealed themselves away within caves. Two more who have been sealed using magical orbs. And then still another that no one has seen in eons, supposedly flying far above the clouds for all eternity. I?ve been thinking? I want to find all of them, and let my discoveries separate me from all others in the world? I?d give credit to you as well, of course? but it doesn?t stop at merely discovering these Pokemon? I want to capture them. All of them. I want to hold each of the legends originating in Hoenn in my hands, and wield their power? I?d be unstoppable. And then, with them by my side, I?d travel to other regions and capture each of their legendary Pokemon as well. That? that would guarantee me the title of the greatest Pokemon trainer alive??

Rytiko looked at his brother, directly into his deep eyes that were now filled with greed, in total shock. ?But, Shiku? Wasn?t it you that told me that some Pokemon just aren?t meant to be caught? The ones you speak of? Are they not a part of a delicate balance, one that shouldn?t be disturbed for anything??

Shiku sighed, pulling the hot pan away from the fire. ?Yeah? Yeah, you?re right. It was just a thought. Power like that would likely breed only destruction. I wouldn?t want that.?

The rest of the night went by silently. Their meal was quickly devoured, and shortly after they rose and continued their trek toward Oldale Town. Despite the many gasps on Rytiko?s part upon seeing some of the magnificent sights the night in a Pokemon-filled wood had to offer, Shiku continued on in silence, lost in his thoughts. Rytiko worried, but he had no reason to question his brother?s morals. He had never performed any questionable deeds for as long as Rytiko had been alive, and he was convinced that he wouldn?t begin now. ?It?s just him wishing for more than he ha, once again. He?ll get over it,? Rytiko convinced himself. ?He?ll get over it.?

Later, Shiku had wordlessly stopped in his tracks and pulled out his sleeping bag. Sighing, Rytiko did the same. He didn?t want to disturb his brother at the moment. He knew it wouldn?t do any good, as all Shiku ever said in this state were things such as ?Yeah,? ?Sure,? ?Okay,? ? It would be pointless to speak to him.

Sleep came easily to him on that night. He was quite tired, and the boredom set in by his temporarily mute brother only lulled him out of consciousness even faster. The calming sounds of nature sped this process along even more. All in all, Rytiko was awake for about five minutes after putting his head down on his pillow. With his consciousness, so faded his concern for the events of that evening.

[Rytiko]

Chapter 3
A Shining Flame

Hungry, tired, and just barely possessing the strength to keep moving his weak body, Rytiko reflected on the events of that day that set them back further than he?d have liked on their trek to Oldale town. They were close now, sure ? he could actually see the town from the top of the hill he had just barely managed to climb ? but they could have made it hours prior to the sunset that had began just twenty minutes ago.

When they had woken up, things had seemed normal. Rytiko and Shiku were talking again, completely disregarding the events of the previous night. Shiku, in his thought, had concluded that his idea should not be anything more than that ? an idea. Packing up the sleeping bags, they set off once more.

?So, how much further now?? Rytiko had asked his brother.

Smiling, Shiku said ?We?re almost there. An hour, maybe two, at absolute most.?

As promising as that had sounded at the time, it would not turn out as such. Particularly due to a group of black-and-red clad men dashing past them who were then followed by a rather desperate looking elderly man, they were sidetracked.

Panting and looking as though he was about to have a heart attack, the old man stopped not too far ahead of the two brothers. Concerned, they ran to his aid and caught him as he stumbled forward. Wheezing in what seemed a rather exaggerated manner, he looked hopefully to Rytiko and his brother.

?You? you?re Pokemon trainers? right?? he asked, pausing frequently to take another desperate breath. Each of the brothers nodded, and a smile spread across his red, sweaty face. ?Those men? please? stop them.? Anything more the man had to say remained a mystery for the time being. He fell, despite the brothers? efforts to help him, to the ground. Unconscious he lay, and it was indiscernible at first glance whether he was dead or alive.

?Lombre!? Shiku called, releasing an odd greenish creature with a sombrero-esque lily pad atop its head from one of his pokeballs with another brilliant flash of red light. ?Keep this man cool; use weak water attacks, and make sure not to hurt him, okay?? The creature responded with a nod and proceeded to use a light water gun on the man, soaking his clothes and the ground around him. Shiku beckoned Rytiko, and he followed without argument.

?What could they possibly want from such an old man? He didn?t look particularly rich?? Rytiko mused, but then a thought struck him ? Why was an old man way out here, with the nearest town at least two miles away? Shiku seemed to realize this thought in Rytiko?s mind, and didn?t bother to speak in reply. Rather, he gave an acknowledging nod and continued to run in the direction of the men they?d been asked to stop.

Suddenly, his brother stopped. Rytiko ran right past him at first, and later came to a slow stop as well. ?What are you doing? We have to catch them!? he pleaded to his brother, who ignored this.

?We need to move faster,? Shiku said, reaching for another pokeball. The red light reappeared, and with it came the outline of a bird Pokemon that had already saved Rytiko?s life on one occasion ? Skarmory. Shiku climbed onto the back of the Pokemon, and signaled for Rytiko to do the same.

?Umm... Will it hold us both?? he said as he hesitantly climbed onto the Pokemon.

?Yes, now get on and hold onto me,? Shiku said reassuringly. Not having much other choice, Rytiko complied with his given orders. Within seconds of doing so, the steel bird launched itself from the ground.

Rytiko had only felt the sensation of flight once in his life, and that experience was under much worse circumstances. It didn?t change much though, and the familiar sensation of intense fear, lack of air, and wind slashing across his face bothered him just as much as it had the first time. Luckily, it was not long before Skarmory targeted their prey and swooped down to cut them off.

The Pokemon landed less than gracefully, and Rytiko had fallen onto his back in the process. His brother was used to it though, and climbed off in a nonchalant manner. ?Whatever you stole, it?s time to give it back. Somehow I doubt Maxie would be pleased with anything stolen from such an old man.?

?Wha- ? How do you know the boss!?? one of the men asked. As Rytiko got to his feet, he looked to his brother as well ? He was just as interested in finding that out.

?We?ve had our encounters; which makes me twice as sure that you should return whatever you have stolen.?

?Why should we give it back??

?Think of it this way,? Shiku said in a more than arrogant tone, ?If I can keep up in a battle with your boss? Do you honestly believe you have a chance of getting out of this situation??

The two men looked to each other, the burlier of the two with a scowl on his face. Rytiko and Shiku both knew that they didn?t intend of leaving without a fight. ?Rytiko, I had planned on your first battle being under different conditions, but it would appear that the time has come. Just remember everything I?ve taught you about bug Pokemon and you?ll be fine.?
?Poochyena, GO!? the two men shouted in unison. From the red light emerged two grey and black dogs, both ferocious looking despite their small size. Rytiko?s instincts guided him to the action of summoning the Nincada he had caught earlier. Shiku took his time though. Finally, he decided ? and this time, it was an odd looking Pokemon with a mustache holding a spoon. He didn?t have time to ask his brother what it was however, as the two dog-like Pokemon both charged towards them.

?Confusion!? his brother had shouted, and the spoon wielding Pokemon?s eyes began to glow as one of the dogs was lifted from the ground and hurled towards its owner. Rytiko didn?t have such great luck though, as he struggled to remember just what it was that Shiku had told him about bug Pokemon.

?Bite!? the owner of the second Poochyena had bellowed, but even without training or orders from Rytiko, the Nincada seemed to fast for such an attack. The dog?s snout mashed into the ground instead. Stunned, this gave Rytiko the chance to recall something.

?Bug Pokemon are simple, and their lowest level attacks are generally all the same ? scratch, string shot or harden, and leech life,? his brother had said years ago. So Rytiko had an attack, and used it.

?Nincada, use leech life!?

The bug obeyed and spat a needle-like attack from its mouth. It h it its target, and Nincada proceeded to drink the energy of the dog through a small, almost invisible straw attached to the needle. The Poochyena soon recovered though and dove in for another bite attack.

The next order came by instinct, almost as if it were someone else standing in his position, controlling his mind. Without even thinking, he had shouted in quick succession as the events came to pass ?

?Dodge,? had led the Pokemon to quickly leap to the left and the dog to bite nothing but dirt once again.

?Scratch,? had come immediately after and led the bug to ferociously strike the face of the dazed dog. The Pokemon emitted a yelp of pain, but that did not stop Rytiko from issuing the finishing order.

?Finish it with leech life!? and so it had. The opposing Pokemon had fallen to the ground. The other had been wiped out by the single confusion attack from his brother?s psychic Pokemon. Were they done??

No. One of the two released what Rytiko recognized as a Shroomish, and the other an evolved form of the dogs they had just fought. From the shouts, he concluded that this was known as a Mightyena.

Rytiko was prepared to take on the Shroomish with the Nincada; however something had been distracting him for the last five minutes? The egg in his backpack had been shaking. He pulled it out at that moment, hoping that they might halt their attack. IN the end, it did work, but not for the reasons originally intended.

The shell?s crack was very loud, echoing in the grove. Rytiko got excited, expecting to see the red-colored chick Pokemon to emerge from the egg. That was not what happened, though. It was a chick Pokemon, but it was not red ? It was gold. Everybody stopped. They stared at the small Pokemon that was now sitting within what remained of the shell, its eyes taking in their first sight of the world.

?Is that???

?A shiny Pokemon...? Maxie will reward us greatly if we can take it!?

?Kadabra, return! Rytiko, Get ready!? Shiku said, recalling the mustached Pokemon and replacing it with what Rytiko knew to be a Blaziken. Nodding, he picked up the Torchic he was too small to fight and directed Nincada to hold its ground. It was not enough, though.

Mightyena?s charge was much faster than expected, blazing past both of the Pokemon the brothers were fighting with. Fangs bared, it aimed to strike Rytiko and make off with the golden Torchic. Not knowing what else to do, Rytiko ordered the Torchic to use a low level fire attack he knew as Ember.

Spitting small fireballs was a decent stopper, apparently. The Mightyena stopped long enough for Blaziken to strike it hard with a blazing kick. This display of power left both red-and-black clad trainers speechless.

?Give it back and leave. You do that, and Blaziken might be able to restrain himself. So what will it be??? Shiku threatened. The two men, obviously scared, recalled their Pokemon and dropped a small package. They fled the scene, hopefully never to be seen again.

?Why is - ?? Rytiko began.

Interrupting, Shiku said, ?Don?t worry, I?ll explain later. I?m not too clear on the concept myself. Come on, let?s get this package back.?

They had returned the package and been given a very generous monetary thanks by the old man. They had been told never to speak of this again, and not to ask questions. With that, the elderly man walked away. They still had no clue why they were after that package.

And so it was that they were now making their way down the hill towards Oldale town, where his brother promised to find information about the golden Torchic and where they could sleep on a comfortable mattress. The days events were more hectic than Rytiko had every expected so soon on his journey. And things would only get better ? or worse, depending on one?s perspective on chaotic events.

[Caseyweederman]

Excuse me for breaking up your story, but I wanted to offer some feedback.
Great story! You're really adding character to a familiar tale. I like it so far and I'd like to see where it goes.
I admit I've never seen more than five episodes, but I've always been taken with the games. Actually, right now I'm working on Emerald and Leaf Green. 14 more for Hoenn region pokedex!
So. Keep it up. I'm hooked.

Oh yeah, and Nincada's is totally not a spider!

[Rytiko]

Excuse me for breaking up your story, but I wanted to offer some feedback.
Great story! You're really adding character to a familiar tale. I like it so far and I'd like to see where it goes.
I admit I've never seen more than five episodes, but I've always been taken with the games. Actually, right now I'm working on Emerald and Leaf Green. 14 more for Hoenn region pokedex!
So. Keep it up. I'm hooked.

Oh yeah, and Nincada's is totally not a spider!

No no, I want the feedback. Thank you for commenting!

And I noticed that and had an edited version posted on another forum, but I guess I forgot to change it in the word document itself. I typed this having not played the games for a long while, and remembered only general appearances. Thank you for pointing that out to me - I'll change it immediately.

[Caseyweederman]

Sweet.
I looked it up on Emerald, and Nincada's not even considered a Cicada Pokemon. No, he's a "Trainee Pokemon". Can't wait to see how/if you include Shedinja.

So is this story still being written, or are you just posting it piece by piece? Because if you ever need reference, http://psypokes.com/ is by far the best site I've ever seen on the subject.
Click Psydex on the left for just about every single bit of information possible on any pokemon. This includes Pokedex entries from every game.

[Rytiko]

Sweet.
I looked it up on Emerald, and Nincada's not even considered a Cicada Pokemon. No, he's a "Trainee Pokemon". Can't wait to see how/if you include Shedinja.

So is this story still being written, or are you just posting it piece by piece? Because if you ever need reference, http://psypokes.com/ is by far the best site I've ever seen on the subject.
Click Psydex on the left for just about every single bit of information possible on any pokemon. This includes Pokedex entries from every game.

Shedinja is definitely here, don't worry about that. I'd never have selected Nincada without plans for the Ninjask/Shedinja team.

It's still being written, so thanks a bunch for the reference. That'll make things easier for me. I hope you continue to read, and I'll try to keep the pace as regular as possible. I'll normally get 1-2 chapters a week for both this and my own story (also posted on this board, if you're interested), so the updates will be at least somewhat frequent. As I get further though, I may start editing chapters rather than making new ones... Well, we'll see.

[Rytiko]

Chapter 4
The Girl from Oldale

?I?m still tired,? Rytiko said with a yawn after finally being coaxed out of his bed by Shiku. At first, he hadn?t realized where he was ? the previous nights events were a total blur. From what he could tell though, they had paid for a room at the Oldale town Pokemon Center. Which was consistent wit the only memory he did have of the previous night; this was the memory of giving the baby Torchic to the nurse for some standard procedures taken in cases of Pokemon being born away from their parents.

?Why are you in such a rush?? he asked, finally managing to get his pants on after some noticeable problems of getting his legs in where they belong. He looked to Shiku, who was already dressed and showered. Wait? Showered? Then, with a sigh, he took the pants he had had so much difficulty back off and headed towards the bathroom before getting a response from his brother.

The shower heated up immediately, which was a bit of a relief to Rytiko; He had always hated the time it took for the water to heat up, more than most people seemed to. He didn?t really know why, but he did.

Always self assured, he never developed a whole lot of reasoning along with his thoughts. He simply let things go how they wanted to, only being careful enough to keep him out of immediate danger. He thought what he thought, and even if he couldn?t explain why, he was generally unwavering in his stand on an issue. Luckily his stubborn ways were generally overlooked by the fact that he usually had the best answer for most issues. Perhaps that?s why Shiku hadn?t pressed further about the plan he had mentioned the other day? ?No, that?s not it. He just knows it was a bad idea. He?s not stupid.?

And, as suddenly as the thought had come to him, it was washed away by the hot water along with the dirt and sweat that covered his body from their two-day walk. And to think ? Littleroot and Oldale town were relatively close. For adventure?s sake, the other journeys would be very rewarding. However, for the stress and fatigue that filled him, he was wondering just how much adventure would be needed to make it all worth it.


*****


?Mom, I?ll be back in a bit. I?m going for a walk with Solrock,? a young girl, no older than sixteen, said as she exited a small building with a blue roof and sign reading ?PokeMart.?

There was no reply, so she assumed there were no objections. Even if there were, she?d probably have left anyway. She hated the shop, and hated being the daughter of a Pokemon grocer. Always, for her entire life, she had thought she was destined for so much more than to live and die in Oldale town running a PokeMart that rarely got customers. There were few trainers in the area, and most of their customers were travelers who just stopped in to buy a pokeball or two, maybe a potion every now and then. There was nothing interesting about it, and hardly any profit involved.

?Useless?? The word had pierced through her thoughts and lips. Sighing, she looked to her side at the magnificent and beautiful Solrock, a Pokemon that appeared to be a sun shaped rock. It was a present to her from an old friend? One that she had cherished and raised with all of her heart.

Solrock was happy, at least; It wore an expression that, despite the lack of a mouth, could only be described as a smile as it bathed in the bright sunlight. It was moments like these that she wished to experience every day with different and new Pokemon. Each of them had their quirky traits, and each of them were interesting. She wanted to see as many Pokemon as she could... But for that, she would have to leave Oldale town. She knew that her parents wouldn?t approve.

?Solrock, let?s go see Erik at the Pokemon Center,? she proposed. Solrock approved by rocking its body forward and back, to simulate a nod. Erik was a traveler from the west who had come to Hoenn in pursuit of some crime ring. That was all he had ever told her. More interesting though, was that he was a brilliant Pokemon trainer. He was always giving her tips about how to train Solrock and how to use him in battle, which allowed her to blow away her friends and their Poochyena and Wurmple, with the occasional Dustox or Beautifly.

That wasn?t why she liked him though? he was not only handsome, polite, and smooth, but he had this aura about him that let her know she could trust him. She had asked him on a date one time, but he had declined; He would be leaving Oldale town shortly. Ever since, she had made a point to visit him every day.

?Oh! Raina! How nice of you to drop by so early,? Erik spoke as he finished taking a sip of coffee. Pulling out the chair next to him, he returned to examining the stack of paper on his clipboard.

?What are you working on today?? she asked innocently, trying again to get him to tell her what was going on.

?You know I can?t tell you,? he said with a smile, now pushing the clipboard aside. ?Besides, it?s starting to bore me. How are you and Solrock??

?Great! Solrock learned how to use Fire Spin yesterday, thanks to your coaching.?

?Amazing! Hey, look? I?ve got to go. But I want you to stay here and look for two kids about your age. One of them should go and get a golden chic-like Pokemon. Talk to them, and give them this?? Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. ?Raina, I trust you. Don?t read that. Don?t get involved with those brothers. Things are starting to get out of control now, and we need them. Thank you in advance.?

He vanished after giving her a kiss on the cheek, leaving her a flushed red color as she sat in the chair and waited for the brothers.

[Kinewa]

Normally I don't read fanfics, but I was drawn towards the Pokemon.

Quite well done, Rytiko! Only a few spelling and grammatical errors but not enough to complain.

Now write more!

[Rytiko]

Woohoo! It?s backtrack time! I know how much everyone loves it when that happens just as a large question is posed, so to entertain (and irritate) my current audience of?. Two, I believe? Well, you?ll see. Enjoy (or send me hate mail) !

Also, if you're observant, you're probably noticing the chapters are a bit short. I'm having trouble extending these episodes, so I'm trying my best to improve on that. Until then, I ask you bear with me.

Also, although I hadn't exactly planned it, I'm noticing that I'm bringing a rather darker feel to Pokemon. I'm wondering if that's alright? In a world of definite good and bad, where good always wins, is it okay to include such a gray in one of the main characters? Am I further than I should considering the world I'm writing in? Feedback would be appreciated.

~~~~~

Chapter 5
?Why try and stop me??

Flames engulfed their entire surrounding. Pursuit of a cause so trivial? Why was so much destruction admissible by them!? Coughing, he made his way up the stairs towards the final door he?d cross through in the burning building.

?MAXIE!!!? he bellowed as he burst through the door to the rooftop. His eyes now burning with the same fury as those beneath them, he made his advance and reached toward the first pokeball on his belt.

?You?ve gotten lucky. Don?t let it go to your head? Or I may just have to force the arrogance out of you,? he said calmly, not even turning to acknowledge the infuriated adolescent approaching him.

?Look what your plans have wrought! Stop sugar coating your goals! Don?t you understand that destruction is all that can come of this??? he pressured, releasing a Blaziken from the pokeball he had reached for.

?I didn?t intend for this to happen! This is your fault! Team Magma was doing nothing to hazardous to anyone before you intervened!? Now he acknowledged him, and responded with the same rage he was spoken to with. Seeing the Blaziken, he too reached for a pokeball. ?If this is how things will be, then fine! I?ll make sure you don?t get in our way again!!?

The Camerupt from before now stood in front of Maxie to do battle with his Blaziken. A blazing hot battle was guaranteed, and Shiku welcomed it with a grin. Starting things off, he ordered the first attack ? ?Double kick!?

?Eruption!!? The Camerupt stopped the first kick before it was even close with an explosion of magma from the volcano rested upon his back. Shiku had to leap backwards to avoid getting hit himself, which would cost him a strategic defense from the follow up attack ?

?Earthquake!? Maxie ordered.

?Are you insane!? You?ll bring the buil ? ? Shiku was unable to finish his plea, as the roof began to shake violently, collapsing in many areas. Beneath them, the burned building was falling apart. There was no way to win, no way to come out of this alive? !
?Blaziken!!? he screamed in desperation. Without even waiting for Shiku?s command, the Pokemon leapt to him and recovered him from the ground. Using a flamethrower to mask their escape, he exhibited the true strength of a Blaziken ? his jumping ability?

~~~~~

Stroking a Pokeball within his hand, Shiku sat at the small desk in the room as he waited for Rytiko to finish in the bathroom. It hadn?t been long now, and he still had nightmares about the flames? It had all been his fault. Even if Maxie could ever forgive him for the death of his Camerupt, Shiku could never forgive himself? He had done what no trainer should ever do, and had cost the public many lives. Even if most of them were Team Magma? Shiku would forever label himself a killer.

Maxie had escaped the collapsing building on the back of a bird Pokemon. Shiku couldn?t say for sure what it was or who else was on it, as he was blinded by the smoke and only saw the glimmer of the escaping Pokemon. In fact, before yesterday, he wasn?t even sure that Maxie was alive. The thugs had confirmed it, though Shiku had a mixture of feelings?

?Bro?? What are you doing? Let?s go get something to eat!? Rytiko said in a clueless yet joyful manner. He had never told him what he had done for those people. He hoped that he would never have to. His little brother was innocent, pure? Involvement with them would only hinder the goodness in his heart.

?Ah, yes. Go on down and get your Torchic from the nurse. I?ll be down in a bit, and then we can go have breakfast.?

?Um... Okay. See you in a bit, then!?

With the sound of the door closing, Shiku dropped the fake smile. He had no reason to smile. No right to smile. But something about being with that kid, as annoying as he could be sometimes, always brought the best out of him.

?Rytiko? You?re my second chance at life. Please, guide me in the right direction?? he spoke quietly to himself. It was a bit ironic, when he thought about it? but so be it. Rising from the chair and putting another smile on his face, he walked out the door with the pleasure of knowing that this smile wasn?t false in any way.

[Caseyweederman]

Please. A darker side to Pokemon would be most welcome.
That thought reminds me of Kingdom Hearts. A darker, realer view.