*Authors Note*

I am going through and updating the chapters with new scene breaks as well as fixing some errors that I had over looked before. If you are reading this through for the first time, please note that FanFiction ate all my scene breaks in Pt. 1 and 2. Also, the story gets better as it goes along. At first its not wrote very well, but it does get better with every chapter, trust me!

Anyway, enjoy reading, and reviews are always helpful!

Chapter One

How it all got started

The rain picked up again, I've always hated Viridian for that. It seems to never shine in this town. I looked to the sky and let droplets of water touch my face. I had my favorite green demin jacket on, but it didn't have a hood, and even if it did, I wouldn't put it on. The rain, even though it was very somber and gloomy, was still beautiful in its own way. I love to admire the atmosphere, but I also loved to be home, that is if I was alone.

My shift just ended at my job. I took off a little earlier today, but I put in well over fifteen hours more than I was suppose to this week. The walk wasn't far, and I didn't mind it, after all its not like I had a bike or a car or anything like that. I have been saving up for one though, ever since I started this fast food job two years ago, or at least that's what I told my mom.

My mother never truly understood me; she thought I was just being a baby when all of my friends started their pokemon journey at the age of ten. She never put much thought into pokemon, to her they were just animals, used for manual labor alone. Me on the other hand, I look at them as friends, because Lord knows I didn't have any of my own. My only friends were my brothers, sister, and nephews that lived with us, but that wasn't much of a friendship because all I ever was to them was a babysitter. When I got off work to the time I went to bed I was changing diapers, helping with homework, and doing the normal motherly chores while mom stayed on the phone. Don't get me wrong, she was a good mother, if she wasn't cursing or beating us, but she shouldn't put it all on me, after all, they weren't my kids.

"Ralith…. Rrraawlith."

I stopped and spun around, but saw nothing. What was that? I thought. "It sounded like a whimper of some kind."

And, as if on que, the sound came again, "Ra-wlith."

I turned to the other side and saw underneath a tree, in a cardboard box, and drenching wet, a small Growlithe. I ran to the box and peered inside as the puppy squirmed to the back. "Wow." I said. "Why would someone drop off a poor little guy like this in the middle of the rain." I looked around to see if I saw a car, or tracks, or something, but there was nothing around me but a dark and rainy night.

I looked into the box at the Growlithe another time, trying to see if he had a collar, and of course he didn't.

Standing up I said, "You stay right there boy, I'll be right back to help, don't leave!" With that I gave the frightened pup a nod, and left.

***_-Scene Change-_***

I ran as fast as I could to the house, mud splashing up on my jeans, and the rain drenching me down to the bone. Even though my mom kept me under a close eye, she didn't know everything I did. I have always wanted a pokemon. I have also hoped to one day even have my own pokemon party, and maybe even compete in a gym battle.

I made my way to the porch, swinging the door open and running up stairs to my room. Under my bed in a secret compartment, where I had been saving my money I had two pokeballs. Without thinking I snatched one, a few dollars, shoved them both into my pocket, and ran back down stairs, but before I got to the door, "Where do you think you're going?" My mother questioned.

"I, um…" I fumbled over my words.

"You run into the house, without saying a word, and then you run right back out? Where is my free time, huh? I spent years raising you and you can't even let me have some free time and take these kids off my hands for one minute?"

"Mom, its not that, its…" I paused, what could I say? She hated pokemon and would not be to keen on me bringing one into the house, and definitely not keeping it as a pet or training it.

"It's what?" She demanded. "Your just like your father, first chance you see to get out you run, right? Well what can I expect, you are just a MAN after all." She always pulls that kind of stuff when she wants me to do something for her.

"Mom, I just forgot my pay check at the restaurant, I thought I picked it up but when I saw it wasn't in my room I knew I forgot it yesterday."

"Oh, well… when you get back you and me are going to have a talk mister, I don't like your attitude."

I swung the door open and ran out of the house. "Phew," I sighed. "That was a close one, I just hope that poor guy is still there, he needs to go to the pokecenter."

By the time I got to the box the rain had made it collapsed, having the fire pokemon trapped inside. I pulled the box open and once again he scrunched up in the back corner. "I'm not going to hurt you little guy." I said as I held up the pokeball to his nose. "I'm going to help you." With that I pushed the ball against him, a bright red light shown all around the puppy and then disappeared inside the ball.

I rose and stared at my new pokemon. "Wow." I said. "I really have a pokemon, and I guess I kind of caught it too, no one really gave it to me. But first things first." I held the pokeball in my hand. "I have to get this guy healed up!"

The pokecenter wasn't far away; in fact I could see it even through the storm. I ran and pushed open the door. Nurse Joy was standing there behind the counter, like always.

"Nurse Joy!" I screamed. "You need to help me."

She quickly grabbed the pokeball away from me and put it on a scanner. "This looks pretty bad…" She said. "Growlithe's core temperature is at 97 degrees, it's going through hyperthermia." She glared at me with an evil eye. "What did you do to this poor thing?"

Jumping back, I looked at her very strangely, "What?"

"A Growlithe's body heat cant drop below 110 degrees without it being fatal!" She barked. "What were you thinking letting this creature be in this bad of shape before you brought it here?"

"Hold on!" I said. "I found him right outside in a cardboard box just moments ago, I didn't do this to him!"

"You found him like this?" She asked. "Do you have any idea who it belongs too?"

"He belongs to me now." I said. "If the owner left it to die they obviously didnt want him, but I do."

Nurse Joy sighed. "I will do my best, but with as young as he is, I don't know what I can do, but I will try. Come back tomorrow, I will let you know the progress then."

"Thank you Joy." I said as I walked out. "I wish you luck, little guy."

***_-Scene Change-_***

The next day before work I stopped over at the center. Before I got to the door however, I heard "Woof, Woof!" I walked around to the backyard of the pokecenter and saw Growlithe playing outside with a Ratatta. They were jumping and playing, rolling over top of one another and having a great time.

"Growlithe is doing much better." Nurse Joy said as she walked up behind me. "He was really lucky that you got him here as fast as you did. If you had waited any longer, well, I don't think he would of made it."

"Thank you Joy." I said as I looked at her. "Thank you so much."

"It's no problem at all." She said smiling. "I'm just happy the puppy will have a good home. Oh yes, something else." She paused as she reached into her purse. "I have a gift for you two." She handed me a dog collar with a tag, "Just some insurance incase the jerks come back and want Growlithe back."

"Thank you Joy."

Growlithe and I checked out of the pokecenter, and headed to the pokemart across the street. Once there I borrowed the phone and called in sick for work, after all, I needed some time to buy some things for my new friend.

We loaded up on dog food, pokeballs, potions, antidotes, and other various items, like a necklace that holds a pokeball, which will very soon hold Growlithe. Now, the next problem is how we are going to get all this stuff in my house without my mother finding out.

I camped outside of my house, waited for my mother to go on the porch to talk on the phone. When that time finally came I climbed up and into my room from the side of the house. I tossed over a rope that I bought and rigged up a system to hoist all the items I bought up to my room. Before I knew it all the food, and everything was crammed under my bed, in my closet, and anywhere else I could store them.

***_-Scene Change-_***

Over the next few months Growlithe and I trained in private, battling wild Pidgeys, Rattatas, Mankeys and any trainers that came around, growing and becoming closer friends everyday. Before long, we both were ready to leave and start our journey across the land of Kanto. I didn't know how we were going to make it, where we were going to go first, or what we were going to do, but I knew we were at least going to try.

The day after my 14th birthday, we packed up everything I could carry in my backpack, and left at 2 a.m., when everyone was asleep.

We were out, free, and ready to start our journey.