Turning over a new leaf.

Summary: When 16 year old Skye Royall is murdered in a back alley, her ambition of being a powerful pokemon master is crushed and doomed to failure. (Well, she is dead...)
So when Mew and Celebi appear and ask if Skye wants another change at life in order to be with her human friends, she takes it without a second thought.
What she didn't expect was to be reborn as a Chikorita, get captured by a cute red-headed thief and his even cuter Totodile, to find out her cousin who she wants to protect is hunting the red-head and is completely bi, her best friend to be such an awesome trainer or to have to relearn how to use the internet with paws.
Did I mention how cute that thief and Totodile are?

*The reborn mechanic used in the story was originally used by Srgeman in his fanfic A Little Night Music. Please look it up sometime; though be warned, it's fairly dark.

Author's Note: The world I am using is mostly based on the anime world but also has many subtle differences. Some characters are loosely based on the manga but there will have different personalities, relationships and back story, so please don't consider them the same.
Warning: The story will become darker as it progresses and there may be things that you might find... well, squicky, later on. Violence, unfortunate implications, various characters' philosophies, and the eventual pairings are all potentially risky for this, so just letting you all know in advance. I may eventually end up changing the rating to M.

Chapter 1:The afterlife stinks.

You know, death is kinda different from what most people expect. Most people think death is some big huge drama; the time people meet their maker, go to heaven or hell and all that stuff.

Well, that didn't happen to me. After I died, it was just black. Nothing as far as the eye or whatever was doing the seeing could see. Sometimes things would shimmer around a little and make me feel dizzy but it was pretty much just... boring.

There was just nothing and for some reason my thoughts were always so foggy it was difficult to think about anything at all other than how alone I was. Even making up stories and pretending I had something to do didn't help. I hated it there, more than you could ever understand.

And then Mew showed up and everything started again.

Perhaps I should start at the beginning.

My name is, or in this case was, Skye Royall. I was a 16 teen-year old with a really happy, normal life.
I had parents who loved me, a couple of best friends and a cousin/almost twin I'd give my life for. My home was stable; had friendly pokemon my parents owned, and while I wasn't exactly a genius or anything, I did get pretty good marks at school, especially in the classes I liked.

Sounds like the perfect life, huh?

Anyway, that day I was visiting Sophia (a.k.a Soppie), my closest and oldest friend. We didn't do much other than sit and talk a little, but that was what we always did.

That day we talked about our future pokemon.

"Well I'm starting out with Chikorita, of course. I've told you that how many times now?" Soppie laughed as I gave her my mock scowl then glanced towards the ground.

"I know what you want, Skye. I just want a pokemon I can be friends with. Gold always says that being close to your pokemon is the most important thing. He's not lying... just to be nice, is he?"

Shaking my head, I grinned. "Wow, my cousin actually uses his brain. Yet another mystery of the universe is solved!" Soppie giggled as we thought of my mad cousin.

Gold, Soppie and I had been friends for practically our whole lives.

Gold, my cousin, was born less than a week after me and the both of us regarded the other as our twin. Soppie, we met in kindergarten. Some boys had been picking on her, and while Gold rushed to help her to her feet, I took great pleasure in beating those boys to a pulp.

In some ways it really was amazing how close we were, despite how different we were from each other.

Gold was vain, good-looking, a brilliant actor and could be so ridiculously stupid and selfish sometimes that you'd just want to hit him. Deep down though he had a noble streak so wide I was always worried he'd get in over his head, something his recklessness really didn't help with. He wanted to be a pokemon master ever since our first basic pokemon care class at school; I think he just liked the sound of the limelight being all on him but he did have a certain knack for getting pokemon to listen to him.

Soppie on the other hand was quiet and gentle natured, with pretty ocean-blue eyes, blue-black hair and the kind of slight frame most girls would kill for. Sometimes people at school would think she was being snobbish when she didn't talk to them but she was just really shy, pretty much to the point of muteness. She wanted to be a coordinator; she watched re-runs of the Johto Grand Festival pretty much every time they came up on tv.

As for me... Well... I just wanted to own a pokemon, fight battles, enter contests; anything pokemon-related and I'd be happy. Other than that, I just liked drawing, writing, cartoons and reading up on science and mythology. I'm simple really.

Despite once wanting to go on our 'Pokemon journeys' back when we first got our licences back when we were ten, (after much nagging from our parents) the three of us decided to finish school first so we'd have something to fall back on if pokemon training didn't work out.
But at the end of the month our wait would finally be over. The three of us were going to graduate with flying colours and would be able to leave on our pokemon journey together! Truthfully, I couldn't wait.

As I sat there grinning to myself imaging the amazing team I'd one day put together, Soppie finally stopped fiddling with her hair, glanced upwards and let out a sigh. "Oh. Skye, sun's setting. Didn't you have to be back by six?"

Taking a look at the window, I nodded as I saw the typical orangey-golden glow of a New Bark Town sunset and grabbed my backpack before scrambling to my feet. Turning, I cooed my goodbyes in Yoshi language (Please don't ask!) and hopped out the door as Soppie waved, a warm smile radiating from her face.

I look back now and wish I'd said good bye properly.

As I walked through the small streets of New Bark Town the sun was just starting to set and everything bathed gold with light or pitch black with shadow. I guess... it was kind of like being in one of those shadow puppet films where they do the background yellow or orange to give a sort of 'real' feel to it, except the light was so bright in real life I found myself squinting until I came across a split in the road... and a dilemma.

I needed to get to the corner store and buy food for my mum's pokemon (Taps the Poochyena, Nutmeg the Glameow, Makenshi the Lopunny and Cassie the Shinx; Mum was a trainer in Sinnoh before she and my Grandmother moved here) before it closed and I was late enough that taking a shortcut sounded like a good idea but the side-path that could take me straight there was small and dark, and compared to the longer path on my right where some Pokemon and kids were playing, it seemed eerie. And not to sound like a wuss but walking alone in the dark has always scared me a little bit (something not helped at all by my Mom's love of telling 'realistic' horror stories) but something about that alleyway just struck me as off that day.

But, well, it had to be close to closing time and Nutmeg and the others were probably wondering where their dinner was already so I turned away from the bright, warm golden path and headed down the cool, cramped grey one instead; completely oblivious as to how that tiny little choice would affect my fate.

Like always, the little alleyway was empty of life, and only just wide enough for me to walk around the various empty boxes and pieces of brick and broken concrete that always seemed to be littered all over the place.
It being so dark was a bit different; normally I'd only walk through when I was walking to and from school or to pick up Gold when he was hanging around the police station again but now that the initial 'AghDark!' was out of my system, being out of the harsh sunlight and the sticky heat that came with it was such a relief that I found myself enjoying my little walk, taking the time to pull my wallet (purse/card-holding-money-thingy/whatever) out of my bag and kick at interesting pebbles.

Anyway, I was just nearing the end of the alley when a horrible stabbing pain worse anything I had ever felt before ripped through my back and chest. Limbs suddenly feeling like lead, I looked down and saw the bloody tip of something metal sticking out from my chest. There was a strange chuckle from behind me and a gloved hand gripped my shoulder, then the blade was pulled out and as my blood began to splatter against the ground I saw the it flash in front of my face.

It was way longer and more sturdy looking than any of my Dad's carving knives. On the parts that weren't completely covered in red there was a pretty sort-of-tribal pattern that I think might have been copper plate, burned onto the main blade but I couldn't place the style – Though it was vaguely familiar. The handle was covered in paper, probably to keep off finger prints, and the hand that held it was big and wearing a black glove. It was only for a split second but that image is very clear in my mind.

Then it sunk into my throat, probably to cut off any screams.

There was no more pain (adrenaline might've kicked in I think) but the smell of copper was so strong and my throat was filled with so much blood I couldn't even gurgle. I think I might've thrown or dropped my wallet at that point (not sure it even matters really), and then my killer (a guy judging by hand size) let go of my shoulder and I staggered one, maybe two feet forwards before falling with a 'splat' onto the concrete below.

At that point my vision started to go. Everything was dark and blurry; every sound I could hear was horribly distorted. I think... I might have heard somebody talking but I couldn't make out any of it.

Needless to say, that was the moment I died.

As I said before, nothing but black with no sky, earth or anything is a really horrible, boring place. Truth is, I have no idea how long I was there but it really felt like forever.

Damn whoever said living in a world with no chaos was good! No chaos means nothing ever changes! Not EVER! Do you have any idea how frustrating that is when you're stuck there?!

...Sorry about that. Even just remembering that place makes me upset.
Of course I wasn't bored straight away. When I first arrived in that empty place I was mostly scared.

First of all, I was dead. Second, I had been murdered. But worse by far was the third thing; I was so completely alone. It felt more like everyone and everything I knew in the world had died and disappeared rather than me, and that thought terrified me so much that there's no way I'd be able to describe that feeling without sounding completely insane.

I hated it so much I refused to believe it. Then after god knows how long, the reality I was the one dead sunk in and I cried, screamed; the works.

Then I was like I got too tired to cry any longer and in some ways, even the blank nothingness seemed to disappear.

Gold pov.

It was dark and cold inside that dream. Nothing moved, and while there were no threatening sounds or anything but somehow I felt terrified. Suddenly there was a flash of warm light and a sharp pain stabbed through my head and forced me awake.

Gasping for air and clutching my blanket in my hands, I gazed around the room in a daze. I'd say my room but it wasn't. I was actually at my cousin Skye's house. Normally I didn't sleep over that much (cause the place is filled with junk and their Poochyena is continuously high) or sleep during daylight hours but at the time my mum was overseas trying to get more customers for her and my aunt Mandy's art work shop, and since I'd been performing a few all-nighters to earn some extra cash for our trip (stage work; it's a curse being so talented) my aunt thought it might be better if I stayed at her house for while.

Stretching my limbs so that I could actually move, I looked over to the bookcase and felt my chest ache.
I could tell instantly it wasn't from the occasional hay fever I get this time of year; it was more because of that damn dream. I should explain?

Umm... alright then.

Well, you see, ever since I was young, me and my cousin Skye had this really weird sort of bond. Whenever one of us was hurt or really stressed about something, no matter how far away from each other we are, we always could tell. I know what you're thinking now; this guy's a freak with a creepy cousin complex or something, right? Well the fact is I'm telling the truth.

When I was 5 and broke my arm, Skye on the other side of town screamed and started crying. When Skye almost fainted from her first period pains (Yes, I know that's gross. I don't like talking about it either) I felt the cramps. Which by the way, really fucking sucks. I'm a guy! I don't need any more hormone problems than I already have!
Even when we started going to different schools (since, well... I don't wanna talk about it) I'd phone or visit whenever I thought Skye was feeling upset and always found that I had been completely right.

It sounds weird and it is but that's the way we'd always been. Maybe it came from being born so close together or maybe 'cause we were both crazy, but I knew my cousin was not feeling wonderful. And with that dream still stabbing at my chest so sharp I was just hoping she didn't have a heart attack or something.

Finally (after doing my wake-up stretches and making sure my hair looked just the way I like it, with what my mom likes to call my 'exploding bangs') I staggered out of the room and walked down the stairs. About half way down, the pain suddenly stopped and suddenly I felt all warm and cosy.

What the hell was that girl doing? You can't just go from being in agony to being all warm and fuzzy feeling! Unless of course you're in love or ...doing something else. Maybe she finally told that old crush of hers how she felt? Was he even in town?

Chuckling at the thought, I walked into the kitchen where Mandy and my uncle Bru were sitting and pulled out a chair and beamed up at them cheerfully.

"Hey Bru! I didn't know you'd be coming home early! Did the Library get set on fire by a new trainer's pokemon again?" I was still grinning ear to ear until I saw my Auntie's face.

Now, before I go any further, I have to clear something up.

While I do love my blood mother and father with all my heart, Aunt Mandy has always been like a second mom to me. Whereas my mom was always off doing office work and my dad was off at the construction site in Olivevine City, Mandy and Bru would always end up taking care of me and Skye, and since Bru worked in the Library in Cheerygrove City so we were often left with Aunt Mandy. And because of this, I know that she never looked sadder than she did right then. Glancing up at my uncle, I felt a chill shudder through me when I saw the gentle man's face covered in tears.

"Gold..."Seeing my confused face, Aunt Mandy placed a hand on my shoulder, her voice unusually soft as she spoke.

"Gold...We were going to wait till later till we told you but... We just got a call from the police... They found Skye's body next to the pokemart a few minutes ago... She's dead."

My eyes widened with shock and I felt my whole body go numb. "Wha...but... How..?" My voice cracked as I began to shake my head. Uncle Bru continued to stare into space as Aunt Mandy looked down at me, a sympathetic expression covering her face.

"They said she was stabbed. Probably from behind. They asked if we knew who would have seen her last... I told Sophia and Grey over the phone and...I..." I watched, as for the first time in my life my aunty began to cry in front of me.

Soon all of the family's pokemon joined in and I found myself in a chair (Skye's) in the living room, staring blankly out the window. I don't know how long I sat numb like that but at some point Nutmeg walked over and rubbed her head against my legs trying to comfort me; probably the first time she'd ever come up to me without hissing or scratching.

Picking her up and placing her on my lap, I felt my eyes burn as tears threatened to run down my face. Feeling sick to my stomach I held the usually savage pokemon close to me and then, I couldn't stop it, I started up too.

"She was murdered... Why? How come I couldn't tell? Why couldn't I have warned someone in time to save her?!" Hearing my whispered curses through my jagged sobbing, Nutmeg licked me softly on the cheek and pushed my head up with her tail. Normally I would have been a bit nervous about this (I'm not kidding when I say that Glameow must've developed a taste for my blood by now) but I was too badly in shock; her determined expression was so fierce and raw with emotion... It was something I had never seen on anyone before let alone a pokemon, and yet somehow... I got it.

I knew what she wanted and why she had come to comfort me, the person she disliked most. She had heard all of it; she knew what had happened and that someone out there was responsible for it.

And she wanted that someone to pay in blood.

I locked her determined stare with my own.

"You want that bastard to pay." The Glameow gave a slight nod then flexed her claws until they were just shy of slicing into my leg. "You and me... We've never really gotten along that well but... I'm going to find the one who did this. It won't be to kill them -Jen would never forgive me- but I... At the very least I can find the one who did it and make sure that bastard spends the rest of his life paying for it! ...Will you settle for that?"

Nutmeg nodded solemnly then rubbed her head against my cheek before she ran out the room only to come back seconds later with a tiny pokeball held delicately in between her jaws. Placing a paw on my knee the Glameow glanced up at me cautiously then carefully dropped it onto my lap.

Her pokeball. The one Skye had drawn a crude sketch of a cat with permanent marker on.

I felt myself stare.

It's so common place these days that most people don't really think about it anymore but a pokemon allowing itself to be caught or handing you its pokeball is actually a pretty big deal. A pokemon that does that is not just saying 'Let's be friends!' in a squeaky voice like on one of those horrible Sunday afternoon programs; it's entrusting you with its very life and future.For one that didn't even like me that much to give me her pokeball, practically a memento at this point...

That got to me. Way more than I'd like to admit.

Pokemon killing and eating one another for food or people killing out self defence... I get that. But my cousin's death? It was just like the time with Ataro; something fucking senseless that ruined other people's lives.

It didn't make me angry-I should've been angry-but I just felt numb. Powerless.

But we were going to change that.

No matter what, I would still head out on my pokemon journey. But instead of simply only aiming for the pokemon league, I was going to be doing something far more important.

I was going to find my best friend's killer.

Side notes:

Gold:
Pokemon seen so far: 4
Pokemon owned: 1
Party Pokemon: Nutmeg the Glameow: Lv. 20
Badges: zero.