Chapter 1

The salty breeze filled this cozy coastal town, the morning sun accompanied by the chirps of flying pokemon looking for their breakfast. A garbage truck pulls up along a white road, parking in front of a two-way alley in between a few retail shops. The door opens up as a man hops out of the driver's side, he notices a young teenager sleeping on the alley floor, the teens back is against the wall resting his weary head on the green filled dumpster. The garbage man sighs to himself; he has seen this scene every week for the last two months as he slowly walks towards the dumpster. Poor kid has nowhere to go, the garage man thinks to himself, sighing again.

"Hey, get up, you know its trash day here," the man says as he kicks my leg. I wake up squinting as the daylight shines brightly, I hold up my hand to my face to block the light to see who I am talking to. "Fuck Kieth, stop kicking me. Do you know how hard it is to sleep outside in an alley?" He grunts in response and is already moving the dumpster I was using as a headrest. Keith continues to wheel the dumpster to the garbage truck and mentions to me without turning back, "today's the day isn't it?" I look at his back, "yeah it's today," I respond as I get my tired body up and start walking the other way out of the alley and towards my destiny.

'Look at this asshole, walking with a Charmander as his starter, probably had his mommy or daddy buy it for him. He's probably not even gonna be a trainer, he'll end up like some high-priced lawyer douche that works at Silph Co.' I mutter to myself as I watch some prick kid my age hugging his new pokemon while walking between his parents. I don't care about his pokemon, him having smiling parents, that's what revs me up. Parents, it's all an orphan ever wants. That want only grows when you get bounced house to house and eventually, the system loses track of you, or sometimes it's just better to lose the system. Staying on the street is easier than dealing with a mean drunk at home. You can warm your freezing body in the morning, but broken bones take a few days to heal at the Pokecenter. I continue down the street, passing by the giggling rich dick and his parents, finally making it to my destination. "Can we get some breakfast mom" I hear the kid say as I roll my eyes walking into the store as the electric doors slide closed behind me.

"Welcome to the Terracotta Town Pokecenter, I am nurse Joy, how can I help you today?" That bubbly voice, I've heard it a million times. Usually, after my foster dad has a forty and starts thinking about what a failure he is. I slowly start walking towards the pink-haired nurse standing behind the counter next to her Chansey. "I'm here for the pokemon trainer license," I mutter as the nurse nods her head and begins reaching for forms under the counter. "Fill these out, when you are finished, return the forums to me," she says with a smile. "I'll fill out my name clearly so you will know what to put on my tombstone," I reply while looking at her smile falter. We both know that most trainers that leave never make it back and it's rare to ever find their body.

I plop myself down on the waiting room chair inside the Pokecenter as I look over the forum.

Pokemon League Trainer License

Name: Rhys Bishop

Date of Birth: 1/10/87

Social Security Number: 551 /15/ 5515

Emergency Contact: None

Highest Level of Pokemon School: None

Do you have a starter Pokemon: No

What city would you like to start: Viridian City

Please note that by signing your name at the bottom of the Pokemon League Trainer License Forum, the Pokemon League is no longer responsible for your safety outside of any safe zone. The Kanto Government would like you to know that thirty percent of all trainers die within their first year of the profession, while twenty percent become permanently injured and can no longer continue the League Circuit. By signing your name at the bottom automatically qualifies you for the following:

Pokemon License One

Starter Pokemon

One Travel Ticket To Any City

Five Pokeballs

Please note that the start of the Pokemon Circuit starts April 1st of every year.

X_______Rhys Bishop______

I stand up cracking my back as I head back over to nurse Joy, "have you filled out the forums" Joy asks as I nod handing over the paper. "Perfect," she says mostly to herself as she makes the 'follow me' motion with her hand. We walk over to the end of the counter where a computer is located. Nurse Joy types my information into her computer, "almost done, just need to finish up typing and print out your pokemon license than we grab you a starter." Joy says while she continues typing. After a while, she motions for me to stand in front of a camera that's off on the side of the counter. The flash was blinding, but I soon hear my license printing. She hands a Pokemart coupon, a traveling voucher that I quickly stuff in my pocket, and then hands me my pokemon license, as I look down at my picture on my license she says. "Follow me over here and we can get you that stater." As she turns and starts walking towards a pokemon trading system as I hurry to catch up to her.

"If you slide your pokemon license in here" Joy states pointing to a part of the trading machine "and follow the prompt your pokemon in a Pokeball will come out here" she finished her sentence while pointing to another part of the machine and walks away.

'Ok Rhys, this is it' I say trying to pump myself up. 'If I get something good, I might just survive this shit and be able to make enough to feed, clothe, and house myself.' I continue muttering to myself as I slide my pokemon license into the machine. "Welcome new trainer, please finish creating an official pokemon league account." The machine states while showing my information on a screen, with two red boxes empty that needed to be filled with an account name, and a password. I type my account name and password and review the rest of the information on the screen, seeing that it's correct I hit the giant green accept button. "Information processed and accepted, selecting random pokemon starter" The machine voiced, as it beeped and lit up, and then there it was, a Pokeball rolling down and stopping right where nurse Joy said it would.

"This is it," I say to the Pokeball as I slowly reach for it. "I need you to be amazing, I need you to be strong, if you aren't we both will die," I whisper as I pick up the Pokeball finding it warm to the touch. I point to the ground with the Pokeball in my hand and release the pokemon. I watch the pokemon materialize, my lips curve themselves into a smirk, "Perfect" I whisper as I recall it back to the ball and walk out the doors of the pokemon center, as the electric doors slide close behind me.