(Fanart in media by izayoix)

I sighed, trudging through Cerulean City. The words of the Gym Leader worker flickered though my mind, "Sorry. Our gym leader, Misty, is out right now. She is probably at Cerulean Point. That is by Bill's place, just past the Nugget Bridge."

The shimmering bridge of gold started to come into my line of vision, the metal gleaming blindingly in the miday sun. My feet ached, Geniuses were not made for walking so much... I grumbled mentally, fingering the two pokeballs clasped to my belt.

Once I was up to the bridge formed from solid gold, I leaned up against a pillar at the beginning. With little energy, I slid down for a break, "Wow, you just started your journey and you're already exhausted. That's just pathetic." A voice chuckled.

Tiredly, I rolled my neck to face the Kanto champion. My mind had so many words running through that I could have used against him. The only thing that slipped past my lips was, "Stalker."

Blue rolled his russet eyes and ran his fingers though his spiked orange hair, "I'm not stalking you. I am making sure you don't do something stupid, pesky girl."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I spoke in a very offended tone.

"Look, I'm not calling you an idiot," he began in a very bored tone, as if he really was. "But cheating any further, will just cause more problems."

I locked gazes with the Kanto champion for a moment, not even a breath was taken. At the last moment I looked off into the Maya blue water that rushed below the bridge, "Well, it's pretty impossible to hack now. I don't have my laptop, which has all my programs on it..." Quickly, I fell into remorse, "it's been a week now. I wonder if my mom is worried. Scared. Maybe she's relieved now."

"What are you talking about? Your mom was happy to see you off. Glad you received a pokemon."

I shot a glare back at up at him. I wasn't mad at him though, just upset in the slightest degree, "That's not the mom I'm talking about. I'm talking about the mom in the world you pulled me from," I sighed, shuffling my knees against one another. I looked down at my feet. "It's not the feeling that I know she is crying because I am gone. It is this fear within me that says she's happy that I'm not there..."

Back then, I believed that my mother just saw me as a burden that was a walking reminder of my father. If I was gone, I assumed that she would be happy there was nothing holding onto the memory of the man she loved so much and lost so terribly.

My thinking had been interrupted by my little white explorer's hat being pulled down my face, "Come on, Mopey. Stand up, we're having a pokemon battle."

I tipped my hat back up as I gazed up at the trainer in front of me, "You expect me, a trainer who has only obtained one badge so far from Brock, can beat the champion of Kanto?" Uncertainty was laced in my tone along with the essence of undermining his decision.

The teenager just smirked, "I bred Blastoise and received an egg. Then captured some other pokemon around here. You are gonna need a rival on this journey that acts as a level monitor for you." Blue stretched out his hand in preparation. I accepted it and rose back to my feet.

I didn't even question the fact that pokemon couldn't be bred until the second generation.

"What an honor, that a champion like you lowered yourself to my level," I joked, rolling my dark eyes at the teenager.

Blue played my game and pressed the top of my hat down, "It is an honor, ya' loser."

"Hey, I haven't lost yet! Actually, I'm going to win. It's decided!" I declared, running back a good 10 feet. I pulled from my belt a pokeball and though it out. My eyes tracked it in the air and observed it burst open with a bright flash.

The tawny feathered pigeon burst out, a few cream feathers fluttering around as it flapped onto the bridge floor. The small Pidgey turned its head to me and let out a small coo as it fluttered its small wings. Was the bird greeting me? I didn't really care, it was just a pokemon. I simply nodded towards where Blue stood with pokeball in hand. I rose an eyebrow as he tossed out his own pokeball.

A Pidgeotto appeared, fluffing out its head. Salmon feathers trailed down the back of its head, while its tinted beak was just partially open, "Now what were you saying about winning earlier?"

I just smiled condescendingly, masking the fact that I knew this was a downhill battle, "Let's just get this battle underway..."

Blue flicked his gingery hair, "Ladies first."

"Such a gentleman," I grumbled under my breath before giving an order to my pokemon, "Quick attack, Pidgey." I said bluntly. It was a disconnect in the battle, as if there was still a screen between the battle and myself.

The small bird darted at the larger one. A smile pulled at my lips, my calculations are spot on. The attack has perfect trajectory, there is no way the attack can't hit the Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeotto, use whirlwind and then fly up," Blue commanded effortlessly, his shoulders sinking back with experience. Without even a subtle hint of hesitation, his pokemon whipped out strong winds around itself, plumes of dust and light debris being swept up. The strong gusts repelled my Pidgey, sending it back towards me. The opponent's Pidgeotto shot higher into the air. "Follow with gust." The large Pidgeotto's muscular wings dashed across one another, sending a powerful wind at my Pidgey. Once the attack hit, the tiny bird was tossed to my feet.

My pokemon's dusty feathers were pointing in all directions. The little avian make no effort to rise back and continue fight. The only thing that moved was the light rise and fall of Pidgey's flank, giving me its vitals. Mortification washed over me followed by anger, "Cheater, you only have one attack a round! First me, then you, me again, then you again!" I started to shrill at Blue, returning Pidgey to its capsule. I didn't care that my pokemon could be seriously injured, I was just angry that the one who would lecture me about cheating, was the one to do just that.

Blue was recalling his Pidgeotto back when he spoke, "This is the real world now. It isn't a simulator you play. All is fair in love in war. A pokemon battle is a war of its own, so and send out your next pokemon and I'll do the same."

I started to grumble to myself before sending out the only pokemon I had left mostly in silence. The pokeball casually rolled across the bridge flooring before popping open with some glitters floating around in the air for a few moments. The Siamese green skinned pokemon burst out with a sea green bulb on its back that matched its patchy spots covering its entire body. The grass type's ruby eyes glinted as it looked between Blue and I. As if it had just realized it was sent into battle, the Bulbasaur jumped into a battle formation with stem-like legs parted strongly.

Maybe Blue wanted me to win or something, because the next pokemon he sent out was probably the worst. Or maybe it was that he wanted to teach me a lesson.

The Kanto champion through out his pokeball and a tiny powder blue turtle popped out. His hardy caramel shell shined in the sun rays. It batted its violet eyes at us before readying itself for a battle in horse-position.

"Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" I instructed effortlessly. The grass-starter understood, opening it's bulb up delicately. Like bullets from a gun, tiny seeds shot out from the opening and impacted the target. The seed instantly shot out a creamy shade of roots that wrapped around Squirtle in every angle. They lit up a slight red, draining away the pokemon's health and sending it to Bulbasaur in golden orbs of energy.

Blue remained tranquil in the battle, "Now, Squirtle, use Tackle."

The tiny turtle nodded back at its trainer and lunged out at my pokemon. I remained silent and let the attack come on, following as the Squirtle sent my Bulbasaur a few feet back and onto its back, "Bulbasaur, Vine whip." I directed the small poison-grass type. Though, it ignored my orders for the moment, preoccupied with attempting to roll off from its bulb. Sweat dribbling down from its forehead, legs waggling in the air violently.

"Tackle once more."

Squirtle again rammed into Bulbasaur, flying it back another foot.

"Again."

"Again."

"Again."

I just watched helplessly as my starter was kicked around like a soccer ball until Blue stopped the order. When it was all finished, all I could do was stare at where Bulbasaur lie. It was battered and beaten, no doubt about it. A purple-ish blue bruise was forming over its right front leg knee. Yet, it struggled infrequently to rise. If it did, the starter would just to fall back down. Every attempt the pokemon cried out in anguish, its breathing turned thicker with each try to rise.

Sullenly, I merely bent down and returned the starter back to its pokeball, "Yo loser."

I clicked both pokeballs back into their places on my waist, ignoring Blue's voice as I took off. I was such a child, running away. But I had nothing to say to Blue, not anymore. I started to make my way to the orange roofed pokemon center just a couple dozen feet away.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," I remained silent as I heard him jogging behind me. That was up until Blue grabbed my shoulder to pull me back, a few of my hairs getting stuck between his fingers. "Stop being a sore loser and listen to me."

"What?" I breathed angrily, "What could you possibly have say?"

He let out a breath of air, "Look, I'm not gonna rub salt in the wound here. But, if you're going to live in this universe now, you have to adjust to its rules. Turns don't matter here, that's life. Not a game. Two, your pokemon are no longer just weapons for battle, they have lives just like you and I. Your pokemon have a spirit. You saw the difference between your Pidgey and Bulbasaur, right? Pidgey just gave up, but Bulbasaur still wanted to fight. They're all different. They aren't that different from us humans, if you ever want to even think about winning against me... I would strengthen that 'bond' you have with your pokemon." I only held my glare at him, even if he didn't deserve it. I just didn't like losing. The champion sighed, believing his words weren't reaching me before he walked off somewhere I'd never care about. And so I continued about my business, striding into the Pokemon Center where Nurse Joy took my pokemon.

"Just one moment," she said with a bright smile pulling into her rosy cheeks. She placed my two pokeballs into the large rectangular machine behind the desk. She flicked a switch on the side panel, and like that the pokemon where healed. She craned her head to look back at me with a grin, "You're pokemon are all healed up! Please be more careful next time, we hope to see you again!" She beamed, handing my pokeballs back to me.

I gave her the type of response she would want to hear before walking through the sliding doors of the Center. Out on Cerulean City's dirt streets I faced the back of a ranch style house. Off to my left was the metal walled gym and to my right was a long path leading to the route before. The few sprites that were around didn't seem to care about me and continued about their business.

Steadily I reached for a pokeball on my waist sash. I opened it up and saw the grass-poison starter pop out, blinking its big crimson eyes at me with an affectionate curiosity. I knelt down to its level and rubbed the Bulbasaur's head, "I guess I never introduced myself yet, did I? My name is Leaf. I am going to be traveling around Kanto. Granted, I am new at this and am going to struggle often. Like what happen today facing Blue. So, let's start over, okay? I'll start working with you like were a team. That's what you wanted, wasn't it? Not a trainer, but a partner."

The Bulbasaur sat there, processing the entire my short monologue. I spent the creature's thinking time to examine the pokemon. I couldn't decipher if it was either more plant like or animal like. Though I soon took note on the long black lashes.

My Bulbasaur was female.

Of all the odds, the percentage of receiving a female starter is a 12.5% chance. I got in that margin of chance.

Before I could have taken any more observations, she leapt into my arms, "Bulba!" she cried out in happiness. The creature beginning to nuzzle its awkward shaped head into my shoulder cutely.

I smiled and held Bulbasaur close, "I'll take that as a yes!" her and I laughed and played for a while. We challenged Misty later, once she had come back from Cerulean point.

Yet, that time I was learning more about Bulbasaur, I learned something about myself. I had used a Bulbasuar that I hacked into Red's party when I was just a player. I always found it's typing less than useful. So I disliked it.

But I never hated Bulbasaurs. I just never had a friendship with my pokemon quiet like this.

Well, granted, I have never been in the pokemon world before either.

This was just one lesson learned, many more were to come. I just didn't know how much they would change me, inside and out.