Chapter 01: Begin

Oh, privilege.

This girl was certainly privileged. He had seen her around New Bark Town from time to time and he had certainly heard a lot about her. The girl was like a celebrity in the small town, as well as in Cherrygrove, where Brad actually lived. Brad wasn't sure of her name, but he was pretty sure that she was somehow related to good old Professor Elm. She was wealthy, lovely, educated and apparently had the makings of the next Pokémon champion- and she was only fifteen. According to the whispered rumors, she was from a big city in Hoenn, a hot shot at her high-status training school. But if she had been so good, why had she left? Nobody willingly gave up that sort of prestige, especially not for a level 5 starter Pokémon and two months in New Bark Town.

But then again, what did he know? He was poor.

That was the reason why he was standing outside of Elm's window, freezing his ass off and watching this girl receive her first Pokémon. He was growing more and more nervous as it appeared that she was preparing to leave.

Poke' Balls? Check. Town Map? Check. Potions? Check.

Was he really going to go through with this? ...Did he really have a choice?

This girl- whoever she was- was walking out the door. Elm was leaving the room. His moronic aides were nowhere. This was his chance, his one and only chance. The only hope he had for ever being a Pokémon trainer.

Do it! NOW!

As much as he wanted to sit there and fight with his raging conscious, Brad obeyed the nagging voice in his head. He slid through the window with ease, his slender frame never once giving him a problem. He looked around the empty room, fighting both panic and his feet, which had apparently grown three sizes larger within thirty seconds, as they didn't want to move. As quickly and quietly as possible, he made his way over to the table where two Poke' Balls sat. If Brad was lucky, the old professor was busy. If Brad was lucky, he would be tied up for at least ten minutes, so that Brad could look over the two Pokémon and assess which would be best for him.

The feeling of the Poke' Balls in his hand was sheer heaven. Brad closed his eyes for a minute, trying to imagine the Pokémon that could possibly be inside- the Pokémon which would be his, as long as he made a clean getaway. If he was so lucky… He ran his thumb over the hinge of the Poke Ball , itching to let the two out so that he could maybe make a final decision.

Brad opened his eyes, scanning the room quickly to see if there were any more Pokémon laying about. The sight that greeted him was not so pleasant, however. Professor Elm was leaving the room he had entered in. His eyes were on a pile of papers, but they would be gleaming with fury within no time at all once he saw Brad standing there. Brad tried to quietly put down the Pokémon in his left hand, whatever it was, but he had underestimated the distance between his hand and the table, and it fell to the floor with a crash.

The professor looked up, startled, and just as Brad had predicted, turned red within the blink of an eye, more than likely furious, but levelheaded enough to know not to holler yet. "Who are you and what are you doing with that Pokémon?" he asked loudly.

Brad's first thought was to say that he was there to get his first Pokémon and was just checking out the remaining Pokémon while waiting for the great professor. It was a ridiculous thought, though. Brad was scruffy and rumpled, far from the pristine beauty that the girl earlier had displayed. Not that Brad could help it- his last few nights had been spent under a small bridge. Some nights he was lucky enough to sneak into the Pokémon Center and sleep on a couch in a vacant room, but far too often, the nurse on duty yelled at him and told him that only trainers were allowed to sleep there. If the nurse wouldn't even give him a place to sleep, why would Professor Elm give him a Pokémon?

From the look in his eyes, Professor Elm wasn't going to give him a chance, and Brad sure as hell wasn't going to give this man the opportunity to take away his only dream. If he had no chance of becoming a trainer, Brad had nothing left.

And so he ran without ever saying a word.

Professor Elm tried to run after him, but slender, lanky Brad was too quick for him. He sped off towards route 29, his somewhat long blonde hair blowing in the wind. The old professor was yelling at him, but it became harder and harder to hear him. Brad knew that he was probably going to call the police, and if they caught him, he would be in a lot of trouble. Theft was a serious crime, especially stealing from someone like Professor Elm.

You had no choice. This is your only chance.

Brad knew that the stupid nagging voice was right. What else was there for Brad to do? He wasn't educated or particularly skilled in anything. All he had was a love for Pokémon and a desire to train them. He wanted to be a Gym Leader, maybe even an Elite Four member. He didn't have the knowledge or background to possibly do anything else.

As he neared Cherrygrove City, he slowed down a little. Professor Elm was back in New Bark Town, and the police probably hadn't even gotten to his lab yet. This was going to be the only peaceful moment in his journey, probably the only moment where he wouldn't be hunted down like a volatile Houndour. He was going to relax for just a minute, going to close his eyes and take it in- the smells, the warmth, just the feeling of finally being out there…

"Excuse you."

Brad had been prepared to apologize for knocking into her, whoever she was, but then he opened his eyes and realized it was her. The girl from the lab, the one who was related to Professor Elm. Her big violet eyes were narrowed, glaring at him. She didn't deserve the apology, rude little princess. "No, excuse you, your majesty," he said coldly, taking a step to the left and putting his hand on his Poke' Ball, still not sure what Pokémon was even in there.

It's on.

 