1.2 - Who Says That‽

We trained a good bit. Derek fought against others of his kind and Al took on anything on which she could get her paws. Ashley was more selective and only battled certain pokémon (ones she deemed not likely to harm her) and Ben was a reliable back up. After battling near Pallet Town a bit, we went back to Viridian City. The gym was old, decrepit and locked.

"What exactly is a pokémon gym?" Ben looked at me curiously.

"Its a place where you test your skill to see how many opponents you can smash," Al responded.

"I disagree," Ashley said. "While you can test your skill, it is more about proving yourself as a capable trainer than it is about such a...base goal."

"It also allows you to show your accomplishments to others," I said. "When you win, you get a Badge. They allow you to do more powerful things and let you past certain areas. While they can be a status symbol, they also raise your stats and garner you respect."

"It is not the only way to be respected," Ashley pointed out, "but probably the most common."

"And the best," Al added.

Ben smiled. "Okay. Sounds like a fun thing to me. Do you plan on competing?"

"I might," I responded. "But we'll have to see." I paused. "If you want, I can show you where you go with those badges."

"Sweet!"

I took my team west of Viridian, intending on showing them Victory Road and Indigo Plateau, the places where the best trainers in the land practice and fight. Of course, there was a Kevin blocking my way when I got there.

"They don't let weaklings like us in there," he said.

"I know. I just wanted to..."

"Besides, you wouldn't last one minute in there."

"I know, but I was..."

"Not that you could even get near there without any badges."

"I know that Kev. I just wanted to show..."

"So how are your pokémon?"

"Oh my goodness," Ashley said, coming out of her pokéball. "You are a rude little boy and you need to let your friend's speak."

"I see you got a pidgey too," Kevin said, sending out his own. They flew around and battled. It was clear that his pidgey was stronger, so I sent in Derek to finish it off once Ashley was tired. He looked angry at that.

"Okay, time to get serious." He sent out his watery turtle, Squirtle.

Ben hopped out. "I beat this once and I'll beat it again."

The two started fighting but I began to get afraid that his Squirtle would spit water at Ben and hurt him, so I sent out Al to finish it. She whacked it with gusto and knocked it out. Kev frowned at me.

"Well, I guess you have some talent."

"Indeed."

"I'm heading back to train and challenge the gyms. Smell ya later."

He left and we stared at where he was.

"Smell ya later?" Al snorted. "Who says that?"

"I have no clue..." Derek said.

With that, we continued our journey. There was a forest ahead and we entered it. Inside, I saw a cute green caterpillar. It had large eyes for such a small pokémon and crawled right over to me. I named her JoHanna.

JoHanna - ♀ Caterpie

Quirky Nature, Shield Dust ability.

Lvl 3, Viridian Forest

"Well aren't you cute?"

"Why thank you, large human. You aren't terrible looking either," she replied.

"Aww...everything you say is cute and sweet."

"Why thank you. I appreciate that."

"I shall hug you and squeeze you and call you JoHanna."

"Aww..."

"Hey, what about me?" Ben said, looking at me sadly.

"I have enough love to go around," I said, picking up the two of them and giving them a big group hug.

1.1 Venture Forth!

Ben and I quickly sped toward Viridian City. On our way, we met a nice man who worked at their pokémart. He gave us a free sample of their potions. We took it gratefully and vowed to buy more when we got to the city.

Of course, we couldn't actually do that because the man actually working wasn't anywhere near as nice.

"Sorry, but we are holding off selling stuff until we get this package to Professor Oak."

"And why is that?"

"Because it is important to the plot."

"Worst. Reason. Ever."

Ben piped up beside me. "I want a Rare Candy."

"They don't sell those here."

"But I want a Rare Candy."

"Please be quiet. They don't sell those here."

"But...but...I wanna Rare Candy!"

"Ben, please! They aren't selling me anything so, even if they had Rare Candies, I could not get you one."

"Oh."

Phew, he was done.

"I wanna potion."

I looked down and glared at him. He gave me a cute smile, so I picked him up, grabbed the parcel for Oak and headed out.

We headed back to Pallet, fighting the few wild pokémon on the way. Ben got a bit stronger on the way and we made it back to Oak's lab easily. Kevin was there too when I got there.

"Gramps, why did you call me back?"

"Be patient Kevin. Anna, do my eyes deceive me or is that my package from Viridian City?"

"You may be old but your eyes are as sharp as ever." I gave him the package. He set it aside and handed me what looked like a squished, red phone. Kev got one too.

"What the heck is this Gramps?"

"This, my boy, is a pokédex." He started being long-winded again, so I'll cut it down for you.

A pokémon encyclopedia is what it meant. It could store information, specifically on pokémon we catch but also ones that we just see. We can learn a lot and blah blah blah. To fill this was his dream, but he got bogged down with research and making this (and giving us a four-hour story of what he actually did) so the task falls to us intrepid pokémon trainers.

After giving us the story, he gave each of us five pokéballs for a start. I ran back to my house to tell my mom (and Kev's sis met me and gave me a map, not that I needed one) and then Ben and I went off to begin our own pokémon researching adventure!

Let me guess, you want more, right?

Well, right away I met another friend. A purplish mouse with a white underbelly, buck teeth and a curled tail met me in the grass. He became known as Derek.

Derek - ♂ Rattata.

Rash Nature, Guts ability.

Lvl 3, Route 1.

I looked at my pokédex, What the heck does a rash nature even mean?

"I think," Ben said, reading my thoughts, "that a rash nature does stuff impulsively? Maybe?"

"I would agree," Derek said. "I do tend to do that a bit too much. But...I kind of want to go back to sleep actually."

"Fine," I said. "Go in your pokéball and sleep."

We went back to Viridian and headed west to route 22 to check it. We found another friend there - a small-ish, roundish, fuzzy monkey with a pig nose and very lanky limbs. I called this Mankey Al, short for Alice.

Al - ♀ Mankey.

Bashful Nature, Vital Spirit ability.

Lvl 5, Route 22

"Now I know what bashful means," Ben said, reading my pokédex over my shoulder, "but that thing does not look it."

"You're right in that one," Al said. "I tend to be a bit of trouble..."

"Well isn't that just wonderful," I said. "Two trouble-makers and a sleepy-head."

"Oh hush," I heard Derek say from his pokéball.

We continued on from there up to route 2. There was a small brown bird there. She flew straight up to me, tapped my pokéball and went inside it. After being caught, she opened it up and flew out. I looked at her incredulously.

"What? You looked like a nice girl."

Ashley - ♀ Pidgey.

Serious Nature, Keen Eye ability.

Lvl 3, Route 2.

"So...what now?"

"Training? I don't really know."

"Well, I think training isn't a bad idea," Al said. "I'd like to get a bit stronger before we get into that forest up there."

"Okay. So training it is."

1.0 - In the Beginning

Typically, on your sixteenth birthday in our world, you can get your first true pokémon partner. At least, that's what they told me. I've seen younger kids with them and older people without them, but when in Pallet Town, 16 is the age deemed appropriate.

For me.

By my mother.

I know, lame excuse. But seriously, she has empty nest syndrome. Or will...or has a fear of it? I don't really even know what I am trying to say here...

Anyway, Kevin and I (we'll chat about him later) have always been the only kids in town ever since I remember. And I know my mom made a deal with Kev's sister to let us both leave, with pokémon, on my 16th. Which is a bit short of his 16th, but who cares about that.

Kev's sis cares for him because his parents never seem to be around. I mean, they live in the same building but are always very busy working for Kev's granddad, Professor Oak. Kev's sis and my mom would take turns watching the two of us when we were much younger. Kev's sis is a lot older than Kev is. I've never asked how old...always a bit too afraid for that sort of thing.

My mom doesn't have a job or that much to do. She used to teach (I think) but stopped when she met my dad.

My dad...I don't know where to begin. I don't remember much about him, as he left on his own pokémon adventure when I was very young. His second, my mom had said. The first led him to her. He suspended his adventure to spend time with her, marry her and eventually have me. But then he went back out into the world.

My dad is a researcher. Not quite what you would call a pokémon professor, but pretty close by normal standards. At least, that's what my mom said. He had to go and continue working. He sends us letters (and money, which is kinda why he left) regularly and has promised to support my pokémon adventure and try to see me if I do anything special.

As for me and Kevin?

For starters, being the only kids in town made us pretty close. We are good friends (mostly), though Kev (as I often call him)sometimes has annoying tendencies like his constant attempts to beat me. And everyone else. At everything.

Ol' Kev wants to be the best there ever was. He plans on challenging the Indigo League by taking on the gym challenge. Strives for attention due to lack of it from parents? I don't know. I try not to psychoanalyze my friends.

When he gets his pokémon, he plans on going after the eight badges to challenge the Elite Four, as they are called, to become the Pokémon Champion.

I am not sure if I want to do just that. I, after all, have the gift to talk to pokémon. I kinda just want to make a lot of friends. But...I hear that if I have pokémon, I will be challenged. So, I guess I may have to get proficient at battling anyway. And if that is the case, I can battle to get more money for my mom (I don't understand, but apparently the loser has to give the winner money? It never made sense to any of the pokémon with whom I have talked but I suppose they don't have currency). So maybe I'll take on the gym challenge. It depends, I guess, on what my pokémon wants.

Anyway, back to the actual story here (or lack thereof, at the moment).

So today, my sixteenth birthday, Kevin and I will each get a pokémon from good ol' Professor Oak. I just have to actually get out of bed and to his lab...

I rolled out of bed and looked in my closet. I had already packed up my things from my journey and needed only to put on a fresh pair of clothes...that are all already packed. Damn. I always forget that one...

After a bit of unpacking to find matching clothes (not because I am a girl but rather because my mom would request [read: force] me to change into something "presentable" for my birthday), I got downstairs with my bag, ready to go. My mom was watching some show on the TV with odd short people and some sing-y girl in a dress and red shoes. She saw me as I came down. She smiled. "Happy birthday. Oak has been looking for you. Your present is ready."

"Thanks mom. I'll be back in a bit."

I went the short distance to Oak's lab. Inside, I could already see Kev, waiting impaitently (so normally, for him) as Oak was talking about his three pokémon. He saw me and motioned me over. He began explaining again. The old guy talks to much for his own good, so I'll give you all the brief version.

Pokémon come in different types and he just so happens to have three left. The one of the grass type, a short and squat green pokémon with a bulb on its back, is Bulbasaur. The water type, a small blue turtle, is Squirtle. The red lizard of the fire type is Charmander. He is the one I picked. I named him Ben.

Ben - ♂ Charmander.

Lonely Nature, Blaze ability.

Lvl 5, Oak's Lab.

Of course, since Fire is weak against Water, guess what Kev picked?

Yep, my ol' pal tried to one up me with Squirtle. Of course, he is barely capable at battling, so he couldn't possibly beat me when he challenged me right away. It helped that his Squirtle didn't know any water moves...and I had a potion.

"Thank you for picking me," Ben said as we left the lab. "It means a lot."

"Don't mention it. I'm Anna and you're going to be my pal, okay?"

"Sounds good to me. It beats hanging out with Professor Oak and doing nothing but sit around all day."

"Is that all you did?"

"Well, I think. I don't know. I am a pretty young pokémon here, so I may not remember anything else."

"Oh goodness. You do remember that you just won a battle, right?"

"Really?"

"You better be sarcastic, you cute little lizard, or we'll find something more competent to fight you."

"You could never do that. I am a cute little lizard. You just said."

"Indeed. Fine."

He smiled at me. He was indeed a very cute little lizard. I picked him up and hugged him. He kissed my cheek warmly and I put him back down.

"So, fair maiden Anna," he said, "where to now?"

"We're on the road to Viridian City."

Prologue

I live in an interesting world. Most looking in would think of it as a nightmare or something even worse.

I think of it as a world of symbiotic existence.

There are creatures who exist in our world. Monsters, some call them. Pocket monsters, or pokémon, to be exact.

We can capture these creatures using devices called pokéballs. We can do many things with them.

That sounds terrible, I know. In many ways. Let me explain.

People in our world have fun with pokémon.

Oh my goodness, that sounds even worse.

Okay. So pokémon are our friends. Mostly. And I think that is the best way I can put this. Some people play games with pokémon while others just have them as good companions. Some pokémon do jobs or at least help with them, but the most common thing is battling.

Battling is an interesting thing. You try to see whose pokémon is better (or, rather, stronger) by pitting your teams in a heated battle. And the person who makes their opponent's pokémon faint wins.

Except...sometimes the pokémon do more than faint. They...die. And there is nothing more anyone can do.

This doesn't always happen though. I hear it only does in certain conditions. Still, all the pokémon with whom I have talked say they don't mind. As long as they feel a bond with their trainer, they will do whatever their trainer wants. They depend on the guidance of the trainer to keep them safe. And they are prepared to do whatever they can. It is a symbiotic relationship. The pokémon with which I have spoken assure me that they truly want to be with people. Even wild pokémon aren't as apprehensive as people think.

Of course, not everyone knows this. Not everyone can talk to pokémon. I guess I have a gift.

My name is Anna and I can talk to pokémon. And on my 16th birthday, I got the best gift for which I could ever ask. What follows is the story of that gift and what it gave me.

But first, let me say a few more things. I do not claim to be perfect. Far from it. I know that. And you may make judgments about me based upon this. But I ask you to think about what you are doing. I never claimed to be an expert. This is my story and I don't know how it happened at times, but you'll see that I am, if nothing else, competent. I make my own decisions. And I have done all of what follows, fully knowing the consequences. And I hope you will enjoy the adventure. I know I did.

RULES

So here are my rules for this, my Fire Red Nuzlocke Challenge.

1) Fainted pokémon are perma-boxed. All pokémon are nicknamed. No revives allowed, etc.

2) You may only catch the first pokémon on a route.

2 a) Special Dupes Clause: If I run into a duplicate, I MUST hard reset (let's hope I saved). I start again and reenter the grass. If I encounter another dupe, I hard reset again. The third try is the final one - be it a dupe or not - for the route.

2 b) Shiny Clause: If I see a shiny, I may catch it. I may not use it, however, unless it was the first on the route. This also supersedes the special dupes clause.

3) No breeding. Not that you can do it until post game.

4) No master ball.

5) The run ends once I take on the elite four a second time AND beat all in-game legendaries (or catch if I run into them as the first on the route, though it is unlikely).

6) No repels until after the first pokémon has been caught.

7) No trading. In game or otherwise. This is partially because I do not have a link cable. This may be changed to allow for trade evolutions in the future, but I doubt it.