In Lava [Pokémon Watty Awards, 2016 2nd Place Romance]

Prologue

Before we begin, I am going to take the liberty to warn the audience of a few things. This book will have some mature content. However, there won't be any lemons if some of you are wondering. There will be sexual references every now and again with a few sugvestive and partially detailed mature scenes but nothing graphic. With that out of the way, enjoy the read.
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The sun shone brightly upon Route 103, causing many a Taillow to sing. Zigzagoon skittered through the grass, quite unaware of the presence nearby. In a tall tree, there stood a bipedal reptilian creature, a Treecko. He had yellow irises with long, narrow pupils. He was green with a red underbelly and an even darker green tail. His eyes seemed to be fixed on a Zigzagoon that was munching on a few berries.

The berries were but a ploy in order to keep the fleet-footed Pokémon from escaping. The reptile glanced down to the other side of the tree to see a young man standing against the trunk. He had hazel eyes and fair skin. He wore an odd white hat with a black and red band around it that, if not inspected, could be mistaken for his hair. He had dark chocolate locks tucked inside the hat. He wore a red and black collared shirt with black and gray shorts. Topping off the ensemble, he wore a pair of black and red shoes.

The lad glanced over at the Zigzagoon and crooked his finger up at his companion in the trees as a signal. Treecko called upon the power of his element, his eyes lighting up in the process. In a swift motion, he thrust his hand downward and sent his energy into the tree. The power of nature surged through the tree, down the trunk and into the roots. Before the Zigzagoon could react, grass vines shot up from the ground and ensnared him. Treecko lept high and flipped forward, his tail coming down hard on Zigzagoon's head, sending it into a daze.

With a practiced hand, the young man fired a red and white sphere at the entangled Zigzagoon. A crimson light absorbed the critter and the ball closed up again. After a third twitch, the ball clicked and all went silent. A grin spread across the face of the lad as he made his way over and picked up the ball.

"Okay, that makes three today for dad to look at. Great job Treecko!" The young man affirmed.

Treecko nodded and lept onto his trainer's shoulder. Just then, a ringing noise caught his attention. The lad reached down and picked up a device and pressed the button to receive a call.

"Hey dad," he said casually.

"Brendan my boy! How'd it go?" Brendan's father asked cheerfully.

"We got three here for you to look at. I know how hard it was to get a Zigzagoon, but we caught one," Brendan replied.

"Good! Those slippery rascals always get away from me," replied the Professor.

"Yeah, but this one didn't. This Treecko you had bred is fantastic. Grass Knot is incredibly handy," Brendan said with a grin.

"Well, it was a birthday and graduation gift. I wanted to make sure the process went smoothly. Which reminds me, son. You've yet to get started on your own journey. Perhaps you might decide to fill up that Pokédex I gave you and collect badges as well," Birch suggested.

"Hmmm...that is something that I want to do. Oh! Dad. We have new neighbors don't we? I believe May was her name, right?" Brendan asked.

"Quite right. As a matter of fact, she should be on her way to you. She is just starting out as a trainer and says she could use some help," stated the Professor.

"Ah, well if that's the case, I'll be happy to assist. I'll wait here. I kinda wanna look for more Pokémon. Who knows? I might find something else I want," Brendan laughed.

"Sounds good son! Well, your mother needs me to help her with something. Just come home when you finish."

"Will do, dad," Brendan replied, turning off the gear.