A Story of Friends

Chapter 2

"Well, tomorrow's your birthday, and your mother and I agree that it's time for you to begin your journey on your own, not just sit around the house anymore."

"But I don't just sit around the house," I barged in, "I either help you guys out or I'm out in the woods."

"But it's not good for you," he continued, still in his serious voice, "Kids your age need friends that aren't your family; you need to see the world, whether you realize it or not. And on top of that, you really need to find your starter soon, especially since you don't want to go to a professor or have us get one for you. Just three days ago I caught your sister her birthday present for a month from now, because she accepted our offer. You need to do something soon, and by soon I mean today."

"Wait Dad, you mean I only have today left to find a pokemon on my own?" I questioned him, shocked if that was the true conclusion.

"Yes, you have today, and that's it." He looked sad, almost as if he didn't want to reach this conclusion, but I was forcing his hand.

In a way, I was hurt by their decision, and especially that they didn't trust me. But I also understood where he was coming from. Most kids left home at eleven years old, and me, I was about to turn sixteen. Five years was way too long to not find any partners.

To be honest, I could have just chosen any pokemon in the forest as well. Many of them have wanted to go with me before, but I only let them join me on my walk. It just wasn't right, but maybe that was what I needed right now to appease my parents.

Seeing me think, my father said one more thing.

"You have all day, so you better get started. Be careful, and if anything bad happens, come let us know, just in case." As he spoke, he stood up and started walking back to the house, calling Arcanine in after him through the field.

I was left alone, so I stood back up as well, and walked into the woods.

Good thing I brought my pokeball, I thought, gratefully.

At this point I had made up my mind just to find a weak caterpie or zigzagoon and ask it if it wanted to join me, but after four hours of searching, I couldn't find any of the normal 'mons that were usually around. The rays of sun shining through the trees was about the only source of light and sound there that day, and it was creepy. I was glad that I thought ahead to grab berries as I went though, because I for sure forgot about food.

It felt like something was wrong in these woods that day. Not even the bird 'mons whistled and sang. It was eerie.

So I went deeper into the forest.

I don't quite know why I wanted to make that choice, but something was pulling me closer in. There was this gut feeling that told me to keep looking, but with more risk and reward.

The farther in I went, the darker it became, with only tiny slivers of light peeking through. It was way past lunchtime by the time I stopped to eat because I still wasn't satisfied with the progress I was making.

There was a large log around the edge of a small clearing, almost perfect for battles. The tree trunk was around the side of it, with the darkest part of the woods on one side, and the way out on the other. I went to go sit down on it to eat the berries I had gathered, as a way to hold me off until I could get a real meal, but right as I sat down, I froze.

There was something looking out at me from the bushes on the other side of the clearing. Bright, red eyes.

Neither of us moved. It was impossible to tell what it was in the bushes, but it was moving, so the obvious answer was a pokemon. Which pokemon was the real question.

What I was scared of the most was a gengar. Another option was a trevenant, which would have been real scary, but it was two eyes. Either way, I was convinced it was a ghost pokemon come to steal my soul away.

After a couple of minutes, I still didn't want to move, as if it would save me from my horrible self-convinced fate. However, movement wasn't my choice alone to make.

As the pokemon came out of the bushes, I saw a black horn make its way through first, followed by a sleek white body, and a white mane coming down from the head. And those red eyes never moved off of me, but they shone a little less, and were almost curious and comforting. I was confused as heck.

It was an Absol.

Some of my fears left, but just as they did, even more took their place. My mom always talked about how Absols are fickle to people, and to train them was an impressive feat. I wasn't ready to get shiska-bobbed on that horn of his.

Slowly he continued to walk up to me, so smooth and calm that the silence was deafening. He came all the way up to me, and sat, so close that I could've reached and pet him, which of course I didn't do.

He cocked his head at me, almost like he was studying me in my shocked state. Before he did anything else though, a loud roar echoed from the deepest part of the forest.

And two giant pokemon ran out from the pitch black of the trees.