If you were an optimist, you would look at this scene with observant eyes. Noting the nice shady trees, the sun in the sky, the birds singing, and the fact that this would be the day for someone to start an adventure.

If you were a pessimist you would note other things. The storm clouds on the horizon, waiting to come in and rain lighting and water down upon an unsuspecting pedestrian. The shady characters hiding in the alleyways, just waiting to jump out and mug someone. The alarm clock beeping loudly, proclaiming that one particular person was not up in time to start his adventure.

And the fact that he couldn't even remember the amount of times he had gone out to try and become a Pokémon trainer.

Fortunately for Finn, he had the former view.

He would have gone insane otherwise.

With a mildly irritated groan, Finnegan turned over and slapped the alarm clock with his left hand, shutting it off.

Finn pulled himself off of his bed, pulling off his nightclothes along the way. He picked a T-shirt out, one with a simplified Aegislash emblem, and tugged it over his head. Sighing, he reached under his shirt with his left hand and pushed his right hand through the sleeve. Some days he got lucky and managed to slip his hand through on the first try, but today was not one of those days.

After tugging on some new underwear and a pair of cargo shorts, Finn grabbed his things from his bedside table. Pokédex? Check. Phone? Check. Medicine? …Check. Reluctantly.

As soon as he grabbed his gear, Finn slipped his socks and shoes on. It was still a bit difficult to tie his sneakers with one hand, but he had gotten used to it. It was just his hand at least. He was fortunate that his right elbow and shoulder were usable.

Because Finnegan had been born with his right hand paralyzed, people often assumed that he was crippled. If they saw him in action, that analysis often made a complete 180. His left hand was dexterous and strong, while he could still utilize his elbow and forearm to hold things down. There was another condition he was born with, which was why he had medication, but that was something he didn't tell people.

Checking the time, Finnegan cursed under his breath. He had to leave now in order to get to Professor Aspen on time. It wouldn't be the first time he was late, but he still didn't want to be. Not to mention that he had to bring a large supply of Pokémon support items home. Professor Aspen supplied his mother in her endeavors as a gym leader, being the supply that the Ferris family relied on for potions, ethers, stat boosters, and occasionally rarer objects such as evolution items and 'passive' items that had a less flashy effect on battles.

After all, the whole world was built around battles with strange and often unexplainable creatures known as Pokémon. Two or more opposing people, known as trainers, would capture and raise Pokémon to reach their best potential. When two trainers locked eyes, it was an unspoken challenge to battle. At least, in some places. Within cities such as Bluebell City or other populated areas, trainers were forbidden to battle outside of carefully regulated environments. Pokémon, though wonderful creatures, could be quite dangerous.

This didn't stop every ten year old in the entire world from wanting to be a Pokémon trainer.

And in order to accompany this wish and to further the unique symbiosis between trainers and Pokémon, many scientists specialized in breeding and researching some of the more popular Pokémon. Generally each professor had a different specialty, specializing in three species; these three were always in the same triangle, being grass, fire, and water. Certain Pokémon were known as 'starters', and they were the ones that were recommended to be handed out to new trainers, and they always had one of the three types in the triangle. Strangely enough, any professor who bred Pokémon for new trainers always stuck to a specific trio, such as Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle; for another example, there was also Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott.

Finn's knowledge of starter Pokémon was rather in-depth for someone who wasn't a professional, but it wasn't much of a surprise when you brought into account that he was almost fourteen.

He had been trying since he was ten.

For almost any other person, the inability to become a trainer was probably due to laziness, or procrastination. Finn was the sort to procrastinate, and he was infamously lazy to his mother, but Pokémon were something that he had a passion for.

As he jogged along, Finn thought back on the first time he had gone out to do this. He had been so excited that he forgot to tie his shoes, leading to him falling into the ditch that lined the road out of the city. Fortunately, that time he had left bright and early, meaning that the only real problem with this was the scratches he had received from the bush he fell into.

When he eventually got to the lab, Professor Aspen had presented him with the Pokémon he had requested when he was little, being a Torchic. He had always laughed and said he wanted a Torchic so that he could, in his own words 'Stomp Mom's gym!'. Unfortunately, the Torchic hadn't liked him much. In fact, it had flat out run away when it was brought out to meet him. Finn didn't want to force a Pokémon to like him, so he had left, dejected though he was.

The situation had repeated itself for several months, before Professor Aspen decided to try other kinds of Pokémon.

They had tried the Hoenn 'starter' Pokémon multiple times, bringing in a different trio each time. And each time, the Pokémon avoided him. A full year passed before they changed tactics, bringing in starters from other regions. Unova, Kalos, Kanto, Johto, and even Sinnoh starters had been imported just for him to try. That took another full year.

This year Professor Aspen and his mother were trying unconventional starters. It had started with an Eevee, then a Nidoran, then a Pichu. Before Finn knew it, he had been introduced to almost every Pokémon that could evolve into multiple forms. From Wurmple with its branching evolution, to three-stage Pokémon like Elekid.

The result every single time was the same. The Pokémon would either attack him, run, or try to hide. Regardless of the differences in reaction, they were all scared of him.

And Finn couldn't figure out why for the life of him.

He had tried different deodorants in case that was the problem. It had no effect.

He had tried different colored clothes. It had no effect.

He had even tried bringing some of his peers along to see if the Pokémon just didn't want to be lonely. That still had absolutely no effect.

Finn was coming to the conclusion that Pokémon just didn't like him.

Finnegan Ferris, son of a world famous Pokémon breeder and the steel type gym leader, was incapable of befriending a Pokémon.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. He had befriended a Pokémon in the past, although that one had been a gift from his father. Due to his family's connections, he had grown up around Pokémon, although only one had ever truly bonded with him.

Unfortunately, that one was no longer available.

And things were only going to get worse.

See, Finn was almost fourteen now. In fact, his birthday was only a couple months away. Professor Aspen may have approved of Finn's enthusiasm for Pokémon and his dedication to studying them, but there was only so far she could go before she eventually had to put an end to their attempts to locate a Pokémon for him. This was his last possible opportunity.

There were multiple reasons for this. Not just because of the fact that he had been trying for the past four years without success, but also because of the bonding factor.

Pokéballs acted as an extension of a trainer's will. When the Pokémon inside the ball was happy to work with the trainer, the battle capability of both increased by an incredible amount. The younger the trainer was when they met their first Pokémon, the greater the bond between the two was, and thus the better they could battle. This was why most trainers started at age ten, so that they were old enough to take care of themselves, while still being able to bond with their Pokémon.

Of course, this principle wasn't entirely sound. Some adults who got Pokémon were better trainers than people who had been with their Pokémon their whole lives. Then there were people who abused the fact that the Pokéball was an extension of their will, forcing Pokémon to do things that the Pokémon would not otherwise do. Thankfully, the only way to increase the control a trainer had over their Pokémon was either by bonding or by collecting gym badges. The gym badges were a failsafe of sorts; if a trainer was good enough to get the badge, they deserve the increased control over any stubborn Pokémon they catch.

Finn had always thought it was cruel to force a Pokémon into battle. Most of them were at least as intelligent as humans, and some were more intelligent than your average human. That wasn't to say that he disproved of battling altogether; Pokémon entered battles of their own in the wild as a way to prove superiority, having a trainer involved only made Pokémon battles more intricate. In fact, Finn loved Pokémon battles, provided that they didn't result in permanent injury.

But Finn's mindset was the reason he didn't have a Pokémon yet. He wasn't willing to force a Pokémon to do anything for him, be it battling or just spending time with him.

He cut off his thoughts as Professor Aspen's home came into view. It was a large circular building, with a glass domed roof. A high fence ran from the sides around the back, enclosing the large yard that Professor Aspen had most of her lab Pokémon in. Pokémon such as starters, her own personal Pokémon, and the Pokémon that others had sent in for her to take care of. It was also where Finn's father got some of his breeding stock, as some trainers sent rare Pokémon back to Professor Aspen. He always asked permission of the trainer first, of course.

With a sigh, Finn walked up to the glass sliding doors, taking note of his reflection. His black hair was an absolute mess today, but that wasn't a big deal; his hair was always a mess. His hazel-green eyes had barely noticeable bags under them, probably just the fact that he had stayed up way too late last night. Finn knew he wasn't the most athletic person, but he did at least keep himself in shape. That, along with his average height, not to mention his paralyzed right hand, led to people underestimating him.

He shook his head and went inside.

"Roserade!"

Finn smiled and looked at the Roserade that had greeted him. Nero was one of Professor Aspen's Pokémon, her personal favorite in fact. He had been the first Pokémon the Professor caught, and he helped her out to this day. "Hey Nero. Are the Pokémon ready?"

The white haired little plant nodded. Roserade weren't very tall, though they weren't the smallest Pokémon either. With his bouquet hands, one would think that the Roserade was hindered. They would be wrong. Nero, like all Roserade, had vines hidden in his bouquets. These vines were just as useful as hands, while also being usable for Pokémon attacks.

"Rade!" Nero prodded, poking the side of Finn's leg.

"Right, right. Sorry. Just thinking." Finn apologized, following Nero to the laboratory. Pokémon didn't make unintelligible noises like some mythical creatures he had heard of, but neither did they speak the same language as humans. Instead they spoke using parts or the whole of their species names. It was strange, but it was the norm.

The human and Pokémon entered the lab, Finn looking at the strange machines. He had been here so many times that he knew what everything did. There was the trading machine that officially transferred ownership of Pokémon. There the incubator that the Professor used to hatch the starter eggs that she handed out to new trainers. Then there was the receiver that people could send Pokémon to using the PCs in Pokémon centers.

Professor Aspen was standing at a computer, typing things in. She was a fairly athletic woman, being lithe and thin; though she was shorter than Finn. Her brown hair was done back in a ponytail like usual, and she was wearing her lab coat over a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Off to her right was Sera the Gothitelle. Sera didn't like Finn much, and she made it very evident by the way she flat out refused to acknowledge him. He knew that she could use telepathy to speak with humans, but only because Professor Aspen sometimes carried out conversations with the Gothitelle, despite the Pokémon never making any verbal noises.

When Finn entered the room Professor Aspen turned around. "Hello Finn, are you ready to try again?"

"Yeah." Finn answered listlessly.

"I know this is getting harder every time, but don't worry about it." Aspen soothed. "Just do your best, and be yourself. You're great with Pokémon."

Sera snorted at that, causing Nero to walk over and start arguing with her. Apparently the two often disagreed on things, but this was the most he had ever seen them fight. Nero was adamant that Finn would be a good trainer, while Sera hated him for no apparent reason.

"Calm down you two." The Professor scolded. "Now then, I've got another set of three for you today. They're all psychics, so be careful not to let your mood influence them."

"Gotcha." Finn replied with a nod.

"Alright then, here they are." Aspen picked up a Pokéball case designed to hold three Pokémon. She slid the case open and tapped the button on the front of each ball, releasing the Pokémon inside.

The first was a yellow creature that had its eyes closed. It seemed to be sleeping. The second was a strange little creature with green hair covering its eyes and a red horn on top of its head. The last was floating, an orb of what looked like jelly with a small creature in the center.

"Meet Abra, Ralts, and Solosis." Aspen introduced. "These three aren't very common in this area, and I had to call in a favor with Professor Juniper to get the Solosis. Here's hoping that you can bond with one of them."

Finn slowly walked over to the Abra and stretched his hand out. Despite the relative rarity of Abra, many people knew that they were shy Pokémon with a tendency to teleport away at the first sign of danger. The Abra slowly opened its eyes, then peeped and vanished.

Professor Aspen sighed. "Sera, would you go and locate the Abra please?"

The Gothitelle nodded and floated off, tracking the psychic signature of the Abra. Gothitelles couldn't teleport like Abra, but that didn't stop the psychics from being powerful nonetheless.

Sighing, Finn moved over to the Ralts. It moved forwards towards him curiously at first, tilting its head. Then, suddenly, it cried out and stumbled away, obviously scared of him for some reason.

When he tried to interact with the Solosis, it just closed its eyes and backed away, shaking lightly the whole time.

Sera returned with the Abra in hand at that point, scratching gently behind the small creature's ears. She glared at Finn before putting the Pokémon on the ground next to the Ralts.

Professor Aspen sighed and recalled all three of the small Pokémon. "Well, the Ralts's reaction was better than most previous ones, but…"

"Still a unanimous rejection." Finn commented, dejected. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Pokédex. "Remember when you first gave this to me?"

"You were so excited." Aspen replied, smiling.

"I so badly wanted to be a Pokémon trainer. But now I can't even do that." Finn said with a sigh.

Aspen opened her mouth to speak, then narrowed her eyes at Sera. "Sera! He has done nothing but try to befriend Pokémon and here you are badmouthing him. Apologize!"

The Gothitelle sighed heavily and turned towards Finn. "Gothitelle."

"Sera…"

Sera sighed again. "I apologize for my behavior."

"Well…" Finn muttered, scratching the back of his head. "It's better than being ignored like usual."

"Don't get used to it."

"I probably won't be able to." Finn replied, looking back down at the Pokédex in his hand. "Here I am. My dad's a famous Pokémon breeder while my mom's a gym leader; their son's a crippled disgrace. I won't need this anymore."

Finn reached out to hand the Pokédex to Professor Aspen. She took it for a moment, then shook her head, handing it back. "You might still need this."

"Why would I need a Pokédex I can't use?" Finn asked, confused.

"Well, I've always talked about needing a lab assistant, and what use would a lab assistant be if they didn't have access to a repertoire of Pokémon knowledge?" Aspen countered with another question.

"Wait, you're asking me to be your lab assistant? You do know about…" Finn trailed off, not wanting to talk any more.

"Yes, I do want you to be my lab assistant. You are dedicated and enthusiastic." She confirmed. "As for your condition, I was the one who diagnosed you in the first place."

"I… I'll think about it." Finn replied, staring down at the device in his hand. He hadn't expected to walk out with it still in hand. He tucked it back into his pocket and blinked a bit, trying to think. "Oh, I was supposed to bring some things back home for Mom."

"Oh yes, they're right here." Professor Aspen walked over to the counter her computer was on and picked up a paper bag. "We've had to put it in a less… conspicuous container. There are bad people who would kill to have some of these things."

"What exactly is it?" Finn asked, taking the bag from her. It wasn't overly heavy, but he knew that most people wouldn't just use one hand to carry it.

"Razor fangs, king's rocks, metal coats, and a mega stone, if Sycamore wasn't joking." Aspen answered. "Along with potions, ethers, berries, and status cures."

Finn whistled in appreciation. "Dang. That's an impressive collection of items."

"Yes, and that's why I'm trusting you with them." Aspen said with a smile. "Do you want me to send Nero back with you? He enjoys your company."

"Roserade!" Nero confirmed, smiling.

"No thanks. I'll be fine." Finn replied, shaking his head. He knew that Aspen was trying to give him protection, but he didn't feel like he needed it.

Waving goodbye, Finn walked outside and took a deep breath before letting it go in a sigh. He walked away from the one place he thought he would find his first Pokémon.

He never realized he was about to start on the journey of a lifetime.

A/N:

Here's the first chapter of my first Pokémon fan fiction. If you're wondering what's going to happen next, read on!

...Once I get chapter 2 out, anyways.

Before you all ask, this is set in an as yet unspecified region that is not one of the primary six seen in the games/manga/anime. It has different populations, different gyms, different people, the whole thing.

Please, leave a review and let me know what you liked and what you think I should do better.