Author's Note: Hey hey hey! Official first chapter is OUT! It isn't the longest- I'm a fan of long chapters- though I don't dare say whether it's long, short, or average yet in scale to the rest of the fanfiction, for obvious reasons.

This chapter skips around a lot, but I did my best to include only the most vital information. Don't give up on me! I promise the next chapter will be a lot more engaging.

On that optimistic note . . .

Jain was ten when she went to the Pokécenter for the first time. Her brother, groaning and complaining, had been dragged along behind, begging for his own but not receiving it. He wasn't old enough, the Preston parents insisted. He'd get his own when he turned ten.

The girl didn't hesitate in her choice. Eevee was the most expensive Pokémon, but her parents had, after much insistence, agreed to get her one. The starter was shy when Jain let it out for the first time, but it reacted to her soft, kind voice with enthusiasm.

There were barriers, of course. The book Jain had read beforehand warned about Eevee's nature. The family Vulpix and Growlithe, for instance, terrified it to no end, even though Jain could tell they had been making an effort to be friendly. She cuddled it and spoke to it and showed it around the house, though, and it seemed to be warming up to the new family.

It was the summer before fifth grade for Jain and Andrew's first year at his new elementary school. He didn't have friends where Jain went; technically, she couldn't blame him. The 282 third graders were awful. Then again, wasn't everyone there?

That wasn't exactly true. They had her, of course. And Miles. And she couldn't forget about Anthony or John, although they were the most annoying duo she'd ever had the misfortune to meet.

Jain herself had high hopes for her year as a makeshift senior. Finally she'd be top of the heap, the oldest in the school! It was the dream all through life to get to that point, where anyone younger than fourth grade were immature little brats. That included Andrew, of course. He was just as bratty as any of them.

The first day of school was always exciting. But there was a taste of dread in the air: their new teacher, Mrs. Bodiford, had looked terrifying a year ago. And how would Eevee react to so many people?

Jain had nothing to fear. Mrs. B was ideal: patient and sweet and fun. And Eevee got used to the class after a while; as long as it was by Jain, and there were no sudden or loud noises, it was calm.

So they began to train.

Jain was in no way fit. She played baseball, but only for fun. She was tall, and her legs were strong, but her arms were limp noodles and she was not flexible at all. But she knew how to fight, and she wanted to battle. The gym leaders in New York City were legendary.

Fifth grade flew by. Miles got a Squirtle. Eevee grew stronger. Jain hoped and prayed for an evolution, but it still hadn't happened. What was she supposed to do? Throw it in a fire? Pitch it in a lake? At this point Jain didn't care if Eevee became a Sylveon, the most girly evolution. Eevees were supposed to change soon.

May arrived, and so did the envelopes announcing the students' futures. Jain grinned when she opened hers. She would be going to the prestigious Mark Twain for creative writing. It was a dream come true.

The first day of sixth grade dawned bright, cheery, and late. Even though Jain woke at six am sharp, her bus- which should have arrived at fifteen minutes past seven- arrived at almost half past, causing her to miss the entire introductory speech by the assistant principal and almost miss her new homeroom being called.

Eevee was surprisingly eager to see Jain's new school and even insisted on coming out of its Pokéball. She clutched it close to her chest, following her class and trying to not be overwhelmed by the mayhem of junior high.

There were people and teachers to meet and tests to take and homework to complete, and then suddenly it was November and Jain was taking the train to school and she was pining for friends.

There was the quiet girl on the train who Jain thought she had seen before, and the rowdy group of kids she couldn't muster up the courage to talk to that sat nearby. There was Daniel and Eli, her (as her mother put it) "lunch crew," and Jenelle, the girl from Creative Writing with a Snivy and humorous personality. But the people who Jain really wanted to be with were Danie, Emmeline, and Ana, the cross between gossip and good fun, the ones she had exchanged hellos with but not much more. Danie's Chicorita had come up to Eevee once in a while, but so had plenty of other Pokémon; it was common for them to mix and mingle independently of their trainers. Eevee happened to be the shy exception.

Things happened. Jain developed a crush and then it left her, quickly as that. She did well in school. She took more tests. But something else was happening, too, when Emmeline got her Charmander: Eevee hung out with those Pokémon more, and Jain found herself compelled to stay with their trainers more often. It wasn't clear when, but sometime after winter break, the trio became a quartet.

Andrew's birthday rolled around. Ten years old. This time it was Jain's turn to be dragged along, moaning and complaining, as she watched her brother pick a Pikachu. What a typical choice, she thought. There was no originality.

Jain's friend Melody, a year older than her, finally persuaded her to meet the children who made such a fuss all the time and disrupted the peace. They were fun, they were friendly; she couldn't believe she'd ever been shy. Life was good, life was grand.

And then there was seventh grade.

It was different, to say the least. The positive was Jain was not the youngest year anymore. All of last term she'd felt like an outsider. But she returned to the train feeling old and powerful. She was able to think sixth grader with disdain, and loom over them. She wasn't power-hungry exactly, just enjoying her lot.

But she made younger friends. There was the curly-haired boy who had joined Jain's "train crew," bold and nice. There was the girl in drama talent she'd accompanied to the train station in the rain and that she now exchanged hellos with.

Jain was changing.

Her hair was growing. The almost dirty-blond (she never would have called it dirty-blond a year ago. It was certainly getting darker) locks stretched to her shoulders. They didn't spring back like they used to, because the ends no longer curled around her earlobes when she tucked her hair behind her ears. She had gotten new glasses, black and white ones. New—but similar—clothes were imminent, as well. It was middle school. It was transition.

It was April when the most important event of the year occurred. And the only reason it happened in the first place was that Eevee was walking alongside her trainer, proud of its boldness. As they walked by the alley close to their home, it pricked up its ears and chirped.

"Eevee . . . " Jain sighed. "Let's just go home, okay?"

She was stressed and exhausted. She had the first day of her math state tests, and it was much more difficult than past experiences had suggested. She could barely keep her eyes open. All she wanted to do was throw down that damn twenty-pound backpack and collapse on the couch.

But Eevee was insistent, and Jain eventually complied.

She was glad she did.

It was a tiny Pokémon—an Espurr—and it was wounded. Or sick. Or something. It whimpered feebly, looking with fear at the ominous Raticates, drawn in by the sound.

Jain rushed over at once, picked it up, and cradled it in her arms.

"We need to get this to a Pokécenter," she said firmly, all tiredness forgotten. Eevee agreed. They sprinted down the street, rounding a corner to find it. In the midst of the shops and bustling people, the Pokécenter jutted out like a lighthouse on a dark night. It was free- almost- and friendly- definitely.

"Nurse Joy," said Jain worriedly, "I found this wild Espurr. It's injured. Will you help it?"

"Of course."

It was rumored that all the Nurse Joys in the word were related- twins, cousins, second cousins, it varied depending on whom you talked to- and they did nothing to deflect them. However, it was Jain's personal theory that they were actually many unrelated specially trained people who all dyed their hair and styled it the same way.

Of course, that still left the fondness for Wigglypuffs. It was generally agreed that the Nurse Joys' Jigglypuffs evolved during the course of training. Still, how did they find so many?

Jain waited in the lobby of the Pokécenter, unsure what else to do. Eevee stayed on her lap, watching the other Pokémon out of their Pokéballs. Pokécenters were also popular hotels for trainers, and a welcome place for their occupants to interact with their Pokémon.

"Your Espurr is feeling just fine!" called Nurse Joy. Jain smiled and walked up, but clarified that it was wild.

"Well then, it was very nice of you to help it," the nurse said.

The Espurr popped up from where it was lying and chirped its thanks. "You're very welcome," Jain replied.

"You can understand that Espurr?" asked Nurse Joy, surprised. "Usually only trainers can understand their Pokémon."

Espurr stared up at Jain and said its name again. "You want me . . . to catch you?"

"Espurr Espurr!"

Jain hadn't even touched one of the Pokéballs she got when she bought Eevee, and it felt almost sinful to clutch it now. She tapped Espurr with it.

It shook once.

It shook twice.

Bling! and sparkles, and Jain had captured her first Pokémon.

She grinned at the ball and left the Pokécenter, her new Pokéball conspicuous in her hand. When a stranger passed her on the street, Jain felt the urge to shout, "Hey! You! I just caught a Pokémon!" but was able to restrain herself.

As she returned to the house, however, fatigue got the best of the twelve-year-old, and she trudged up the steps, red paint faded and peeling. She let herself in and did exactly as she had intended: shrugged of her backpack and collapsed on the couch. But in this awkward surge of movement, at some accidental point, she pressed the button on the Pokéball she had been clutching and let Espurr out.

Eevee, who had followed its trainer loyally, stared at this psychic type, a new addition to the household. But unlike the normal type, Espurr was not shy, and fluttered around the house exploring.

It had appeared in the living room. The Prestons, a bookish family, lived up to their label with two large bookcases. More novels perched on the coffee table, stacked up as if they were about to fall over.

The centerpiece of the dining room was a piece of furniture nicknamed "the dragons." It got its name from the dragon-type carvings in the wood. More books and other odds and ends perched on its shelf, although the inside contained dishes and cutlery, as Espurr soon found out.

Andrew's room was small and dark. His loft bed was suspended in shadow. What little Espurr could see featured Pokémon: posters, stuffed animals, even Pokéballs.

Jain's room was rather different. It was brighter and more open. Six shelves contained objects from dolls to Swiss Army knives, and they all radiated a feeling of having a story. Espurr marveled at the treasures: a glass egg, shards of turquoise, a baby photograph. It would have to ask about them once its trainer woke up.

Exploration finished, as far as it knew, the Pokémon returned to its trainer, who was by the time fast asleep. But something else was there now, it noticed; in fact, two somethings, both perfectly passive but a bit too close to Jain for comfort.

"Espurr?" The Pokémon inquired.

The other two turned to it and responded with their own names (Vulpix and Growlithe), equally curious. However, they were friendly and made no further inquiries, so Espurr supplied the answer for them, explaining how it had joined Jain's crew. They responded with their own explanations, describing how they had been caught by the Preston parents before Jain was born and were merely a part of their household.

Jain woke at that point, being a restless person during the day, and confirmed Espurr's well wishes. It was a Friday, and she felt no reason to do her homework, and instead escorted everyone outside to enjoy themselves.

The Preston backyard was in no way formal. Autumn being Autumn, most of the plants were turning brown, drooping over unenthusiastically. Eevee had accompanied them, and it ran straight over to the singular patch of green: a lawn, recently planted, that unsuccessfully attempted to draw attention away from the ugly gray cement that lined the rest of the yard. The Pokémon rolled happily, and Espurr ran over, wanting to play too.

That left the two fire types with Joan.

"I want to battle," she confided in them suddenly. "I really do. But Espurr and Eevee are so innocent. And I don't want to catch Pokémon the way I caught Espurr the rest of my life, either. It's not fair. I want to battle them, and earn it. I want to show off gym badges to my friends. Did you know even Miles trains? Miles is too lazy to do anything and he trains."

They weren't her Pokémon. Jain couldn't understand them the way her parents could. But they did their best, rubbing her legs with their furry bodies and chirping consoling thoughts. She ran her hands over their heads, musing.

"I could go into performing, I suppose. You have to use moves in performances, and battling's a great way to train for them. Do you think Eevee would want to perform? It's so shy, after all . . ."

They looked at her, massage obvious in their expressions. Just ask it.

"You're right. I'll do that. HEY EEVEE, DO YOU WANT TO-"

Jain stopped mid-shout. Where was Eevee?

"Hey Espurr," she continued, softly, "have you seen Eevee?"

But Espurr was shaking on the ground, its eyes trembling with fear.