PROLOGUE – AURORA'S FIRST POKEMON

10-year-old Aurora Aston dragged her feet as she walked through the forest outside her home of South Pallet Town. She was looking for Pokemon. She wasn't supposed to be; you were supposed to be 12 years old before you caught or trained Pokemon. And you were supposed to see Professor Oak to get your first Pokemon and learn about training and raising them. But Aurora didn't want to wait, and she didn't want a Pokemon from Professor Oak. She wanted to teach herself and catch her own Pokemon. So here she was, out in the woods, searching. She hadn't found a thing yet. But she would. She was going to catch a rare and powerful Pokemon and train and raise it on her own. She didn't need Professor Oak and she especially didn't need his grandson Gary.

Thinking of Gary made Aurora roll her eyes. Gary was going to be a Pokemon Master, or so he was convinced. He had been learning about Pokemon from his grandfather since he was a baby. But I'll be better than he will; I'll be Pallet's Pokemon Master! Aurora thought, gritting her teeth. She had never actually spoken to Gary Oak, but she had seen him, and she hadn't liked the way he looked at her. She always avoided him. There were only two children her age in Pallet, both of them boys. She didn't like Gary, and she'd only seen a picture of the other one, Ash Ketchum. It was a picture of him and Gary when they were still best friends. She had been the odd one out, a loner, a reject, since she was a baby. Her own mother didn't even think that much of her. Her mother doted on Aurora's older sister, Sibeen. Aurora spent all her time alone with the family pet, a Growlithe whose name was simply Growlithe. She had grown a passion for Pokemon because of this.

Now she was out in the woods, searching for a Pokemon to call her own. She hadn't found anything. She was almost in tears, realizing the sun was going down and she'd have to go home soon. She was about to give up when she heard a rustle in the bushes. She tensed, reaching slowly for the single Pokeball she had been able to acquire. Whatever it was, it was coming closer, and closer…

Aurora let her Pokeball fly, and it struck the thing just as it jumped onto the path. The Pokeball hit it, bounced off, and the thing moaned, "Owww…" It was a person. Aurora sighed, and picked up her dropped Pokeball. The she looked at the person. And gasped. She recognized him from the photo; it was Ash Ketchum. He looked as surprised as she did. But he wasn't surprised to see her; his surprise was directed at the Pokeball she held in her hand. He pointed at it.

"Isn't that a Pokeball? I-I thought we weren't supposed to have those until our twelfth birthdays. Where did you get that one?" He paused, looked around, and lowered his voice, "Are you trying to catch Pokemon?"

Aurora tossed her long blonde hair proudly and her aquamarine eyes flashed. "So what if I am? It's none of your business, Ash Ketchum," she said, trying to sound tough, but she ended up just sounding scared and defensive.

Ash was taken aback. "I'm not gonna tell anyone. In fact, I'm looking for Pokemon, too. But I don't have any Pokeballs to catch them in." He stared longingly at Aurora's Pokeball, and then it seemed to strike him and he added, "How did you know my name?"

"I know a lot more about you then just your name, Ash." That wasn't true, but Aurora just wanted him to leave. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have Pokemon to catch." With that, she walked past him, heading down the path. "Hey, wait!" she heard him call, "I didn't get your name!" But she ignored him and kept walking.

It was getting dark and cold, and Aurora knew that she should be heading for home. But she was desperate to catch a Pokemon. She stopped, and stood silently for several minutes, debating what to do. She was about to turn and go home, when a bug flew out of a bush. She froze. It landed about 4 feet from her and stared up at her. It was a strange bug. It stood on two feet and had little razors along its arms. It had four wings, but no antenna and only four legs, two of which were more like arms, since it stood in its back legs. It stood almost a foot tall. She wasn't completely sure if it was a Pokemon or not, but it was worth trying to catch. She silently readied her Pokeball, and then, with a lightning fast motion, she let the Pokeball fly. It struck the Pokemon in the head, and then trapped it inside. She waited, knowing Pokemon always tried to escape when first caught. The Pokeball didn't move, and the light on the center turned off, indicating that the Pokemon had been captured. That's strange, she thought, it didn't even try to escape. She shrugged, deciding it didn't matter, as long as the Pokemon was caught. She smiled happily, picking up the Pokeball and admiring it.

"I caught a Pokemon!" She announced excitedly to nothing. She pushed the button, shrinking the Pokeball, and then tucked it gently into her pocket.

"Hey Aurora."

Aurora straightened. That voice. She turned around slowly, praying that it wouldn't be who she thought it was. It just couldn't be –

"Gary," She said, spitting the name with venom.

He smiled evilly. "Fancy meeting you out here. Strange that we should run into each other, in this big forest and all. Somebody must have been following the other…"

Aurora's eyes widened. He had been following her! All the way out here! Had he seen her catch her Pokemon? If he had, surely he would tell his grandfather. Then she might never be able to become a Pokemon master!

"So, what are you out here doing, Aurora?" He asked, "Are you looking for Pokemon? Lucky for you, you didn't find one. If you'd have caught it, I would have had to tell my grandfather, and you would probably never be able to be a Pokemon trainer…" He paused, gauging Aurora's reaction to his speech. Then he continued, somewhat shyly, "But, enough about Pokemon. It's getting dark. I'll walk you home."

Aurora took a step back. "I don't need you to walk me home Gary. I can take care of myself." Aurora was relieved that he had not seen her catch her Pokemon, whatever it was. Now she wanted him to leave. Instead, he stepped forward and took her hand. "Come on, Aurora. Let's just walk back to Pallet together. No big deal," He said, a touch of desperation tainting his voice. Aurora sighed, let her hand grasp his, and nodded. "Fine…let's walk back."

Gary didn't let go of her hand the whole way back. When they reached Aurora's doorstep, she had to pull her hand from Gary's grasp. "Well…bye Gary," She said uncertainly, realizing that he was not leaving. He stared at her. "Goodbye Gary," She said firmly, giving him a shove off her porch. She went inside, not once looking back at him. She shut the door quickly behind her.

"Aurora Elizabeth Aston, where have you been? And was that a boy I saw you walk up the street with?" Aurora cringed at the sound of her mother's voice coming from the living room.

"I was just walking in the woods, Mom. That boy found me and offered to walk me home, that's all."

Her mother walked into the front room, but she didn't look as mad as she had sounded. "Don't worry, sweetie," She said, "I'm not mad. Its summer and its good for you to get out and be active. And besides, that was Gary Oak wasn't it? I don't mind you spending time with him at all. It'll do you good to spend time with a boy who is intelligent, polite, handsome and goal-oriented. At least it wasn't Ash Ketchum. Then I might have been upset."

That caught Aurora's attention. "Why would you have been upset if it had been Ash Ketchum? What's so bad about him?"

Her mother looked irritated. "He's a fanciful, no-good, head-in-the-clouds, dreamer. He wants to be a Pokemon Master!" Her mother laughed as if that was the stupidest thing she had ever heard of.

Aurora blinked. "But Mom, Gary Oak wants to be a Pokemon Master, too."

Her mother clenched her fist, "But he actually has a chance at it! His grandfather is Professor Oak! Gary will be a Pokemon Master! Ash is just dreaming! And, on top of that, Ash isn't even attractive! Not like Gary is!"

Aurora rolled her eyes. That's my mom for you, she thought, always thinking about appearances. And Ash is every bit as attractive as Gary is! "Yeah, I guess you're right," Aurora said, just to appease her Mother. She faked a yawn. "Boy, I sure am tired. I think I'll head up to my room and go to bed."

"Sure go ahead. Goodnight. I'm gonna wait for Sibeen to get home."

Of course you are, Aurora thought, you love her more, after all. Her mom didn't even give her a hug. Aurora trudged up her stairs, shutting and locking her bedroom door behind her. She brightened as she took the Pokeball out of her pocket. She opened it slowly, knowing that the Pokemon wouldn't try to get away now, but still a bit afraid that it would fly away. A bolt of pure energy shot out of the Pokeball and then formed itself into her bug. It was large for a bug, but tiny for a Pokemon. "Oh well," Aurora said, "You'll grow bigger, won't you little friend?" The bug seemed to smile at being called "little friend" and it sheathed the razors on its arms with a small flap of skin. Aurora stretched out her hand, and the bug landed on it, and then climbed up her arm and onto her shoulder. She laughed softly as its wings tickled her ear.

"You're a cute little bug Pokemon, aren't you? I just wish you could tell me what you are…" The bug suddenly jumped off her shoulder, flew down onto her bed, and began to gesture frantically with its arms. "Scytheeeeerrr!" It cried, "Scyytheerr!" Aurora stared at it. "Scyther?" She said, thinking. Then, it struck her. "I remember reading that Pokemon can understand human speech, but Pokemon language is made up of their own name said over and over. So, you're a Scyther!" Aurora looked amazed. "A Scyther! Wow! I did catch myself a rare and powerful Pokemon!" Aurora laughed giddily.

Something scratched on her door and whined. Aurora hurried to open the door. "Come on in Growlithe," she said, "Come meet my new Pokemon, Scyther." Growlithe slinked into her room, his ears perking at the mention of a new Pokemon. He spotted Scyther on the bed and trotted up to him. "Be careful, Growlithe. If he doesn't like you, he might use those razors on his arms." However, to Aurora's delight, Scyther and Growlithe really seemed to like each other. Growlithe licked Scyther and Scyther didn't even mind. Aurora smiled at her two pets. "You guys are the best. You're my family."

That night Aurora went to sleep with Growlithe at the foot of her bed and Scyther in a basket on her nightstand. She was going to be a Pokemon master. She already had two Pokemon all her own. Well, maybe she couldn't really call Growlithe her own, but he still counted as one of her Pokemon. She was already ahead of Gary Oak. Gary Oak. The smile on Aurora's face vanished, thinking about the way he had held her hand and not left her porch. What did that mean? Aurora drifted slowly to sleep, thinking about Ash Ketchum, Gary Oak, and, most of all, Pokemon.