Meeting and Unexpected Guest

Cinder was walking towards the direction of his home with light steps. Now that he has a starter pokemon, a Mareep which wasn't so bad considering it is a good pokemon that would eventually evolve to an Ampharos, which was a great pokemon. Most important of all, it is an electric-type.

He had been thinking about this for years, even before he became a student - to be exact, the love for electric-types was there since the day he decided to become a trainer.

On that day, he watched in the television an intense battle between, Vermilion City's Gym Leader: Lt. Surge and Koga, the Gym Leader of the Fuchsia City Gym.

On the most intense moment with both gym leaders left with only one pokemon remaining, It was a battle between their most powerful pokemon in their arsenal. A monstrous Electivire vs. the deadly Toxicroak, to say the battle was intense and blood boiling was an understatement.

In the end Lt. Surge was defeated, the poison that Toxicroak and Koga's other pokemon dealt on Electrivire got a toll on the electric-type, which was a result of Koga's infamous tactics in battle.

Cinder's decision on a starter had been cemented the second that Electrivire used a move called Thunder to effectively demolish the field at the last moment.

In the end of the day, he was very happy he got a Mareep. The only thing he was concerned was that his starter was subjected to the professor's research. Although, Oak assured them it was a fine specimen, he wanted to see for himself.

So with that, on his way towards his home. He held the pokeball containing his starter eagerly. Then, he dropped the pokeball after he pressed the release button.

The customary bright light of flash followed. The light was gone as soon as it came, the pokeball returned itself to Cinder's hands and was left marveling his pokemon, who was standing in front.

He had never seen a Mareep in person before, however he knew the general knowledge about it, which was it isn't native to Kanto.

"Mareep?" Cinder called out the name of the pokemon.

He took in every detail of it's yellow wool, blue head and stumpy blue feet. It's short tail and ears were yellow and black striped, it had an orange sphere resting on it's tail and a curly tuft of wool on it's head. He stared in marvel how cute his starter is.

He crouched down next to the yellow adorable pokemon and carefully examined it. The Mareep looked at him curiously after looked at the grassy terrain of pallet town around him.

"Maaaarep." Exclaimed the small ovine pokemon on its rumbling throat.

Cinder remembered reading that Mareep are normally timid, and most had mild dispositions as they generally lived in flocks in the wild.

With a wide smile across his face, Cinder reached down to pet the pokemon behind its yellow ears as he said. "Hello, Mareep. My name is Cinder Lark and I'll be your trainer from now on. Would you like to accompany me on my journey? I'll do my very best to make you powerful and strong as you can be!"

He knew the words probably meant little to the pokemon, but he reasoned that since they were probably gonna be living, fighting and growing strong together, establishing this feelings and moment would be important, more so since this was his starter and would be the defacto leader on his future team for the future.

The small Mareep seemed to have understood his meaning, as it released static of electricity from it's body covered with yellow wool, it cried energetically while leaning its whole body to Cinder's scratches all the while swishing it's tail excitedly. Like most pokemon, Mareep held a nearly insatiable desire to become strong, especially this particular one...

Cinder was surprised by the tiny arcs of white electricity, but he wasn't harmed albeit except for the hair on his body rising up slightly. He was still startled though by how friendly and energetic Mareep was. He concluded that Professor Oak must had told the starter pokemon beforehand about it being chosen by a trainer, which was most likely since it is one of the distributor's responsibility.

He laughed as he did not shy away from the tingling sensation that came from scratching Mareep with his hands. "We'll get along very well, I can feel it."

Mareep cried jovially as it leaned closer to Cinder.

They stayed liked that for a dozen of seconds, before Cinder pulled away and stood up while getting the new Pokedex he was given earlier on his back pocket, pointing the camera at the blinking pokemon who stared at the device curiously.

Before long, a beep sounded out and began to recite information in a mechanical, feminine voice.

"Mareep, the Wool Pokemon. Mareep store static electricity in their wooly coats. They avoid battles and have mild dispositions. During battle, When Mareep's wool builds up with static electricity, its size doubles."

"This Mareep is Male and has the ability 'Static', this Mareep knows the moves: Tackle, Growl, Thunder Wave and Thunder Shock. It's egg moves Electric Terrain and Agility hasn't been unlocked."

Cinder was in deep thought. Fortunately, he knew all the details on his starter's every moves, and it was the reason he is scarily astonished right now when he saw this.

Tackle and Growl are fairly standard fare for beginning Pokemon, but having access to Thunder Wave at such an early stage is a nice touch. Thunder Shock is also a pretty good early stab attack to make being a starter a manageable proposition.

The biggest concern Cinder can see here is that there are only two actually damaging moves in these first four moves. That might be difficult for a brand new young trainer like him to properly utilize, but he could distinguish that it does put the emphasis on status moves over damaging moves, which, with a lot of practice, will be known to be a true path to victory.

Let's also not forget abilities. Most of the starters come with the standard "power up STAB attacks when low on HP" ability, but Mareep has a different ability, Static. Static has a 30% chance of paralyzing a Pokemon that makes contact with you, which, let's face it, most of the early moves pokemon learned since birth are like that. So now the lack of damaging moves doesn't look so bad huh?

It's egg moves. Yes, you heard right, with an emphasis of 's'. Mareep actually inherited TWO moves from its parent, not one but two; Electric Terrain and Agility. Even though both egg moves are still currently not usable since it hasn't been unlocked yet. Cinder was confident he could train Mareep enough so it would be able to.

Cinder could barely hold in his excitement at seeing how powerful Mareep was. 'Mareep may not be a regional starter like Red, Blue and Diana's, but he surely wouldn't be worse that them! Jeez! The professor really outdid himself this time, I wonder if Dom's Nidoran is also as fine as a specimen as this one.' He thought.

Cinder grinned and jumped almost the entire way home, with Mareep playing along with him. The newly established partners were getting along quite fine, as if they were perfectly meant for each other.

His mom was cooking in the kitchen when they entered the house. When Cinder and Mareep walked in, she jumped up and squealed in excitement shen she saw the small adorable electric pokemon.

"Oh, Dear! It's adorable!" She cried before scooping Mareep on its hind legs, touching the nose of Mareep with her's, giggling doing so. Mareep was startled at first, but eventually enjoyed the presence of the woman who was snuggling on its finely maintained wool.

Cinder was also happy how they interact. He laughed and said. "Mareep this is my mother. Mom, this is my starter."

"It's a wonderful pokemon, Cinder." She congratulated her son with a motherly adoring expression. "Before you go, there's a package your father gave you which arrived yesterday."

"Father?" Cinder was a little startled. He had never met his father since he was like, four-years old? The man left him and his mom because he was working on another region. However, his father does continued on keeping in touch with them, sending letters to him and his mother once and awhile. Additionally, when they are in a pokemon center or burrowed Professor Oak's intercom, they would receive a face-time call from him.

"Don't you remember?" She asked as she carried the happy Mareep around with her to get Cinder's package. "Your father once mentioned giving you a surprise before you start and leave for your journey."

Cinder blinked momentarily before he remembered as his eyes lit up. His mother set Mareep down before heading towards her room upstairs, after a few minutes his mother came down and brought back a black small backpack. "Here it is, I was surprised when I peeked inside."

Cinder unzipped and looked inside, not expecting the thing he saw. He rubbed his eyes a few times to make sure what he saw was correct.

Mareep looked on curiously.

Isn't this too... Sudden? He just received a starter pokemon not too long ago, and at this moment, he was staring at a pokemon egg. At his side, Mareep was equally surprised.

"Is this what father wanted to give me?" He asked, a bit flabbergasted.

She nodded. "Yup, your father especially mentioned this would be the gift he would give you before you go. He also added it shouldn't be far from hatching, around a week."

Cinder took a look at the egg curiously. Pokemon eggs came in a variety of colors, often displaying a different color or pattern scheme depending on the species.

As for this egg.

It has a gray color on the top, on the middle section was a light, but a darker shade than light blue. On the button was a distinct color of crimson. As for it's size, it was above the average measurement, which made Cinder wonder even more what pokemon would hatch from it.

"So... Did Dad mentioned the species of it?" He asked as Mareep sniffed the egg which was still inside the backpack quizzically.

His mother, Marcia Lark, crossed her arms as she cocked her head while she had a light smile on her face.

"I mean, he did and I could tell you, but don't you want to be surprised?"

Cindee blinked at that, but then a light giggle escaped his throat.

"Yeah, nevermind." He was embarrassed to even ask such a question. As a trainer, like most would love the surprise of not knowing what was in a pokemon egg.It added a whole new level of excitement to the moment when it finally hatches.

He eased up a bit, and took in the egg once again.

To think... He could actually leave Pallet Town with this. A wonderful starter... And a pokemon egg, which he and his Mareep would raise together as an infant.

After a few minutes, Cinder had all the things he got ready. Fortunately, the black backpack was able to be strapped on to his bigger one that he prepared prior for his journey, which contained all the necessities he needed to reach the next city.

Marcia was clearly still in turmoil over her son's upcoming departure, as she had been for a couple of weeks now. Her stress had increasingly grown gradually yet noticably as the days gone by. But she did her utmost best to hold back her tears, so she can enjoy a moment with her beloved little boy, who she is so proud of.

As they were standing in front of their house, with Cinder all packed and ready to go, Marcia said. "How much ground are you planning to cover on your first day?"

Cinder though for a moment before he said with a smile. "Best case scenario I'm hoping to get to Viridian late at night since the sun isn't gonna be up for long, worse case I could arrive there for a few days to a week if I bid my time which I think I shouldn't so that I can quickly familiarize myself with Mareep's moves and battle style when we arrive in Viridian. At the same time, maybe the egg would hatch, who knows."

"And you have everything ready and packed?" She asked. She knew he did because she was the one who brought the necessities for her son's travels. She was merely desperate to make conversations with her son, since she knew he would be away from home for quite a long time. She would miss him.

"I did, mom." After a moment of silence between the two, Cinder hugged his mother tightly. He murmured. "I'll miss you."

A tear slid down Marcia's right eye. "I'll miss you too, sweetie."

The mother and son ended their goodbyes. As Cinder walked away with determined steps. A son who would leave his home to pursue his dreams was impossible to do by all, and a mother who would be among those that he would leave.

She watched her son leave until she could no longer manage to get a sight of his silhouette. She stayed like that for a few minutes, as tears flowed down unceasingly on her face which dripped down on the doorstep.

A minute later, she held her emotions in. She entered the house, passing through the kitchen towards the backyard.

There, a man was standing with his back facing her.

"I apologize for the wait, let's proceed to the conversation we left. But first, what are you doing here, Giovanni. Or should I call you brother?" Her tone was still kind to hear like how she usually is, but her eyes and a bit of mockery could be discernable on her way of speaking. Her temperament has also changed, if Cinder was here to see his mother like this, he would be startled since this would be the first time he would see this side of his kind-hearted mother.

The man turned around to face her, he cracked a slight smirk at his 'sister'. "I'm merely here to visit the place where my sister and family resided, is that too complicated to understand?"

"Cut the crap!" Marcia hissed. She was visibly annoyed by his mere presence, it was unusual considering they were blood related... Well, not that unusual, but her attitude sure does held some past feud between them. "Don't even start there, and don't you dare disturb Delia and his son, you vile shit, you are no father the day you decided to pursue that disgusting dream of yours. I should have made that excrement brain more proper when you were young."

All the gentleness in Marcia's temperament was gone, and was replaced with a fierce and wild attitude that most people who knew her in Pallet Town would do a double check down memory lane if this was really Marcia. "If you dare to even let yourself be seen by Delia or Red, do you really think I couldn't handle you, Giovanni?"

She pulled out a pokeball from the hem of her clothes, that she instantly expanded on her hand.

Giovanni put up a solemn but serious front. He continued to display a smirk of arrogance. "You really took a lot on our feisty old dying father, Marcia. You should've replaced that old bag of bones when you had the chance."

"So I can be a champion of Indigo then have no time for my own son? I'm not like you, Giovanni, who is so hungry of power, but couldn't achieve it because of your own incompetence. Poor Gio... I have the ability to get that position before, although that couldn't be the same for you, ain't I right? That kid, Lance Wataru is after all, a much more skilled trainer than you." Marcia sneered and kept snickering when she saw the fury and displeasure on the man who stood infront of her.

"..." Giovanni was silent, he kept his silence but his eyes were conveying terrifyingly cold sensation.

Seeing this, Marcia just kept snickering at him, not at all fazed at his anger.

Giovanni heaved a long sigh. "...just don't get in my way when the time comes. Or you will regret it."

He turned around to leave as he released a large, mainly blue-purple vampire bat-like pokemon from a pokeball.

Before he took flight as the man stepped on his pokemon's back. Marcia warned. "You're just a puny gym leader, what can you do? However... If you or by any reason are related to any incident that will cause our son any injury in the future. Me and my 'husband' won't sit still." With that said and done, she turned around and entered the house.

Giovanni visibly flinched as he heard that 'man' being mentioned.

After that, his pokemon soared through the skies, carrying him on his back.