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My eyes flipped open as a gust of wind hit me. I had been meditating for an hour at the most. That was a genuine record for me. I was in between New Bark and Route 29, sitting on a tree stump. The day was as nice as ever, so of course I decided to go home and play Zelda. I jumped from the stump, picked up my backpack, and stepped back into town. The town was small, but it was home.

As I walked past Professor Elm's lab, I shivered. My fingers started to twitch. I had a plan going on for years. He wouldn't miss one little Pokemon, would he? It took all my strength to not burst in there and steal everything that wasn't nailed down. Luckily, it passed when I got into my house. My mom had left for Cherrygrove, on a journey for groceries. I ate a slice of leftover pizza, then plopped onto the couch for a nap.

When I woke, I found my body was tingling. I looked around, and saw my mom still wasn't home. Why was I tingling? Why wasn't my mother home? I didn't know yet, but I needed to. I put on my jacket, then raced out the door. It was night, and the moon was full. Mom wasn't over at her friends. "God!" I yelled out. This whole thing was annoying. I looked everywhere around town until I got to Elm's. I was staring at forbidden territory. There was a sign to let people know it was closed. However, I entered anyway.

The lab was glorious. There was an entire section of eggs, ninety percent of the place was filled with machinery, and there wasn't a soul in sight. I knew the Elms lived on the second floor, so I had to be quiet when I stole. Wait, what? No, I wasn't supposed to steal. Stealing was bad. My mom would be disappointed. It was something a scumbag like my father would do. However, I found myself stroking an Egg. I fell to the ground in shock. My genes were getting ahead of me.

When I looked up, I saw what I was looking for. There was a podium with three Pokeballs on it. One was marked with a bubble, another with a flame, and a third with a leaf. That's when I heard the voice. "Who's there!? I've got a Pokemon!" I turned and saw Professor Elm and a Pidgeot. "Jace, is that you?" asked the Professor. It was over. I would go to jail. I had to get out! I grabbed the three pokeballs, then jumped out the window, heading for Route 29...

"No, no, no, no," I repeated many times over. The theft of those Pokeballs and whatever Pokemon were in them, it wasn't a good thing. I was feeling horrible. If I went back, there would be a price to pay. I had shattered his window...I had stolen Pokemon...I had probably commited some other crime. I couldn't go back to that! I'd be branded a punk, a criminal, an outlaw. I'd be shunned by the community. I had to leave the town, maybe leave the region. But there was one problem. My mom. I had no idea where she was. Even if she got home safe, she didn't make enough money to take care of herself. I often had to get a part-time job so we could get by. But then again, if I went back and she was there, I wouldn't be able to bare seeing her disappointed face. It was decided.

After an hour or so of waiting, I decided it had to be at least two A.M. It was time. I stepped back into house, vigilance meter on high, and checked that nobody was around. I started sprinting towards my house. Getting one at the far end seemed like a good plan, but it wasn't working very well right now. I stopped for a moment when I saw a cop at Elm's shattered window, but continued on so he wouldn't see me. I paused in front of my house, then went in.

It was exactly the same as when I was last in, and that disturbed me. My whole life had changed, therefore, my home should have also. It should have been dark, dank, depressing. It was pretty much the opposite. There was a bright light spreading through the house, tacky decorations were scattered everywhere, and the walls were sky blue. A shiver ran through my spine as I went up to my room. My backpack was on the floor, so I grabbed it and started packing things. I knew I had to make this quick. The Professor saw my face, and that cop would be here in no time. I took a berry from my Oran plant, some toiletries, a map of Johto, and some other necessities. After packing a flashlight, I ran down the stairs and out of the house.

I ran out of New Bark faster than I had ever run before. The cop and Elm were talking in front of his house, but they didn't see me. I guess I had been in my house longer than I meant to, because there was a faint light. I could kind of see the Cop's name on his badge. Gerald something. I realized that the cop was through talking, and jumped into some bushes in Route 29. I peeked and saw the cop Gerald something walking past me, probably going to the nearby Guard House. I gave a sigh of relief, waited until he was out of sight, and got out of the bush. It was time to leave for Cherrygrove.

The Route seemed straightforward, but in reality it seemed complicated. There was a whole bunch of tall grass, probably teeming with Pokemon. If I ran quickly, I might have been able to go without getting in a battle. I'd always wanted a Pokemon, but I had no idea what were in these Pokeballs. Three injured Wurmple? Who knew. With a final breath, I ran through the grass blocking my path. I saw a few Pokemon, but I made it without battling. Then I stopped to take in the scenery. There were some pleasent looking flowers everywhere. The trees were all shaped, well, like trees. I could distinctly see a Pokemon that seemed to have a hand on its tail. I continued walking for a while, and stopped at the edge of Cherrygrove and Route 29. Was I ready? I didn't know yet, and I didn't have to know yet, because I was knocked down by a giant bug.