Whenever Morgan felt upset, he took a hike. He did this for two reasons, first because he'd rather hide than let people see him, and second because Pewter City was built at the crook of the almost impassable Silver mountain range. Hugging the city were smaller hills before the land ascended into true mountains.

This time was no different. The matron at the orphanage tried to talk to him again this morning, about his prospects. He knew that he couldn't answer it with any concrete plans, so he hurriedly left the house. He could only say that he wanted to get rich, but what kind of answer was that?

Morgan was very aware that sixteen years old was the age of majority, and therefore when that happened his life wasn't the orphanage's responsibility anymore. His birthday is next month.

Having a walk, and testing his luck with wild Pokemon might just be the thing that'll solve all his problems. He needed a starter Pokemon and no one would give him one for free. The only choice was to take matters into his own hands.

Morgan wasn't sure what kind of job would suit him, but going on a journey surely wasn't a bad decision. Every successful person said that it had a very huge impact on their life. The failed ones, too, but he consciously disregarded that thought.

The last thing that stood in his way was the fact that he hadn't been able to convince any Pokemon to take him as its partner. Yet. But he could be lucky any day now. He just needed to persevere.

His usual go-to place was the north, but yesterday some workers in the city's mines took offense to his activity, saying that it's not safe for a kid wandering into an area where wild pokemons known to frequent. Did they think that he was stupid? That's why he went northeast today.

It's out of the way, and a small copse of trees still surviving against human expansion. When the road started to bend uphill, it changed into a dirt path. His shoes wisely protect his feet from the scattered gravel. The ground was not that steep this far down, so he didn't need hiking equipment. He walked out and further until he could see the whole city. He could recognize the Gym, the Museum, and the biggest entrance to the mines from there.

Morgan didn't spend too long and turned away immediately, and continued his search. From there, he didn't dare to go any higher. Stronger Pokemon certainly live that way. Where their habitat wouldn't directly cross over with human society.

This area still had some spare greenery, it managed to break the monotony of the walk. He followed the trails left until he arrived at a dip in the landscape. A small valley containing a pond full of fresh water.

Morgan could see a bunch of Geodude and Machop roughing each other off. But it didn't look to be anything serious, just showing off fighting skills. A Wooper quietly spectated from the pond. Some random Hoppip to the side. Sandshrews pawing at a piece of bone sticking out of the ground, and annoying the Digletts nearby. A Poliwag tried helplessly to separate them. And bird Pokemon circling overhead.

When Morgan descended, some of them scattered. He had to admit, Poliwag looked awkward when they moved on land. But those involved in the fighting completely ignored him.

Well, he's here to get a starter. Better to try something rather than just watching. He approached the Sandshrews first, they didn't seem the type to flee, or to be hostile. He called out to get their attention. "Hey, my name's Morgan. I'm looking for a Pokemon to be my partner. Are any of you interested in coming with me?"

It certainly did get them to look at him. One of them shouted its name and gestured toward him.

"What? I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Then it draws two circles on the ground with its claws and points at its belt. Morgan started to get it. "Is that a PokeBall? Are you asking how many PokeBalls I have?"

It shakes its head for a no.

"Are you asking how many Pokemon that I have?"

It nodded in confirmation.

"Well, I haven't caught one yet. That's why I'm asking around."

"Sa, sandshrew," it said, tiny claws held to the sky as if signaling disappointment.

Morgan tried to appeal to what he thought most Pokemon wanted, "Are you sure? I could help you get stronger."

It sprayed some dirt on him. "Fine, fine. But you didn't need to make me dirty, either. The rejection is clear enough."

He looked to the rest of the Sandshrews and the Digletts. "How about you guys, any takers?"

He proceeds to get more dirt on him. Now, it's his turn to flee. He was lucky none of it got into his eyes. He stopped after running a short distance, patting himself down to get some of it off of him. Next, Morgan shifted his attention toward the skirmish in the middle of the small valley. He almost abandoned the plan but fought through the urge to just come back to the orphanage empty-handed and try another day. "Right, here we go."

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He approached cautiously. He didn't want to accidentally startle anyone. First, there was one Geodude who was already defeated, and now taking it easy on the sidelines. The Pokemon looked like a brownish-gray boulder, with two rocky muscular arms attached to it. Geodude noticed Morgan coming from its peripheral vision.

"Hi," said Morgan. "Do you want to be my Pokemon?"

Geodude eyed him up and down, inspecting him. It didn't feel so good on his end. Morgan knows he's skinny, but its head didn't even reach his waist. So who did Geodude think it was to look at him so… judgingly?

"We'll go on a journey, and challenge some very strong Pokemon. There's a lot of benefits, I swear."

Geodude didn't seem to be convinced.

"Alright, look, what do you need me to do to convince you to come with me?"

It immediately went down, fists to the ground, and began to lift itself up and down. All the while, still looking at him right in the eyes. As if giving him a challenge.

Morgan was not a sporty person. He hiked occasionally, but that's about it. But there was nothing else to it except to do it. He also started doing it.

When Geodude pushes up, he pushes up. When Geodude went down, he went down. Up and down. Up and then it went down.

Morgan got tired after the fifteen count and lost ground quickly. He wondered how the Geodude still kept pushing it, it just earned a beat down from its kind. And now it was beating him in a muscle-building activity.

He wasn't sure when exactly it happened, but he found himself cheek to ground, and inhaling dust stirred because of his own heavy breath. He turned himself to lay on his back. Vaguely, he could hear what might be Geodude laughing at him. But he couldn't focus, his head was so dizzy. Everything was spinning.

The Wooper from the pond, whose existence was almost forgotten by Morgan, sprouted water to his face, waking him up. He gave it a thumbs up to show his appreciation.

Geodude already left, so he searched for the next target. He almost asked the Wooper, but another splash of water to the face dissuaded him from it.

Unexpectedly, a Machop eagerly moved in his direction. It was a short humanoid creature that had blue-gray skin. It had three brown ridges on top of its head, large red eyes, and a relatively flat face. The Pokemon also brought another of its kind along. They stand in front of him, seizing him up. Then they faced each other, and after giving a fighting cry, they grabbed and pushed for dominance. It ended when one of them suplexed the other.

"Machop," the winner said, pointing at him.

Morgan asked, "You want me to wrestle you?"

It nodded. He was going to feel the effect tonight, Morgan thought. Wrestling a creature made out of muscle definitely belonged in the terrible ideas section. But anything to get a starter. "Then you'll be my Pokemon, right?"

It answered with crossed arms. It made a few more gestures until Morgan finally got it. "Oh, you want me to beat you in a wrestling match. Is that right?"

That guess was correct. Machop excitedly pumped its fists. This thing just kept getting worse for him. But Morgan agrees with the said term. They even shake hands on it.

It didn't take long. Needless to say, his back met the ground for the second time that day.

"Again," he said. His stubbornness showed through.

It only lasted until the third attempt. Machop soon left with its friend in a disappointed huff.

Morgan chose to lay there for a while, just gathering his breath. He was forced to move after a fight got too close for comfort. He went on to make several more attempts after that. Every time, the results were the same. He was soundly rebuffed.

Another day of failure. But he was not ready to go back yet. Besides, his body hurt all over. The return journey to the city would not be easy, to say the least.

From where the Sandshrews previously frolicked, there was a shade. Morgan went there to rest. For a time, he was content with just watching. That Wooper got life figured out. Let some other maniac do their silly things, and make it your afternoon entertainment.

A shaky, hollow cry sounded out near him. Like it comes rattling out of a boneyard. Morgan suddenly remembered that he saw a piece of bone buried, which the Sandshrews were playing with. It looked like it was a Pokemon's skull. What with the fact that it had a long beak and two upward rounded horns on the back.

And apparently, also a pair of eyes inside the skull. He didn't notice it before because it was closed and the skin around it blended well with the dirt around it.

"How did you get there?" Morgan asked, but the Pokemon didn't answer him. Still giving out that low, whining cry.

It started to wriggle in place, trying to get out. Morgan decided to help, using his hands to dig. Or at least soften it enough that the Pokemon could free itself. When it finally showed its form, Morgan realized that he knew what Pokemon it was.

Beneath the skull that it wore, the creature was bipedal and had a light brown hide, except for its cream-colored belly. It had two small spikes on its back and a short tail. On its clawed hands, it also clutched another piece of straight bone.

It was a Cubone, the lonely Pokemon. There was a children's storybook in the orphanage about it.

It didn't do anything else, not even crying anymore. There was that, at least. The cry was not pleasant to hear. But, the question now was how to make it agree to get caught by him.

"Hi, my name's Morgan. Do you want to come with me?"

It cried its name and rushed at him. Morgan braced for an attack, but it only hugged his leg. It couldn't even reach his knees, though. So he crouched and patted the skull. It was probably starving for affection.

Morgan had his first-ever Pokemon and it was perfect.

But he might need some more time in the shade. Cubone didn't seem willing to let go of him yet. Besides, he had a great spectacle to watch. A score of Machops and Geodude was still going at it.

The journey back could wait.

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Chapter title: "Kidnapping an Orphan"