3 Chapter 3

I awake instantly which is a bit disorienting since I was never a morning person I make to get up only to realize I'm trapped. I turn back only to come face to face with Dawn's sleeping expression.

I immediately realize what happened so I wiggle out of her arms to do a bit of exercise. I came to that realization while battling Starly-sama yesterday that stats don't mean everything, I shouldn't have won against an opponent stronger than me but I did through a clever use of momentum and strategy.

So my logic is that if I train my moves I can improve my overall battle prowess.

That being said I get to work I first take off the bandage Dawn seemed to put on my underbelly while I was unconscious and to my slight surprise, the wound was fully healed.

I glide down onto the carpeted floor and get to business.

I start using moves as if I were practicing a martial arts form I use them one after another in the hopes of improving my strength, 'Scratch!Peck!Scratch!Peck!Scratch!Peck!' Over and over again after a solid hour of doing this, I collapse to the ground absolutely exhausted.

I lay there for a bit before hearing an extremely loud ringing sound, I jump to my feet alert only to realize it's just Dawn's alarm which is laying by her bedside.

"Arggghh!" Dawn lets out a groan before slamming her fist on the snooze button turning off the sound.

I wasn't about to let that happen however she set her alarm for a reason. I wasn't going to let her miss out on anything today.

I climb onto the bed and start nudging her awake. She turns and fidgets but nothing I do wakes her up eventually she knocks her blanket off her bed. Still, however, she doesn't awaken. I have to smack her with my wing before she wakes up.

"Ah! Pidgey? What's up?" Dawns asks groggily. She seems to come to the conclusion herself because she eeps and jumps out of bed.

"It's my 16th birthday which means I can officially start my pokemon journey, wait a minute pidgey, I'm going to get changed.

She walks over to her closet and starts stripping it's only through every ounce of willpower that I manage to avert my gaze from her large thick panty-clad ass, "Honestly, who takes their pants off before their shirt?!"

I leave the room and head downstairs as to not give in to temptation. I'm sitting in the living room waiting for Dawn to come down but it's her mother who I end up seeing first.

"Oh, pidgey. I forgot you were here, I assume Dawn is getting ready, how about in the meantime I'll serve you some food?"

I nod and she makes her way over to the kitchen when she comes back she does so with a bowl of dog-like food or little brown pellets to be more descriptive.

I'll be honest it tastes really good but for some reason eating like this from a bowl feels far more demeaning than eating that caterpie ever did, oh well.

It's only after I'm done eating that Dawn deems to show herself. As she walks down the stairs her eyes are shifting looking around the place until they meet mine and she lets out a relieved smile.

"We should get going Pidgey." She scoops me up and talks to her mom, "I'll be seeing Professor Rowan I'll be back for my bags in a bit"

"Alright sweetie, be careful!" her mother replies.

As we leave the house I assume we'll be going by foot like we've been doing but my assumptions are incorrect given the fact that Dawn takes a bike she has tucked away on her porch puts me in the basket of which I barely fit, and starts peddling away towards the Professor.

The trip this time is a lot faster and as we're quickly approaching the Lab I hear Dawn call out to me, "Hey Pidgey? If Prof. Rowan doesn't let me take you, don't worry I'll stay here with you. Maybe in a year or two after he's done studying you he'll allow us to journey together," I turn back and realize Dawn is staring at me with a melancholic expression almost as if that's the outcome she's expecting. "But don't worry I won't abandon you."

I start to tear up. As we get to the Lab I make up my mind then and there, if the Prof doesn't let me go I'll make his life a living hell until he won't want me around anymore if that doesn't work I'll just steal my Pokeball and run away.

Dawn stops at the front door seemingly too afraid to proceed. I do my best to nuzzle into her as a way to show my support that seems to work since she smiles and manages to gather the courage needed to walk in and march towards the professor.

"Professor, did you talk to your Professor friend?" Dawn asks with only some slight hesitation.

Rowan just looks at her with a stern expression that melts away into a sigh.

"Yes, I did, before you ask he permitted you to take Pidgey. When I first told him Pidgey hatched he seemed surprised as if he wasn't expecting it despite the fact he sent the Pidgey to me. When I told him a trainer who helped raise it wanted to keep him as a starter he was excited and specifically asked me if it was a girl with blue hair. When I confirmed and asked him how he knew he didn't answer he just shouted "YES!" at the top of his lungs." At this, he takes another deep breath.

"I don't know what goes through that man's head, he's as crazy as he is a genius. A very strange one that Samuel." His eyes grow distant as if he's reminiscing, he focuses back on Dawn before continuing, "To make a long story short, yes you can take him."

Dawn's expression kept changing throughout the story much like mine but it finally settled at the final sentence, pure joy.

She then jumps up and down while screaming, "Yes!" Much like Samuel, I imagine.

All of a sudden I hear a voice from behind me, well two voices, Dawn does as well so she turns around and me as a consequence who is still in her arms.

"What are you so happy about Dawn?"

"AAARGGH! Damn Dawn beat us here because you're so slow Lucas I'll have to fine you a million dollars for that."

"What? It's not my fault, Barry," speaks out Lucas.

The two begin arguing.

Spoiler: Lucas

Spoiler: Barry

Dawn just looks at the two and completely deadpan interjects, "Oh it's you guys, gross."

"Shouldn't you have left already I'm pretty sure you two turned 16 a few weeks ago."

"We wanted to wait for you, Dawn so we could all have an equal start-" Lucas didn't have a chance to finish.

"Whooaa! What is that? Is that a pokemon, professor why does she have a pokemon before us!"

Professor Rowan makes to speak before he could get anything out however Barry had zoomed across the room and was poking and prodding me. "Whoa it's so pretty, that's wicked rad!"

Dawn sneers, "Did you just use the words "wicked rad" unironically, you're such a loser."

'Whoa, why does Dawn dislike these guys so much.' Also tired of being poked I bite Barry hard enough to almost draw blood but he continues as if he didn't notice.

The voice of reason tries to interject "Guys let's all calm down-" once more Lucas is interrupted by Dawn this time, "Yeah, who asked you?" She asks sarcastically.

It ended up devolving into absolute chaos while I just sat there shocked.

Spoiler: Ace's expression

Professor Rowan's eyebrows twitched before he yelled out, "Enough! I knew I shouldn't have called you all in at the same time. Let me explain your situation and only then can you argue OUTSIDE of my lab do I make myself clear!?"

All three pacified replied in unison, "Yes, Professor Rowan."

*Sigh* "Good, now as I was going to say before you interrupted me this is the Pokemon hatched from the egg I asked if anyone wanted to help me with, because of her help I've decided to reward her with said pokemon, You will all be picking from one of 3 options, are you following along?"

All 3 nodded their head.

"This red tablet in my hand is what's known as a Poke-dex not many people have one but it helps- you know what I'll let you find out on your own there is a tutorial button. You will also be given 5 Pokeball's and a budget and monthly allowance of 5000 dollars so long as you continue to be sponsored by me. To qualify for that sponsorship every one of you must participate in the Gym Challenge and I can drop the sponsorship so long as I give a 1-month notice."

"That is all, you may choose a pokemon and pick up your designated items and as per league rules we'll go by alphabetical order so Barry chooses first then Dawn then Lucas."

"What but Dawn was here first!" Lucas cries out in outrage.

"I don't need you to defend me, Lucas. I don't need a starter anyways I have Pidgey."

"I don't make the rules the league does." Prof. Rowan says with a shrug.

Barry runs over and chooses 1 of the Pokemon immediately seemingly having already decided his pokemon of choice.

"Dawn fight me!"

Dawn just looks at him, "No."

"What? Are you too scared?"

Before Dawn can respond probably justifying her response with the fact that I hatched yesterday.

I flap out of her arms and point with my wing at Barry and make a come at me gesture.

"See!? Pidgey gets it, this is a fight between men Dawn don't interfere!"

Dawn looks at us both flabbergasted, "What but he's my pokemon! What do you mean don't interfere?"

"Dawn are you going choose your-"

"No Lucas! I don't care choose or whatever!"

Lucas goes and picks out a pokemon with a defeated expression.

Rowan pipes in, "If you're going to fight do it outside."

Barry books it out and I fly after him.

We reach the backyard and Barry finally shoots out his pokemon. A small green turtle appears with a small leaf on his head.

Its first action is to let out a roar and shout out to the heavens.

"Who's ready to get Turt'd up in this mothafuckaaa!"

'...'

'I was not ready for today.'

I see Turtwig turn back to look at Barry who gives him a thumbs up and says, "Yo, Turtwig I'll be your new trainer nice to meet you. I'm gonna need your help though that Pidgey over there is your opponent don't let the type of disadvantage discourage you I'm aiming to be the best and the best needs the best starter I know you can pull through. Are you with me?"

Turtwig just turns back and lets out another mighty roar at me.

"PREPARE YOURSELF FEEBLE AVIAN FOR YOUR ABOUT TO FACE THE WRATH OF THE TURTINATOR!!!"

'Isn't there an actual pokemon called Turtinator? Something like that at least.'

I just stare blankly, the weirdness of the situation kinda killing my mood. Whatever let's get this over with.

*Fight*

"Turtwig use tackle!"

"Turtwig!" He launches himself at me, decent speed for a pokemon of his type, I'm assuming.

But it's child play to dodge all I have to do is hover slightly and shift my body to the side. I use the same strategy I used against starly, I wasn't going to at the risk of developing bad habits but there wasn't much else I could do especially with turtwig only knowing tackle and his movements being predictable since he's untrained.

After side-stepping him I fly over him scratching him multiple times. Turtwig cries out in pain before doing something I didn't expect. Barry cries out, "Turtwig jump and use headbutt!" Turtwig threw his whole body up to me and tried to headbutt the side of my face. I quickly turn over and at the last second use, 'Peck!' I don't make to attack I just let him use his own momentum against him and he does.

Already locked into the action and not experienced enough to change mid-air turtwig slam his head into my awaiting peck crying out in agony before falling to the floor unconscious, it was a complete knockout.

[97 exp gained]

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

"No, Turtwig!" Barry calls turtwig back into his ball.

Professor Rowan makes himself know from the sidelines apparently having watched the fight alongside Dawn, Lucas, and his Piplup.

"There's a healing machine in the lab, Barry, I recommend you use it."

Barry doesn't even say anything before running back inside.

Dawn makes her way over to me and picks me up, "Congratulations on winning your first fight Pidgey," her expression turns into a scolding one, "and also don't think about fighting without me again, do you understand?" She starts pulling at my cheek and I just nod to make her let go. "Good."

"I'll go grab my items and head out Prof. Rowan!" Rowan makes to stop her, "before you do, here." He gives her a Pokeball and says, "This is Pidgey's Pokeball, now go out there and do great things I expect a lot from you. I was going to force you to take a starter but I see now that Pidgey is strong enough to protect you."

"Thank you Professor Rowan I'll see you around." With that Dawn grabs her items and goes to pick up her bags and say her goodbyes to her mother.

As we were making our way over Dawn asks me a question. "Do you want a name Pidgey?" I just look up at her confused, she clarifies, "most people don't name their pokemon for some reason, but I think it helps build a better connection. There are a million other Pidgey's out there but you're special you're my partner, so do you want a name?" I quickly nod my head yes.

"Great how about Pidg-Pidg."

My face immediately falls already understanding the types of names she'll suggest and sure enough, she proceeds to suggest a bunch of awful names.

Finally, she suggests a good one, "How about Ace?" I almost shake my head out of habit before realizing what she said and happily agreeing. That puts a smile on her face and she says, "Great, Ace its is."

We arrive at her home and after sharing a tearful goodbye with her mother. Dawn grabs the small bags and makes her way to the outskirts of Twinleaf Town.

She inhales deeply, "This is it Ace our first step. The start of our journey."

Dawn takes another deep breath before taking the plunge. This is the beginning of her and Ace's journey. What will happen find out next time on Dragon Bal- I mean Flappy Bird.

(A/N: I struggled so much with this chapter I accidentally deleted this chapter and couldn't recover it, I was super happy with how it turned out the first time now that I rewrote it not only is it shorter it feels a little more rushed, all in all, I dislike it and I'm so bummed the first draft I wasn't able to post. I was literally copying it to copy and paste it to Grammarly but I accidentally clicked a letter or something and it was deleted before I could notice I closed out upon pasting it I realized the chapter was missing so I went to copy it again but it was deleted the stupid notepad thing I write on saves whenever you leave a note so it was saved as deleted and I couldn't even use backups to restore it.)

(All in all fml.)

Pidgey Brando: oh, you're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming to me?

Turtjo: I can't kick your ass if I don't get closer.

Pidgey Brando: Oh ho! Then get as close as you like.