Zack's Adventurous Life

Well it's Fanfic Friday, meaning that it's time for a story/chapter update. And what better story to post than my currently active story? I did do a bit of editing in this chapter compared to what I have on fanfiction, but I will fix that at some point. In any case, I hope everyone enjoys the first chapter of this story and as always, if you wish to discuss this story and other stuff, go to CD's Story Chat. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Zack

Today was just like any other day: unknown. It was always a mystery to know just what might happen on a day like this, or any other day for that matter. So many things could happen such as a Steelix trying to kill me with an Iron Tail attack or a pack of Beedrill trying to hit me with their poison attacks. I always hoped for something interesting to always happen, but lately, nothing interesting has happened.

I stretched as I woke up from where I laid from last night, walking out of my little hiding place and to a nearby lake I came across for a drink. I dipped a paw into the water and washed my face. I always liked keeping a clean and healthy body. Unless it came to battling. Then I would love to do nothing more than get a bit messy.

I continued to dip my paw into the water and clean my face, followed by the rest of my body. The water felt quite cool as the cool morning air sent a chill along my spine. I was glad it was still early in the morning, though I had to work fast before Pokémon showed up and caught me cleaning my lower portion of my body.

As soon as I finished, I dipped my head down until my muzzle was touching the water and began taking a few gulps of the fresh, cool water from the lake. The desire for thirst faded as I took the last remaining gulp and pulled away, licking my lips in delight as water dripped from my muzzle.

I grinned and felt adrenaline racing to my heart as the cool water inside my stomach sent a tingling feeling all throughout my body. I was always looking for adventure which was the drive of said adrenaline. Whether I found it or it found me, I had no care. I was always looking for adventure to find some excitement out of it. Sure I would come across the occasional danger, but I always managed to safely come out from it in the end, satisfying the drive.

I looked down into the water and watched the ripples of waves travel outward a bit before the water returned to its still calmness before I disturbed it. It was then I saw my reflection of an Umbreon staring right at me. And as I went to smile, so did the Umbreon.

Being an Umbreon was so cool. I've always wanted to be one since I was just a small Eevee kit. Even then I had the lust for adventure, always traveling out after curfew and searching for adventure wherever it may be. I was always born for adventure. I couldn't stay in one spot for too long without wanting to go out and have adventures elsewhere.

My parents were always worried over me that I would get seriously injured. I loved them just as much as they loved me, but their worry over me wouldn't stop me from doing what I loved most. Eventually my dad quit worrying and had faith that I would be all right. My mother eventually came around to not worrying also, but deep down, I still knew she worried. But what could they do? They couldn't really stop me from leaving to have my own adventures across the world.

They knew that one day adventure would call me away from them. They both understood, but my mother, being an overprotective mother still couldn't hold back the tears as I left. It was sad to leave, but I reassured them both that my adventuring would one day bring me back to them.

I came back to reality from my past flashbacks as my gaze returned to my reflection in the water. I admired myself too fully. Not only was I an adventurer, but I was also quite the dashing good-looker that went along with my adventuring. I even managed to attract a few cute females because of my good looks, but not one of them got me to settle down, not that I wanted to do so at this young age. Besides, my love for adventure was stronger than my love for females. So it just plainly didn't work out.

One other thing that made most females attracted to me was the fact that I was a bit different from all other Umbreon. Like all Umbreon, I had black fur. But it was my rings on my body that made me different. Instead of the usual yellow, my rings were blue, being that I was a bright red Eevee before my evolution. I smiled again, my reflection copying.

Suddenly, my ears pricked up upon hearing noise behind me. I break my gaze from my reflection and turn around just as a human came walking through a bush, the source of the noise. I smirked, knowing full well that he was about to eye me and try to capture me. I've battled at least a hundred trainers that wanted to battle me to try and make me their Pokémon. Some of the Pokémon they sent out were too weak while others were really strong. But even the strongest of Pokémon couldn't beat me. I always came out on top in the end.

"Oh cool!" the human said, a bit of masculine in his voice. Obviously he was male. "A blue ringed Umbreon! I've got to catch it."

"Bring it on, human," I said with confidence as he drew out a red and white ball I've seen so many times.

"Go, Charcoal!" the boy yelled, throwing the ball high up into the air.

In a burst of light, out came to what appeared to be an orange lizard with sharp claws and a small fire on the back of its tail. I took note of the name and decided to comment on it.

"Charcoal's a pretty good name for you," I told the creature.

"Thanks," the creature said, his voice that of a male. "I have to admit that this is my first battle. My master just started not but several hours ago."

"Oh," I said. "Well I don't want to go to rough on you if you're just beginning to battle."

"Nonsense," the creature, Charcoal said. "I'd like to see you give it your all against me. Hold nothing back."

"All right then," I said. "I'll make the first move."

"Very well then," Charcoal said as I charged up a Psybeam.

"All right Charcoal," the human boy said. "Start off with an Ember attack."

"Not yet," Charcoal said, raising up a paw at the same time taking a battle position. The boy was a bit confused at what Charcoal was doing, but I wasn't going to wait around to wonder what he was up to. He told me to give it my all and that's what I'll do.

I released my Psybeam and aimed straight for the Pokémon who remained standing in the position he was in. I was wondering if he was ever going to move unless he wanted my Psybeam to hit him dead on.

Then, just as the Psybeam was about to strike, Charcoal did something so amazing that left me rendered speechless. Time seemed to have slowed down as I watched the Pokémon lean his body far left and bended back a bit. The Psybeam I released passed right on by him, barely missing him by an inch. The Psybeam struck the ground harmlessly behind Charcoal as the Pokémon returned to his position, his feet not once moving.

"Whoa!" was all I could get out.

The human looked equally surprised. Guess he didn't know his Pokémon could do such a thing. Charcoal smirked as he launched a fireball at me, snapping me out of my shock as I barely managed to dodge the incoming attack.

I began charging a black orb in my mouth to launch as a counterattack, but stopped as black smoke filled the area. My throat began to burn as I accidentally inhaled some of the smoke and began coughing. I didn't get any time to figure out what was going on before I felt a paw slam right under my muzzle, sending me sprawling onto my back.

I then felt immense heat engulf me. The heat was a bit unbearable as I felt my fur being singe. I could even smell my fur as the attack stopped, but the smoke hadn't cleared. I could feel the smoke stinging my eyes, forming tears in them.

This was an entirely different battle I've never gone up against before, which made it all the more exciting as the drive for excitement rose up within me. It was just one more challenge for me to figure out how to get out of.

"Charcoal, use Scratch!" I heard the boy yell from somewhere inside, or outside, the smoke. I didn't know exactly which way the Pokémon was coming from, so I did the first thing that popped into my mind. Forming up a Shadow Ball, I launched down onto the ground, blasting me high into the air and out from smoke.

It was a lot more clearer now, though the remains of the smoke lingered in my throat and my eyes. My vision was a bit blurry, but I could still see what was going on. The boy noticed that I was in the air now and yelled out another attack.

"Now Charcoal, use Ember again!" he said. "Aim straight up!"

I looked down below me where I was standing as I saw an orange flame licker up from the smoke, engulfing my body once again in a fiery blaze. I shut my eyes and took on the attack, trying to endure as much as possible. The attack ended as I fell onto the ground.

"That was an interesting tactic you used there," I heard Charcoal tell me. "But by doing so you left yourself wide open for an attack. Not a really smart thing to do, but still interesting."

I smiled and chuckled, getting a bit of a remark out of the Pokémon.

"What's funny?" he asked.

"Just the thrill of excitement," I replied as I struggled to get up.

"So I see," Charcoal said as I stood up straight, my legs wobbling. "Seems to me like you can't go on much longer."

"I'm a lot tougher than I look," I said. "I still have a bit of strength left."

"You are an interesting opponent," Charcoal said. "Tell, do you have a name?"

"It's Zack," I told him.

"Well Zack, I hate to break it to you, but I think my master has other plans," Charcoal told me.

I glanced over to the human boy who pulled out the familiar red and white ball that have been used to try and capture me.

"I'm not getting captured without a fight," I said.

"So it seems," Charcoal said as he launched another stream of fire at me.

I dodged to the side in order to evade the oncoming attack, but as I went to dodge, I heard the human yell, "Pokéball, go!"

My feet touched the ground and collapsed due to the injuries I sustained as I felt something collide with my head. A strange suction feeling pulled me in towards the ball before I was trapped within it. I began struggling to get out, not out of fear, but out of determination of a new obstacle to overcome. However, my legs were still a bit weakened in my battle with Charcoal and they quickly tired. So I gave up my struggle and allowed myself to be captured.

"Oh well," I thought. "Maybe being captured won't be so bad."