Last time, Ri and Billy were playing together on the beach of Seafoam Islands.  Ri gave Billy a Nidoran to keep as his very first pokémon.  Billy, having never seen a pokémon so close in his life, fell instantly in love with his new friend.  But his parents are completely against pokémon and Billy must now choose between Nidoran and obeying his parents wishes.  And now, the story…

    It was getting late.  They watched the sun set across the water.  “It’s getting late Billy.  Do you think we should head home now?”
    “Just another few more minutes Ri.  You’ll miss the best part if you go home now.”  Ri nodded and sat back down next to Billy.  They both watched as the sun disappeared below the ocean.  The sky was filled with a magnificent amount of color.
    “Oh…  It’s so beautiful.”  Ri placed her hand gently on Billy’s.  He started to blush.
    “I… I’m glad you like it.  I used the sit here and watch the sun set a lot when I was younger, but not with anyone else, just myself, alone.”
    “Mhmm.”
    “But now, me and Nidoran can watch it together forever!  Oh, and you too of course, right?”
    “Oh, yes, of course.  Where are you going to hide Nidoran tonight?”
    “Well, I’ll keep it in my pocket until I get home.  Then, I’ll hide it in my pillow.  They’ll never find it there.”
    “Ok.  Well, thanks for showing me that cool sunset.  I’ll never forget it.  I gotta run or I’ll be late for dinner.”  Ri jumped up and began heading back to her house.  Billy was still sitting on the beach with Nidoran.
    “Don’t worry about anything Nidoran.  My parents may not like pokémon, but I think they are wrong ‘cause you are the coolest.  I’ll never let them take you away.  But if I want to keep you, I need you to stay inside this ball thing while we are at home otherwise they might see you, ok?”  Nidoran somehow understood.  “Oh, now how does this thing work anyways?”  Billy shook the tiny ball but nothing was happening.  Nidoran, being familiar with pokéballs from before stole the ball from his hands.  “Hey, I need to get it open first.  Huh?”  Nidoran tapped the button and Billy watched as the ball expanded.
    “Nidoran, nido, nido.”
    “Ah, I see.”  Nidoran tapped the button again and was taken into the pokéball.  Billy was kinda scared for a sec but then realized what had happened.  “Ok, now I get it.  Great.”  The ball reduced its size as Billy picked it up.  He placed it in his pocket and hurried home.

    “So son, what did you do today?” Billy’s mom asked.  His dad was reading the newspaper.
    “See, another attack just over that silly card game.  I tell ya, those pokémon are ruining our youth today.  Back in my day…”
    “Please dad, not another story.”
    “What?  They aren’t that boring are they?”  Billy and his mom attempted to mask their thoughts.  “Hmm, guess so.  Ok, but still, this is getting so out of hand.  I’d rather see you grow up to be doctor or something important, not a pokémon trainer.”
    “What’s so wrong with being a trainer?  If you’re really good, you become famous worldwide!”
    “That’s enough Billy.  You hang around Ri too much.  She’s a bad influence on you, her parents owning that pokémon adoption store.  Just another marketing scam in the long line of pokémon-related crap.”
    “Stop saying bad things about Ri!” Billy shouted.  He covered his mouth quickly.
    “Listen young man.  You are my son and you’ll do as I say.  Got it.”
    “Yes, sir…” he said softly.
    “Billy, we just don’t want you getting involved with something that is the cause of so many problems.  We’re looking after your safety.”
    “I’m ten years old mom, I can take care of myself.  I’m not a baby anymore.”
    “But you are still young enough to have to live under this roof so be respectful.  No pokémon, ever.  One day, people will learn it’s just silly to do all that and move on to having normal jobs again.”  Billy could see arguing with his parents was useless so he ran to his room.
    “I’m going to do my homework now.  Just call me when dinner is ready.”
    “Ok.  It won’t be too much longer.”
    Billy closed and locked his door.  He started crying.  “It’s not fair.  It’s just not fair.  Why can’t I have nice parents like Ri.  Her parents understand pokémon.  They don’t think it’s evil.  Oh…”  Billy reached into his pocket and pulled out the pokéball containing Nidoran.  “Don’t you worry, they won’t ever find you.”  He placed the ball in his pillow.  His mom called him for dinner.

    “So Ri, are you and Billy going to see each other again?”
    “Huh?  Mom…”
    “Hahaha, sorry.  You two make such a cute couple.  How’s he doing anyway?”
    “His parents don’t want him getting involved with pokémon, but he’s become attached to that Nidoran I gave him.”
    “Well, Billy must decide for himself what he wants to do.  When I was young, my parents wanted me to do other things than raise pokémon, but that was what brought me the most joy.  When they saw how much fun I was having raising pokémon, they decided to let me become a breeder.  Maybe Billy’s parents will come around.”
    “I don’t think so.  They are really against it, and I mean against it.  I don’t think they like it that we hang out together because I’m into pokémon.”
    “Well, Billy’s a smart kid.  He’ll find a way to discover his own path.  But maybe you should play a small role in all this.  The last thing you need is for his parents getting mad at you.  I agree, they can really be pains most of the time.”  Ri nodded and they ate dinner.  Ri’s father was still away on business in Celadon City, so he wasn’t able to attend dinner with them often.

    The next morning, Billy woke to a normal alarm clock.  “Ohh, why does school have to start so early.”  He got out of bed and got dressed.  Then, he grabbed his books and went into the kitchen for breakfast.  He forgot all about Nidoran in his room.
    Ri no longer attended public school mainly because she had done well enough to qualify for home schooling.  The schools in her area really didn’t teach much about pokémon anyways, mainly because of Billy’s parents and some other older folks in their village.  She and her mom practiced different pokémon breeding exercises in the mornings before opening the store.  During the day, her mom taught her about finances and other business concepts.
    Billy finished his breakfast and realized he had forgotten the pokéball with Nidoran.  “Oh no.”  He ran back to his room.  His parents were waiting inside.  “Umm, I forgot a book in my room.”  His father was holding a small spherical object.
    “Are you sure you weren’t forgetting this?”  Billy was paralyzed.  His face was white, his hands frozen, his heart pounding faster and faster.  Tears started to fill his eyes.  “How could you do this to us Billy?  We told you that pokémon are not good, they cause young kids to get in fights and make them start trouble.  Why did you disobey us?”
    Billy’s eyes searched everywhere.  He couldn’t speak.  His mind was racing.  Thousands of thoughts filled his mind of what would happen next.  He could bear to think of what his dad would do to Nidoran.  “Daddy, I love my new Nidoran.”
    “NO!”
    “Yes.  I… I… I want to be a pokémon trainer.  I want be collect different pokémon and become famous.  I… I…”  He couldn’t speak another word.  Tears were dripping from his eyes at a steady rate now.
    “NO NO NO!  This isn’t happening.  We raised you to be a normal child, not some pokémon-loving freak like that girl Ri.”
    “STOP MAKING FUN OF RI!”  Billy attempted to take the pokéball from his father’s hands but was unsuccessful.  “Give it back!”
    “No.  I told you before.  You are to have nothing to do with pokémon ever, or Ri for that matter, understand.”  His father’s temper was building.  Billy’s mother tried holding him back.
    “Look what you’ve done now Billy.  See how mad you’ve made me and your father.  Is this what you repay us with, after all the love and care we give you?”
    “Give Nidoran back!  Give him back!  Give him back!”  His tears flew from his face as he kicked his dad’s leg.  “Give him back to me!  Please daddy!  I love that pokémon and I won’t let you take him away.”
    “Stop this now.  See what this thing has done to you.  You’ve become messed up in the head.”  As angry as he was, Billy’s dad couldn’t bring himself to hurt his own son, no matter how much Billy retaliated.  He only gripped the ball harder.
    “Billy stop.  You’re not acting like the Billy we used to know.  Listen to your father and look at yourself.  You’re attacking him over a stupid pokémon.”
    “Nidoran isn’t stupid!  He’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me and I won’t let you take it.”  Billy landed a strong kick to his dad’s shin.  He limped slightly and let go of the ball.  Billy quickly jumped up and caught it.  “I’ve found what I want to do in my life.  I’m going to become a pokémon trainer.  I don’t care what you say.  If you care anything about how I feel, you’ll support me and let me go.”
    His dad recovered.  “How dare you.  That stupid girl’s been putting words into your mouth hasn’t she.”
    “I TOLD YOU TO STOP TALKING BAD ABOUT RI!!!”  Billy was completely red now.  His anger was raging inside him.  He took a book out from his bag and threw it at his dad.  “I hate you!  I’m never coming back, NEVER!”  He ran out the door with Nidoran’s pokéball in his hand.  He tried to whip the tears from his eyes.
    Billy’s father easily caught the book and looked at the title.  “Intro to Medicine,” it read.  A tear formed in his eye.  “Oh dear… what have we done?”  His wife tried to comfort him.  He looked at the book again.  “What have we done to our little boy…”  They didn’t pursue their fleeing son.

    “Ok, so what’s the most important thing in raising a pokémon, no matter what type?”
    “That’s easy, trust.”
    “And why?”
    “Without trust between the trainer and their pokémon, the pokémon won’t understand the trainer’s true feeling towards it and won’t know that the trainer will always be there for it.”
    “Very good.  You are going to make a fine pokémon breeder some day.  Ok, are you ready for the next…”  Her mother heard someone approaching.
    “What’s wrong mom?”
    “Someone’s at the door I think.”  Ri and her mom both went to answer the door.
    “Billy???”  Ri took a quick look at her friend and saw the tears rolling down his cheeks.  “Aren’t you supposed to be in school now?  What happened?  Why are you crying?”  Ri’s mother backed away.  She knew Ri could take care of this herself.
    “M… m… my parents found Nidoran.  Daddy tried to take him away but I wouldn’t let him.  And… so… I…” his sentence trailed off with his crying.  Ri put her arms around him to comfort him.
    “It’s ok Billy.  It’s ok…”  She patted him softly on the back.  Ri’s mother stayed back and watched her daughter.  Billy was calming down now.
    “{sniff}I… I ran away from home Ri.  M… my parents don’t want me to be a {sniff} pokémon trainer, but that’s what I want to do, not be a doctor.”  He had stopped crying and his face had turned back to a normal color again.
    Ri let Billy have a chance to reorganize himself.  “It’s ok.  Everything’s gonna be fine ok.”
    “Uh huh,” he sobbed.  Ri gave him a warm hug and they sat down at a table in the back room.