The Path of Sacrifice

It'd been months since Ash and Gary had left. Why did Oak favor THEM instead of her? What had she done wrong? Today, with or without her mother's support, she was going to go to Professor Oak, and steal that last leftover pokemon. Steal it just long enough to get out into the grass and catch whatever she found out there. People were so over protective of the children; Pokemon usually knew better than to attack the humans, unless they were sick, or had pokerus, or rabies or something. She'd run off many times into the grasses, and had never been attacked. If they were so worried, why didn't they just pave a path clear to Viridian City, and send the kids to the pokemart for dinner food that way? Honestly, it wasn't as big a deal as the parents were making it out.

"I shouldn't act like I know everything," Angel thought, as she pulled a ski mask over her wavy brown locks. "Then people won't like you." her mind reiterated, in her mother's voice. Well, no more Lass Angel; She wasn't going to have that identity anymore. No denominations, not anymore. Angel stepped out of the front door, slipping past her mother asleep on the couch. She'd given Angel the lone bedroom for years. Angel wouldn't've minded being the one on the couch, letting her mother have the bedroom. But, such was life - her mother wouldn't have it the other way around.

Four AM. She'd never been awake at 4 am in her life. Oh, she knew stealing was wrong; but was there really any other way to become what she wanted to, being in such a rural town that didn't even have a pokemart, or pokeballs to speak of? How else was she to become the Champion? Viridian city had the pokeballs to be bought, and there was grass she was forbidden to enter without a pokemon, which she couldn't catch without a pokeball. It was a sick catch 22, she thought, as she slid the window of Oak's Lab silently open.

Silence. Blessed silence. Angel had half expected an alarm system or maybe a few Growlithe on guard; but no, there was nothing. Angel hoisted herself onto the window, and through. It was dark, but that was normal at 4 am. Everyone sane was asleep. Well, except present company, of course. Sneaking across the floor as if someone would hear her, she spied the lone pokeball on the table. Soon, it would be hers...

"Grampa! GRAMPA!" Gary's sister shouted in a whisper, as she pounded on the old man's bedroom door. "GRAMPAAAA!" she urged, almost willing her grandfather to wake up. Finally, the door swung open, and a very tired, sleepy old man in a robe stood in the doorway, staring at her in an expression that looked as if he were about to say 'this better be good.' "Grampa! I saw someone going into the lab through the window!" she rushed, grasping the old man's hand, pulling him along to the kitchen window. "I was getting water, look! The window is wide open!"

Professor Oak groaned. One of his Aides had probably left it open when locking up. "Go back to bed...It's probably nothing." he spoke, turning back around to amble back into bed.
"NO Grampa! I SAW someone crawling in through the window!" Oak stopped, and glanced over his shoulder, a bit more convinced now.
"You're sure?"
"YES! Now hurry up, or that Bulbasaur is going to vanish into thin air!" Nodding, Oak scurried out the front door, after grasping the lab keys, which were right by the door, on the table. He dashed across the short expanse between buildings, one hand on the front of the robe for obvious reasons, the other fiddling with the keys to get the right one. He almost jammed the key in the door, nearly breaking it as he slammed the lock open in his haste...


Angel approached the lone red and white ball as if it were a shrine, as if it were the prize she'd spent her whole life trying to attain, her proverbial holy grail. The only thing that would make this whole thing perfect, is if she'd had an empty pokeball to replace the full one, to make it look like she hadn't yet taken anything. Angel wondered, briefly, what pokemon was contained inside. She never knew what ones were there or what Ash and Gary had taken. Which would help her get a pokemon of her own, she thought, as she lifted the ball and slid it into her black hoodie's pouch. Now, all she had to do was make it to Viridian city, get a ball, and-

CHUNG! Suddenly, the lights flooded on. "STOP!" screamed a familiar voice, as it's owner, Oak, stepped into the building. Angel froze - she was so careful! How did anyone hear her?! Oak quickly closed the gap, and yanked away the ski mask - as well as a few hairs which merited a yelp from the sixteen year old. "Angel?..." Oak spoke, a look of disbelief on his face. "Quiet little Angel? Why would you steal from me?..." The expression of hurt on the old man's face was enough to break her heart.

"Mr Oak, please understand...I didn't think there was any other way. I was gonna bring it back, as soon as I caught something...I promise." she spoke, placing the ball back on the table, before she was asked - usually bode well for her to do things without asking. Oak was silent for a moment, his back turned to her. After the unbearable moment, he turned back.
"What do you mean, you didn't think there was any other way?"
"Mr Oak, sir...We live seperated from Viridian City by grass I can't walk in. There are no pokeballs for sale here to catch a wild pokemon with. How am I supposed to catch a pokemon if I can't buy pokeballs without a pokemon to get me there? How am I supposed to become a great trainer if I can't even get a pokemon without breaking the law?..."

Oak stared at her in an expression that she couldn't place, almost mixed anger and confusion and pity and sadness all rolled into one face. What was he thinking? Surely she was in trouble. Was he going to send her to jail?...

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Not too much plot to begin with, but trust me, it'll get thicker. I haven't decided what adult scenes I'll have, but I promise I'll include a few. Please review, I'd like to know what's going on in your minds, it'll help me keep writing. :3