The first step! (Open)

Growlithe sure did seem more thrilled than ever as she ran up and down the road and occasionally making a circle around Jay. Not that Jay could blame her. After all, it was a whole new environment from the bustling seaport of Vermillion City that both of them were used to. This was what they had been training for. What they had been waiting for. Yet, Jay's outward appearance wasn't of excitement or thrill. In fact, he looked more at peace than anything else. That was except for his eyes. His bright, protuberant blue eyes practically sparkled with anticipation. He had enjoyed Pallet Town. Sure it was small, but he liked the peacefullness of the place as well as Professor Oak. The weather outside was beautiful. It was partly cloudy and there was a slight breeze so as not to let it get too cold or too hot out. As Jay looked up at the clouds daydreaming while he walked, Growlithe rushed up to him and stood on her hind legs. Growlithe's front paws were on his chest as she licked his face.

"Alright, alright girl," Jay said with a chuckle as he had her settle down slightly. Jay knew just what Growlithe wanted. After all, she was always up for a game of frisbee. Jay opened up his blue backpack and took out a red frisbee which he threw. Growlithe chased after it enthusiastically as Jay zipped up his bag and strapped it back on. Jay looked ahead as he kept walking and saw Growlithe jump into the air and catch the frisbee in her mouth. "Good girl," Jay exclaimed as he pet her head and took the frisbee back ready throw it again.

Though it isn't certain just what attracted it, but a wild Pokemon found himself staring intently at Jay and Growlithe. He was a Houndour, who in this moment was at a standstill of what to do. He wanted to go out and investigate what they were doing with the strange flying disk, but he felt vunerable when out in the open. After some hesitation, he stepped out of concealment and looked into the eyes of his fire dog counterpart, Growlithe. He wasn't hostile, just curious.

Houndour, Male, Level 6

Before Jay could throw the red Frisbee again, a Houndour appeared revealing itself from his concealment. Jay looked curiously at the curious Houndour as it looked at Growlithe who in turn barked playfully and enthusiastically. "Is that," Jay said quietly to himself as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his Pokedex. Opening it up, Jay listened to what his digital companion had to say about the dog-like Pokemon. "Houndour," the digital voice of the Pokedex began to speak, "the Dark Dog Pokemon, it is smart enough to hunt in packs. It uses a variety of cries for communicating with others."

Slipping his Pokedex back into his jacket pocket, Jay looked back up at Houndour. "Strange . . . this little guy looks like he's all on his own," Jay commented on the Pokedex entry. He was supposed to be in a pack. Jay couldn't help but wonder what might have happened to the poor guy if he didn't have a pack. Jay looked down at his Frisbee and smiled before throwing it to Houndour wondering if he was curious about the disc. Jay wanted to catch the Pokemon. After all, it was all on it's own anyway. It was supposed to be in a pack. Jay didn't really need an excuse to catch the Pokemon though. After all he was a trainer now. His mind rattled with excitement at the thought of catching his first Pokemon on his own. Of course he had Growlithe, but Growlithe was given to him. He didn't catch her.

Houndour yelped in suprise as the disk flew toward him. Instead of jumping up and catching it, he jumped away and watched it come to a sliding hault next to where he now stood. Staring at it with a small rumbling growl in his throat, he took a cautious step toward it. When it didn't move, he took another, then another, until he rested a paw on its surface.Cocking his head slightly to one side, he used his paw to flip the frizbee back into the air, and caught it as it fell back down.

Now energized and playful, he turned toward Growlithe. He tried to make a playful bark, but most of it was muffled by the disk in his mouth. He ran at Growlithe and playfully tackled it. Perhaps this Pokemon can be befriended, sometimes catching a Pokemon doesn't need a battle to happen.

Jay and Growlithe intently watched Houndour as he yelped and jumped away before slowly approaching the red disc. Jay smiled when Houndour kicked up the red Frisbee into his mouth before charging at Growlithe and playfully tackled his fellow canine Pokemon. Jay laughed as Growlithe too bit the other end of the frisbee after struggling back onto her feet and began to playfully tug on the red Frisbee. Jay couldn't help but wonder who's jaw was stronger, Growlithe's or Houndour'. He had faith in his companion, but no doubt when he reached Viridian City he'd have to phone his mother and tell her, after all he was sure she'd be intrested being the dedicated breeder she was.

Jay wondered if the Houndour would willfully come rather than have to battle him. He had helped his mother with her breeding throughout his life so he knew about the connections Pokemon could make with people. He understood that sometimes Pokemon could become attached and willfully become a companion of a trainer without the need of an actual battle. Jay viewed it as a challenge. Surely it was harder to befriend than to capture in most cases. Besides, Jay was passive aggressive, he wouldn't want to needlessly hurt a Pokemon that would willingly come along with him. He didn't exactly want to hurt anything.

Houndour tugged the disk, seeming to meet his equal in strength. He continued tugging, and ocasionally growled in mock anger. It seemed he was bonding to Growlithe already, or at least regard her as a playmate.

As for Jay, he regarded the trainer not as a hostile force, but not a companion either. He would be cautious around the boy.

Growlithe seemed to enjoy having a playmate and growled back at Houndour in a teasing way. She began to tug harder and harder. She was sure she was stronger than her tug-o-disc opponent. Jay was glad that Growlithe had someone to play with besides him for the moment and hopefully for the future as well. He couldn't help but wonder what they were thinking. The mind of a Pokemon was an interesting topic to him.

Growlithe took a rather nasty yank at the disc in the tug of war game between the two Pokemon as a trumph card to get the disc. She really wanted to win. Of course, Jay knew that without even watching. After all he and Growlithe had been together since he was seven when she first hatched from her egg. He knew the ins and outs of her personality like the palm of his hand.

Houndour tried to keep up with the progressivly harder tugs, but once Growlithe performed her final bit of strength, the disk was yanked from his mouth. Barking and turning onto his belly, he agknowledged his defeat.

Rolling back onto his feet, he now began to approach Jay curiously. He didn't understand how a Pokemon as powerful as Growlithe would travel with human such as this one. Still tense to jump out of the way if he sensed any danger, he sniffed the legs of the trainer.

Growlithe seemed happy to have won the game as she attempted a playful bark that came out muffled due to the red disc in her mouth. Her tag wagged with joy before she playfully pawed at her trainers stomach after going onto her hind feet for a brief moment before falling back down on all fours. Houndour curiously sniffed at Jay's legs, a common tactic of canine Pokemon as his mother had told him.

Jay couldn't help but feel as if Houndour was tense. Like he was ready to jump back at the slightest movement of his. Growlithe came from behind Jay and got on her hind legs once more as she pawed his bag several times. That was when Jay remembered they hadn't left since they arrived in Pallet Town and that was hours ago. Jay slowly unstrapped his backpack before unzipping it and pulling out a clear case of Pokemon food made by his mother. Opening the Pokemon food he took some in his hands and held it out to both of the Pokemon. Growlithe happily devoured two immediately.

The scent of something delectable was picked up by Houndour's nose, and his eyes immediately snapped to the food the trainer was holding. After a brief moment of hesitation, the canine swiftly gobbled up the food. It seemed he was very hungry. With a happy yelp, he looked at the trainer with wide eyes, trying to con him out of more food by looking cute. Though this was the most obvious reason he was doing this, it showed that trust was building between him and Jay. He no longer looked tense, just hungry and cute.

Jay guessed that Houndour must have been hungry by the way he gobbled up the Poke food. He wondered if Houndour was starting to get a little more attached to him and Growlithe. Jay was no stranger to the cute tactics of the canine Pokemon. So he wasn't surprised when the pup decided to put on the cute face to try and get some more food out of him. Jay wasn't selfish though, he was willing to share so he took some more out and tossed them to each Pokemon before taking an isolated bag out of his backpack. He opened it revealing two rice balls that were still warm thanks to the bag. He moved over to a tree and sat in the shade as he ate them.

Houndour happily scarfed down his portion of the tossed food. The rice balls were tempting to try and get, but they didn't smell as good as Poke Food. Sniffing around, he found his way to Jay's bag, and stuck his head inside to search for more food. With a surprised yelp and a flash of red, it seemed his nose had poked one of the Pokeballs inside, and he was sucked in.

It shook once, twice, then a third time before the resonating click was heard. It seemed Houndour had caught himself! Jay seemed like good company, and surely he would have ended up caught anyway. If the pup wasn't trusting Jay, he would have never approached the boy. It seemed it was fate that they would find themselves as new friends. Though the mystery of Houndour's solitude still remained, perhaps over time it would be solved.

Congratulations! Houndour was caught! Would you like to give him a nickname?

Jay wondered what Houndour was doing going into his bag. He figured he was most likely looking for more food. Jay was going to take a few more out for him, but before he could move there was a flash of red light. Growlithe rushed over looking in as Jay was doing now. He watched a bit surprised as one of his pokeballs began to move back and forth a few times. HE couldn't believe that Houndour had actually caught itself. He couldn't help but laugh. It was just such a strange way to catch your first Pokemon.

Jay picked up the pokeball as it stopped shaking and held it in his hand. A big smirk lay on his face. He was trainer now. This moment certainly marked that. Since he had left Vermillion he hadn't felt like much of a trainer yet. Sure he was traveling with Growlithe, but he always went places with Growlithe. He hadn't battled anyone or caught a Pokemon. But now he had. He felt like a real trainer for the first time. Growlithe happily barked at his side before retrieving the red disc she had dropped before and returning to his side.

(OOC: No nickname, thanks. Could you please put Houndour into my application :))