Yay you're a fan fic writer! We haven't had a new one for a while, or at least I haven't seen one from what intro threads I recall, lol. Reading fan fiction has always been a guilty pleasure of mine, although I've never read Pokémon fan fiction in particular. I kind of got obsessed with the Mario franchise back then, so most of what I've read was just some random, and in my standards, decently written story set in that franchise. The best one I've read was based on a reality show I liked a lot, mixed with Mario characters instead of real people, so that was probably why I liked it so much, haha.
Wait, I'm getting out of topic here! A late welcome to the site, Crimson! I'm glad to hear that you're loving this site. :D It's always nice to hear people enjoying the place, instead of just stopping by and never coming back. :( I hope you really stick around, man. Oh and maybe I'll check out that fan fic of yours if get the time. :3 As for your favorite Pokémon, each one you mentioned is really high on my list, too! Especially Lucario, Arcanine, and perhaps Gallade (not in my claims list back in my profile but it's still a Pokémon I liked a whole lot). You have good taste for sure. o/
In any case, read all the rules you could find as patiently as you can, post around in each interesting thread that allows it, talk to as many people as possible and stay for as long as you can. That's how we roll. But don't take it too far that you burn yourself out! Plus as a new person in this community, if you're having trouble with a section in this site, then we can always help you out. Just send a message to the person that handles the place you need help with, and we'll try to get to you in the best way that we can muster. :D Talk to you soon!