Path of the Chosen1: A Beginning


Wow, it's been nearly a decade since I started posting this story? Wild!

I'm back after all this time to rewrite the first couple chapters. Possibly more.

I hope you enjoy the revamped beginning of Cara's story!


Chapter 1: A Cloud Full of Stones


I had never felt so frustrated and exhilarated in my life. Like a cloud with a stomach full of rocks: almost light and free.

After all, it was my tenth birthday, which meant that I was finally old enough to start my Pokémon journey. Except I still had to wait a week before I could go pick up my trainer license and my starter Pokémon. I never knew that a single week could seem so long.

Usually I love my hometown, but today it felt like a weight dragging me down. Aqua Town is small. It has its own Pokémon center, but it doesn't have a place to register as a Pokémon trainer. It would be a week before I could go to Pallet Town.

At least today was my last day of school. As I stepped out of my classroom, my head was filled with the excitement of escaping classes, but the agony of waiting a week before getting my first Pokémon.

Ben fell into step beside me and the two of us headed out of campus. Ben had no trouble figuring out where my mind was. "Sorry you have to wait for me. Although you gotta admit, it's pretty cool that my birthday is only a week later than yours."

I smirked. "It is pretty cool. It's going to be great to start our Pokémon journey together, even if I do have to wait a few more days for you to turn ten."

Ben laughed. "You may say that, but I can tell you're cursing the fact that you have to wait those extra days."

I couldn't help laughing. "I'm not cursing you. I'm cursing the principle of the thing. Mom won't let me walk to Pallet Town by myself. At first she wanted to walk there with me, but that would mess up the whole thing. I can't have Mom come with me when I start my Pokemon Journey! It's different if it's a traveling buddy."

"Don't worry," Ben said. "If I were in your place, I'd curse me too."

The two of us laughed. About a block from school, we usually parted ways to head home. But today, Ben paused.

"I have your birthday present. Since I couldn't sneak it to you during your party." He took off his backpack and pulled out a box with a ribbon tied around it."

"Thanks!" I tugged off the ribbon and pried open the box. Inside was a single Pokeball.

"It's empty," Ben explained. "But you'll be able to use it in a week. Make sure you catch something cool with it."

I grinned. "Definitely. Thanks, Ben!" Although it was a simple gift, it was my very first Pokéball, so I was overly excited about getting it.

Ben waved a hand in farewell, and headed home. I took the Pokéball out of the box and held it in my hand, running my fingers over the button.

A squeaking sound made me look up. A Zubat was fluttering toward me. My Dad's Zubat, who sometimes joined me walking home from school.

"Hi, Zubat! I don't have to do anymore homework, so do you want to go down to the stream for a bit?"

Zubat chattered at me, and the two of us turned away from home and headed toward the creek. I slipped my Pokeball in my pocket. I was hoping to find a wild Pokémon to catch with it. Or at least I could use Zubat to have a practice battle with any wild Pokémon in the area.

I scrambled around the stream, skipping over rocks and climbing trees. I always had fun down here, but there were no Pokémon around today. I spent an hour pacing up and down the bank, jumping across where the water was narrow and trying to keep my shoes dry. Finally we headed for home.

We looped back around the school. It was empty now, and quiet. It was always surreal to see school like this, since it was so full of life during the day.

When I heard a shout, I stopped and glanced through the fence. I didn't see anything, and I figured it was probably some kids who were waiting to get picked up from school.

The next sound made me freeze up and tense. It was a scream. Not a human scream. But human or not, there was no mistaking that panicked, terrified call.

I hesitated, teetering on the brink of running for help. But Zubat flitted above me, chittering in alarm. I didn't' need help. I had Zubat.

Clenching my fist, I scrambled over the fence and dashed across the PE yard. I heard another scream, and more shouts. They were coming from the bushes that lined the parking lot.

I skidded to a halt before I reached the bushes. There were voices. More than one. Swallowing, I crept forward and peered through the leaves.

There were three boys. Teenagers, and each of them had a Pokémon: Raticate, Spearow, and Beedrill. In front of the six of them was a Ponyta. Her ears were flattened back and her eyes were rolling in fear and anger. She reared up and gave another eerie sound that sounded so much like a scream. She was tangled in sticky web. Stringshot from Beedrill. She wasn't able to run away, from having her legs wrapped in gooey threads, but she lunged forward, trying to strike the opponent Pokémon with her hooves.

Raticate sprang forward, using Quick Attack into Ponyta's chest. She gasped and staggered backward. As she moved, I saw her almost collapse, as though one of her legs was hurt.

"Hey!" I shouted, jumping to my feet.

The three boys turned to me and fixed me with cold, smirking stares. It took only a second for me to realize that I had done something really stupid. Three guys older and bigger than me with three Pokémon. What could I do?

Spearow continued attacking, striking the Ponyta in the face with his wings.

One of the guys started to laugh at me, but before the others could join, something clicked in my head.

"Supersonic!"

Zubat flitted out of the tree above me and opened her mouth wide, emitting piercing waves of sound.

The boys grimaced and covered their ears, and their three Pokémon winced. I reached trembling fingers into my pocket and grabbed the Pokéball. I pressed the button and felt the sphere expand in my grasp. I hurled it at the Ponyta. She disappeared in a burst of red light, and the Pokéball dropped to the ground.

The Supersonic was coming to an end. I sprang forward, grabbed the still shaking Pokéball, and sprinted into the bushes across the clearing. I charged through the branches, listening to the shouts of the boys behind me. Their Pokémon were confused, but that didn't stop one of the guys from chasing me. I could hear branches snapping behind me as he blundered after me.

I broke into the open at the nearby park. Zubat was fluttering in alarm, though she knew to stay silent.

I dove back into the bushes and dashed along toward the old tree. I could hear the guy behind me, still on my tail. Gasping, I dove to the side and into the knotted roots of the old fig tree.

Zubat flew past the tree and deliberately crashed into a bush, making the leaves rustle.

It worked. The guy swerved, heading toward the noise as Zubat lead him off into the evening.

I sat there for a minute, which felt like twenty minutes. I huddled in a ball, shaking all over, my breath all ragged. What do I do? Stay? Run?

A sound made me glance up in alarm. It was just Zubat. She flapped at me, urging me to follow. Swallowing, I tucked the Pokéball into my pocket and crawled out of the tangled roots.

I broke into a sprint, following Zubat along the edge of the trees. When we made it to the street, I turned and dashed for the Pokémon Center.

As I approached the building, the automatic doors didn't open fast enough to keep up with my pace. I hit the breaks, but still ended up bumping into the doors. I slipped through and staggered across the lobby to the front counter.

Nurse Joy stared at me, her mouth open. "What's wrong? Are you all right?"

My throat felt dry and raw, but I choked out, "Three guys, near the park. They were hurting this Ponyta." I fumbled in my pocket, taking several seconds to close my shaking fingers around the Pokéball. I finally placed it on the counter, just as Zubat landed on my head.

"They chased me. So I hid, and then ran here."

"That sounds awful." She lifted the Pokéball and handed it to a Chansey that appeared from the back room. "Take this to the operating room. We'd better check it out. It's a Ponyta, so we'll need a large table."

"She's really scared," I said.

Nurse Joy nodded in understanding. She turned back to Chansey. "Prepare a Sleep Powder before you let it out."

Nurse Joy turned to me. "I'll help with your Ponyta in just a moment, but we'd better start by calling the police."

I nodded and sank to my knees as some of the adrenalin began to wear down. My legs were burning and weak. I heard Nurse Joy on the phone. A minute later she hung up and appeared around the counter and handed me a glass of water. I took it, watching the water ripple in my unsteady hands.

Nurse Joy looked alarmed. "Cara, are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

I managed to take a sip of the water. I shook my head. "No, they didn't catch me, but I'm really worried about Ponyta. She was limping. It wasn't a fair fight! They were really hurting her."

I understand. I'll go and check on her now. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I have Zubat."

Nurse Joy nodded and disappeared in the back room.

I managed to drag myself over to the bench. I'd come to the Pokémon Center many times to read books about Pokémon. That's how Nurse Joy knew my name. It was here that I learned about all 149 Pokémon, even the three legendary birds.

I was too shaken to open any books this evening though.

The sound of the doors opening made me jump to my feet, afraid that the boys had found me.

But it was Officer Jenny.

I breathed a sigh of relief. She spotted me and walked toward me. "You're Cara, the girl who has the Ponyta?"

I nodded.

"I'll need to hear all the details of what happened."

I nodded again and began to explain what I'd seen. Officer Jenny took notes. When I finished, she said, "Thank you. Wait here. I'm going to speak to Nurse Joy."

"She's in the back."

Officer Jenny vanished into the back room, and appeared a minute later.

"How's my Ponyta?" My Ponyta. I caught her. She's mine. I inhaled as I grasped those implications.

Officer Jenny frowned. "They're working on her, and I think she'll be fine. But you're right. What those boys did was inexcusable. Are you sure you can't give my anything more about their appearance?"

All I'd managed to give her was the hair color and what their shirts looked like. I hunched my shoulders. "No, I'm not good at that stuff. Sorry."

"That's okay. It's better than getting wrong information. I'm going to try to look for these boys. You make sure to call your parents, okay?"

My parents. Of course. It was starting to get late, and they'd wonder where I was.

I nodded, and Officer Jenny left. I heard her drive off on her motorcycle.

I moved across the lobby to the phone, and dialed home.

Dad picked up on the second ring. "Cara, where are you? It's getting dark!"

I sighed. "I know, Dad. I'm at the Pokémon Center. Something… happened. I'm okay, but I rescued a Pokémon, and I want to make sure she's okay."

Dad turned away from the screen and called to Mom, "Cara's on the phone. She's at the Pokémon Center."

She appeared on the screen, behind Dad. "What are you doing out so late?"

"It's the Pokémon! She's hurt and I want to stay with her."

"You don't mean Zubat?" Dad looked a bit confused, since Zubat was perched on my shoulder, unharmed.

I shook my head. "I rescued a Pokémon on the way home from school. She was being attacked by some guys. Zubat helped me."

"How long will it take for the nurse to fix up the Pokémon?" Mom asked.

"I don't know. I'll have to ask."

"Okay, but call back soon."

"Yeah, Mom. I'll try."

I hung up, crept around the front desk and tapped on the shut door. It was a minute before Nurse Joy opened.

"Um. Mom and Dad want to know how long I'll be here?"

Nurse Joy stepped out of the room to join me. "I think Ponyta will be fine, but we're going to spend the rest of the evening working on her. We'll make sure she sleeps through the night, and see how things stand in the morning. So you should go home and come back in the morning."

"But-"

"Cara, you live only a few blocks away. You won't be far, and there's no need for you to stay here all night."

"But… but she was so afraid!"

Nurse Joy gave a kind smile. "I know, but she'll be sleeping while you're away. You can see her in the morning. But I don't want you walking home by yourself, in case those boys are still out there. Will you promise me to ask your parents to pick you up?"

My shoulders drooped. "Yeah, I promise." Why was I being treated like such a helpless kid? I was leaving on my Pokémon journey in just a week. And I had beat three guys who were older than me.

"Thank you. And don't worry. Everything will be fine."

"Could I see her once before I go?"

Nurse Joy hesitated. "We're still working on her, but I think it would be okay for you to look in for a moment."

She opened the door and stepped back so I could see into the room beyond. Ponyta was on a low table, her legs tucked under and her head bowed in sleep. One of the legs was bandaged, and Chansey was rubbing salve on a scrape along her flank.

"Thank you." I let Nurse Joy close the door, and I returned to the phone to call Mom and Dad.

But despite the mixed emotions of the night, I couldn't help feeling an underlying excitement.

I had caught my first Pokémon.