They say fate is what decides us.
I don't agree.
If fate is what decides us, then fate must think my life is a sick joke.
I look around. Large trees surround me and a small dirt trail, barely noticeable, in front of me. A forest.
I keep walking until I come up to a shallow stream. There aren't many pokémon here. I probably scared them off.
I stop at the stream and look into it. Nothing at first, but then I see a large group of magikarp coming.
I shift into an absol.
I wait for the magikarp to come closer as a stalk them from the edge of the river.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
Now! I jump grabbing a magikarp with my forepaws and lunge it back unto the ground.
It is dead on the spot.
Then, I shift back to human form.
There are three types of beings in this world: people, pokémon, and pokéshifters.
Pokéshifters are people who can turn into pokémon. The odds of being one are similar to encountering a shiny, but since there are so many people in the world, they are uncommon, not rare. They identify themselves with natural tattoos that appear at a young age on the shoulder.
Mine is a black crescent moon.
My hands are covered in magikarp blood, so I head towards the river to wash them.
A girl, with brown hair and olive skin, about 14 years old, stares back at me through the water. My reflection.
Then I go back to the magikarp. It is dead so most of the color has gone out of it. I filleted. it, wrapped the fillets in a piece of paper I had with me, and then went back up the trail.
The school, a three story building, was huge.
Luckily, my class was on the first floor.
"Welcome to first grade," My new teacher announced excitedly.
She wrote her name on the board.
Mrs. Gomez.
"We are going to have a wonderful year."
I keep walking down the path until I get to a clearing. My town is down below in a valley. Oaksville. Named after the professor who was born here but moved away.
I walk down the hill only a little more to go.
"Okay class today we will be working on a project. We are studying butterfree, so today, I will have you all make your own butterfree."
I was so exited. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the yellow construction paper.
"You will be put into pairs," Mrs. Gomez said.
I frowned a little. I had been in first grade for a while now and didn't have a friend.
Then this boy with mousy, messy hair came up to me.
" I like you. Lets make butterfree. My name is Bryon."
"Sure. My name is Cinder."
I walk into town. It is a nice town. Small, Victorian houses, people in their porch singing, playing guitar, and all that type of stuff.
Until I walk in.
The music stops and everyone enters their house.
It almost turns into a ghost town.
"Hey its the absol girl! Lets stone her; run her out of town! That'll teach her about tragedy and disasters!" Some old man was yelling.
He threw a rock at me, but I dodged it.
I didn't bother saying anything back to him. Someone always does this every so often.
It's a miracle I haven't been run out of town yet.
I keep walking.
I showed him the moon on my shoulder at recess.
"Wow! That's so cool!" Bryon squealed, "Have you force-shifted yet?"
"Huh?"
"You know, when you're a kid, you have to shift. You're being forced to. Don't worry, though, it's only the first time."
"That doesn't sound to bad. I wonder what I'll be. I hope I'm a ponyta. "
"Maybe. Nah you don't look like you would be a ponyta."
Then on Friday after lunch I felt sick.
"Mrs. Gomez something is wrong."
I felt like I had to warn someone about something but I wasn't sure who or about what.
"Ma'am something's wrong," I said nervously.
She didn't listen to me and kept on with the lesson.
I felt sick.
I ran to the corner where I thought I was going to throw up, but instead I started glowing.
White fur trickled down my spine as my skin turned dark blue. I was the only one who could see this. Everyone else saw a glowing light, like a pokémon evolving.
I was an absol.
Everyone freaked out when they saw me.
Absol are known for their legend of causing disasters.
This isn't far off because just then the ground started shaking.
An earthquake.
I run for Bryon, grab him in my jaws, and run back to the corner.
I push him behind me as everything collapses.
Something cold hits me on the head and I pass out.
A small hut of a home, only big enough for two rooms, is in front of me. My house.
"Mom, I'm home! I brought food! It's a bit small but it would go well in some stew," I say as I rush through the door.
"Hey, Sweetie, how was your day?"
We hugged and I handed her the magikarp.
My mom is a short stout woman who always has a smile on her face.
"Same as always."
"Don't worry. Things will get better. I promise. Okay, we don't have the stuff for stew, but I can turn this magikarp into a soup. Will you go to the farmers market to get some potatoes?"
She gestured to the door.
"Sure, mom."
I woke up a human.
A human in the hospital.
"Where's Bryon?" I said to myself.
Every ounce of me is telling me to stay on the hospital bed, but I get up to search for him.
Luckily he isn't far away. He is in the next room.
Unluckily though, he doesn't look so well.
He has tubes and casts all over him. Not to mention bruises and cuts.
He has a beeping machine next to him. His mom is there, too, stroking his hand.
She saw me and walked out to give us some time.
He breathed heavily.
"You know, I don't think absol are all that bad. I think they just try to warn people of dangers. That's really brave. I think you're really brave, too. Keep being brave."
His breathing got quiet and he closed his eyes.
The machine stopped beeping.
Suddenly a doctor and a few nurses came in. His mother followed.
"Get out of here! Get away from my son, stupid absol!" She was screaming and crying.
She hugged her dead son as the doctors pulled a blanket over his face.
I take a hoodie to hide my face and I head out to the market.
It's a large market. It's usually busy around now. Which is around sunset.
The large clock in the middle of town says six thirty.
I head through downtown, where I shift to an absol to avoid getting mugged.
Then I see it. Not the market.
The school.
Thoughts flood me as I try to run away as fast as possible.
Suddenly while I'm running I bump into something.
"Hey, careful." A lucario says.
"Sorry."
I keep running until I get to the farmers market where I shift back into a person.
I don't know what's better though, pretending to be normal even though almost everyone in town knows me, or just going outside as who I am.
I look everywhere for the guy who sells potatoes when I see someone faintly familiar.
A boy with a blue hoodie. About my age.
I walk up to him
"Hey, careful!"
"Have we met before?"
He looks at me, "No"
He's lying. I know it.
"Alright. My bad. Later, shifter."
I walk away with a smile.