"Chirp chirp chirpppp!"

My eyes shot open as I heard a flutter of tiny wings and feathers literally impale me with their sharp beak. I sat up in bed, hair flying.

"Gahhhh…stupid Fletchling," I groaned as I rubbed my arm. I just knew it would leave a mark. I kicked my legs out to the side of my bed and stood up. My hand was clutching the GameGirl I had received as an early-birthday/sorry-we-had-to-move gift from my mom. Out of the corner of my eyes, I say no light streaming through my windows. Only stars. I sighed and stretched, turning on the lamp by my bed, and looking around the new room. I had a pretty sweet setup for a sixteen year old. I had the top floor of our town home all to myself, completely furnished. The walls were lavender with an elegant white trim. My bed was large with a fluffy pink comforter and plenty of pillows. Next to my nightstand was a 74" TV that allowed me to play my videogames on the latest console. My dresser was also large and has plenty of storage space for all of my clothes, books, and school supplies.

Mom really outdid herself buying my happiness with the décor this time…must have been the guilt, I thought somewhat bitterly to myself. I really wasn't a morning person. Glancing out the window, it was pitch black with night. Huh. I looked to my right at my desk. I felt my eyelids droop a little as I looked at the laptop sitting at it. It was a PC my dad had given me. I walked over to my desk and stared at it for a moment. Dad…

Shaking my head, I picked up my GameGirl. I was getting close finishing my game about a pointy-eared elf on a quest. Today (tonight) I would finally finish the game. I turned and walked down the stairs with slight more conviction, where I could smell breakfast food cooking.

My mom turned her head when I hit the ground floor.

"'Morning, Serena!" she exclaimed as she walked up to me. "You sure slept well! All rested up from the move?" She then gave me a look-over as I sleepily nodded. "Serena! You look like you just rolled out of bed! Go have a look at yourself in the mirror and change out of your pajamas!"

I rolled my eyes at this. My mom was hardly dressed herself. She wore a simple black tee and sweats with her sweatshirt tied around her waist. Her cropped brown hair sported one yellow pin.

"At least my PJs match…do you even use a mirror? " I retorted. "Or a clock, for that matter. It's nighttime here."

She rolled her eyes right back at me. Mom never hesitated to send my attitude back at me. "Yeah, yeah, jetlag. Just do it, okay? And did you fall asleep playing games again?" She said, eyeing the GameGirl I still held.

"No, I-" but I stopped myself from talking. I hated being treated like a little kid, and the way she looked at me was infuriating for some reason.

Knowing arguing was pointless, I quickly trudged back up the stairs, ignoring her question. Mom was so lame sometimes. But she's still wearing black… I mused, the thought having crept up on me. Gah! No time for depressing thoughts! I shook my bed head and tossed my GameGirl onto my bed and changed quickly. I caught my reflection in the mirror for a moment. My fair skin was slightly sallow. Dark circles rimmed azure eyes. The long honey tresses that fell to mid-back were disheveled and frizzy. Yikes. I let out a tired sigh and worked quickly to fix my self up a bit.

Once I was put together, I walked down the stairs once more.

"It's about time you got going!" My mom said, smiling. "Why don't you go out and talk to the new neighbors?"

"What? In the middle of the night?" I barely managed to get out. "I haven't even eaten!"

My mom looked at me with some empathy in her eyes. "Serena, I don't need you sleeping your life away, okay? You have got to get with the new time zone. I know you're upset because you have to start over and make new friends but I really think this region is the perfect home. You can have some of this oatmeal I'm making, but please try to go outside?"

I groaned as I walked past her, grabbed a bowl and filled it with oatmeal from the pot on the stove. Bowl in hand, I wandered around the new home as I ate. We had a cozy and well-decorated living room. The accent of the room was the blazing fireplace and massive wall-mounted TV set that rested above it. It was playing the evening news special, which was running a documentary about a Rhyhorn that overcame an injury to take on a big race and the girl who struggled alongside it. For what seemed like the millionth time, I rolled my eyes.

"Mom, they're running that documentary on you and Rhy-Rhy again," I complained. "At 4AM no less." She just shook her head.

I suppose this is the best point in the story to explain. My mom's a world-famous Rhyhorn racer. She used to travel all over the world and perform in races with her beloved companion, Rhyhorn. I called him Rhy-Rhy because when I was little that was all I was able to say of his name. My mom is recently retired, and the news shocked the public so much that now they're all on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, constantly playing old footage and documentaries about her and Rhy-Rhy. In this one, my mom looked to be about my age.

I took another spoonful of oatmeal as I walked into my mom's room. It was modest and looked to be arranged in a very orderly fashion. Lately, my mom was obsessed with order and cleanliness and control. On her nightstand sat an old picture frame with an even older photograph. I didn't even look at it. I didn't have the strength to cry anymore, nor did I really want to.

I returned back to the kitchen with my now empty bowl. With a sigh, I set it in the sink. Gilty thoughts rained down in my mind. Mom has been trying so hard lately. We moved in two weeks ago and she threw all of this together to try and convince me that it's home.

I glanced at her, she was watching the TV with sad eyes. I wondered if I could ever make her happy like she used to be. Maybe if I listened a bit more…

"I guess I can go outside for a bit…" I muttered. My mom turned her head to me and visibly brightened, beaming at me. "Really?! Yay! Don't wake up Rhy-Rhy, okay? Have fun!"

Sighing, I grabbed my purse. Then, I reached for the doorknob and opened the front door for the first time in two weeks.

"Welcome to Vaniville Town!"

I started. I had only just stepped onto my welcome mat and already I was bombarded by two local townies in my front yard. I turned my head to the owner of the voice, a boy. "The name's Calem. I live next door."

"And I'm Shauna!" interjected the girl next to him. "Great to meet you!"

I quickly assessed the two in front of me. Shauna was a well-tanned petite brunette with two very elaborate pigtails. She looked like she could be ten years old, with her frilly pink top adorned with black bows and frayed jean shorts. She smiled at me like I was her favorite person in the world, even though we had just met.

Calem, in contrast, was unmistakably my age or possibly even older. He was quite tall and lean, had almost-shoulder-length ebony hair and wore a blue tracksuit jacket with jeans and combat boots.

"Guess what?! We've come to get you!" exclaimed Shauna excitedly. So excitedly she looked like she might wet herself. I personally took a step back, unsure of how to process this declaration.

Calem quickly intervened. " The renowned Professor Sycamore lives here in the Kalos region. I heard he has a task for five kids, including you." He looked me up and down for a moment with his eye, raising an eyebrow before he continued, "but I'm surprised he knows who you are. You did just move to Vaniville, after all."

I felt myself bristle at this comment. Yeah, I may have been new, but that didn't make it okay to point it out. It was awkward enough being bombarded by complete strangers for some 'task' I'd never heard of. Plus that look from him indicated he wasn't too sure if he accepted me as a neighbor just yet.

"We'll wait for you in the next town over! And you know what?! We're going to get…a Pokémon! Come on! Let's go!" Shauna then proclaimed. Then, she and Calem turned and ran out of my yard, down the street, and out of town.

I stood there, mulling over this news. Being sixteen and the daughter of a famous Rhyhorn racer, I had had my fair share of exposure to Pokémon, the creatures that live beside us in this world. However, I myself had never owned one of my very own. That was because some time ago, ten year olds with Pokémon were going out on journeys and running into massive trouble. Besides, I had always been very studious and spent quite a bit of time in schools. Or, at least, I had before the move.

Still, the idea of fulfilling tasks with the locals was not that inviting…

It was only then I realized that they had left me before I had even had the chance to say hi or even properly introduce myself. Rude… I thought before turning and walking back inside the house to tell my mom I never wanted to go outside again.

[A/N: I am a nocturnal creature and this chapter was written/played out at 4 AM! So, just FYI, most of the story will probably be set at night to keep in tune with the game but don't worry, I will inform y'all of each setting! I hope people like our reluctant and analytical heroine!]