Chapter 1) A New Home


Mom insisted that I start keeping a journal, to 'commemorate the new move'. I don't really want to, but she forced herself to smile, so I feel like I need to at least pretend.

Do I need to introduce myself to an inanimate object? What is 'journal protocol'? Oh, whatever. I'll just write.

Mom and I moved to Kalos today. 'A new start', she says, but really, it's because there's too many memories in our old house. It's been two months since all the funerals. So now, we're here, in Dad's home region. He'd promised we'd spend a summer here, but now he's gone, and we're living here.

I hate all of this.


Waking up to a bird dive-bombing my chest was not my preferred way to start a morning, especially when it was Mom's creative way to wake me up when she decided I'd been asleep too long.

With a groan, I rolled out of bed, rubbing my eyes and debating if I could sneak a few more hours. A shrill tweet told me 'no', and I glowered down at Mom's Fletchling, a gift from Dad. It looked perfectly pleased with itself and flew out of my room, likely to inform Mom that I was awake. Sighing, I brushed the hair out of my face and glanced at my reflection. I had the same white-blonde hair, the same gold-brown and freckled skin, and the same grey eyes. It wasn't as if a move would suddenly change how I looked. But I kept thinking something would be different. It was a new place, a new region even. Dad was dead, many of my friends are gone, and I was still here, looking the same as always.

Well, 'mostly'. I glanced down at my arms and barely checked the urge to dig my nails into them. The burn scars might be hiding under the sleeves of my pajamas, but they wouldn't go away. They'd never go away. The doctors had offered surgery, but even that would only minimize them…

Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, willing the memories to just disappear. It was supposed to be a new start, so I should be able to escape them.

When I was sure my breathing was even, and I wasn't about to break down crying, I made my way downstairs, following the smell of fresh baked biscuits. I'd read that Kalos wasn't much of a breakfast country, but it had always been 'the most important' meal of the day for us. So, Mom went about cooking with gusto, singing off-key as she made enough food for twenty people. I wondered if she was going to share some with the neighbors.

"Ah, good morning, Yulia~!" Mom greeted, smiling warmly. She had flour in her hair. "All rested up from the move?"

"Sure," I answered with a shrug. I headed for the cupboards to pull out some plates. It took a few tries to remember where they were. "Smells good."

"Thank you~" She kissed my cheek and gave me a scrutinizing look. "Yulia, sweetie, you look like you just rolled out of bed."

"What a coincidence. I did."

"Did you even brush your hair?"

"No?" I got the plates and started setting the table. "Don't see a point."

"I know it's not as long as it used to be, dear, but…" She sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Mom, the fire wasn't your fault." It was… that arsonist, the one I definitely didn't know, even if I thought I once did. The one I thought had been my friend, who had tried to use 'I didn't know you were there!' as a defense. "I'm fine. I'm alive." But that was only because of Dad. When we'd been trapped, Dad had wrapped himself around me, kept me safe and…

A shrill tweet nearly made me scream, and I blinked slowly as I realized Fletchling was in front of my face. As soon as he saw me focusing on him, he flew to my shoulder and nuzzled me. I couldn't help but smile and carefully scratched his head, listening to him trill in contentment.

"And here is breakfast~!" Mom declared, setting food on the table. She gave me a studying look, eyes narrowed. "Aren't you going to get dressed?"

"Why would I?" I asked, sitting down. I broke off a tiny piece of a biscuit to feed Fletchling. "It's not like I'm going anywhere today."

"Don't you want to go explore the town?" She sat down across from me, giving me a smile. "Meet the neighbors?"

"No, not really." But as if life was mocking me, the doorbell rang right then. "Are you expecting company?"

"No?" She looked just as confused. "Oh, I hope it's not fanboys again."

"Right, because the fangirls were the picture of sanity." Sighing, I stood up and headed to the door, preparing to yell at whoever was there. But, to my surprise, there were only two people standing on the porch: a boy with a calm expression and an outfit that evoked the Kalosi flag, and a girl that reminded me of a brown and pink Mincinno with a bright-bright smile.

"Hello there," the boy greeted. "Welcome to Vaniville Town." He held out his hand, and I took it to shake. "My name is Calem; I live next door."

"And I'm Shauna~!" the girl declared, puffing out her chest proudly. "I live across the street! It's great to meet you!"

"Um… nice to meet you?" I replied automatically, not really sure what was going on. It was far too early for this sort of thing. "Did you need something?"

"Well, we came to get you!" Shauna answered, bouncing on her toes. I tried to figure out how she had all this energy. "We're going on a trip!"

"Shauna, you're confusing her," Calem chided, shaking his head. "Regardless, though, Professor Sycamore, Kalos's most famous pokemon professor, has a task for five kids, including us three."

"How does he know about me?" I asked dryly. This just sounded creepy. "I just moved here."

"We're not sure. But Trevs called to tell us to snag you too."

"So, let's get going!" Shauna cheered. She ran down the path and waved. "I'll wait for you two in the next town! This is gonna be fun! After all…" She paused dramatically, eyes sparkling as she leaned forward. "We're getting Pokemon!" She disappeared down the path, and I heard the sounds of a gate opening and closing.

I was still staring, not quite sure what was going on. Calem gave me a sympathetic smile. "The now is small, so between gossip and news, we've all heard something about why you moved," he explained quietly. I instantly tensed, and he shook his head. "I promise; it's not much, and no one here will ask for more. But Shauna thought we should go ahead and get you, so that you can acclimate to the move faster."

"By throwing me into the ocean and hope I swim?" I deadpanned. I felt like I was drowning in weirdness. "That seems smart."

"Well, I can swim if you can't." He laughed a little. "But I thought you'd might want a little more explanation. Of course, that's about all we know too."

"I see." I awkwardly stood in the doorway, trying to figure out a way to refuse that didn't make me sound like an ass. Sadly, I couldn't, so I sighed. "Do you want breakfast? I haven't eaten, and I need to get dressed."

"I wouldn't mind some, if your mom doesn't mind the company." He snapped his fingers suddenly. "Oh, right, I didn't get your name, did I?"

"It's Yulia." I stepped out of the way to let him in. "Yulia Gladiola."


Aquacorde Town was barely fifteen minutes away, even when you dragged your heels on the path. I wondered why the two towns were so close, yet were separate. I supposed one group decided to be snobby and leave.

"There's the cafe," Calem pointed out, gesturing to a table. Shauna was there with two strange boys, waving wildly. "Oh, looks like they bought us things."

"What would they have gotten me?" I asked, fiddling with the sleeves of my jacket. Mom had insisted that I wear my high-waisted black dress, but I hadn't wanted to bare the scars, so we'd added a light jacket. "They don't know what I like, or what allergies I might have." Honestly, these people were so… heavy-handed.

"It looks like they got five things, and none of them are drinking yet, so I think you'd get first pick." Calem waved back and led me to the table. He pulled out a chair for me to sit, and then sat next to me. "So, what did you buy?"

"We've got chai, hot chocolate, apple cider, coffee, and this amazing mint tea~" Shauna answered. She gave me a beaming smile, and I sincerely wondered if she had an 'off' button. "They're the best this cafe sells, but if you want something else instead, let us know right away!"

I wanted to be left alone, but I had a feeling that wasn't going to happen. "I'll take the chai," I murmured. She passed me the mug, and then set about dividing the rest. "...Thank you…" Even if I didn't want it, it was best to be polite.

"No worries~ I know we did just drag you out!" She giggled and sipped her drink, humming in delight. "Seriously, this is the best!"

"And this is why we never even let you try coffee," Calem teased, smiling slightly. He shook his head and turned to me. "Ah, yes, but we do need to introduce everyone. Everyone, this is Yulia."

"Hi," I mumbled, half-hiding in my mug. This was a good chai, with just the right amount of sweetness. "Nice to meet you." The two strange boys murmured something polite that I didn't quite catch, and I felt even more awkward.

Calem, thankfully, came to the rescue. "Yulia, this is Tierno." He gestured to the bigger of the strange boys. "He can really tear up the dance floor." Tierno helpfully stood up to do a quick little step, smiling broadly. "As you can see!" Calem waited until Tierno sat down before gesturing to the other boy, whose hair seemed almost as big as his head. "This here is Trevor. He can be a little shy, but he's super smart. He always gets perfect scores on his tests." Little Trevor smiled, ducking his head.

"It's great to meet you!" Tierno cheerfully said. Trevor nodded vigorously, smile widening. At least, I was pretty sure those were the right names. Both seemed equally forgettable, so I hoped I wouldn't confuse the two. "Hey, can I call you Lady Y?"

"What? No way!" Shauna yelped, leaping to her feet and leaning against the table. I tried to figure out what was going on. "She's a Li'l Y for sure!" Her eyes glinted as she focused on Trevor. "What do you think, Trevor?"

"What?!" Trevor yelped, jumping a bit in his seat. His eyes were wide and frantic. "You want me to nickname someone I just met?!" He slowly calmed down enough to pout. "Shauna, you shouldn't put people on the spot like this!"

"Yeah, yeah, just give your opinion!"

"Well…" He glanced at me before ducking his head. "What about something low key? Maybe… something like Y-kins?"

"I don't suppose it ever occurred to you three that she might not want a nickname?" Calem asked dryly, coming to my rescue again. I simply nodded. "See? It warms the heart that you're wanting to be friendly, but be careful not to overwhelm her!"

"Oops…" Tierno mumbled, laughing sheepishly. He gave me a smile. "Sorry, we're a friendly sort of people. Part of the job, actually. But that means we'll sometimes get a little pushy. Feel free to push back if it gets too much."

"Yes, please, do!" Shauna confirmed, smiling softly. "I mean; we just met! We'll be learning your boundaries, just as you'll learn ours!" She giggled, and turned her attention back to Tierno and Trevor, leaving me to bite back my retort that I didn't want to learn anything about them, much less their boundaries. "Hey! Can we see the pokemon now?" Her eyes glittered with anticipation. "I want to meet my new partner!"

"Certainly!" Tierno replied, pulling three Pokeballs out of his bag and popping them open to reveal a green squirrel, a yellow fox, and a blue frog. I could already guess what types all of them were. "So, this is Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. They're gifts from Professor Sycamore." He smiled warmly. "Go ahead! Pick one each!"

"Oooo~" Shauna squealed. "They're all so cute, cute, cute! I don't know which one to pick!" She looked to Calem and me. "One of you pick first! Help me narrow it down!"

"Shauna, you're ridiculous," Calem laughed. I wondered if all of them were insane. "You shouldn't force your choices on other people."

"Come on, Calem! Help a girl out!"

The two of them playfully bickered while Tierno and Trevor looked on with endeared anticipation. I just sipped my chai, and stared at the three Pokemon, wondering about them. I knew a lot about Pokemon in general; I'd helped my dad with his research. But I didn't know much about Kalosi Pokemon, so some tiny part of me was curious. The rest just didn't care and wanted to get back to bed.

However, one of them, the fox, looked right back at me. Then it gave a little, cheerful yip and trotted over to me, actually jumping from the table to my lap. As I continued to stare, it all but smiled and licked my chin before curling into my chest.

"I think you've been claimed," Tierno laughed. The others looked at me with cheerful indulgence. "That's Fennekin, a fire type Pokemon! You want her?"

"Uh…" I began, trying to figure out how to refuse. The Fennekin looked up at me, though, and rubbed her face against my neck, clearly telling me 'you are mine. I claim you.', so I sighed and wrapped my arms around her. She was very soft and very warm. "Sure. I'll take her."

"Excellent!" Tierno pulled out a little computer and started typing things into it. "Do you want to give her a nickname?"

"Um…" I hesitated before nodding. Dad always nicknamed his. "Gwen." I looked at her and she yipped. "Yes, Gwen sounds good."

"Okay!" He typed a few more things and nodded. "All right. She's all registered. Yulia, you are now an official Pokemon trainer!"

"That's amazing, Yulia!" Shauna laughed. "Okay, then I'll take Chespin!" She picked it up and squeezed it. "We go together great~! The two of us are just way-ay-ay too cute~"

Calem, by contrast, was calm as he scratched his Froakie's head. "Good to meet you, Froakie," he whispered. "My name is Calem. Because of you, I can be a real Pokemon trainer, so thank you."

"Uh… pardon me, but I have something for you three as well," Trevor whispered. "It'll help you understand Pokemon on a much deeper level." He produced three red machines and handed them to us. "Um… so you see…" He fidgeted under all the attention. "The Pokedex I just gave you is a high-tech device that automatically records the pokemon you encounter." He smiled slightly. "A lot of the entries were written by some past Champions of various other countries." He grinned. "The really famous ones, the ones that stopped those foreign crime syndicates!"

"So, like Champion Blake of Unova?" I asked. I knew her story well. I'd been visiting Unova when she traveled the country and stopped Team Plasma two years ago.

"Exactly!" He nodded eagerly. "Of course, we can add what information we learn to it as well. After all, the reason we get them is because the professor wants us to go on a journey with our Pokemon to help complete the Kalosi pokedex. There's been a lot of new migration patterns for Pokemon recently, so we need a better record of what Pokemon are native."

"Oh, lighten up, Trevs!" Tierno teased, clapping him on the back. His laptop was shut, so I supposed he'd finished registering Shauna and Calem. "You're way too serious sometimes."

"And you're never serious enough," Trevor instantly retorted. He shook his head and pulled an envelope out of his bag. "This is a letter from the professor. He said you should give it to your mom." Reluctantly, I took the letter, eyeing it warily. If this was love letter to Mom, I was just going to drown the stupid thing. We had enough to shred at the house. "And, well, that's it? I'm sure everyone needs to pack and everything, though, so let's get going for the day."

There was some murmuring of consent, and the others stood up. I did the same, and awkwardly stood to the side as they chatted about things I didn't know about, and easily gathered up all the mugs. Feeling like even more of an outsider, I hid my face in Gwen's soft fur and started to head down the path back to the house.

"Yulia~!" Shauna's voice stopped me as I reached the edge of town, and when I turned, I saw she'd followed me. "Hey, I've got a great idea!" she declared. "You're gonna be my opponent in my Pokemon-battling debut!" She nudged her Chespin in front of her while I stared in confusion. "OK, Li'l Chespin! It's our first battle!" She spun on her toes and beamed. "Let's win this with style!"

"Wait, what?" I blurted. Before I could say more, Gwen had jumped down from my arms and voiced a little battle cry, clearly ready for a battle. "Uh… okay?" I stepped back to give the Pokemon a little more room. "Let's go?"

"Okay!" She pulled out her Pokedex and frowned over it before nodding. "Let's go with… Tackle!"

As Chespin lunged and tackled Gwen, I fumbled for my Pokedex too and pulled up a screen. To my surprise, it was more than an encyclopedia. It actually gave me a list of moves Gwen knew, though it only showed four per page, and gave some sort of numeric representation of how many times the move could be used safely. I assumed that meant I should keep the four moves I used the most on the first page.

I glanced through the three moves on the page, and took a guess. "Gwen, use Ember?" I called. Gwen cheerfully complied, and I tried not to wince at the burns that appeared on Shauna's Chespin. "Just… use that again?" She did, getting the attack off before Chespin could attack again. This time, Chespin went down and struggled to get up before falling flat on his face.

I… guessed that meant I won?

"Hey!" Shauna yelped. "I wasn't done watching my cute Li'l Chespin yet!" She sulked, and I tried to figure out why that was my problem. "Oh well." She picked up her Chespin and smiling warmly at me. "You're amazing, Yulia! Here, let me show you where to get your Gwen fixed up!"

"Okay?" I replied, still a little confused. Gwen cheerfully trotted back over to me and leapt into my arms. "You did a good job, Gwen." I petted her back, and smiled slightly when she curled into me.

"Oh, you smiled!" Shauna's own smile grew. "You have a pretty smile, Yulia." She ran down the path and stopped to turn back towards me. "This way! This way! Calem is buying us some more drinks for the walk back!" That explained where he was, then. "Come on!"

"I'll be right there."


"I'm home," I called as I walked in the door at last. Calem and Shauna had ended up giving me a tour of both towns, and so, my feet were hurting and the sun was setting. We'd ended up eating lunch together, while Tierno and Trevor went to a motel they were staying at. Apparently, neither of them lived here, and knew Calem and Shauna from trips to the city.

"Welcome back, dear!" Mom called. She had a soft smile, but she squealed in delight when she saw Gwen trotting about the living room. "Oh, who's this cutie-pie~?"

"Gwen, my Fennekin." I set my bag on the counter and rummaged through it for the letter. "Here." I pulled it out and passed it to her. "This is for you."

"Is it now?" She eyed it critically, laughing a little. "I wonder if it's another love letter." She popped it open with ease and unfolded the letter within. "Wow, what lovely handwriting…" She hummed a little. "He must be quite good with his hands."

"Seriously, Mom?" I rolled my eyes. "That's the last thing a girl wants to hear her mom say."

"Oh, hush, how do you think you got born anyway?"

"Arceus decided to bless a lucky couple and sent the regional flier down with a baby in swaddle clothes." I kept my voice deadpan and it made her laugh. "Regardless, is it?"

"No, it's just a polite letter from Professor Sycamore explaining his request." Her smile softened. "Well, I certainly don't mind. He and your father collaborated on quite a few projects, especially when they were younger."

"Really?" I hadn't known that. I knew that Dad worked with a lot of famous Pokemon Professors, yes, but not that this Professor Sycamore was one of them. "That might explain a little more how he knew about my being here."

"It might also explain why he asked you. He's a family acquaintance, even if you haven't met him before." She laughed, setting the letter down to clap her hands. "We've barely unpacked, and all kinds of exciting things are happening!" She nodded to herself, humming a bit. "It's like that last burst of speed from a racer in a Rhyhorn race!"

"That would imply that I'm at the finish line."

"I suppose." She turned to face me. "I don't know what Professor Sycamore wants you to see, but a journey with your Pokemon is a really wonderful experience." She sighed gustily, smiling. "Why, I first met your father when I was-"

"Do I really need to hear this again?"

"Maybe not." She clapped her hands. "Here, let's go ahead and get you all packed. Then we can make dinner together. I think I've taught you enough so you won't starve, but you'll be taking care of a cute little Fennekin."

"I… yes?" I glanced at Gwen, who was happily playing with Fletchling, and I wondered just was she did eat. "Um…"

"Oh, this is so exciting!" She ran out of the room, humming again. "Let's see… toiletries, clothes, cooking and camping supplies…"

I could only stare at her back, feeling a little winded. You'd think that my own mother would have second thoughts at kicking her sixteen-year-old daughter out of the house, but everything about Kalos was weird.

I wished we never moved here.


Notes on Gwen

A female Fennekin with a modest nature, whatever that means

Fire type

Very affectionate and warm. She likes curling up next to me while I sleep, and nuzzles me when I jerk awake from nightmares.


Author's Note: Welcome to Pokemon Y novelization, starring Yulia, our 16 year old protag. I'm making all five of the kids around that age, mostly because I don't trust my ability to write a 10 year old. I read somewhere that X and Y takes place at about the same time as Black 2 and White 2, which is two years after Pokemon Black and White. Blake was the primary name I used for that game, so I went ahead and used that one here.

This story is dedicated to my enabling friends. They know who they are.

Next Chapter - Catching Pokemon tutorial time