Prologue
A small African-American child walked down a dirt path in Littleroot Town, her runty, female Eevee, Spirit, at her heels. She was heading to her friend and mentor's house.
When she reached the house, she knocked gently on the door. A woman opened it.
"Hello K, are you looking for Ruby," the honey-haired woman asked the 9 year old girl.
"Yes ma'am. Do you know where he is?"
"He's upstairs in his room. Come in." She stepped to the side and allowed the girl and her Pokémon to enter the house.
K scurried up the staircase and walked down the hallway the short distance to the charmer's room. She lightly knocked on the door. "Come in," a voice on the other side called. K stepped in. Ruby was sitting on his bed, knitting something.
"Hey, K," Ruby smiled, "What's up?"
"Ruby, I have something to tell you," K said looking quite sad.
"What's wrong, K," Ruby asked really concerned.
K held her head down. Spirit licked her hand and was rewarded with a head rub.
Ruby stood up and walked toward the girl three years his junior. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "What is it, K? Just tell me."
K looked up at the hat wearing boy, her Irish green eyes staring into his ruby-red ones. Then, in an almost inaudible voice, said "Ruby, I'm moving."
"What?! Moving to where?"
"The Kalos Region."
"The Kalos Region: never heard of it. Do they have contest there?"
"That's the thing Ruby," K cried out, "They don't. There aren't any contests in Kalos!" K started crying. "What am I gonna do Ruby?"
Ruby looked sadly at the former aspiring coordinator. Spirit whimpered and jumped on her trainer's shoulder, licking her cheek. The three stood there in silence for a few minutes before K spoke up.
"Ruby, can you still make your Pokémon look beautiful even when you're battling?"
"Well K, I can't," Ruby began, "but you can."
K looked up at Ruby. "Really, you think so?"
"I know so K!"
"Thank you, Ruby," K said hugging the boy and accidentally knocking Spirit of her shoulder. Spirit yelped and wiggled like a worm trying to get on her feet. K and Ruby shared a laugh, one of the last they would share for a while.
Two weeks later, K, Spirit, her mom, and her brother Raegan moved from Littleroot Town in Hoenn to Aquacorde Town in Kalos.
K, with a green fedora handmade by Ruby, now ready to begin training to be the world's most stylish Pokémon trainer.
