Unnatural Talents
Sheila Burkes had always considered training.
Her parents wouldn't allow it.
Her mom always told her, "Sheila hon, when you grow up, we're passing our business on to you. You need to learn in school, not run all over the country on this Poketraining fantasy of yours."
She had dropped it then. When her mother spoke in that tone, there was no arguing.
But in reality, she hated the restaurant. It always stank of dead fish... but it was the only one in Cherrygrove that wasn't fast food. So they did do a pretty good job.
The ten - year - old sighed, pushing her black bangs away from her eyes. Sometimes she wondered if they even loved her.
*Of course they love you!* she chided herself. *Even if you *are* strange...*
And she was. Her eyes were one thing - they were a beautiful pale blue and set at an odd slant, like cat's eyes. And her feet - she sighed, wiggling her toes in the stream - her feet looked like a Pokemon's - the toes seeming to fit together like paws.
Some of her friends actually called her the Mew - girl. As if! She knew her psychic ability was high, but she was no Mew.
She sighed once more and got up. Time to go back through the fields. She always wandered off into the woods to think.
Midway through a particularly thick patch of grass, she froze. A pair of red eyes gleamed balefully at her as a Rattata leaped out, hissing and poised to attack.
She knelt down slowly. "Calm down, mother," she said softly, knowing the Rattata could understand. "I mean no harm to you or any other here."
Slowly, the purple rat backed down, and four tiny, curious faces popped out of a concealed burrow. She smiled at the baby Rattata and their mother, then stood and walked home, singing as she went.
"Oh the field so green,
And the sunset gold,
Little creatures,
At dusk grow bold,
Rattata mother,
Protect thy young,
Live to see the rising sun."
A song she had made up, long ago, when the baby Ratatta's grandmother had come up to her, weak, starving, and about to give birth.
*******
It was some time before she heard the screams.
Running towards Cherrygrove, she met a horrible sight. In the darkness of evening, their house was in flames.
Sheila screamed, "Help! Someone help!" But their house was too far away from the others. No one heard.
"You ain't gettin' no help, girlie," growled a voice behind her. She spun round, marking only the face and the white R before she ran.
Three Rocket grunts chased after her.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The third shot connected, and the girl lay still in a spreading pool of red, invisible in the darkness.
Sheila Burkes had always considered training.
Her parents wouldn't allow it.
Her mom always told her, "Sheila hon, when you grow up, we're passing our business on to you. You need to learn in school, not run all over the country on this Poketraining fantasy of yours."
She had dropped it then. When her mother spoke in that tone, there was no arguing.
But in reality, she hated the restaurant. It always stank of dead fish... but it was the only one in Cherrygrove that wasn't fast food. So they did do a pretty good job.
The ten - year - old sighed, pushing her black bangs away from her eyes. Sometimes she wondered if they even loved her.
*Of course they love you!* she chided herself. *Even if you *are* strange...*
And she was. Her eyes were one thing - they were a beautiful pale blue and set at an odd slant, like cat's eyes. And her feet - she sighed, wiggling her toes in the stream - her feet looked like a Pokemon's - the toes seeming to fit together like paws.
Some of her friends actually called her the Mew - girl. As if! She knew her psychic ability was high, but she was no Mew.
She sighed once more and got up. Time to go back through the fields. She always wandered off into the woods to think.
Midway through a particularly thick patch of grass, she froze. A pair of red eyes gleamed balefully at her as a Rattata leaped out, hissing and poised to attack.
She knelt down slowly. "Calm down, mother," she said softly, knowing the Rattata could understand. "I mean no harm to you or any other here."
Slowly, the purple rat backed down, and four tiny, curious faces popped out of a concealed burrow. She smiled at the baby Rattata and their mother, then stood and walked home, singing as she went.
"Oh the field so green,
And the sunset gold,
Little creatures,
At dusk grow bold,
Rattata mother,
Protect thy young,
Live to see the rising sun."
A song she had made up, long ago, when the baby Ratatta's grandmother had come up to her, weak, starving, and about to give birth.
*******
It was some time before she heard the screams.
Running towards Cherrygrove, she met a horrible sight. In the darkness of evening, their house was in flames.
Sheila screamed, "Help! Someone help!" But their house was too far away from the others. No one heard.
"You ain't gettin' no help, girlie," growled a voice behind her. She spun round, marking only the face and the white R before she ran.
Three Rocket grunts chased after her.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The third shot connected, and the girl lay still in a spreading pool of red, invisible in the darkness.