Virus Version: Shoujo Kimiko! Chapter 1, a pokémon fanfic

Pokemon Virus Version: Shoujo Kimiko

Chapter 1

Location: A Dive Into the Heart

A dive into a see of an endless black ocean, a girl went.

What was going on? How did this girl get here? Was this a dream? It had to be, but this dream felt somewhat real. It was cold, and the girl had her sense of feeling.

Where was she? The girl opened her eyes, but the mysterious world around her was just as black as her closed eyelids.

…

If this was just a dream, this girl would eventually wake up. All she had to do was relax, and drift away into whatever illusionary visions that lay dormant within her mind. The illusionary visions will become her reality, until she was ready to awaken in the real world again.

…

How much time has passed? One minute? One eternity? Was time slow, or was this girl just impatient? Did time carry any importance here? The girl was drifting, waiting for her mind to insert her in a dream, but the dream has yet to come. The girl closed her eyes. If the world around her was just as black as her closed eyelids, she might as well fall asleep-IF it was possible to fall asleep while already being asleep in the first place.

…

"Hey."

Suddenly…

"Hey, you."

A voice, and it was calling out to the girl! Who was this echo of a voice? The girl opened her eyes to find out. But…when she opened her eyes nobody was there. Rather, her attention was grabbed by the fact that she was now looking down at her illusionary vision; a familiar city being dreamt. Why was she looking down onto the city?

"The city looks amazing a night, doesn't it?" Unceremoniously, the voice appeared next to the girl.

Weird. It wasn't a human talking to the girl, but something else. What was it? A feline? With that white-pink fur, the girl thought it was cute.

"Help me." With no warning, the creature said this to the girl as it looked to her. a

Help? How was the girl supposed to help this creature?

"I'm in trouble, and I really need somebody to trust," The creature said, "Please, will you help me?"

What kind of trouble was this creature in? The girl wondered, but how could she refuse to help something as cute as the creature talking to her?

"Haha!" An exuberant smile appeared of the creature's face as the girl nodded.

Now, onto the help! Or was it? The creature said it needed help, but after the girl said yes, a moment of silence had befallen them. Unintentionally staring at the city below again, the girl questioned what was next as far as helping the creature with its issue.

"Don't worry." Speaking as if it'd read the girl's mind, the creature added, "This is the beginning of a fine friendship."

With that, the girl started to white out. What? Why now? Who was this creature, and why was it talking to the girl? Seemed the answers would never be uncovered, the girl thought. Little did she know, this dream was only a precursor for what was to come.

And So It Begins, Shoujo Kimiko…

"Kimiko."

Kimiko.

"Kimiko?"

Kimiko.

"KIMIKO!"

Back to reality, Kimiko.

Location:…

Waking up, was our heroine, Shoujo Kimiko. "Uhh…" It was a rude awakening for Kimiko, who had just realized something: she was asleep, on her desk, and in front of her entire class!

"Good Morning, Kimiko." Kimiko's predicament was made even worse by the fact that her teacher, Ms. Rouge, had halted her lecture to 'greet' Kimiko as she woke up.

Everybody's eyes were on Kimiko.

"Meow." Even the class 'mascot', Ms. Rouge's always-sassy feline in Purrloin.

Ms. Rouge was a long, black-haired woman who wore sleek eyeglasses to go with the beautiful purple eyes of hers. She was an upstanding young lady with a lot of patience. "Did you have sweet dreams?" There was an uncharacteristically comedic, dry wit to Ms. Rouge's question. She was used to her young male students becoming distracted or dozing off in the middle of class, and even some of the girls who needed a little 'motivation' when it came to school. But Kimiko was different. Her grades in all her other classes show that Kimiko is an intelligent girl with a bright future ahead. Why? Just why is Kimiko so unmotivated in World History of all classes?

"When am I going to use World History? Shouldn't we the people be looking forward to tomorrow rather than keeping our heads in the past?" This was why Kimiko didn't care for history. She then digressed, "But the dream I had was bizarre, almost real."

Ms. Rouge sighed as she slowly shook her head.

Unlike Kimiko's daily 'nap', World History and the rest of the school day was nothing out of the ordinary. The name of the school was First Tyoko, named after this city-Tyoko. First Tyoko was a grade school which incorporated school uniforms. Every student wore these uniforms; including Kimiko.

Cute? Pretty? These were just a few words that ten year old Kimiko would use to describe herself. She had pink hair that was wavy, and short in length. Always one to accessorize, Kimiko also wore a red bow in her hair. Complimenting her hair like cotton candy and bubblegum, were Kimiko's sky-blue eyes. She wore the First Tyoko's school uniform for girls, which consisted of a burgundy blazer with a white collard shirt underneath, a grey skirt, and black shoes. Kimiko also fashioned a pair of white stockings.

The school day was just about over, and all the students were preparing to go home.

"What's with you and World History, Kimiko?" Walking with Kimiko, was her best friend Torri, who also wore the school uniform for girls, "If you applied yourself in history, you'd have the highest grades of anybody in our grade."

Kimiko shrugged at Sky's question. Both girls had a smile on their faces. Torri's grades were great in their own right; she just wished her grades were as high as Kimiko's.

"So, you wanna go help out at the shop today?" Kimiko questioned. It was 'routine' for Kimiko to ask Torri this question, and vice versa, as they went to 'the shop' often.

"Not a lot of homework tonight, so why not?" Torri answered jovially.

…..

Location: Somewhere within Tyoko…

Somewhere within Tyoko, roamed something that wasn't a person. Was it a pokemon?

"Hmm…!" The pink feline-like creature looked to be in a rush, or in a state of panic. It was as if, this creature was being chased by something! But if that were true, then what was chasing it?

"Hmm…!"

Where? Where could it go? Could it try hiding somewhere?

"!"

Yes! That was the perfect idea, but in order for the perfect idea to come to fruition, the creature needed a complimentary perfect strategy! Where was the perfect hiding spot?

"Hm?"

In the city? There were all sorts of buildings to take refuge in. But the humans, there were so many of them. Even the slightest bit of carelessness would allow one of the many humans to discover the feline creature.

"Hm…?"

What about blending in with some of the wild pokemon? No no no! The pink creature shook its head, furious with itself for thinking of the idea. None of the wild pokemon around the city looked like the creature, meaning the feline would stick out like a sore thumb.

"…"

What abooooouuuuut…

"Ha!" The exciting expedition seems to have come to an end, as the pink creature seems to have spotted something. There, inside the open window of a random building, those were… "The humans call these things 'dolls'. This house has so many…" Dolls, dolls, and more dolls! And they weren't based solely on the pokemon that lived around Tyoko. Surely the human in this house would dismiss the pink creature as another doll. This 'doll house' was the perfect place to hide out!

Hurriedly, the pink creature flew into the open window of the house.

"Hm?" Inside, the creature took a look at where it would be staying. For a place with an abundance of dolls, the house was pretty spacious. The wooden floors had a strong enough coating of finish to where the creature could see its reflection. Further inside, through the hallway and past the tile floored-kitchen, it flew. "!" It halted.

The creature stumbled upon a room with the door open. Inside, was a human sitting down. He seemed to be working on something at his desk, and did not notice the creature. The house seemed so quiet. Who would've guessed that a human was inside?

"…" Careful not to make any noise, the creature fled the room and proceeded further down the hall of the house.

Down this hall was nothing of too much note, aside from the open doorways leading into your average bedrooms and bathrooms. One thing the pink creature could take note of, were the stairs that were eventually stumbled upon. Maybe the humans are downstairs? No…I would have heard their noise by now.

Sure of itself, the pink creature followed the stairs. Upon making its way to the first floor-

Wow!

The pink creature stood agape, brought into a state of awe. Eyes shining with excitement, the pink creature looked around at all the dolls lined up on shelves and glass storage cases. From stuffed plush dolls, to high quality-almost realistic-looking dolls, this place had something for everybody!

The pink creature's gaze eventually landed on what looked to be a formal counter, with one of those 'machines' the humans use all the time. The humans called it a 'register'?

Ah, this is a store!

Yes, a store where dolls were made and given to whoever's heart desires. The human who lived in this house turned the downstairs into their very own doll store. Compared to the seemingly endless stores ruled by the cooperate world, this doll store seems so innocent.

What about this one?

The pink creature floated toward one doll in particular. Nothing special about it, it was just the creature's favorite. What was it? It was a pokemon, and it looked like a fire pig. Being chubby made it look that much more cute and huggable-like a panda.

…

*Click*

Without warning, the sound of a doorknob being maneuvered could be heard by the pink creature's twitching ears. The pink creature's eyes widened.

Somebody's coming…!

The pink creature needed to react fast. As the door opened, it frantically searched around for a hiding spot. Hurriedly, it placed itself on a wooden shelf, where rows of plush dolls lay. Here, the pink creature needed to remain still.

"Tadaima!" Walking inside, was the girl with pink hair and blue eyes-like bubblegum. It was Kimiko! But the pink creature didn't know that, nor did it need to. Kimiko was a human capable of giving away the creature's hiding spot, and the creature couldn't take that chance. Like a doll, it remained still.

Following Kimiko inside was her friend, Torri. She wore the same uniform as Kimiko. Her hair was long and straight, and split in the middle that separated her two hair colors. The right side of her hair was as black as the night sky, while the left side was as white as the clouds that decorate the sky during the day. Her eyes were a very exotic amethyst color.

With a smile on her face, Torri pointed out a flaw in the words that came out of Kimiko's mouth, "Kimiko, this isn't your house. Remember?"

"I know, I know," Kimiko said, "But we spend so much time at the shop that we practically live here."

Kimiko and Sky shared a collective giggle that echoed throughout the room. When the brief moment of laughter and merriment came and went, Torri noticed something, "Oh? Where's Mrs. Lillian?"

Mrs. Lillian Matryoshka, she was the owner of the doll shop.

"Maybe she's out?" Torri made an educated guess as she put a finger to her chin, thinking of a logical explanation.

"No way," Kimiko replied, "She never leaves the shop unlocked, remember? I mean, maybe Mr. Matryoshka is upstairs, but still…"

"It can't be helped now. We might as well cover for Mrs. Lillian while she's away." Torri remarked as she started walking toward the stairs, "I'll change out of my school clothes first."

Kimiko nodded in agreement. "Alright. Don't take too long."

"I won't."

….

"And of course, she's taking too long." An impatient Kimiko stood alone in the downstairs as she lightly tapped her foot to the cherrywood floor. "If Torri's taking this long to change clothes, I might as well get started on the job while I'm waiting."

Kimiko made a mental note to never let Torri change her clothes first. Then again, if Torri were to change her clothes second, she'd probably take even longer because she wouldn't have Kimiko waiting for her turn.

The wooden shelf where the plush dolls sat was starting to get a little dusty. Keeping her eyes on the shelf, Kimiko thought to herself, 'I might as well start here'.

Cleaning solution, a cleaning cloth, and a feather duster-these were the tools gathered by Kimiko to perform her self-assigned task.

"Mrs. Lillie will be glad to see the place polished when she gets back." With a smile on her face, Kimiko gently removed the plush dolls from their perches, and began applying the cleaning solution to the shelves.

Torri was still nowhere to be seen downstairs, but Kimiko's self-assigned task allowed for her to forget that she was going to be in her school uniform for awhile longer.

"Hmm hm hmmm…" Kimiko hummed to herself, as she really didn't mind cleaning. In fact, it was her and Kimiko who volunteer at the shop of the own volition. The Matryoshka Doll Shop, at just a few years old, was still relatively new. Kimiko and Sky were Mrs. Lillian's first customers when the store opened for business. Business wasn't the best back then, but Torri and Kimiko were regulars nonetheless. Eventually, Mrs. Lillian had an idea: giving Kimiko and Torri jobs. Their 'jobs' were to show off their dolls wherever they could. This in turn, made for great publicity in which the store has thrived on ever since. With much gratitude, Kimiko and Torri were offered the opportunity to volunteer at the shop in the afternoons. The girls were motivated and accepted, especially since being told they'd be given a few extra dollars whenever they came to work. "Hm hmhm hmmm…"

After applying the cleaning solution and cleaning cloths, Kimiko neatly restocked the shelves and grabbed the feather duster for one last rundown.

"Hmmm hm hm hmmmm…"

The doll that looked like a chubby fire-pig looked cuddly, Kimiko thought.

"Hmmm hm hmmmm…"

"Choo…!"

"!" Kimiko was slightly startled before regaining her composure as she blinked in confusion, "Someone sneezed?"

The sound came from right in front of her.

"But dolls can't sneeze…" Sitting in front of Kimiko, was a 'peculiar' looking doll. In fact, she doesn't recall seeing this particular doll in the shop before. "…" Wordlessly, Kimiko reached out and grabbed the plush doll.

'Hm?' For a plush doll, it was a little heavy. 'It's really well made.' Kimiko marveled at the product as she stroked the doll's pink coat.

"I wonder if it comes with any catchphrases…" Kimiko was thinking out loud as she grabbed the doll's tail. But as she pulled it…

"-GYAAAHHH!"

A screech echoed throughout the downstairs, and it was sharp enough to cause Kimiko to cover her ears, "HAAAAHHHH!"

"It hurts-...Hm?" But then, in the middle of its screech, the doll halted as it realized something, 'Uh-oh. She saw me!'

Then Kimiko seized her screaming, regaining herself as she focused on what was in front of her. "Huh?"

The pink-haired Kimiko, and the pink creature…both stared into each other's blue eyes in utter bewilderment, with an innocent type of curiosity that could only belong to a child.

The pink creature's eyes blinked.

Tilting her head, Kimiko asked, "Are you…a pokemon?"

"Uh…" The pink creature floated indignantly, mouth hanging open.

"And you talked…" Kimiko added, "Who are you?"

How was the pink creature going to answer?

…

The front door slammed open.

"Hey! Wait up!" The pink creature was trying to escape, taking advantage of a Kimiko who had her guard down. Kimiko attempted to chase after the pink creature, but by the time she made it out of the doorway, the pink creature had already created some separation.

Into the outside world, the pink creature went.

"…" There was nothing Kimiko could do to stop its venture.

The pink creature, while escaping Kimiko, was also wary of its surroundings, which was unusual. When someone is desperately trying to escape from something, 'tunnel vision' usually clouds their sense for the world around them…But Kimiko was a naïve girl. She never thought that there could be a reason for this creature being in a desperate scurry.

Away from the doll shop, past the residential district, and entering a bricked path surrounded by a forest of cherry blossoms, Kimiko chased the fleeing pink creature.

Late afternoon, the sun was beginning to set.

'How long can she keep running?' The pink creature looked back to Kimiko as this question creeped in its thoughts.

She was beginning to breath heavily. There was no way Kimiko could keep pace forever.

"-Oopmh!" That was, until unfortunate luck befell the pink creature, as it seemed to ram into something. 'Ow…' Or someone.

"Huh?" Seeing the pink creature fall to the ground, Kimiko halted.

"…" And as the pink creature was able to regain its composure, said composure was quickly lost again as it looked to the person it bumped into. "…!" It eyes widened, body beginning to tremble.

Kimiko gazed at the figure. He looked like no person Kimiko has ever seen. Long hair that was pale-periwinkle in color? No man in Tyoko had that kind of hair. He wore a black tuxedoed shirt, along with white pants and calf-high boots that were black in color. What Kimiko could describe as truly bizarre though, was that this man donned a 'signature' black cape.

That long, periwinkle hair…that long, black cape…they both blew in the breeze as cherry blossom pedals flew past the man.

Kimiko took a step forward, "Who are you?"

"…" The man chose to ignore Kimiko's existence as he wordlessly faced the downed pink creature staring at him, "We, as an organization, are on the cusp of greatness." This man spoke with in a particular monotone pattern and failed to utilize contractions. This monotone pattern made the man come off as very apathetic or indifferent. "You are a magnificent creature with power only dreamt of in fabled tales. Yet, you choose to waste your energy playing this little game of 'hide and seek'."

"Excuse me?" When the man never responded to Kimiko's question, Kimiko called out to the man once more.

"…" Slowly, the man looked at Kimiko. His eyes were a sharp, silver color. They looked intimidating.

"Your name? You never said your name." Kimiko, such a naïve girl. Did it never occur to her that maybe her existence was insignificant to this man? She had no clue…

"My name…" But this time, the man decided to acknowledge her existence, "My name is of no importance."

"I'm Kimiko."

"You are really naïve enough to give your name to a complete stranger?" The man asked. "Those who do not learn from the mistakes of history are destined to repeat them."

"There's no use in learning history. All that matters is looking forward." This was Kimiko's logic. She chooses to be oblivious to history, and because of this, she has become naïve to the world around her.

'Hmmm…Maybe she'll be naïve enough to help me.' The pink creature on the ground heard everything coming from their mouths. Dealing with the 'Kimiko' girl certainly beat going back with the long-haired man.

"Hmph." The man returned his attention to the pink creature laying in front of him, "Come home with me."

In response to the man, the pink creature wordlessly shook its head. When the man approached the creature, the creature seemingly decided to act in defiance, floating back beside Kimiko.

"Woah, what are you doing?!"

Kimiko was caught off guard. "Hm?" But upon inspection of the pink creature from close up, Kimiko realized something…

'I'm in trouble, and I really need somebody to trust. Please, will you help me?' The dream Kimiko had earlier today was suddenly starting to come back to her. She remembered accepting the pink creature's offer simply because the pink creature was cute. 'This is the beginning of a fine friendship…'

"You're the creature who was in my dream…" Kimiko whispered while holding the creature in her arms, "You need my help?"

"Hm?" The pink creature stared at Kimiko questioningly, 'She's really willing to help me?'

The mysterious man stepped forward, making sure to not allow Kimiko's attention to stray too far from him, "You will return it to me?"

Hearing the man's voice, the pink creature swiftly answered Kimiko's question with a hint of panic in its voice, "Yes, I need your help!"

"What should I do?" Kimiko had no clue as to how to aid the pink creature.

"You refuse to do as I say?" The man asked.

Kimiko faced the man once more, "I think it wants to come with me."

'The naivety of this girl is frustrating.' The man didn't allow his frustration to show, aside from his eyebrows furrowing and his eyes growing cold. Was he above inflicting harm to a little girl?

"Hand it over, or I will take it." The man stepped forward, his threat calm and cold.

Frustrating naivety it was, as Kimiko was too naïve to take in the man's change in facial expression that was meant to intimidate her. Rather than back down, Kimiko calmly answered to the man one more time, "No."

"…" In response, the man calmly started walking toward Kimiko and the pink creature.

"Um…" Kimiko was unsure what to expect. 'What is he trying to do?'

The man inched closer. He was slightly taller than how he looked from a distance.

'I don't think this creature belongs to him. He's a stranger. Besides, I found this creature at the shop. It should belong to me…Oh, but I already have a pokemon…' Kimiko was contemplating to herself.

The man was now standing right in front of Kimiko. Any other person in the world would've attempted to fend off a stranger getting this close to them, even if the effort proved to be futile. But Kimiko wasn't a fighter, "Mmm…!" All Kimiko could do was crouch down and close her eyes, shielding the creature in the process.

The pink creature was astonished, "You're not going to fight him?!"

The man looked to the crouching Kimiko, "And just what is this suppose to accomplish? Is it suppose to make me go away?"

The pink creature grunted in frustration, 'Did I put my trust in the wrong person?' It was too early to tell. Rather than leave the poor girl, the pink creature decided to take matters into its own hands. "Come on!"

"Oh-Wo-oah!" Kimiko yelped as she was suddenly grabbed by the pink creature. "Wh-where are we going?" Once again, Kimiko and the pink creature were running. It was a game of cat and mouse where Kimiko was now the one being pursued. They were running in the same direction they came from, making their way outside of the cherry blossom-surrounded path.

"Is he following us?" Kimiko asked as she looked back.

"Hmph!" Speeding through the cherry blossom leaves, was the black caped man who now had wings!

"Woah! Yes-Yes he is!" Kimiko was comedically hysterical as she quickly turned back to see what was in front of her. They were back in the residential district, running on the concrete-bricked ground.

It was only a matter of time before they made their way back to the Matryoshka Doll Shop. Of course, they were probably just going to pass it by…until…

"Of course, Kimiko would leave me to work clean outside." Walking out of the doll shop and onto the sidewalk, was a slightly irritated Torri, "Honestly, I wasn't upstairs for that long." She had changed from her school uniform, now wearing a pink sweater, a black skirt, black stockings, and brown boots, "Okay, maybe I was small talking with Mr. Matryoshka a little too long, but that's beside the point!" Over her outfit, Torri wore a white apron, and she was carrying a broom. But just as she was about to start sweeping-

"TOORRIIII!" Somebody screamed her name. The voice was somewhat distant and oncoming.

"Huh?" Down the street, Torri looked. It was Kimiko! And she was…being dragged by some sort of mysterious pink creature?

"WATCH OUT!" Kimiko yelled.

"Huh?!" But Torri had not the time to react. "Ooh!"

Kimiko and the pink creature had crashed into Torri.

Rubbing her back side, an annoyed Torri looked to Kimiko and asked, "Ouch…Why are you running like there's no tomorrow?"

"TOORRIIII! IwascleaningthedollshopandthenIsawthiswierddollthatblinkedatme!WHOKNEWTHATTHISDOLLWASACTUALLYALIVE?!ANYWAY,ICHASEDITANDNOWTHISWEIRDMANISCHASINGUSAND-" Okay, panicking was a part of human nature, but Kimiko was taking it to a new level. The way she was comedically trying to tell her entire story in one breath would be amusing if not for the fact that they were being chased.

Before Kimiko could finish her story, she was abruptly pulled by the pink creature, "Come on!"

"WOAH!" Kimiko grabbed Torri, bringing her along for the chase as well. "W-what are you doing?!"

"We're finding a place to hide!" Kimiko answered.

Torri turned around and laid her eyes on the black caped man chasing them, "That guy has wings?!" She then turned back to Kimiko, "I don't think we're going to outrun him!"

They had made they way out of the residential district, passed Central Square, and entered a rather dirty dirt road. It was easy to tell that this had been 'the road less travelled' for a long time, but that mattered not. Just where was this road going to lead?

….

Kimiko: Hello readers! My name is Kimiko, and this lovely pink haired girl is here to give you this Chapter's Eye Catch! I hope you'll like and subscribe, as the writer really wants your support!

Torri: Or does he?

Kimiko: Shut it! This is my Eye Catch!

Torri: Hmm…I wonder when I'll get to do the Eye Catch?

Kimiko: Anyways…Eye Catch, Off!

….

Shojo Kimiko

Chapter 1B

Location:…

Being chased by a mysterious man and follow 'the road less travelled', Kimiko, Torri, and the pink creature now found themselves at the foot of an abandoned mansion.

"The old mansion…" Torri whispered to herself as she took a step forward.

"Are we really going in there?" Kimiko was unnerved. It wasn't like she was scared of spooky mansions. She was just scared of going into the spooky mansion at night. With the setting Sun making its way to down to the other side of the world, Kimiko and Torri were now wandering in through the early hours of evening.

"Come on!" Contrary to the protests going on within Kimiko's mind, the pink creature urged Kimiko forward, "We need to hide."

"But…" Kimiko whimpered.

"Kimiko?" Putting a hand on Kimiko's shoulder, was a Torri who was trying to comfort her, "It'll be okay." She had a warm smile on her face that tried its best to assure Kimiko that nothing would happen.

"Hmph!"

"Oh?!" Kimiko, Torri, and the pink creature looked back, to see that the mysterious man was closing in on them.

Torri, now with a state of urgency, started pushing Kimiko and the pink creature into the mansion, "Come on! We've got to get in there!"

The trio had just enough time to scurry into any random room in the mansion by the time the mysterious man landed on the doorstep, "They left the door open." He spoke to himself with the same monotone, apathetic voice that alienated Kimiko earlier.

The man then proceeded inside the mansion.

"Seeking refuge in this mansion is a futile effort," The man began speaking, presumably to the pink creature in hiding. His voice echoed throughout the dusty mansion, "A mere game of hide and seek will not stand in between us and bringing about the new world."

"What is he talking about?" Torri whispered.

"Shh…!" Hurriedly, Kimiko held a finger to her mouth and motioned for Torri not to say anything, as the man could probably hear it.

…

*Click Clack*…*Click Clack*

The girls could hear the man's boots tapping against the rugged floor as he continued his search of the mansion. Where were the girls hiding, anyway?

*Click Clack*…*Click Clack*

'Out of all the places to hide, we just HAD to choose…The room with a portrait of somebody staring right at me!' Kimiko was unnerved. Illuminated by the light of the crescent moon making its first appearance outside, this room had but few decorations. There was a run-down chimney, an old rocking chair, and of course, the portrait of the elderly lady that Kimiko was staring at, "Oh?! I think it blinked…!"

While Kimiko was at odds with herself, the pink creature had a single thought in its head, 'We should be safe here…'

*Click Clack*…*Click Clack*

With the halls windowless, the moon had no means of illuminating the hall. The mysterious man had no clue that within the dark hallway, he'd actually passed the closed door leading to the room Kimiko and the pink creature were hiding in.

'Yes…' The pink creature couldn't believe it. It was actually going to avoid capture for a second time!

*Click Clack*…*Click Clack*

The sound of his footsteps began growing distant. Until-

"!" The rocking chair started moving, creating a sharp squeaking sound that could surely be heard from outside the confines of the room.

The pink creature turned to Kimiko and Torri, eyes widened with paranoia, "Shhhhh! Knock it off…!"

"It's not me," Torri replied as she then turned to Kimiko.

"It's this room…I think it's haunted…!" If anything, Kimiko was more paranoid than the pink creature. 'First, the eyes on that portrait look like they're moving. Then, this rocking chair starts moving on its own!' Kimiko wasn't moving the rocking chair either. Maybe this room was haunted.

Before the trio could stop the chair from moving, the door leading into the hallway was unceremoniously blasted open.

"Agh!"

"Ngh!" Both Kimiko and Torri shielded their eyes from the oncoming debris.

Smoke clearing, the trio were allowed a clear glimpse at who opposed them from the doorway

"…" The mysterious man.

"…" And an even more mysterious…What was it?

'It's not a human, but it doesn't look like any pokemon either…?' Kimiko and Torri were bewildered. It looked humanoid, but it didn't have a face.

'What IS that thing?!' It looked dangerous, as Torri was startled mentally.

The mysterious man slowly looked to the pink creature, "You do not have a say in the matter. You will be returning with me now." He was as cold and apathetic as before, as he reached out for the pink creature.

"Hey!" But just as the man made contact with the pink creature, Torri shouted.

"It's not yours to take!" Kimiko rushed to the pink creature and tried to pull it in for a hug, but as she did…

The man's stare hardened as he said to Kimiko, "You will no longer stand in my way."

As if on cue, the mysterious creature stepped in between Kimiko and the pink creature.

"Ah…" If the creature had eyes, those eyes would be intimidating the 'cowering' Kimiko right now.

"!" Following through on the man's order, the mysterious creature decided to go on the offensive. In the face of Kimiko and Torri, the faceless sphere serving as its head began to glow. Seconds later-

"AHHH!"

The glowing sphere caused an explosion felt throughout the haunted room. The window allowing for the moonlight to enter the room was completely destroyed, and Kimiko and Torri were sent flying through.

"Hm!" The mysterious creature followed the girls, landing softly on the grass outside.

"Ow…" Kimiko rubbed the back of her head as she and Torri sat up. The pink haired girl gasped as she wordlessly gazed past the mysterious creature and back into the old mansion. The man had successfully capture the pink creature.

"Get off…!" Even so, the pink creature was attempting to struggle out of the man's grasp.

'It's in trouble.' Kimiko thought to herself.

"Kimiko?" Torri called out to her best friend.

"Hm?" In response, Kimiko looked to Torri.

"This creature looks strong…"

"Maybe…?" As Kimiko trailed off before truly beginning her sentence, she rummaged through the pocket of her school uniform and pulled out something peculiar. She stared at her reflection in 'it'-A Pokeball. "…Maybe we just need some help?"

Kimiko was not a Pokemon Trainer, nor did she have any intention of ever 'training' any Pokemon. Her profession was simply 'An Ordinary Girl That Goes To School'. However, she did have a 'Pokemon' friend or two that have been made over her short, ten-year-old life.

Torri watched as Kimiko wordlessly opened the Pokeball, releasing the Pokemon that was also her childhood friend.

The light of the Pokeball illuminated the moonlit grass in an even stronger light. When said light faded, a single Pokemon stood across from the mysterious creature opposing Kimiko and Torri. It slowly opened its eyes, "Hm?" It was a Sylveon, and it was confused. Why weren't they at the Matryoshka Doll Shop, or at Kimiko's house? "Om?" The Sylveon turned to Kimiko with a questioning expression on its face.

"Celestie!" Kimiko called the Sylveon by its name.

"Watch out!" Torri added, motioning for Celestie to take note of the creature standing before her.

"On!"

As soon as Celestie readied herself, the mysterious creature lunged at her.

Celestie dodged, allowing for the creature to land before Kimiko and Torri.

Torri turned and asked Kimiko, "Umm…does Celestie know any moves?"

"Umm…" Kimiko answered with an 'um' of her own, "I don't know?"

See, Celestie was not what you would call a 'battling' pokemon. She was accustomed to a domesticated lifestyle that was as cute and innocent as her fairy-like appearance would give off.

"But…" Kimiko and Torri had no clue if Celeste was a weak pokemon either. What if the Sylveon did know some moves? "Let's see…" Kimiko was brainstorming. 'I've seen pokemon fight on tv before…'

Thankfully, Torri wasn't as oblivious as Kimiko, "Use Water Gun!" She called.

"?" Water Gun? Everybody had a confused look on their face, Celestie included.

"…"

"Vie?" Could a Sylveon even learn a water move in the first place?

It's official: Torri's command was cringeworthy. She facepalmed. Kimiko facepalmed. Would this blunder be enough for the mysterious man to smile if he wasn't paying so much attention to the pink creature?

"Hmph!" Once again, the mysterious creature lunged itself at Celestie.

"On!" This time, the Sylveon decided to take matters into her own hands-er…ribbons. As the creature closed in, Celestie used her ribbons to grab the floating sphere that was the mysterious creature's 'head'.

That was it, the creature was trapped! While the mysterious creature ensued on a struggle in an effort to free itself, Kimiko turned attention to the mysterious man.

"Let me go!" The pink creature protested.

"Your very existence birthed the old world, just as it will birth the new world in waiting," The mysterious man began going off on some sort of tangent, "Within your soul, lies a fragment of every living thing to ever exist, pokemon and human alike. What we as an organization seek, is the start of new truths and ideologies too great to be missed on simply because you refuse to cooperate." The man began glowing a white aura.

"Oh?" This was the first time the pink creature had seen the man emit this kind of aura. "W-Who are you?"

Before the creature's question could be met with a reply, it exchanged a moment-long stare down with the man "…" Was this the beginning of the end?

"I am the one who will cleanse your soul of the impure energy belonging to this world…" One of the man's silver wings flexed, before-

"AGH!" Before piercing through the body of the pink creature.

"No!" Kimiko yelped.

'I'm in trouble…' Once again, Kimiko had flashbacks of the dream she had-her conversation with the pink creature, 'Please, will you help me?'

'Even if I CAN help, what can I do?' Kimiko asked herself. 'There must be something-ANYTHING-I can do to help!'

Without word, Kimiko began rushing to the aid of the pink creature.

"Hmph!" But not without resistance from the mysterious clown-like creature that opposed her. The creature was able to break out of Celestie's grasp, and made a rush for Kimiko.

"On?!" Celestie was shocked the creature was able to break free so easily.

Just as Kimiko was about to re-enter the old mansion through the broken window, the mysterious creature appeared right in front of her. "Hmph!" The floating that was its head started glowing red. The rest of its figure started to inhaled, as if it were about to blow something out. Would it be too preemptive to put two and two together, and believe this thing was about to launch a stream of fire at Kimiko? An educated guess, the red sparks started emanating from the sphere when it looked ready to exhale.

Kimiko's eyes widened. The thought of being hit with fire paralyzed the girl with fear before the attack could escape the mysterious creature.

"Kimiko!" Only a fraction of a second stood in between the fire making its way to the outside world. Kimiko's name was called, as the mysterious creature was intercepted.

"Huh?"

"Hn?!" Everybody was surprised, but nobody more than the mysterious creature. It was intercepted…by Torri?

"Torri!" Kimiko called the name of her best friend as she tackled the mysterious creature to the ground.

"Kimiko…" Torri called Kimiko's name once more, "You have to stop that man…"

Kimiko and Torri had no clue as to what the mysterious man was trying to accomplish with the pink creature. Maybe his dialogue offers clue? But the girls have probably dismissed his words as weird ramble-talk by now.

'The pink creature is cute.' Kimiko remembered thinking this to herself when she first met the creature. That was the only reason why she agreed to help it. But then this man appeared. Even remembering the promise she made, Kimiko was still about to leave the pink creature as it was reunited with the man. There was nothing she could do, and involving herself any further would've accomplished nothing but create unnecessary stress. But now…the truths and ideologies that differed between the old and new world, they mattered not to Kimiko. Was the pink creature good, or evil? Kimiko wasn't keen on playing the altruistic hero, and she wasn't going to pretend she was. She wasn't some underdog or underachiever set out on proving everybody wrong or conquering the world by overcoming insurmountable odds. She was just an ordinary girl, wanting to help a friend, even if she didn't know its name…

…

'Its name?'

…

Kimiko's Dream

'My name?' Kimiko imagined herself talking to the pink creature. Like before, they were staring into the city of Tyoko below. The pink creature wasn't sure what its name was.

'Well?' Kimiko, growing anxious, probably realized this as well.

'Um…'

'If you don't have a name, I can give you one.' Kimiko proposed.

'What do you have in mind?' The creature asked.

'How about…'

…

By the time Kimiko removed herself from her thoughts, not even a moment had past.

"Lilac!" This was Kimiko's answer to the creature's cry for help, as she charged into the old mansion.

"What?" The man, with his glowing wing still pierced through the pink creature's body, turned around to face Kimiko.

"Lilac!"

"L-Lilac…?" It's consciousness was on the brink of fading, but hearing Kimiko shout that name was enough to keep the creature from closing its eyes.

Before the man could react, Kimiko ran past him. Kimiko ran the creature into a hug and kept running until it was pulled from the piercing grasp of the man's wing.

"No…" The eyes of the mysterious man widened as the white aura surrounding him and the pink creature started alternating between many colors. His monotone voice and apathetic nature snapped, it became visibly apparent that whatever the man was trying to do, Kimiko was able to thwart it just before the process was complete. If he was really serious about bringing about a new world, that would be he'd have to destroy the old world-the world Kimiko calls home. Did Kimiko just save the world?

"Kimiko…she did it…" Torri, who was still down after intercepting the clown-like creature, whispered to herself in an exasperated voice as she watched the scene inside the mansion unfold.

Celestie could only watch, but was on standby and ready to defend Kimiko should the man be persistent.

"Lilac…" Once again, Kimiko said that name as she embraced the pink creature.

"Lilac…?" The pink creature parroted.

"Lilac…" Kimiko pulled the creature out of her hug. As if answering the pink creature's questioning expression, she finished her sentence with, "…Your new name."

"My name, huh…?" The creature name 'Lilac'…Lilac was weak from being pierced by the man. It was so weak, it could only utter its name in a whimper before beginning to close its eyes. "…"

'You're safe now, Lilac.' Kimiko had a warm smile on her face, but the smile wouldn't last long.

Kimiko's sigh of relief was replaced by bewilderment, when some sort of spherical object phased out of where Lilac was pierced. "Huh?" The spherical object was a crystal, and it was glowing an seemingly unstable aura alternating between many different colors-the same aura surrounding Lilac and the mysterious man. The spherical crystal began to ascend. When it stopped, it was coincidentally eye-level with the very portrait Kimiko believed was haunted.

"This can't be…" It was as if the mysterious man knew what was going to happen next, as he said this out loud.

The spherical crystal…it started cracking. The cracks in the crystal started to separate the layers into specific sections. Each section turned a different color. Moments later, the cracks gave way, effectively snapping the crystal into many pieces. They looked like 'plates'. Each plate glistened in the night sky, sounding like the shattering of glass.

"No…" Whatever was left of the man's composure was quickly starting to disappear. "No…No. No! NO! NO!" Maybe the crystal originally belonged to the mysterious man. The way he was overreacting, this crystal must've had an important role. Did this role have something to do with 'creating the new world'?

All of the crystal plates began scattering. They could be anywhere within the city of Tyoko now. If this man had enough due diligence to search for the crystal plates, it was going to be quite the search. That is, except for one.

"Hm?" Kimiko watched as one plate descended it front of her. With Lilac still in her arms, she took one hand off, and extended it to catch the falling crystal piece. "What is this?"

"You!"

Kimiko was startled. The mysterious man screaming at her was approaching, and he wasn't in the nicest of moods.

"He's after the Crystal Plate."

"What?" Kimiko was caught off guard as a voice spoke to her in her head. It sounded like Lilac! "Lilac?" Kimiko was sure, but wanted confirmation, nonetheless. "But you're unconscious. How can you talk to me?"

"I remember now. We made a pact." Lilac answered.

A pact?

"The dream. You said you'd help me in the dream."

That's right…

"I may not remember my name, but I do remember a little about how these Plates work."

Kimiko stared at the Plate intently. It was white in color. "How do you use it?"

"Repeat after me…"

Our pact has been made

Our path forged

Ancestors of all people and pokemon

Lend me your power!

As Kimiko said those words, "Oh?" the Crystal Plate began glowing a white aura. 'Woah…' When the aura engulfed Kimiko, her mind was smothered with images of many pokemon she didn't know. Felines, rabbits, giant bears and primates with double tails…Kimiko was engulfed by the aura of all these pokemon's spirit, and became overcome with the power she gained.

The outfit Kimiko was wearing began to change. No longer was she wearing the maroon blazer and grey skirt that was her school uniform. Taking shape, was her new outfit: A sleeveless, strapless, short-skirted dress that was white in color. Kimiko's ankle boots were the same white color. She donned black stockings, and long black gloves to go with her black obi and the big black bow being worn as an accessory on her head. Finishing Kimiko's transformation, was the appearance of a black, star-like emblem appearing on her chest. Little did she know, this emblem stood for 'Normal'.

Kimiko opened her eyes. Before she questioned her new outfit, she turned her attention to the approaching mysterious man.

"What?" Understandably, the man was bewildered.

Materializing in Kimiko's grasp, was some sort of staff. Black and white, the staff was. The staff was topped off with a green jewel. This was the Jewel of Life, while the staff was gifted from the Ancestor of all Pokemon.

Kimiko pointed the jewel of her staff at the mysterious man.

'Release!' If this wasn't a nod to the girl who was Kimiko's 'spiritual predecessor', what was?

Upon the word 'release', the jewel became surrounded by a translucent, holographic wheel that was gold in color. The translucent wheel began spinning rapidly around the jewel, and as it did, a huge stream of light energy was launched at the mysterious man.

There was no way the man could've anticipated such power to come from the jewel. But how? This beam of great energy-this 'hyper' beam of light…how was it able to be summoned by… 'That ordinary school girl…' The man, staring into the face of defeat, found it absurd that the ancestor of all pokemon would choose this dull, ordinary girl. She was someone destined to never take part in the war between truths and ideologies that goes on in the world outside. And yet…The man closed his eyes as he thought to himself, 'Perhaps she was chosen BECAUSE she's an ordinary girl…I have underestimated her, and it appears this underestimation will lead to my defeat.' Smothered by the light, the man had accepted the inevitable outcome as his mind drifted into a one-sided conversation with Kimiko, 'However, know this: A naïve girl like you will not stop the organization from achieving the new world they desire. Someday, ours paths will cross again.'

The light of the beam too great to overcome, the very being of the man began to fade. The clown-like creature that opposed Kimiko and the others was also beginning to fade.

'Blacephalon, it's time to rest…'

The need for this power was brief, as when the man and that 'Blacephalon' were defeated, Kimiko began glowing that white aura once again. When the aura disappeared, Kimiko was no longer in the white dress. The maroon blazer and grey skirt that was her school uniform had returned.

"…" Lilac reappeared in front of Kimiko.

"Kimiko!" Torri called the name of her best friend. She and Celestie both ran to Kimiko, worried in case she may have been hurt. "Kimiko…" Torri repeated her name as she rested her hands on Kimiko's shoulders.

"On?" Celestie nuzzled Kimiko's leg. She was asking Kimiko if she was okay, but Kimiko was too naïve to understand whatever Pokemon could say.

Though Kimiko was facing Torri, her eyes were blank. Nothing in particular was wrong, Kimiko's mind was just wondering. 'What just happened? What was I wearing?' Without answering Torri's question, Kimiko slowly turned to Lilac, but before eye contact was made, her eyes were attracted to something else. 'Hm?' The white Crystal Plate, it was back, and descending right in front of Kimiko. Before the Crystal Plate could hit the ground, Kimiko softly took it in her grasp. "…"

"We need to get those Crystal Plates back." Before the moment could blend in with the stillness of the cold night, Lilac spoke.

"Let's go back to neighborhood," Torri said to Lilac, "You can explain everything to us then."

….

Location: Freedom Park

Freedom Park-A playground for children. It had swingsets, seesaws, and jungle gym, and a merry-go-round. Kimiko, Torri, Lilac and Celestie elected to sit on the concrete park bench.

Both Kimiko and Torri stared into the Crystal Plate as Torri asked, "So why do we need to collect these plates?"

Lilac had limited knowledge of its past and why that man was after it. However, Lilac does remember encountering that man before today. What the man explained to Lilac, Lilac explained to the girls, "Alone, the Crystal Plates are no great threat-nothing more than antiques. But together…well, that man never exactly went into detail what will happen if all the Crystal Plates are utilized to their fullest potential. All he said was that the Crystal Plates, along with me, will bring about a 'new world'."

"What kind of world?" Torri asked.

"Who knows?" Lilac didn't know either, "That man has come close several times, tonight being no different. To tell the truth…he probably would've succeeded if you and Kimiko weren't here."

"But what happened to me?" Kimiko asked, "Why was I wearing that dress? And what was up with that staff?" In the moment, Kimiko had too much urgency to add in her usual comedic remarks. But now? Hah? This whole day made such little sense, it had to be a dream…Was it?

"Don't you remember?" Lilac asked, "We formed a pact. This pact, along with the Crystal Plate, allowed me to give you otherworldly magic."

Wait. So what defeated that man was really Lilac's magic? After everything that's happened, Kimiko is still just an ordinary girl…This didn't bother Kimiko in the slightest. It wasn't like Kimiko had any extraordinary goals anyway. Still, "This Crystal Plate is pretty," Kimiko said as she stared into her reflection.

"There are eighteen Crystal Plates in total." Lilac remarked, "You hold the first one-"

"-Meaning that there are seventeen left." Torri finished.

"What?" Kimiko questioned, "There's seventeen more? That's too much work!" When Kimiko agreed to be Lilac's friend, she thought the pact's obligation would be finished in a day or two, and then Lilac would stay as some sort of 'family pet' as everybody lived happily ever after. But seventeen? SEVENTEEN?!

"Come on, Kimiko!" Lilac urged.

"No way! I don't feel like collecting seventeen plates." Kimiko answered, "I don't care about saving the world. Besides, I'm sure some wannabe-hero would be more than eager to help get those plates."

Lilac drooped.

"Don't worry, Lilac!" But before Lilac's hopes were completely dashed, Torri stepped in to save the day. She had such an innocent smile on her face, "Kimiko says these things sometimes. She's a bit of a procrastinator-whether it be saving the world or World History."

"Hey!" Kimiko was not impressed. However, her facial expression was completely light-hearted and comedic. Laughter escaped the mouths of Torri and Celestie.

"She makes perfect 'ordinary girl' doesn't she?" Torri continued to chuckle.

With a smile slowly appearing on its face, Lilac replied, "I wouldn't have it any other way!"

And so it Begins…Whether or not a certain 'somebody' wants it to.

….

Kimiko: Hey guys and girls!

Torri: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter!

Lilac: So much for trying to go against tropes and break the mold. Having a Sylveon is SO cliché, and we never even found out the man's name!

Kimiko: Sylveon? Oh yeah, Celestie! Well, the writer is well aware of 'overused' tropes, but decided against sacrificing the outline of the story for the sake of surprise. Not to worry though, ideas will be fresh! Pinky promise?

Torri: Celestie is here to stay!

Kimiko: And remember, readers-Everything happens for a reason. Minor details described in today's episode can always be revisited later on!

Lilac: Speaking of, what will the next Chapter be about?

Kimiko: Can't spoil the surprise!

Lilac: Can we at least see more of Tyoko? Or how about the First Tyoko School, or your house?

Torri: Lilac?! Be patient!

Next time on Shoujo Kimiko-Kimiko, Lilac & the Legend of the Chubby Plushie!

Everybody: Bye!