The sun rose over Dineea Island warming everything it's light touched. From the forests the cries of wild Pidgy echoed, bouncing off the sharp cliffs that encircled nearly the entire island. In the tiny village people began to wake up. Children ran outside to play with their pokemon and parents began to fix breakfast.
Perched on the top of a cliff, overlooking the sea was the island's gym. Being the only reason people ever came to the island, it was their pride and joy. The gym was run by a young man of eighteen by the name of Jorim Forner, his parents had started it and after they had died in an accident he had accepted the challenge of running it. With the help of his younger sister the gym had given out only a single badge to an Orange Island challenger. Some said the reason for their success was simply luck. Others said it was purely skill. But while most people thought it was one of these reasons there were some, the people who knew the children's parents, who believed there was a connection the family line had with pokmon. A sort of ...understanding. Of all the rumors they were the closest...
"I'm Peter Levoski and I'm here to challenge the leader of this gym." A short, sandy-haired boy of about eleven marched up to the teenage girl standing at the doors of the Dineea Island Gym.
"Oh really?" She asked, fingering the minimized pokeballs that hung around her neck. Pulling one from the chain she enlarged it. "Well, you'll have to get by me first! One on one, one pokemon each. Go! Leeh!" A Chikorita erupted for the ball in her hand.
"Ha!" The boy laughed seeing her pokemon. "This'll be easier than I thought! I choose Charmander! Get it with an ember attack!" Charmander swung it's flaming tail at Leeh, but the Chikorita dodged it.
"Good Leeh. Now tackle it!" The girl cried. Right on cue the pokemon swung around and charged at the Charmander, full speed.
"Charmander! Quick, dodge it!" Peter cried, staring at the charging Chikorita as though he could will it to stop. The Charmander tried to dodge, but I was too late, Leeh hit him hard and sent him flying into a nearby palm tree. There was a pause, then Charmander tried to get up but fell back down again. The boy gasped and ran to his pokemon's side. "Charmander! Charmander, I'm sorry. We'll get you to a Pokemon Center." He looked up at the girl gaping. "How did you...fire-type is supposed to be good against grass..."
"Looking at types is important, but level is also something to take into consideration." She replied. "You see, Leeh was a grass type, but her levels were high enough to beat your Charmander."
"I see." He nodded sadly, then looked up with fresh determination. "Well, I'll just have to train harder. Thanks."
"For what?" The girl asked cocking her head slightly.
"That battle helped me understand a little more about being a good trainer. I'll go and become even stronger." Peter grinned.
"The way you handled that defeat shows that you have the potential of becoming a great master." She smiled at him.
"Thanks. I'm off to do some training." He turned and headed down the grassy hillside. The girl stood alone on the hill, watching the waves crash against the rocks below. A tall young man walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"He's not the only one who shows the potential of being a great master." The gym leader said quietly. "You too could go to the League."
"You think so?" She asked, not turning around.
"Kirah, you can do anything you set your mind to. You just have to get up and do it." He pointed off to the horizon where three enormous birds flew, stretching their great wings in the fresh morning air. "You're pokemon trust and love you and you trust and love them. You make a great team. And remember, Mom and Dad would have wanted us to do what we love. They set out to make their dreams come true. They would have wanted you to do the same." Slowly Kirah nodded. She turned to face her brother, a grin growing on her face.
"I will then."
Pokemon
Kirah's Quest: Chasing Dreams
By RogueStorm
Two Weeks Later...
"So, you know where you're going first?" Jorim asked, handing his younger sister the map.
"Yeah. I'm going to Cinnabar Island first. It'll take about a day to get there so I plan to stop off at Lekotor Island and grab some lunch and rest." Kirah replied grabbing her backpack.
"And who all are you taking along?" He unzipped her pack and slipped a few snacks into it.
"Well, I was going to take Leeh, Mek, Sorin, Jan, Dallor and Jade since she would flip out if I didn't take her." The minimized pokeballs hung around her neck and she touched each one as she said the pokemon's name. Her brother nodded.
"Good choices. And I have your permission to use all the pokemon you leave home, right?" He grinned at her, making her roll her eyes.
"Sure, if you must. Though I'm not sure how many will obey you..."
"What do you mean by that?" Jorim gave her a nasty look.
"Oh nothing." She replied quickly.
"Right. Well, you'd better get going. Everyone's waiting for you."
"Everyone's...what? But I thought only you..." She stepped out the door and saw her friends and neighbors gathered around.
"SURPRIZE!" They shouted in unison, making her jump. Kirah gawked.
"Jorim! Why didn't you tell me!" She cried grinning happily. Her brother hugged her.
"It wasn't my idea." He got a "yeah right" look from his sister and laughed. "Ok, so it was only partly my idea. After I told everyone you were going off to the mainland to train they all wanted to come see you off and wish you good luck."
"Yeah," One of her best friends said, putting her arm around her. "We couldn't let you go off for who knows how long without saying goodbye."
"You're going to do great." Another friend said.
"You show 'em how it's done."
"Make us proud girl."
"Teach them how a real trainer fights."
"Have fun."
"You're soooo lucky!"
"We'll miss you!"
"Take care of yourself."
"Take care of your pokemon."
"Ha, her pokemon'll take care of her."
"True."
Kirah couldn't keep the tears from coming. All these people she had know for so long, the people who had helped her and her brother after their parents had died, helped them grow up and start the gym back up were now gathered around encouraging her in something she had dreamed of doing.
"You ok?" Jorim asked gently. She nodded, half crying, half laughing. He smiled and hugged her. "You'd better get going if you want to make it before dark."
"Yeah." She turned to her friends. "Thank you guys for coming. It really means a lot to me. I'll do my best to become a master. I promise."
"We know you'll try your hardest. That's all any of us is asking." Her brother pushed her dark braids away from her face. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too. So much!" Kirah hugged him tightly then back away and took a deep breath. "I'll call as soon as I get to Cinnabar." She nodded then turned to the edge of the cliff and whistled a high, piercing note. Three bird pokemon dropped down beside her, an Arcticuno, a Zapdos and a Moltres, her guardians after her parents died. Turning to the Zapdos and Moltres she explained that she was letting them with her brother for now but that later she would need their help. They nodded and once again soared off into the sky, this time circling overhead. "Jade," She said to the remaining pokemon, Arcticuno. "Let's go." The pokemon gave a loud cry to the sea, a joyful warning to the rest of the world. All Kirah's life Jade had been her special protector, like a parent to her and now she was starting her pokemon journey with her. Grinning she climbed onto her back and turned for a last time to her friends. They called to her, wishing her a safe journey and lots of luck. Her brother was the last one to say anything, waiting until they were once again quiet.
"Be careful." He said, then looked thoughtful for a moment. A large smile spread across his face. "Mom and Dad would be so proud to see you right now."
Kirah smiled at her brother. He had actually known their parents, she had been to little to remember them when they had died, but whenever he talked about them she felt as though she had know them all her life.
"I love you Jorim."
"I love you too sis."
"Come on Jade, let's go." She held on tightly as the pokemon took off. Once they were in the air it was smooth and she could sit up straight. The tiny Island disappeared quickly, and her brother and friends even quicker. Then she spotted her other two guardians flying beside her. "Rudy, Static!" She cried happily. They followed her a bit, then turned and headed home. Kirah closed her eyes and wondered what adventures on the mainland awaited her. "But first," She cried out loud. "To Cinnabar Island!"