"Yeah! We're almost done packing, so it won't be much longer until we're set!"
In a well lit room rests a young girl of eleven. In front of this child is a computer with it's screen on and someone's face reflecting from within. The child's right leg bounces continuously. She's unable to stop herself from feeling excited and perhaps a little overwhelmed while speaking to the gentleman on the screen.
This will be her first time traveling to another destination, especially somewhere far away from her home, Vermillion City. She has always stayed within the city ever since she was born. There was a time where she used to swim in the ocean, but that was two years ago...
"Yo, cousin! You still there?"
She blinks a couple of times, snapping out of her daze. Shaking her head, the girl smacks her cheeks and focuses on the screen. She grins at him.
"I'm still here! Sorry about that professor Kukui! The excitement must've gotten to me." She rubs behind her head sheepishly and giggles.
The man, professor Kukui, nods at her before smiling back while waving his one hand, "No problem. It's understandable. Now, there's a reason I called and that's about your pictures. You sent me two and I'm wondering which one you want on your passport."
He brings up the two photos. It shows the same faces of one girl, but with only one of them wearing black glasses. Her dark brown hair's tied in the back and hanging loosely over her shoulder. The freckles on her face spread across her nose and cheeks that blend well with her tan skin. The one thing that pops out at her are the color of her hazel eyes. It's a mixture of brown and green which reminds her of a forest. The deep, lush colors that brighten whenever something cool happens or become darker when a negative emotion hits her. It's one of the things that she likes about herself when it comes to appearances.
It didn't take long to choose. She sent the photos about a week ago and just made up her mind today. Her finger swiftly moves from the desk to the screen and points at the picture with the glasses.
"The one where I'm wearing glasses! That one should be okay." She responds positively with a bright smile.
"10-4, good buddy! I'll let everybody out here know you're on your way!" Professor Kukui informs her.
"Thanks!"
"Celina...!" the young girl, Celina, perks her head up when she heard her name being called. She glances at the closed door, "I need your help with these boxes!"
"Sounds like your mom needs you, cousin," Celina turns back to the screen and nods at him while still smiling," I'll see you in person soon! Take care!"
"Mm! You too, Professor!"
They both bid each other farewell before Celina turns the computer off. Celina jumps up from the chair. She brings her hands up and stretches out her arms. Once she hears something crack, Celina sighs heavenly before exiting the room.
~One Hour Later~
It didn't long to gather everything together and prepare for the journey to the Alola Region. Celina told her mother that she had to do something and will join her soon at the docks. She did have an hour to kill before the ship takes off. The sound of the waves eases her to relax. Though, it's quite difficult when Celina's heart pounds hard against her chest. She inhales the smell of the salty sea before exhaling. Celina does this a couple of times all while having her eyes closed. Unfortunately, no matter how many times she does this, it didn't ease her nerves of traveling, especially over seas.
It's been so long since she last swam in the ocean or been anywhere near it. Celina would gaze at the sea from a far, but that's about it. To be this close to it again... It just adds more stress to her already anxious heart. But she wants to do this. She has to do this or she won't ever grow stronger. Celina's going to be a Pokémon trainer. That's a fact. What good will she be if she's afraid to swim in the ocean? Or stand near it? She doesn't want to let her Pokémon down, if she'll catch any of them...
"Okay... I'm going down a dark mind-set. Stop that. Not before leaving this place." Celina scolds herself.
She takes a moment to compose herself. Then, Celina slowly takes a deep breath before she slowly opens her eyes. All that's before her is the calm sea that moves gently with the wind. It's clear waters can be viewed from curious onlookers. A Krabby skitters across the incoming waves. The water caresses the sand and then recedes back into the ocean. It's a pitch perfect image that would calm any one looking at sea.
Unfortunately, not for her.
Her heart refuses to calm down and go at a steady beat. She shakily breathes in some air before letting some out. Celina brings both of her hands up and squeezes them together against her chest. Flashes of the stormy night rushes into her mind. Her grip on her hands become tighter to the point where it's almost white.
All she can remember is the darkness and how quickly she was moving away from the surface. Not being able to breathe... The burning feeling in her chest was intense and terrifying. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't escape... All Celina felt was fear and hopelessness for a couple of minutes until a sense of serenity enveloped her. The closer she felt her conscious slip, the less she struggled and the more she accepted her fate.
Celina was all alone when she fainted in the ocean.
Luckily for her, someone rescued her just in time. The next thing she remembers was hyperventilating and crying to her hearts content. Her mother was there, squeezing her to her chest and trying to calm her down, assuring her that she's right here. All Celina could do was sob hysterically and apologize to her mother several times. One of the things that Celina recalls was apologizing for almost leaving her mother alone. After that, she blacked out in her mother's arms. Celina never got a chance to see her reaction.
After that day, she never went near the ocean again. The only time she did was once about a year ago and now today.
"There... You got this. You can face the ocean now," Celina tells herself before smiling bitterly, "Even if I only got this far... It's still an improvement."
Now the next part is actually touching the salty water or at least swimming in the ocean. However, that won't happen any time soon. Celina understands that rushing into improving herself will only hurt her more. She tried it in the past by forcing herself to run toward the ocean. Celina yelled out a battle cry before diving into the ocean. Unfortunately, it proved too much for her. When the sight and cold water made her think back to the night of the incident, it almost paralyzed her whole body. Feeling fearful of her life, she swam back to shore and ran back to her house.
Celina releases the grip on her hands and slowly lowers them to her sides. She clenches her fist and grinds her teeth together. Feeling the urge to vent out on her frustrations, Celina inhales before shouting at the sea.
"I'll be back, you crazy ocean! And when I do, I'll be able to swim again without fear, so be prepared, you asshole!" Celina yells at the calm sea while shaking her fist at it.
There's no response from the sea. The Wingulls that are nearby, however, lift their bodies off of the ground and fly away from the odd, aggressive girl. Celina huffs and puffs before slumping her shoulders.
She oddly feels better after yelling. Good. At least she won't be as nervous when she leaves this place.
Celina smacks her cheeks to mentally prepare herself. She grabs her glasses that were hanging on her neckline and pushes them in place. A smile forms on her lips, feeling stronger than she was before.
"Show time~!"
She then turns around and runs off to where the harbor is to start her journey. Fortunately, it didn't take long to reach her destination. When Celina reaches the docks, she notices that her mother's there, waiting for her arrival.
Her mother, Mabella, is a slim woman with thick, wavy brown hair. Her brown eyes gaze at the sea, her body leaning against the rails of the port. She's currently wearing a white t-shirt with a brown jacket on top and blue jeans. It stops at her ankles where she shows off her white slip on shoes. The black glasses that she usually wears lie within the top of her hair.
Mabella turns to the sound of incoming footsteps. Her face expresses relief when her eyes land on Celina.
"There you are! Where have you been? I thought we would have to leave without you." Mabella jokes, laughing a little.
"Sorry Mama! I had to say my goodbyes to this place! I'm ready to go now!" Celina quickly apologizes. She bows respectfully to her mother before running up the ramp to the ship.
Mabella smiles at her daughter's enthusiasm. She turns to the captain of the ship with an apologetic smile, "We're ready to depart whenever you're ready."
The older, sea captain nods before going up the ramp to set sail. Mabella follows suit and finds Celina leaning against the rail, her back to her. She goes over to join her. Hearing her mother come up beside her, Celina looks up at her, a bright smile on her lips. Mabella returns the smile and wraps an arm around her shoulders. She then squeezes Celina closer, hugging her affectionately. Celina leans her head on her mother's shoulder and sighs peacefully. The sound of the ship's horn echoes loudly in both of the female's eardrums. After that, the vessel sets sail from the harbor and into the open sea.
Alola region, here she comes!
~Three Days Later~
After being out at sea for so long, Celina will be glad to see any sort of land by now. When she hears the words "Land-Ho!" from above, she rushes to the side of the ship and leans against the rails. In the distance, an island appears with an open harbor for the incoming ship. Celina bounces in one spot, eager to set foot on land and to see her new home.
"Excited?" Mabella asks, smiling at her daughter's positive energy. She removes her jacket, realizing how warm it's become and ties it around her waist.
"Mm! I am! I am! I can't wait! I'm going to become a Pokémon trainer and have a pokémon of my own! And... And er... Before that, I gotta meet the professor! And then... And then...!" Celina speaks quickly, fumbling over her words and not taking a moment to catch her breath.
Her mother only laughs before placing a hand on Celina's shoulder, "I know you're excited, but let's actually get to the port before you run out energy, okay?"
Celina nods before giving her a thumbs up, "Okay!"
So, the two of them watch as the ship draws closer to the harbor. Then, when they were close enough, the vessel drops it's anchor. The captain maneuvers the ship around to line up with the docks. Once the captain achieves that, they drop the ramp and immediately start descending with boxes in their arms. With the help of some Machamps, they were able to finish the task with ease. Celina skips down the ramp with her mother right behind her and stops at the large cart. It has all of their stuff inside with two large, brown horses in the front.
It's a pokémon that Celina's never seen before. Their manes are black and red that match a coating of sorts around their legs. Three dreadlocks hang down from either side of their faces and their tails are very thick. Whatever their names are, which Celina's sure she'll find out soon, they look very strong with how thick their bodies are.
Unable to help herself, Celina takes out a camera from her bag and walks backwards to capture a good shot. It's a normal camera that didn't have a lightening feature. This prevents startling Pokémon she encounters on her travels. She didn't want to leave a bad impression whenever she meets a new pokémon.
Once Celina has a good angle, she presses the button and snaps a picture of the two Pokémon. The two didn't react to her taking a picture of them. Smiling to herself, she pockets the camera back in her bag and looks over at her mother.
"Can we ride them?" Celina asks.
"I'm not sure. Are we allowed to do that?" Mabella questions before turning to the man beside her.
"Of course! I'm sure the Mudsdales won't mind you riding them. Here, let me give you a hand." the man gives a clipboard to a nearby sailor before escorting Mabella to the Mudsdales.
The man instructs them on what to do and helps them climb on top of their backs. Celina moves around a bit before she's comfortable. She looks around in awe, feeling giddy that she can see the surrounding area easier. Celina glances down at Mudsdale and gently pets the pokémon on top of it's head. She can't hold back in giving the pokémon some love. Who can?
"What a good pokémon you are..." Celina whispers sweetly as she hears a quiet grunt of approval from Mudsdale. She giggles at this and continues to stroke it.
"Thank you for helping us. We'll be on our way now." Mabella bows her head toward the man, appreciating his kind nature.
"No problem! You just let us know if you need any help and we'll be happy to lend a hand. Everyone here on this island are friendly, especially to those that are just moving in," the man assures before turning to the two Mudsdales, "You two know where to go! Head to the outskirts!"
Once they hear the order, both Mudsdale's move at a good pace while pulling the cart with ease. Since being on top of a Mudsdale, Celina can see people easier and wave at them whenever she passes by. Sometimes she hears someone shout "Alola!" or someone else doing some sort of greeting with their arms. Either way, Celina's enjoying the view and would sometimes snap a picture of the people or buildings.
It took a good hour and a half before they reach their house. Celina swings her leg over Mudsdale's head and jumps off from the side. She lands with ease before rushing over to one of the boxes in the cart. Her mother joins her shortly, but more at an easy going pace.
All of the big furniture's already inside their new home. All that's left are the small stuff like clothes, books, cooking ware, blankets and so much more. These are the type of boxes that Celina and Mabella can easily carry. Mabella approaches the door and with a key, unlocks it. Once they both walk inside, Celina's eyes widen at how spacious the living room looks.
Compared to her other home, this house's bigger and more comfortable. In the middle of the room lies a wooden table with two chairs. Further in the room is a large television that's resting on top of a small double door table. Two doors leading to another room are on either side of the television. On her left is a kitchen that's somewhat smaller than the last one, but she has no complaints.
All that matters is that they can cook and prepare a meal whenever they want to.
Within the kitchen's space is a refrigerator and storage cabinet to store their food. Speaking of which, they'll have to buy some groceries to even eat, so that's on the top of to-do list. Opposite of the kitchen are windows that Celina look through to gaze outside. There's even a door leading to the balcony. Everything's bare at the moment, but once Celina and her mother decorate the place, it'll look a lot better.
The two of them work together to bring all of the boxes inside. During the move in, Mabella brings out a pokeball and releases a pokémon. It turns out to be Meowth, a cat pokémon. Once he's been freed, he starts licking his fur in order to clean himself. Mabella smiles at this before returning to the task at hand. Celina stops at one point to take a picture of Meowth following her mother around.
Such a cute moment between the two! She couldn't resist taking a picture!
It takes a while, but they manage to finish the task. After they were done, the two Mudsdale's left to go back to their owner. Celina whistles at their departure.
"Pokémon are so smart. Look at them go!" Celina compliments as she waves goodbye, even if they can't see her anymore.
"Celina," Hearing her name, she turns to her mother who has a small purse with her, "I'm going to go and buy some groceries. Would you like to come?"
"Mmm... I think I'm going to stay here! I want to get a head start on unpacking some of my stuff." Celina answers.
"Okay, then I'll take Meowth with me. Meowth!" Mabella calls out to her pet pokémon.
A small, cream colored cat rushes out the door and stands beside Celina's mother. Meowth's gold, oval coin shines brilliantly on his forehead. His brown, curly tail sways gentle as he licks his paws and uses them to clean himself. They both giggle at his cuteness.
"Ready to go, Meowth?" Mabella asks, adjusting the strap on her shoulder and plops the sunglasses from her head to her eyes.
"Mrow!"
She smiles before she starts walking down the path. Meowth trails closely behind her. Celina watches her go and when she can't see her anymore, she heads back inside. She closes the door and slumps to the ground, releasing a long sigh.
"Man, being energetic all the time takes a lot out of me. I can finally relax a little." Celina mutters before she lazily spreads out and sits for a while.
After sitting for a certain amount of time, she grumbles before standing to start unpacking her things. Celina stretches her arms out, rubs behind her neck and then browses at all of the boxes. Her eyes scan calmly between each box to find her name. Once she finds all of them, she takes one box at a time and sets them in her room.
Celina begins unpacking her things to make her room more lively. She hangs up all of her clothes, sets up items around the place, and then makes her bed with the bed sheets. The last piece of item is a clock that she hangs on a wall that's near her television. Celina glances at the time and it says six o'clock.
"It's getting late. Hmm... Do I have enough time to take a little nap?" Celina questions, her eyes trailing from the clock to the comfortable, warm bed.
She crosses her arms and taps her left foot. Celina did feel exhausted, what with being energetic and moving all of these boxes around. Her eyes droop a little and a small yawn escapes her lips. She shakes her head and chuckles to herself.
"Alright, alright. I yield. I'm sure mom will be out for a while. She likes to socialize a lot after all." Celina shrugs with a small smile before heading to bed.
She unties her hair, takes her glasses and shoes off before plopping into the bed. Celina grabs a hand full of the thick blanket and covers herself with it. The warmth immediately soothes her as she let's sleep slowly consume her. Within a couple of minutes, she's fast asleep and breathes quietly through her nose.
~Two Hours Later~
"Mwaaawwwrrrrr!"
A familiar cry rouses Celina from her slumber. She groans as turns over to face the family cat. Celina slowly opens her eyes to see Meowth's face really close to hers. She narrows her eyes at the mischievous cat. They have a stare off for a moment before she sticks her tongue out at him. Meowth cries out again before licking her nose. Celina chuckles at the ticklish feeling and scratches behind his ear. He purrs affectionately, leaning into her hand. She giggles again as she continues to stroke him After a minute or two, Celina reluctantly sits up in bed. Once she moves, Meowth jumps off the bed and onto the wooden floor. Celina let's out a loud yawn before she rubs her head lazily.
Now awake, she places her feet on the ground and stands tall. Yawning again, she fixes herself to make sure she's neat. Celina even makes the bed. Once everything's in place, she slides the glasses on and picks Meowth up in her arms. Another yawn escapes her as she exits the room. As soon as Celina steps outside the room, her mother's there to greet her.
"Did you sleep well? You looked quite comfortable in your bed." Mabella points out, a warm smile on her lips.
Celina grins and nods, "I did! I feel like I can take on the world!"
Mabella chuckles at her enthusiasm before gesturing toward the table, "I made some sandwiches. Eat as much as you want."
"Oh, I will! Thanks Mama!" Celina sets Meowth down and skips over to the table to take a seat.
Celina digs right into the meal her mother lovingly made. She knows it's just bread with meat, cheese and lettuce mixed inside. However, there's something the way her mom makes it that tastes so good. Celina hums happily while kicking her feet, taking the time to savor each bite. While eating, Celina takes notice of the change of clothes on her mother.
Her white t-shirt hasn't changed, but now she's wearing a long, yellow flower patterned skirt to match the Alola atmosphere. It goes nicely with her skin tone and thick brown hair. Compared to her mother, Celina's hair's more straight and thin. At least they share the same hair color. Celina swallows her food before speaking.
"You look really nice, Mama. Did you buy the clothes here?" Celina asks, taking another sandwich and bites into it.
"Thank you sweetie and I did! There were so many to choose from," Mabella sets a dry dish to the side and places a hand on her cheek, smiling sheepishly, "So, I bought them all."
Celina laughs after chewing and swallowing the last piece of sandwich. She stands from her chair, walks over to the kitchen and washes her own dish. While Mabella dries the plate, she looks over at her daughter.
"Do you think you'll like it here?" Mabella asks, curiosity filling her tone.
"I already love it here! The people are really nice and I already got to see a new pokémon! It's like I'm starting my adventure early." Celina admits, her body swaying while having her hands behind her back.
"I'm happy to hear that. Speaking of which, professor Kukui should be here soon...-" the door bell suddenly goes off. The two of them look at the door before looking back at each other. Mabella chuckles, "Well, what do you know? That might be him. Why don't you answer the door, Celina?"
"Sure!"
Celina walks around the kitchen and heads to the door, but stops herself when a strange man just waltz right in. She stares at the incoming man before quickly turning to her mom.
"Moooooomm...! A strange, shirtless man just barged into our house!" Celina warns, completely caught off guard at the stranger's sudden entrance.
"Hm...?" Mabella looks up from her task and glances at the doorway. She recognizes the dark skin man before chuckling, "Oh, it's just professor Kukui, Celina. It's alright."
Should Celina worry about her mother's easy going nature? She's always been that way ever since she can remember. Letting some neighbor in and not asking why they suddenly came over. Her mother always greets them no matter what. Luckily, nothing's happened to her, thank goodness. Celina just wishes that she's more cautious of her surroundings. That way, when she leaves the house, Celina didn't have to worry about her safety.
While Celina questions if she should lock the door when she leaves, professor Kukui walks up and smiles as if Celina's outburst didn't affect him.
The man in question is taller than her by a good couple of inches. He's wearing a white lab coat with nothing underneath, hence the exclamation from earlier. Must be to show off his well-built chest. On top of his brown hair lies a white hat with an image at the front, which resembles half of a rainbow. In front of his black eyes are a pair of green shades that match the color of his shoes. Last, but not least, Kukui has on a pair of gray sweats that reach beneath his knees.
"Hey there, Celina! Good to finally meet you, cousin!" Kukui greets her in a friendly manner.
Celina mentally shrugs and sighs before going with the flow. Clearing her throat, she returns the smile and waves at him. Time to be energetic again!
"Nice to meet you too, Professor!"
Professor Kukui continues to smile before speaking, "Feelin' any jet lag? You did come a long way from the Kanto region."
"A little, but I just woke up from a nap and ate some sandwiches, so I feel pretty good!" Celina assures him with a thumbs up.
She feels a hand on top of her head and she looks up at her mother. Mabella smiles warmly at her before looking up at Kukui.
"Nice to meet you, professor Kukui. We just moved in today, but we still have plenty of energy to spare." Mabella greets him.
"Hey there, mom! I hope you don't mind if I just let myself in. Oh, and call me Kukui, would you?" Professor Kukui tells her, his smile widening into a grin, "Also, welcome to Alola!"
"Thanks!" Celina appreciates the kind gesture, feeling more and more at home here.
Mabella nods and goes on to talk about how she remembers Kukui challenging the Indigo Gym Leaders long ago. Celina zones out after that, not born to witness the professor in all his glory when he was younger.
It's interesting that he went to Kanto and has experience in battling Pokémon trainers. With him being a professor now, Celina assumes that he'll give her some advice on being a trainer. The phrases of him not doing so good in the Kanto region brings her attention back to focus. So, he didn't do too well when he was younger. Celina's curious on how he's improved since then. The saying goes that you learn from your mistakes. She wonders what the mistakes taught him.
Professor Kukui shifts his focus on Celina after exchanging words with Mabella. Celina glances up at him innocently.
"Hey now, Celina! We should head out to the next town over, cousin! It's time for you to meet the island Kahuna and get yourself a pokémon, yeah!" Kukui tells her.
As soon as she hears that, her eyes light up like a Christmas tree.
This is the moment she's been waiting for. Celina will finally be able to have a pokémon of her own and go on an adventure with it. She wonders what type of Pokémon this Island Kahuna will have. Will they be cute? Cool? Mischievous looking? Celina didn't know, but that just makes her more eager to leave and find out for herself.
"W-what kind of Pokémon are they...?" Celina inquires, her expression remaining joyful.
"Why don't you come with me and find out, cousin? Iki Town's not that far from here." Professor Kukui suggests.
He didn't have to tell her twice. Celina bolts out of the room and scrambles inside of her room, almost tripping over the bump in between the doorway. Mabella watches her go before turning back to Kukui. She chuckles at her daughter's excitement.
"She's been excited about this for a whole week. It'll be nice to see her have a pokémon of her own." Mabella admits.
"It's understandable. Our Kahuna's always happy to give any kid, who wants an adventure, their first pokémon. I haven't seen any kid not happy about receiving a pokémon, yeah." Professor Kukui says, glancing over at Celina's door when he hears it open.
Celina marches out of her room with an aura full of determination. She adjusts the strap of her messenger bag and looks over at the adults. Celina flashes them a bright smile. They can't help but return the gesture before the professor speaks.
"You ready to go?" Professor Kukui asks.
"As soon as I say goodbye to my Mama, I will be!" Celina tells him, gripping the strap with both hands.
"Alright, cousin. I'll be outside when you're good to go." Kukui informs her before taking his leave and calmly shuts the door behind him.
Celina walks over to her mother. Mabella turns to her and opens her arms for Celina to enter. She accepts her mother's hug by wrapping her small arms around her waist. Mabella embraces her tightly, the warmth from Celina's small body soothing her anxious heart.
Her baby girl's going to go out on her own again after so long. She knows that Iki Town's nearby, but it didn't stop her from worrying about Celina's safety. To be honest, she wishes Celina didn't have to go, especially at a young age. But at the same time... Mabella wants to see her happy. If that means going on an adventure with her first pokémon, then she'll support her. She'll be waiting here to comfort her child if Celina becomes stuck or feels upset. Mabella understands the hardships of being a Pokémon trainer since her husband used to be one. She had to console him when he was feeling down.
Looking down at her now, Mabella realizes that her father's influence runs strongly in Celina's blood. They both have the same eye color after all. She wonders if some of her husband's spirit went into Celina or if he's looking after her. Mabella didn't know which ones true, but it assures her somewhat that there's a possibility that Celina won't be alone.
"Mama... I can't breathe..." Celina mutters under her mother's tight grip.
"Oh! I'm sorry, sweetie." Mabella let's go, but keeps her at arms length.
They both stare at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing. They hug each other again, but more loosely. Celina takes her mother by surprise by kissing her cheek. She backs away with a small blush and smiles sweetly.
"I'll be back, Mama! I love you!" Celina waves at her with both of her hands and then rushes toward the door.
Mabella watches her leave with a heavy heart, letting Celina go until she returns back in her arms. As soon as Celina takes a step outside and closes the door behind her, Mabella on a nearby chair and let's out a long, sad sigh. Meowth goes over to her and jumps on her lap, crying up at her. She smiles fondly at the little cat and rubs the top of his head. He purrs loudly at the affectionate gesture.
"Thank you, Meowth. At least I'll have you around in this big house." Mabella says, continuing to pet the pokémon until she feels better.
Outside of the residence, Celina scans the area to find the professor. As soon as she takes her last step from her porch, she hears her name from the right. Her head turns to that direction. Celina's eyes land on the professor's form, whose trying to gain her attention by waving. She twists her body and heads toward him, still gripping onto her bag strap. Once she's close enough, Celina stops herself and fixes her glasses to make sure they didn't fall off.
"Now this is more like it, yeah!" Professor Kukui grins at her before pointing down a path, "Through here is a short cut to Iki Town. Come on, let's get you to the Island Kahuna, cousin!"
"Yeah!" Celina shouts in agreement, sharing the same energy as the professor.
"Meet you on the other side, yeah?" Professor Kukui tells her as he begins his walk down the path.
Before Celina follows him, she takes a moment to appreciate mother nature's beauty. The warm wind caresses her skin and the moon's almost as bright as the morning sun. It illuminates the darkness around her, creating safe passage set before her. She packed a flashlight just in case, but it looks like she might not need it.
Good. Celina didn't have to worry about being in the dark by herself. The moon lights on her side. Speaking of which, she should take a picture of this moment. Celina unzips her bag, digs around for her camera and takes out the device. She aims for the sky and steadies her grip. Once she has a good shot, Celina presses the button and snaps a picture.
There we go. It'll be a wonderful picture to add to her photo album, especially this special moment.
Celina pockets the camera and zips her bag. Her gaze turns to the path before her, swallowing nervously. Even if the moonlight's shining, she's still anxious to walk in the semi-dark area. Sighing deeply, she clenches both hands in front of her and nods to herself.
"I can do this...!" Celina encourages herself in hopes of keeping her from being afraid.
Closing her eyes, Celina inhales for a couple of seconds before exhaling slowly. Her eyes then snap open. Feeling a burst of energy coursing through her body, Celina dashes toward the path while her bag fumbles behind her. She even let's out a battle cry while running.
The path ahead is straight forward and easy to follow, so she didn't lose her way. Celina didn't pay much attention to her surroundings as she quickly passes a child and their pokémon. Both of them pause mid-step and watch the crazy girl run up the hill. They look back at each other, shrug and continue on their way.
It didn't take long to find Kukui again. When Celina did reach him, however, it takes her a moment to catch her breath.
She used almost all of her inner strength to reach to this point. The path wasn't even that long and she's already out of breath. How is she suppose to survive on her own like this? The path was like climbing a hill, so that probably didn't help. Looks like she has her work cut out for her. Starting with trying not to use all of her energy at once. Celina has to build up the endurance slowly, so she'll have to walk the rest of the way. At least for a while until she's good and ready to start running again.
"You alright, cousin?" Professor Kukui asks, expressing concern on Celina's condition.
Taking a deep breath, Celina springs back to life and gives him a thumbs up, some sweat trickling down the side of her face.
"I'm a-okay! Just gotta get use to running around again!" Celina quickly assures him before wiping the sweat from her brow.
Professor Kukui nods, seeming to take her word for it as he motions the area around him, "How are you liking Alola? You lovin' it, yeah?"
"Mm! I love it! The atmosphere's completely different than my old home and the moon looks even bigger here. It's great!" Celina compliments, while moving her feet up and down in delight.
Professor Kukui laughs, his usual grin in place, "That's what I like to hear! The more you love Alola, the happier I'll be!"
After he said that, Kukui motions her to follow him and they both walk to the entrance of Iki Town. As they walk together, he explains a few pointers about being a Pokémon trainer. Celina made sure to bring a notepad and pencil just in case she had to jot anything down. She listens intently to the professor's advice, not wanting to feel completely lost when she finally does travel alone. Upon reaching their destination, Celina hears someone trying to gain her attention. She glances up from her notepad to search for the source of the voice. Her eyes land on a little boy within the tall grass, whose waving to gain her attention.
"Howzit! You're the new kid that just moved here, right? Let's have a Pokémon battle sometime!"
It takes Celina a moment to register what he said. A battle, huh...? She wonders if she'll be ready for that kind of action. Oh boy... The journey suddenly looks very hard to her.
Shaking her head to distract herself away from such thoughts, she smiles at the little boy and nods, "I can't wait!"
She watches the little boy resume his battle with an older male and his pokémon. Celina focuses while narrowing her eyes, not noticing that she's being observed by the professor. Kukui chuckles under his breath, finding this entertaining to learn she has another side to her compared to the usual facade she shows. When the little boy instructs his pokémon on what to do next, Celina presses the eraser against her lip and inhales sharply. Her eyes never leave the battle, forgetting to blink.
"You know..." Celina jumps at the sudden sound of Kukui's voice, forgetting that he was there. Her gaze switches from the battle to the professor, her attention on him, "Having Pokémon gives you a whole new way to communicate with other people. Just by observing this battle, you can tell that the pokémon trust their trainers."
"How do you know?" Celina blurts out, her heart suddenly quickening at the blunt question. She's screaming on the inside for revealing a hint of fear that she's been repressing.
"Hm?" Professor Kukui glances over at her.
Celina swallows and looks at him in the eye, taking a deep breath, "How do you know if your Pokémon trusts you?"
"Hmm..." Professor Kukui considers her question for a moment, rubbing his beard. He then glances upward before Kukui slowly smiles, "When you have your own Pokémon..." he turns back to Celina and gives her an assuring smile, "... And been with them for a while, you'll know. Every Pokémon has a different personality, so they'll have their own style on letting you know that they trust you."
Somehow, just by hearing the professor's words, it eases Celina's heart. She's still nervous on how well meeting her first pokémon will go, but... For some reason, deep within her, she has a feeling she'll be okay. By the looks of it too, professor Kukui didn't look stressed out when he spoke those encouraging words.
Speaking of which, professor Kukui leans forward a little with his closed hands on his hips. His smile turns into his usual grin, "Iki Town's just behind us. Let's get going, yeah? Your pokémon's waiting for you."
Feeling courage pump through her veins, Celina nods at him and returns the smile with her own, "I'm right behind you!"
Seeing that she's ready to go, professor Kukui turns and leads her to the steps leading to Iki Town. They easily climb toward their destination and stop as soon as their feet touch the ground. Celina gazes around in awe, finding the quaint little town peaceful.
There are some people here, but it's not noisy. They're not shouting to gain someone's attention or running around screaming. It's the kind of life Celina had back at her home town. There was always something going on, especially with the smaller generation. Vermillion City never had a dull moment, so Celina's curious on what kind of life style this place will have. It's something to look forward to.
"We finally made it to Iki Town, yeah!" Professor Kukui cheers.
"Yay...!" Celina throws her arms up in the air and shares his excitement.
He chuckles before continuing, "This town is where folks come to worship the pokémon that watches over Melemele island," Kukui gestures to another area where a platform lies and another path leading somewhere, "Tapu Koko keeps us all safe and happy, see!"
"Tapu Koko..." Celina mutters under her breath, her gaze lingering on the other path leading to who knows where.
"Strange..." Professor Kukui says which catches Celina's attention. He looks around some more to find somebody, but it looks like that particular person isn't here, "We were suppose to meet everybody here, yeah," his eyes trail over to the path in the back while crossing his arms, "Maybe they're all back there on Mahalo Trail."
"Mahalo Trail?' Celina questions, glancing at the trail for a moment and then shifts her gaze back on the professor.
Kukui turns to face Celina, "Yeah, it's where the ruins of our guardian deity, Tapu Koko, are," he trails off, studying Celina. As she tilts her head at him, Kukui nods to himself, "Hey Celina, do me a solid and look for the island Kahuna, yeah?"
"Look for... But what do they look like?" Celina asks, somewhat in disbelief that the professor left this strange task to her.
"The island Kahuna? You can't miss him. He looks just like a kahuna!" Kukui jokes, being vague in his description.
Celina hangs her head in defeat. Well, she better start her work on finding this Kahuna person, whatever he looks like. He's obviously someone important, but what do special people look like here? It hasn't even been twenty four hours since she's been here. Looks like she'll find out the longer she lives here.
She looks back to the trail the professor was talking about and wonders if she should start her search there. He did mention that the Kahuna might be back there, but with the way the professor talked, the Kahuna won't be alone. Hopefully this other person's friendly. There's only one way to find out.
Bringing her head back up, she smiles at the professor and gives him a thumbs up, "I'll be on my way, then! Wish me luck!"
"That's the spirit, yeah! I'll wait around here to make sure we don't miss each other." Kukui says.
"Okay!"
After exchanging words, Celina's feet move toward the center of town. She climbs more steps before approaching the platform. Her fingers brush against the cool wood as she observes the strange design.
There's no words patterned within it. Just a foreign, yet beautiful drawing around the edges of the stage.
As she lifts her head to continue her search, Celina notices something move at the corner of her eye. She adjusts her glasses to focus before looking to her right. A person wearing white clothes and matching hat stands in front of the entrance to Mahalo Trail.
Judging by the long blonde hair, skirt (or dress, Celina's not sure), and big hat, Celina assumes the character in question is a girl.
She watches on, curious about this girl's existence. The large bag that the stranger's carrying shakes unexpectedly. Celina leans forward, heart pounding at what's about to occur. However, the person in question stops whatever's moving in the bag and walks ahead, disappearing from view. It takes her a moment to register that the girl's no longer in her field of vision. Celina feels her body moving forward, unable to suppress the growing need of learning more about this mysterious person. She glances around the area one more time before jogging onward.
As soon as Celina sets foot on the other side, she's greeted by how open the clearing is. There's a long, winding dirt path leading to the ruins that she was told about. From above, the starry sky and moonlight continues to shine the way.
Celina's thankful that she didn't have to struggle her way through the darkness. It would have been a pain if the trees covered this area. Then again, if it were to come to that, she brought a flashlight with her just in case. Always prepare for the unexpected is what she learned in the past. Depending on the situation, of course. Celina can never predict what'll happen in the future, but it's best to keep smiling and continue onward.
So, that's what she's doing right now. With the illuminating moon light guiding her way, Celina makes her way forward to reach the other side. She passes by small statues that have faces on them. Celina's not sure if they're suppose to be angry or happy. Whether it's to intimidate or greet fellow travelers, they look really well-made. Celina notices that there's not a speck of green moss on any of the statues. Whoever's in charge of caring for this path is doing a good job of it. The thought puts a smile on her face as she picks up the pace.
Such happy thoughts come to a sudden halt when she comes across a dire situation. Standing across Celina is the mysterious girl who's watching a small, strange pokémon being picked on. Three Spearows circle around the crying pokémon, pecking at it's body to weaken it. Celina immediately becomes serious, frowning at the unexpected discovery. She rushes toward the girl, furious that she's not doing anything about it.
"What's going on!?" Celina shouts before stopping right behind the girl, ready to give her a piece of her mind.
Celina watches as the girl jumps at the sound of her voice and turns around sharply. When Celina finally sees the girl's face, any rage she felt toward her dissipates. Her green eyes are full of fear, some sweat trailing down the side of her pale skin. She's clenching the strap to the point where her knuckles are whiter than her skin. Celina also notices that her legs are shaking uncontrollably.
She narrows her eyes, not out of anger, but of understanding. Fear can prevent anyone from doing anything, especially if it's to help someone out. She knows that very well.
"P-please..." Celina looks straight at her, hearing the trembling in her voice, "You have to help it! Save Nebby!"
Nebby's the name of the strange pokémon, huh...? Celina turns to the bridge, noticing the cracks and how worn out it is. She bites the inside of cheek. If she runs on that bridge, there's a possibility that it'll break under pressure. However, Celina can't stand there and do nothing either. If only she had a pokémon with her...!
Clicking her tongue, Celina makes up her mind quickly and turns to the girl. She slaps both hands on her shoulder. Celina ignores how her sudden actions startled the frighten girl and speaks.
"You leave this to me!" Celina tells her before grinning, "I'll get your pokémon back!"
Celina only had time to see the girl's eyes widen before she bolts down the bridge. She fiercely reminds herself to not look down, no matter what. The river below roars in her eardrums, louder than the eerie cracks on the unstable bridge. Her heart pounds against her chest, adrenaline pumping through her veins. The bridge swings under Celina's weight. That, however, didn't stop her from pushing onward. With her speed, she made it to Nebby's side quickly.
Now the problem lies in how to rescue the poor thing.
Celina flails her arms around to prevent the Spearows from coming closer. Unfortunately, they dodge her incoming attacks with ease and peck at her instead of Nebby. Celina grunts at the pain, her body lowering to the ground to shield Nebby easier. She shuts her eyes tightly to prevent looking at the river below her. Celina tries not to focus on the stinging pain on her back, but it's hard when they repeatedly attack the same area.
A sudden chill rushes through her body. The hair behind her neck stand abruptly. A resounding boom explodes in her eardrums, almost going deaf when Celina suddenly feels nothing underneath her. Her eyes snap open as she hopelessly watches the bridge break apart. Celina quickly grabs onto Nebby as she falls to her doom. With her back to the river, Celina watches fearfully as the moon becomes smaller the further she descends. Her body's in shock which prevents her from screaming out. Tears threaten to fall from her eyes, frustrated that she can't do anything to help herself or Nebby. She squeezes Nebby close to her and shuts her eyes. Only one thought processes through her mind as she slowly accepts her fate.
I'm sorry, Mom... I broke our promise...
The sound of electricity startles Celina to opening her eyes. An unidentified pokémon reaches out to her, sparks crackling around it's body. She didn't have time to react when it swoops underneath her and cradles her in it's arms. They reach land in no time as the pokémon gently lowers Celina and Nebby to the ground. It then does a high jump and flips over their heads before landing in front of them. Celina stares in awe of the black, humanoid-like pokémon.
It's arms resembles large, wooden shields with simple designs painted on top. The main colors on the pokémon are black, yellow, and especially the orange mane that's sticking up proudly on top of it's head. A glint resonates within the pokémon's patterned left eye, it's colors teal and orange.
Celina and the strange pokémon have a stare off. Just watching the pokémon's movements has Celina holding her breath, intimidated by it's presence. Even if the pokémon did save her life, it didn't change the fact that it pummeled the Spearows easily. She can even hear the weak cry of a Spearow from behind, though Celina didn't dare break eye contact with the pokémon in front of her. Fortunately for her, she didn't have to be the first one to do so.
Electricity crackles around it's body before it roars. Celina winces at the sudden sound, which also affects the girl in front of her. It bends it's knees before shooting into the starry sky, some electricity left behind on the ground. Luckily, it dissipates quickly as the girls watch the pokémon disappear from view. The group's left in silence, unsure of how to respond accordingly to this strange phenomenon. Celina, however, is the first to react by releasing a long sigh of relief as she let's go of Nebby. She falls backwards and lands on the ground, uncaring if she gets dirty.
"I almost died..." Celina mutters this to herself, her body and mind in shock on what just transpired.
She closes her eyes to collect herself. Celina almost felt the cold water before that pokémon rescued her. She shudders at the thought, feeling sick to her stomach. Her heart's still beating rapidly in her chest. As long as she's able to lie here, she'll eventually relax. Celina's alive. and breathing. That's something to be grateful for. She's unsure on how to repay the pokémon back, but if she finds a way to do that... Celina will make sure she goes through with it.
"Um..." Celina cracks open an eye, glancing up at the mysterious girl, finding that she's hovering over her. The girl continues, seeing that she caught Celina's attention, "Are you going to be okay...?"
"Yeah," Celina answers without hesitation, not wanting to worry her. She even smiles at her to make her statement more believable, "I'll be a-okay! I just need a moment to collect myself," Celina motions toward the galaxy-like little pokémon, "At least Nebby's safe, right?"
Speaking of which, Nebby does remind Celina of space. It's small purple and blue body resembles that of a cloud. Not sure if they're suppose to be hands or ears for the pokémon, but the top of it's head resembles the morning sky with glowing crystals that look like stars. A blue blush appears on it's cheek, it's yellow beady eyes looking in between the girls.
"Pew!"
"Th-that's right! You tried using your power again...didn't you?" the young girl sighs and shakes her head, "Oh, Nebby... You know what happened last time you used it. You couldn't move for ages after that."
Celina listens to her fuss over Nebby's safety, gently smiling at the interaction between the two of them. Soon, Nebby floats over to something and this catches both of the girls attention. Nebby cradles something shiny in between it's cloud like hands and floats over to the girl. At this point, Celina has enough strength to stand back on her feet. Grunting, Celina lifts herself up and wipes off the dust from her clothes. She watches as the girl holds the item close to her chest, her face relaxing at the touch.
"This sparkling stone... It feels very warm..." the girl says, a tiny smile forming on her lips while her eyes become distant for a moment.
Celina takes a step toward the girl, seeing if she's alright. The sound of Celina's footsteps draws her back to reality. She looks toward Celina and bows her head.
"Please, forgive me... I am so grateful to you for helping us out of that dangerous spot." the girls expresses her appreciation in a polite tone.
"I forgive you and you're welcome!" Celina exclaims, going back to her usual energetic self.
The girl's taken back by Celina's quick acceptance, looking speechless for a moment. Celina only smiles sweetly at her as she sways side to side. Realization suddenly dawns on her that she doesn't know this girl's name. This might be a good time to ask, considering she's not in danger anymore.
"By the way..." the girl blinks at Celina's curious tone as she continues, "I never got the chance to learn your name. My name's Celina! What's yours?"
Celina notices right away the question causes the girl to tense. Her green eyes dart around the place except on Celina.
Is there a reason why she can't introduce herself? Is she in some sort of trouble? Whatever the case is, Celina only met the girl. She won't push the subject if it'll place that much stress on her. Besides, the timid girl looks like she wouldn't harm anyone. Celina will place her trust in her for the time being.
"If you can't tell me your name, that's okay. I'm sure you have your reasons!" Celina assures, waving her hands around in order to calm the girl down.
"Thank you... Um, I think this belongs to you." the girl says before handing the stone over to Celina.
She graciously accepts the stone. Celina gazes at the colorful rock that looks to have an arrow at the top. She raises an eyebrow at this.
Celina's never seen any kind of arrow on the stones she's used to seeing. Whether it be pebbles or boulders, this is new to her.
She lifts the stone to the sky. The stone sparkles in the moonlight, her hand feeling the warmth oozing out of the mysterious object. The little lady wasn't kidding about this interesting fact.
It's comforting to say the least. The stone seems to erase any sort of anxious feelings she's had. Grasping the stone tightly, she stares down at it with confidence. Celina's ready to meet her partner pokémon and the thought causes a rush of energy to flow through her veins.
"Please..." the girl snaps Celina out of her daze. Celina looks over at the girl while she continues, "Don't tell anyone about this. About seeing Nebby... It's...It's a secret, okay?"
"Okay! And in return..." Celina throws the stone up before swiping it back in her hand again, "You don't tell my Mama about this incident, if you ever have the chance to meet her. Deal?"
The girl nods at her, "I understand."
"Great! Now..." Celina pockets the stone before turning to Nebby, placing both hands on her hips, "What are you going to do with the little guy?"
"It's going to go into my bag. Come on, Nebby," she turns to the floating cloud ball and unzips the messenger, pokeball bag, "Into the bag, please."
"Pew..."
Celina watches the little guy slump it's body before it reluctantly hops into the bag. The girl zips the bag halfway to let the creature breathe. She then turns to Celina and fidgets a little. Celina blinks at her strange behavior, curious to know if there's anything else that she can help the girl with.
"Are you okay...?" Celina gently asks, not wanting to frighten the poor girl.
"Huh!? Oh yes... Um... I'm sorry to ask this of you, but..." she bites her lip and tightens her grip on the strap, "I'm worried we might get attacked again by wild Pokémon or...or something. Can you... Is it okay if you see us back to town...?"
"Sure!" Celina answers without hesitation before giving her a grin, "Let's be on our way, hm? Back to Iki Town we go!"
Celina marches toward the exit with a bewildered girl following behind. She watches Celina continue onward while humming a foreign tune. Her mind flashes briefly to the moment where Celina told her that she'll rescue Nebby. A fire burned fiercly behind those hazel eyes, no hesitation in her decision. It nearly left the girl breathless.
How can someone like her have the strength to dash toward danger? Without having any thoughts for their safety? It's unspeakable. The only heroes that she's used to seeing are the ones in her books. Are there many people like Celina in the Alola region? She did meet some incredible people already by living here for three months. Now that she thinks about it... Where did she hear this name before? It was recent too...
"And... We're here!"
The girl jumps at Celina's sudden exclamation before looking ahead of her. Without a doubt, they're back in Iki Town, the familiar scenery relaxing her mind and body.
"Hey Celina!" Both girls look toward the other side of the platform. Professor Kukui waves at them and smiles, "Looks like you missed the Kahuna, yeah? But you found my assistant, oh yeah!"
"Assistant?" Celina glances back at the mystery girl.
The girl gazes back nervously before she quickly walks over to professor Kukui. Celina hums before shrugging. She then follows closely behind. It didn't take long to reach him.
He greets the girls before motioning toward the mysterious girl, "Looks like you already met, but just in case, this is my assistant!"
"Um..." the girl hesitates for a second before continuing, "M-my name's Lillie. Nice to meet you."
"Hmmm... So your name's Lillie, huh? Good to know! It's nice to meet you as well!" Celina shares the same sentiment, feeling joy in the fact that she now knows Lillie's name.
"And, Lillie, this here is Celina. She just moved here to Alola! Take good care of her!" Kukui introduces the brunette.
Celina waves at her a little, a bright smile on her lips. Lillie bows her head to her as a sudden realization dawns on her.
No wonder the name sounded familiar. Professor Kukui talked about someone moving into Alola today and he did mention a name. Ah... Now she feels embarrassed for not remembering sooner. Take a deep breath, Lillie. It's not a big deal. It'll be okay...-
"Hey!" Lillie lifts her head up, startled by Celina's excited voice. She continues to smile at Lillie before continuing, "I'll be in your care from now on! Please treat me well!"
"Ah..." Lillie starts off before she nods, somehow feeling a little more energetic with Celina's positive attitude, "I-I will...!"
Celina giggles before she hears a commotion nearby. The words "Kahuna Hala" catches her attention, the name making her heart pound against her chest anxiously. Even if she told herself that she's ready to meet her partner pokémon, the experience itself still makes her nervous. While Celina attempts to calm down, this Hala person appears. She now understands why this person looks like a Kahuna.
He's a big guy, someone that resembles a sumo wrestler. His hair and moustache are as white as the moon above them. A yellow floral patterned shirt hangs low to his knees, which covers the white baggy pants and blue shirt underneath. Hala's skin tones dark, a bit darker than professor Kukui's. The last thing that catches Celina's eye is the rope that's tied around the Kahuna's waist.
Is this what all Kahuna's wear? This must be part of their culture tradition. Celina's not sure since she just met the guy.
"Have I miss something?" Hala's deep, gruff voice resonates the area.
"Naw, but where'd you go off to, Kahuna? I thought we were meeting here." Kukui asks.
Hala approaches the group before stopping in front of Kukui, "I am Kahuna of this island, after all. Whenever there is a problem on the island, it is my duty to resolve it."
So, Hala's a nice guy, which Celina shouldn't be that surprised about. With the way the people praised when he returned and how the professor's treating him with respect, it sets Celina at ease. He does look like someone who can intimidate a Pokémon trainer, but right now? Her nerves are dissipating, so Celina's no longer anxious to speak to the Kahuna.
Speaking of which, Hala glances up at the sky while furrowing his white eyebrows, "I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about..."
Lillie steps forward and nods, her grip tightening on her bag strap, "Oh, um... Yes, Kahuna Hala... Nebby was being attacked by Spearow on the Plank Bridge when this girl helped it get away..."
"Psst...! Lillie...! I thought your pokémon was a secret!" Celina whispers harshly while covering the side of her mouth, staring at Lillie in disbelief.
Didn't she just tell her that Celina couldn't tell anyone about Nebby? What's she doing going around and telling these people? Does she not know what a secret is?
"I-It's okay, Celina... They already know about Nebby." Lillie informs her, reeling back at how close she is.
"Oh, really?" Celina drops her hand and looks over at the two men, smiling sheepishly, "Don't mind me then. Go ahead, Lillie."
Lillie nods as she continues her explanation of the events that happened earlier. Both of the men listen quietly. After Lillie finishes, professor Kukui laughs.
"Woo! That's something you don't hear every day!" Kukui cheers.
"Ho! Although it is said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. Yet our guardian was moved to save you." Hala admits while chuckling, his stomach bouncing a little.
"Aha ha ha ha... I'm glad that it did make a move." Celina laughs nervously, grateful that she's able to stand here and have this conversation right now.
"Kukui, my boy, I think we have cause to celebrate!" Everyone turns to Hala before he continues, "It seems I should entrust this brave and kind young girl with a pokémon of her own. We'll make a fine Trainer out of her!"
Celina inhales sharply, waiting to hear those words from the Kahuna for a while now. Her very own pokémon... And Hala's going to give her one right now. She feels like she's in a dream, but the fact is that she's actually right there, standing before the Kahuna. Celina feels herself sway, her mind in a lovely daze.
Kahuna Hala seems to notice this change as he chuckles. He steps toward her. Celina quickly snaps out of it and focuses on him.
Hala smiles gently at her before introducing himself, "I'm glad to meet you, child. I am Hala, the Kahuna of Melemele Island," Hala then spreads his arms out in a warm greeting, "Welcome to Alola! Young Kukui had told me of your coming. I'm glad we got the chance to meet today."
"I'm happy to meet you too!" Celina greets him back with a cheerful smile.
Hala's smile widens a little before he brings out three pokeballs. He turns to face the platform and enlarges the three pokeballs, "Come, my Pokémon! Let's have a look at you!"
Everyone's attention lies on the platform when the Kahuna throws the pokeballs into the air. Celina watches in anticipation as the pokeballs open and release the three Pokémon from within. Three different species land on top of the platform and cry out in perfect harmony. A moment passes before Celina squeals upon seeing the Pokémon.
"They're so cuuutteee...!" Celina compliments, practically melting at the sight of them.
Kahuna Hala laughs at Celina's reaction, proud that the Pokémon before her caused such a wonderful response. Once Celina calms down, Hala points to one pokémon at a time to introduce them.
"First is the Grass-type pokémon, Rowlet!"
Rowlet's a small, owl pokémon. On the area where it's neck lies is a cute leaf bowtie. With it's round, light brown body and short legs, Rowlet twirls around while 'koo'ing.
"Next is the Fire-type pokémon, Litten!"
Litten, as it's name implies without the K, is a black and red kitten. It has red markings on it's forehead and around it's little legs. Litten blinks it's large, red eyes at her. It does a little jump while meowing at Celina.
"And last is the Water-type pokémon, Popplio!"
Popplio's a blue small seal with a light blue ruffle around it's neck. It has a long white snout with a round, pink nose. Popplio's black eyes are large, which closes when it performs by clapping it's back flippers together.
All of them look so wonderful and it would be great to have either of them by her side. Celina bites her lip, still undecided on who to choose. She turns to Hala.
"Kahuna Hala, can I please take a picture of these three before I choose?" Celina requests, internally hoping that he'll agree to it.
"Hm... I don't see why not. Go right ahead!" Hala gives her a nod of approval.
Celina pumps her fist before digging through her bag. She quickly takes out the camera, fumbles with it before facing the Pokémon's direction. Once Celina has a good shot, she snaps a picture. Afterward, she slowly lowers the camera and makes up her mind, a gentle smile on her features.
"I choose..."
To be continued...
So... This is a thing. I hope you enjoy this thing. I was a little nervous about uploading this story since I've never done this type of character before, so this will be new to me. But, I went ahead and did it since it was refreshing doing something else, you know? Instead of the usual Sonic stories, I thought I try my hand at a Pokémon fanfic. I actually wanted to try doing that for a long time now, but I didn't have the courage to do so back then. I do now and I hope that you guys enjoy reading this.
There's only going to be one rule for this story. For me to be able to continue, I need at least one review. That's it. It can be a short or long one. It doesn't matter. I'm going to be working very hard on this story and of course, at my own pace. I would love to hear feedback from you guys. Tell me how I'm doing or if there's something I need to fix. Let me know. I won't bite. ^^
Another thing before I end this. On my profile, you can keep check on how far along I am from completing a chapter. I'll make sure to update it frequently so I won't keep you guys in suspense.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I shall see you all next time on chapter two. See ya~!
Disclaimer: I own my character, Celina. I only came up with a name for her mom since it can be redundant seeing 'her mother' or 'mom' in the story. I'll only say this once for the first chapter. Thank you for reading!