Ever since she was five years old, Margarita Staton had wanted to be a gym leader. The walls of her bedroom were covered in designs for gym layouts and badges. She had loved every type of Pokémon at some point in her life, so there was a badge and a gym for every single one. Battling was the reason Pokémon existed. So why did her mother want her to be a star in the Musical, just like her?
"Battling is unladylike, and results in the injury of innocent creatures," was what Penelope Staton answered every single time her daughter asked, like now.
"Then explain why half the gym leaders out there are female!" cried Rita, losing patience. She was 14, and the only kid in town who hadn't got at least one Pokémon. Her mother wouldn't let her have one unless she agreed to participate in the Musical. Even Zero, her 17-year-old brother, had one (Or, rather, six of them), and he didn't have to go to any stupid musical!
"Because they're all silly and tomboyish."
"What about the gym leader in this city? SHE'S not silly or tomboyish at all!"
"Not all trainers are like Elesa, sweetie," George Staton, Rita's father, said. "There are trainers out there who would hurt you."
"Yeah, but what are the chances of me meeting someone like that?"
"There are plenty of criminal organizations out there who try to hurt other trainers using their own Pokémon," replied Rita's mother.
"But they're all gone!" shouted Rita. "Remember? Red got rid of Team Rocket, that guy from Hoenn got rid of Team Magma and Team Aqua, the girl whose name I've forgotten got rid of Team Plasma, and then Topaz beat Team Plasma when they came back!"
"There might be other teams now," Zero commented. He had been on a journey all around the region, and recently returned home because he thought he had finished training his Pokémon.
"But –"
"Rita, we've discussed this many times now," Penelope snapped. "Why can't you just give up on your ridiculous dream and do something sophisticated like joining the Musical?"
"UGH! Why can't you let me decide my own future?!" Rita shoved her plate of mashed potatoes, sausages and baked beans across the table, stood up, and stormed out of the room.
There was a few seconds of silence. Then they heard the door slam, and Zero stood up.
"I'll go get her," he said, walking over to the coat hooks and putting on a rain jacket, since it was cold and raining outside. He grabbed Rita's rain jacket as well, before heading out into the storm.
"Rita!" Zero shouted above the sound of the rain. He stopped when he heard murmuring from behind a nearby fir tree. He walked over and saw Rita petting a wild Growlithe. "What's this?" he asked.
Rita looked up. "Oh, hey Zero," she greeted him. "I just found a Growlithe. I think he noticed that I was sad and walked over to cheer me up."
Zero smiled. "Well, that's what Growlithe do."
"Can I keep him please?"
"Well, I'd like it if you were able to keep him, but mom probably wouldn't let you. Sorry."
"Aw…" Rita looked down at Growlithe. "Don't worry, I promise I'll come back for you when I'm a trainer."
Growlithe barked happily. Zero kneeled down next to his 14-year-old sister.
"Rita, I have a plan to make you a trainer."
This caught the red-haired girl's attention. "Really?"
"Yes. You see, next week, I'm planning on moving out into the country to start a farm where I can raise Pokémon outdoors where they can run around freely, instead of keeping them cooped up indoors. I was thinking, I can't really run a farm by myself, so… why don't you come with me? I can give you your first Pokémon then."
Rita nodded happily. "Of course!"
"Alright! Next week, you can become a trainer."
The teenage girl stood up, waved goodbye to Growlithe, and followed her brother back to the small, white house in the distance.