Part 2 "The Same Sky" has been posted.
Chance Part 1
Prologue
In a section of the Atlantic Ocean, there is a large cluster of islands, including Hoenn, Jhoto, Kanto, Sinnoh, Unova and many others. Strange creatures as well as humans inhabit these countries. These creatures are called Pokémon. Humans and Pokémon live together in a society similar, if not more advanced, than ours is. Despite the similarities, in hopes that we would not taint it, they have blocked us off from their world, save a few franchising industries. Those industries, TV shows, books, video games, have given us all a taste of what their world is really like. Governments are in contact with them to keep good relations, and we've all heard a bit about them in history class, but no one has ever been there, until now.
I wanna be the very best, that no one ever was. Dun dun dundun. To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause.
"Johnny, Hurry up, It's starting!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I heard his boots clunk down the basement stairs. "I brought chips," he said, as he sat down on the shag carpet next to me.
We were up at 7:00 o'clock on a Saturday morning to watch the first episode of Pokémon on Cartoon Network. We had it on DVD, but it was always more fun to watch it live. They were playing it in honor of the special announcement they said they'd be making.
'You look like your ready for bed, not for Pokémon training. I hope you don't think your going to train in your pajamas.'
'Oh no professor, I got messed up this morning and I was a little late, but believe me I'm rea-'
"Are you two seriously still watching that?" Johnny and I jumped at the sound of my younger sister, and his older one, behind us, holding her stupid white cat Snuffles in her arms. "Skye, that is seriously lame."
"Oh, go back to the mall," I replied with malice.
"Yeah!" Agreed Johnny.
"Whatever. I'll go with my boyfriend."
"Which one!" I shouted as she stomped up the stairs. She was tall, perfectly curved, and blond; I was shapeless and skinny, had short lank black hair and, though I was thirteen years old, less than 4 feet tall (shorter than my little brother). She was too popular for her own good, despite her brattiness. I wasn't.
Johnny said, "Brianna's a brat. We've got to stop paying attention to her."
"We can't even get away from her in the basement!" I said exasperated.
'I think I should warn you, there is a problem with this last one.'
After a while, it clipped to commercial. My brother sighed and said, "The new episodes stink, only the old ones are good."
"Tell me about it."
Just then, a person appeared on the screen; she had pink hair tied in two neat loops on the sides of her head. She spoke, "Hello Americans, you might know me as a character from one of your favorite video games. My name is Natalie and I am a Nurse Joy of the Hoenn Region and I'm here to tell you about a chance you might have, to live and adventure in the Pokémon Regions." We both gasped. "Two people from your country, a boy and a girl, from the age of 10 to 17, will be chosen through testing to be allowed to come. In order to take the test, you must complete every handheld Pokémon game that has been released. This includes game boy color games like Red and Blue, and Ranger and Dungeon games. In every district there will be stations set up for you to buy a package containing all the games and a system on which to play them." Here they showed a picture of several, brightly colored, briefcases. "The nearest one to your location is on St. Charles Illinois 79 E. Main Street. The Packages are $200 each and the stations will open up on October 24. We hope to see you there"
It clipped to a Big Mac commercial.
"Sweet! I'm thirteen and you'll be ten in a week, we both have a chance!"
"But how the heck am I going to get 200 dollars in two weeks!"
"Wow Johnny, you don't think I'd loan you money?" I'd been baby-sitting for four years. I had $4000, Johnny had 0.
"Hehe… Thanks Skye."
I looked across the field of rope and people that was the line to the Pokémon station. The line turned back to next to where we were standing and then back again and on and on. If I stood on top of a rock, I could just see small roof diagonal to the right in the distance. It was set up at the Pheasant Run golf course; the only outdoor plot of land in St. Charles big enough to accommodate this gathering.
"Seriously?" Johnny beat me to it, "Seriously, it will take hours to get to the front!"
"You brought your Soul Silver, I brought my copy of Jeremy in Verdanturf Town; we should be occupied for a while."
"Look there's a sign."
Testing Specifics
When you reach the front of the line, there is a small test, that will determine if you will be allowed to buy the testing case. If you fail the test, you may still buy a limited addition Pokémon case. The testing is on:
Physical Capability
How much pain you can stand
Health
If you are prone to or have incurable diseases
Mental Capability
If you are up to the challenge
Confidence, Trust and Quick Thinking
Essential traits of a good trainer
Brain Function
To match those of the Pokémon Region
Past interest
If you enjoyed Pokémon before the contest.
If you would truly like to live in the Region for the rest of your life
If you are 10-17 years old
Overall: If you will be a friend to Pokémon
We wish you the best of luck
"What! I'll fail at all those things!" I said in distress.
"No. You're overreacting Skye, especially with the friend thing… Unlike Me! I didn't even bring a pencil!"
"I didn't either, we should go back."
"Geeze, you two, calm down; They'll have extra pencils."
Johnny and I turned around to find our favorite, fifteen year old cousin rolling toward us on his Wheelee shoes, with a stupid grin on his face.
"I'll give you some of mine, but I'm going to win anyway, so it doesn't matter."
"Thanks coz." We said gratefully. I continued, "Sorry I didn't call to tell you about this," I knew he didn't watch the show anymore, but he played the games, "How'd you find out about it?"
"They did a segment on the news. Actually it was all over the news."
"How did you get $200 dollars?"
"What is this 20Q? But if you must know I begged my parents for it until they were at risk of exploding." Tony is spoiled. He's an only child, so it's to be expected. As well as Brianna, Johnny and I have two older brothers and we'd be crazy to expect a cent from our parents.
"Do you think we'll have to beat every game in the case even if we already have?" asked Johnny.
"If you're chosen?" Johnny nodded, "Probably"
Johnny groaned, "I've already beaten a ton of them"
"Doesn't matter, you won't be chosen anyway. This place has been open since 6 in the morning and I heard no one passed yet."
"But that was 5 hours ago," I gasped
"Come on, someone has to have passed by now!" Said Johnny "Or else no one would be in this line it's so hopeless."
"Well, it has to be selective; there will be about ten million kids trying out and they have to pick 2" Tony paused, "And even if there was a 1 in a billion chance that you could live in the amazing world you've heard about and dreamed of all of your life… What would you do?"
"Stand In a line for hours" Johnny grumbled.
Tony said "And pay $200, and beat every Pokémon game, and take a huge test."
"This isn't the only test!" I asked.
"I don't think this is the only test," he continued in a hushed voice. "After I heard about the contest on the news, I googled it. The website I found said that this is just preliminary testing. Everyone chosen through this first testing, and beats the case, will have to take a big test. And that will decide on the final two."
"What will the test be on?" I asked.
"That wasn't on the site. Maybe they tell you as soon as you pass this testing, maybe at where you take the big test, maybe you find out during the test."
I lost any confidence I still had, when he said that. "I'll just go home now."
"No!" I started shocked at his intensity. "Sorry, but no matter how small you're chance is, it's still there. And I don't want you to miss it."
Johnny, who had been silent for a while, was gazing at the sky, "I wonder if the sky is the same in the Pokémon Region."
We looked up with him as the line slowly inched forward.
One beaten game and a finished book later…
"Seven hours!" Johnny howled as he rolled around on the ground. He was, after all, only ten. "How long can this line be? We didn't even bring food!" He let that last word drag out for a few seconds. Drama king.
"Shut up! Shut up!" The person in front of us finally lost it. He had scruffy brown hair, was about twice as tall as us and muscular. "You've been screaming for the past 20 minutes! If you shut up for one minute, I'll give you my lunch."
"Pleeease?" Begged Johnny, all traces of his tantrum gone.
The guy in front of us sighed heavily, obviously annoyed, but threw the brown paper bag at him anyway. Johnny caught it and the sandwich in it was gone in a minute.
"Hey I wanted some."
"Relax there's another one," and he tossed it to me.
"What about me," whined Tony.
"You can have the chips."
"What kind?"
"Doritos."
"Cool."
I was half way through my sandwich when I realized how close we had gotten to the front. Johnny noticed as well, "About time, it's six o'clock," And, being October, it was almost dark out.
"Let me in!" Johnny and I winced as we heard the most annoying voice in the world. Brianna was trying to go under a rope at the front but the lady working there wouldn't let her.
"You'll have to wait in line like everybody else."
"Let! Me! In!" And at that, Brianna shoved the poor person to the ground and scrambled under the rope. She sat down in a chair and put a sucker thing (Electrodes, I think they're called) on her forehead. The machine it was connected to whirred for a few seconds, then buzzed and she frowned.
"That's enough!" said an officer Jenny who seemed to have come from the limited edition case booths area.
"But-"
"No!" said the officer Jenny, "You didn't pass anyway."
The lady said, "If you would like to buy the limited edition-"
"Why would I spend money on those dumb games? I'm going home." She ducked back under the rope and headed our way.
"What were you doing Brianna?"
"I wanted to go on a fabulous adventure, journey to a world never before seen by people outside the Pokémon Region."
"You fit none of the requirements on the sign up front. You've never even played one of those games in your life, and I doubt you would spend $200 on them."
"No. But I would spend 200 of your dollars on them and make Johnny play them." She threw a wallet at me and it was full of, surprise, my money. I scowled at her. "I took it from your backpack before you left."
"If I had gotten to the front, after seven hours, without any money, I would have-!"
"Later," Brianna interrupted, and trotted off.
"At least she gave it back," said Tony.
"Oh, I hate her… Was that the test?"
"Apparently" Said Johnny, because someone else had already gotten hooked up to the machine, heard the buzzing noise and walked away down a turn in the rope to a place where it seemed everyone was buying limited edition cases of different colors.
"Five people left, then it's our turn," said Tony, a little anxiously.
"Who want's to go first?" I asked.
"Me," said Johnny.
"Four left," Said Tony, "And I'll go second. That okay Skye?"
"Fine." However, if I went first, maybe the bugs in my stomach would stop sooner. One in ten million, I shouldn't even be here.
"Three."
It'll just be a big disappointment, and I wouldn't even last a day in the Pokémon Region.
"Two."
I was saving that money for collage. Would I really throw it away on such a little chance?
"One."
Yes.
"My turn," Said Johnny.
He went up and sat down in the chair. The nurse put the electrodes on his forehead. The machine whirred for five seconds… then buzzed. Johnny's face fell.
"Would you like to see what quality you missed?"
"Quality? I only missed one? Cool! What was it?"
"You missed physical capability. We aren't testing for strength, but if you can handle taking an attack like a thundershock. Not a lot of people in the Region could actually pass that test. If you would like, you can still buy the limited edition case this way," Said the lady.
He walked over to me and asked, "Can I still buy it?"
"Of course Johnny, but you'll still have to pay me back."
"Thank you," he said happily and he stayed to wait for us.
Tony rolled up and sat down. She put the sucker things on his forehead; the machine whirred then buzzed.
"Would you like to know what qualities you missed?"
"No thank you."
"If you would like to buy a limited-"
"I wouldn't have come if I wasn't going to." He said smiling. He didn't seem disappointed but I could tell he'd hoped a little. He rolled over and stood by Johnny to wait for me.
I sat down in the chair and the nurse stuck the electrode to my forehead. It was cold and damp. As the machine whirred, my brain felt fuzzy and I couldn't think straight. My mind cleared as soon as the whirring stopped. But instead of buzzing, it beeped. I looked up in confusion at the lady and saw a look of shock on her face; similar looks were on Tony and John's.
"D-Did I pass? It could-, the chance-"
"Congratulations!" she said, "You are the first person to pass at this station! I was starting to think no one would today."
"I-I passed? No it couldn't be."
"Skye you passed! Awesome!" Johnny was jumping up and down, "You're going the Region, you're going to the Region!"
"Not really," Said Tony. "The chance is much greater but… Oh Skye this is so cool!"
"R-Really?" I looked at the station worker, and she nodded, "Awesome!" and I started jumping around too.
"Please step through this door to buy the testing case. You will come out through the other side."
"Okay, you guys go buy limited editions and I'll go buy the testing case. Meet you on the other side."
"Bye Skye."