Chapter One: Dashed Dreams
Taking a deep breath, the girl filled her lungs with brisk morning air. She had much to do so unfortunately she had to put an end to her swim sooner rather than later. With a heavy weight upon her heart she stood, water trickling down her freckled skin. After a stretch and a yawn she waded towards the bank, ripples surrounding her. She pulled herself out of the water unceremoniously, almost slipping upon deep green moss.
With a small smile on her lips, she padded towards the slumbering hypno she considered as family. She gently poked his forehead, stirring him. Soon, his earthy brown eyes pulled open, boring into the girl's blue-grey ones, his mind puzzled as to where he was.
"We're in the woods near home, grandpa," she reminded him with a giggle, standing upright.
He heaved himself to his feet, resting his weight upon his walking stick, his breath hitching with the effort. The girl watched him with concern. "We're not far from home," she assured him, skipping towards a nearby path.
She cheerily pushed her way through the narrow path, humming a tune to herself as she did so. Her feet fell heavily on the cool cobblestone as she ran in the direction of her home, carrot orange hair billowing behind her. Hypno tried his best to keep up, in spite of his wheezing chest.
Within several minutes, the girl had come to her destination, waiting for her weary grandfather to catch up. The house was as old as the city itself though it was well kept by her pretentious mother. It had a traditional appeal to it, complete with a slatted roof and walls of bleached plaster.
"Take your time Grandpa!" she called as he neared her. The old pokemon increased his pace slightly anyway. The girl smiled at him, relieved that he was able to walk all that way. She twisted the brass unlocked doorknob and let herself in, holding the door open for the hypno. He hobbled over to his favourite seat and set himself down. The girl just shook her head in pity before heading for the kitchen.
"Hi mum," she chirped a little hesitantly. The woman was pouring some pokemon kibble into bowls with deliberate and precise movements from practice. There was flour clinging to her apron and the scent of freshly baked muffins wafted in the stuffy kitchen.
"Charlotte!" she snapped, her piercing green eyes meeting hers with a glare, her glasses slipping on the bridge of her button nose. She pushed them up with a flourish. The girl backed away, wondering what she had done to anger her mother this time. She then noticed a trio of very hungry looking pokemon behind the counter. One was a stantler with large antlers, another was a balding noctowl and the final was very grouchy looking clefable. She knew these pokemon very well, well enough to know not to get in the way of them and their food.
"Go get ready," she said, gaze softening as she placed the bowls before the three pokemon. They instantly began stuffing their faces, crumbs flying here and there – one hitting the small girl in the middle of her forehead. Charlotte's smile wavered. Her hands began to shake a little along with a rise of anxiety. She wasn't ready for today even though she had known this day was coming for a long time.
"Some baby Pokemon have been delivered to the lab," she informed, hanging up a tea towel and turning to her daughter, "I would like you to go visit them for me."
The mother grinned to herself as her daughter's eyes lit up with excitement. No matter how upset she was about the circumstances, the prospect of meeting pokemon always brought joy to her. But her excitement soon died down as she remembered what she was really there for.
"Okay," she said softly, almost forgetting to answer. "I'll go get dressed." She added. She forced a smile but her mother caught on immediately.
"Charlotte, wait," snapped her mother once more, "I'm not finished." Charlotte's false grin drooped as she turned back. Her mother's gaze had an edge to it once more – a particular sharpness that Charlotte had become accustomed to. The cheery mood she had been in was dampened as a silence passed between the pair, the munching of pokemon the only sound in the room.
"No hesitating or worrying," she said.
Charlotte would have been overjoyed at the chance – what child doesn't want a pokemon? But she knew what her mother meant by all this. She would not be given a pokemon just to love and nurture as a companion – this was a rite of passage that sent all trainers on their journeys. She wanted to get swept up in the duties and traditions of trainers in the slightest. Her mother tapped her nails on the linoleum, gaze hardening as her daughter began to argue.
"We…we've talked a-about this," she muttered. "I don't want to be a trainer. I want pokemon, y-yeah but I just w-want to keep…" She trailed off with a frustrated sigh – her mother was too intense for her to argue against. Charlotte was aware that things would end this way. She had spoken at length about it with a good friend of hers and he had managed to reduce her fears towards the idea.
"You are becoming a trainer and that is final," said her mother, "It runs in your – our - blood."
Charlotte was silent, her fixed on her dirty feet. Her mother sighed softly as she shook her head in dismay. Despite her harsh attitude towards her daughter she still loved her deeply and wished for her to be happy. Therefore she had to put aside some of her own beliefs and ways to make a deal with her daughter that would ultimately benefit them both.
"If you wish to become a ranger so much, collect all the badges of this region. Then I will allow you to follow that silly dream of yours."
Charlotte's gaze remained on her feet, eyes stinging. She had cried enough about this – she had no more tears to give. She didn't want to challenge all those strong people - pokemon would get hurt and she didn't want that. She just wanted to be a ranger and help everyone like her heroes on the television.
"Charlotte," she said, much kinder this time, "Do it in honour of our family, for your dreams. This is very important. You may not realise this now but in the future you will look back upon your journey with a smile."
After another awkward, heavy silence, the young girl spoke up, meeting her mother's gaze with determined eyes. "I know and I'll try," she replied. "But only if you really promise to let me be a ranger after this."
"I promise," her mother hesitantly replied, holding her pinkie finger aloft. Her daughter smiled slowly, though there was still apprehension in her blue-grey eyes. Charlotte was frightened and reluctant to do as her mother instructed - it was dangerous and difficult out there but it was for her mother and her dream.
"Pinkie promise," she chirped, wrapping her pinkie around her mother's. The mood lightened, as if a weight had been taken off their shoulders. Charlotte left the living room to get her things ready. She would have to pass through Violet City in order to progress, but she would not be returning home. This would be the last time she would see her home for a long time.
She threw on her day clothes, tugged a brush through her messy locks and slung her rucksack, which she had prepared yesterday, over her slender shoulders. It was lighter than she expected, making her worry that she was not bringing enough.
Once she had prepared herself as much as possible, she headed back downstairs and towards the door, turning towards her mother. She was now sitting on the couch with an espeon curled in her lap, worry etched in the wrinkles of her face. Hypno was awake now and staring at Charlotte with pride gleaming in his beady eyes.
"Will…will I be okay?" she asked, hovering around the door, feeling as though her exit was a little unceremonious – this was meant to be important and she felt like she was missing something.
"You will be fine," she said as she stroked the espeon's ears. As she stared at the form of her daughter by the door, her heart couldn't help but ache. She hadn't let her daughter stray too far from her line of sight before – this world was incredibly dangerous and packed with monsters that could maul her if they were provoked enough.
She looked so small standing there. Her blue-grey eyes were wide and shimmering with nerves, anticipation and fear. She's a girl who would work tirelessly to get what she wants, to follow her dreams, to do what she believes is right. But her curiosity, fear and shyness always got in the way.
"Okay," Charlotte agreed, "Oh! And I'll get to say hi to Gold while I'm there too," she added as an afterthought. "He can probably give me some advice." Her mother nodded, her expression becoming serious as she got to her feet, the espeon leaping off her lap and trotting at her heels. She sauntered up to her daughter, peering down at her through her spectacles.
"On your way back through the city, you are to challenge the monks to help you prepare for your journey," she instructed. Charlotte nodded reluctantly – she knew how strong those monks were and was scared but at least they were kind. She rested her hands on her daughter's shoulders before pulling her into a hug.
Charlotte buried her pudgy face into the woman's shoulder, taking in her comforting scent of baked goods and pokemon fur. She clung to her like she would never see her again, her body shaking all over. Her mother broke off from her, tucking a stray lock of tangled orange hair behind the young girl's ear.
Hypno's bones audibly creaked with the effort as he got to his feet and drew Charlotte into another hug. Once she pulled away, she felt a sudden weight at her chest. Looking down, she found that her grandfather had slipped his pendent around her neck. Surprised, she looked up and opened her mouth to protest but he held up a hand and shook his hand.
Her mother smiled softly at him, then at her daughter. "He'll be watching over you so make sure you don't get into any trouble – we'll be the first to hear of it." Charlotte giggled half-heartedly. Both she and her mother were surprised that the hypno had given up the pendent – it was one of his species most prized possessions. "Remember to call me every day from the pokemon centre," she said firmly. "Take good care of your pokemon and remember what I have taught you."
