DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon. Enough said. All original characters are copyrighted to me, though. Enjoy!
Prologue
Elle Rose was sitting on her roof, dressed in blue boxers and a white tank top. She had no shoes on: instead, she let her legs and feet dangle freely into the air. It was around midnight, but she couldn't sleep. As a substitute, she decided to go star gazing, something she had taken a liking to ever since she was a little girl. The night sky, shrouded in its mysterious velvety black, seemed to whisper its secrets every time the ten year-old girl beckoned to it. This time, she stared into its penetrating abyss in search of comfort: tomorrow was the day she would begin her Pokémon journey, something she had been waiting for all her life.
Hot, summer wind blew briskly through her brown hair, ruffling its delicate curls. Sighing, Elle drew her caramel eyes to the moon. It was full and beautiful, its pastel white color shining brightly over the land. The girl smiled. She had tried to control herself, but she couldn't help it, her excitement was immense. She loved the feeling of having sweet adrenaline flow through her veins at the mere thought of beginning an adventure, a real one at that. No more stalking trainers on TV, no more sneaking away into the forest to befriend Pokémon, no more restraints: that, to her, came as an enormous relief. Best of all, she knew exactly which starter pocket monster she would get: a Charmander. It fit her fiery temper perfectly, and she loved dragons. Her biggest wish was to fly around the world on the back of a loyal Charizard, a wish that could be granted in a nearby future, she realized. She would have to tell Gary…someday. Never. Maybe? No, she couldn't. They weren't friends. At least, not anymore.
Gary Oak was the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak, the leading authority on Pokémon around the world. When they were little, Gary and Elle spent most of their days together, pretending to be Pokémon masters, usually annoying Ash Ketchum in the process, another child from Pallet Town, who had always been a little jealous of the attention his rival got from the little girl. However, Elle was and always had been a good friend to Ash either way, defending him whenever Gary decided to pick on the boy. Gary resented this and always tried to drag her into his mischief, but never managed to do so. Their love for Pokémon and their similar personalities had made them an unbeatable team. Nearly as close as brother and sister, no one would have expected that the two would one day detest each other with a passion. It was truly sad.
As the young lady stared into space with nostalgia, she couldn't help but remember what had happened, exactly three years ago...
"Gary! Gary, wait up!" yelled an exhausted 7 year-old Elle. She had been running for at least ten minutes before catching up to him.
"Go away."
"No!"
"Look, Elle, I just want to be alone, alright?" responded Gary, who had finally stopped in his tracks. He didn't seem tired at all.
"Why did you just suddenly run away like that! Everyone is worried about you!"
"Oh sure, I bet everyone's too busy with Ashy-boy to even notice I'm gone", snorted the boy, digging his shoe into the ground.
"It's his birthday, Gary, what did you expect?" asked the brunette.
"Hmph."
"Don't turn your back on me, Gary Oak!"
"I'll do what I want."
"Why are you acting like this?" Elle cried, grabbing softly onto his arm.
For a split second, Gary's eyes lit up. He stared longingly at her hand, as if momentarily forgetting why he was even mad in the first place. However, it didn't last long: he roughly tore himself from his best friend's grip and stared at her with spite and rage imbedded on his face. Elle took a step back. This wasn't like Gary at all. He had never looked at her that way. He seemed ready to kill.
"You go back to the party, Eleanor Rose. Go waste your time with that sissy Ash, for all I care. I don't want to see your face again, you hear? Never again. NEVER!" he screamed.
Elle stood there, dumbfounded, as she watched her friend run away from her and into the woods behind Ash's house. A few moments later, she collapsed on her knees and began crying. What had happened? She stayed there for quite some time, unsure what to do. Something shiny finally caught her eye on the ground: Gary's good luck charm. It was a golden locket that presented a small hole on its side, big enough for a tiny key to fit, a key that Gary probably kept hidden somewhere else. She tried opening it, but to no avail. She sighed. Wiping away her tears, Elle attached it around her own neck and slowly walked back to her house. She felt like vomiting.
A tear flickered from a much older Elle's eye. She rapidly shook it off, regaining her calm demeanour. She couldn't think of this now, not when a whole new world of opportunities was just about to unfold before her very eyes. She would become a Pokémon master at any cost. She would raise a powerful team of allies and defeat all who stood against her. She would win everyone's respect. Even his.
"I'll show you, Gary Oak. I'll show you just how wrong you were" she breathed, balling her hand into a fist around the boy's shimmering locket.
