For N and only N

CHAPTER 1 or July 10, 2012

Have you even had just a great day that just beat all the others, now have you had the worst day that made your entire life feel just horrible in general? Now I thought that on my birthday I would have the former not the latter but you can't plan life. Ironically it isn't the normal thing you would expect from someone but I'm not exactly normal, but not the cliché not normal, just me. My name is Samantha, and I'm from the city of Goldenrod in the region of Johto. Also just to set things straight just because most don't get it even if I tell them it straight, I refuse to be called Samantha, and though I'm a girl I would just prefer Sam over everything. Samantha is purely restricted for those I chose to not pay any attention to or I don't care for. And Sammy was only for my family.

Well I would first like to say that this summer I intend to make my life fun for once because next year I get to go to Pokémon training school. Sadly unlike most people my parents had not allowed me to get a Pokémon at the age of 10 to travel Johto region and I even had to wait until the age of 14 to even go to Pokémon training school. So I was forced to go to plain old school like my older sister, but unlike her, who wanted to be a journalist all her life, I didn't have any reason to go to the school because I knew that I wanted to travel the world with Pokémon. The reason for that is purely for the fact that my father believes that being a Pokémon trainer had no significance to help the world and I would regret it in the end. And he also had stated that Pokémon were nothing more than merely pets. No matter how many times I had tried to persuade him that Pokémon were friends if not family members, he would never sway from his beliefs. He was extremely stubborn for a person who made it in life as a salesman in the markets of Johto meeting thousands of people and seeing their ideals and way of life. But he had said when I'm 18 he has no authority against me and that I can do whatever I feel that I like.

So on my birthday I had woken up before everyone in my family, as usual, and hoped for nothing more than just cake and one gift. I had noticed that I seemed to always be by myself at my house stuck there while my family left me alone. I had never thought of it before but suddenly on my birthday it hit me. My father, Dave, was always gone during the day all around the region and when he got home he wanted to just rest and relax. My mother, Martha, has been working at the Pokémon center for 21 years and had to work just as much if not more than my father. And my sister, Kim, left me every day to hang out with her friends or go to club meetings; in fact she treated our apartment as if it was just a place to sleep at night. That's when I had also realized I became a hermit at the age of 14, no wait more like 8.

And when I was close to another breakthrough my mom woke up, "Hello Sammy, how are you this morning", she said.

"Oh, just thinking, about stuff", I said trying my best to seem happy.

"Well I hope about nothing to upsetting" she stated as if she knew what I was already thinking, "Oh before I forget Happy Birthday. And your father and I both got you a gift, but get ready first okay."

"Sure thing", I said as perky as I could make myself. Now I had no idea why they had wanted to wait until I was ready and dressed but I didn't want to wait any longer than I had to. So I dashed into my room and put on a green tank top with lace on top, a grey leather jacket, black skinny jeans and my gray high-tops. And looking at myself I saw how different and how much I changed since the year before, I had gotten taller, lost my baby fat, and actually gotten hips, not that much but for my slim physique quite a lot. I mean I wasn't exactly the sexiest thing out there, I mean I was only 14, but I felt pretty and like an actual teenager.

But before I could even leave my room though my sister tackled me to the ground. She said with a highly amused voice, "Well, well, well what have we here? My sister a year older…impossible"

"Do you really feel it necessary to tackle me to the ground, even on my birthday?"

"Yes, I gotta show you that just 'cause you're a year older doesn't mean that you can beat me", she replied with a rather cocky voice as she helped me off the ground.

"Fine, whatever you say. But I expect a gift now and cake and something amazing and, and-"when she cut me off by saying "you aren't getting anything out of me, because after you see what mommy and daddy got you you'll freak."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see, follow me." And then she grabbed my hand and we skipped to the kitchen. When I saw my parents they stepped in front of me and showed me the one thing I never expected to get-"Y-y-you got me a Pokémon."

My mom cut in saying," Your father and I decided that it would be best that during the summer you train for exploring the world and collecting all the gym badges by the beginning of September."

"You mean that I can go all around Johto before going to school."

"Actually you don't have to go to school at all. And we thought it would be nice gift to you if you could go hang out with your friends at anytime this summer. In fact, you can go sleepover tonight."

That comment is what set me off; I knew that they were hiding something big from me if they wanted me to be only with friends on my own birthday. Its one thing to invite my best friends over and we just hang out with m y family but it's another for them to want to ditch me with anyone so they can do something. So I knew it better I ask than let it go, "Why should I hang out with my friends today, aren't we gonna be together today?"

My mom flashed me a guilty look and said in an endearing tone,"Well your dad and I got invited to go to are high school friend's vacation, and there were no children allowed. So, felt it would be best if you stayed with your friends for awhile."

I just stared bewilderedly between my mom and dad examining the look on their faces before I asked," can't I stay with Kim for the time being?"

"Actually, I have to leave because I got offered an internship. And I have to leave in the next 20 minutes", Kim said with a rather guilty look but I could easily see through it and tell that she was glad to not stay with the family for the summer.

I stared dumbfoundedly at them all when I sucked it up and stated rather stoically and said," Its fine you guys don't have to worry I have my Pokémon with me and I can still hang out with my friends. It'll be fun. So when are you guys gonna be back." When I realized something important," Who can I stay with for awhile on a short notice?"

And then to rub salt in the wound my mom said," Oh we already asked your friend Allie's mom if you could stay until mid-August."

I just couldn't believe that they expected me to just let them leave before I even agreed to it. I felt betrayed, angry, and just disgusted. It's not like I didn't want to sleepover but for that long I just couldn't begin to explain anything to them so I just said, "Ok", then stalked off to my room to pack.

That's when the rage just hit me and I was throwing all my stuff into suitcases and hitting unimportant things and when I was done I just slumped to the floor and began to cry into my pillow on the floor. I felt like they were just abandoned by my own family and then before I could even let some of my sadness out my sister knocked on the door to my room saying I had to take all my stuff into the car. I dejectedly left my room and stuffing all my crap into the back of the car. And then I went back into the house to get my final bag when I saw my pokeball on my bed and decided that I could take my mystery Pokémon out of the pokeball.

I pressed the front button and out popped a cyndaquil. He looked so innocent and adorable that I just couldn't help myself by hugging him. I looked him said quietly, " I'll call you cookie". I stuffed his pokeball in my bag and just let him walk behind me for the time being. On the way to the car as I looked back at my home that I wouldn't see for more than a month I felt weak and wanted to go to my room but cookie looked me in the eye and it gave the courage to get to Allie's house. But he also made me realize that as long as I had him that I might just make it the summer. In the car I but my headphones on and began to tune out the world as I scratched on top of cookie's head.

When we arrived I saw Allie outside and she hugged me. My family helped me get my stuff out of the car. I had said goodbye to them as happy as I could and before they drove off my dad got out of the car and said," Have fun Sammy, be careful and here-" he handed me a creditcard," for you if you need anything". I had thanked him and hugged him. And as he got into the car I told all of my family my usual goodbye which was," Bye you guys. Oh, and remember don't eat poison muffins, they're bad for you." And then they drove off without another word.

Then Allie turned to me and asked me," Are you ready for the best birthday ever? Because my mom said we can go to a party, but we have to wait until tomorrow night."

And my face lit up as I realized that I had the chance for freedom that I never had before. I just felt as if the summer was gonna be good, but I had a nagging thought at the back of my head telling me that I might not be ready for freedom. And that's when I asked myself if I ok and I just wasn't sure.