Disclaimer: Note that I do not own Pokemon. That right goes to Nintendo. But I did make up a new region, with made up Pokemon, new people, original places, some new moves, and new items. That goes for my whole story, so I don't need to repeat this over and over again. If I need to add something to this disclaimer, please tell me so in a review.
This isn't going to be like the normal trainer stories, I'll tell you that now. Later on in the story, the characters won't even be dreaming of battling for gym badges.
Pokemon speech and dreams/thoughts will be in italics, the Pokedex's talking will be in boldface; as will certain other things like signs, and everything else will be normal, for now.
Without further ado, I give you… Sara's Quest!
Chapter 1
The ringing of a large metal clock woke Sara out of a good night's rest. After rubbing her eyes and slamming the clock hard to get it to be quiet; she half tumbled out of bed. "Good morning dear! Happy birthday!" Called her mother from the downstairs living room.
It took the blonde girl a second to collect her drowsy thoughts. Birthday? Wow, lucky person to have a birthday on a day like today… She thought to herself, taking a moment to get dressed before she remembered something really important… today was her birthday! "Yip-skip-yahoo!" Cried Sara as she raced down the stairs, nearly running over her mom on her way out the door with a, "Hi mom, sorry! Bye mom!"
Sara's mother just shook her head and called after her daughter's retreating figure, "Have fun sweetheart!"
That was something that Sara just had to do. Fun is the essential part of Pokemon training. The professor of Elemental Ridge, Miss Eliza Appawich, lived in her town just a couple blocks from her home. A large, cozy looking building came into view just ahead of her. Little puffs of white smoke came from its chimney. Over the large wooden door hung a sign that said: Professor Appawich.
"Professor Appawich! I've come for my Pokemon!" Yelled Sara breathlessly as she came to a halt a few feet away from the professor's desk. There was a clatter, a clank, and then a lady jumped up enthusiastically from behind her desk. Her hair, going silver by now, was braided and pulled out of the way. Huge, full-moon glasses covered her eyes and left sufficient space to magnify half her cheeks.
"Hello dear…. Sara, was it?" She asked in a voice cracking with age. Sara nodded wildly and glared lightly as the professor laughed loudly-more like cackled. "Come then, your Pokemon is waiting over here." Miss Appawich led Sara through rows of bookshelves filled with marked Pokeballs, and led her down one of them.
"Let's see… Sara… hmmmm, here it is!" The professor took one of the balls off its stand and handed it to Sara. "Press the button and give it a flick." Said Miss Appawich with what sounded like supreme authority.
Sara did as the professor said. There was a blinding flash of light, and the Pokeball returned to Sara's hand. Almost immediately, she let out a cry of pure glee. "A Taillow!" Sara exclaimed, rushing over and picking the little bird up in a cupped hand.
"Now Sara, Taillow are very fragile see, you don't want to be too…" Began Miss Appawich, the end being cut off by a very high-pitched squawk from the Taillow. Sara must have hugged her too hard…..
"Oops! Sorry little one… it's just that's you're so cute… and…" She cried; flattening the soft, yet ruffled feathers on her little bird's back. It took a while, but the Taillow stopped glaring at Sara, and snuggled into a more comfortable position in her cupped hand.
"So," Miss Appawich continues, giving Sara a stern look through her huge glasses, "Let's continue, shall we? I've already got your Pokedex, Pokeballs, and ooh; a Pokemon Translator!" She handed Sara all the things she had just listed, the Pokemon Translator leaving her hand the most reluctantly. It didn't look very special, just a strange little gadget, wires had been shaped into nearly perfect circles and painted a dark grey. On what should be the top sat a small grey box, filled with complex circuitry.
"Uh… what does this thing do?" Sara asks after she had placed the balls and Pokedex in her backpack. This Pokemon Translator just looked like a wacky bracelet to her.
"Well, recall your Taillow and I'll show you." The professor stated impatiently. Sara fumbled with the Taillow's Pokeball before figuring out how to get the little bird back in it. Reluctantly, Sara handed both the Pokemon Translator and Taillow's Pokeball to the professor.
Miss Appawich easily slipped the Translator around the Pokeball. The box of the Translator was over the Pokeball's button. "Now watch this." She says as she pressed down a little green button on the side of the Translator. The little gizmo hissed and popped for a good three minutes before the button popped back up again. "There, now see what it does for yourself." She handed a rather hot Pokeball and the Translator back to Sara.
Sara repeated the little feat that had caused the Taillow to come out before. It had the same results, the same Taillow made her appearance; not looking any different. "She's sooo… cute!" Sara exclaimed and picked the Taillow up again.
"Oh no, you're not going to hug me again, are you?" Sara jumped and looked up at Professor Appawich, who was grinning from ear to ear.
"You can talk!" Sara asks the little bird incredulously.
"As well as you can, I see." Snapped the Taillow as her feathers ruffled up again. She seemed to be grinning at Sara though, in a beaked sort of way.
"Yes, yes, amazing talking Pokemon; I know. But you see that I'm very busy. If that's all Sara, you may leave!" Miss Appawich stated impatiently, pointing Sara out the door. How her feet found their way out, she'll never know. Sara was busy staring at the Taillow, who kept her in a lazy glance.
"Do you have a name?" Sara finally asks.
"Yes, do you?"
"Yeah, it's Sara."
"Nice." Taillow pauses for a second, "For a human, of course."
"Oh, and your name is better?" Sara growled, getting annoyed by the little bird's attitude.
"Yes, mine is much better. It's Star for your information."
"That's a really short name." She pointed out to the bird, happy that she'd made a point.
"Just as short as yours." Star retorted, flashing another beaky grin. They had reached Sara's house again; Sara opened the door slowly, still with her eyes on the little bird, and entered her house.
"Sara! You're back!" Exclaimed her mother in surprise, "And you have a friend! Aw, how adorable!" She had snatched Star away from Sara and was petting the bird's soft feathers.
"No no no! Not the head, not the head!"
"Awww and she knows how to say her name too!" Sara's mother cooed, not noticing the crimson color her daughter was turning.
"Uh mom, I think you've had enough time with Star." Sara started, taking the little ruffled bird from her mother, "So, I guess I'm going to be going on my journey now, huh?"
Even though her mom was smiling, tears raced down her cheeks, "My little girl's growing up before my eyes!" She cried, catching Sara and Star up in a big hug.
"Oh brother…"
"I'll miss you mom!" Sara responded, tears welling up in her own eyes, "I call home every time I can! And I'll even send letters!"
After a couple more minutes saying good-bye, all the while Star was making annoyed comments, Sara grabbed her pack and waved to her mom one last time before leaving.
"Finally!" Star exclaims as she began to smooth her feathers back down. "I really thought you'd never leave!"
"Impossible. You'd never forgive me." Sara replied, and for once the Taillow had nothing to say to that. They were beginning to leave Brittle Branch Town. The first route they'd take was called Twig Row. It would be a good two day's walk to the first town, but Sara was ready with a sleeping bag and pillow.
With Brittle Branch Town finally a couple of yards behind them, Star opened her wings and flapped up. Soon she was circling around above Sara's head, diving and turning at will.
Their surroundings had changed; small trees had been planted in two rows beside the grassy path. Caterpie and Weedle lazily crawled along the path and over the tiny trees. Then Sara got a bright idea, "Hey Star! Let's do some Pokemon catching!"
Star stopped her aerial games and landed on Sara's head, "Which one?"
They were everywhere, all sorts of little bug Pokemon to catch. Also, a couple of Pidgey appeared from a branch of one of the trees and would fly away as Sara spots them. But one Weedle caught Sara's attention; it was huge, massive and maybe double the size of its comrades. "That one!" Sara told her Pokemon, who took flight again and plucked the Weedle off its branch.
On Star's return trip, she must have scared the Weedle badly; it let out a very loud wail. Star immediately dropped the bug and raced off down the path, "Run!" She squawked behind her back.
Sara didn't know what had gotten into Star for a second. Then the buzzing of wings got to her ears. That wasn't a cry… that was a call for help! Sara realized and sped off after her Taillow with new found speed.
A long while passed as she ran, Star always was a bit ahead. The sun was beginning to set, and still the Beedrill chased on. Sara never looked back; for fear that the sight of the Beedrill would paralyze her in mid-flight. She was beginning to tire, and so was Star by the way her wing beats were slowing. "Driiilllll!" Called the Beedrill's shrill voices.
"We'd better… do something." Star calls behind her to Sara, who agreed completely. They eventually came to a stop and turned to look at their pursuers. A line of what looked to be over one hundred Beedrill were coming at them at a speed that looked to have been slowed by the long pursuit. At the front of the moving mass of Beedrill looked to be the Beedrill's big cousin. It was a dark shade of reddish-brown and larger then most of the other Beedrill. Where Beedrill had only two pairs of legs, this bee had four on it's longer and wider body. It's antenna would be considered the fifth that gave it it's name in the first place.
Shaking hard, Sara took out her Pokedex and pointed it at the huge bee. The picture that resembled the Pokemon appeared on its screen, and a male computer voice droned out: "Deckadrill, the evolved form of Beedrill. Deckadrill are known for their nasty tempers and will follow those who anger it for up to three days."
"Three days! How are we going to avoid that thing for three days?" Star snapped as it loomed ever closer with its swarm.
"Dreeee!" Shrieked the Deckadrill as it went into a nosedive, locking the stingers on its arms in front of it. It would hit at any moment. Sara, thinking quickly, grabs Star and holds the Taillow to her chest as Sara curled up and only left her back exposed. The ringing sound of the Beedrill's wings got louder and louder, Sara swore to herself that the Deckadrill would attack her at any second. But it didn't.
Puzzled, Sara looks up slowly and gasps. The Deckadrill was stopped ten feet from her, staring at what looked to be a very strange butterfly. But that wasn't all. A line of numerous Butterfree now blocked the paths of all the Beedrill. The Butterfree were saving them!
She took this time to aim the Pokedex at the strange Pokemon blocking the Deckadrill. A frontal view of the Pokemon showed up on the screen. It was a bright purple, with large, silver wings. Its eyes were a glow-in-the-dark green and were compound. "Solonfree, the evolved form of Butterfree. Solonfree are not afraid of humans, and make good pets."
Star squirmed out of Sara's grasp, and chirped in surprise. The Butterfree, all simultaneously, began to flap their wings and blew a thick blue powder in the Beedrill's faces. And almost ten seconds after that, the Deckadrill's forces fell to the ground with dulled red eyes. Now it was the Deckadrill against… a lot of Butterfree and a Solonfree. It took a look around at the Butterfree and let out a shrill cry before turning tail and fleeing from them.
"Wow…" Sara said softly, amazed at how she had been saved. That Deckadrill didn't even scratch her! She was so happy, she could hug the Solonfree, who had turned and was hovering close to her. "Thank you." Came out instead.
"Freeeeeee!" The Solonfree exclaimed, its voice being magnified as the Butterfree joined in the loud clatter. Then, as one, the Solonfree and Butterfree bow humbly to Sara and Star before splitting and flitting away.
Sara and her Taillow exchanged incredulous looks. First the Butterfree saved them from a swarm of mad Beedrill, and then they bowed to them? It didn't make sense…. But their thoughts were interrupted as some of the Beedrill began to wake from their little nap.
Turning the right direction, they ran and flew away quickly. The sun had set by now, and stars began to dot the night sky. Sara and Star didn't have far to go, the next town was very close. It seemed that the Beedrill attack had saved them a day's time.
Opal Town, the town where dreams come true. Read the sign that they passed with joyful whoops and chirps. Tomorrow they would find Opal Town a bright, happy place; but now all they wanted to do was sleep. A Pokemon Center was nearby, the large domed roof and large neon 'P' a welcome sign for the weary travelers.
Nurse Joy welcomed them with, "You two are out late. Welcome to the Pokemon Center." She yawned and pointed to a secluded corner of the Center when Sara asked where they could sleep.
Thanking her, Sara and Star collapsed on the cushioned couch. Sleep came almost immediately, and Star spent the whole night snuggled against Sara's chest.