Johanna Diamond knew something was wrong the moment she told him that they had a baby girl on the way. The couple had gone to the clinic together to find out the baby's sex. His eyes narrowed at their angular corners, his small black pupils tightening in contrast to his navy blue irises. Even when he grabbed her hand and said he was so happy, she could tell he didn't mean it. This hadn't been his ideal outcome. Johanna could sense the disappointment in her running through his veins, as if her womb had stolen all that he was proud about himself. To him, this was a loss.
The drive to her apartment from the clinic was sprinkled with one-sided comments and questions from his son in the backseat. The only words her boyfriend of nearly a year were to his son, telling him the arrival of his sister in five months. The toddler's eyes lit up with curiosity like the stars on his space themed car seat.
Johanna grabbed her handbag from the dashboard as the car settled to a stop outside her apartment building. She paused a moment before stepping out of his car, already thinking of what her next move would be. With a bittersweet twinkle in her eye, she gave her boyfriend one final kiss before heading in. The young woman of 21 watched the cobalt vehicle pull out to the road, knowing that she wouldn't see those two for a long time.
With a sigh on her lips and a hand on her belly, Johanna "Jewel of Sinnoh" Diamond began the longest short walk of her life.
Six Months Later
Johanna Diamond watched her healthy baby girl's chest rise and fall with every breath she took as she slept. The young mother wondered what her child was dreaming about. Though only 22, the new mother felt as if she had aged lifetimes within the last half year.
Like all new parents, she had had to sacrifice much for her child. But for Johanna, it seemed she had given up more than most. In the past six months, the former fashion boutique owner, model, and Top Coordinator had sold her business and clientele, retired from her beloved career of performing with her Pokémon, and moved away from her hometown of Jubilife City. The magazines and tabloids had all gone abuzz like a hive of Beedrill and Combee, trying to follow her trail for the precious details. The young mother simply strode out of her only town as if she was losing nothing, and made the trip to Twinleaf Town. With all of her earnings and profits from selling the business, she would be in no financial trouble for decades.
Adjusting from urban to extremely rural life had been hard, especially by herself. Johanna had been right about her premonitions; she hadn't seen or heard a whiff of her ex-boyfriend since he had driven away; out of her life, but not out of her mind. This was by far the worst part of all of this, losing her shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold.
Despite all of these challenges, every time Johanna looked into Dawn's eyes or saw her smile, she knew it all had been worth it. Her Glameow stood as watchful protector over her sleeping baby, knowing that this miniature human, no matter how much change she had brought into her Trainer's life or how loudly she cried, was someone worth any sacrifice Johanna would make. The house she had bought for her new family of two was simple, yet it would sustain them. It would become a house of memories rather than of marketable value. Like the phrase went, this house would become a home.
As if sensing her mother was thinking about her, Dawn began to cry, a loud shrilly sound that made Glameow wince. Johanna simply picked up the one month old from her crib and rocked her until she fell back into a peaceful sleep. She glanced down at her infant, seeing both the past and he future within her. While Dawn had the same coloring and general facial structures, she had her father's eyes, and her cobalt puff of hair rested in spikes along her head, unlike her mother's curly mass of indigo. Johanna saw herself in Dawn, and she also saw her ex-boyfriend. But more importantly, she saw what Dawn could become in her ocean eyes.
The young mother, no longer by herself, gently placed her daughter back into her crib. For once, Johanna was not thinking of any sort of future. She was rooted to the spot with the Sinnoh shattering force of love for her child. Johanna just hoped that this would all be enough for the future she saw for Dawn.
While the future seemed desperate and trembling in its vast unknown, Johanna was sure of one thing: Dawn would be happy. This was the reason Johanna had chosen her beloved daughter's name; Dawn was the light in her life and would be in so many other's. The more traditional translation of her name, Hikari, literally meant light. In a dawn, there was a whole new day, an entire chance to start over. There was a chance for an entirely new life when one saw dawn.
Over the years, things would become improbably and paradoxically harder yet easier for Johanna. When Dawn turned three, another single mother with a boy named Barry moved down the street, and it provided the friendship both the Diamonds needed. Yet as Dawn grew older, Johanna was reminded how much work this all took. When Dawn broke her arm in kindergarten from trying to chase an Aipom into up a tree, Johanna nearly had a nervous breakdown, even though her daughter was fine. But in the end, as with all things, Dawn turned out to be all right. And as for Johanna, that was enough.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! This is only the prologue, and the rest of the story will be narrated by Dawn. Just to be clear, this story follows the Sinnoh video games and NOT the anime. Story Dawn will not have the same personality as Anime Dawn. This story will also deviate from the story a little bit, but only in a world setting way. The plot will have the same events, such as Gym battles and Team Galactic.
In this Sinnoh, most of the humans have certain abilities from their region, and people mainly stay in their hometown. Travel and communication is much less common than in the game, for reasons that will be explained in plot.
Please review, favorite, and follow, etc. Have a lovely day!
P.S. Dawn's father and half-brother are left intentionally unknown, but you're welcome to speculate!
