Author's Note - PLEASE READ

To start, this is my first story so please don't hold something back if you feel like it should be said. I'm open to suggestions. Also, this first chapter is essentially background and filler. All 3,000+ words in this chapter take place on Earth so if you were hoping for some quickie read, this is definitely not the place the look. I want to see if people like my writing style, so I'm taking it slow to start. I have absolutely no writing experience except for what I did back in high school and am pretty much doing this just because I was bored. My goal isn't to be the next J.K. Rowling, it's simply just to have fun with this. But I still want to write well while having fun, so please R&R. Thanks!

It was the day that would change everything.

But it began no differently than any other. Ayla woke up, brushed her teeth, and took a quick shower. As the water trailed down her pale skin, she thought about what she'd have in store for her today.

Just another crappy day at this crappy school with a bunch of crappy people. So predictable. Life's been crap since mom passed, she thought, stepping out of the shower. She began toweling herself off. Once done, she let the towel drop and gave herself a once-over.

At 14 years old, she'd gotten lucky in the genetics lottery. She'd inherited her mom's dainty figure but reasonable assets. A large B cup and full rear contributed to the overall look and gave her a body many would kill for at her age. A heart-shaped face framed by dirty-blonde hair completed the look, but it was the piercing blue-green eyes that stood out.

Completing the appraisal, she finished getting ready for school and quickly left before her dad could wake up.

Like she expected, the day was uneventful. Up until the end of her morning classes, at least.

Ayla could hear nothing but the rain pattering against the window. She'd tuned out her teacher's droning long ago in favor of the quiet rain. It wasn't that she didn't care about the lesson - she'd just already learned it at her last school and decided to let her mind wander.

Damn this class is taking forev-

As if to appease her, the bell pierced her thoughts. Ayla sighed and stood up, quickly packing away her things. She didn't want to get caught up by any classmates.

Not like they'd talk to me anyways.

Ayla had never gotten along well with the kids around her. The girls disliked her because she came from a so-called "upper-class" school, and the boys disliked her because the girls disliked her. Ayla tried to explain that she moved schools because her mom passed, but everyone still viewed her as someone who believed that they were better than the rest.

Ayla thought about her mom as she walked towards the cafeteria. After her mom passed in a freak car accident, Ayla's life had been nothing but a downwards spiral. Her dad became reclusive and abusive. He quit his job and turned to drinking. Their income effectively became zero and she was forced to leave her private school. She had to move from all her friends behind and essentially start a new life. Ayla didn't have a problem with public school, but her classmates judged her without even glancing at the facts.

Pulling a sacked lunch from her backpack, Ayla looked around the cafeteria. Everyone was seated in their normal spots and she headed over to her 'designated' table.

'Outcast Island', she thought with a bitter smile.

It was the name given to her lunch table. Everyone here was either disliked or different in some way. Even the people that sat here didn't talk to each other. Located in the corner of the room, it was the perfect location for those who never really fit in with a crowd.

Ayla sat down on an empty bench. She figured this would just be another uneventful lunch, and dejectedly pulled out a sandwich. But before she could start eating, she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. Surprised, she twisted in her seat to find the source of the interruption.

Standing behind her was a boy. Ayla had been at the school for almost a year, but she'd never seen him around. He gave a small smile and pointed to the spot next to her. Ayla just stared at him. Nobody ever acknowledged her, much less smiled at her. She was wondering who this kid was when she remembered that she'd never responded.

"Oh, did you want to sit there?" she quickly asked.

The boy smiled again and nodded.

Ayla couldn't help but smile back at the boy. He took his seat and Ayla used the opportunity to examine him.

Short. Black hair. Glasses. Average facial features. Nothing stood out to Ayla as why this kid would be over on Outcast Island. She decided that she might as well get to know the only person who'd approached her in almost a year.

"Hey kid. What's your name," she asked.

The boy looked up from his lunch with a surprised look on his face and reached into a backpack, pulling out a notepad. He began writing. Ayla was confused until he flipped over the page and lifted it up. On it was a single word:

Sam

Nice name, she thought with a small smile. "I'm Ayla."

Sam gave an enthusiastic thumbs up and went back to eating his food.

Ayla furrowed her brow as she wondered why the Hell this kid wasn't saying any-

The realization washed over her like a wave and she stared at Sam.

"You can't talk, can you?"

Sam shook his head to confirm. He began writing once again. Ayla slowly started eating as she watched him hastily scribble into his notepad. It wasn't long before Sam held up the pad once more.

"The doctor's tell me that it's some kind of issue with my vocal cords, and that I shouldn't expect to ever be able to speak. It doesn't really bother me though. It's easier for me to see who someone really is by just listening and looking at them. I don't need to talk to understand. I'd rather listen anyways."

Ayla grinned and replied, "So you've known me for what, two minutes? Can you tell me who I am, 'really'?"

Sam immediately grabbed his pen and started writing. Ayla leaned on her elbow and watched the newcomer. She was fascinated by Sam. It was understandable of course. She hadn't talked to anyone her own age for a long time and was almost desperate for human contact. Whatever time wasn't spent at school was reserved for reading and video games, her favorite pastimes. She loved being able to get immersed in a world that wasn't her own. She'd spend hours cooped up in her room, avoiding her dad's drunken rages. Her nose was either buried in between the pages of a fantasy novel (her favorite genre) or her eyes were glued to the screen of an old Gameboy. She'd received the machine along with a couple Pokémon games as a going-away gift from her friends at the private school. She treasured it more than anything and would spend hours upon hours getting lost in the colorful, pixelated world.

Ayla was jolted out of her pondering by a soft tap. She turned to Sam and saw that he was holding the notepad out to her. Ayla picked it up and began reading.

"You aren't a person who's easy to read, but I'll do my best. Judging by the fact that you're sitting at this table, you aren't friends with any of the kids here. I look at you, however, and see absolutely nothing wrong with you. You're attractive, you can talk, you can hear, and you can laugh. So it's nothing physical that prevents you from interacting with the others. I'm going to guess that you're simply misunderstood. Maybe you said something or did something - maybe you didn't do anything at all. But you've been rejected. I can tell by your ability to smile and talk to me that you're strong. You haven't let your isolation get to you completely. This is all I can really tell by now, but I'm hoping I got some of it right?"

Ayla's mouth had slowly dropped as she read through the paragraph. She had to reread it to make sure she wasn't imagining things.

How the fuck does this kid - after two minutes of conversation - already know this much about me?, she wondered. It was almost surreal. She'd basically had her entire existence spelled out in front of her, and could feel tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away.

Ayla gave a weak smile and looked back at Sam. A worried expression was plastered across his face. Ayla could understand that, due to her reaction, he might be concerned that she'd been offended by his analysis. She placed a hand on his shoulder to ease his worries.

"You nailed it," Ayla said softly.

Sam smiled and returned to his lunch.

.oOo.

This became the daily routine for the two outcasts. They'd suffer through their morning classes until the lunch bell finally released them, find each other in the cafeteria, and simply talk. It was relaxing for both of them and gave Ayla a chance to actually interact with another person her age.

She relished these moments.

After months of being ignored by my peers, I have someone to talk to. Or communicate with, I guess. The talking is pretty much one-sided, Ayla thought with a chuckle.

They traded phone numbers and sent messages to one another daily. Ayla wasn't constantly reading books and playing video games anymore. She'd added a third hobby to her repertoire - texting Sam. Hundreds and hundreds of messages each day. They practically did everything together, even when miles apart.

There were no romantic feelings between the two. They both understood that they each needed a specific thing, and the other supplied it. Ayla needed someone to speak to, and Sam needed someone to listen to. They formed a perfect symbiotic relationship that let the other de-stress and relax. And they were happy with that. Ayla shared everything with Sam. Her likes, her dislikes, her hobbies, her family-life, everything.

When she discovered they shared a love of Pokémon, she was ecstatic. They could talk for hours about the game, never once getting bored. There were some days where it was literally the only thing they would talk about. It became their favorite past-time, and they both agreed that they'd love nothing more than a world where Pokémon were real.

Ayla learned more about Sam as well. He considered himself a bit of an inventor, tinkering around with machines to see what they were capable of. He'd spent the past two years working on a secret project, and even Ayla couldn't pry away any other details than that. But she didn't mind. She had Sam.

In Ayla's eyes, her life had become perfect. She was no longer constantly depressed and it was all thanks to the mute kid who stumbled into her life.

Ayla knew, however, that bad lucked always followed her.

It was almost five months after meeting Sam. The school day had just ended and Ayla hadn't been home for more than 10 minutes before she started texting her friend. She smiled, knowing that he'd always respond instantly.

A: Hey :)
S: Hi :)
A: Still on the bus?
S: Almost at my stop.
A: Cool cool. Did you see the trailer for the new Pokémon game?
S: Yes! It looks awesome!
A: I know right! Now you know what to get me for my birthday next week ;)
S: Haha I may have already gotten you something ;P
A: I was kidding haha! You don't need to get me anything.
S: Too late lol.
A: Aww. Well thanks :) :)

Ayla sat waiting for Sam's response. She'd never had to wait more than a minute before Sam would reply, so she was surprised when a full twenty minutes had passed with no word from him.

His phone probably just ran out of power, Ayla mused. She hopped into bed and pulled out her Gameboy, loading up her Pokémon game. She was currently grinding her Pokémon for the Elite Four using Sam's technique. He had showed her one day during lunch, and Ayla couldn't help but smile looking back at that moment. But as the hours ticked by, she grew increasingly worried.

This is so unlike Sam...

A knock at the door jolted Ayla from her thoughts and she rushed downstairs. Her dad would be passed out by this time, and she wasn't worried about waking him. When she opened the door, a fireman stood on the porch with a phone in his hand. Sam's phone.

"Are you Ayla?" the fireman asked.

Ayla couldn't do anything but nod. Fear had gripped her heart and prevented her from making a sound.

"Do you know a kid by the name of Sam Miller?"

Oh God no. Please... Ayla jerked her head in a stiff confirmation.

The fireman sighed. "There was an accident earlier today," he began. "Sam was struck by a drunk driver while exiting a school bus. We arrived as soon as we could but it appeared that he was killed instantly. There's nothing we could have done. I am so, so sorry you have to hear this news."

Ayla felt her throat close up.

No. This can't be real. It just can't. This is a joke, right? Right?

"The reason we're here is because there was nobody at his home to receive the news. When we looked at his phone, we saw that he was in the middle of typing a message to you before he was hit by the truck. You were the only one in his contacts."

The fireman held out the phone to Ayla, who painstakingly reached out and took it from him. Her hands shook like leaves in a tornado.

"I'm sorry for your loss," the fireman said softly before turning away. Ayla quietly closed the door behind the fireman.

Not making a sound, Ayla made her way up to her room and sat on the bed. Minutes passed as she sat there paralyzed. She finally remembered that she hadn't read Sam's message, and quickly found it in his drafts:

S: You're welcome :) But of course I was going to get you a gift. You mean more to me than anyone.

Then it hit her.

It was over. Everything was over. Her very reason for living was gone. She had nothing but an alcoholic dad, an empty bank account, and a shitty social life.

Tears came streaming down her cheeks as she buried her face in a pillow, quietly sobbing. She cried as much as when she received the news about her mother. Ayla couldn't believe it was happening again. She stayed curled up under the blankets as the sun came up the next morning. She stayed that way even until the morning after that, long after her tears had dried up. For more than 24 hours, Ayla couldn't bring herself to leave the bed.

The sun glaring into her eyes for the second day in a row was what finally pushed Ayla to get out of bed. When she sat up, she decided to go to Sam's house.

Might as well meet his parents. Maybe they'd like to meet the only kid Sam was friends with, Ayla thought bitterly as she walked downstairs. Stopping only to grab some cash from her dad's wallet, she quickly headed outside.

Ayla had never been to Sam's house. She only knew where it was because Sam had given her his contact information when they exchanged phone numbers. Calling for a taxi, Ayla sat on the curb with her head down. Sitting silently, she listened to the wind and trees. It wasn't long before the cab showed up. Ayla hopped inside, gave the driver Sam's address, and stared out the window. She wasn't in the mood for conversation.

Ayla didn't think about much as the cab made its way through intersections and past buildings. She simply stared. She wasn't even aware of the fact that she'd spaced out until the she heard the cab driver saying they'd arrived. She tossed him enough cash to cover the fare and quickly got out.

Ayla didn't hesitate. She simply walked up to the house and knocked on the door. And waited. And waited. She tried again, but with a firmer knock. This time, however, the force of the knock slowly pushed open the door. Realizing nobody was home, Ayla contemplated leaving.

When else might I get to see Sam's house? Might as well take a look to see what his home-life was like.

She stepped inside and looked around. To Ayla, the house was... ordinary. It looked like any other house.

Did I expect something different? chuckled Ayla. But it was a humorless laugh. She wandered around, trying to find something that would justify her curiosity of the house.

Nothing... nothing... nothing.

The only room she hadn't searched was Sam's. She quickly made her way over to it. She knew it was his by the Pokémon posters stretching across the door.

The ghost of a smile touched Ayla's lips. Only Sam.

She slowly opened the door and stepped inside. Ayla felt a gasp escape her lips as she took in the sight around her.

Scrap parts and machinery covered the room. Wires, cables, LED screens, buttons, triggers, motherboards, and circuitry were all scattered across the floor. Machines with strange lights and buttons displayed numbers and symbols Ayla couldn't even begin to understand.

Guess he really was an inventor. This is some seriously crazy shit.

As her eyes scanned the room, they stopped on a small desk in the corner. It was the only part of the room not hidden by the scrap metal and parts, and grabbed Ayla's interests. She made her way over and examined the items on the table. When she realized what was there, a chill ran down her spine. A shiny new Nintendo DS was placed next to an envelope. In Sam's loopy handwriting read a single word:

Ayla

The young girl didn't believe in ghosts or the supernatural, but it'd be a lie to say she wasn't terrified at that moment. Opening the envelope with trembling fingers, she let out a breath when she saw the first two words:

Happy Birthday!

Just the birthday card and gift he'd mentioned before, she thought, laughing at her own expense.

Ayla cleared a space on Sam's bed and sat down to read the surprisingly short note. She knew Sam didn't say much, but when he did, it was always well thought out and elaborate. It was unlike him to write so little. Regardless, she began reading.

Ayla-
Thank you. I know it's your birthday, but I feel like this day is just as special to me. You've been more than I could have hoped for in a friend and hope this gift will show just how much you mean to me. A new life awaits us.
-Sam

If her tear ducts hadn't run dry by this point, Ayla was sure she'd be sobbing again. Instead she picked up the DS, wondering what Sam's message meant.

A new life awaits us?

There was no game inside the slot, but she powered it up anyways. There were no loading screens, it simply started. Familiar music filled her ears as the sound of the Pokémon start screen began. Ayla had a smile plastered on her face up until the splash screen finally displayed itself.

Pokémon Rebirth? I've never even heard of that... Did Sam make me my own game?

There was no usual professor to welcome her to the world of Pokémon. It simply asked for a name. Ayla, unfamiliar with the DS's touchscreen, slowly typed in her name.

A...Y...L...A...Enter

The moment she pressed that final key, the screen began flashing. Ayla sat frozen, unable to tear her eyes away from the display. Hundreds of colors appeared before her eyes as the music sped up. She tried letting go of the DS but her fingers were firmly locked. Faster and faster the colors flashed as her vision swam. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as Ayla's sight slowly turned to black. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was the familiar blip-blip-blip of a new character entering the world of Pokémon.