The sleek metal shone in the sunlight. The brilliant red was entrancing; it was finally a reality. Sixteen years of patient waiting but finally she commanded her own Pokemon. In the Orre region, there is a small village to the north of Phenac city. Little is known about this village; the inhabitants keep to themselves and very few explorers who venture near it return to their places of departure. Nestled on the outskirts of the desert, where life blossoms, the remote village was sheltered from both the harsh winds of misfortune and the gentle zephyrs of destiny.
When a child reaches the age of sixteen, they are adults and are granted a single Pokemon as well as the freedom to choose their own path in life. Today was that day for Ariette. She had waited, bided her time, for each day until she finally reached that precious age and could hold a Pokeball in her hands. The warmth of life was more soothing than the heat of the metal itself. Finally, it was hers.
The seam split around the middle of the ball, pouring a red light into the scene. When the light had subsided, her very own Seedot stood on the grass, gazing lazily up at its new master. It pivoted on the spot, happily rejoicing in its freedom and immersed itself in the long grass. Auburn hair flowed like silk from her head, blowing in the breeze. Elegant, sharp features regarded the Pokemon.
"Seedot! Nice to meet you!" the young trainer called, grinning. "I'm Ariette!" The Pokemon stilled, looking up at her again.
"Don't ya wish your girlfriend was hot like me!" the Pokemon sang, summoning a backing melody from thin air. The scene melted into darkness and the feeling of a gentle breeze was replaced by the suffocating tightness of a blanket, the artificial warmth of a bed.
The blur of sleep quickly left her vision to reveal the room she had come to think of as a coffin for the last few years. It was not that Ariette hated her home or her family but she yearned to escape, to be free, and travel the world. A small envelope was left on her bedside table. Opening it carefully, she smiled at the birthday card left by her mother.
Ariette's mother was sitting alone in the kitchen, hunched over the table. Clad in clothes she refused to be seen in outside, the ageing woman drew circles with her fingernails on the wooden desk. As the teen came down the stairs. Smoke rose from the pan on the burning stove.
"Hey, mum..." she started cautiously. "I think the brunch is burning."
"Oh, is it?" the elder sniffed in reply, looking up at the pillar of smoke now billowing through the room.
"Um, yeah!" Ariette said with just a hint of sarcasm. She rushed to the sink, running the charred Tauros steaks under water, before falling into a chair next to her mother. Tears streaked the old woman's cheeks.
"Mum...you okay?" Ariette had never seen her parents cry before.
"Of course, dear. You've just..." Her mother gave her a watery smile. "Grown up so fast."
"Aw, mum, get a grip! It's not like I'm dying!" Her parent choked back a sob and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"I know, love. I'm just being a worry wart mum." The hand squeezed the youth's shoulder.
"So do you know when I can go to community centre and get my Pokemon?" Ariette asked eagerly.
"Not sure, love. They'll probably come to you."
"Really? Why would they come to me? Everyone else collects theirs."
"Oh? Do they?" mother asked, glancing quickly at the door and blinking back more tears.
"Well, I'll go after breakfast, hey?"
The family dined in silence. Ariette somehow had managed to salvage the steaks and pass them off as smoked barbecue flavour. After the plates had been cleaned and the cutlery rinsed, a knock came upon the door. Standing on the welcome mat was a man overdressed both for the temperature and the scene; he was clad in a business suit bordering on Tuxedo-style on a rather pleasant summer day.
"Ariette Knight?" the stranger asked in his deep, almost ominous voice.
"Yeah, that's me," Ariette replied, not taking her hand off the doorknob.
"You recently turned sixteen. This is correct?"
"Mhmm, I turned sixteen today."
"Good. Would you please come with me?" The stranger began to turn on the doorstep, moving toward away from the house.
"Er, I'm just a bit confused." He turned his attention back to him, an air of exasperation descending upon him. "Why am I being collected? I heard everyone had to get their Pokemon by going to the town centre on their own." She left her statement hanging, hoping to draw answers to an unasked question.
"I'm feeling especially charitable today."
"So you've gone to the houses of all the new sixteen year-olds?" Ariette asked, leaning through the door frame, expecting to see droves of teenagers.
"Thankfully you are one of the few – and the last for today."
"Wait. You came to me last?" Indignation was beginning to rise in her chest.
"Would you not rather spend this time getting your new Pokemon? I am happy to answer whatever questions you may have but I had thought your preference would not be to talk to me."
"...Right. Sorry." The young girl hung her head, trying to hide the pink tinge in her cheeks.
"Thank you. Shall we?" It was less a question than it was a command. He completed the pivot from earlier and began marching toward the city centre.
She hurried along in his footsteps, leaving her mother in the house with a new wave of tears cascading down her face.
Intertwined stone paths guided the denizens throughout the village and preserved much of the natural greenery. Their bungalows stood far enough apart for generous gardens and views of the trees that guarded their township. As though a diagram of the sun they worshiped, the paths converged together in the middle of the village toward the town hall, branching out to groups of houses or the markets.
People darted about, tending to their gardens or playing with their children. Ariette was friendly with only a few of her neighbours - she used to play with their children when she was younger but as they grew up her relationship with her fellows dwindled. She and her entourage were the recipients of more than one curious glance. Faces disappeared behind corners or were hastily returned to their menial tasks when she returned their gazes. Still, they walked. The excitement made the trek feel far longer than it was. Ariette could barely stop herself from skipping ahead of her companions.
The community centre, which was essentially the village's City Hall, was a large domed building. It dwarfed the surrounding houses with its impressive stature and glorious ornate roofing. In the very centre of the village, it served as a reminder to the people that the village was still united. Would-be separatists often found solace and peace in the halls of this impressive building.
The inside was a fitting counterpart to the outside: art plastered every wall, illuminated by the radiant sunlight pouring through the domed ceiling. Crossing the floor, Ariette was shown into a lavish office. The strange suited man seated himself behind the desk and motioned for her to sit opposite him.
"I assume you know why we've brought you here?" he questioned, gazing at her intently.
"I've got a general idea, yeah." Excitement was building up within her. It was finally time.
"Good." He looked to the corner of the room before bringing his eyes back to her. "Now, despite being sixteen, you are still...pure. This is correct?"
"What sort of question is that?" she spat, incredulous.
"You have not engaged in any physical...indulgences with a boy or a girl, have you?" His stare was intent – enough to convince Ariette that the question was serious.
"No...I haven't." She hung her head again, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Good." He glanced over her shoulder again before bringing an oddly-forced smile to her.
"So..." she pressed, becoming restless. She wanted her Pokemon now.
"So what?" He sounded genuinely puzzled.
"When do I get my Pokemon!" Ariette was on her feet now. Impatience had spawned anger and frustration. The man tented his fingers and met her increasing rage with eerie calm. He looked to the corner once more before uttering the words that sank her heart to her stomach.
"You will not be receiving a Pokemon."
Darkness.
Voices surrounded Ariette, oppressing her tender eardrums. This was not the general buzz and hum of a crowd's massed conversation - they were chanting. Wrenching her eyes open, they were immediately stung by smoke. Bright orange orbs danced in circles around her, highlighting the crowd against the trees. The lump on the back of her head throbbed as if she had been punched and a stiff wooden board dug into her spine.
"What's going on?" she yelled, pulling at the ropes that bound her wrists to the board, succumbing to the panic. The dancers merely looked at her, slightly amused as if she were a particularly unspectacular clown.
"To appease the great God of Thunder and Lightning," one of the lead dancers began to call, reading from a book. "We offer a virgin sacrifice. The purest of creatures is offered up in the flames in the hopes You see fit to spare our village from the wrath of the Storm."
The words were clear to her but the meaning took a few moments to fully sink into Ariette's mind: she was the virgin sacrifice. Her mother knew about this; it explained the crying and why should would be collected from home as opposed to seeing the centre herself. It was all beginning to make sense now. Only one element was missing: how to escape.
The flames moved closer. Only now did she dare to look at her feet. She was tied to a wooden pole, standing atop a pyre. The flames met the wooden platform, igniting her last defence. The heat rose around her, more smoke filled her eyes and lungs. The air around her became hazy, blurring out the soon-to-be murderers.
The darkness of the smoke met the dark abyss of death. They danced together, fused, merged. It was only a matter of seconds before the reaper's skeletal grip closed around her throat. Screams erupting from the distance were so quiet. Shapes moved around in front of her; the sea of flesh parted. The trees rustled and bushes danced away from a brown figure darting between them.
Ariette forced her eyes open again. She had given up, accepted the fate she had apparently been dealt since birth. Harsh winds blew at the fire, cutting into her cheeks with the force of small pebbles. Flames whipped up in front of her but quickly died down as she felt the ropes binding her wrists come loose. Falling onto the pile of warm sticks, she caught a glimpse of the brown creature disappearing into the clearing beyond a large boulder.
People ran about in all directions, eager to escape the assailant; screams and calls followed the heads as they fled to the village. There was only one hope for her future and for her life: follow whatever saved her.