Chapter Two

One week later…

I was relieved when we finally arrived home. It felt like ages since I had been anywhere near Hoenn and it felt lovely to be back. My house was exactly how I remembered it: on the edge of town; quaint and quiet. Littleroot town was absolutely beautiful, especially in the spring. There were blooming flowers everywhere and I could smell their sweet scent in the warm breeze.

With Father's help, I took my suitcases up to my room and began to unpack. After several hours, we finally managed to unpack my things and organize my room. We were both exhausted by the time we finished.

We went downstairs and ate dinner, and then sat outside on the porch and watched the sun set.

"It's hard to believe that you're already grown up…and here soon, you will be going off on your very own Pokemon journey," Father sighed. "It seems like it was just yesterday that you were born."

"I will come visit you as much as I can dad. I won't forget about you." I said.

"You know…at some point, we will have to face each other in battle. I'm still the gym leader of Petalburg." Father said.

"I look forwards to that battle." I replied.

Father grinned. "I do as well. Knowing you, it will be one hell of a battle." He laughed.

The two of us lingered on the porch until the sun slipped beneath the horizon. After the sun's last bleeding rays faded, we went inside and went to bed.

XXXXX

For the next few days, I hung around the house and spent quality time with Father. After spending the past ten years in the International Pokemon Academy, it was nice to be able to spend time with him at home. I had forgotten how much I truly loved Littleroot town and the people here. These folks were much kinder than the people I had been around in school. The adults didn't look at me with contempt and the children didn't bully me. They all seemed glad to have me back after so long.

Every morning, Father would make us breakfast and then go to his gym. Then he would return home every evening. While he was at his gym, I hung around the house. I would do chores around the house until noon and then I would take a stroll around Littleroot town. In the evenings, I would cook dinner and have it ready by the time Father came home. After dinner we would usually watch TV or play video games together.

I found myself easily falling into this new routine. I preferred it over having to get up at dawn to go to eat breakfast and go to class until dusk. Father was much easier to get along with than the snooty kids I had went to school with.

XXXXX

When Father and I got up in the morning, we proceeded with our typical routine. He made breakfast and we ate, and then he went off to his gym. I did some laundry, cleaned the dishes and tidied up the house, which took until noon. I made myself a sandwich for lunch and then I went out to walk around town.

I strolled down the street, breathing in the clean air, fragranced with the delicious scents of flowers and grass.

I stopped when I saw Professor Birch's lab up ahead. When I was a young child, I had always wondered what was inside and what Professor Birch did in there. After attending the Pokemon School, I learned that the Professor gave out starter Pokemon and a Pokedex for trainers beginning their journey, and that she studied Pokemon and their habitats.

"Greetings Zakira."

I nearly leapt out of my skin. I had thought I was alone out here. Apparently I was wrong.

When I turned around, I saw a young boy that looked to be about sixteen years old. He was sitting on the porch of a nearby house, looking right at me. He had short sandy blonde hair and freckles all over his face.

"Uhh, hello." I said.

"You don't remember me, do you?" He asked.

I stared at him for a moment. There was absolutely nothing familiar about this boy at all. I felt bad because I felt like I was supposed to know him.

"Er…no." I said.

"My name is Aeon," He said. "I am Professor Birch's son."

"Oh, right. It's been so long…I didn't recognize you." I replied.

Aeon got up and came over to me. I had expected him to be shorter than me but that certainly wasn't the case. I barely came up to his shoulder.

"It certainly has been a long time. How does it feel to be back in your hometown?" He asked.

"It's nice…I like it better here than at school." I said.

"I don't suggest getting too comfortable. Tomorrow, my mother is giving out starter Pokemon to trainers ready to begin their journeys. I suggest you get there early. It's first come, first serve." He said.

I opened my mouth to respond, but he was gone before I had the chance to even say anything. For a boy his height, he certainly was nimble.

Strange boy. I thought. I suppose I better get in bed early tonight if the professor is giving Pokemon out tomorrow.

After I finished my stroll around town, I returned home and cooked dinner. I set the table and made the plates as usual. I sat at the table and waited for Father. I sat there for a couple hours, waiting for him to come in…but he didn't. I was starting to become worried.

Eventually, I decided to text him. I found it bizarre that he didn't answer my texts. When that didn't work, I decided to call him. His phone didn't ring at all, which was bizarre to me. He usually answered his phone pretty quickly, especially if it was me trying to contact him.

Something isn't right here…he should've already been back by now. I thought. There must be a reason why he's not answering his phone…

Dread crept into my heart as I started to imagine all the things that could've went wrong on his way back home. What if he had been abducted? What if he had been killed? Dread was rapidly turning into panic. I started to pace back and forth, trying to calm myself down.

No one could kill or abduct him. That's impossible! He is an incredibly strong person and he has powerful Pokemon with him. Plus, not many people can get past his gym trainers. They're almost as strong as he is. I thought. He will come home soon enough. Perhaps he is just busy…yes, that must be it.

I waited until sundown for him to come in, but he never did. I put his dinner in a container and then went to bed. Perhaps he would be home in the morning.

XXXXX

I woke up this morning, feeling excited. I yawned and got out of the bed. Today was the day that I would get my first Pokemon! I would finally be able to use the knowledge I had learned in the International Pokemon Academy.

I jumped out of bed and raced downstairs, expecting to see Father at the table with breakfast. Excitement became sadness when I didn't see him. I looked all through the house. My anxiety increased as time went on. There was no sign of him anywhere.

Something isn't right here. Father just doesn't disappear. He would have told me if he had gone somewhere. I thought.

I returned to the kitchen and made myself a bowl of cereal. As I ate, I contemplated on what I should do.

Perhaps I could ask Professor Birch where he was. She might know something. I thought.

I scarfed down the rest of my cereal and went upstairs to get ready. I showered, fixed my hair and put on some clean clothes. I raced off to Professor Birch's lab.

Upon arrival at the lab, I saw a huge crowd. I could see Aeon and two other kids standing at the door. Parents and younger siblings were gathered several feet away, watching them with excitement.

I didn't really recognize the two kids that were beside Aeon. Both of them were boys and they appeared to be my age. They were bickering with each other about what Pokemon they were going to choose.

Seconds after I joined the three of them, Professor Birch appeared from her lab. She looked a little surprised to see so many people at her door.

"Settle down now. All four of you will get a Pokemon." Professor Birch said.

"Is my father in there?" I asked.

Professor Birch looked at me like I was an idiot. "Umm…no, he's not. I haven't seen him recently." She said.

My heart dropped. Now I knew that something was definitely not right. Father wouldn't miss this day for anything. Perhaps something really had happened to him yesterday….

"Not only are you late, but your daddy isn't here to watch you get your first Pokemon!" One of the boys howled. He had shaggy red hair and glasses.

"If you want your first Pokemon then I suggest you get in here, Darrick!" Professor Birch snapped.

Darrick strode into the lab behind Professor Birch. He shot me a smug look at he went inside.

Stupid bastard, I thought. Watch him get Torchic. My Torchic!

"How are we all going to get a Pokemon? There are four of us and only three starters!" I despaired.

"My mother is a fair person. She will make sure all of us get a Pokemon." Aeon said.

"I wish I shared your optimism." I muttered.

Aeon was silent for a moment. He shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"It's awfully strange that your father isn't here, Zakira. I was certain that you two would be the first people here." He said.

"I haven't seen him since yesterday…I can't help but to think something bad happened to him." I replied.

"Do you think someone captured him?" He asked.

Please no…how could he have gotten abducted? If he did, it must have happened sometime yesterday. I thought. But it doesn't make any sense. Father has strong Pokemon and he's a gym leader. No ordinary criminal could take him down.

My mind was filled with awful images of intruders capturing my father and taking him away. My heart clenched with grief. What if I never saw him again?

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice Aeon and the third kid, Alaric, getting their Pokemon. The three boys were showing off their brand new Pokemon to the crowd.

Aeon came over to me with his Treecko. His blue eyes were shining with happiness.

"Isn't she so adorable? I named her Camelia!" Aeon said.

"Congratulations Aeon," I murmured.

I looked at Professor Birch. She was beaming with pride as she watched her son playing with his new Treecko. Her gaze darkened with a strange emotion when she looked at me. Was that pity that I saw?

"Zakira, I'm afraid we're out of starter Pokemon." Professor Birch said slowly.

All the gathered kids and their parents stared at me. An awkward silence hung over the congregation of people.

My turmoil of rage, disappointment and sadness had been boiling inside me like a volcano, gradually building up. Upon hearing this, I lost it.

"Are you kidding me?" I exploded. "I've been waiting for my first Pokemon for ten years!"

Alaric and Darrick burst out laughing. My face grew hot with fury. I should've known that something like this would happen!

"Of course you would do this to me!" I shouted.

"Zakira wait, I-" Professor Birch said.

"Leave me alone!" I ran away.

I ran back towards my house, away from the others. I was embarrassed, furious and devastated all at the same time. Tears began to stream down my face.

Of course today would manage to become a terrible day! I thought. Not only is Father missing but I didn't even get a Pokemon! I'm such a failure! I wasted ten years in school for nothing!

By the time I reached my house, I was out of breath. I wanted this to just be a bad dream. I wanted to wake up soon to find Father at home and to have him with me when I received my first Pokemon. But deep down inside, I knew all of this was real. I knew Father was gone and I had no starter Pokemon.

I sat down on my porch to catch my breath. I did my best to push down my feelings of anger, frustration and sadness. Crying like a child wouldn't solve my problems. I would have to figure out what to do on my own…like an adult. I was eighteen years old. It was time to start acting like it.

I sighed and looked down the street. Up ahead was Route 101, which to Oldale Town. The only way to get to Petalburg City from here was going through Oldale Town.

Maybe if I can make it to his gym, I can find out what is going on. One of his friends is bound to be there. Maybe they know where he is. I thought.

I took a deep breath and began to walk down the road. Professor Birch and the humiliation I had just endured were the last things on my mind right now. I was far more concerned with finding Father. My Pokemon journey would just have to wait.

"Zakira!" I heard the voice of Professor Birch in the distance.

I ignored her and continued to walk towards Route 101.

"DON'T WALK IN THE GRASS!" Professor Birch screamed. Her voice was a lot louder this time.

Her warning came too late. Three Poochyena were already upon me. They were snapping and barking at me. I screamed in terror. I was totally defenseless against the three angry Pokemon. All I could do was curl up and put my hands over my head.

"Pikachu, go!" Professor Birch said.

With a flash of light, a Pikachu appeared. I peeked to see the battle. I hadn't ever seen a real Pikachu before. Pikachu weren't native to Hoenn and I never did see any while I was at school. It was a rather cute looking Pokemon.

"Thundershock!" Professor Birch commanded.

The three Poochyena squalled in pain as the Pikachu shocked them. They quickly ran back into the forest.

Professor Birch returned the Pikachu to its Pokeball and came over to me. I quickly got to my feet, suddenly felt self-conscious. Not only did I get attacked by wild Pokemon, but I had to be saved from them. Professor Birch probably thought even less of me now. She probably thought I was a sniveling child.

"Are you alright, Zakira?" Professor Birch asked. Her eyes scanned over me, looking for any signs of injury.

"I'm fine." I grumbled. My face was hot with shame.

"Don't you know you can't go into the wilderness alone? It's teeming with wild Pokemon!" Professor Birch said.

"Yes, I know." I replied.

"Why did you run off like that?" Professor Birch asked.

"I was pissed because you gave everyone else a Pokemon but me!" I spat.

Professor Birch sighed and shook her head slowly.

"You didn't let me finish. I said I was out of starter Pokemon. I still have one Pokemon left," She said. "Come with me."

Reluctantly, I followed Professor Birch back to her lab. I was relieved to see that everyone else had already left. It was just the professor and her assistants in the lab. Even Aeon was gone.

Alaric, Aeon and Darrick have already gotten to start their journeys, while I'm still in Littleroot Town! I thought. They probably will already have beaten a gym leader by the time I get out of here!

"Zakira, have you ever heard of shiny Pokemon?" Professor Birch asked once we got inside the lab.

"Yes." I said. I vaguely remembered covering the topic in school.

"Not many people have," She said. "A shiny Pokemon is a differently colored Pokemon. For instance, average Mudkip are blue but shiny Mudkip are purple."

"So, are you giving me a shiny Pokemon?" I asked.

"Indeed. But this isn't an average shiny Pokemon. This is something much more spectacular. Look." Professor Birch pulled out a strange red Pokeball. Unlike typical Pokeballs, that were red and white, this one was completely red.

"This here is a truly rare phenomenon. Never in my life have I ever seen a Pikachu quite like this." Professor Birch said, releasing the Pokemon inside.

A Pikachu appeared before my eyes. I was shocked to see that it was blue all over. It had had blue fur, pale blue cheeks and stripes, and it had blue eyes.

"Where did you get that Pokemon?" I gasped.

"Where did you get that human?" The Pikachu snapped.

My mouth dropped open in shock. I'd never seen a Pokemon that could talk before!

"As you can see, she can talk as well," Professor Birch said. "And she's rather sassy."

"You would be sassy too if you stayed locked up in a damn Pokeball all the time!" The Pikachu remarked.

"Well, this is the only Pokemon I have left, other than my own personal Pokemon. I'd like for you to take her with you. She isn't native to Hoenn. One of my colleagues sent her to me to study. But I think she would be better off with you."

"Of course I'll take her!" I exclaimed. I scooped her up in my arms.

"Put me down you wretched beast! You can't have me!" The Pikachu hissed.

"Good luck with her," Professor Birch said. "Before you go, I have a favor to ask you."

"Yes?" I said. I sighed inwardly. I wanted to start my quest, not run an errand.

"Can you pick up my parcel from the Pokemon mart in Oldale Town? It finally came in this morning, and I'm not going to be able to go into town anytime soon. I am quite busy here." She said.

"Er…sure," I said.

"Great. Thanks!" She sighed with relief. "You may leave now."

I ran outside, my mind buzzing with excitement. As soon as I went outside, Pikachu jumped out of my arms.

"Freedom!" She cried.

"Get in your Pokeball." I commanded.

"Screw you!" Pikachu slapped the Pokeball from my hand. She turned and started running towards the forest.

"I said, get in your Pokeball!" I threw the Pokeball at her.

The Pikachu screamed as the Pokeball opened up and sucked her up inside. I watched as the ball rocked wildly. I could imagine her fighting fiercely inside.

Once the ball stopped moving, I picked it up.

How in the hell am I supposed to keep this thing under control? It won't even listen to me! I thought.

Umm, I'm not a 'thing' you fool! I'm a female Pikachu! The voice of Pikachu said. I could hear it clearly in my head.

Pikachu? Are you in my head? I thought.

Yes you dunce. I'm speaking to you via telepathy! You locked me up in this damned ball, so how else can I speak to you? She said.

You were trying to run away. That's why I put you back in your Pokeball. I said.

If I don't run away, will you let me out? She growled.

Alright, I'll give you another chance. But first, I need to stop by my house. I have to pack my bag so we can leave. I replied.

I returned to my house for supplies. Father had always told me to be prepared before I went anywhere, because anything could happen. 'It's better to be safe than sorry', he would always say.

I went up to my room and let Pikachu out. As soon as she got out, she tried to make a run for the window. However, the window was down so she couldn't escape. She smacked into the window and plopped ungracefully on the floor.

"Curses," Pikachu spat. "What is this place?"

"My room," I said.

"I can see outside but this…this thing is preventing me from getting out! Is it some kind of force field?" Pikachu hissed. Her lightning bolt shaped tail lashed in fury.

"It's called a window. I closed it so you couldn't escape." I replied.

"How clever human," Pikachu conceded. She jumped up on my bed and looked around. "Is this where you came from?"

"I live here with my father. This is just my room." I said.

"You just have one other human you live with?" Pikachu asked.

"Yes." I said.

"Where are the others?" She glanced around.

"Every human doesn't live together in the same house. Families share a house, but human families are generally small." I answered.

"Strange," Pikachu said. "Pikachu live in clans, led by the strongest member. Where is your leader?"

"Umm…I don't have a leader. The only person I have to answer to is my father." I said.

Pikachu jumped into the floor and ran over to my computer. I continued to pack my things as she explored my room.

"What is this contraption?" Pikachu stared into my computer screen. She warily reached out and poked the screen.

"It's a computer." I said.

"Why do you need this thing when you have the forest?" Pikachu asked.

"Computers are used to store Pokemon and contact other people throughout the world and to get on the Internet." I said.

"You keep Pokemon inside there?" Pikachu gasped. She looked horrified.

"No, not inside the computer…I can't explain the process to you, because I don't even understand it myself. Next time I see Professor Birch I will ask her to explain it to you," I sighed.

I went into my bathroom to gather some toiletries. As soon as I opened the door, Pikachu darted out.

"Please don't destroy my house. I want it to be neat and tidy when Father returns." I said.

"What is this Father you speak of?" Pikachu asked. "I haven't seen it yet."

"He is my parent…I know Pokemon have parents too. They're the ones who bring you into this world…I guess you must call your parents something else besides 'mother' and 'father'." I said.

"Indeed. Since I'm stuck with you, I might as well tell you my name. I'm tired of being called Pikachu," She said. "My name is Fafa."

"My name is Zakira." I replied.

"So you humans have names as well. How interesting," Fafa murmured.

Once I gathered all the things that I thought I would need, I returned to my bedroom. I stood beside my bed for a moment, debating if I should take the Pikachu doll that Father gave me. I had it ever since I could remember.

"What is that?" Fafa asked, pointing to the Pikachu doll.

"This is my Pikachu doll," I said. "Father gave it to me."

Fafa took the Pikachu doll and squeezed its stomach. "It seems to have no bones or insides. What did you do to it?"

"It's not alive, Fafa. It's just a stuffed toy made to resemble a real Pikachu." I said as I put the doll in my bag.

"Dolls," Fafa mumbled. "Pikachu don't carry around human dolls."

"Are you ready to go, Fafa?" I asked.

"Go where?" Fafa blinked.

"Well…we're going to travel around Hoenn. And hopefully find my father somewhere along the way." I said.

"I suppose we better get going then. Nighttime will be here before long." Fafa replied.

Fafa climbed up onto my shoulder and we went outside. I locked the door behind me and put my key in my pocket. For a moment, I stood in the front yard, staring at my house. It seemed so empty now. Without Father, it didn't seem like my house at all.

I sighed and walked away. With Fafa on my shoulder, I went into the forest. My quest to become a Pokemon master was finally beginning.