"Hey Cheren," White said, flopping onto her burgundy bedspread. "You said you wanted to become the President, right?"
Resting his hands in his blue coat pockets, the boy in question turned and looked at her solemnly. For a moment, his serious eyes glimmered nervously, but he quickly coughed and regained composure. "Yes, what about it?" he asked.
"Well. Don't you have to be an Unovan born citizen to become the President? You were born in another country, right? Somewhere in Asia." White pointed at the ceiling, almost as if she were unsure of where Asia actually was. "Uh, Kanto. The capital."
"Yes..." He knew that she was teasing him.
"Hm! Just how many laws were you planning on breaking, mah boy?"
Cheren's proud posture crumpled upon hearing this. "It's not fair," he muttered, knowing that he had few memories of his home country. "I've lived here most of my life, so..."
"Hm... Don't worry. Anything is possible in Unova," White explained, shrugging carelessly like a typical Unovan. "But picture this: If you make enough money, you could buy whatever law you want in place. With that brain of yours, I know you'll make enough money to buy a whole fleet of soda pop machines."
"I see... You just want soda pop."
"What? No! I was making an example," White argued, resting her arms akimbo. "And I'm not so transparent. I like soda pop, sure, but that's not all I like."
"You're right," Cheren sighed, walking away to idly play with the pens on her desk. "But it's hard to figure out those other things. You change your mind about everything, after alll..."
"Yeah yeah," she rudely dismissed his musing. "So earlier, you said something about becoming the Champion... What was that about?"
Cheren's irritation showed as he yanked the computer chair out from under the desk. His goal was self-explanatory, and he knew that she was playing dumb with him again.
"It's just that," he retorted, sitting down. "I want to become the Champion."
"Thee Champion?"
"Yes. In the country where I was born, there had been many past child champions... prodigy trainers. Like them, I've always wanted to become one. More than anything else, I want to become that kind of trainer."
"Hmm." White sat up and held her chin, gazing at Cheren's determined face. Though the boy sat, posed with mature restraint, there was a childish spark in the way he spoke. After a few seconds of thought, White averted her gaze and nodded unhappily.
"Go for it," she said. "I think you can certainly become the Champion."
"You think so?" he exclaimed, losing himself for a moment. Adjusting his glasses, he became solemn once again and turned his attention to the desk. "I mean, of course. Though... If I'm not mistaken... you sound upset about it."
The bed creaked as White moved and flipped her legs over its other side.
"Ha. I won't lie," she said harshly, "I'm just a little jealous, is all."
Cheren froze at this; stretching his neck, he tried to catch a glimpse of her face, though she had turned away with only her back visible.
"Jealous? Of me?" he almost laughed. You? Who never has to worry about anything? Unlike Bianca, your parents would trust you with jumping off a cliff if you so desired. Unlike me, you can absorb a whole textbook in under an hour... I have to cram all day and night just to keep up with you... And then you beat me without even batting an eye.
In truth– I often find myself hating you.
"It's funny to you, huh," White retorted, sounding hurt, and making him wonder if she could hear his envious thoughts. "But it's like this. You know exactly what you want to do with your life. It amazes me, puts me in awe, and then it alienates me. Everyone else seems to know exactly what they want to be. Because of this... I can't help but feel a little lonely. You, and soon even Bianca... you'll all grow up and leave me behind."
Though Cheren listened carefully to her honest explanation and nodded his head understandingly, he was immediately exasperated by her immaturity– her spoiled sense of boredom– and her lack of any real concerns.
"You'll have to grow up eventually," he said with a huff. "Just pick a goal and run at it with your all... That's what the professor will be expecting from us soon."
"What if I don't want to grow up?" White pouted, fake tears welling in her eyes. "What if I can't stick to a goal?"
"Then I'll force you to," he added finally. Turning to her computer, he shook the mouse and woke it so he could search the internet for a remedy for her fickleness.
"Hey... Don't touch or look through my folders," she suddenly warned, turning around to glare at him. "Or else you might find my SECRET...STASH."
"..."
At the final realization of her words, his cheeks burned red and he clumsily fell off the chair. Holding his face in awkward shame, he became even more conscious as White roared with laughter.
"What a response!" she managed out between guffaws. "I was only messing with you. ...So you know what I'm talking about, huh? Any good reads lately?"
Everyday, she was getting even more shocking and brazen. She was bored and trying everything– and she never meant anything. If he didn't already know this about her, he would've long ago written her off as a shameless idiot.
You really are... a devil. A wild creature living in the gray-area.
"I did read something," Cheren said, indignantly standing up. "A judo book." Running forward, he grabbed her heels and yanked her forward, sliding her off the bed and dropping her to the floor.
"Ow!" she yelled angrily, getting up and rubbing her back. Suddenly flashing her sharp teeth, she grinned like a maniac.
"Grr... As they say on Koukan Talk," she pronounced terribly; "'Ossu! Katsu zo'!" Lunging at him, she wrapped her arm around his neck and grabbed him into a headlock.
"Koukan Talk's ... a bad program... Hfff..." he chocked, profusely wriggling and struggling in place for several long moments. At last, his body went limp and his strength gave out, though his pride kept him from surrendering. Why must I always lose to you?
"Hmm. You need to lift more books, bro," White told him, letting go and leaving him to writhe on the floor. "Say, what's keeping Bianca? I thought I smelled her downstairs earlier."
"What?" Cheren choked further, unsure of whether she was joking or not.
"Yep. I can smell you, too. Does that creep you out?" It was impossible to know if she was being serious or not.
As soon as this was said, footsteps pounded up the stairs and Bianca appeared, throwing her arms into the air and waiving her green hat around.
"Am I a little late again?" she panted, her widened eyes darting between her two friends. "So-oooo-orry!"
Recovering from White's near-crippling attack, Cheren stood up, brushed off his pants, and hurried over to Bianca– where he proceeded to scold her. Though the holdup from her strict father was understandable, he was infuriated to discover that the girl had been downstairs the whole time.
"But White's mom was making pie," Bianca cried. "I wanted to sample the dough first, though it was kinda flavorless and buttery. Sorry, White... No offense!"
"Bianca, it's PIE DOUGH," Cheren bursted passionately. "It's SUPPOSED to be 'flavorless and buttery'."
Frightened by his flailing arms, Bianca whimpered and ducked, crouching towards the room's center rug.
"Guys," White interrupted, tapping her foot. "There's a gift addressed to us, right behind me. Let's open it."
"...Yes," Cheren agreed, switching moods from hot to cold and then hot again. "Today's the day we can get a pokemon from Professor Juniper!"
"I know." Bianca said, seeming to not really know at all. "Sorry, White. Sorry, Cheren." Stepping closer, she stopped behind White and cluelessly glanced around, her green eyes wandering right past the giant gift box perched atop the side table.
"So," she said; "where are the pokemon?"
"..."
"..."
Though Cheren was stupefied into silence, White couldn't help but smirk amusedly. After a bloated moment of thought, Bianca turned red and flailed her arms, finally understanding the contents of the gift box.
"They were delivered to White's house, so White gets first pick!" she declared forcefully, hoping to move past the awkward silence.
"Naturally." Cheren nodded, a sneaky grin forming on his mouth. Marching over to White's side, he pushed his glasses up dramatically and struck a pose. "Pokemon are waiting for us inside that gift box!" he blasted, pointing ahead. "Ok, White, you go first and take a peek. I want to meet the pokemon right now!"
"Alright, don't get your specs all fogged up," White warned, take the box's lid in one hand and the attached letter in the other. Silently, she pulled the paper close and read it, discovering that it was simply a note from Professor Juniper telling them to behave.
"What does it say?" Cheren demanded.
"It says, 'Dear Pesky Trainers'," White lied; "The Koopalings and I have taken over the Mushroom Kingdom!"
"NO, for REAL," Cheren yelled angrily, not amused at all. Bianca laughed along with White, infuriating the boy further. "Would it hurt you to be serious for once? ...Whatever. Just choose a pokemon already."
Setting down her things, White focused intensely and began rummaging around in the box. What the heck? she thought, picking up each pokeball and looking through their tiny button windows. I'm supposed to choose one? A sea creature, a fiery farm animal, and a smug snake... I don't know about this.
"You find one yet?" Bianca asked.
"I..." White trailed off, fumbling around with uncertainty. "I don't know." It's always difficult for me to decide on one thing. I know I'd be excellent with any one of these.
"What did I tell you?" Cheren instructed, understanding her hesitance. "Commit... Just pick something and go with it."
"Hm." White nodded and grinned, taking all three pokeballs in hand and mixing them up. I've never had much guidance in life. It's true to say... that I've been allowed to do whatever I wanted.
But I've been waiting endlessly for something to capture me and make me evolve. I've been waiting for something, or someone, who could point me in a direction– to tame me and take away this ennui. I've been lost for so long.
"Then... I guess I'll leave it up to fate to decide," she said, haphazardly throwing the pokeballs into the air. "Here we go–"
In fate, we'll trust, so–
Bianca and Cheren gasped as the red and white capsules flew upwards, their sides tilting downwards as gravity pulled them back towards earth.
–please let this be the answer.
Blindly reaching up, White's hand sought the nearest pokeball and caught it, allowing the others to fall. One pokeball landed at Bianca's feet, and the last thunked hard into Cheren's noggin.
"Ugh!" he yelped, rubbing his head in pain.
Smiling brightly, Bianca knelt down to collect her chosen pokeball and to gaze into its window. With a glazed stare, her wide eyes shimmered and blinked with heartfelt excitement.
"OK, I'll take this pokemon!" she exclaimed jumpily. "Cheren, that one's yours!"
Snatching his pokeball off the fuzzy rug, Cheren stepped closer towards the two girls, preparing to argue with them for his choice pick.
"Hey," he complained. "How come you get to pick out my pokemon?"
Flipping the ball over, he caught sight of the fire-type pokemon inside, and all his complaints seized. Though this wasn't the pokemon that he had wanted, not at all, he couldn't bring himself to refuse it. It was... an actual life. A living, breathing creature.
"Oh, never mind," he finally spoke strangely; "I wanted Tepig from the start, anyway."
Ignored by the two chattering girls, and not sure of what else to say or do, he leaned over White's shoulder and glimpsed into her pokeball as well.
Snivy, he thought, recognizing it. The grass-type starter. I was partial to that one, but whatever... I have a type-advantage over White. That's what I was mostly concerned about...
"Look! Oshawott has such a round head," Bianca exclaimed, showing off her pokeball. "Why, he looks just like you, Cheren."
"Heh?" the boy uttered, checking it out. He frowned when he saw the water pokemon's head took up half its body.
White stuck out her tongue before commenting: "Yeah, but I think Snivy has Cheren's self-satisfied expression."
"How INSULTING. They look NOTHING like me."
"Tetchy one today, are we?" White provoked, adjusting her white trucker cap at him. "You mad?"
Cheren adjusted his glasses right back at her, and for a moment, Bianca could've sworn that electricity was arcing between the two's glaring eyes.
"E-everyone has chosen a pokemon!" she announced suddenly, throwing up her arms in an attempt to distract them. "...So that's that!"
Despite her efforts, White and Cheren were growling at each other, alarming her even further. Oh no... they're going to fight again! Holding the sides of her head, she racked her brain for a solution, and finally a bolt of genius struck her.
"Hey, I know!" She snapped her fingers. "Let's have a pokemon battle!" Having said this, she immediately caught a critical glare from Cheren, though she figured it was worth it. At least I distracted them!
"Honestly, Bianca..." he said. "Even though they're still weak pokemon, you shouldn't have pokemon battles inside a house."
"Don't be a worrywart!" she blamed him. "These little ones are weak, like you said–"
The two engaged in a bout of bickering, causing White's eyes to glaze over and recede into the distance. Her mind drifted as well, her attention fizzing like soda pop. We're going to battle now? But we just met our pokemon... Though.. this should be interesting, at least.
Bianca charged forward– pokeball in hand.
"Get ready for a pokemon battle!" she exclaimed, hopping to catch her failing balance. Throwing the capsule, she giggled as Oshawott busted out mid air and landed on the ground with a loud "WHUMP!"
"Er–" White muttered and readied her pokeball, whirling it into the air and sending out Snivy in the same manner. Thumping to the ground, Snivy turned and glared at his trainer, almost as if to say, 'you kids don't waste any time, do ya?'
"Whoa! Wha, what do I do next?" Bianca panicked, cautiously bending low to get a better look at Oshawott's slick fur.
"Tell it to attack," Cheren explained.
"Huh?"
"Just say, 'Tackle'!"
"Ok, Tackle!"
"Snivy. Er... this is my first time," White explained, her heart racing and her knees shaking. "Y-you gotta tackle, too. I think?"
Real pokemon battles were proving to be far more nerve-wracking than the ones presented in books and movies.
Eyeing his trainer with a smug stare, Snivy turned and took off just as Oshawott began charging at him Sliding on the rug, Snivy lifted his reptilian tail high and slammed into Oshawott, causing the two pokemon to roll and topple in a massive blue and green blur.
"Eek! Ouch!" Bianca shrieked, dissolving into bright laughter. "I won't let you get away with that! Tackle tackle tackle–"
"Oshaah!" Oshawott cried, narrowing his beady eyes in determination and pinning Snivy with a powerful slam. He glanced back at Bianca, waiting for further approval and instruction.
"You're looking good, Oshawott!" she said. "Tackle again!"
"Higher, Snivy... Shake free and get up on the bed," White commanded jumpily, her heart still racing. Clenching her fists, she felt her fingernails dig painfully into her palms. Listening intently, Snivy jumped up onto the mattress and tapped his foot springily, looking at her as if saying, 'Yeah? What now?'
"Now bounce thrice to gain momentum–" White said, "–and jump–"
Jumping off the mattress, Snivy soared into the air and fanned his leafy tail to gain momentum.
Oshawott gazed up at the ceiling, his mouth opening wide and his rounded ears flicking as the grass-type flew over him.
"–Tackle–" White cried in delight, watching as Snivy forcefully smacked into his foe with a burst of blue energy. Spinning backwards, Oshawott shrieked and dizzily shook his head.
"Is that so..." Cheren observed. "Instead of just saying 'use tackle', carefully instructing your pokemon can land you a critical hit..."
"No way! This... We have to do something." Bianca trembled, tugging at her green hat. "Ok Oshawott, you've gotta get up high, too! Get going–"
Listening instantly, Oshawott held onto his belly shell and swerved for the side table. Leaping atop it, he knocked off the gift box and kept running forward at full speed, stepping off and scaling up the wall.
"What the?" White gasped. "The little booger's running on the walls!"
"YES," Bianca cheered ecstatically, "Keep running and then tackle!"
Running around the room twice, Oshawott kicked off the wall and rocketed at Snivy, tackling him down.
"–Keep going–" Bianca yelled.
"Look out, to your left! Tackle–" White gasped.
Running around the room, the two little pokemon proved their power, knocking over the garbage can, throwing the table, and scattering books everywhere in the process.
"You've got it, Oshawott– one more time," Bianca wailed.
"A little more, Snivy! Move from your hip and whip it–" White's eyes widened as Snivy flipped his leafy tail around and smacked straight into Oshawott.
"Shawott–" the water pokemon screamed, flying backwards and landing on the bed with a soft "Boing!"
This motion alone sent dust scattering and settling, finally revealing the fainted form of Oshawott on the mattress.
Dumbfounded by the excitement, everyone stood in place, panting and trembling through the sudden silence.
"Wow..." Bianca finally said. "White, you're gonna be an awesome trainer someday, I can tell! No doubt!"
"Uh... ..." Cheren breathed, taking a sweeping look at the wreckage. "Bianca, would you take a look around?"
Darting her eyes about the room, she covered her mouth and gasped in amazement. "Wh-whoa!" she emitted. "What happened?...! Wow! pokemon are amaaaazing–" she rambled on, flailing her arms and almost falling over. The battle had pumped her up and made her excited about having a pokemon, though, coming under Cheren's critical glare made her realize that her excitement was way out of place.
"...Oh." She put her head down. "Um, sorry about your room, White."
"You... are completely hopeless." Cheren shook his head, putting his hands on Bianca's shoulders. "But still... you did good."
Taken aback by his quiet words of praise, she looked up and smiled brightly once again.
"Here!" Cheren suddenly crouched to the floor. "I'll restore your pokemon for you."
Taking a break, both girls watched as Cheren opened his bag and pulled out a variety of supplies– berries, bottles, bandages, powders, tubes and tools. Working quickly, he pulled out a plastic cartridge and a rigid, block-shaped spray canister.
"You can't buy Ethers due to produce regulations," he said; "but it's still possible to make them." Carefully squeezing a berry into the cartridge, he added a capful of a clear, bottled liquid.
Fascinated, White leaned over him and watched him scoop powder, from a compact, with a rounded spoon. It had been awhile since she had seen him perform any kind of science project.
"You should become a doctor AND the Champion," she encouraged him.
"First things first," he said, his expression lightening up as he shook the cartridge. Flipping it over, he slid it into the spray canister like a battery.
"It's finished." He stood up. "I call it... the Hyper-Max-Restore-Elixir!"
"Um... The name's kinda long," Bianca quipped.
"Criticize it any further, and I'll translate it into Latin."
As soon as the Snivy and Oshawott received the treatment, they sprung awake and slapped their tails with renewed vigor. Bianca, eager play some more, immediately took this as a sign that White should battle again. Calling Cheren over, she discussed the idea with him, leaving White entirely out of the decision.
"–with all you know, I'm sure can battle without turning the room into a disaster area like I did–"
Barely paying attention to Bianca's soothing voice, White traipsed over to the dark window by the stair's hatch door. Despite the escaped dirt scattered everywhere, the window's reflective glass was still shiny and clean– though beads of condensation were forming and rolling down every now and then.
Our first pokemon. Our first battle. White lifted her hand to touch the wet window. This just might be my last night here in awhile... I'm going to leave home, aren't I? I'm going to become a trainer.
She glared wickedly at her own reflection when she realized that her heartbeat had long since slowed.
But still.
It all sounds ordinary and boring.
In the night sky, a star heard her heart's cruel desire for chaos. Flickering once, it caught her eye, growing in size and emerging with a tail-like flame.
~To be continued...~