Musical Inspiration: Back to Your Littleroots (Littleroot Town) by insaneintherainmusic

"Aaron, are you up yet?" Aaron's mom called from the bottom of the stairs.

A door around the corner up the stairs creaked open as footsteps were heard coming out. Aaron's mom expected a tired, suddenly awakened Aaron to appear, but what she got put a look of surprise on her face. Aaron appeared at the top of the steps fully dressed in clean clothes, new shoes and socks, and even with his backpack and hat on too.

"Yeah, mom, I've been awake since 5 o'clock this morning." Aaron said coolly.

"Well, you'd better have some breakfast before you set off, Mr. Awake-since-5! No use starting off today on an empty stomach." His mom said with a small smile.

"Who said I would?" Aaron said, coming down the stairs. "I was just making sure I had everything."

"For the 3rd time?" His mom said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you know me." Aaron said with a guilty smile. He walked from the table to the kitchen, which wasn't much distance considering their town house. His mom crossed him and came to the bottom of the stairs again.

"Honey, the pancakes are almost ready!" She called up to Aaron's dad.

Aaron's dad appeared less promptly than Aaron did, but nonetheless prepared in fresh clothes. He came down the stairs slower than his son. He walked into the kitchen and put his hand on his son's shoulder, which was almost as high as his own.

"Ready for today, Aaron?" his dad asked with a firm yet encouraging tone.

"Come on, Dad, you know how long I've been waiting for this day," said Aaron.

"Just making sure," said his dad with a positive look. "I hope you slept well."

"As much as I could manage. Sleep's tough to come by on a day like this!" said Aaron, only somewhat containing his excitement.

His mom moved back into the kitchen to tend to the pancakes, which she then took off of the skillet and stacked on a plate.

"Well, I think Aaron should be the first to take his pancakes. Wouldn't want you getting hungry before you get on the ship," said his mother.

"They've got meals on the ship, I'll be just fine, Mom,"

"Are you sure? I can't have my growing boy starting out his journey so far away from home hungry. And besides," said his loving mother. "Who knows when you'll be able to come home for pancakes again?"

Aaron felt his cheeks go red. "Well, when you put it that way, I'll take four."

Aaron took his plate and stacked up his pancakes, which he piled high with maple syrup. His parents took theirs and moved to the table with Aaron.

"Gosh," said his dad, observing all the syrup on Aaron's pancakes. "I don't know how those Almians got their blood into you."

"Oh, come on, Dad, it's my last day here for a while, I might as well load up on it," Aaron retorted.

They each dug into their breakfasts. Having one of his favorite meals was a perfect way to start out a journey, though he hoped that he wouldn't find himself prone to seasickness. Boat rides out on the water were nothing compared to a cross-country voyage.

The plan was for Aaron to leave on a journey across the region, to explore the land and see the sights alongside his companion: a Pokemon he would receive from a well-known professor in Voleoss City. This required the crossing of the Sea of Espran on a two-day boat trip.

Aaron walked briskly over to the sink and rinsed his plate with a squeak and a shine as if it were clean again. He went up the stairs, skipping every other step, to his room to prepare his bag one last time. His father came up shortly after finishing his own breakfast and came into Aaron's room. He looked over at his son with a look of satisfaction.

"Have you got everything you need?" his father asked.

"I think so." Aaron said, looking over his bag once more. The substantial backpack seemed to be carrying the weight of the world, but he zipped up the final zipper in the largest compartment and slung it over his shoulder.

"Not too heavy for you?" his father asked.

Aaron looked at the bag hesitantly. "I think I'll get used to it."

He made his last stop at the bathroom to give his teeth a thorough brushing. The mirror shone back to him a boy ready for adventure. Not like those naïve ten-year-old boys who refused extra schooling, but a growing teen with more crucial knowledge and with a desire to face the world, now prepared and ready.

But, he observed, his muscles weren't the biggest, his brown hair wasn't the most styled, and the beginnings of acne on his left cheek were a bit frustrating to maintain. A question echoed within his heart-Am I really ready for this? But he put it out of mind by heading downstairs one final time.

"Did you pack your toothbrush?" His mother asked.

"Yes, Mom." Aaron replied.

"And your extra clothes?"

"Yep."

"What about a towel and washcloth?"

"Uh-huh."

"And sunscreen?"

"All in there…"

"Extra underwear?"

Aaron could've sworn at this point that his mother had more questions to ask than he had things in his bag. "Yes, Mom." He said monotonously.

"I'm just making sure you're not missing anything." She said, with a motherly shine in her eyes. Just then, his father came down.

"Well, Aaron," he said with pride. "Are you all set and ready?"

Aaron gave one last look over his shoulder at his bag hanging on his back, feeling its weight that felt just right for what could be a lifetime of a journey. "Ready."

"I'll walk you down to the pier, but Mom'll have to say goodbye here,"

Aaron's mom held back her tears. She walked over to her son and held him tight for a while, with Aaron holding his mother in return. He rested his head on her shoulder, finally coming to terms with just how long he would be gone, for possibly years, and suddenly felt sorry for his parents.

"I'll come back to visit…" Aaron said. "Maybe I'll befriend a flying Pokemon and then I can come back regularly."

His mom gave a hopeful sigh and looked into her son's blue eyes, which he shared with her, ran her fingers through his brown hair, and said, "Whether you find a flying Pokemon to befriend or not, never forget how much I love you. We'll always be waiting for you here if you find yourself wanting to come back."

"Thanks, Mom," he said. Aaron looked back at his dad, who was waiting by the front door. He walked over to his dad, who opened the door to their house and to a brand new world.