Nothing As It Seems
Chapter 1
It's been a year since I arrived in the woods on the outskirts the city of Petalburg and I'm now seventeen, until three more months, then I'm eighteen. So far since I've been here, I've caught a Ralts and befriended many of the pokemon at Prof. Birch's laboratory in Littleroot; it's a small community with about four houses and the Lab all surrounded by a thick woods. The man I met, Norman has since to become a father figure to me; more a father than my real one that's for sure…
"Ralts! Come on, It's not time to hide!" I shouted, running around the pokecenter room I had spent the night in. I was returning from Littleroot from visiting the Prof. and was currently at the center in Oldale town…looking for my friend.
"Come on, I don't what to play at the moment; we've got to head back." I complained, ducking my head underneath the bed,
"Ralts."
I slammed my head against the wooden frame as I was taken by surprise, a strangled yelp flew from my mouth. Rubbing my head, and muttering a colorful amount of word, I got out from underneath the bed and looked at my Psychic companion. She was rolling on the floor laughing the way pokemon do.
"Oh, be quiet. Where've you been anyways? We should have left an hour ago." I stated, mock glaring at Ralts.
She just cocked her head to the side.
"Never mind, just stay put." I sighed, walking to the bathroom and gathered my things.
Afterwards, I headed downstairs with Ralts hanging off of my shoulder. It was one O'clock when we left the center and headed off towards Petalburg.
"Where'd you go off to?" I questioned.
"Ra Ralts"
"Of course I know what you said." I mumbled sarcastically.
A hand hit me in the back of my head, "Sorry." I apologized. "Ralts, Ra Ralt lts." She grumbled, huffing.
I laughed and continued walking along the path. Around eight, we made it back to Petalburg, tired and covered in dirt from trainers who wanted to battle. I made my way towards the gym; I usually helped train the gym trainers, and because of that, I've spent most of my time there. I used to face the actual challengers, but gave up on that seeing as I wasn't a hired Gym trainer. It just wasn't fair to the kids. I opened the doors and were greeted by the gym trainers congregating in the front part, instead of being in their positions.
"Hey Ashley!" Josh, a trainer with shaggy blonde hair combed back. He wore a white button up shirt with tan dress pants.
"Howdy," I greeted back, "Where's Norman?"
"He's in the back, a challenger came tonight and is battling him." Sara, another trainer answered. She had her Black hair pulled up in a high pony tail, and she wore a tight fighting shirt with a pair of jeans that flared out at the bottom.
`"Alright, Tell him that I got back in case he wonders. I'm going to hit the hay. See ya later." I waved my hand and then turned and exited the gym, heading towards the pokecenter.
Nurse Joy usually let me just have a room as I didn't have the money to pay for rent on an apartment. Getting to the second floor, I pulled out my keys and unlocked the door. Once opened, Ralts jumped from my shoulder and ran into the room and hopped up onto the bed and fell asleep on the pillow. I smiled at the sight and went and got changed from my tank to and jean jacket and jean pants to sweat pant bottoms and a spaghetti strap tank top. I jumped onto the bed and wrapped up in the covers and fell asleep.
They next morning I got up and dressed in a pair of tight fit jeans that flared out and were torn on the knees and a loose T-shirt. I wore flip flops this time of year when I went from place to place. I went down stairs with Ralts and ate breakfast after saying good morning to Nurse Joy. Leaving the clinic; Ralts was sitting on my head, I didn't make it far until I heard my name being shouted out.
"Ashley!" Spinning around, I saw May, Norman's daughter running towards me. She wore her red shirt and shorts with the usual red Bandanna around her hair.
"Something wrong?" I asked, raising my eyebrow when she stopped and panted in front of me.
"Um…well, I was wonder; would you like to come with me to Rustboro?" She asked quickly, so fast I thought about what she said; and It was in that time that I noticed a pokeball in her hands.
"Sure, I loved to go. Now, who do you have in the pokeball?" I asked; May blushed a light shade of red.
"Oh, um…uh…Dad told me that if I wanted to travel and become a trainer, I had to go to Prof. Birch and get a pokemon. So, I, uh, chose Torchic." May hit the white button and a familiar fire red and orange colored bird hopped out and landed on it's one leg.
"Tor!"
"Nice. I've seen this little devil around the lab. Good choice by the way. Actually, they're all good choices." I smiled, "Now Let's go!"
May laughed at my enthusiasm and picked up Torchic in her arms, while following behind me as I went to the Gym so she could tell her dad that she was off. Once there, and he said good luck, and we left and headed towards route 104 Towards Petalburg forest.
"So, are you going to be an actual trainer, or a coordinator?" I struck up a conversation.
"I don't know, either one of them is hard work." She said nervously.
"I'm sure you'll do well with whichever one you choose." I told her, trying to say that Either one would be fine.
"What do you want to do? Are you going to Travel and defeat the Gym leaders or become a coordinator?"
That...surprised me. What was I going to do?