The last week of high school came and went for Harper in a blur. Before she knew it, it was Friday afternoon, and she sat on a white plastic folding chair in the parking lot of her high school in her white polyester cap and gown as her principal, Mrs. Kearney, read off each of her classmates' names in turn. She watched each of them walk up and smile, taking the blue jacketed diplomas in their left hand as they used their right to shake the solemn Mrs. Kearney's hand. Parents lifted their arms over the heads of the people in front of them, craning their necks to get the best possible picture of their kids as they accepted the symbol of their triumph over twelve long years of schooling.
Harper smiled and walked tall as her name was called, posing for her aunt at the podium like everyone else. Her smile was empty, though, a mask over the hollow feeling in her chest. It was hard for her not to miss her parents on this kind of occasion. Would they be proud of her? Would her mother have baked her favorite chocolate cake for her graduation party? Would they both have taken off work to see her graduate? She remembered all of the missed birthdays as either her mother or father was away on business. Next year, they would say. Next year they would both be there. Would her graduation have been any different? Guilt mingled with her sadness at the unkind thoughts. She blinked fiercely in the June sun to banish the thoughts.
Before she knew it, Mrs. Kearney was shaking Neil Zimmerman's hand. She said a few closing words after he returned to his seat, giving her students one last kick out of the nest. After three hours of name calling and speeches, it was time for everyone to throw their caps in the air and mingle with their classmates before making their way to smiling relatives and wild graduation parties. Harper gave a few hugs and said a few goodbyes, struck by the oddity of the whole affair. She didn't feel any different, and while she knew she may never see some of these people again, the thought was distant, the reality of graduation still vague in her mind. What she really wanted to do was find Cyrah, Kite, Arya, her aunt, her sister, and her friend Ellie. She wanted to cling to their familiarity before the rest of her life commenced.
As she was craning her neck to find them, Cyrah leapt from behind her onto her head, balancing on the cardboard square and yipping happily.
"Jiggly!" Arya cried, leaping into her arms as Kite rubbed his head against Harper's back and attached himself to her shoulder.
"Hey, guys!" Harper cried, laughing at the sudden display of affection. Her aunt and sister found their way to her, and the two of them smiled and hugged her as soon as she put a disgruntled Arya onto the ground.
"Congratulations, Harper!" Lisa said, holding her niece at arm's length. For a short moment, she looked so much like Harper's mother—the same dark hair, the same blue eyes. But then she smiled, and the illusion was shattered. Her aunt smiled broadly, showing her straight white teeth and revealing her dimples, while Harper's mother would smile mostly with her eyes, her mouth only turning up at the corners. She smiled back at her aunt, trying not to think about her absent parents. Would her stoic father have brought Fia with him to graduation? Would he have given one of his rare smiles to his daughter? At that moment, a smile from her father would have been at once the best and most unlikely graduation present she could have received.
"Thanks, Aunt Lisa."
"Yeah, Harp. Congratulations," Joanna said, smiling genuinely at her sister for the first time in a long time. The hug her sister gave her was a good substitute for her missing father. Harper focused on the two of them, determined to make this a good day.
"I love you, Jo," Harper said.
"Love you too, Harp. Now can we go home and eat some cake?"
"I have a gift for you," Aunt Lisa said, smiling at Harper after the three of them had eaten enough cake to feed an army.
"I love presents," Harper said with a grin as her aunt pulled out a gift bag with a Hoothoot pattern and copious amounts of tissue paper. "Aw, a gift bag, just what I always wanted."
"Oh, just open it already," Aunt Lisa said, practically jumping out of her chair as she watched her niece push her faded purple hair behind her ears as she slowly pulled the tissue paper out of the bag.
"Come on, Harper. Just open it," Joanna said, and Harper smiled as she pulled out the remaining tissue paper. At the bottom of the bag was a simple pokéball nestled in another layer of green tissue paper. Harper picked it up experimentally, knowing by its weight and warmth that it contained a Pokémon.
"Aunt Lisa, what…?"
"Don't let her out in the house. She's a little big for the dining room." Harper's smile broadened, and she leapt from her chair, dashing for the back door with Cyrah, Kite, and Arya in tow. As soon as she was out in the fresh air, she threw the Pokéball into the air, biting her lip in anticipation as the red stream of energy solidified into a big, gray Aerodactyl.
"Do you like her?" Aunt Lisa said, smiling at Harper from the doorway.
"Like her? Do I like her? Is that a question?" Harper laughed as the great flying Pokémon called into the muggy evening, bugling in obvious joy at getting to spread her wings.
"I'm glad you're happy."
"Thank you so much Aunt Lisa!" Harper said, throwing her arms around her Aunt's neck.
"We named her Petra. I've been hiding her in the lab—if anyone asks, you didn't get her from me. Officially, she escaped two days ago."
"Aunt Lisa! Couldn't you lose your job for something like that?"
"No, I don't think so. I'm the only one who can get the machinery to work," she replied with a wink.
"This is the best gift you could have given me," Harper said, gazing up at her new Aerodactyl. Petra, she thought firmly, liking the sound of the name. The Pokémon looked in her new trainer's direction and began a lazy descent to the ground, making big loops overhead before landing in front of Harper. Kite clung to her back, seemingly afraid of the bigger Pokemon.
"Hey, buddy, there's nothing to be afraid of," Harper said, rubbing his head reassuringly. "I hi, Petra. I'm Harper." Harper waved and smiled, and the big Aerodactyl bugled happily and leapt toward her. Harper suddenly found herself tumbling across their small backyard in a tangle of limbs and oddly rocky wings. Kite had escaped just in time, and was shrilling angrily at the Aerodactyl. Harper managed to escape, suddenly terrified and wondering what in the world her aunt was thinking.
"I suppose I forgot to warn you. Petra tends to be a little, shall we say, overly affectionate?" Aunt Lisa said, looking a little guilty. Harper glanced at the Pokémon in question, who was grinning broadly. Harper nodded tentatively, and Arya laughed hysterically.
"Eevee!" Cyrah barked at Arya, growling a little before thoroughly inspecting Harper, looking for any injuries.
"I'm fine, girl!" Harper said to the little Eevee. "Really, I'm fine." Cyrah wasn't really satisfied, but sat at Harper's feet, glaring at Arya and Petra in turn.
"Well, Petra, I suppose I should introduce you to the gang. This is Cyrah, and over there is Kite, and that's Arya." Harper watched in horror as she bugled and moved toward Kite for what Harper could only guess was another violent hug. "NO!" she shouted. "Waving is enough, I think," Harper said, and though Petra looked a little confused, she waved happily at each Pokémon in turn.
"Hey, Petra," Lisa said with a smile. "I think you have to go back in your Pokeball now. But tomorrow, I promise you'll have plenty of time to have fun, okay?" Petra sighed, and Harper was hit with a pang of guilt as she pressed the center button on the red and white ball, big Pokémon in front of her dissolving into the familiar stream of red energy before being swallowed by the Pokéball once more.
"Aunt Lisa, I can't believe this. She's wonderful."
"I'm so glad you like her, but she's only half of my present."
"Really? No offense, but I don't think you can top an extinct Pokémon."
"I think you'll like this. I wanted to tell you that I want you to go."
"Go where?" Harper said, her mind still focused on the prehistoric Pokémon in her hand.
"On your little trip. You're right—you're not going to find a better time to do it than now, and I want you to have this. I really do."
"But I didn't find anyone to go with!"
"I think Petra will ward off any danger, don't you?" Harper grinned widely, laughing happily as she threw her arms around her aunt's neck.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Harper cried. Cyrah, Kite, and Arya screamed in delight, suddenly dancing around Aunt Lisa's narrow backyard.
"Jeez, Harp. You don't have to scream," Joanna said, her Marril covering her ears and looking extremely disgruntled. Harper merely turned to her sister and picked her up, spinning around despite her sister's protests, kissing her forehead as soon as she put her down.
"I'm going to be a real trainer!"
"Jiggly!" Ary cried, and leapt onto Harper's head. She couldn't contain herself. This was exactly what she had wanted for so long. It was better than the time Kyle Lothers had kissed her under the apple tree in front of their high school, it was better than the time she beat up the same Kyle Lothers for cheating on her with Jan Smith, it was even better than getting a perfect score on her SAT.
"I have to pack," she said, grabbing the edges of her green knit hat. "I'll have to buy a sleeping bag. How much do sleeping bags cost? Oh, man. I'm so excited." Harper ran into the house to take stock of everything she owned and what she could bring with her. She would be walking a lot—she would have to pack light. How did all those trainers manage it? She had too many clothes she wanted to bring. What did they do? Do laundry every day? She would need a flashlight, and some snacks, and of course she would need some books, you know, for when she was camping…
As she was carefully assembling everything she would need on her bed, Harper suddenly had time to think. Was this the right thing? Could she leave her sister and her aunt and her home? Could she give up on her parents? She thought of how happy she had been when she realized that this was really going to happen, that she was actually going to leave. Of course this was the right thing. Of course it was. She shook her head in attempt to clear it, hitting herself with some of her purple locks. She examined the ends carefully, grimacing at the faded color. She would have to dye it again before she left…
