A/N: Ehe. Sorry for the wait. I've gone through quite a bit since the last time I posted, but I'm here now! We're moving on from Amourshipping and going into the Oldrivalsshipping OCs I've created (and an Oldrivalsshipping oneshot, later on.) Please bear with me as I slowly but surely update. I'm trying my best :)
Btw I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters in it (except my own OCs).
Five.
That's how old Skylar Oak was when she first saw that store window, with the ukelele propped on a shiny stand, the sun glinting off of its firmly polished wood.
Sky had stopped walking, staring at it. She pointed up, not saying anything except "I want that."
Gary stopped too, looking down at his daughter, who was still ogling at the instrument. Nothing ever had her attention for more than fifteen seconds, so this was new.
"Why do you want something like that?" He asked, kneeling down next to her.
"To play."
"Sky...you really want to play that?"
"Yes!"
Gary stood up again, looking through the window. He saw the price tag and cringed. Maybe...on a later date. He patted Sky's head, and scooped her up in his arms.
"Keep reminding me, and one day, maybe that ukelele will be yours."
Sky's expression fell slightly, but she still nodded in agreement. The father and daughter duo walked off down the street, Sky still gazing longingly at the ukelele.
Seven.
That's how old Skylar Oak was when she started to sing. A lot. She still remembered the ukelele. And she desperately wanted to play it. Whenever her parents took her downtown, she always stopped in front of that store window, gazing at it.
"Hey! Blastoise, wanna hear a song?" Sky chattered, running up to her father's Pokemon, who was half asleep in the corner of the Oak ranch. Sky looked next to it, at her mother's Venusaur. "You too, Venusaur! Wanna hear a song?"
The two Pokemon looked up at their trainers' daughter, who was bouncing around excitedly. Finally, they nodded, and Sky immediately rushed over to a nearby rock, which would substitute as a real stage. She took a deep breath, and without trying, belted out some complete off-key gibberish. Blastoise and Venusaur covered their ears, groaning at the sound.
"Hey sis! You sound like a dying Magikarp!" Sky's little brother yelled mockingly.
Sky stuck her tongue out at him. "I do not. You're just jealous."
The little boy grumbled and walked away. Sky plopped down on the rock, stopping her solo singing temporarily.
"Sorry guys." She bowed her head apologetically. "I guess...I'm not as good as I thought."
Blastoise and Venusaur uncovered their ears apologetically, and resumed their napping in the morning sunlight. Sky sighed, laying down next to them.
Nine.
It was exactly 10 months and 2 days before Skylar Oak could start her Pokemon journey. A little less than a year, and she'd be off on her own, exploring the world however she pleased.
She still visited that ukelele every day.
"Mom! I know what I want for my 10th birthday!"
Leaf turned to face her daughter, who was shifting from foot to foot on the floor rather excitedly. She laughed.
"Really? What is it?"
"The ukelele, of course!"
Leaf sweatdropped, patting her daughter's head rather absentmindedly. She knew how expensive the instrument was. And she knew her daughter like the back of her hand- she had a hard time focusing on one thing, so learning to play the ukelele would be hard for her. It would be wasted money, most likely.
"We'll see."
Sky's smile disappeared. She hung her head, and walked away, calling that she would be "playing outside".
She really just needed time to herself.
Four years, it'd been, since she'd first laid eyes on that ukelele, and not once had her parents ever really considered getting it for her. She knew it was a lot of money, and she'd donated all of her savings to them in order for them to buy it for her. Instead of using them, they'd handed the money back to her and told her to save it for something else.
But I don't want anything else, Sky thought.
Sky laid on the ground, the soft grass brushing against her legs and arms. It tickled. The sky was a clear, perfect blue, not a cloud in sight. It looked so calm. Serene. She reached her hand up into the air, trying to grab at it.
"One day, they'll all hear me sing."
(Mou Hitori Ja Nai yo by Emi Nitta or "Honoka Kousaka" yes we're singing in Japanese because Sky is Japanese)
Without thinking, without even realizing she was doing it, Sky felt herself singing. Really singing. The words flowed off of her tongue so naturally.
She didn't know where they came from. But they were hers.
Her words. Her lyrics.
They felt so natural, and beautiful, and as she laid there, she felt more come. It was about her, she realized. A song about being yourself, and not bottling everything inside. About coming out of her shell.
She stopped singing. Something was brushing against her leg. Sky opened her eyes. It was a Bulbasaur. Right next to her. Just lying in the sun. Had it heard her song? Its eyes were closed. It appeared to be sleeping.
"Hey." Sky poked the Pokemon's bulb lightly. "Hey, did ya hear me?"
The Bulbasaur opened its eyes, looking up at Sky curiously. Suddenly, it jumped back, suddenly frightened of the small girl before it.
"Hey, I won't hurt you! C'mere!" Sky stood up, extending her hand to the Pokemon.
"Bulba! Bulba-saur!" The Pokemon squeaked, and ran behind a nearby bush.
Sky pouted. And here she thought she'd be making her first Pokemon friend, ALL by herself. She plopped back down on the ground.
"You heard me, right? Is that why you tried to get closer to me?"
The bush rustled in response.
Sky smirked. "You did! Haha, I knew it!" The girl paused, poking her fingers together. "Um...did you...like it?"
No response. Sky sighed exasperatedly, her expression falling once again. She moved closer to the bush, but resisted the urge to peer in.
"Would you like to hear my song again?"
The bush rustled again in response. Sky took that as a yes, and took a deep breath. Quieter this time, she repeated her song.
Maybe one day, I can sing this onstage.
The bush shook rather violently. Sky sang slightly louder. Slowly but surely, the Bulbasaur poked its head out, peeking out sheepishly at the girl.
Maybe one day, I'll be known all throughout Kanto.
Ten.
Sky held Bulbasaur tightly as her final gift, shaped like a rectangle, was handed to her. She stroked the box, almost afraid to touch it.
"C'mon Sky, open it!" Sky's little brother chimed.
"We don't have all day, after all." Gary chuckled.
Sky's journey started today- her tenth birthday. Her hands shook as she ran them over the box. The entire neighborhood was waiting for her, to see the daughter of one of the most knowledgeable professors in the region finally set off on her Pokemon journey, but all she could do was stare at the gift wrapped box, almost too afraid to look inside in fear of disappointment.
She ripped a corner off. And then a bit more. Her hands shook more with every rip.
"B-b-bulbasaur. O-open it, o-okay?" She commanded her Pokemon, who was much less nervous than her.
Bulbasaur nodded confidently, firing a razor leaf at the wrappings. The paper came off, revealing a case.
A ukelele case.
Sky's heart dropped. Carefully, she unzipped it, not daring to look at her parents, and the top flew open.
"Happy birthday, Skylar." Gary said, ruffling Sky's hair.
"It's- I- for- for me?"
It was even more beautiful in person; the way the light reflected off of its wooden surface, the way the strings vibrated when Sky's fingers brushed across them. It was perfect. It was hers.
"Mm- thank you so much!" She burst into tears, hugging her parents tightly and the instrument even tighter.
"Make sure you learn how to play it, and don't just stare at it." Leaf joked.
"I will! I will!"
"And don't leave it at a Pokemon Center by accident." Gary added.
"I won't!"
Carefully, Sky placed her brand-new ukelele in its case, fearing she'd break it if she touched it any more.
"Sis, the whole neighborhood is waiting." Her brother commented.
"They're waiting for a rising star!" Sky proclaimed.
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur agreed.
Before anyone could stop her, Sky burst out the doors of her house, Bulbasaur close behind. Flashes of cameras immediately caught her (Gary waved them off). She bowed to them all proudly.
"Watch out, everyone! Skylar Oak is going to be the next rising star of the Pokemon world, and if anyone tries to stop her, be prepared to be defeated!"
The paparazzi nodded and whispered at this statement, and Sky skipped along happily.
"Hey! Sky! Aren't you going to say goodbye?" Gary called.
Skylar stopped in her tracks, and turned around. "Whoops! Sorry. Bye, Dad! Bye, Mom! Bye, Linden! And thank you! Next time I see you, I'll be performing onstage for you, count on it!"
And with that, she was off. With barely a glance backwards, Skylar Oak took off from the Oak ranch, ready to face the world.
Twelve.
"And now, for our final act... a twelve year old sometimes called a "musical prodigy" within the Kanto region, and who recently made it to the Indigo League finals...SKYLAR OAK!"
A lot had changed.
Sky looked out onto her audience, smiling. Her hair was cut much shorter. Her clothes emitted a more "rough" style. But she was still the same old Skylar Oak, the one who loved to play the ukelele, and the one who loved to sing.
She took a deep breath, and the audience went silent as the first note escaped her mouth.
It was Skylar Oak against the world.
And so far, she was winning.
A/N: Wow, I'm actually pretty proud of how this turned out (it's structured a little different cause I wanted to switch things up I guess, lol). I'm so sorry it was late. Things have happened. You may be asking: Why does Gary's kid, of all people, like music? Well, to be completely honest, I'm not sure how the idea came to me. Just, one day, I was like, "what if I had an OC that loved to sing and write music? And what if that OC was Gary's kid?" It just seemed like an interesting concept.
If you can't tell, yes, Sky did inherit a lot of Gary's cocky and overconfident nature. And yes, she is slightly based off of Grace Vanderwaal. I thought about using one of Grace's songs but eventually decided against it because 1. It didn't fit and 2. I didn't want to make Sky EXACTLY like Grace. Anyways. Hope you enjoyed my slightly-more-than-mediocre writing. Have a lovely day!