The sun's light stabbed into my eyes, bringing me instantly to consciousness. Not necessarily wakefulness, but at least awareness. My room is positioned perfectly so that no matter the time of year, no matter if the blinds are down, at some point in the morning, the sun will be perfectly positioned to wake me up. I suspect it was an intentional choice by Mom.

"Vuuuuul," came a plaintive coo from lower down the bed. I pretended not to hear, and shifted slightly to move my face out of the lasers blasting through my window and trying to blind me awake.

Ignoring the noise wasn't easy, as it was adorable. Ignoring the sun was more difficult, since it seemed to be actively trying to pry my eyelids open. Ignoring the cold nose that poked into my belly was downright impossible.

"Aaaaaaggghh!" I cried, bouncing off the bed in an attempt to get away from the nose. Finally awake, I looked down the bed at the culprit. My Vulpix looked smugly pleased with herself.
"That was unnecessary, Vola," I told her. She cocked her head at me. I said, "Don't give me that. I was waking up. It's a process." One fluffy white eyebrow rose. I slumped. "Okay, okay, I'm up now, at least. Can I get dressed?"
"Pi," she assented, turning a few circles to make way for me to get up, sat on her haunches and lay her head on her paws, half-closing her eyes to lazily survey my morning procedure.
"Hypocrite," I muttered darkly, picking up various clothes from the floor to check for wearability. My critique was met with a light wind that sent shivers up my bare spine, and I tossed a shirt, with a food stain big enough to be noticeable, over her. While she dug her way out, occasionally licking at the stain, I pulled a significantly-less-stained shirt over my head and pulled some clean panties from a pile on my chair.

"...and I put some detergent in your duffel. Pokemon Centers have laundry machines among their amenities; PLEASE use them."

"I know, Mom. 'No second chances for a first impression' and all that."

"I know you know, Katie, dear. Still, I'm your mother; I need to at least make the effort."
I looked across breakfast at Mom, smiling guilelessly back at me. Vola nibbled at one of my pancakes, despite Mom having made her one specifically; it was on a plate right next to mine, with some mashed Pecha berry on it and everything. Unfortunately, not even Pecha berries were enough to compete with the sweetness of stolen goods. I picked her up and deposited her on the other side of her meal from mine, and she, with longing glances toward the greener grass on my plate, dug into her lovingly prepared feast.

"Mom, I'm nineteen. I've been doing my own laundry for years." Vola snorted some Pecha onto the table. "I have!" I said defensively, "I didn't say OFTEN, but I HAVE been doing it. Besides, it's not like I've had to make many first impressions while weeding," I poked Vola's nose down into her pancake, "And it's not like you've helped."

My mother sighed. "You're right, you're right. You're old enough to take care of yourself. It's just- now that you're actually going on a Pokemon journey, I don't want any of your... habits to sabotage your adventure. You're sure you won't wait until your father gets back from Sinnoh next week?"
I smiled sadly and shook my head. "You know I want Erika to be my first badge, and unless I want to sit through one of her perfume seminars, I have to go during her monthly Open Gym. Dad knows I was planning this, and he offered to help Miss Candace with her freezer system this week anyway."
Mom frowned, "That's not fair. Your father can't help things coming up, and it's not like Candace can operate her Gym without the rink."

I snorted, "Of course she can't. It's not like there are any Gyms out there that focus on the battle rather than some gimmick. How would she properly challenge trainers without -gasp!- making them fight while on a slippery floor!"

My sarcasm was not lost on my mother, but it did go unappreciated. "You know it's more complicated than that. Gym battles are more than a typical Pokemon battle; it's a Gym Leader's duty to challenge at trainers' perception of how they view Pokemon battles. Snowpoint is known for-"

"I know, I know, it was just a joke, sheesh." I reached for another forkful of pancake, only to feel a 'clink'. I looked down to see a thin layer of ice crusting the top of my pancakes. Vola munched innocently on her own.

Mom utterly failed to conceal a smirk. I sighed. "Maybe I need to challenge my perception of how I view meals."

As I pulled my sneakers on in the garage, Mom bungeed my duffel onto my bike's cargo rack. "At the very least," she said, "call both of us when you reach Celadon. Whatever issues you have with him, your father loves you."
"I will," I said. "I may be frustrated, but I know he tries." As Vola hopped from a stair onto my shoulder, I stood, scritching the floof on her head. "I wouldn't have my best friend if he hadn't brought her back from that tropical resort job, right?"

"Vuuuulll-pix!" she exclaimed, shaking off a coating of ice crystals that evaporated before they reached the floor.

I nuzzled her with my cheek, enjoying the feel of soft fur like the cool side of a pillow. Mom smiled at us beatifically.
"I'm so proud of you," she said quietly. "You're going to do wonderfully." I blushed, grateful Mom was the only witness to our little display. Still, I'd had Vola longer than I hadn't, and I'd eat a Muk before I'd deny her the affection she deserved. I grabbed her Pokeball off the coat-rack and mag'd it to my trainer belt, then picked her up off my shoulder and deposited her in my bike's basket before buckling on my helmet.

Mom came over and we exchanged final hugs and kisses. She stepped back, and I mounted my bike, turning out of the garage. "I should get to Celadon by tomorrow night," I said, definitely not tearing up. Mom was, because of course she was. "Bye, Mom."
"Be safe, Katie," she said as I started away. "I love you."

"Love you too!" I called back.

And I was off.

Finally.