Abby sat atop a tall oak tree perched delicately amongst it's long, reaching, sturdy branches. Huddled, she sat shielded from the world by a canopy of gently swaying leaves. The gentle breeze whistling and singing quietly around her, playing it's part in the orchestra of the serene Cerulean wilderness. Faintly, in the distance, festive music played accompanied by roaring laughter and happy chattering. Abby crunched her body tighter, moving her leg closer to her chest while still allowing the other to dangle freely in the air. Her small hands grasped the edges of the large, thick book resting on her thigh as she buried her face in closer. Her eyes fluttering back and forth as she scanned the words on the page, hanging off every syllable. The book was bound in a thick, deep purple cover with fantastic imagery of dragons dancing amongst an inferno woven into the thick leather. Her book of dragons described wondrous mythical pokémon of regions near and far. She read of dragons whose wings cut through the air like knifes as they rocketed above the clouds and through vast mountain valleys. Dragons with alien looking bug eyes that burrowed through the shifting sands of deserts and dragons with large steel tusks like battle axes who stood as tall as three men. There were fierce dragons, fast dragons, large dragons, small dragons and dragons of legend who wielded the power of time and space. A huge grin was plastered across her face as she eagerly stared at the illustrations, fantasising about what they must look like in person. How impossibly large and terrifying their presence must be.
"They're looking for you, you know?" A snarky voice called out to her from the base of the tree.
Abby looked down, brushing her wind blown auburn hair out of her deep brown eyes. Standing below, gazing up at her was a young man dressed in a red jacket and black cargo pants. Falling down to his shoulders were long wavy locks of the same auburn hair, a wide rimmed hat sitting atop it. He gazed up at Abby with a cheeky grin, his brown eyes staring at her book.
"And they'll definitely take that from you if they see you with it again." He continued, grabbing the rim of his hat as a strong gust of wind rolled through.
Abby sighed and snapped the book shut before swinging her legs over the branch. Carefully and precisely she hopped down from branch to branch, landing with a thud in front of the man. She turned from him and gently pushed the book into a hole in the thick trunk of the oak tree. With a longing stare she gazed at it for a moment, timidly pulling her hands back before facing the man again.
"How mad is he?" Abby asked, nervously looking up at the man.
He was much taller than her, his chest level with her face. Reaching back and gripping his hair, the man clicked his tongue and considered the question.
"No more than usual, if you come back now you'll get a lecture but that's about it." He supposed before taking a step back and half turning away from Abby.
"I mean you did abandon your own birthday party." He added with stifled laughter.
Abby smiled proudly to herself and joined him by his side, walking with him as they strode across the rolling field of fluffy green grass. She matted down her loose, worn shirt and tucked it back into her equally worn denim shorts. From her hair she pulled a couple twigs and leaves, tangled in her messy long auburn hair.
"Maybe I wouldn't have left the party if it was actually about my birthday, I mean come on Pete, I'm turning 18 and all anyone seems to care about is boring ranger stuff." She lamented as she pulled a thin twig from a tangled knot of hair.
Pete glanced down at her sympathetically and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah I know, it was the same at mine and John's and Leia's," he sighed, "but that's just how it is sis, we're rangers, our parents are rangers, their parents were rangers and our kids will be rangers." He tried to explain but Abby shook him off.
Pete watched as she stormed ahead, angrily ripping the last twig from her hair along with a clump of her hair with it. He shook his head as he followed a small distance behind her. As much as he loved his sister, this side of her he never really understood. At first he dismissed it as a child's fascination with stories but now as she took her first steps into adult hood he grew increasingly concerned it was becoming a deluded obsession.
Abby stormed her way through the festivities set up around the banks of Cerulean river. Large, red tents stood tall like houses holding long tables full of food and drink. Men and women all dressed in the same red and black as Pete hurried about, laughing and joking with one another. As Abby's short stature registered in their vision, heads turned and speculative murmurs followed her. While she ran into many people, Abby never once came across a pokémon. In fact throughout the entire party not a single pokémon was out and about. Although nearly everyone had pokéballs clipped to their belts that is where they remained. Abby strode across the central courtyard of the party where the biggest tents encircled a big open space. She approached a tent with a blue, white and gold crest of spinning gold orb on a blue and white striped shield. With a flustered wave of her hand she flung open the tent flaps and quickly darted to an empty seat among a bewildered collection of rangers. Pete followed closely behind and smiled apologetically at their father who sat at the far end of the long table. He was a stern and serious looking man, his large frame and hard stare enough to strike fear into anyone.
"Well," he began, slowly raising from his seat as he stared furiously down at Abby, "thank you Abby for gracing us with your presence." His voice seethed with disapproval.
Abby diverted her attention away from him and looked across the table at the rest of her family. John and Leia, her twin eldest siblings sat next to each other directly across from her. Their matching short jet black hair tucked under their red ranger caps neatly and orderly. Everything about them was orderly, their jackets were ironed and buttoned with extreme precision. Badges and ribbons pinned above their hearts, spaced equally and exactly 1 inch apart. A brown, leather band wrapped around their upper left arm and bound tightly housed exactly three pokéballs. Again, remaining in their holsters despite all three pokéballs containing their pokémon. They stared at her with smug, disapproving stares. Abby scowled at them, turning her attention over to Pete who awkwardly sat down to the left of Leia. He quickly glanced over at her with a concerned look before turning his attention up at their father. Not following his gaze, Abby instead looked over at their mother. A tall, proud woman with shining golden hair and a dazzling beauty that always attracted side glances and lustful glares from passerbys where ever she went. Abby knew better than to stare for too long however. Behind her immaculate face and glistening blue eyes was a scornful, devilish gaze. Her mother's lips tightened and pursed as their eyes met, she turned her nose up at Abby and gestured to Abby's father with her eyes.
"Abby!" He bellowed, "are you even listening at all?!" He slammed his large, brutish hands down against the table as he leaned forwards at her.
Abby jumped with a fright, her back straightening and her gaze shooting back to match her father's. The other rangers around her shuffled awkwardly, cousins, uncles and aunts all lining the table. Her father sighed seeing her startled look and sat back down in his chair, running his thumb and finger along his eyes with a frustrated sigh.
"Tonight, after the party you'll go to see Nurse Joy and she'll help you select your first partner. Then once the weekend is over you'll start training at the academy." He explained slowly, glaring at her sternly.
Abby nodded, although she wanted to protest she knew it would do no good here. She sunk back into her chair as she felt the weight of anxiety on her chest. The prospect of going to the academy made her feel sick and she had to fight to keep tears from welling in her eyes. Her father continued to drone on about their heritage, giving the same speech he always did at these things. Abby tuned him out and stared up at the ceiling, watching the red fabric of the tent's peaked roof rustle as the winds outside began to pick up. She smiled to herself, imagining that the wings of a mighty dragon landing was causing it. She pictured how everyone outside would scramble with fear at the sight of it, how they would vainly attempt to control it. To quell it's fury and send it on it's way only to be blindsided by it's raw power, it's untameable strength. She imagined the ground rumbling as it roared, bolts of purple draconic energy shooting from it's mouth and sparking from it's scales. For the rest of the night as her father gave speeches and they ate meal after meal, Abby dreamt of dragons.
Late into the night, as the full moon hung over Cerulean and the stars dotted the black night sky, Abby sat on a hill overlooking the festive grounds. The large red tents that had housed the feasts fell as their supports were collapsed. Like giant blankets they covered the earth, workers scrambling over the cloth as they worked in unison to roll it. The final stragglers of guests trickled from the ground and back towards Cerulean City, which itself was a beacon of golden light. A rising anxiety gripped her chest as she watched the tents be carried off and the tables hauled away. As each one left and the normality of the land her family's home rested upon returned little by little. Her fear only grew and grew. Soon she would leave this place, it's quiet rolling hills and peaceful silent woods. This world of natural beauty was to be replaced by the loud, tall concrete jungle of Saffron City. Although Cerulean and Saffron shared the title of city they were completely different. Cerulean was more like a large town than a traditional city, sparse and full of small wooden houses. It's outskirts littered with farms and hostels. While Saffron was tight and cramped, packed full of tall rising sky scrapers and bustling with countless people. When Abby looked at pictures of it, it made her ill thinking about living there. She adored the outdoors, the vast openness of nature making her feel free to be who she wanted. The open sky, soaring above a blanket of clouds. That's where she wanted to be not stuck in a tight classroom in the city, learning of ranging techniques and tracking Rattatta. Desperately, she wished that her family would forget she was out here and never come to collect her. That days would pass and she would still be sitting on this rock, free to leave and journey the world. To her dismay however, she spotted Pete approaching with a small parcel wrapped in brown paper tucked beneath his arm. Grumpily, she rested her chin on her tucked in knees and waited for him to arrive.
"How you feeling?" He asked gingerly, sitting on the grass beside her boulder and staring ahead with her.
Abby shrugged, looking down at the ground away from her brother. Without looking up at her, Pete placed the parcel beside her on the boulder. His hand covered in the thick black leather of his ranger gloves.
"I thought, seeing as we won't celebrate another for a few years now that I'd get you something to compensate for the birthday's we'll miss." He stated solemnly, awkwardly glancing up at her.
Abby looked down at the box curiously, gently taking it from him and sitting up straight. She lowered her legs and placed the box in her lap. After a brief pause, she pulled at the string holding the paper together and it fell away. Inside was a flat purple box about the size of a dinner plate. A window of clear plastic sheet was embedded in the lid. Through it, Abby saw something that made tears of joy well in her eyes. A set of rings, bracelets and a small silver necklace all adorned with small metal dragons. Abby recognised them from the pictures in her books, the rings had engravings of Bagon, Sheldon and Salamance the evolution line of the fearsome red winged dragon that soared above the clouds beyond the speed of sound. Adorning the bracelets, hung from tiny chains, small silver Flygons with red rubies where their alien bug eyes would be. The dragons who burrowed beneath the shifting desert sand as well as buzzing about the tall dunes. The necklace was made from the same silver metal, hanging from the decorative chains a small red claw. After a moment of inspection Abby remembered the axe jaw dragon, Haxorus. The claw belonged to one, sharp and jagged from extensive use. Abby calmly placed the box on the ground before her, before turning to Pete and with a sorrowful cry flung her arms around him. She sobbed into his rangers jacket and clung to him tightly.
"Oh Pete, I don't want to go I don't want to be a ranger! I want to explore the world, I want to see it's wonders, I want to raise dragons and soar on their backs amongst the clouds!" She cried out desperately, her chest heaving with each heavy sob.
Pete said nothing, but gently patted her back and held her delicately. Although he felt a great sympathy for his sister, he couldn't pretend to understand. Ranging and becoming a Ranger was all he knew and all he wanted. At Abby's age he was nervous yes but still delighted and thrilled by the idea of going to the ranging academy. Everyone was, even the prize of their family his elder twins, the brilliant young rangers with a fruitful career ahead of them. So said his fellow rangers. Even they were nervous before leaving as much as they tried not to be. Unlike his family, who chocked Abby's behaviour up to that same normal anxiety. Pete knew this was different as Abby sobbed into his chest and clutched his arms he knew that she wasn't just nervous but terrified. Softly, he moved Abby back and clutched her shoulders.
"How about we get your first pokémon now? Who knows, maybe the centre will have a dragon waiting for you?" He proposed in a vain effort to quell her fears but he knew as well as she did that the chances of a dragon being there was little to none.
Abby, wiping her eyes nodded slowly before picking up her present and grasping it to her chest tightly. With a sniffle, she stood up and took a shaky deep breath.
"Thank you Pete, they're beautiful." She said quietly as the two of them began strolling towards Cerulean.
Pete put his arm around her and smiled timidly, feeling her body tremble with each long shaky breath. He was tight and awkward, feeling as if he should wipe her tears away but that felt silly and childish. He knew that Abby's problem wasn't the tears streaking down her face, in fact that was the least of her worries right now. Instead, he walked slowly with her as they marched towards a destiny she wanted no part of.
Abby and Pete strolled down the gravelly main road of Cerulean towards the circular town center. A large circle of gravel lined with the most important buildings to Cerulean. Two main blocks of buildings clumped on the northern and southern ends of the circle shone and dazzled with the golden light of lamps and electric lights. In the northern block was Cerulean Gym, a large blue building with walls of glass and a roof the curved like a huge wave crashing down upon it. Inside was a large indoor swimming pool, filled with late night swimmers and dedicated water trainers practising tirelessly. Either side of the gym was the town hall, an old building made of brick and mortar as well as the Pokémart. A tiny, dark blue building with a simplistic corporate design. On the southern end, where Abby and Pete were making their way towards was the familiar glowing red pokémon centre. With it's red tinted glass walls, sliding door and clinical white interior. Either side of it were two apartment buildings that held the free public housing offered by the Indigo Plateau through the pokémon centre. Between the northern and southern blocks of buildings was the market place, made up of stalls, small tents and long benches. Usually it would be full of vendors and customers alike but at this time it was thoroughly abandoned.
As Abby gloomily made her way through the town center she spotted someone crossing the open circle of gravel towards the pokémon centre too. Immediately, Abby knew who she was and she perked up excitedly. The person in question was a giant of a woman, standing a good head and a half above Pete who himself was teetering just above 6 foot. She was cradling something in her arms, draped in a warm white blanket with the pokémon centre's symbol above it. Dressed in hiking clothes, a loose plaid shirt, brown leather jacket and tight black jeans the silhouette of her body was unmistakable. Her large, powerful legs tightly wrapped in denim curving up her body along wide hips.
"Nurse Joy!" Abby called out, wriggling free from Pete's arm before racing ahead to greet her.
However, Nurse Joy did not stop and Abby noticed the flustered look on her face as she hurried towards the pokémon centre nearly on the cusp of breaking out into a full on sprint. She took note of her face, the face all Joy sisters had, round and pretty with fair skin, stark with concern as she kept shooting glances down at what she was carrying. As Abby ran after her, she noticed the long thick brown hair of a girl hanging from the blanket. Pete seemed to notice it too and he dashed off past Abby to assist Nurse Joy. She waved him on, gesturing to the pokémon centre before saying something to him that Abby couldn't quite make out. Pete nodded and hurried ahead inside. As Nurse Joy with Abby trailing behind her approached the automatic sliding door Pete emerged from the back of the centre with a Chansey waddling hastily behind him, it's round egg-like pink body teetering back and forth. As Nurse Joy stopped to talk with Chansey, handing over the girl to her, Abby came rushing through the door in a flustered panic.
"What's happening?" She exclaimed as she rushed up to Pete, clutching her purple box tightly.
Pete shrugged, glancing over at Chansey and Nurse Joy as Chansey waddled away with the girl in a hurry.
"All Joy told me is that the girl was attacked by Gravelers in Mt Moon." He answered with a suspicious tone, he folded his arms as he watched Chansey disappear into the back of the pokémon centre.
Nurse Joy composed herself, brushing her long pink hair out of her face with her hand and turning to face the bewildered siblings.
"Ah, Abby dear you must be hear for your pokémon." Her voice was sweet and calm, a warm motherly smile on her face as she took off her jacket and placed it on the pokémon centre desk.
Abby and Pete looked at each other with confused looks, cautiously approaching the desk as Nurse Joy reached up high to fetch a folder from an impossibly high shelf. Joy's flip from frantic and flustered to calm and sweet only unnerved Pete more but Abby shrugged it off and happily approached the desk.
"Yeah, the time has come." Abby said with a timid smile on her face as she gazed up at Nurse Joy.
Although she still felt desperately nervous Nurse Joy's presence alone was comforting as one of the few people she could truly be open with. Nurse Joy placed the folder down on the desk between them. She glanced past Abby at Pete and flashed him a gentle smile.
"Pete sweetheart could you please give us a moment alone? You can wait down the hall in the habitats okay?" Joy more told than asked but still in that same motherly tone.
Pete awkwardly made his way behind the desk past her, his usual composed demeanour seeming shaken as their personal spaces briefly overlapped. His eyes indicated that he clearly wanted to say something but after a quick glance at Abby he decided against it and hurried through the same doors Chansey had disappeared through. After a brief moment Nurse Joy and Abby erupted into quiet stifled laughter, covering their mouths to smother it.
"She wasn't attacked by Gravelers was she?" Abby asked with a giggle, leaning forward on her elbows.
Joy shook her head and collapsed onto an office chair, even sitting down she was still half a head taller than Abby. She leaned forward too, and darted her eyes back and forth to ensure no one was around.
"No dear not at all, she'll be fine though a wash and a good rest is all she needs. Enough about that though, let's focus on you dear." She whispered excitedly and opened up the folder.
Abby's face dropped a bit as the folder opened and a document with the same gold, white and blue ranger seal printed on it was drawn out by Joy. It was a form with two signatures already signed at the bottom, Abby recognised them as her mother's and father's.
"Once you choose your pokémon all you need to do is sign here," Joy explained pointing to a third empty signature line, "and then it's your's to do with as you please." She added slyly.
Abby blushed and let out a small giggle, fumbling with her tangled hair awkwardly.
"Not right away though right? You always said it takes a bit of time." Abby responded shyly with an uncontrollable smile.
Joy nodded with a proud look, pulling a small pink pamphlet from under her desk and placing in on top of the form.
"Yes I'm glad you remembered but of course it depends dear on which pokémon you choose. Hopefully it should happen before you leave for Saffron but if not take this with you, it'll help in case you get lost." Joy instructed with a transparently excited tone.
Abby's smile faltered slightly and she slumped forward on the desk, resting her chin on it.
"What if there isn't anyone like us at the academy? It'll be so lonely then." She complained sadly, looking up at Joy for answers.
Joy gently grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze.
"I'm sure there will be other pokésexuals there, Saffron had a huge community of them I promise." She assured Abby before reaching into the folder and retrieving a pin.
She placed it in Abby's hand and closed her fist around it.
"This will let them know you're one of them okay?" Joy instructed.
Abby opened her palm to see a round metal pin, painted pink with the white outline of a pokéball symbol. Eagerly, she pinned it to her shirt and beamed at Joy. Joy smirked back and stood up from her desk, placing her hands on her hips.
"Good, now you remember what I've told you okay?" Joy asked with a gentle yet firm voice.
Abby nodded and responded with an exacerbated tone.
"Yeah yeah I know. Just because I'm attracted to pokémon doesn't mean I should feel pressured to have lots of sex, whatever is comfortable for me is what I should aim for." Abby repeated in a droning voice before rushing around the desk and hugging Joy.
Joy's firm posture relaxed and she softly patted Abby on the back as they embraced.
"Can I join you and Misty before I have to leave?" She asked pleadingly, still clinging to Joy's chest.
With a laugh Joy raised an eyebrow at her and ruffled Abby's head.
"Sweetheart you're 18 now of course you can, I did promise it to you after all." Joy gripped her shoulders and gave her a very serious look, "pace yourself though dear, you don't want to end up like that girl okay?"
Abby pressed her lips together and nodded quickly before letting go of Joy. She stepped back, shyly blushing a little as she thought about it. For years now ever since Joy told her about pokésexuals she knew she was one. Sex with guys and girls while feeling great never satisfied her, it never really intrigued her like pokémon did. Still to this day she remembered the shock of discovering she wasn't alone on this feeling as well as discovering that pokémon felt the same about humans. That the creatures her family used as tools for ranging felt and thought much the same way humans do. The pink pamphlet Joy had given she had read many times, written by Joy herself it described the basics of ethically engaging Pokémon sexually. How to ensure consent was given explicitly, to ensure the pokémon was of the same intellectual capacity as you and to ensure your own safety. Often she would read it and fantasise about the dragons she read of overpowering her and making love to her. Although she'd never seen one in person herself, from how Nurse Joy had described them to her. The sex would be absolutely incredible. Abby felt her insides melt with excitement, up until now Nurse Joy had forbid her from having sex with pokémon saying she needed to be 18 first. Now that she was, a whole world of opportunities was becoming apparent to her and each filled her with a happiness she scarcely ever felt.
"Are you ready dear?" Joy asked, interrupting her fantasies.
Joy was standing by the door to the back of pokémon centre with an outstretched hand, smiling at her with an amused look. Abby clutched her hands to her chest tightly and nodded before taking Joy's hand and following her down the hall.