So, You Didn't Get One?

The truest of champions are not simply given the means to become so.

They must seize the means with their own hands.

Kyle sat at the kitchen table eating the omelet Chelsey had made him. She was currently at the stove working on her own breakfast. Her Pokemon was happily eating every fruit there had been in the refrigerator. It sat across the table from Kyle, juices from the apple in hand dribbling down its front.

The Pokemon his sister had received was a Munchlax. A fairly decent Pokemon to receive, it was sure to be a lot more powerful than the average Pidgey or Starly ended up to be. Chelsey was fortunate and Kyle was truly envious of her. He'd give anything to have received that Munchlax instead of her. But Kyle knew it was selfish of him, and he wanted to be happy for Chelsey. She had wanted a Pokemon as much as he had.

Kyle had showered and dressed after his disappointing tragedy. His hair was still a mess; he never bothered with it. No matter what Kyle did, it would always end up sticking out in every direction. It was one of the things Kyle wished he could change about his appearance.

Chelsey finished cooking her omelet and transferred it from pan to plate before heading to the kitchen table to join Kyle. Like Kyle, she had showered and dressed before coming downstairs to cook breakfast. However, she had also done her hair into a ponytail that stopped between her shoulder blades. She wore her standard outfit; a pair of blue skinny jeans with a green top that exposed her shoulders, yet kept the rest of her arm covered.

"Alright, I'm dying to know!" Chelsey began, her green eyes luminous as always. "What did you get? I haven't seen it yet!"

Kyle's mood darkened once again. Chelsey apparently noticed, for she tilted her head and asked with concern, "Hey, what's the matter?"

Kyle hadn't yet told his sister about the note. He was hoping to avoid it for as long as possible. So much for that.

"They didn't give me one," Kyle said, trying to keep his tone from expressing any of his frustration or sadness.

Chelsey looked baffled. "What? They can do that?"

"Apparently," Kyle responded. "They sent me a note saying that people who made donations were put ahead of others. I didn't even see an option for a donation."

"Oh, no," Chelsey said. "Well, you don't have to worry. We wouldn't have been able to donate anyway, seeing the condition we're in right now." She glanced at her Munchlax. "But I mean, if you want-"

"No," Kyle said a little more forcefully than he intended. "It's fine. I don't want your Pokemon. That Munchlax is yours." He needed to change the subject. Kyle noticed the lack of sounds of movement in the room above the kitchen. His mother was still asleep.

"Another late night?" Kyle asked.

Chelsey looked up and sighed. "I guess so. She really shouldn't work herself so hard." Kyle nodded.

Kyle's father had left the family when Kyle was about ten. No words, no notice, just up and gone. Afterward, the family didn't have a reliable source of income, so Kyle's mother had to find work. It was difficult for her since she had only spent about two years in college. She spent the next five years jumping between jobs, looking for any way she could to make money.

When Chelsey was old enough to start working, she immediately went out to look for a job. Soon, Kyle would need to look for a job as well. The family had enough money to get by, but only barely. It was already decided that Chelsey most likely wouldn't be able to go to college after she graduated. There just wasn't enough money.

Kyle had actually been hoping to try and make money from Pokemon battles. No chance for that now, though.

Kyle finished his omelet and stood. He walked to the sink, where he scrubbed his plate clean before putting it inside one of the kitchen cabinets. He glanced at the clock. It was six-thirty, time to leave for school.

"Hey, Chelsey," Kyle said. "You ready?"

Chelsey finished her omelet as well and stood to clean her dish. "Yeah," she said. After she had washed her plate and put it away, she returned Munchlax to its Poke ball.

"Do you know if they're allowing Pokemon at school?" Chelsey asked.

"I'm pretty sure," Kyle responded. "They said they could be brought in, but only let out of their Poke balls under specific circumstances. That rule might change if a lot of people start letting them out in the halls."

"People had better not be dumbasses," Chelsey said.

"It'd be a wonder if they weren't though, wouldn't it be?" Kyle remarked.

Chelsey chortled. The two grabbed their backpacks and Kyle put on his dark gray jacket before exiting their house through the front door. They stepped off the front porch and into Chelsey's car. It wasn't too flashy or up to date, but it certainly got the job done.

As they pulled out of the driveway, Kyle turned on the radio. He turned the channel to a local news station, where - of course - they were talking about Pokemon.

"So, Denice," One of the reporters was saying, "Are the rumors true? I've heard that there have been sightings of a few wild Pokemon in our area!"

"That's correct, Paul!" the other one said. "There have been plenty of people who say that they've seen a few Pokemon around here. Some have even been able to get some photos. According to those who've seen them, they don't appear to be high in experience, so trainers who didn't get a Pokemon should definitely keep an eye out

"Should we give our listeners a little tip?" Paul asked.

"Certainly!" Denice said. "I have a list of some of the Pokemon who have been seen, along with the neighborhood they were last seen in. They are as follows:"

Kyle listened intently, his hope and excitement renewed. If there were around at least five to ten in his area, he might have a chance of catching them before someone else could beat him to it.

"A few Pidgey, a Bidoof, and an Abra were all seen in Redvale. Two Starlys and a Bulbasaur were seen in Two Lakes. A Pupitar, an Elekid, three Ekans, and an Eevee were all seen in Maiden Hills. Lucky for them! Those can become fairly powerful I've heard!

"Finally, all Sale Woods had was a single Pichu, though I've heard that's a nice one as well! I'm sure everyone in Sale Woods will be competing to find that Pichu. Good luck Trainers!" With that, Kyle switched the radio to music.

Kyle felt a wave of discouragement. He lived in Sale Woods.

Only a single Pichu? Kyle wondered. I definitely won't be able to catch that with the number of trainers here. He had been a fool to get his hopes up again.

His sister must have read his thoughts. "Hey, cheer up. I bet you'll have a Pokemon before you know it."

Kyle remained silent, though he appreciated his sister for trying to comfort him.

Thirty minutes later, after they pulled into a parking space at school and exited the car, Kyle shouldered the straps of his backpack and headed through the main doors. As he walked through the halls, the only thing he heard people talking about was Pokemon. People were boasting about their supposedly all-powerful Pokemon, arranging battles for later, and even discussing a trade.

As Kyle walked into his classroom, he saw a large group surrounding one of the desks. He approached in the hopes of getting a better look. Beyond the heads of the group and standing on Jordan Mallack's desk was a Chimchar standing tall and proud. Next to it was Jordan himself, bragging about his Pokemon.

"I'm telling you," he was saying, "I'm going to be the champion of the whole damn school with this Pokemon! No one's gonna stand against me while I have Fireball on my side!"

Kyle scoffed. It was likely that a Chimchar wouldn't be the best a student at this school had. Jordan should've at least become familiar with what others received before making a statement as bold as that.

Jordan turned his head in his direction and frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Oh? You think I'm wrong?" All heads turned towards Kyle. Jordan smiled smugly and crossed his arms. "Well then, show us!"

It was Kyle's turn to frown. "Show you what?"

Jordan's smug grin grew even more. "Your Pokemon! Surely, if you wanted to protest, it'd be because you have a Pokemon that you think could beat my own! So show us!

Kyle clenched his fist, and Jordan continued to smile. Kyle could lie and say he hadn't brought his Pokemon with him, or he could say he didn't want to disobey the rules that state you have to keep your Pokemon in its Poke ball during school hours. But that would only result in putting pressure on himself. As hard as it was, telling the truth was best.

"I didn't get one," Kyle said.

Jordan laughed, and it made Kyle's skin crawl. "You don't have one? Ha! Then why are you scoffing at me? Seems like someone's just a little jealous."

A few people snickered, and the Chimchar made noises that resembled laughter. Kyle backed away from the crowd and sat at his desk.

Today, Kyle thought, definitely won't be my brightest.