I have begun a new plan…do you all know what this means? NEW FIC!!! Duh! Why else would this be up? It's not like I just want to rant out all my unfinished ideas to you…which, actually, I do, but that's not the point. Pokémon, obviously, isn't mine. However, Amana is and so is the Dragoli. Not to mention that AWESOME Vampireon Professor Hemlock has…never mind. Enjoy!
Amana sat quietly on the counter in the lab's kitchen, rotating a half-full glass of water in her hands. She was a failure, and she knew it. Her grades were only satisfactory, her parents hated her, and she had no friends. Life was miserable. She lived with it.
And here was her chance to get a starter Pokémon…and she wasn't doing her job. She was sitting in the kitchen with a glass of water trying to get rid of her headache. Granted, it was a very bad headache, but she was still avoiding her duties. She never had been good about doing needed things. Procrastination was her middle name, as her father said. That was before he got the belt out.
Amana looked at her right arm. Three long, reddish brown scars stood out against her pale skin. Sighing, she took another drink of water.
How long had she been gone from the little hatchery? Fifteen minutes? Half an hour? She didn't know. Nor did she care. She was dragging herself into her usual pit of misery and she didn't care a bit. She heard footsteps in the hall, but she didn't react. Why bother?
"Now, Dracula, would you prefer herbal tea or Earl Gray?" Professor Hemlock's voice echoed a bit on the white linoleum tile throughout the room.
Herbal. It's better for me. The smooth, cold voice of her companion sent chills up and down Amana's spine. She glanced up as both the professor and the Vampireon caught sight of her. The Vaporeon-like creature melted into the shadows, but not quickly enough to keep the girl from seeing him.
"Amana, what are you doing here?" Hemlock chided. "You're supposed to be watching the eggs!"
"I've got a headache," she muttered, taking another drink of water. "I like your Pokémon. What is he?" she asked nonchalantly. Dracula slipped out of the shadows on the wall, wary of Amana. He stood behind the professor, wondering just what to do.
"He's a Vampireon," the professor told her curtly. "And I would much appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about him.
"Hey, it's none of their business," Amana shrugged. "Besides, why would I tell them? I don't concern them, why should they concern me?"
This girl is very…indifferent Dracula muttered to Professor Hemlock.
"How many Vampireons are there in the world?" Amana asked as she sipped her water.
"Just one, to my knowledge," the professor replied. "Mine."
"Interesting," Amana muttered, draining the glass. "I guess I'll go back to the egg watching, since you seem so concerned about their well-being." With a roll of her eyes the girl left the room, walking down the hall to the hatchery. Sitting down in one of the chairs, she noticed that one of the eggs was broken, the baby inside gone.
"Well, I guess Trina's already gotten hers." Of all the people Amana could ever admire, it was Trina. Straight A student, parents who loved her although she wasn't their own, and a lucky streak that got her out of any problem it seemed. She didn't procrastinate; rather she did the work as it was assigned leaving extra time for touch-ups. She was a model student. And Amana hated her for it. Yet at the same time she envied the girl. And out of the two conflicting emotions, hate showed through. They were as good as mortal enemies.
But she didn't care. Trina didn't care at all. Rather she occasionally tried to be nice to Amana. Of course, sometimes the girl's temper got the better of her. But usually she just ignored Amana. That was the way of life. She was ignored. And so she made a shield of hatred, impenetrable from the outside. Sometimes she wished that more would pay her mind. Even hatred was better than being ignored. She made enemies that way, but at least they knew who she was. It was better than nothing.
Slowly her eyes focused on one egg out of the clutch. It was vibrating ever so slightly, cracks lacing the surface of the shell. The girl cocked her head, wondering what was inside the red and yellow oval. The cracks began to deepen, the shuddering growing more and more violent. An piece of the shell fell away, revealing a deep, intense blue eye, surrounded by a rosy red color. More of the fragile covering began to crumble as the tiny creature inside thrashed about. A bit frightened, Amana began to pull the hard coat away.
As the last of the brittle shell came apart the girl found herself staring into the deepest cobalt eyes she could ever imagine. They belonged to a very tiny dragon. Two tiny yellow-orange wings, still partially covered in egg chips, fluttered behind it as the creature wagged its tiny arms. It was covered in brilliant fiery red scales, its underbelly a saffron yellow color. A thick tail stretched out behind it, wagging a bit to dislodge a few of the shell fragments. It stood on two short, thick legs with clawed feet, its clawed hands and small wings waving about to help it keep its balance.
"Okay, now that is cute," Amana muttered, extending her hand and running her fingers over the two tiny horns protruding from the creature's head. It began to purr and bumped its head into her hand. She chuckled to herself as she began to lightly rub under the Pokémon's chin.
"And now you've met the Dragoli," Professor Hemlock stated. Amana whirled around, startled, hiding the little dragon behind her.
"A Dragoli?" she asked. Hemlock nodded, walking into the room. Dracula was not with her, much to Amana's regret.
"Yes. It's quite cute and sweet right now, but after it evolves it will lose the cuteness and the sweetness. Dragonets live to fight, and they've been known to fight even their trainers. And if you manage to get it to the final stage…well, lets just say that no one has ever survived being a Dragotheryl trainer."
"I'll take it!" the girl exclaimed. The look in her eyes was one that said she was ready for whatever could be dished out at her. Hemlock looked a bit doubtful, but nodded.
"Would you like to go pack your things?" she asked. Amana shook her head vigorously.
"I'm already packed," she explained, pulling a loaded backpack from under the table with the eggs. The professor blinked a bit, startled, but nodded.
"You'll need these," she told the girl, handing her a belt and six Pokéballs, along with a red instrument. "The belt can hold up to fifteen Pokéballs, but you can still only use the normal six in battle," Hemlock explained. "Until you fill the belt, I won't be receiving any of the Pokémon you capture. The Pokédex will record all data on Pokémon you have captured and seen. It's a very valuable tool on your journey."
"That's what I expected," Amana muttered, slipping the belt around her waist and inserting the Pokédex into her pocket. Turning, she picked up the Dragoli and patted its head a few times before turning back to Professor Hemlock.
"Also, you're not allowed to attempt capturing other trainers' Pokémon," Hemlock continued. "It's against the rules, and you won't be able to do it, either. Once a Pokémon is captured its energy wave patterns are bonded to its Pokéball, making it impossible for another trainer to capture it unless released."
"Yeah, I read that," the girl growled. "Are you insulting my intelligence?"
"No, I'm just reminding you," the professor said. "Lastly, you need to remember that Pokémon are not weapons. They're friends to us. And on the road, when we don't have our family with us, they become our family. You have to remember to treat them with care and respect, because they're just like us. They have feelings, just like us. They feel pain, just like us. They're not lesser organisms. They're on our level."
"All right, then," Amana nodded. She could understand that. A new family…a family where she wouldn't be abused…it was like a dream come true. "I guess I'll be off now!" she smiled. It was a real, true smile, not a forced or fake one, and not a snide or sneering one. A true smile of happiness. Nodding the Professor Hemlock she turned to go.
"And take good care of BurningSky," Hemlock told her. Amana froze. Slowly she turned to the professor.
"What did you say?" she asked.
"I told you to take good care of BurningSky," she said again.
"I never told you that I was thinking about naming the Dragoli that," Amana said.
"One of the benefits of having a Vampireon. They can read minds," Professor Hemlock grinned. This thought seemed to turn over in the new trainer's head for a moment, then she nodded.
"Just keep it out of my mind, okay?" she asked. Hemlock nodded. Amana again turned, this time making her way out of the lab.
Somehow I knew you'd blow our cover Dracula said as he slipped out of the shadows.
"But we can trust her," the professor said.
And you honestly think she can survive the Dragotheryl? The Vampireon seemed very doubtful.
"Yes, I do," Hemlock replied. "She's a strong girl with a good heart, but she has to learn to break out of her own egg. She's trapped now, trapped in a world of hatred and malice. I'm just hoping her Pokémon can break her out of that. Now, let's have that tea." Once more the two traveled down the hall to the kitchen where their tea was waiting.
