Chapter 1: Those Bothersome Boys!
Eight bells tolled from the enormous clock tower in Statue Plaza as I, a seventeen-year-old girl named Rachel Stevens, rose from my slumbers, rubbing my eyes as the sun rose over the nearby Union Bay Stadium. "Oh, morning already?" I whined as I wobbled across the hall, over to the bathroom, to wash my face. "I hate Mondays. They always signal the return of school," I remember saying as I was drenching myself with water to get myself awake. Reaching for my clear toothbrush, I had noticed my younger brother, only a year my junior, had entered the bathroom as well. "Hey squirt. Have a good sleep?" I said as I grabbed for a cup, but the closest one I could find was a silly cup shaped like a Wooper's head. "Yeah, yeah." My little brother uttered, washing his face like I had moments ago, "I was awoken by Pichu in the middle of the night." It was then that Pichu, the family Pokemon that my brother caught a year ago to raise and battle with his friend's Pokemon, walked into the bathroom, and rubbed against my foot. I thought it was very cute. "You know, it might be a little pest, but it's still pretty cute." I said as I whished water around my mouth and spit into the sink. "Yeah. Just don't let Pichu know, or else it will never evolve." I chuckled. Pichu jumped onto my shoulder and started snuggling on my shoulder. I thought it was cute.
As I was getting dressed, I had noticed that my Pokemon, Dratini, had gotten up and now was hopping up and down on my bed, waiting for me. After putting on my sneakers, I curled up on my bed next to Dratini and rubbed its neck. It smiled and shrieked loudly, then jumped off the bed and crawled with me, downstairs, to eat breakfast.
Walking down Qwilfish Street, the street I live on, to get to the main boulevard after I had eaten breakfast and left to catch the bus, I had noticed that many of the stores were selling little necklaces with the Union Bay charm on them. It was a strange looking charm, a swirling circular hollow circle filled with water and a small fake diamond in the middle. I had rolled my eyes at the price of the charm, and then realized that these things were for tourists, and they were overpriced for a reason. Again, I rolled my eyes. Once I had reached the bus stop at the corner of Qwilfish Street and Celebi Boulevard, I noticed that there were a ton of people waiting there as well, mostly people from my school, Moon Bay High. I noticed a face in the crowd that I recognized. It was one of my friends, Steph.
"Hey!" I shouted to Steph, hoping that she would hear me, and she did, running over to me. "What's going on here?" "Oh, the bus is running late again, Rachel." Steph informed me. "Not again!" I looked at my digital watch. "Oh great, eight thirty, we're gonna be late for school." At that moment, the bus for Route 19, the bus route we take to get to school, showed up. Like all the other buses in Union Bay, the bus was in a Pokemon motif. Like all the other buses on this route, it was colored green and purple, and had a plastic statue of Celebi on the front, to match Celebi Boulevard. Everyone got on the bus, and we took some of the seats in the back with some cute senior boys.
"You know, Mrs. Alden gave us so much homework yesterday that I almost popped!" Steph complained. I rolled my eyes and thought to myself, "How would she know? She was asleep!" She then switched to another topic. "So, have you decided on which Pokemon course you're going to take?" "Not really." This was the truth, mind you. I had no clue which Pokemon course I was going to take. There were breeding classes, training classes, gym leader classes, and so many other types of classes that I would need a class just to master these types of classes. "Well, why in the world not? You have to decide by next week!" She started shouting. I was reminded of my mother. "Okay, so I'll see what I like soon and I'll decide." After the bus stopped at school, I thought I had noticed that one of the senior boys, one wearing a blue varsity jacket, the one that just happened to be in the same history and science classes, was looking at me. Then I realized, he wasn't looking, he was staring at me, checking me out! I quickly ran off the bus and ran into school. I didn't even know the guy's name! Sure, he was cute, but still, I do have some dignity!
During science class, which just happened to be the first class of the day, Mrs. Alden split the class up into groups to do a specific project about a Pokemon. Ours was to be on the new flying Pokemon, Pelippaa. I had three other people in my group. One of course was Steph; the other two were varsity soccer players and seniors. I recognized one of them as the one that was staring at me, the one I had tried to escape from on the bus. "Great," I thought to myself, "this time I'm stuck here." He introduced himself as Aaron Stein, an eighteen-year old senior. Then he introduced his friend, Seth Silver. They were both cute, but really immature. "Sorry I scared you on the bus liked that," he said calmly, "I'm just friendly, I guess." Then he and his friend laughed at his comment. "Oh, uh, that's okay." Then I shot Steph a look that just screamed 'help'. "Look, let's just get started on the project." Steph interrupted. It seems she knew what I was talking about. "Geez, okay, we'll start." Seth smirked and said without seriousness.
Following science class, I walked to gym class. Of course, I just happened to be in the same class as Seth. "Oh, will I ever get rid of these clowns?" I thought to myself. Seth started walking up to me when the teacher, Mrs. Downs, blew the whistle, so we had to line up behind her. Today, we were running half a mile to practice for the end-of-the-year exam, which are a mile of running and a ton of other exercises. I smiled, considering the fact that track is my favorite sport. When the whistle blew, I was off. I started slow, so that I could gain speed at the end. And then, of course, Seth came up next to me. "What, you can't fun faster? That's really a shame. I'll show you what a man can do!" Seth shouted as he ran. I rolled my eyes, and then sped up, leaving Seth in the dust. Crossing the finish line, I laughed. "Oh, wow, you really showed me!" I shouted out to him, and then chuckled loudly as I left to enter the locker room.
The day went by as all other classes. Some goon from the varsity soccer team would harass me to no end. "They are giving me an Excedrin headache." Samantha, another one of my friends, mentioned to me. "Do you know these immature morons?" "Yes, unfortunately." I frowned as soon as I said it.
During history, the teacher, Mr. Martinez, decided to switch everyone around, and this time, we got to pick our seats. Now, two people shared a desk because they were so big, so I was hoping that either Samantha or Steph, but unfortunately, they sat next to each other. I don't think I need to tell you who sat next to me, but if you don't know, his name starts with Aaron and ends with Stein. All through Mr. Martinez's conversation about the history of Saffron City, Aaron kept poking me with his pencil and rubbing his leg against mine. It was really degrading, but before I could say something to him, the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. I have never been so happy to leave school. I literally ran out of class, down the hall (and over Seth, who was waiting to greet me), and out the door. I decided not to take the bus and to walk home, even though it was a long walk.
I walked along the tree-lined Celebi Boulevard. As I passed a likeness of the great forest god in stone, I realized how important Pokemon was to me. Maybe I should focus more on Pokemon than other things, like boys. I laughed at that.
Eight bells tolled from the enormous clock tower in Statue Plaza as I, a seventeen-year-old girl named Rachel Stevens, rose from my slumbers, rubbing my eyes as the sun rose over the nearby Union Bay Stadium. "Oh, morning already?" I whined as I wobbled across the hall, over to the bathroom, to wash my face. "I hate Mondays. They always signal the return of school," I remember saying as I was drenching myself with water to get myself awake. Reaching for my clear toothbrush, I had noticed my younger brother, only a year my junior, had entered the bathroom as well. "Hey squirt. Have a good sleep?" I said as I grabbed for a cup, but the closest one I could find was a silly cup shaped like a Wooper's head. "Yeah, yeah." My little brother uttered, washing his face like I had moments ago, "I was awoken by Pichu in the middle of the night." It was then that Pichu, the family Pokemon that my brother caught a year ago to raise and battle with his friend's Pokemon, walked into the bathroom, and rubbed against my foot. I thought it was very cute. "You know, it might be a little pest, but it's still pretty cute." I said as I whished water around my mouth and spit into the sink. "Yeah. Just don't let Pichu know, or else it will never evolve." I chuckled. Pichu jumped onto my shoulder and started snuggling on my shoulder. I thought it was cute.
As I was getting dressed, I had noticed that my Pokemon, Dratini, had gotten up and now was hopping up and down on my bed, waiting for me. After putting on my sneakers, I curled up on my bed next to Dratini and rubbed its neck. It smiled and shrieked loudly, then jumped off the bed and crawled with me, downstairs, to eat breakfast.
Walking down Qwilfish Street, the street I live on, to get to the main boulevard after I had eaten breakfast and left to catch the bus, I had noticed that many of the stores were selling little necklaces with the Union Bay charm on them. It was a strange looking charm, a swirling circular hollow circle filled with water and a small fake diamond in the middle. I had rolled my eyes at the price of the charm, and then realized that these things were for tourists, and they were overpriced for a reason. Again, I rolled my eyes. Once I had reached the bus stop at the corner of Qwilfish Street and Celebi Boulevard, I noticed that there were a ton of people waiting there as well, mostly people from my school, Moon Bay High. I noticed a face in the crowd that I recognized. It was one of my friends, Steph.
"Hey!" I shouted to Steph, hoping that she would hear me, and she did, running over to me. "What's going on here?" "Oh, the bus is running late again, Rachel." Steph informed me. "Not again!" I looked at my digital watch. "Oh great, eight thirty, we're gonna be late for school." At that moment, the bus for Route 19, the bus route we take to get to school, showed up. Like all the other buses in Union Bay, the bus was in a Pokemon motif. Like all the other buses on this route, it was colored green and purple, and had a plastic statue of Celebi on the front, to match Celebi Boulevard. Everyone got on the bus, and we took some of the seats in the back with some cute senior boys.
"You know, Mrs. Alden gave us so much homework yesterday that I almost popped!" Steph complained. I rolled my eyes and thought to myself, "How would she know? She was asleep!" She then switched to another topic. "So, have you decided on which Pokemon course you're going to take?" "Not really." This was the truth, mind you. I had no clue which Pokemon course I was going to take. There were breeding classes, training classes, gym leader classes, and so many other types of classes that I would need a class just to master these types of classes. "Well, why in the world not? You have to decide by next week!" She started shouting. I was reminded of my mother. "Okay, so I'll see what I like soon and I'll decide." After the bus stopped at school, I thought I had noticed that one of the senior boys, one wearing a blue varsity jacket, the one that just happened to be in the same history and science classes, was looking at me. Then I realized, he wasn't looking, he was staring at me, checking me out! I quickly ran off the bus and ran into school. I didn't even know the guy's name! Sure, he was cute, but still, I do have some dignity!
During science class, which just happened to be the first class of the day, Mrs. Alden split the class up into groups to do a specific project about a Pokemon. Ours was to be on the new flying Pokemon, Pelippaa. I had three other people in my group. One of course was Steph; the other two were varsity soccer players and seniors. I recognized one of them as the one that was staring at me, the one I had tried to escape from on the bus. "Great," I thought to myself, "this time I'm stuck here." He introduced himself as Aaron Stein, an eighteen-year old senior. Then he introduced his friend, Seth Silver. They were both cute, but really immature. "Sorry I scared you on the bus liked that," he said calmly, "I'm just friendly, I guess." Then he and his friend laughed at his comment. "Oh, uh, that's okay." Then I shot Steph a look that just screamed 'help'. "Look, let's just get started on the project." Steph interrupted. It seems she knew what I was talking about. "Geez, okay, we'll start." Seth smirked and said without seriousness.
Following science class, I walked to gym class. Of course, I just happened to be in the same class as Seth. "Oh, will I ever get rid of these clowns?" I thought to myself. Seth started walking up to me when the teacher, Mrs. Downs, blew the whistle, so we had to line up behind her. Today, we were running half a mile to practice for the end-of-the-year exam, which are a mile of running and a ton of other exercises. I smiled, considering the fact that track is my favorite sport. When the whistle blew, I was off. I started slow, so that I could gain speed at the end. And then, of course, Seth came up next to me. "What, you can't fun faster? That's really a shame. I'll show you what a man can do!" Seth shouted as he ran. I rolled my eyes, and then sped up, leaving Seth in the dust. Crossing the finish line, I laughed. "Oh, wow, you really showed me!" I shouted out to him, and then chuckled loudly as I left to enter the locker room.
The day went by as all other classes. Some goon from the varsity soccer team would harass me to no end. "They are giving me an Excedrin headache." Samantha, another one of my friends, mentioned to me. "Do you know these immature morons?" "Yes, unfortunately." I frowned as soon as I said it.
During history, the teacher, Mr. Martinez, decided to switch everyone around, and this time, we got to pick our seats. Now, two people shared a desk because they were so big, so I was hoping that either Samantha or Steph, but unfortunately, they sat next to each other. I don't think I need to tell you who sat next to me, but if you don't know, his name starts with Aaron and ends with Stein. All through Mr. Martinez's conversation about the history of Saffron City, Aaron kept poking me with his pencil and rubbing his leg against mine. It was really degrading, but before I could say something to him, the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. I have never been so happy to leave school. I literally ran out of class, down the hall (and over Seth, who was waiting to greet me), and out the door. I decided not to take the bus and to walk home, even though it was a long walk.
I walked along the tree-lined Celebi Boulevard. As I passed a likeness of the great forest god in stone, I realized how important Pokemon was to me. Maybe I should focus more on Pokemon than other things, like boys. I laughed at that.