"Okay... little closer... little more..."

The dappled sunlight shone gently on the eleven-year-old girl as she waddled forward in her crouching position. She held a pink camera up to her eye, carefully zooming in and adjusting the focus. In front of her was a huge bed of fluffy yellow flowers, the air thick with their sweet aroma. But the girl wasn't taking a picture of the flowers.

Instead, her focus was on the Oddish half-submerged in the middle, napping peacefully.

"Okay, Daisy," whispered the girl, finally settling on a focus she liked. "We have to be quiet."

"Vree!" the Eevee at her side agreed, lying low to the ground with only her ears visible above the flowers.

The girl held her breath, shoulders tense as she hovered her fingertip over the button. This had to be just right... She swallowed thickly, hearing her heart pounding in her ears. Daisy trembled next to her, her Trainer's nerves contagious.

A sudden gust of wind ruffled her clothes and hair, sending puffs of pollen and fluff into the air. The Oddish's head leaves rustled, its face twitched as it threatened to wake-

-the girl let out a strangled gasp, quickly hitting the button to snap the picture, just as a bit of fluff landed on the middle of the Oddish's face.

Immediately after the 'snap!' went off, the Oddish's eyes popped open. "Odd?" It glanced around, spotted the human, and leaped up. "Oddiiiish!" it cried, waddling away and leaping into the brush, vanishing into the forest.

But that was fine. "I got it!" Katie Adams stood up, brandishing her camera in delight. "The perfect picture!"

"Vee!" Daisy agreed, jumping up and down.

"Oh wow, I got so scared for a second, but that wind was perfect!" Katie laughed, spinning in a circle with her camera over her head. Daisy ran in circles around her, too, her own delighted chirps and squeals mirroring Katie's own. "That was a sign, Daisy - I'm gonna win the contest for sure!" At that moment, Katie tripped over her own feet, and she was sent sprawling backwards into the field of yellow flowers. More fluff was sent into the air, and after a moment, Katie sat back up, shaking her head wildly. "Oops. Okay, that was a sign, too," she decided. "I gotta hurry home! C'mon, Daisy!"

"Vree!"

Girl and Pokémon raced away from the forest's border, taking one of the many well-worn dirt paths back into town. Gradually, the numerous trees thinned out the further the pair got, until the dirt paths were replaced with brick roads, and the lush grass grew more manicured. Brick and stone buildings appeared, houses with white wooden fences and window gardens, beautiful hedges and garden lamps, and people walking with their Pokémon. The air was still fragrant with trees and flowers, but it was not quite as powerful as it'd been when Katie was photographing the Oddish. Katie took a deep inhale of the clean Verdanturf air and felt rejuvenated.

"Good morning, Katie," called Nurse Joy as the girl ran past the Pokecenter.

"Morning, ma'am!" Katie called back, waving her camera.

"You get a good picture, Katie?" called an old man from an outdoor cafe on the other side.

"Yup! A real good one, too!" Katie cheered, giving another excited bounce. "I'm gonna win the contest!"

"Congratulations!" laughed the old man.

"Thanks!" Katie shouted back, already leaving the cafe behind. She would have loved to stay and chat, or talk about just how she'd gotten this perfect shot, but she had no time.

Shortly, Katie reached an adorable cream-colored cottage with stone and bricks dotting the siding here and there. She put on an extra burst of speed as she ran up the three short, stone steps and opened the front door.

The sudden sound of the door banging open, followed by rapid, heavy footfalls, made Sarai Adams jump and nearly drop her tea. A second later, her daughter ran through the sunlit kitchen, right past her. "Hi, Mom! I'm back!"

"Take your shoes off!" Sarai called, but Katie had already run for the stairs and vanished. Sarai sighed, rubbing her temples and glancing down. Daisy sat next to her chair, staring up at her with bright, ocean blue eyes. Sairai sighed again, chuckling as she noticed one of Daisy's paws was halfway to her mouth, and she had licked the grass and seeds clean from them. Conversely, there was a path of grass clippings and dirt trailing from the entrance to the length of the kitchen, stopping at the carpeted area of the stairs where Katie had finally removed her shoes. "At least one of you remembered I mopped earlier," Sarai laughed, leaning down to scratch Daisy between the ears.

Sarai could hear Katie banging around upstairs in her office, readying the photo printer. "Hm. Sounds like she got a picture she liked."

"Vree."

At that moment, the song playing on the countertop radio quieted and faded out. "Hey, Verdanturf, it's the top of the hour at one o'clock, time for today's headlines. Several arrests were made in the Johto region this morning, the suspects accused of attempting to reinstate Team Rocket. No other statements have been issued at this time. Reigning Champion Andrea Aubert appeared for a speech this morning, welcoming all new Trainers to face her, and wishing them luck. Her most recently defeated opponent had this to say-"

The mention of the Pokémon battles made Sarai perk up, and she hastily swallowed her jasmine tea. "Katie! You're going to be late!" she called up.

"Just a second!" The sounds moved from Sarai's office to Katie's room, and a few minutes later, the girl was running back down the stairs.

She had changed out of her jeans and white t-shirt in favor of a nicer outfit; a white, long-sleeved ruffled blouse with a tiny pink bow, pink pleated skirt that hung above her knees, white calf-length socks, and blue and white polka-dotted sneakers. Her thick, light brown hair had been pulled into two braids that sprung out on either side of her head, tied with white ribbon. One hand was holding a manilla envelope, and the other was jamming a pink-ribboned sun hat onto her head. Her bright green eyes sparkled as she stood in front of her mom, doing a little twirl. "What do you think?"

"You look lovely, hon." Sarai smiled. "Do you have your present?"

"Yeah, it's right by the door."

"Okay. Remember to call if the party runs late, and I'll see you at three."

"Okay. C'mon, Daisy!" Katie began to run for the front door, Daisy quickly following suit. "Love you, Mom, bye!"

"Bye, Kat-" Sarai began, only to be cut off by the sound of the door slamming shut. She sighed, shook her head with a low "Oy…" and took another sip of tea.


Roselia Gardens was an outdoor café that sat across the road from the Contest Hall. It was the perfect place for Pokémon Coordinators to rest and grab a bite, either before or after a contest, and many victory parties were held there. Not only that, but the atmosphere was the perfect blend of 'family restaurant' and 'classy dining' that attracted all sorts of patrons. Katie and Daisy made their way around the curlicue furniture and wait staff towards one table in particular, piled high with shiny wrapped boxes. Several kids milled about the table, hiding the girl of the hour from view as her parents hovered nearby.

Katie grinned and walked faster. But before she could get to the table-

"Gotcha!"

"Yeeek!" Katie jumped as a jet of cold water landed on the back of her sock. She turned around to see a little girl of five, with pale peach skin and a smattering of freckles across her nose. She wore a pink jumper that looked vaguely like a Jigglypuff over a pale yellow shirt, and red boots. A large-brimmed hat cast her brown eyes in shadow, and dark curls fell about her face. She grinned, showing a missing front tooth, and raised her neon green squirt gun again. "Hand over your Eevee!" she yelled. "Or else!"

"And why should I?" Katie asked, putting one hand on her hip with a smile.

"'cause I'm a Pokémon rustler! I'm gonna steal all the Pokémon on your ranch an' sell 'em!" the little girl declared.

"Abigail, stop bothering your sister's friends and get over here!" a woman called out.

Abigail pouted, holstering her squirt gun and trudging over to the table. Katie laughed as she followed her. "Sorry, Abby-Gabby. Maybe next time."

Katie reached the table and set her gift down among the others, smiling. I hope Maura likes the purse! she thought to herself, then fixed her attention to the girl in question. "Hi, Maura! Happy journey-birth-day!" she cheered.

"Vee!" Daisy chirped, as if in agreement.

Maura Verona, a girl with brown hair in a short bob, brown eyes, and freckles, smiled back at her. She wore a new outfit for her party, no doubt what she would wear on her journey as well - lots of kids received new clothes for their Pokémon journeys, especially if they chose their starter on their birthday. Maura's outfit consisted of a light purple headband, and a long, tartan purple dress with lace and ruffles at the hem. A very long cream cardigan sat over the dress, and she wore black stockings and tan, sensible boots. Katie was sure she saw a similar outfit in a mori magazine.

Maura stood up, leaning over to briefly hug Katie. "Thanks, Katie," she said in a soft voice.

"Okay, looks like everyone's here," said her father. "Everyone, have a seat at the next table and let's order some food!"

A short time later, two more tables were occupied. Maura and her friends sat around one table, while her parents and Abigail sat at the next one. This way Maura could have her party and her family could keep an eye on things. Abigail kept getting out of her chair to go over and talk to Maura or the other girls, but nobody minded. It was only a problem when she suddenly ran out in front of a waiter who was walking by with ice-cream. He nearly dropped the tray, and Abigail received a light scolding about why she had to watch where she was going. But that incident was soon forgotten in favor of the merriment going on.

"Soooo," drawled Tiffany, a tan girl with blonde hair pulled back in a pink scrunchie, "what starter are you gonna get?"

"A Mudkip," answered Maura, taking a sip of her nomelade. "I like how they're shaped; perfect for hugging."

"That's a good idea!" said Charlotte, a dark-skinned girl with box braids. "The first few gyms are no match for a water Pokémon. You'll breeze right on through."

"Yeah, but I don't want Mudkip because it'll make the gym challenge easier. I just think they're cute."

"Yeah!" Amanda, a girl with wild red hair and freckles, jumped in her seat. "They're all cute and blue and they look like they're smiling all the time!" She grinned, showing off her silver braces. "That's why I'm getting Mudkip, too."

"No way. Torchic is where it's at!"

"You're wrong, Tiffany! Treecko is the best! I mean, have you seen their little hands?"

"Hey, can't all of them be good?" interjected Katie, lowering her Kalosian pecha pastry.

"Well, sure," said Charlotte. "But you can't pick all of them, just one."

Tiffany nudged Charlotte gently, dropping her voice to a stage whisper. "Maybe that's why she hasn't gone on a journey. She can't choose just one."

"Tiffany!" gasped Maura.

"No, no," laughed Katie. "That's not it at all. I just don't want to be a Pokémon Trainer or a Coordinator. I wanna be a photographer! But there's no journeys made out for photography yet."

"But if there waaas..." Tiffany began again, "what would you pick? Definitely a Torchic, right?"

"No, I'd still keep Daisy," Katie responded. She leaned down to scratch Daisy between the ears, smiling as Daisy trilled in happiness. She'd received Daisy for her own tenth birthday six months prior, and couldn't think of ever parting with her. "I mean, there are some Trainers who don't use one of the three. Joey Young has his Ratata, another boy left last month with an Eevee, and one of the girls in Mr Boatwright's class had a Ralts, remember?"

A tiny voice piped up just then. "I want Mudkip, too!" Everyone looked over to see Abigail peering above the table, her little fingers holding onto the edge. "I want whatever Maura's gettin'! I'll rustle it from her!"

"You will not," sighed Maura, poking at Abigail's fingertips. The younger girl moved her hands with a quiet "Hey! Ow!" and Maura shook her head. "You'll get a Pokémon when you're my age, Abigail."

"But I'll never be your age! Not for a million zillion years!" Abigail pouted, then grabbed her squirt gun and poked Maura's arm. "Gimme yer Pokémon!" she growled.

"Abi-gail," called their parents warningly, and once again, Abigail sulked off.

Maura giggled behind her hand, then looked over at Katie. "I hope you can go on a journey someday, though," she told her.

"Yeah, me too," Katie sighed, resting her chin in her hands.

The rest of the party went without a hitch. Maura opened all her gifts, the wait staff brought out a big white cake and sang for her as she blew out the candles, and Abigail tried three more times to 'rustle' either Daisy or the Mudkip that Maura would receive. Maura thanked Katie extensively for the purse, praising its numerous pockets, as well as the other gifts. Katie's happiness was only dampened slightly by the time shown on the clock a few feet away.

Too soon, it was three o'clock, and the Verona family had gathered Maura's gifts while the girls each had cake to bring home. Two groups stood outside the cafe, waving goodbye. It would be their only chance. Maura was going to Professor Birch with her family to get her Mudkip, and then leaving town bright and early in the morning.

"Email and text us, okay?"

"Remember, if it's too hard, come back!"

"Get an autograph from Steven Stone for me!"

"Bye, Maura!" Katie added, waving her arm over her head. "Good luck!"

"Thank you, everyone!" called Maura, wiping her eyes. "Good luck in the photo contest, Katie!"

Katie laughed, despite the bittersweet feelings in her chest. "I don't need luck!" she called back. "I've got skill! You'll see me in Pokémon Focus in two months!"

Maura laughed, but said nothing else. Katie knew, somehow, that if she did respond, then Katie would have to as well, and then they'd never get the goodbye over with. So instead, Maura just smiled, waved once more, and then walked away.

Katie and the other girls stood there at the end of the road, watching the Verona family in silence. It wasn't until they turned the corner and vanished from sight that anyone dared speak. "So," said Tiffany. "There she goes. First one to go."

"She'll come back, though. It's not forever."

"Yeah, I know, Char, but it's still kinda..." Tiffany sighed again.

The girls probably would have stood there for ages, had Katie not glanced up at the clock that stood on the corner nearby. "Oh!" she gasped, suddenly snapping back to reality. "I need to hurry and mail my photo! C'mon, Daisy!" she cried, turning and running down the cobblestone road. "Bye, girls! I'll see you later!"

"Bye, Katie!" her friends echoed, waving goodbye.

Katie spared one more look back to wave, then faced forward and put all of her energy into the run to the mailbox. True, the mailman wouldn't come to collect outgoing mail for another hour, but she couldn't waste any more time! The faster she got to the mailbox, the better she'd feel. Several pedestrians casually stepped aside as she bolted past; they were used to kids and their Pokémon running at top speed.

In just a few minutes, the mailbox came into view. Katie laughed breathlessly, put on another burst of speed, and ran so fast she nearly plowed right into the mailbox. Wheezing and panting, she leaned forward with one hand on her knees, and the other gripping the mailbox. Daisy trotted to a halt next to her, eyeing her with concern until Katie gasped and straightened up. She held the manila envelope in her hands, checked it over for any wrinkles or sweat stains, then smiled. "Okay," she said, "this is for luck!" She quickly kissed the envelope's top, and carefully slid it into the slot.

The faint rustle as it landed among the paper felt like the final note to a grand orchestra.

"One girl becomes Champion, and another girl wins Pokémon Focus's contest and becomes a world-famous photographer… Verdanturf's about to get very lucky, Daisy!"


The next two months were a crawl for poor Katie. This was always the worst part, she decided; the wait to hear who had won the contest.

Obviously she had won, she told herself, but still, it was agony to wait to actually hear those words!

But, she had to occupy her time somehow, and school wouldn't cut her a break just because she was going to win a photo contest. So for the next two months, she tried to live like she always did. She went to school on weekdays, hung out with her friends on weekends, and carried her camera everywhere in case there was a really amazing shot. Every now and then Tiffany, Charlotte, and Amanda would invite her out to eat, or to the park, and Katie would readily accept. She needed as many distractions as possible if she wanted to make it through the next few months without tearing her hair out.

Sometimes the radio would report on a Trainer, and Katie kept her ears open to see if Maura was ever mentioned. So far, she was only mentioned once after defeating Roxanne and then being flagged down by a local reporter. Katie pouted as time went by and there was no other mention of Maura.

"What if it means she's losing?!" she cried in alarm one night, as her mom cooked dinner. "And she's only pretending when she texts us about the new Pokémon she's catching?!"

"Vree!" Daisy echoed her sentiment.

But Sarai just shook her head, keeping her eyes on the stir-fry she was working on. "There's a lot of Trainers and Coordinators, Katie. We can't know everything about all of them," she pointed out. "Unless Maura tells you something's going wrong, assume everything is fine."

Katie just pouted, but said nothing further.

Ironically, the next day was when she received the life-altering news.


One morning in early summer, when the sun was shifting from cool yellow to warm gold and people were only just starting to wake up, a pale blue vespa whirred and putted down the road. The two people aboard were staring intently; the driver watching the road, and the passenger behind them looking at their surroundings. Finally, the passenger shifted slightly, and tapped their friend on the shoulder.

"800 Honeytree Lane. This is the place."

The vespa slowed to a stop, and the two riders looked up at the cute little cottage surrounded by a flower garden. "Think she's expecting this?" quipped the driver as she removed her helmet and shook her hair out.

"Probably not," laughed the passenger. "Let's go surprise her!"

Upstairs in her room, Katie was fast asleep, buried under her pink and peach covers. Her hair, sticking out every which way like a tumbleweed, was all that could be seen of her if one were to take a look; Daisy rested comfortably in a ball right above her head.

She did not stir, not even when there was a sharp knock on the front door and the sound carried throughout the house.

Daisy's ear twitched, however, when the sound of quiet voices drifted towards her. She lifted her head, yawned, and blinked as she tilted her head and listened. The house smelled a bit different now, too, she felt. It smelled like Sarai, and… two strangers?

"Vee," she whispered, nudging at Katie's head. "Vreeeee-vee!"

Katie groaned, burying herself deeper in blankets. "No thanks, Champion Andrea," she mumbled. "I don't battle…"

"Vree!" Daisy tried again, batting at Katie's hair.

Just then, Sarai called out to her. "Katie!" As the girl finally woke up, groaning and sitting up in bed, Sarai continued. "There's two people from the Pokémon Labs to see you!"

"Mmmm?" Katie sat up, blinking drowsily. For two seconds, her mother's words didn't register. Then suddenly, Katie's eyes opened wide and she let out an excited shriek. "The Labs!" she screamed. "The photo contest!"

Katie scrambled out of her loft bed so quickly that her feet got tangled in the sheets and she nearly fell headfirst down the ladder. But she hastily caught herself, kicking her feet free and righting herself before scrambling down to the floor. While Daisy took the quick way and hopped down from the bed, Katie hurriedly began dressing in the same clothes she'd worn for Maura's birthday. It only seemed fitting, she felt as she braided her hair and splashed cold water on her face. This outfit had been what she'd worn to drop off her photo, and it'd be what she wore to hear about her win! "Come on, Daisy," she laughed, running out of her room. "Let's go, let's go!"

Katie hurried down the stairs, holding the bannister so she wouldn't fall. As she reached the first floor, she could hear voices; her mother sounded surprised, a little concerned, and the two new voices sounded excited. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but that was fine. They'd repeat themselves for her, surely.

"-just couldn't believe it- ah, here she is!" said one of the newcomers as Katie appeared in the entryway to the living room. "Our star photographer herself!"

Katie swelled with pride as she walked to one of the small white couches that sat on either side of the coffee table. She took a seat next to her mom, hands on her knees and back straight, a broad smile on her face. Daisy sat at her feet.

The two women sitting opposite them looked pretty stylish, Katie thought, just what she thought judges for a photography contest would look like. One woman had short, stylish black hair that fell in fringe around her ears and chin, and oval-shaped glasses highlighting her bright green eyes. She wore a blackand white striped long-sleeved shirt under a black vest, and black dress pants with shiny black shoes. She kept tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear, grinning as she tapped perfectly-manicured fingernails against her knee.

Her partner looked softer; she smiled shyly from behind her long, wavy blonde hair, her blue eyes sparkling sweetly. She wore a baby pink sweater with a long white skirt, and pink strappy heels. Her pink lipsticked smile hid her teeth, and she kept ducking her head while maintaining eye contact.

Katie thought they looked like models. She suddenly wished she had more stylish, modern clothes.

"You're Katie, aren't you?" asked the blonde. "I'm Belle Palm, and this is my friend and partner, Star Tulip."

"We work at the Pokémon Institute," Star said, as if Sarai hadn't told Katie earlier, "and intern for Professor Birch. We were among the judges of the photography contest."

"I knew it!" Katie exclaimed, perking up more than she already was. "I'm glad you liked it!"

"Liked it?" Belle tilted her head, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "Well, of course, we loved the contest."

"No, no, my photo!" Katie smiled. "I worked really hard to find a good shot, and then the wind came by just at the best moment, and- oh, wait, I should save this for the interview, right?"

"Interview…?"

"For the winner's spotlight!"

Belle and Star exchanged glances, smiles fading as they realized what Katie was getting at. "Oh… Oh, Katie, no, we're sorry," said Belle, lifting a hand and shaking her head. "Katie, hon, I'm sorry, but that's not why we're here."

"It's… not?" asked Katie, deflating a bit.

"Sorry we didn't tell you right away, but we're not here because you won the contest," added Star, her brow furrowing in sympathy. "We're sorry, but someone else won."

"Someone… else?" Katie numbly repeated, shoulders slumping. She wanted to sink into the floor as she slumped further in her seat, her throat tightening. Daisy nuzzled her leg in sympathy, and Sarai reached out to squeeze her shoulder.

"Pardon me, then, but I'm confused," said Sarai, frowning. "If she didn't win the contest, why are you here?"

"Well, you see…" Belle reached next to her and pulled out a bright red folder. She opened it on her lap, flipped through some papers til she found what she was looking for, and pulled it out. As she set it on the table and slid it towards the Adamses, Katie noticed it was a copy of the photo she'd sent in. One part of it, a part of the sky, was circled in red.

Belle saw the confusion on Katie and Sarai's faces, and pulled out yet another paper. This one was a zoomed-in part of the photo, the red circle even bigger. Only this time, Katie thought she saw something inside the circle.

"It appears," said Star, "that you've photographed Latios."