'Faris!' Her mother harshly shook her awake. 'Faris! Where is your sister?'
'Mmm…Raziya went for a snack…Bring me some cheese Raz?' Faris rolled over and fell off of her bed. 'Huh?' She shook her long bangs out of her eyes as she woke up.
'A snack? Faris! Do you or do you not know where Raziya is?' Amaris pleaded, her brow wrinkling with worry.
'Uhh…' Faris checked under both her and her sister's bunks. 'Nope.'
Amaris stood, shocked, for a moment. Then, suddenly, her face sparkled with a new idea. She bolted downstairs to the kitchen and began dialing the numbers of everyone she knew; oblivious to the fact that it was six in the morning.
'Have you seen Raziya? No I don't know what time it is!…No! I don't want to know! Have you or have you not seen my daughter! Hello?…Hello?'
'Hey mom.' Faris yawned as she stumbled down the staircase. 'Who are you calling this early in the morning?'
'IT'S NOT THAT EARLY!' Amaris slammed the phone down on the counter.
'Oh.' Faris smacked her lips and yawned again. 'Still looking for Raz huh?'
Amaris attempted to dig her nails into the counter, to no avail.
'What's this?' Faris reached out for the note attached to the fridge. This action appeared to be a bad idea. She was thrown off balance, and ended up on the tile floor. 'I got it,' She held up the paper. 'Come here mom…I'll show you what I found on the fridge.'
'FARIS! Wake up! Stand up and give me that!' Amaris snatched the note from Faris' grip, and greedily unfolded the paper. She read it over several times, and then burst into tears.
'Listen, mom, I'm sorry…I didn't know you wanted it first…I'm awake now see?' Faris clumsily stood up.
As her mother continued to cry, Faris searched the countertop for a cup of warm coffee. 'Any coffee…?' She mumbled.
'What does mediocre mean?' Amaris stuttered through her tears.
'Uh…medium. What do you think?' Faris rolled her eyes. She blinked and shook her head a bit, and the situation finally sank in.
'Oh! Man! Mom! Where's Raz?'
'She's gone…my little girl is gone…' Amaris sat down on the sofa.
'Where? Did she go training for a bit?' Faris seated herself next to Amaris.
Amaris passed her daughter the note. 'She ran away.'
Faris' face was drained of all color. Thought after thought ran through her head. This is my fault. Raziya ran away from me. She was so jealous! I wasn't very nice. Why didn't I stop her?
'I'm going after her.' Faris clutched the note tightly.
Amaris threw her arms up in the air. 'I am childless! They're leaving!'
'Listen, mom, I have to find…'
'Fine! Go! Leave me here…' Amaris picked up the phone. 'I'm calling mom.'
'Umm…mom it's still too early…' Faris suggested. 'Call grandma in an hour.'
'Now I can't talk to my own mother! I didn't even run away!'
After what seemed like hours, Faris finally managed to calm her mother down. She then tried to explain why she thought Raziya left. 'It might be my fault, mom. I have to rescue her!'
Amaris snorted. 'You're about as useful with a compass and map as my Venusaur! But I guess you have to…go ahead and pack. I'll make you a lunch.'
Faris' face beamed. 'Thanks mom!'
She ran up to her room and began to stuff random items into her navy striped backpack. Finding only four pokéballs, she shrugged and pushed them between her extra socks and flashlight. Shortly after, she was done packing. Faris grabbed a pack of gum from between some papers off her desk and popped one in her mouth. A childhood photograph of her and Raziya slipped from the pile and floated to the ground in front of her.
Oh Raz…She bounced down to the kitchen, nearly falling down the stairs.
'Lunch?' Faris questioned Amaris.
With a pout, Amaris held out a brown paper bag.
'Mom! I'll be back! I'll bring Raziya too.' Faris sighed and gave her mother a hug.
'I know. And besides, maybe it will be a good break from you two. Such a handful!' Amaris laughed.
Faris smiled and kissed her on the cheek. 'I'll give Raz your regards.' And with that she snatched a long jacket from the coat rack and disappeared out the door.
As Faris started out down the street, she had pretty much forgotten about her sister's disappearance. She thought to herself, Wow. What a nice day.
She dug into her pack and released one of her Pokémon. A Squirtle popped out of his pokéball, and greeted Faris cheerfully.
'Hello, Ace.' Faris smiled. She had given nicknames to all of her Pokémon.
'Squirtle!' Ace said.
'Well, I sure am glad I grabbed your pokéball.' Faris replied.
Ace repeated his last sentence.
'Lets see who else I've got.'
'Errrrrr!' Ace clapped his hands together.
Faris pulled out each of the pokéballs, and let out all of her Pokémon in turn.
Thriller the Gastly was first to appear.
'Gassst!' She hissed and smiled mischievously.
'Good morning.' Faris tipped an imaginary hat towards her Pokémon.
A sleepy looking Elekid came out of his pokéball next.
'Hello there, Static.'
Static looked up at Faris drowsily, and rubbed his eyes.
Last but not least, a Mankey appeared.
'Key! Key!'
'God, Bjorn, you're loud!' Faris covered her ears.
She placed the empty pokéballs in her sailor print backpack and continued down the road, stopping to smell roses here and there. Soon, they arrived at the entrance to Route 39.
'There are some wild Pokémon around here, so be careful you guys.' Faris warned her friends.
They nodded in agreement and crowded closer together.
The walk through Route 39 was long and tedious. Faris had to return her Pokémon to their pokéballs every time they walked through tall grass, for fear of them getting hurt. There were berry trees here and there, and Faris picked a few for her Pokémon. They all seemed to like the taste, so she decided to snack on some. Gross! She thought, and spat them out.
It took all day to get through Route 39. Hungry and tired, Faris and her Pokémon sat down to rest underneath a large tree. Faris leaned her back up against an old fence and pulled a blanket out of her bag. The group fell asleep instantly, lulled by the sound of wild HootHoots in woods.