Pokèmon: New Kanto Adventure
Section 1.
Prologue.
トレーナーせんりゃくかんがえひがくれる
Torēnā, senryaku kangae, hi ga kureru.
"As the Trainer thinks on strategy, the day comes to an end."
Eleven-year-old Sakura Tajiri sat on a hill overlooking her home town of Masara town, a small fishing and farming town on the southernmost tip of the Kanto Region.
The sunset. Her long silk-like raven black hair danced in the light spring breeze as bright pink cherry blossom petals descended around her.
"Tomorrow" she whispered to herself, "for better or for worse… "
Her eternal thoughts were broken abruptly as among the pedals she spied a single strange feather. Above Masara town a large bird-like Pokémon flew leaving a rainbow trail.
On her lap, the feather shimmered, her lips strained, her wet mud plated arms and legs quivering lightly.
Just beyond Masara was the glittering sea. Up in the amber sky and the setting sun, the strange bird Pokémon was gone.
"Wh-what is… ?" She continued to whisper to herself, examining the feather, her thoughts soon becoming a jumbled up mess of fear and excitement. her eyes landing on the shrine overlooking the fishing docks and Masara town as a howl.
The feather shimmered in the sunset. A rainbow of colours.
"Sakura! It's time for bed! You need to get up early to get to Dr Okido tomorrow!" Her mother called out from her home, down past the bottom of the large hill.
with a deep sigh, she got onto her feet, Sakura would reply however, she simply didn't have it in her to yell like that, she hadn't in a long time. If she said anything to anyone, her soft voice would more often than not come out as just barely above a whisper.
Sakura walked gently down the hill, the shimmering feather clutched lightly in her hand. Afraid she would break it should she hold it any tighter, though she always had a more delicate touch than most others… and indeed much of the rest of her personality, having become increasingly fragile over time.
She had been an extremely outgoing and energetic child at first. Happly attending the many festivities that Masara town was known for, however, as time wore on, she became more reclusive and shy. These days, Sakura could be found either at home reading one of her numerous Pokémon books, some of which were written by her mother, or up on the hill quietly looking out over whatever festival was taking place.
With the exception of Tanabata, where she would reluctantly attend with her mother every year. She simply didn't enjoy being among a mass of people anymore, especially when said people started to get happy from whatever adults liked to drink. A drink that her mother had explicitly told her to stay well clear of, especially as she is extremely short for her age. Though Sakura never could figure out what her being short had to do with the drink she wasn't allowed to drink. Part of the festival was writing a wish on a slip of paper… most popular in Masara where more of a romantic nature, though every year Sakura would write down the same simple wish, a friend her age she could trust.
The change in behaviour was largely thanks to Shigeru Okido, she had become increasingly reclusive and shy through the years, to the point where she held little to no confidence in herself, as Shigeru liked to often remain her, "only really strong people get to be trainers." Or "you were the only one to set yourself on fire when learning to turn on a gas burner in school! " Of course, that hadn't been entirely true. Though she might have gotten a little flustered when doing it for the first time. Leading to some scarring along her arm, and her school uniform being singed black on the left side sleeve…. The Nurse had a long talk with her after ensuring that her wound was treated and cleaned.
In truth though, before Shigeru and his sister, Nanami moved to Masara town, Sakura had been very strong and sure of herself. If it hadn't been for Nanami, Sakura wouldn't have had any self-confidence at all and would never even plan ongoing out on a journey at all (nor would she have been able to pass her trainer's exams).
With an ever-familiar frown and sigh, Sakura stepped onto the dirt road as a police officer gave Sakura a smile and a nod. They often met on the road at around that time, though they never talked.
The tree line road followed the hill, one the many mountainous hills clamping Masara town between them, the valley forest and the bay. The road overlooked the rice paddies, before Masara town centre took over the landscape.
Five houses down and set back from the road, tucked behind another house and she reached her home, a small, traditional-looking house with a black shingled roof and a medium-sized garden down the side.
Entering her home, "Tadaima!" she called in, as she removed her shoes, "Okaeri." Her mother calls back, stepping into the hall she was met by her mother, she briefly observes her, gasping before hugging her, "Sakura, dear. Take a deep breath" she soothed, "We both know you have been looking forward to this."
"H-Hai… but if Sh-shi-Shigeru…" Sakura said softly, hugging her mother, tears slowly started to stream down her cheeks., with her mother guiding her into the bathroom, where she was stripped of her dirty clothes, before being cleaned off then soaking in the warm water p, her mother rubbing her back, "Sakura, we have been over this," her mother said softly as she pulled away, "Shigeru nor anybody else can dictate your actions. Your life is yours and yours alone. Just as you can't dictate anybody else's life. With individual rights comes individual responsibilities." She then hugged Sakura again before getting up. "When you're ready, it will be time for bed and sleep, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow,." She finished before walking out the door, returning briefly with a set of towels.
Sakura sat in the tub, closing her eyes, her mind drifting back.
She had been five at the time, her mother and Dr. Okido had brought her to the beach, though in early April, the water in the north Kanto Sea was still frigid cold. It was early I. The morning with the sun only faintly rising above the horizon. "Mom! Why are we here?'' Sakura yawned, whilst in her mothers arms. Not understanding how anyone could be up at such an hour.
"Give them a little time, and you'll see." Dr Okido replied, chuckling. "Patience is among a trainer's most important assets and virtues, there is far more to being a good pokèmon trainer than just raw power."
Sakura had started to nod to sleep again, when out of the blue, a puff of water shot into the air, followed shortly by a vast herd of large water pokèmon.
"On time as every year," Dr Okido said, "Whalord, come here every year, to start a new life, among other water pokèmon." He explained whilst Sakura continued to watch in awe, with one of her tears missing, having recently come out, the giant pokèmon of the deep ocean gilded gracefully up out the water, sending up a Great Wall of water as it landed on its back.
"In a few weeks, newborn wailmer will be with their mothers," Sakura's mother said softly, hugging Sakura closely.
After spending a good hour in the bath Sakura got out and wrapped herself in the warm towel, retreating to her room, where she found her futon already on the floor.
in the corner was a rucksack packed and ready for travel, complete with a sleeping bag, and a tent. Alongside were a set of hiking shoes and hung over her chair a set of rugged travailing clothes.
Sakura Completed her evening routine before settling into her futon, for the night,closing her eyes . Sakura feelt evermore unsure and uncomfortable… Sakura was back on the hillside overlooking Masara Town, not noticing that an older girl sat next to her,"Maybe, Shigeru is right… maybe I-I'm too weak to be a t-trainer."
on the bedside table, the feather rested, giving off a light shimmer in the moonlight.
"Tajiri?," a younger Nanami said softly, when Sakura looked up surprised, then blushing a bright red, before looking back down and nodded mutely, trying to dry her tears away. "You should know that my brother is a complete idiot, you shouldn't listen to anything he says! I'm sure you'll be great!"
The memory was distant, the first day back at school after the summer when Sakura had Nanami and her brother Shigeru had moved in. She had only been seven when they moved to Masara.
Shigeru had quickly lashed onto Sakura and quickly became a bully. Belittling her every chance he had. It had been a week after Nanami had joined her brother, and met Sakura.
Sadly, Nanami had only given a brief one month respite being four years older, she was eleven years old and thus was preparing to go on her Pokèmon journey, she left her grandfathers lab, leaving Sakura vulnerable to Shigeru, for the next four years the two of them had left of school. With only the frequent videophone calls from who had become her idol, to prop her failing self confidence alongside her mother, and Dr Okido who had become grandfather figure to her. With only a few visits from her per year between travels.
in her own bedroom, Sakura's mother, Hanako Tajiri couldn't help but worry about her daughter, "she used to be so much like you Satoshi." she whispered looking at a picture of her and her late husband. "Arceus, how I pray that Sakaura's journey might give back that energetic and outgoing daughter we once had."