One Step To Her Dream
Uehara Ayumu first discovered Pokemon at six years old, when she saw a magazine cover depicting various creatures she didn't recognize. A yellow spiky eared mouse with red cheeks. A large bird with yellow and red crest feathers. A fluffy brown and white cat-like animal with long ears and a bushy tail. A round, pink ball with big eyes and small limbs. The magazine cover had big yellow and blue letters on it that read 'What Pokemon Are You?' Ayumu didn't get to look at it much, as she and her mother had gone shopping, and her mother pulled her away from the magazines before she could look at it more. They were in a rush and needed to leave.
But she later saw Pokemon again the very next day, when she was channel surfing and saw an episode on TV. Immediately recognizing the yellow mouse with the lightning bolt tail, she sat and watched, in awe of the new world she saw. It took no time at all for her to fall completely in love with it. Then she watched more and more, until she found herself waking up every Saturday morning to see every new episode she could find. She even found some favorite Pokemon in no time at all.
One day, her seventh birthday was coming up, and her mother approached her with a question. "Ayumu? Is there anything you want for your birthday?"
Ayumu knew what she wanted. "I want a Buneary dolly!" She drew a crude crayon picture of a brown rabbit with tan fur on its legs and ears, showing it to her mother with shining eyes. "It's a Pokemon!"
Her mother scrutinized the picture for a bit before giving it back. "Well, I'll see if I can find you a Buneary doll," She then narrowed her eyes and held her index finger up. "But don't you dare look through my bags when I come home from shopping!"
As much as Ayumu wanted to keep that promise, she did enjoy the thrill of finding out what her parents got her beforehand.
Her seventh birthday arrived, and her mother kept her promise. She received a Buneary doll just like she wanted. It's fur was a lush, soft chocolate brown, with tan fluffs of fur on its ears, legs, and the lower half of its body. Ayumu held it close and basked in its soft warmth. In that moment, she had found a friend for life. But that wasn't all. She had received several more presents, two of which were a Nintendo DS and a copy of Pokemon Pearl.
"Ooooh! What's all this?" Ayumu held the pink Nintendo DS in her hands. It was heavy, but the surface was smooth and bright, and the color matched a lot of her dresses.
"It's a Pokemon video game," Her mother pointed to the game, and then the console. "And this is what you use to play it on. You know, like the playstations you told me your friends have, only you can carry them with you all the time."
A Pokemon video game? Ayumu couldn't believe it. First the Buneary plush, and now this new treasure her parents had gotten for her. She had read about Pokemon games online, but she wasn't sure what they were like. Now she had a chance of learning all about it for herself. Her joy bubbled over like soda fizz as she leaped onto her mother, wrapping her short arms around her waist.
"Thanks so much, Mommy! I love you!" Ayumu cried out.
Playing the video game was like discovering a whole new world. She could actually catch her own Pokemon, raise them, evolve them, and have them battle, just like in the anime! She wished she had learned about this sooner. Better late than never. She even caught her favorite Buneary. Of course, she still loved her Buneary doll and treated it as if it were a real person. Dressing it up, talking to it, sleeping with it, everything a happy seven year old would usually do with a new stuffed toy.
But sometimes she did wonder...what would it be like if Pokemon were real?
One day, when she was 16, she and a friend were strolling through the streets of Odaiba after school. The two of them walked through the Marine Park, which overlooked the sprawling river and the Rainbow Bridge. Since it was day time, the Rainbow Bridge wasn't lit up. Ayumu and her friend, a girl with black hair tipped evergreen, with her eyes the same shade, smiled as they took a bite out of some yakisoba bread they bought just minutes ago.
"Mmmmm! Soooo good!" The black haired girl exclaimed, her pigtails bouncing with every movement. Some of the brown noodles clung to her chin.
Ayumu giggled as she pointed them out. "Yu-chan. You have noodles on your chin."
"Oh, do I?" Yu wasted no time pulling out a napkin and wiping them off. Her pigtails swished back and forth as she looked around for a trash can. She found one right away and ran over to dispose of the dirty napkin, running right back to Ayumu soon after. "So what did you think of the new lyrics I came up with?"
"I thought they were great!" Ayumu exclaimed, beaming. "You really outdid yourself this time."
Yu Takasaki raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't put it like that, Ayumu-chan."
Ayumu and Yu had been friends since infancy, which had happened because they lived in the same apartment complex, right next to each other. Going to the same school, having common interests, and sometimes being made to stay at each other's houses when their parents worked late only solidified it. There wasn't a day that went by where they weren't near each other, and they always spared some time to hang out after school. No different from what they were doing today.
"Oh look!" Yu suddenly stopped, pointing to something further away from the river. Ayumu turned her head and saw a small ice cream stand just twenty feet away. There was already a rather long line that had at least 20 people, but Ayumu saw someone up front leave the stand right away. "Looks like they're selling ice cream again."
"I could go for some ice cream," Ayumu said. But she noticed her legs were starting to feel limp. Walking and doing dance lessons at school could do that. "But all this walking's starting to wear me out."
"I'll get some for us!" Yu exclaimed, putting her bread back in her bag and pulling out her wallet. "What flavor do you want?"
"Can you see if they have either pistachio or strawberry, please?" Ayumu suggested. "I'll wait over here," She pointed to a bench and sat right down.
Yu replied with a beaming smile and immediately ran over to the end of the line. Ayumu let out a contented sigh as she plopped down on the bench, happy that she could get off her feet for a few minutes. Only now did the fatigue start to sink in. She closed her eyes and her body sagged, allowing herself to relax. Today had been long and strenuous. Studying for tests, dance lessons at the school idol club, her and Yu's recent shopping trip. After this, she planned on heading home to get some homework done. From what she could see, it would be a while before Yu got to the ice cream stand, so Ayumu had some time to herself.
Her reverie was immediately interrupted by a rustling noise. "Huh?" She opened her eyes and looked to her left. A small shrub just a few feet away wiggled and rustled. Wait...had that shrub been there before? Ayumu didn't remember seeing any bushes or shrubs around this area. Curiosity got the better of her as she stood up from the bench and crept over to the rustling bush. Surely something was in there. Probably a squirrel or a bird. Common animals around these parts.
Then, something brown and tan popped out from behind the bush, meeting Ayumu's eyes. The girl's mouth fell agape as a rabbit appeared before her. But this wasn't any regular rabbit. This one stood on its hind legs, had a brown body, and its ears and abdomen were covered in fluffy yellow or tan fleece. It also had small, black eyes and a big mouth.
Wait a minute...Ayumu couldn't believe what she was seeing. This rabbit...it looked familiar. Just like a Buneary from Pokemon.
Upon closer inspection, Ayumu had little doubt. This was, indeed, a Buneary!
"What the…?" Other than those two words, Ayumu was speechless. Pokemon weren't supposed to be real! They were supposed to be fiction, fantasy, make-believe! But here was a Buneary right in front of her.
Just as she stopped to process it, the Buneary began hopping away.
"Hey! Wait! Come back!" Determined to find out why this Buneary was in the real world, Ayumu gave chase.
She was laser focused on the Buneary, refusing to let the bouncing rabbit out of her sight even for a second. Everything around her seemed to completely fade away as she ran after the Buneary tirelessly. But as she ran, she began to realize something: Why hadn't anyone else noticed the Buneary? Pokemon appearing in the real world surely had to be big news, right? Eventually, the Buneary bounced between two trees, disappearing into a thick forest. But Ayumu wasn't going to give up. Her legs burned and screamed for rest, but she ran into the forest.
A forest?
The sight of the foliage was enough to make her stop. Ayumu took in her surroundings...she wasn't in Odaiba anymore. Instead, big trees with thick leaves lined a dirt path, and sun spots danced across the ground. Dread ran through her. There weren't supposed to be forests in Odaiba. Questions circled in her mind, and no answers in sight. What happened to the city? The ocean? The ice cream stand? The boats at the port? Where was Yu? How far had she run? Where even was this forest?
"Where in the world am I?" Ayumu asked, shivering from the confusion of it all.
"Bun bun!" Something cried out just a few feet ahead of her. Ayumu looked down, seeing the Buneary pointing further into the forest. Not long after, the Buneary hopped away.
"Does it...want me to follow it?" Ayumu knew it was pointless to ask, as nobody was around to answer her. There was only one way to find out. Ayumu steeled herself and walked deeper into the forest. Gradually, the trees began to open up, giving the forest a golden glow fitting for a trek as the sun set. But the last time Ayumu checked, it was still late in the afternoon, not late enough for the sun to set.
Now that Ayumu thought about it, this seemed eerily similar to that Alice in Wonderland story she read once. Now she was the girl chasing a rabbit and going into parts unknown. Finally, she reached the end of the forest. The setting sun's orange light blinded her, and she held a hand up over her eyes for just a moment. But once she opened them back up, her mouth fell agape at what she saw before her.
The Buneary had led her to a large, wide open clearing with a similarly enormous lake. The dew on the trees sparkled under the sunset. Long shadows draped across a blanket of vivid, colorful flowers. But what really threw Ayumu for a loop were the inhabitants of the clearing. Just like the Buneary, actual, living, breathing Pokemon were frolicking in the clearing, chasing each other around, feasting on berries, swimming in the lake, and so on. Ayumu couldn't believe her eyes. This couldn't be real! But she recognized all of the Pokemon that she saw. Several Starly flew into the trees, pecking at red berries. A Zigzagoon, a Sentret, and a Bidoof were rolling in the grass, playing together. Several Pikachu gathered into a cluster, picking flowers. A large, regal Lapras swam across the lake at a languid pace. A Clefairy and a Jigglypuff happily bounced across the clearing, as if floating on air. Several other Pokemon she didn't recognize, such as a deer with a flower on its head and a white sheep Pokemon with a black muzzle, grazed quietly, munching on the dewy grass and savoring their meal in peace.
"Wooooow!" Ayumu was speechless. Her childhood had come to life before her eyes! The fear that had once gripped her finally dissipated, and a smile spread across her face. Pokemon were real! The Buneary had led her to this amazing place, as if to tell her that Pokemon were indeed flesh and blood. "This is wonderful!" Words came back to her, and joy bubbled from her being like soda fizz.
Every single Pokemon turned their heads towards her, hearing her outburst. Most of them, save for the Lapras, approached her with bright eyes, swishy tails, and eager faces, as if to greet her. Even the Buneary from before hopped right in front of her, flashing a big, welcoming smile and spreading its arms akimbo, as if welcoming her to its home. Ayumu couldn't help but smile back, pleased by the welcome party.
Ayumu got down on her knees and said, "Did you want to show this to me? Thank you!"
Then, the Clefairy gave something to the Buneary. Ayumu raised her eyebrows as the Buneary accepted the item and placed it in front of Ayumu. The orange haired girl looked down, recognizing the item immediately: A PokeBall, a round capsule with a red top half and a silver bottom half. PokeBalls were real as well? Why was Buneary giving this to her?
It took all but seconds for another realization to hit her. Did Buneary want Ayumu to be its trainer? The thought of becoming a Pokemon trainer was quite appealing, and images swept across Ayumu's mind's eye. Ayumu and Buneary spending time together. Ayumu and Buneary becoming idols, singing and dancing for audiences the world over. Ayumu and Buneary sharing food together. Showing Buneary to everyone in the idol club. Ayumu smiled so big, her cheeks began to hurt.
"Do you...want to be my friend?" Ayumu asked.
Buneary gave a vigorous nod.
This was it. Her dream was coming true. Sure, she still intended to pursue being a school idol, but with a special friend by her side, she knew her future would be bright. Ayumu took the PokeBall in her hands and slowly held it out towards Buneary.
"Ayumu!"
But when she got closer, a faint voice echoed, growing louder when she held the PokeBall right towards Buneary's head.
"Ayumu? Wake up!"
"Hey! Ayumu!"
"Wha?!" Ayumu's green eyes slammed open, and the first thing she saw was her friend Yu, face so close, she could feel her breath. "Y-Y-Yu-chan…?"
Yu pulled away from Ayumu, holding two ice cream cones in both hands. "Took me a while, but I got us some ice cream," She handed Ayumu a cone with a dollop of pink ice cream with red dots on it.
"Thanks," Ayumu took it gingerly and took in her surroundings. She was no longer in the forest full of Pokemon. She saw boats on the water, and there weren't any trees or shrubs within her vicinity. She was, indeed, in Odaiba. So the Pokemon forest was all just a dream. Ayumu deflated as she began licking her ice cream. At least now that she was awake, her legs felt better and more relaxed than earlier.
"You were out like a light just now," Yu said, taking a bite out of some vanilla ice cream. "I guess dance practice must have made you more tired than I thought."
"Probably," Ayumu admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. "I actually had a nice dream just now."
"Really?" Yu's darker green eyes lit up, curious to know more. "What was it about?"
"You know how I really like Pokemon, right?" Ayumu began. "I dreamt that a Buneary led me into a forest and that Pokemon had come to life in the real world. I know, strange, huh?"
Unbothered, Yu simply shrugged as she took another bite of her ice cream. "Eh, I've had weirder dreams. Though it would be nice if Pokemon were real. I bet you'd be a really cute Pokemon trainer, with your own Buneary and everything."
The image she conjured in her head was enough to make Ayumu's smile return. "Yeah. That would be nice."
After that, the duo savored their cold, hearty after school snack together. Once they finished, they ate their cones and threw away whatever trash was left over. "I'm about ready to head back home. How about you?" Yu suggested.
Ayumu stretched her arms outward. "Yeah. We should probably start our homework for tomorrow," Ayumu replied.
With that, the two of them headed back home, their steps light as feathers. Oddly enough, Ayumu felt surprisingly refreshed after her quick nap. She looked forward to what tomorrow would bring.
A/N: Hello, Love Live fans. I'm Julia, and I'm new to the Love Live fandom, as I just finished the Nijigasaki anime today. It's soooooo good! I'm NOT, however, new to Pokemon, as I've been a fan of that since I was a kid. I found out through the Love Live Wiki that Ayumu likes Pokemon and talked about it in the yonkoma strips, so I thought I'd make a short, cute little fanfic about it. Hope ya like it! And if not, that's okay, too! And yes, the title of the fic is in fact a translation of one of Ayumu's songs, "Yume e no Ippo."