Alex woke as usual that morning, roused by the feeling of something bouncing on the end of her bed. She lifted her head and looked towards her feet, barely making out the figure there.
"Good morning, Spoink." She said groggily. The creature let out a joyous cry, before happily hopping out of the room. Still half awake, Alex pushed herself to a sitting position. She let her eyes adjust to the light streaming though her window for a moment before pushing herself to her feet. She let out a large yawn as she stared blankly out of the window. The view was the same as ever. Below her, tall buildings lined the bustling street. Beyond them, a vast river, crossed by a bridge that rose majestically from between the rows of office blocks before stretching across the water. On the far shore was a dense forest that stretched as far as the eye could see in both directions. Alex had stared at this scene each morning, desperately longing to visit the other shore.
"Alex!" A voice called from another room. "I hate to rush you, but I have to leave for work soon!"
"Coming!" Alex replied. She hastily opened her closet and threw together an outfit for the day. Her favourite brown shorts, the old jacket that she'd been wearing for years and those nice black boots she picked up while shopping a few weeks ago. She looked herself over quickly in the mirror before hurrying from her bedroom.
In the main room of the apartment, Alex's mother stood facing away from her, working busily at the kitchen countertop. The small creature that had woken Alex was bouncing happily at her feet, and another, much larger creature, stood silently in the corner of the room. "Mom?" Alex said. The woman at the counter turned around with a beaming smile. She rushed over to Alex, almost tripping over the large sofa that sat between them.
"There she is!" The woman said as she flung her arms around Alex. "Happy birthday!"
"Thanks mom." Alex said as she awkwardly returned the hug.
"Spoink!" The small purple creature called out suddenly. Alex's mother let go of her and turned around quickly.
"Hmm?" She said. Her face dropped suddenly. "OH CRAP!" She yelled. Black smoke was billowing from the oven behind the creature. In an instant, she had leapt across the sofa and was frantically searching through the kitchen cupboards. "WHERE DID I LEAVE THE OVEN GLOVES!?" She screeched as she tore apart the shelves.
"Hariyama." Alex said calmly. The large Pokémon in the corner stirred. "Can you help out please?" Hariyama walked towards the oven, gently moving the now frantic woman out the of way. It casually reached into the over with its large hand and pulled out its contents, before plopping it onto the kitchen side. Alex's mother began to calm down.
"T-thanks." She said in a hoarse voice. Alex had moved to the windows, opening each wide. She leant out and took in a deep breath. "Sorry about that." Her mother called over awkwardly.
Alex walked over to the counter and looked at the smouldering remains in disappointment. "Cake?" She asked.
"Yes." Her mother replied with her head hung.
"You've done worse." Alex said reassuringly. "You're getting better. There wasn't any actual fire this time!"
"I knew I should've gone store bought. Thanks for the help, you two." She said looking towards the two Pokémon standing next to them. "And sorry for shouting." Spoink continued bouncing happily, and Hariyama walked silently over to resume its position in the corner. "I swear if it wasn't for you guys, I'd have burned the place down by now."
"Yeah you're probably right." Alex said. Her mother laughed.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." She said jokingly. "Okay, I say we get rid of this, and I pick up a cake on the way home this morning. Sound good?"
"I think that's for the best." Alex said as she looked down at the remains of her mother's cake.
"Right." Her mother said as she clapped her hands together. "Let's get cleaning." Alex sighed as they began to clear up the mess spread across the kitchen.
Ten minutes later Alex and her mother were walking out of their apartment building and onto the busy street, followed closely by a still joyful Spoink. Alex's mother began rummaging through her bag, before pulling out a small ball. She threw it high into the air, and Hariyama appeared before them in a flash of light. Alex caught the ball as it fell back down.
"So, you two are with Alex today, okay?" The two creatures nodded. "You know I'd take them to work with me, but someone…" She glared at Hariyama. "…won't stay in her Poké Ball for more than five minutes."
"Yama!" The Pokémon replied indignantly. Alex laughed. Her mother sighed.
"Just keep an eye on them." She said. She looked towards Hariyama. "And you make sure Alex doesn't get into trouble." Hariyama huffed.
"Mom, I'm sixteen now. I don't need her to protect me." Hariyama moved closer and stood by her side.
"I don't think you have a choice." Her mother said, laughing. She walked over to Alex. "Well, I really need to get going." She hugged Alex, before quickly turning and hurrying down the street. "Have a nice day dear!" She called as she disappeared into the crowd.
"I will!" Alex called after her. She felt a sudden vibration in her pocket. She reached in and pulled out her phone. "Crap." She said. A new message had popped up on the screen.
"It's starting in like 5 minutes." The message said.
"Crap!" Alex said again, louder. "You two, we need to move!" She called to the two Pokémon as she began to sprint down the street. The creatures quickly followed, Spoink bouncing frantically and Hariyama charging, shaking the ground with each step. "Excuse me!" She yelled as she dodged between the people on the street. Spoink sprang effortlessly over them, while Hariyama slowed and shuffled awkwardly through any gaps it could find. Alex turned around and saw it struggling. She twisted and began walking backwards. "Come on!" She called. "We're already going to miss the sta-" Her words were cut short as she hit something and fell to the ground.
"Yama!" The large creature called out in alarm as it began to gently move people out of the way. It rushed towards her, before swiftly picking her up and planting her on her feet.
"I'm fine." Alex said as she came to her senses. "What did I…?" She looked around to see what she had hit. A tall man in a green shirt was laying on the floor next to her, his long, curling brown hair sloppily covering his face. "Oh crap!" Alex yelled as she rushed over to him. She knelt next to him. "Are you okay?!" The man pushed himself to a sitting position.
"Uh-huh. I think so." He said as he pushed his hair away from his face. He locked eyes with Alex and sighed. "I should have known it would be you."
"Oh." Alex said awkwardly. "Hi Burgh. Sorry about that."
"We need to stop bumping into each other like this." He pushed himself to his feet. "Literally."
"I know, I know." Alex replied. She suddenly noticed a large bump on Burgh's forehead. "Oh my gosh!" She yelled. "Are you okay?" Burgh replied with a confused look. Alex pointed at the bump.
"Oh that!" Burgh said, rubbing the bruise. "That wasn't you, I got that a few days ago." He laughed. "We had a really intense battle at the gym the other day. One stray Energy Ball hit the battlefield and… BAM!" Alex jumped. "I took a rock to the head." He laughed again. "Ironic isn't it? I work my team around a weakness to Rock, and here I am getting hurt by one!"
"You really should get that checked out." Alex said with concern in her voice.
"It's fine." Burgh replied. "You should see what happened to the other guy." He laughed yet again and then paused. "He wiped the floor with me."
"Yikes." Alex said. "Were your Pokémon okay?"
"Just a few scorch marks." He replied casually. "Nothing a few berries couldn't fix. By the way…" He said as he brushed the dirt off his shirt. "…When am I going to get to fight you, huh? Every other kid around here your age has already taken me on and won."
"I know." Alex said. "Dylan won't let me hear the end of it since he beat you."
"Ah, I still remember that match." Burgh replied. "That kid has some serious skill."
"I know, his parents were so proud of him. I'm kinda proud of him as well. Crap!" She yelled suddenly.
"What's wrong?" Burgh said in surprise.
"Dylan! He's waiting for me. I gotta go!" She said as she began to run down the street again, followed closely by her Pokémon companions. "It was nice to see you!" She yelled as she vanished into the crowd.
"Likewise!" He yelled back. He sighed and shook his head. "That girl." He said to himself before turning and continuing his stroll down the street.
Alex was now sprinting down a small alleyway that led off from the main road. The two Pokémon were still lagging quite a distance behind them. A voice somewhere further down the alley suddenly yelled. "Now! Shadow Ball!" A few seconds later, a large boom echoed through the alley, followed by the cheers of a crowd. Alex sped up, knowing she was missing the action. The alley began to grow brighter, as Alex suddenly broke out into a clearing. Large buildings surrounded it on all sides. In the centre, a large dusty battlefield stood, its edges lines by many people, most around Alex's age. Alex ran towards a gap in the crowd. In the area, two trainers stood. One, a young man with fiery red hair stood, opposite him, a young woman with long, blonde hair stood laughing. Between them, a Pokémon was laying on the floor. Another, smaller Pokémon was flying proudly around the woman.
"Come back, Blitzle!" The boy yelled. The creature quickly vanished into the Poké Ball the boy held. He pushed it into his pocket, before swiftly pulling out another. He looked down at it. "Alright, pal, it's all down to you." He swung his arm back before throwing the ball across the battlefield. In burst open, and a small, rabbit-like Pokémon appeared in a shower of light. The creature began bouncing around, as its opponent began to fly quickly towards it.
"Woobat! Heart Stamp, now!" The woman called out. Woobat's heart shaped nose began to glow as it closed in on the boy's Pokémon. The boy smirked suddenly.
"Buneary. Fake Out." He said calmly. In an instant, Buneary had leapt forwards. As it reached Woobat, it clapped its paws together suddenly. A small shockwave sent its foe flying backwards. "Dizzy Punch!" Its trainer called. When Buneary reached the ground it launched itself forcefully towards its opponent. The fuzz at the tips of its ears began to glow.
"Woobat! Get out of the way!" The woman called in desperation. It continued to fall slowly towards the ground. "Woobat!" The woman was growing more desperate. "MOVE!" She screeched. By now Buneary was above Woobat. It curled up its ears, before shooting them back up suddenly, sending Woobat hurtling towards the ground below. It landed with a thud as its trainer screeched incoherently. The boy laughed heartily.
"Not so cool now are you!?" He yelled. The woman pulled out a Poké Ball and growled as she called back her Pokémon.
"That's it." She put the ball back and pulled out another. "You're going down." She threw the ball high into the air. When it opened, a large green Pokémon emerged. "Simisage." She said as it landed, barely containing her anger. "Brick Break, and don't stop until you get a hit." Simisage nodded and began to run towards Buneary. It began to swing its arm wildly as it approached.
"Buneary!" The boy yelled. "Quick Attack." The Pokémon effortlessly flew through Simisage's attack, landing a kick on its chest. Simisage stumbled.
"SIMISAGE!" The woman screeched. "JUST HIT IT ALREADY!" Simisage began swinging its arms once again.
"What's the matter Veronica?" The boy said with a smirk. "Losing your cool?" The woman growled again.
"Neary!" The Pokémon called out suddenly. Simisage had landed a hit, and sent it flying backwards. Veronica grinned at the sight of this.
"Iron Tail." She said coldly. Simisage's tail was cloaked in a grey light. It sprinted forwards, hitting Buneary who was still recovering, sending it flying towards its trainer. Buneary landed at his feet. It struggled for a while to get up, but eventually gave in and fell to the floor. At this, the crowd began cheering loudly.
"Buneary." The boy said as he bent down next to his partner. "You did a great job. Have a rest." He called it back into its ball. The crowd began to run towards Veronica, shouting praises and congratulations, leaving the boy alone on his side of the battlefield. Alex walked over to him, accompanied by Hariyama and Spoink, who had caught up with her at some point during the battle.
"You did good, Dylan." She said as she neared him. Dylan sighed.
"Not good enough." He said. He suddenly jumped back to his feet, and turned to Alex, holding his fingers about an inch apart. "This close. I was this close." He turned to face the crowd opposite him. "That damn Simisage." He stuffed Buneary's ball back into his pocket. "It always manages to get the upper hand somehow." Simisage stood at the far side of the battlefield, smirking in their direction. Dylan noticed and stood up. "There's no need to be snarky about it!" He yelled at the Pokémon. The creature continued smirking as it turned to join its trainer.
"Don't let it get you riled up." Alex patted him on the back. "Come on. Let's get out of here. You guys too." She said to the creatures standing next to them.
"Fine." Dylan said as he reluctantly began to follow Alex down an alleyway. "Next time though, she's going down!" His yell echoed as they disappeared into the darkness.
"She burnt it again?" Dylan asked.
"Yep. She does it every year." Alex replied. "At this point it's a family tradition!" The pair laughed. They were stood in a large room surrounded by other trainers their age. Some was chatting, but most were fixated on a large screen that was broadcasting a battle. Alex and Dylan were stood by a large window looking out at the street outside. As they talked, the woman from earlier appeared outside, accompanied by two other people. One was a young man, slightly older than her, wearing the same leather jacket she was. The other was a young woman, who looked virtually identically to her, apart from having darker skin and hair. Veronica clocked Dylan as she walked past. She stared angrily at him for several seconds, before scoffing, turning her head and hurrying away down the street, her posse trailing behind her. Alex and Dylan laughed loudly at this. "If looks could kill…" Alex said. "You really got her mad today." She smiled widely. "I'm so proud!"
Dylan smirked. "I honestly thought she was gonna have an aneurism at some point back there. I've never seen her so mad! If I ever beat her, I'm sure she'll explode."
"She has issues." Alex said. Dylan nodded in agreement.
"Dylan!" A voice called from across the room. It was a young woman with pink hair and a sweet smile on her face. They turned to face her. "Your Pokémon are all healed up."
"Nice!" Dylan said as he rushed over to the counter. The lady slid a tray with both of his Poké Balls across the counter to him. "Thank you so much." He said as he stuffed them into his bag. "Let's get going!" He grabbed Alex by the hand and began to hurry towards the door. "You didn't get to see me beat Veronica, but I still have another surprise for you." They were out of the door before Alex had time to protest. He dragged her past Spoink and Hariyama, who had been waiting outside. She called to them to follow as she continued to struggle to match Dylan's pace. The creatures were barely able to keep up with the pair as they began to push their way through the crowd in the bustling street.
"Where are we going?!" Alex shouted as she struggled to keep up with Dylan.
"You'll see!" He shouted back as they darted between the masses of people on the street. "Keep up!" They continued running until the suddenly broke out of the crowd and entered a large open space. Dylan stumbled as he broke free from the crowd, causing him to fall face first into the grass.
"Dylan!" Alex called as she reached him. "You okay?" Dylan gave a muffled reply accompanied by a feeble thumbs-up. He rolled over onto his back.
"We're here." He said breathlessly. Alex reached her arm down, and he grabbed her hand. She pulled him to his feet. "Thanks." He said as he brushed the dirt off his shirt. "I am okay!" He announced proudly. "Come on then." He strolled over to a nearby tree and sat at its base. Alex followed. It was then that Spoink and Hariyama caught up with them.
"You two can go and play if you want." She called to them. Spoink yelled with joy and began to spring wildly about the park. Hariyama silently walked over to another tree, sat at its base and closed its eyes for a rest. "That should keep them occupied for a while. So?" She said as she sat beside Dylan. "What's the surprise?"
"Is that really all you care about?" Dylan replied. "I, your best friend, take time out of my busy schedule to spend time with you on your birthday, and this is how you treat me?" He said in mock outrage. "Hark! Do you hear that!?" He clutched his chest suddenly. "Tis the sound of my heart breaking!"
Alex laughed. "Shut up." She said as she elbowed him playfully. "You know I'm happy just having you as a friend."
"So you don't want the present then?"
"Of course I want the damned present, that's why I have you as a friend." The pair chuckled.
"Alright, if you're gonna get pushy…" Dylan said as he rummaged through his bag. He pulled out a small box, carefully wrapped with a ribbon.
"Very fancy." Alex said as Dylan handed it to her. She untied the ribbon and let it fall on her lap. She slid the lid off and placed it on the floor next to her. "What's this? Oh, Dylan…" She said as she pulled out a pendant from the box. "Dylan, this is beautiful!" She held it in her hands and stared at it in awe. It was a sparkling silver, and it was shaped like a large tear. There was a large hole in it, clearly made for something to be slotted in.
"I'm sorry it's not complete." Dylan said. "Technically, it's a two-part present. Only problem is I don't have the other half, your mom does."
"Wait." Alex said suddenly. "Is this made for a Key Stone?"
"Well yeah. I know we're both setting off soon, so I thought I'd put us on even ground."
"What do you mean?"
Dylan smiled widely and pulled back the long hair covering his right ear. Underneath was a gold earring, with a small round stone embedded in it. "This is what I mean!"
"No way!" Alex leaned in close to the earring. "Where the heck did you get a Key Stone?"
Dylan hesitated before speaking. "Your mom gave it to me. She has another one for you. We agreed that she'd get the stone and I'd get the necklace."
"That's really sweet of both of you. But where did she get them?"
"Your brother gave them to her." Dylan said.
"…Damien got these?" Alex said softly. "How did she get in contact with him?"
"He came to her, actually. He said he wanted to do something for you this year."
Alex laughed loudly. "So he's suddenly interested in our family again is he? Typical." She huffed. "I haven't seen him and months and he can't even be bothered to give the present to me himself!?" She looked over Dylan who was cowering slightly. "Sorry. I get kinda worked up whenever he gets mentioned."
"I've noticed." Dylan said with an awkward laugh. "After he showed up your mom called my mom, and we arranged it from there." He paused. "I've spoiled the surprise, haven't I?"
"Don't worry about it. I'd have figured it out anyway." She put the pendant back into the box and slid the lid back into place. "Besides, we should probably head back to mine soon. Mom'll be expecting me by now."
"I'll come with you." Dylan said as he pushed himself to his feet. Besides, there's another surprise for you waiting. I can't wait to see your face!" He said as he began to run back towards the bustling streets.
"Dylan!" Alex shouted as she stood up. "Dylan! At least wait for me!" She called as she began to hurry after him. "Spoink! Hariyama! We're leaving!" She shouted. Spoink instantly began hopping after her. Hariyama jumped to its feet and began to slowly follow. It huffed when it saw the rest of the group disappear into the crowd, knowing it would have to walk home alone.
Alex had barely caught up to Dylan by the time he was hurrying down the corridor leading to her apartment door.
"814…815…" Dylan muttered as he ran through the corridor, glancing at the number on each door. "816!" He shouted triumphantly as he reached Alex's. He leaned against the door with a smirk on his face. "I win." He said breathlessly.
Alex staggered up to him and hunched over. "Okay." She said between gasps for air. "You win. But only because I had to stop and wait for Hariyama." She leaned against the door, pulling Hariyama's Pokéball out of her pocket. "This is your fault." She said jokingly.
"Wait, where's Spoink?" Dylan asked. As if on cue, Spoink appeared from the door to the stairwell, bouncing along feebly.
"You know what? Next time we should take the elevator. Agreed?"
"Agreed." Dylan replied as Spoink arrived at their feet, still exhausted. The pair suddenly yelled as they felt the door behind them start to move. They pushed themselves forward just as the door swung open.
"Ah, I thought I heard you two." Alex's mother said as she peeked around the door. Spoink bounced past her, heading directly towards the pile of blankets on the floor that served as its bed. It landed on it and closed its eyes. Alex's mother turned to look at the creature who was still hopping slightly. "Is he tired?" She asked.
"You could say that." Alex said, still panting. "Here." She said, handing Hariyama's ball to her mother. As it entered her hand, it burst open, and Hariyama soon appeared next to her.
"You really couldn't wait a few more seconds?" The Pokémon ignored her and wandered over to the corner where it stood silently. "She's just as temperamental as your brother." She said with a laugh. She turned to Alex. "Well are you two coming in or not?" She began to open the door wider. "Hang on. Alex, cover your eyes.
Alex glanced at Dylan for a moment. "Of course, I'd hate to ruin the surprise."
"I said I was sorry." Dylan whispered with a frown.
"I'm joking, don't worry about it." She closed her eyes and held out her arm to him. "Just make sure I don't bump into anything."
"I promise nothing." He said as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her clumsily through the door. Once they had entered, her mother took over. She guided Alex by the shoulders to the coffee table that sat in the centre of their living room. She sat her down.
"Okay, you can open your eyes." She said as she sat next to her daughter. As Alex opened her eyes, she saw a large black box laid out on the table. As she reached forward to open it, her mother leaned back and whispered to Dylan. "Did you already give her the…"
"Yeah, don't worry about it." He replied as he sat on an empty chair. Alex lifted the lid off the box and peeked over the rim. Inside were two orbs. One was small, filled with several colours, with a small black shape in the middle. The second was larger, with the same shape in the middle, except coloured red, orange and yellow. Alex reached in and pulled out the smaller orb.
"Go on then." Dylan said. "See if it fits." Alex nodded and reached into her bag, pulling out the small box from earlier. She took the pendant out and carefully slotted in the orb. Alex smiled widely.
"Perfect fit." She said as she put the pendant around her neck, tucking it underneath her shirt. "What's the other one for?" She said looking at the large orb, which still sat in the box.
"Well, technically that's not for you." Her mother replied, grinning widely. "Look closer." Alex leaned back towards the box, and reached inside, pulling out the larger orb. She set it down next to the box and reached in one again. As her hand touched the bottom, it gave way slightly. She pushed harder, causing the bottom to tilt slightly. She reached her other arm in, and pulled the bottom, which came out of the box. She put that to the side as well, before peeking into the box again. With the false bottom gone, Alex could now see a small Pokéball sat in the very bottom box. Alex pulled it out. She held it in her palm and stared at it for a moment.
"Is this from Damien?" She asked her mother.
"Yes. He said it was about time you started out on your journey." She replied. "But don't feel any pressure, you don't have to do it just because he did."
"No." Alex replied. "No. I want to go on a journey too." She pressed the button in the centre of the ball, causing it to suddenly grow much larger. She began to smile. "So, he does still care." She said under her breath.
"Let it out then!" Dylan exclaimed as he ran to sit next to her on the sofa. "I wanna see what he caught you!" Alex nodded. She pressed the button again. The ball split open, sending a beam of white light shooting upwards. The beam curved back down towards the table, where the light began to gather. As the beam disappeared, the ball of light on the table vanished into a flurry of sparkles. A small Pokémon now stood in its place. A large layer of wool hid most of its body, with only its legs, tail and head sticking out from its cloud-like torso. It tilted its head up and locked eyes with Alex. They stared at each other silently for a moment.
"Umm… Hi there." Alex said as she raised her hand unsteadily to pet her new companion. It responded by rubbing its head affectionate against her hand. Alex smiled widely.
"I think he likes you." Her mother chimed. The creature suddenly leaped into Alex lap and curled itself up. Her smile widened further.
"I think he really likes you." Dylan added as he leaned in closer. "Y'know, it's not often you see a Mareep around here. Your brother must have gone halfway across the region to find him." Alex wasn't listening, she was to busy petting the Pokémon in her lap.
"He's adorable." She said as she lifted Mareep up and held him tight to her chest. "You and me…" She said as she looked into its eyes. "...are gonna go places." She turned to Dylan. "So, when are we leaving?"
"What?"
"Don't you remember? That promise we made. We agreed that when we both had a Pokémon, we'd go and explore the other side of the river." She nodded towards the large forest that sat across the river that was visible from the window.
"So soon?" Her mother said with concern.
"Well, not right away of course." Alex replied. She looked back down at Mareep who was still staring up at her. "But a few days from now, it's gonna happen. We're gonna get out there and see the world!" She exclaimed as she hugged the Pokémon tightly.
"Well then." Alex mother chimed. "Can't go adventuring on an empty stomach!" She walked over to the kitchen counter, where a large box sat. She slid off the lid and tilted it towards Alex. Inside was a simple white cake, with a small model of candle-like Pokémon sat on top, waiting to be lit. She took out a matchbox, and soon lit the candle. She began singing, soon joined by Dylan, who sang far too loudly, much to the dismay of Hariyama who was attempting to nap in the corner.
Alex sat on her bed, gently stroking Mareep who lay asleep next to her. She stared blankly at the now dark landscape beyond her bedroom window. "You can me are heading over there in a few days." She said quietly as she looked lovingly at the creature beside her. "Damien really went out of his way to find you, didn't he? You, my friend, are proof positive he's not too far gone." She sighed. "I really should get in touch to thank him." She paused for a moment. "If I can get in touch with him. I suppose you didn't get to know him too well, but he can be hard to get along with, and even harder to find." She looked down at Mareep again, who was still sleeping soundly. She laughed quietly to herself. "You're right, I need to get some sleep." She carefully tucked herself under the cover, being careful not to disturb Mareep. She finally managed to bury herself under the sheets. "Goodnight, Mareep." She whispered as she let herself drift off to sleep.