Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or these characters

The evening sky of Celestic town was legendary. So legendary in fact, that some of the most famous photos of the Sinnoh region show the town at that time of day. The sun peaking out over Mt. Coronet to the West, as bright stars begin to shine down from space. Pokémon move back to their homes and settle down for the nightime, as nocturnal Pokémon emerge from their own homes. The cries of starly disperse as the calls of Hoothoot begin.

A sudden explosion disrupted the tranquillity of the town, and a flock of Hoothoot rose from a tree, squawking indignantly. The explosion had occurred on the small battlefield behind the town's Pokécenter. As the explosion cleared up, it revealed a Gible standing proudly above a knock-out Piplup.

"Piplup has been knocked out, meaning Gible and Cynthia are the victors!" Announced nurse joy. A large smile spread across the face of the girl who stood on the other side of the battlefield.
"Woo!" She exclaimed, jumping into the air, "You did it Gible!" Gible walked towards her tiredly, with a grin on her face. Cynthia scooped her up, embracing her in her arms.

"That was amazing Gible! It was close, but you pulled it off!" Gible looked at Cynthia, making her do a double take.
"What is it? Did I do something?" Cynthia asked,
"Gible! Gib gi gib!" Gible said.
"Of course not, it was all you in that battle!" Cynthia replied. Gible responded with a roll of her eyes.

She was concerned about the girl. She was an excellent trainer, incredibly strategic and always able to keep a cool head. Without her guidance, Gible was sure she wouldn't have won that battle. But for some reason, she didn't acknowledge her own contribution to the battle. They hadn't even lost yet! It was really confusing for her.

She huffed as she was let out from Cynthia's arms and they walked over to the trainer they had defeated.
"Wow, you guys are incredible! You'll be like, champion in a week!" She fangirled over them. Gible and Cynthia chuckled at that. Cynthia, as champion? That's out there.
"Thanks, but I think that's a bitttt out of our reach Bridgette." Cynthia said. "Anyways, Gible contributed more to the battle than me, she was actually fighting!" Gible shot her another look, which Cynthia didn't notice.

Bridgette smiled and extended her hand out towards Cynthia.
"Well maybe later we can have a rematch and see how far we've come. Sounds good?" She asked.
"You've got yourself a bet." Cynthia said as she tightly grasped on Bridgette's hand. She raised her head and noticed the evening sky.

"Wow, it's almost nighttime. Let's have a quick check-up at the Pokécenter and head home." Cynthia and Bridgette began heading towards the Pokécenter, while Gible stayed still and looked at Cynthia, her eyes almost looking through her. Cynthia turned and smiled at her.
"Hurry up Gible, it's going to be cold tonight, and you wouldn't want to die and begin rotting, getting your insides eaten by a murder of Murkrow, would you?" Gible snorted and ran to catch up with Cynthia.

After checking up on their Pokémon, Cynthia and Bridgette left the Pokécenter and said goodbye to each other, and then headed back to their homes. Cynthia and Gible walked home in a comfortable silence, each enjoying the sounds of the night. By now, the sun had truly set, and the Village was illuminated from the glow of the heavens above.

Suddenly, Cynthia spotted a shooting star.
"Hey sis, it's a shooting star. Make a wish." Cynthia said, as Gible turned her head upwards.
"I know, it probably does nothing, but it would be fun. You get to do the wish." Gible huffed and gestured at Cynthia.
"Nah, I don't need to wish for anything. You can make the wish Gible." Gible sighed and closed her eyes. Oh well, she couldn't argue with a brick wall. After making her wish, she opened her eyes and continued to walk home, Cynthia smiling at her briefly before turning her head forwards.

"Cynthia! Gible!" Came the call of their grandma, "You better come home now, or else dinner will be cold!" The eyes of the two girls widened, and they instantly began sprinting, their mouths already watering. They ran up to the house and shot through the doorway, speeding past Carolina, who was holding a stopwatch.

"Twenty-two seconds from the hill. I don't know how, but you're somehow faster than last time. "She said, more to herself before walking back inside the house. She was greeted with the sight of Cynthia and Gible at the table, about to pounce on their meals. Clefable stood behind them with an exasperated expression. She understood why they were so excited. It was, after all, the last bit of her cooking they would eat for a long time.

"Girls! Where are your manners?" She admonished. Cynthia and Gible instantly looked sheepish and waited impatiently for Clefable and Carolina to sit down. Clefable sat down, but not before seeing Carolina giving her a wink, making her chuckle. Carolina then headed to the kitchen, saying she had to quickly do something, much to the annoyance of Cynthia and Gible.

A minute later Carolina was still rummaging around the kitchen, and Cynthia couldn't take it anymore. The beautiful aroma from the Torchic meat wafted through her nose, and the vegetables glistened on the platter, sparkling in the light of the overhead lamp.
"Please hurry grandma! We're starving! If you don't come now, we'll die and our organs will spill everywhere, and make the house reek of intestines!" Cynthia called. Carolina winced at the image that formed in her head and made her way back to the table. The amusing look of relief that passed on Cynthia and Gible's faces was all worth it.

After sitting down, she clapped her hands together and closed her eyes.
"Arceus, bless this food to our body." She said. And just like that, Cynthia and Gible were off. Carolina looked at the pair fondly. Despite their bad table manners, she could tell they were wholeheartedly enjoying the meal, indicated from the satisfied noises they were making.

As they began to slow down, Carolina decided to initiate a conversation.
"So, tomorrow is the big day, isn't it?" She started off as she poured some water for the dinner guests.
"Yup! Me and Gible are going to go explore Sinnoh together!" Cynthia replied eagerly, before applying more chili source to her meat. How she could handle so much of it, she would never know.
"I hope you're prepared Cynthia. Journeying through Sinnoh is not an easy feat, especially during winter. "Cynthia looked up to see her grandmother smiling gently at her.
"I know, but we've been preparing for a week now." Cynthia said, while twirling her fork that had been jabbed into a baked potato,
"It's been a fortnight since Gible's come to live with us, and we've decided we want to go out into the world and discover what we want to be! We're not going to take a journey as serious as this is lightly." She promptly dug back into her meal.

Carolina felt she was too mature for a nearly thirteen-year-old girl. While others at this age would begin questioning their place in the world and start acting erratically, Cynthia just quietly acknowledged she didn't know what her role is, with no change in her character. Apart from mealtimes and her weird sense of humour, Cynthia could easily be mistaken for a late teen in terms of her maturity.

Cynthia picked up on her grandmother's weary expression, and looked at her curiously.
"Grandma, is everything alright?"
"Oh yes dear, everything is fine, I'm just thinking about how much I'll miss you." Carolina admitted, looking at Cynthia with a sad smile. "You've grown up so incredibly fast. I would think you were an adult If it weren't for your terrible manners." Cynthia giggled at that, and subconsciously slowed down the frantic pace of her eating.

"In other news, I hear you two are undefeated in Pokémon battling?" Carolina said. At this, Cynthia and Gible lit up.
"Yes! Gible is undefeated!" Cynthia said proudly, scratching Gible in her favourite spot while ignoring the look Gible gave her. "We may have only been fighting others who are just beginning their Pokémon journey, but that's still pretty good. She's even mastered dragon rage already!" Carolina noticed Gible looking at her, and then gesturing her head towards Cynthia. She didn't need words to understand what Gible wanted.

"Well, you must be a great Pokémon trainer already Cynthia!" She said, curious to how her granddaughter would react. Cynthia smiled gently in response.
"Thanks grandma, but I've still got a lot to learn. I've barely touched the tip of the iceberg."
Finishing up her meal, she let out a contented sigh. She pushed out of her chair and stood up and collected Gible's empty plate.
"That meal was amazing Grandma, I'll clean up our plates and I'm going to head to bed for an early night. I need as much energy as possible tomorrow."

Cynthia walked to the sink and quickly rinsed the plates before stacking them in the dish washer. As she left the room, Gible looked forlornly at Carolina. Clefable murmured and laid a reassuring hand on Gible.
"I agree, she needs to credit herself for her accomplishments." Carolina mused, watching the hallway Cynthia had gone through. Gible looked forlornly at the hallway. Clefable muttered something, which Carolina.

"She really is exceptional! She hasn't lost a battle yet, she can already understand Gible after a fortnight, she's more prepared for a journey than a regular adult would be! Maybe she thinks she isn't good enough, or that this isn't a result of her effort. I don't know." The trio sat in silence, all thinking about the golden-haired girl.

"Gible, can I ask you something?" Carolina asked. "While on your journey, I want you to help Cynthia feel better about herself. Just stick with her, joke with her, whatever. I want you to be there for her. Can you promise me that?" Gible looked at her and nodded solemnly.
"Thank you so much." Carolina said, "That means so much to me. Now, head off to bed and get some rest, you'll need it for tomorrow."

Gible promptly hopped off her seat and headed towards the bedroom she shared with Cynthia. Knocking on the door, a muffled: "come in" told her to come inside. Sitting on her own bed was Cynthia, her dressing gown wrapped around her. She looked over at Gible and smiled.
"Hey, are you excited for tomorrow?" She asked, receiving a vigorous nod from Gible.
"I shouldn't have asked, of course you're excited." Gible walked over to her dirt box and started digging into the soft soil.

Cynthia chuckled and got off her bed to turn off the lights. The only thing illuminating the room was now the moon peeking through her window blinds. Cynthia collapsed onto the bed and immediately began to drift away, her dreams filled with the future adventure of her and Gible.

Gible took a bit longer to settle down. She was thinking over the words Carolina had said to her:
"I want you to be there for her. Can you promise me that?" Gible wouldn't back down from her responsibility. As she closed her eyes, she reminded herself what she had to do. She would always be there for Cynthia, no matter what.

OoOoO

Cynthia woke up to the gentle hug of sunlight, shining through her window blinds. She groaned, before jolting upwards as she remembered what today was.
"Gible, get up! It's finally time to leave!" She said, throwing the covers off her bed and springing from the mattress. She saw Gible quickly digging herself out of the dirt, who quickly gave her a grin once she was completely out of the soil.

They burst through the bedroom door and ran down the hallway to the kitchen table, where they were met with steaming food sitting on the table. Carolina and Clefable were in the kitchen and turned their heads towards the pair after hearing the ruckus that followed them wherever they went.

"What are you waiting for? Eat, girls, eat!" Carolina said. She had barely blinked and already Cynthia and Gible were seated and tearing into their food, eating at a pace that was somehow faster than usual. She sighed. She was going to miss their antics.

"It's a good thing you're eating faster than usual, Professor Rowan is already here!" Cynthia's eyes bulged and she nearly spat out the food she was eating.
"He's already here?" She exclaimed, "Oh gosh, we need to go now Gible!" Quickly, the pair jumped out of their chairs, picked up their bags and ran out of their house. Carolina chuckled and followed them out the door. They didn't even know where to find him.

Cynthia quickly spotted a set up in the centre of the town, and she and Gible ran towards it. They skidded to a halt once they had arrived and found themselves standing before the back of a brown-haired man. He turned and Cynthia immediately recognised his iconic moustache.

"Professor Rowan!" Cynthia exclaimed, "It's fantastic to meet you, I'm Cynthia, I hope I'm not late!"
The man chuckled lightly, before looking around.
"No, you're actually quite early. You want to get your starter Pokémon that badly? Theres Turtwig, Piplup and Chimchar, but I'm sure you know the starters if you came here this early."

Cynthia scratched the back of her head awkwardly before answering. "Well, I actually already have a companion, she's right here." Cynthia gestured downwards, and Professor Rowan's eyes widened when he saw the small dragon standing there.

"Your partner is a… a Gible!? How on earth did you two meet each other?" He asked curiously. Cynthia collected her thoughts for a second before answering. "Well, I saved her from dying in a blizzard, and then she went off to find her parents, and a week later she came back on the brink of death, both emotionally and physically, and then she became my sister, and we started Pokémon battling a fortnight a go and now we're here."

Professor Rowan had his mouth agape for a second, before closing his mouth and nodding.
"Those were some quite… unusual circumstances. Are you sure you're able to handle… her?"
At this, Gible growled softly, before Cynthia rose a pacifying hand.
"Calm down Gible, he's probably only seen three trainers with a Gible, Gabite or Garchomp. it's probably quite unusual."

Rowan laughed awkwardly, before looking more seriously at Cynthia.
"No Cynthia. You are the first person to be partners with a member of the Garchomp line in known history. So, this is quite incredible. Excuse me, I'm going to have to record this. "And just like that, Professor Rowan was already typing away on his own Pokédex.

Cynthia shook her head in confusion.
"That makes no sense. Why has nobody ever had a Gible as a partner before?" She asked.
"Because, no member of the Garchomp family has ever been comfortable around people until You and Gible." Rowan said. "Any who, I'll worry about that can of worms until later. Right now, I'll give you your Pokédex and you can wait for everyone else from your year group."

Cynthia said and took a Pokédex from Rowans outstretched hand and walked over to sit near the Ruins' entrance. Gible came over and barked quietly before laying a claw on Cynthia.
"No, I'm fine Gible," Cynthia said, "I'm just confused on how nobody has ever befriended someone from your species before! It makes no sense! You're acting as friendly to other people like a Lillipup would."

"Giiiiiible. Gib gib."
"You think I made an impression on you, which made your more comfortable with people?"
"Gible Gib."
"Like a mother?"
"Gible."

A second passes as Cynthia and Gible look at each other, before they start rolling on the ground in fits of hysteria.
"Me as your mother? When Geodude fly." This prompted another batch of hysterial laughter from the pair.

"Honestly, I'm so glad you're here with me." Cynthia said as she calmed down. "I feel like a child again." They sat up giddily and noticed all the other students from their year group had shown up and that the Pokémon trainer ceremony would soon begin.

"Today, we come together to celebrate the future generation of Pokémon trainers!" Professor Rowan announced, eliciting cheers from the townsfolk that had gathered to watch. Cynthia saw her grandmother giving her a thumbs up.
"Your children at the age or nearing the age of 13 are about to experience the adventure of their life. They will make friends, rivals, laugh and cry, win and lose. But by the end of it, they will be a changed person. I speak from experience when I say that beginning my Pokémon journey was the best decision I ever made."

"Now, to those of you who do not already have a Pokémon, please step forward!" A trio of kids stepped forward, leaving Cynthia, Bridgette and a kid who had a Porygon. They chose their respective Pokémon and stepped back into the group of children.

"Now, I presume you are all prepared. And since you now have everything, it is time for you to leave." And just like that, Professor Rowan was leading the group towards Route 211, which was surprisingly unfoggy that day. Cheering came from the townsfolk, as they said goodbye to family and friends.

Soon, the group came to the gateway of Celestic town. Its bright red paint glistened in the sun, as it's arches curled towards the sky. A splash of colour upon the winter landscape. Cynthia looked through the gate to Route 211, surprisingly clear from thick fog for the time of year.

"The farthest I've ever gone from Celestic Town is this gateway." Cynthia said, "Beyond that, I don't know what lies out there."
Cynthia breathed in and closed her eyes before stepping through the archway with Gible. She opens them once more to observe the serene landscape around them.
"But wouldn't it be interesting to find out?"

"Gible gi Gible Gib."
Cynthia chuckled as she continued to walk. "Disgusting, but still interesting."
Gible and Cynthia continued to banter as they walked further and further from Celestic town, their voices lost in the sound of other Pokémon and noises. A old woman stood at the gateway they had just left, a Clefable softly hugging her.
"Goodluck, Cynthia and Gible."