Water Droplets
The birth of an unusual dawn began just as any other, the darkness fading as pale light bleached the horizon. Stray light caught on the clouds which hung lowest in the horizon and gave birth to a glorious display of colors worthy of a canvas hung in a famous museum. On the opposing side, another display began, just as worthy of high honors, yet even more difficult to capture as the darkness clung to the sky, fading stars shining their last as the most brilliant star overrode their distant reign. It was like this that all things had to change. Dusk always bowed to dawn, dawn gave way to true daylight, and that daylight would fade with the setting sun as twilight reclaimed the sky, thieving all light and allowing those distant titans to shine through the cloak of shadows once again.
This day was like any other as the world went on, but for many in the Kanto region, it was an exciting day full of promising adventure. However, not everyone met this day with such optimistic enthusiasm. Some rolled reluctantly out of bed after having stayed up too late. Some leapt about their home, blinded with their own ambition and oblivious to the majestic display the world had to offer. Some even regretted that morning the moment they awoke. Rei Skymer was one of those people with less than average enthusiasm.
Sleep had been hard to come by, and energy even scarcer for the young adult. It had taken a full year to empty her home of all of its valuables, expanding the large numbers in her bank account which had already become partially bloated from insurance claims laid out long before that. Yet, her fortune was nothing to be pleased about, in her opinion. Even going out to the stores to pick out new traveling clothes had little impact on her as she moved through life as if in a daze.
When she awoke, her movements were mechanical responses programmed into her since her childhood, though altered to some degree. She stretched as she always did, working out the kinks from sleeping on the bare floor with only a sleeping bag to soothe her aches. Quickly, she slipped out of the comfort of her bag and tip-toed across the cold room towards the bathroom. The heat had been left off for the past few days, the sole occupant only using the house which didn't belong to her anymore for shelter and to preserve her camping equipment for the months to come.
Still creeping along quickly through the halls she had known since her birth, she came to the bathroom, flicking on the light and giving herself a once over. Though her hair still shimmered, a lucky inheritance of dark colors which shone with a rich chestnut flare in the sunlight, she hardly took the time to do more than run a brush through the long locks and tie it back into a rough ponytail.
Her teeth received a little more attention, but the toothbrush she hardly bothered to clean out once she had finished with it. A fresh one was in her bags, as well as a new bottle of toothpaste. Between Rei and her younger brother, they had easily gone through a single tube in record time. For a moment, her dark blue eyes narrowed at the thought as she spat into the sink. The tube had to go, even though it was still half full.
After washing off her face, the last ritualistic rite she needed to complete that morning, Rei twisted the cold stainless steel faucet, ceasing the flow of water, yet for a long time, she froze, staring down as the water slid into the drain, never to be seen again. Droplets remained, shining in the faint light, slowly sliding down and merging. Each merge sped up the decent of the water, and seemed to hypnotize the young adult.
Finally, a shiver rippled down her spine from the cold water still on her face, startling her out of her dazed state. Slowly, she walked out of the bathroom, in less of a hurry now that her face was much colder than the rest of her body, the warmth of her sleeping bag already forgotten. The morning ritual of forcing herself out of bed and to appear decent had concluded.
Since she had fallen asleep in today's attire, she merely had to slip on her shoes and socks before rolling up the sleeping bag and stealing her last breakfast cookie from a box on the kitchen counter downstairs. Traveling bag on her shoulders already, she headed out without a backwards glance to the abandoned household, its lawn starting to become dangerously overgrown and infested with weeds.
Tasting a strange mix of oatmeal and orange flavored toothpaste, Rei shoved her used brush and tube of toothpaste into the box and deposited them into the large garbage can sitting out front. Briskly, she started to wipe the water from her face, noticing how her hands shook as she breathed in the crisp morning air.
Spring was in the air for certain, as she didn't feel the need to draw more than a light coat from her bag as she went, though managing the top heavy thing was a bit much for the slender woman. If she had possessed more energy than to force herself to do what she understood needed to happen, she would have shot the backpack a fiery glare. Instead, she uttered no more than a tired sigh, her eyes trained to the ground as she stepped carefully around stones and weed patches. The brilliance of the sky was lost in her world.
This day was unusual for many a reason. The new trainers from Pallet had been selected and issued invitations to attend. The first trainers to arrive would receive their pick of Professor Oak's three famous starters, each carefully hand raised to obey their new trainers. Rei understood from the moment she had applied at the comparatively ancient age of eighteen that she would need to be the first to arrive in order to pick up one of the more favored Pokémon of the three, a Charmander. The thought of the lizard didn't bring any joy into the moment, only another grimace as if the trainer to be had been dealt a physical blow.
To her fortune, she had arrived first, the younger beginners probably being held back as their parents forced a full meal down their small throats. The faintest of smiles twitched her lips, but the flicker of amusement died as soon as the door opened, and Rei stood in the light of the Professor's doorway, looking as somber as if she were attending a funeral.
"You're quite early, Rei," the Professor noted, surprise on his face to find anyone on his doorstep at all. By the look of the coffee cup in his hand, Rei speculated the old man had probably only gotten up recently himself. Noticing him glance down, she looked as well, noticing a newspaper by her foot. Without yet replying, she bent down, nearly falling from the shift of items in her bag. Somehow, she survived the movement enough to retrieve his paper and right herself, the paper quickly changing hands as she braced against the doorway for a moment as her belongings settled back down.
"Good morning," she nearly had to speak twice to get her voice to work properly. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat, forcing a lifeless smile. "I hope I'm not too early. I don't like crowds."
Aware of Rei's situation, the gray haired man only nodded and invited her inside. "You're certain you want to go through with this? Not that you have much of a choice at this point, I saw the 'Sold' sign on your front lawn the other day…" he reflected after the question was out.
"I don't have any reason to stay here… too many memories," she smiled again, a brief gesture. "The medical bills…" she shook her head. She just didn't want to stay in Pallet Town anymore, and had plenty of excuses. Bills, jobs, anything and everything was her reason to leave. Becoming a Pokémon Trainer was a temporary solution, allowing her to travel abroad safely until she found a good job opening and a quiet town to settle down in. Then, she could finally be free of the memories which plagued her day and night.
"Very well. This way, if you will," the understanding man gestured and lead her deeper into the laboratory where three Pokéballs sat on a podium. Carefully, he reached out and selected each red and white capsule and pressed the release trigger on each orb. In brilliant flashes of light, three creatures of diminutive form appeared, small even compared to the short woman's standards. She knelt down, her dark eyes softening slightly as she looked at the little creatures.
Bulbasaur, her favorite, offered a loud yawn of "Saur!" as it stretched its short limbs. An appealing mixture of blue and green met her eyes as she looked over the healthy young creature, noting the unique spot pattern of this one. Years ago, she would have picked a Bulbasaur like this one to be her companion. Intelligent red eyes focused on her as it gave a cheesy little smile, coming up to her as if sensing that it might be of some help by butting its head into her leg affectionately while uttering a strange purr.
Squirtle seemed less certain about this older trainer, and refrained from approaching. A shier creature in character, she noted, its shell still seemed a little soft. The turtle had much room to grow, and she hoped that it found a caring and understanding master in one of the younger children. Still, her eyes weren't for it, and she didn't linger long on its details as her hand stroked the Bulbasaur's head slowly, feeling the soft skin.
Her eyes then went to the Charmander, who had been her brother's favorite. This one seemed curious about the new human, and approached shortly after Bulbasaur had. It hadn't made a noise yet, however, and she found herself reaching out to it as well. She didn't know much about Charmander as a species, only what her brother had gone on and on about. The tail flame looked decent in her opinion, but inexperienced as she was, as long as it was there, it looked okay. Dark green eyes met her own as the Fire type moved up to her hand, rubbing its head into her palm happily. At that, she gave a sigh, relieved that her starter liked her.
While she had been inspecting the new Pokémon, she hadn't noticed her sponsor moving about the lab, but when he returned, she slid off her traveling bag and let it sit on the ground behind herself as she looked at the items in hand.
"These are your Pokéballs and Pokédex. I've already programmed the Pokédex with your trainer's information. So, which one have you picked for your starter? If I recall, Bulbasaur is your favorite, correct?" he tried to offer the knowing smile of a grandfather, but at the shake of her head, he looked a little surprised.
"I'm starting with a Charmander," she replied, glancing down at her selected partner. "I think… as of last year, my choice was made for me."
Bulbasaur made a disappointed noise at this while Charmander looked quite pleased with itself. Squirtle, sensing that it was not in this discussion at all, had withdrawn for the time being. She almost felt bad for the little turtle and the half reptilian Grass type, but she understood that she couldn't have all three, and despite her personal preferences, the Charmander would suit her perfectly for what lay ahead.
"I see. Well, here is Charmander's Pokéball," he paused as she accepted the sixth Pokéball he had given her. Yet, she had decided against placing any of them on her belt thus far. Instead, she had sewed a small pounce onto the front of her backpack, and knelt down to put the five spares into this zipper pouch. The Pokédex went into a pocket of her light coat, but where she would store it after that was beyond her at that point. Instead of wondering about it, however, she held up Charmander's Pokéball and recalled it, noticing its happy look. Being the first picked out of one's classmates did seem exciting, but for a moment, she pitied the poor thing for being stuck with her.
Half an hour and an insisted cup of coffee later, she left the Professor's laboratory, only to be nearly bowled over by a ten and twelve year old who were racing, shouting about who would get the Charmander. Shaking her head slowly as they ignored her, she pitied the Squirtle even more than her own Pokémon as she made her way out of the town of her birth. The town of her family's death. A lone survivor of a not so common, not so rare accident, she carried the burden of knowing that today was also her little brother's birthday. Today, he would have been ten, and would have picked up this very Charmander she had taken with her, while she had picked up the happy little Bulbasaur.
When she left, she felt no homesickness, or worry for the future. As the day dawned, she ignored the tears swelling in her eyes, her hand moving to her belt where Charmander was safely hidden. No one else would touch her little brother's prized Pokémon, she had vowed by his grave. For some reason, it felt that if she kept the little lizard close, she would be able to bring him back into her life, happy and healthy, just how a ten year old should have been. Instead, images of his broken body haunted her.