AN: Here's the not so exciting chapter one! I promise it'll get better...I hope? Poke'mon's speech is in italics...I don't feel like repeating the poke'mons name over and over only to translate. .
Shiori groaned loudly, shoving her head under her pillow as the alarm clock bleated loudly. Each pulsating note drove her
closer to unwanted consciousness. Finally with a small huffy sigh, Shiori sat up and brought her hand crashing down on top of the clock's off button. She grumbled in protest, glaring blearily at the angry red numbers that showed that it was indeed too early to be waking up. She blinked a few times before jumping up, "Oh SHIT!"
She began a mad dash around her room, her tiredness forgotten as excitement gripped her body. She tore thorough her closet, trying to find where the pair of Capri pants she thought she had hung up yesterday had gone. She wheeled around to look under her bed only to fall with a loud thump on her face. She hadn't noticed her door being pushed open until she was staring at the clawed feet of her beloved Poke'mon. Shiori sat up, grinning ruefully as the Poke'mon tilted its head, the pants clamped firmly in her mouth. She dropped them at Shiori's feet then sat, her tail wagging slightly.
"Ooh. Thanks Absol- lemme guess…they were in the laundry room?"
The Absol gave a toothy grin, "Sol…"
She smiled, tugging down her pajama bottoms and doing a small frenzied dance before managing to untangle her feet from them, "Geez…I thought I had everything ready…"
The Absol rolled it's eyes, stretching, "When do you ever have anything ready on time?"
"I'm just so excited…I can't believe mom finally agreed to let us go…I mean…I know it's hard for her ever since Dad…" She
trailed off, frowning, "Ever since that attack…it's been hard for everyone…They're so strict with licenses now…you can't just go free-lancing anymore. Thank god we have Professor Cypress here. She'd never let me go off a few towns to just get a license."
It was true. Ever since the death of Sato Kenji, the laws on training and licensing had grown stricter. No child under the age of 13 was allowed to leave their hometown without an escort or a pricey special permit. At 13 however, potential trainers were allowed to take a test to earn a license. Shiori had passed decently, not top of her class but neither the bottom.
Shiori stood, finished dressing at last. With one more look around her room, she grabbed her generously stuffed pack and shouldered it. "I guess…this is it then…Say goodbye to mom and we're off to see Cypress…Ready, Absol?"
Absol gave a nod, growling softly, her eyes eager as Shiori hopped down the steps, taking two at a time. Her mother stood teary-eyed before her. Shiori grinned sadly. She had expected her mother to cry- but what she didn't expect was the sinking feeling in her gut. She was leaving. Gone. It wasn't forever- but who knew what would happen?
Shiori's mother closed the gap between them, hugging her tightly, "Be careful…please…Call me when you get to town…I don't care how late."
Shiori squeezed her mother reassuringly, "I will mom…I promise…I'll be fine. I've got Absol…nothing is going to happen."
With a stiff nodded, Shiori was let go, "Make your father proud."
A few tears leapt to Shiori's eyes, "I will! I will, I promise!" She waved, turning the door handle and stepping outside. She took a deep breath. Here went nothing.