Chapter 6: Memories at Breakfast

Once more, the sun peeked its way over the ocean horizon, threatening to wake anything up in its path. Pidgey's flew across the sky as nearby Pokemon began to slowly awaken and come out to wash and eat.

Prof. Oak was already outside, tending to all the Pokemon, making sure they were fed and watered and groomed.

Loud snoring came from Sabrina's room as both she and Charizard were asleep on the floor on their backs. A knock was heard on the door, and softly her mom asked,

"Sabrina? Are you awake?" No response but snores. Her mother cleared her throat from the other side of the door as she knocked again but louder. "Sabrina?!" she asked again. Once more, no response. Her mom took in a deep breath and yelled, "SABRINA OAKEN ARE YOU AWAKE?!!!!!?!" making the door fly open, wakening Charizard and Sabrina who both shot straight up screaming.

"Gyaaah!!!! Mom!!! Did you have to yell?!!" Sabrina asked as Charizard roared in agreement. Her mom put her hands on her wide hips.

She was an average height person, taller than short people but smaller than tall ones. Her long jagged black hair hung down as a pink cap rested on her head. Her eyes were a beautiful blue that seemed to glow, even when she was angry. She wore a long brown dress with an apron over it. She spoke sharply,

"Well if you wouldn't be in such a dead sleep I wouldn't have to yell!" she said. Sabrina groaned and rubbed her head. "Anyways, hurry up and get ready! We have guests!" she finished saying with a sweet smile then walked out. Sabrina and Charizard looked at each other and both sighed as Charizard growled softly.

"Yeah I know…I guess now you see where I get my temper from." Sabrina said then got out of bed but stopped as she looked at the ground and blinked. She turned her head and looked at Charizard.

"Wait…we have guests?" she wondered. Charizard shrugged but growled in questioning as well. She blinked and thought then gasped and rushed out and into the hallway and managed to stop herself from falling over the balcony as she saw her "guests." Her body shook a bit.

You can't be serious!!! She thought when she saw Gary smiling and talking to her mom at the door.

Sabrina quickly ran back into her room and shut it and breathed hard.

Crap!! What now?! She thought as Charizard stared at her concerned.

Sabrina rushed to her closet and began throwing clothes out and onto her bed as she desperately searched for something to wear while muttering to herself,

"Of all the lousy, no good…why did it have to be HIM?! I wouldn't have minded Prof. Oak or Blaine but Gary?! Argh!!"

Charizard sighed but simply rested his head back down on his claws and watched his trainer freak out over a simple boy.

"Ah-ha!!" Sabrina yelled as she held an outfit in her hands and smiled excitedly. Charizard looked at her for a moment then closed his eyes and sighed with a low growl.

"So you've been training well?" Sabrina's mom asked Gary as she poured him some orange juice. He smiled and nodded.

"Thank you and yes I have! My Blastoise and Umbreon are getting stronger and stronger each day! I can't wait for the next Pokemon Tournament, if they ever have one…" he muttered the last part as he took a sip of his orange juice.

Sabrina's mom smiled and sighed.

"Don't worry! One is bound to show up, and I know you and Sabrina will do excellent!" she said. Gary looked at her and smiled.

"Wow, thanks a lot Molly. That means a lot!" he said. She nodded.

"My pleasure; now Sabrina should be down here now…wonder what's taking the girl so long…" Molly muttered as she walked back to the kitchen. Gary shrugged but smirked.

"She probably found out it was me and decided to play sick…what a loser." He said.

"Ahem! I heard that!" Sabrina said from the top of the stairs with her hands on her hips.

Gary blinked and looked up at her and was going to say a smart remark but stopped as his eyes widened slightly and a blush ran across his face.

Sabrina stood at the top of the stairs, staring at him with an angry but confused face as she blinked a couple of times. Charizard walked out from behind her and stared at Gary intently with a soft growl.

She was wearing a green turtleneck shirt that cut off at the shoulders and only had two small straps for the shoulders while it connected again at the arms and went down to her wrists. She was then wearing jean Capri's that flared out at the ends and had black sewing down the sides. She also wore black boots and her hair was pulled back at the top into a ponytail as she wore small black pearls that hung a bit.

Molly walked in and gasped,

"Oh, don't you look cute!!" she exclaimed with a smile.

Sabrina blushed then smiled.

"Thanks mom!" she said and began to walk downstairs.

Gary blinked a couple of times and turned his eyes to the food Molly had put in front of him as Sabrina took a seat next to him.

"Now you go ahead and eat and just tell me if you want anything else!"

We will! Thanks!" Gary and Sabrina said in unison as Molly giggled and walked back to the kitchen. Gary blinked and looked at Sabrina as he asked,

"Doesn't your mom eat?" She shook her head as she sipped from her orange juice,

"Nah! She prefers to cook and clean. She'll eat when she wants." She said and sighed happily. Gary shrugged and had only barely begun to dig in when he noticed his eyes kept drifting back to Sabrina.

She didn't pay attention to Gary as she ate with delight.

He groaned to himself in his mind as he looked back at his food. It wasn't long till he noticed he was being watched as well.

He looked at Sabrina but she was still enjoying her food. He blinked then looked ahead of him, at the end of the table, and quickly froze with fear as he saw Charizard glaring at him with evil and dark eyes.

Gary gulped and tried to smile as he asked,

"S-So, your Charizard looks really strong! I guess you've been training him a lot?" he asked sweating.

Sabrina blinked and smiled and nodded.

"Yeah! Charizard is my number one Pokemon! Isn't that right boy?" she asked as Charizard simply growled in agreement, not once taking his eyes off Gary.

Gary gulped again and nodded.

"Well that's good…" he managed to say before Sabrina blurted,

"Hey!! We should have a Pokemon battle!!" Gary blinked and looked at her.

"A battle?" he asked. She nodded and narrowed her eyebrows.

"Yes! I would love to see your Pokemon!!" she said excitedly. He narrowed his eyebrows too and nodded.

"A battle sounds fun!" he agreed. She nodded as Charizard sighed softly, seeing how his "glare tactic" wasn't working as well as he had planned.

"So I guess beating you will be easy." Gary said with a smirk. Sabrina blinked and blushed slightly as she said angrily,

"What makes you say that?!" he shrugged.

"It's simple really…you use Fire Pokemon, while I use Water." He gave her a smug look. She scoffed.

"I don't just use ALL Fire Pokemon ya know! I have a variety just like other Trainers might have. Fire Pokemon just happen to be my favorite type, doesn't mean I battle with just them." She crossed her arms as Molly came in with a smile.

"You know she's right Gary. I've seen her battle before; she has a variety of attacks as well as her Pokemon. She's a dangerous one to look out for. I suggest you think before you talk since she happens to be the top Trainer of this region." Molly said proudly as Gary's jaw dropped.

"T-Top Trainer?! What?! How did THAT happen?!" he asked as Charizard snickered.

"Simple…I train everyday." She replied shrugging. He gritted his teeth.

"Well so do I!!" Molly giggled.

"Sabrina's had a bond with Pokemon ever since she was little. Pokemon have been her only friends throughout her life so far. She became more attached to them after Pikachu…" she trailed off as she noticed Sabrina's face had gone blank and her eyes had filled with sadness. Gary noticed too and blinked.

"Are you ok?" he asked. Sabrina jumped a bit and wiped her eyes,

"Y-Yes I'm fine! What makes you think I'm not?" she asked sniffing. Molly put a hand to her chin.

"Oh my…I shouldn't have said that." She said softly. Gary was obviously confused.

"Um…I hate to ask but…what's wrong?" he asked. Sabrina sighed and her bangs fell over her eyes and she spoke softly.

"Before we moved here to Pallet Town…I lived in Sunnyvale Valley. My mom and I lived in a small house by the sea, surrounded by nothing but water and a forest that was filled with Pokemon! Town was on the other side so we were mainly secluded. The only friends I had were Pokemon and of course, my mom…" she trailed off but continued, trying not to cry.

"Well…I had made friends with a Pikachu…and he was one of the smartest and sweetest Pokemon you'll find," She smiled as she spoke, "Him and I would always go out looking for berries. He knew which ones were useful and which ones were harmful. He also happened to have a small family…I would visit them everyday and you could tell he was a proud father…however…all that changed on that day…" she trailed off again and clenched her fists.

Gary watched her in concern and Charizard growled comforting. Her mom looked at her,

"Maybe you should stop…" she said softly but Sabrina shook her head as she continued.

"Then…one day I was in the forest playing when all these Pokemon came running from everywhere. I was confused; I didn't know what was happening. They were so frightened…I couldn't do anything.

I soon realized it was a fire as I saw and smelled smoke. I began to run back to my home with Pikachu but he was worried about his family…so he ran back. I tried to go with him but he told me to keep running and don't look back. So…so I did! I ran! I ran as fast as I could back home! But…I was stopped as a tree fell in front of me and I tripped and fell and went unconscious.

All I can remember after that was me waking up in my mom's arms…she was carrying me and running. I frantically searched for Pikachu and his family but…there was no sign of them as we left the burning forest.

There was a boat waiting for us by our house; it was Prof. Oak…as mom climbed on…I cried and screamed for Pikachu. I wanted my friend to be with me…I wanted and needed comfort. No matter how loud I yelled…he never came. Pokemon managed to escape but…not him…he was killed…" she stopped in tears.

Gary's eyes were even watering and Molly had her arms wrapped around Sabrina. Charizard was trying not to cry even though he had heard this story before.

"I never saw him again…his family died as well…but…" she clenched her fists tightly and gritted her teeth then continued. "It was a man…he destroyed my home and my friends! I know…I saw him."

Gary's eyes widened and Charizard stared at the ground.

"When my mom was carrying me away…I saw him; his dark and evil eyes. He was smiling…not a nice and pleasant smile but a smug and hateful look that said that his job was a satisfactory one. I can still see his face now…I swore that one day…I would find him…and make him pay for all that he's done…"

Tears were streaming down her face as Gary looked at her.

"So this is why you're training so hard…why you care about Pokemon so much and others." He said softly. Charizard looked at him and blinked.

"Yes…and no." she said and smiled as she looked at him then continued. "I've always loved Pokemon. Seeing others and Pokemon get hurt is like stabbing me over and over again with a knife. I would definitely sacrifice myself to save others." She said.

He blinked but sighed and smiled softly.

"You know…you're so different than others." He said as he stood up. She blinked and looked up at him as Charizard growled softly.

Gary began to walk to the door and opened it then stopped and looked back at her.

"But…I like people who are different. They can teach me a lot more than normal people can. I hope that maybe…you can teach me what you have…" he finished saying then walked out.

Sabrina blinked but smiled and nodded as she wiped her tears. Molly looked at her and smiled.

"Nice boy huh?" she said softly as Sabrina blushed slightly.

"Yeah…nice boy." She said then thought Gary…thank you…

Sabrina stood up and smiled. "Ready for a battle Charizard?!" she asked as he stood up and roared happily. Sabrina giggled then ran outside. "Bye mom! This battle is mine!!" she yelled and Charizard followed.

Molly giggled and started to clean up.

"I'm going to be honest with her one day…I think that fire happening…was the best thing that could have happened; Because now…she has him."