A Maiden's Voyage
Chapter 2: Twinleaf Festival
There was no sound to wake me up in the morning. I had aroused in the morning and Rotom was already buzzing with life by the time I had gotten out of bed. After doing my bathroom routine I went downstairs into the kitchen only to find a yellow note left for me from Dad on the fridge. It said "Had a meeting." I opened the fridge to find a plate of pancakes for me and as I pulled them out I recalled our father-daughter hangout at Sandgem Beaches last night.
Rotom buzzed around me as I ate my food, and I knew that I would see my friends today. Daniel and Veronica have been my friends since the sixth grade and Veronica even has a pokemon of her own. Daniel's parents work with my Dad at the research facility while Veronica's mom works at the pokemon market in Sandgem Town. Both families forbade their children from pursuing a journey through the Sinnoh region and it's really unfortunate. My father asked if that was something I would be interested in and I asked if he had gone on an adventure. His father had also forbade him from any contact with pokemon but he secretly, was obsessed with them. He always wanted to take on the Sinnoh League with his own team of pokemon but couldn't because his parents were against the whole idea. I told him I'd think about it, as we were walking home from the beach.
I went upstairs and changed into my summer clothes, before looking at myself in the mirror and being genuinely happy to see my reflection. Apparently, Rotom had buzzed into the room.
"Let's go pick up Daniel."
"Cool, were going to the Twinleaf Festival to see what's there, is there something you wanna do tonight?" I asked.
"By 'were' you mean Veronica and Daniel?" Rotom sounded dissatisfied. "You know I don't get along with Donna." Donna is Veronica's Alakazam. Rotom and Donna never see eye to eye and have gotten into heated fights previously. Despite the type situation, Rotom and Donna are evenly matched in power.
"You don't have to come with us, you know." I said to the reflection.
"I can manage." Rotom said earnestly. I smiled again and we descended my dark-brown staircase and out my red door into the bright summer air. We immediately diverged into the bustling city atmosphere that was the Twinleaf Festival.
Twinleaf town was particularly busy this time of year. Each year the Society members host a celebration for the battle against Team Galactic in Virbank Square, on the other side of town. To get there I would have to take a bus until I reached Half-Day Road. From there it's just a short walk to the square where the Pokemon Society organizes the Twinleaf Festival for four weeks starting in the third week of June. From there, people from all over Sinnoh, and many other regions, too, congregate at this glorious festival. My first time was two years ago, but I couldn't attend the last one because of the war.
The war had increased to a critical level last year, around the summer. There are two factions residing in Sinnoh at the moment: The Pokemon Society and Team Galactic. The two factions split Sinnoh in half with Team Galactic occupying everything east of Mt. Coronet while the Society has everything west. The exceptions to this came last year when Team Galactic, and their followers from Snowpoint City, descended into Eterna slaughtering hundreds, ultimately conquering the city. In response, the Society took over Hearthome City with no compromise from either side. Twinleaf, by default joined the Pokemon Society with no questions asked.
Luckily for us, we are significantly far away from Mt. Coronet rendering us safe for the most part. The actual reason the festival didn't take place was partly because Team Galactic had conducted Air Raids on Canalave and Jubilife. The other reason was because all Society members were to defend Eterna City from the siege. Some went from Twinleaf and didn't come back. Others were stationed in Hearthome City to help in the occupation.
Both factions want nothing more than to destroy the other side. When I first learned about the war, I admit, I didn't know the reasons or the facts, but now I keep tabs on the news whenever I can. I can't imagine life under the Galactic Regime and I even have a friend who lives in Sunnyshore City. I met him at the Twinleaf Festival two years ago, but haven't heard from him in a long time.
Ryan was a technical operations major at the Sunnyshore University. He told me about the Galactic occupation and the benefits they give to students who comply with their demands. According to Ryan, Team Galactic supplies things like money and pokemon to willing students at the University who conduct extensive research in quantum mechanics. He also told me about some students at the University who protested against the Galactic occupation and sought alignment with the Pokemon Society. They were never seen or heard from again.
I ended up telling Ryan about Rotom and he was simply fascinated with the appearance and abilities of my pokemon. He was enamored with the fact that Rotom could surmount the electric properties of mechanical objects and become them. It was a nice interjection to avoid talking about a touchy subject like the war and Rotom and I had a blast with Ryan at the Festival.
"Where are we going?" Rotom inquired as we started walking away from our house.
"I figured it's a nice day out so why not walk to the Festival?"
"Are you kidding me, I'm gonna be exhausted," Rotom complained. Despite not having legs, Rotom expelled energy by floating and even though it does use his energy he's more than capable of pacing, his levitation patterns.
"You're pretty lazy today." I said to him.
"I am not!" Rotom yelled.
"And cranky."
We approached the intersection of Fawkes Drive and Nuzleaf Avenue passing by other houses, some neighbors and kids playing with their pokemon. I saw my neighbor, Bernadette relaxing in the sun with her Grovyle. We said 'hello' to them as we walked by and they waved at us. Bernadette was a friend of my father's, when we evacuated during the Air Raids last year, it was Bernadette who took my family into her fortified basement.
Rotom and I crossed the street and kept walking straight as we were approaching Daniel's house. I figured I should say something to older sister so I approached the house and rang his doorbell.
"One second." I was surprised to hear Daniel's voice from inside the house. I thought I was meeting him and Veronica at the Festival. I heard some shuffling in the house and after a moment my friend Daniel opened the door and faced me.
"Aria! Hey what's up? I was getting ready to meet you and Veronica at the square."
"I thought I was meeting both of you guys there?" I inquired. It turned out that Veronica and her mother had driven up to the Festival and I just didn't catch word of this.
"Are you walking there, or?"
"Yeah, Rotom and I agreed that today's a nice day and we would walk to the Festival, you should come with us." Daniel nodded and Rotom scowled to himself at the word 'agreed.' Daniel let us both into his home and I saw his sister on the sofa watching the news.
"Nothing good is on," His older sister Samantha yelled to me. We were also pretty close, but it was Daniel who became one of two important people in my life. Samantha had pale skin and long-brown hair which she had tied up in a bun on her head. She wore a pastel orange t-shirt which had the words Love And Fire written on it. It must have been a band or something. She also wore black short-shorts with pink stripes on the seams. She was coming with us.
Daniel surfaced from his room on the other side of the house and came to retrieve his backpack. His sister turned off the television and we all exited the house as Samantha locked it.
We walked down Fawkes Drive passing by several other buildings in Twinleaf until we crossed paths with a huge group of people and their pokemon who were also walking to the Festival.
When we reached Virbank Square, there were people everywhere. People in celebratory booths handing out badges and food. Drinks, in the form of water bottles, were on tables already being picked up by passersby. It was a large area of land similar to a carnival with people and pokemon alike enjoying themselves. Togetherness was never as strong in any other place than it was in Twinleaf.
Samantha, Daniel and I crossed paths with a familiar face, who told Daniel to meet us in this exact location. It was my best friend Veronica Hale and she was with her mother and Donna, the Alakazam.
"Alaaa-zam" Donna pointed her twisted spoons at Rotom who stared down the psychic pokemon with vicious ghastly eyes.
"Donna, please play nice with Rotom." Veronica said to her pokemon calming it down just a little. Veronica's mother looked at the pokemon and smiled a little before opening her mouth and speaking to us.
"I-I just wanted to say have a good time, kids and try to stay out of trouble please," she said speaking to us. "Veronica, dear, when should I pick you up?"
"Mom, actually I think I'm gonna walk around with my friends and they'll walk me home." Veronica said staring at her mother.
"Veronica isn't that a little too far? Don't you think so?" She turned to us.
"Mom. I'm a senior in high school I think I'm capable of taking care of myself." She looked at her mother angrily.
"Ok." her mother conceded. "I'll be at work until midnight so I won't be home and you have the keys, I love you."
"I love you, too mom" Veronica said hugging her mom, amid the crowds of people. The four of us continued down the Festival looking at all the pokemon and people as they joined together for a remarkable celebration, despite the war being a tie. I saw three small, purple Nidorans running around through the legs of pedestrians and a Leafeon became enraged when it almost was struck by the Nidoran's poisonous spikes. She ran after the Nidoran out of anger and its trainer ran after the grass pokemon in horror, almost losing sight of the leaf pokemon before returning her into his pokeball.
We neared the main stage where two people were standing. A man dressed in military attire and a women dressed in a gray outfit with a black skirt. Flying next to her, was a Togekiss. She held a microphone to her mouth as she directed everyone's attention to the stage. The life behind us was still taking place as a huge majority of the Festival gathered around the large stage to see the festivities. I saw people and pokemon standing side by side looking up at the man and the woman on stage as the woman began to speak again. The Togekiss remained in the air and hummed to itself, before perching onto the ground next to the woman.
"Hello, everyone of Twinleaf Festival." Her voice was magnetic and radiant. "We have a special guest who is here to relay some great news to all of us." She handed the microphone to the official looking man. She and her Togekiss stood back to let the man have the floor.
"Greetings, all. For those of you who aren't familiar with me, I am General Ernest Barrington of the Society military. I make executive commands in the war front against Team Galactic and I've come here today to tell those of you with pokemon some good news, my apologies if I'm wasting some other people's time." After he said this several people who didn't have pokemon with them left the area of the stage and returned to the festivities while Barrington awaited the undivided attention of those who stayed.
"Recently, there has not been any good news from the negotiation table in Celestic Town. Team Galactic refuses to pull out of Eterna and we in turn, are tightening our grip on Hearthome. But. One of my colleagues, an advocate of the Pokemon Sinnoh League, made a daring arrangement with the Galactic Commander, Mars. He and Mars agreed to reestablish the Pokemon League." As Barrington finished that statement the crowd erupted into positive hysteria. People were shouting happily and pokemon too felt the good vibe. Donna and Rotom remained content.
"The Society has a booth open for any participants wanting to take the Sinnoh League challenge, and as a benefit you will be able to join the Pokemon Society for no additional fees." Barrington laughed and people applauded at the General's accomplishing speech. The four of us looked back and saw a large booth to the right of the stage with a large society sign hovering over a desk with nine people handing trainers paperwork. After each trainer had finished his paperwork, they were handed a badge that said "Welcome to the Pokemon Society" and a Badge Case for their Gym Badges.
"Before you all get excited and sign up, I should warn you that Team Galactic reserves the right to revoke your Badge Case and arrest you should you be participating in malicious activities while you are in Galactic Sinnoh. If you are a Society member, please be wary of this and show them your Society badge. They will comply with our guidelines established in the Celestic-Sinnoh League Accords so you will have nothing to worry about." Barrington handed the microphone back to the woman who returned to the stage.
"Now, we have a special musical guest here with us tonight." She said as the scarlet curtain began creaking, open revealing band equipment. "We will be joined by the musical performance of Love And Fire." The crowd erupted into applause and people from all over the Festival convened at the stage where the band revealed themselves to be preparing to sing. Samantha was ecstatic and told us we didn't have to stay with her.
"Let's go see if any trainer is battling!" Veronica yelled to us as the intensity of the music began and the singer of Love And Fire began a singing. I saw more people walking up to the registration for the League, but followed Daniel and Veronica to a place enclosed by people. In the middle I saw two trainers I didn't know and a Swellow was battling a Hitmonchan.
"Dynamic Punch, let's go!" Said the Hitmonchan's trainer. It jumped and hit at Swellow knocking it about in the sky.
"Double Team, then Aerial Ace!" roared Swellow's trainer. It duplicated itself, confusing the boxing pokemon and when Swellow was in Hitmonchan's blind spot it, it swooped down and collided with it, resulting in a knockout. The crowd roared as the pokemon returned to their trainers and they were escorted off the battlefield. A guy who looked about my age walked to the center and yelled, "Anyone wanna battle?" Nobody went into the ring at first until Veronica's voice rang in the inner reaches of my skull. She had taken the boy up on his offer and she walked up to the arena with Donna as the boy got into a fighting stance.
"Let's do this, Lucario!" The boy yelled as he threw a pokeball releasing a Lucario. It was magnificent and the crowd roared again. I heard someone yell at boy, "Go Wesley, woo!" Veronica looked happily at the trainer's pokemon. She knows that Lucario is a fighting type and fighting types are weak to psychic pokemon. But Veronica wasn't stupid. Lucario is a dual steel-fighting type which means it isn't weak to psychic type attacks. But she didn't have time to come up with a battle strategy as Wesley had ordered Lucario to use an Aura Sphere.
"Dodge it, Donna!" Veronica said. Donna was fast and got out of the way before the Aura Sphere could hit her. The attack was absorbed by the ground and at this time, the crowd backed a ways from the arena so as not to get hit with special attacks. Daniel and Rotom were at my sides while Rotom was staring keenly at the Lucario.
"Donna, let's try a Shock Wave!" Veronica executed the command. The electrical attack began emanating from Donna as she expelled it using her spoons and psychic powers. Lucario jumped out of the way but was still struck by the attack.
"How did you do that?!" Wesley said confoundedly.
"Shock Wave is a move that never misses." Rotom said out loud. Only I heard him and smiled at him. He smiled back. Shock Wave was a move Rotom had an issue with learning but now that he knows the move Discharge it doesn't matter.
"Force Palm!" Wesley yelled, as his Lucario ran extremely fast at Donna striking her with his palms. Donna fell on her back and quickly regained composure as her next command came from Veronica.
"Let's try a Psybeam!" Donna raised her spoon, aimed precisely at Lucario and fired a burst of psychic energy into the pokemon pushing it back. The pokemon extended his palms and pushed on the beam of energy as if he were able to push it away, somehow. Donna increased the intensity of the beam and it hit Lucario so hard it sent him flying back.
"Finish it up with another Shock Wave!" Veronica yelled as her Alakazam fired another ray of electricity and sent Lucario flying once again, this time he didn't get back up.
"No!" Wesley yelled running after his faint pokemon. The crowd erupted with applause again as Veronica hugged Donna tightly. Donna was overjoyed with her victory against a steel type and they quickly rejoined us on the sidelines. A boy, who flushed red cheeks congratulated Veronica on her victory and we headed down the path from were we came.
"Wow, that was so cool!" Daniel said putting an arm on Veronica's pale shoulder. She wore a black tank-top and had her purse on her right shoulder. She had short dark hair and wore blue short-shorts. She looked at us with her light brown eyes and raised her fist.
"That Lucario had it coming." Veronica joked. "I felt like Donna needed something to pummel. Show the others I'm still good." She smiled darkly. Donna chuckled.
"Donna is getting stronger every day." I added. Rotom harrumphed when I said this. Then he stared at Donna coldly and she returned an icy stare.
"Every time I watch you two battle it makes me want a pokemon even more." Daniel said.
"Then why don't you just adopt one?" Veronica inquired. Then she remembered.
"Well I can't, remember?" Daniel said anyway. Daniel's parents were against pokemon at all costs. He and his sister were forbidden from having a pokemon of their own. Veronica's mom was against it, too but Donna was so careful and nice around Veronica that she just had to let Veronica keep her.
"Sorry, again." Veronica said.
We had an amazing night. We ate some food, had some more battles with our pokemon and met some new people. Some even from Galactic Sinnoh. I looked among all the faces that we passed by and none of them were my friend Ryan. I had left my home hoping I'd see his face again but perhaps were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Samantha had caught up with us later that night after Love And Fire had closed the show and we decided to start going home. Other people were leaving the Festival but it continued into the night and would be here the next morning, and the next. The first night of the festival is never the most exciting. It starts getting really crazy during the second week in July when fireworks are played and everyone is out having a good time. Perhaps, Ryan couldn't make it today and would come some other time. I remember when I first met him it wasn't on the first day of the Festival. It was actually on the last and he kissed me underneath the fireworks before we parted ways, forever.
My eyes were drawn to a trainer and her Keckleon as they approached the Society's long table, as we made our way past it on our way back to the stage area. I saw the girl signing a lot of papers and being handed a badge and her Sinnoh League badge case. Rotom was aware that I was looking at the table intently. Daniel, who also saw me looking at the table asked what was up.
"Hey I'll be right back I gotta use the bathroom." I told him. I wasn't lying. I really had to go, but after I left them by themselves. I walked a ways until I reached a building by a food booth and relieved myself.
After washing my hands, I exited and Rotom was waiting outside the restroom for me.
"I saw you looking at the registration table." He looked at me. I looked away.
"I was just looking, nothing more." I lied.
"You know we could do it." He said to me. He's tried before to get me to do the Sinnoh League and one time I told him I didn't have enough pokemon, which angered him.
"I'm not sure, what about my Dad?" I asked the buzzing ghost pokemon. He shook his plasma head and began talking again. "Aren't you out of high school now? You're old enough to be going to college then." Rotom said sternly. I looked up at him and he held my gaze with his ghostly eyes.
"Yeah, so I wouldn't have time to take on the League." I told him, looking for an excuse.
"Whose gonna be paying for your schooling?" Rotom shocked me with this question.
"I'll get a job."
"No job you could ever get could make you that much money. And your father doesn't have the money despite saving up a huge sum. You could get a scholarship or if you take on the League, prize money."
"I should be donating that prize money. And how are you so sure the prize is money, anyway?'
"Because, Aria, I did a little digging through your Dad's computer and -"
"How did you?" I began.
"Really, Aria? Did you forget who I was?" Rotom looked appalled. Then it hit me.
"Oh, right, ghost... can take over electronics... right." I blushed. Rotom rolled his eyes and resumed talking.
"Well I did a little digging and found if you come out in first place, the prize is three-hundred and fifty thousand." He brightened up. "That is your chance to A go on an adventure like you and I have dreamed of, and B set yourself up for a well-paying job for the rest of your life."
I took this into deep consideration. What would my Dad think? What would my friends think? Is it even safe to embark on a journey through a region torn by war?
"You will surely find lot's of friends and maybe some new pokemon." Rotom added, only he relinquished a little at the word new. "Alright." I told him. "Let's go sign up."
It took around ten minutes to sign the papers and the woman who was helping me smiled as she handed me my badge and Badge Case as she began registering the next applicant. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Barrington eying me from behind the registration desk. He was also observing Rotom. A kid ran up to me with a Poochyena in his hands.
"Wow I've never seen a pokemon like yours before! Can I touch it?" The little boy asked me. I told him that Rotom was a ghost pokemon and he couldn't be touched and the little boy smirked and ran off. Barrington was still eying me for whatever reason.
I looked around a bit for my friends before reuniting with them and we decided to head on home. I made sure of to hide my objects from my friends. We walked under the twinkling white stars that night as we passed by lots of people in the warm summer air having barbeques with their fire-type pokemon or talking with friends about life. As we neared Veronica's house she told us to not worry and continue on.
"Bye Veronica, tell your mom we all said hey." Daniel said sweetly. She waved one last time at us before disappearing into her dark, lonely house.
Samantha, Daniel and I talked about the highlights from the Festival and decided we would go again soon. Tomorrow my Dad insisted on spending the day with me and I had made it my business to talk to him about the League. I hugged Samantha and Daniel good-bye as they went into their bright home, and I heard their Dad get up and their Mom was preparing dinner. Rotom and I went home, alone.
As we entered my white house I saw my Dad sitting at the island with a newspaper in hand and a coffee on the marble. He turned around and saw Rotom and I entering so he got up and came over to us on the couch.
"How was work?" I asked.
"Boring." He lied. And smiled his smile and we embraced.
"How was the Festival?" he asked me. I told him about walking there, Major Barrington's announcement, the concert, the battles, the food and he told me about his colleagues personal lives and had a quality moment in my living room.
"Did you register for the Sinnoh League?" His question caught me off guard. Rotom looked at us nervously.
"Um." I said.
"Yes, I insisted that she enroll." Rotom piped up. He said to my father that after a little convincing that I would take on the League with him.
"Well that's new." My father smiled. I saw his golden-hair had lost some of its color tonight.
"You know how long I've been waiting for this moment?" I was astounded when he said this.
"Dad, you didn't take me for someone who would let their kid go on a journey like this." I told him shyly.
"Kiddo, when I was your age I was so excited to receive my first pokemon. I made plans with my childhood friends to get all the gym badges and beat the League. I would become a pokemon master. But my old man, he shot my hopes and dreams down like they were nothing. Well, I grew up without any pokemon and nothing, no badges. I got a nice job." He paused. "I got you. And if I had any regrets it would be that." He held a solemn frown on his face. "But you were the best that ever happened to me, Aria." He kissed my forehead.
"Ever since you got Rotom, it's been my dream to watch you, my daughter, take on the very thing I wasn't able to. Please do it for me." This brought tears to my eyes. I hugged him and I could've sworn I heard Rotom whimpering. I showed him the badge and the Badge Case and he smiled his beautiful, magnetic smile. It filled me with joy to know he supported my decision and I remembered the war. It was as though my father had read my mind.
"But please be careful out there, love, there is still fighting going on between the two factions of Sinnoh. I know you're old enough to be able to look after yourself but please do me a favor and watch yourself a little more carefully." He looked at Rotom. "Please watch over my daughter. Make sure she doesn't do any drugs or sleep with any strangers." Rotom lit up and assured my Dad I'd be careful.
That night I was so ecstatic. Rotom and I talked for a little about our plans to begin our journey tomorrow and I told him we'd talk to Daniel and Veronica to see if they would like to join me. We fell asleep to my Dad, still working downstairs on his business documents.