Chapter Four: Unexpected Catch
Rina's alarm sounds loudly throughout the room. She hits it with her pillow and sits up in her bed. She stretches and smiles. She slings the covers off of herself and stands up stretching again. Vixy yawns as she looks up at her from her spot on the foot of the bed.
"Good morning, Vixy-chan!" She picks up the Vulpix and kisses her on the head. She sets her back down and starts rummaging through her room for items to pack. Vixy looks Rina over with a confused look. She shakes her head and lies back down curling back into a ball.
"Vixy-chan, please go wake up the boys!" Rina says as she trips over her shoes falling to the floor. "I'm okay."
Vixy stands up and opens her mouth to let out a large yawn. She hops off the bed and runs out the room. She heads down the hall into the guest bedroom. She jumps onto the bed and paws at Michio's face. He slowly opens his eyes and looks at the small Vulpix sitting on his chest. He sits up pushing her back a bit into his lap.
"Ohayo, Vixy-chan." He pets her on the head, and she barks jumping off the bed. She shoots out the door and down the stairs.
He stretches and stands up. He looks across the hall watching Rina scurry around her room picking up things here and there. He smiles and walks over to his door shutting it. He strips off his pajamas tossing them in his bag. He picks up his freshly dried black shorts and slips them on. He puts on a tightly fitted black, sleeveless shirt as his ears perk up.
A scream echoes from Seiji and Daisuke's house. Rina shakes her head and smiles, "Well, they are up now."
After finally picking out an outfit that consists of a black, spaghetti strapped top and blue jean shorts, she gets dressed. She hops down the stairs happily putting on her socks as she goes down. She sees food, a box, and an envelope on the dining room table. She walks into the kitchen and picks up a bottle of water from the pantry. She heads back into the dining room where her food is waiting for her. She picks up the box and sets it in the chair next to hers. She makes herself a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon along with a bowl of rice. The food is still warm. It was made not too long ago.
She sits down and picks up the envelope as Michio comes down the stairs into the dining room. He sits down next to her fixing himself a plate. He glances over and notices the envelope in her hand. "What's that?"
"I don't know yet. My guess is Okaasan came by long enough to make some breakfast and drop this off. My name is on the front."
She sticks her chopstick in the top corner of the envelope and pulls it across opening it. She looks inside to find some money and a note. She pulls the note out of the envelope and unfolds it. She reads the note out loud.
"Rina-chan, I had to leave on some important business. I stopped by to make sure you had food and some supplies. I know how hard it is to start your journey without any money or supplies. I have enclosed some money to get you started. Sometimes, you can win money by battling trainers, but be careful though. You can also lose money if you lose the battle."
She stops reading and looks at the large box in the chair next to her. She takes the top off the box and inside she finds all sorts of useful items. She picks up a hot pink Pokéball belt from the box and stands up smiling. She places the belt behind her back using her left hand. With her right hand, she grabs the other end of the belt. She brings it around her hips and latches the belt in place.
"How does it look?" She smiles and turns a little to show it off.
"It looks great!" Michio returns the smile as his stomach growls.
They both laugh and she pulls out five Pokéballs attaching them to the magnetic strip in the belt. She walks over to the mirror looking at her reflection. Vixy bursts through the small pokémon door and barks at Rina. Rina bends down and picks her up.
"Good job waking them up. So, how do I look?" She asks cheerfully as she pets the Vulpix on the head.
She turns the Pokémon to look in the mirror with her. Vixy smiles and barks happily in response. Rina bends back down letting her hop out of her arms. Rina watches as Vixy runs to her food dish next to the couch. She walks back to her seat and sits down as her stomach starts to rumble. She places her hand over her stomach and blushes. She picks up her chopsticks and starts to eat her breakfast.
She begins to read the note again as she swallows her food. "Remember, I am always a call away. You are always welcome back home when you need to stop your journey and rest. While some inns won't charge you to stay, most will, even though you're a trainer. The Pokémon Center is always free though. Make sure you stop by and see Joy-san whenever your Pokémon are injured, and you don't have enough supplies to help fix them."
Rina quickly finishes her meal, appeasing her stomach. She finishes off of her water and sets her chopsticks across her plate. She continues rummaging through the box pulling more items out. She pulls out a journal and her official Pokémon trainer ID card. She looks over the shiny, laminated, blue card and sets it down on the table with her money.
They hear a knock at the door and Rina looks up from the table. She yells for the person at the door to come in. Daisuke and Seiji walk into the house dressed in attire similar to what they wore the night before. They take off their shoes leaving them next to the door. They both say hi to Rina and Michio and sit down at the table.
"What's that?" Seiji asks pointing to the box in the chair.
"Some stuff that my mom left me for the journey. So, how did it go?" She asks as she continues to sift through the box.
"Well," Daisuke starts, "Our mom wasn't too pleased with the idea of us going."
Rina looks at them and her cheerful expression drops. "So, you can't go with me?"
"No," Seiji says pausing for a long time, "We can. She said this morning that we could go. She didn't want you to travel alone."
Rina laughs excitedly. She throws her chopsticks at them. "Don't do that."
They all laugh as they finish going through the box. They find emergency supplies and camping equipment. They also find some Pokémon gear for Seiji and Daisuke. Rina hands both of them their PokéGears. Seiji activates his black Pokégear while Daisuke does the same. They all exchange numbers as Rina cleans off the table and does the dishes.
"Wow, looks like we're all set for the trip then." Daisuke says.
"Yeah. I wonder what types of Pokémon we'll see during the journey." Seiji responds in a curious tone.
"That reminds me." Michio pulls a flyer out of his bag and hands it to Seiji. "Since you mentioned it last night, I thought you would enjoy this."
Seiji looks it over and reads it. It is a flyer for a competition for next month a few towns over in Amaririsu. He starts reading it out loud.
"Head over to Amaririsu for our annual beginner's contest! This competition is open to all coordinators from age 16-20. This competition is funded by the Amaririsu Coordination Committee meaning there is no entry fee. If you are confident in your skills or just want to have a start in your journey to becoming a major coordinator then please come by. We will have door prizes available as well for the audience so invite your friends. Come on down and join us for a lot of fun." He pauses and sees in big letters at the bottom, MYSTERY PRIZE.
Rina dries off her hands and comes back into the dining after she finishes the last of the dishes. She looks at the flyer in Seiji's hands.
"Well, are you going to do it?"
"I don't know. Maybe. I just have to practice between now and then. It's currently April 14th. The contest is set for May 17th to start at 8:00PM." He says still staring at the paper. He thinks to himself, 'I could actually start living my dream. I'll have to train really hard though and practice with Scyther. I need to do some more research on what type of contest we are more fit for.'
Rina pulls out a square object from her pocket gently setting it down on the table. A holographic image appears in front of her of their region. She looks it over and follows the route past her mom's laboratory to the next town. The map informs her that a Pokémon Center and a PokéMart are there.
"Okay. So, if we follow Route 2 then we'll end up in Tsubaki Mura (Village). They have a Pokémon Center and a PokéMart so we can stock up on some things if we need to."
She looks up at the clock realizing that it's already 9:30 in the morning. "We have to go soon. Make sure that you have every packed that you need or think that you may need."
She shuts off her map putting it back in her pocket. She grabs the bag that her mom had put in her box and rushes upstairs to finish her packing. Michio follows behind her upstairs to grab his bag form the guest bedroom. He straightens up the bed and the room making sure that he hasn't forgotten anything.
Daisuke and Seiji look at each other and shrug. They move from the dining room table to the couch and turn on the television set. They flip through channels before finally finding one with an interesting show. Two pokémon appear on the screen and begin battling one another. The sound of crowds cheering can be heard in the background. Commands from the trainers and the sounds of the Pokémon dominate the audio coming from the television almost drowning out the announcer.
After about 30 minutes of watching matches, Rina finally comes down the stairs with her messenger bag slung across her body. The bag is black with white etching. Rina's name is written in bold, white characters across the bag. She sets the bag down on the table and stuffs the rest of the things her mom left for her into it. She finishes filling the bag and closes it. The brothers stare at her as they see her shove massive items into the bag that shouldn't possibly all fit.
She looks over at them, "What?" She asks curiously as she places the bag back on her person.
"Umm…" They both start but then stop when Michio places his hands on their shoulders.
"Her mother created a bag with the same technology as a Pokéball. It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside." Michio takes his hands from their shoulders
"So, like a Tardis?" Daisuke asks.
"Wrong show," Michio responds.
"Is everyone sure that they have everything?" Rina asks as she starts turning off lights in the house.
They all stand up and nod as the television switches to the news. The reporter starts talking on the screen, "Two unknown members of Team Rocket that were recently captured have es—"
Rina picks up the remote control turning off the television set. She turns to all of them. "Well, guys, let's go!"
They all walk to the door putting their shoes on. She opens the door and walks outside, the boys following behind her. Some of the people in the town have started to gather near her house. All of them have gifts in their hands.
"Rina-chan, we're so proud of you for going on your journey to be a Pokémon trainer." The mayor says as he walks up to her.
"Thank you!" A bright smile forms on her face.
"This is to you from me." He hands her a small black box. She opens it to find a necklace with a silver key attached to it.
"What's this?" She takes the necklace out of the box holding it up in the morning sun light. The key shines brightly with a single blue jewel in the base of it.
"I don't really know. One day, when I was traveling from here to Suisen Machi (Town) I ran into a woman wearing a hooded cape. She stopped me and was the one who gave me that key. She told me that one day, I would encounter a young trainer that would know what to do with it when the time was right. She described the trainer to me, and we parted ways. Soon after I returned from that trip, you were born. After getting to know you for these many years, I can only assume that she meant you."
Rina puts the necklace on. "Wow. Thank you. I don't know if I'm that special, but I will cherish it anyway."
The other villagers hand her gifts of food and clothing. She places all of them in her bag and hugs each of them saying their goodbyes. Seiji and Daisuke's mother walk up to them and hugs them all at once. She pulls back from them and looks at Rina.
"I'm so proud of you, dear. Now, make sure you take care of my boys. Don't let them run off on you."
"I won't." Rina chuckles softly.
Ms. Watanabe turns to her sons and gives them a stern yet loving look. "I will miss you both so much but you're grown now. I understand that you need your freedom. Make sure you take care of her as well. Don't let anything happen to her. Make sure you all are careful." She hugs her sons again and kisses them on the cheek making them both pull away from her in embarrassment.
They all wave to everyone and head towards the woods north of town. Vixy tugs on Rina's sock begging to be picked up. Rina bends down picking up her small Pokémon and carrying her in her arms. Daisuke does the same for Trixie. Trixie nuzzles up to his chest as they follow the pathway leading outside of town. Their feet make a soft sound on the still damp ground.
Rina looks around taking in the familiar forest around them. The tall trees blocked out most of the sunlight only letting in a few streams of light. The sound of small Pokémon scurrying through the trees echoes. They pass Professor Hana's laboratory as the Pokémon behind the gate all wave at them. Vixy barks and waves her paw at her friends. The teenagers all wave back at the Pokémon as they continue down the path.
After a couple of hours of walking down the path, Rina spots a clearing outside of the forest. She rushes towards it and steps into the sunlight in an open field. A couple of Rattata are seen moving through the tall grass. One of them pops it head up and looks at them. Rina pulls out her PokéDex and aims it at the small, mouse looking Pokémon.
"Rattata is a forest Pokémon. Rattata is cautious in the extreme. Even while it is asleep, it constantly listens by moving its ears around. It is not picky about where it lives - it will make its nest anywhere. It likes cheese, nuts, fruits, and berries."
"It's so cute!" Rina says as she slowly walks up to it.
She motions for Vixy to move to her shoulder as she reaches in her bag pulling out a small bag of Pokémon food. She puts her hand in the bag and grabs a small handful. She sits down propping herself up on her knees. She holds her hand out to the small Pokémon. Its ears perk up as it stands still, watching her. It studies her but finally begins approaching her when it senses that she has a good nature. The Rattata sniffs her hand, its whiskers brushing against her fingers. It grabs ahold of some of the food in her hand stuffing it in its mouth as it runs back to its previous spot.
She stands back up and brushes the dirt off her knees. "Well, I guess it doesn't want to be friends just yet."
"You aren't going to try to catch it?" Michio asks her.
"I suppose that I could but it may not like me." She shifts nervously.
"Is that what you're worried about?" He steps in front of her and looks at her with a serious stare. "Remember when you first got, Vixy-chan?"
She nods in response and he continues, "You were scared that she wouldn't like you but she ended up loving you. You can't let that bother you. Not every Pokémon is going to like you. Just like not every person will like you. You can't let that stop you from making new friends whether they are human or Pokémon." He takes a Pokéball from her belt and places it in her hand. "Go catch you a Rattata."
A determined look forms on her face as she looks up at Vixy. She looks back at the Rattata as Michio moves out of her way. Vixy hops from Rina's shoulder to her hands and then to the ground.
"Rattata, you will be mine! Vixy-chan, use Ember on Rattata!"
Vixy runs up closer to the Rattata. She opens her mouth and small balls of fire shoot out of her mouth singeing the grass around them. The distracted Rattata tries to dodge but gets hit with a wave of fire. It glares at the Vulpix and quickly runs towards her disappearing and reappearing sporadically.
"Dodge!"
Vixy quickly moves to the side dodging Rattata's Quick Attack. Rattata slides on the ground behind Vixy coming to a halt as dirt forms a cloud around him.
"Be careful using fire moves. You'll catch the grass on fire and you'll harm other Pokémon. Try using another move." Michio says to Rina.
'Think. What other moves does Vixy-chan know?' She thinks and says out loud, "I don't really know what other moves she can know. We never really trained before."
Her Pokédex starts flashing. "Vulpix can learn various moves in its early stages. One move is Ember. It is a weak fire attack that can leave a burn on the opponent. Another move is Tail Whip. Vulpix will wag its tail cutely lowering its opponent's defense by making it less wary."
"That's it! Let's see if this works. Vixy-chan! Use Tail Whip!"
Vixy stands up straight and starts wagging her tail back and forth in a cute, hypnotic motion. The Rattata tries to ignore Vixy's move and rushes towards her again. It begins to disappear and reappear again as it sprints towards her. Rina opens her mouth to shout out another command when the sound of a soft thud is heard. Rattata trips and misses its attack on Vixy. Instead, Vixy's tail whacks Rattata on the head causing it to become unconscious.
Rina stands there shocked. "Did that really just happen?"
"Go ahead. Throw your Pokéball at it."
The Pokéball expands in her hand, and she throws it at the Rattata. The ball opens up as a red light forms around Rattata connecting the Pokémon to the ball. Rattata fades as it gets transported into the ball. The ball lands on the ground and teeters back and forth making a whirring sound. It continues to shake for a few seconds then stops. It goes quiet and the center of the Pokéball stops glowing.
Rina bends down and picks up the Pokéball. She holds it up in achievement. The guys smile at her as her face lightens up. She examines the ball closely. The top of the ball is red but not completely opaque. In fact, it is slightly transparent. She sees the tiny Rattata curled up in a ball sleeping.
"I did it! I caught my first Pokémon!" She looks down at her Vulpix. "Good job, girl. You did very well for your first real battle."
Vixy barks happily and walks up to Rina. The Pokéball shrinks back down to its original size in Rina's hand. She places it against her belt where the magnetic strip latches onto it. She picks Vixy back up and holds her tightly in her arms. Rina pulls a Pokémon treat out of her bag and hands it to Vixy. She happily accepts it and nuzzles up to Rina's chest as she eats it. She hands one to Trixie and Scyther as well so they don't feel left out.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Rina asks them all.
"Let's have lunch. I'm super hungry." Daisuke says as his stomach starts to growl.
"Agreed." Seiji looks up at Scyther who nods as he eats his Pokémon treat.
"I think this place would be perfect. Let's eat!" Rina sits down and opens her bag looking through all of the food the villagers gave her. She starts handing out fruit and sandwiches as she begins thinking to herself.
'I actually did it. I caught my first Pokémon. This is it. This is my actual first step towards being a great trainer and researcher just like my mom.'
The sound of a branch crackling echoes through the clearing. Vixy perks up and starts to growl softly as she sniffs the air. Rina pets her on the head telling her it's nothing. Vixy reluctantly continues eating her food keeping her ears perked up the whole time. After a few minutes, the object making the sound disappears from Vixy's range of hearing. She sighs with relief and goes back to enjoying her food.
Through the trees, Pokémon scurry and move away from a man hiding amongst them. Once he moves far enough away, he picks up his Pokégear. He dials a preset number. When the person on the other end answers he says, "Target has been sighted. She will be mine this time."