Chapter 2 - Part 1

*Friday*

It was Friday and Ellie, like her other classmates, was looking forward to the weekend. They spent the last few hours inside, reading some books in class before taking a test on addition and subtraction which they studied all week for. Doing all that school work, it couldn't be helped that the excitement and energy was practically felt through the air.

Now finally outside for recess, some of them began to talk about how they could not wait to go to her birthday party and have fun. Everyone was having fun but because it wasn't 'tag day' (not that tag day couldn't be fun, sometimes they wanted to do their own thing); tag day was something their teacher would do to get everyone active but, today, they were just doing their own things with some while others chose to sit in the grass with their library books to read.

"Hey Ellie, are you ready to turn six years old?" Gloria asked.

"Yes! My daddy and Celia have gotten tables, food, games, and Celia even got me a red hair clip that is shiny." Ellie said, point at the hair clip on the left side of her hair on the left. True to her word, the hair clip did shine when reflected in the light.

"Awesome!" shouted both Gloria and Emma, Emma having just spoken after watching both of them talk for a minute. "It is really pretty, Ellie, and I like that your hair is blue too, I wish I had it," Gloria praised.

After looking at the hair clip again, ignoring the unusual blue tint in her friend's hair as a normal thing, then asked, "How did your daddy's gardevoir get the hair clip for you? Like I know she probably doesn't work so I don't know how she could get it for you?"

Emma then interjected, already sort of knowing how. "Well I saw Miss Celia all over the neighborhood doing chores and small things for the neighbors, I've seen her even help my mom work on our garden, making it better than it was before."

Surprised that she knew, Ellie then added too, "yeah, and she helps the old lady down the street from time to time and some even pay her money even though she always says she doesn't want it. Celia just wants to help others to be nice."

"Wowwww! Miss Celia sounds so nice and sweet, I bet you and your dad really love her?" Gloria said, now understanding how the psychic-fairy pokemon was able to get the hair clip.

Blushing and knowing she couldn't tell them the exact truth, she told them that they loved Celia like family. "Yes we do! Celia has always been nice and sweet to me since I was a baby, and she was with my daddy for a long time, since he was a kid." Continuing she said something that the other two weren't expecting. "She loves us too. Whenever I am hurt or not feeling good, she always takes care of me, sings to me before sleeping, cooks me and daddy food, and even helps me with homework when I can't learn it."

Emma not really understanding the question but asked anyways, "So like our moms? My mom does all that for me so she sounds like she is being your mommy?"

"I dunno, I guess but I don't know since I never had a mommy like you," Ellie lied, knowing that her daddy always told her that she could get in trouble if she told anyone else the truth. "She is always so sweet and nice to me and she tells me that she loves me so I guess she is acting like a mommy."

Feeling bad for mentioning the sensitive topic, Emma tried to apologize. "Oh Ellie, I am sorry I didn't mean to-"

Before they could continue talking about Celia and Ellie's relationship, however, a couple of other kids were playing their own game of tag and Lindsey, Ellie's classmate who sat next to her in class, was not aware of where she was running when she suddenly collided into Ellie.

It was so sudden that it did not even register in Ellie's mind to cry out or anything, fortunately having other little friends had only made it more of a surprise than actually hurting her. Afraid that she had knocked her friend down, Lindsey went to grab Miss Connely to let her know what happened just in case she was hurt while Ellie sat on the ground.

In seconds, Lindsey had returned with Miss Connely in tow, telling her what happened.

"Oh goodness!" Miss Connely, seeing Ellie on the ground, rushed over and helped Ellie to her feet. "Are you alright?! Lindsey said you took quite a fall after she accidentally ran into you," asked Miss Connely.

After getting herself straightened up, Ellie responded, "I am okay! I didn't get hurt and plus I landed on the grass so I don't feel bad."

"Well regardless, let's walk over the bench to rest a little while I check you for some things to make sure you are absolutely okay," stated Miss Connely.

Ellie, feeling happy to get to sit with her favorite (and only teacher besides Art, music, and P.E.), chimed, "Yes, Miss Connely!"

*Miss Connely giving Ellie a check up and talking about her upcoming birthday*

After bringing her over to the bench away from the other students but still in view, Miss Connely began to inspect her arms, legs, and face for any scraps and bruises. Continuing her inspection, she asked, "so Ellie, are you ready for the birthday party tomorrow? You are going to be six and that will make you a big girl, right?"

Ellie was thrilled to let Miss Connely know how she felt, "YES! I have been waiting a long, long time for this!"

"Oh, really? Well I bet it is going to be fun, especially with all the fun games you and the others will get to play. I remember the birthdays I had as a kid and I have to say that I sure did get a lot of presents. I'm sure you will too with all the friends you have coming over." Miss Connely said, happy that her student was excited for her upcoming birthday party.

It was during this conversation that two things happened. Jessica Connely, known as Miss Connely to her students, brushed part of Ellie's hair back, grazing her ear barely, to notice that Ellie had some uniquely blunted but still pointy ears, with the little steep peak of her ear tips reaching a quarter inch higher than most grown adults.

Before she could fully take in what she saw and ask questions, she heard Ellie continuing to speak when she said, "Yeah, I know my birthday is going to be fun! And daddy and momma are going to make me cake and food and get me toys!" And thoughts of Ellie's ears disappeared.

*Ellie said what now?*

Silence. Dead Silence for five seconds. Miss Connely was confused but still managed to respond back as if nothing was wrong because maybe she heard wrong, "Your momma?"

…

It was Ellie's turn to be silent, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.

However, it was in that shorter, three seconds of silence that Ellie's memory of her momma's conversation with her flashed and, in a genius way, came up with an excuse.

"Umm, yeah," she shyly responded back. "I always knew Celia, my daddy's gard…gard-e-vor, she has always been there for me. She has always taken care of me since I was born. She cooks good food, cleans my room, works in the garden she made, reads to me, and even fixes my arms and legs when I fall like you are doing," she said.

After another couple of seconds, she continued, "She is so nice and fun that I have always called her 'Momma Celia' or momma for short. She acts like a mom and I only ever saw her as a mom."

Again, silence but not as dramatic as before. Miss Connely calmly responded, "Okay, so do you love her like a mom? It sounds like she really loves you too."

"Well I guess…she has always told me she loves me and loves to take care of me. She wouldn't be so nice to me and daddy if she didn't love us, right?"

*Ellie & Miss Connely return to recess, Miss Connely still confused*

Not seeing any other reason to continue questioning the unusual information she heard, she let it go.

"Well I guess you are right, she sounds really nice and I am glad she makes you happy. I am done checking you for injuries now so you can go back to everyone else to have fun for another ten minutes."

Ellie went back to her friends to play, however, Jessica was standing there, still somewhat perturbed by what she heard. It was common for trainers and others alike to love their pokemon companions like you would a close friend but it was rare, in fact she never saw it herself, to see someone, like a child, to acknowledge and love a pokemon as a parental figure. She could not figure out what it was that made her feel different about this but, ultimately, she decided to drop it for the time being. After all, Ellie was a girl who never got to meet or see her mother and a loving, caring, intelligent-sapient being such as her father's gardevoir, who has been around all her life and taken care of her in some way, was bound to be seen as some sort of maternal figure. Content with her thoughts for the moment, Jessica decided to go back to her students to watch over them.