So Elizabeth's birthday is August 5th and today is...the 8th. So sorry for being late again! But this one really escaped me. I got so caught up in it, it was getting longer and longer...but the good news is I'm extremely proud of how this came out. In fact, this is one of my favorite one shots in recent memory. So hopefully that makes up for the wait!
This one is something I've had requests for a very long time, and I finally decided to take a shot at it. Enjoy!
Elizabeth: 10 years old
Ten
Elizabeth Ketchum shot up in bed the second her alarm clock rang.
Honestly, she probably hadn't even needed it. She was so excited she'd hardly been able to sleep. But she'd still set the alarm clock, because honestly, she was afraid of ending up like her father: nearly sleeping through her first official day as a Pokémon trainer.
Indeed, today was Elizabeth's 10th birthday. It was a day she had been anticipating for what felt like forever. Elizabeth had always known she wanted to be a trainer, but she became especially impatient when her older siblings left for their own journeys nearly six years ago. She'd begged and pleaded to go with them, but for some crazy reason, her parents hadn't liked the idea of a 4 year old going out into the world without adult supervision.
Elizabeth supposed she understood it a bit better now than she did then, but she still found it a bit silly.
The excited girl jumped out of bed, her dark red, past-the-shoulder length hair still disheveled, and ran right out of her room. She didn't care that she was still in her pajamas: her indigo blue tank top trimmed in white lace and floral printed flannel shorts with ruffles at each leg. Elizabeth darted down the hallway, reaching the stairs and descending past the various framed photographs, many of which had been there since long before she was even born.
Elizabeth was expecting to find her mother in the kitchen, like she did every other morning. She figured that this morning might be a little different, however. It was her birthday, after all. She was willing to bet that her mother would be there waiting with a special breakfast; something like waffles covered in fresh fruit, and maybe even caramel!
What Elizabeth found, however, was a completely empty kitchen.
"This is weird…" Elizabeth commented aloud to no one but herself. "Even for a normal day."
She stepped all the way into the kitchen and peered through every doorway, wondering if her mother was hiding somewhere and waiting to jump out and surprise her. But she found nothing. There wasn't even any food cooking in the oven. Scowling, Elizabeth made a last ditch attempt of checking the fridge, but there was no special breakfast in there either.
"What is this?!" Elizabeth cried, pushing the refrigerator door closed. Storming over to the doorway, Elizabeth glanced up towards the stairs and yelled, "Mom! Dad!"
But no one responded. Elizabeth threw her head back and whined, stomping over to the table and slumping down in her chair.
"Great, it's my birthday and my whole family ditches me. This is so lame!"
XXX
At the exact same time Elizabeth was having her mini meltdown, slowly but surely, her mother Misty could feel herself growing impatient and a bit anxious.
"Ash, come on, we have to hurry. If Elizabeth wakes up and sees that we're not home, she's going to freak out. Especially since I haven't even started cooking her special birthday breakfast yet!"
"Lizzie will be fine," Ash assured his wife. "She's the most easygoing of our kids, after all."
Pikachu, who was sitting in Misty's lap, made an unsure squeak.
"You underestimate her temper when provoked," Misty sighed, patting the mouse's head in agreement.
"I guess, but she'll understand when she sees we were just trying to make her birthday extra special!" Ash reasoned.
The couple was returning from a quick shopping trip downtown. Ash had come up with what he believed was a brilliant idea: giving Elizabeth a few small surprises pertaining to the special starter Pokémon she'd be receiving. Ash had caught that Pokémon himself, and left it with Professor Oak for safekeeping until the big day. Now it was finally here, but in typical Ash fashion, he had left the shopping aspect of the surprise until the last minute.
"I sure hope so," Misty muttered, turning her head to gaze out the window.
Ash smiled sympathetically, though Misty couldn't see it. "I know this is hard for you."
"I thought it'd be easier after the first time," Misty groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. "But it's not. It might actually be worse this time because once Elizabeth leaves, we'll be alone in the house."
Ash twisted his mouth. He knew Misty was right. It would definitely be strange…they hadn't lived without any children in nearly 16 years. They were both still young, though. It wouldn't be difficult at this stage in their lives to have another baby or two, but Ash knew better than to suggest that to his wife, especially right now.
Besides, he knew that wouldn't be the same as having Aiden, Michelle, and Elizabeth around. Those three could never, ever be replaced.
"We'll be okay," Ash declared. "There's lots we can do to keep ourselves busy. But for now, let's just focus on Elizabeth's birthday."
Misty silently nodded her head, opening her eyes to continuing staring out the window.
XXX
Elizabeth was still sitting at the kitchen table with a pout on her face when the front door opened. The girl raised an eyebrow in interest, but quickly furrowed both of them when she saw her parents walk in. They both appeared happy and ready to say something to her, but Elizabeth jumped in first.
"Where were you?!" She cried.
"We're sorry, Lizzie," Misty earnestly replied. "Daddy and I just had some errands to run."
"Errands?" Elizabeth repeated incredulously. "This early?"
"Yeah, the stores are quieter in the morning," Ash blurted, earning a look of confusion from his daughter. "Uh…Mommy taught me that."
"Right…" Elizabeth murmured.
"You don't have to worry," Misty quickly added, regaining Elizabeth's attention. "We didn't forget your birthday!"
She strode forward and wrapped the petite girl up in a hug. Elizabeth seemed a little surprised at first, but that easily gave way to an impish smile.
"I hope not," the young redhead giggled.
"Never," Misty assured, pulling away and gently gripping Elizabeth's shoulders. "Daddy and I could never forget!"
"Yeah, you're our baby," Ash chuckled, stepping forward to ruffle the girl's hair. "Your birthday is a really big deal!"
"But this birthday is the biggest deal," Elizabeth reminded her parents, as though they had forgotten why. Ash, of course, caught onto this, and he was never one to pass up a chance to tease his children.
"It is?" Ash teased. "Why's that?"
"Duh, I'm 10!" Elizabeth cried, holding up both of her hands with every last finger fanned out. "As of today, I'm officially a Pokémon trainer!"
"Ah, you're right," Ash chuckled. "I forgot!"
Elizabeth sighed and tilted her head. "Daddy, you're not funny."
"Mommy thinks I'm funny," Ash replied, shrugging his shoulders as he turned to look at his wife. "Right?"
Misty thought about it for a split second before playfully retorting, "No."
Ash pouted while Elizabeth started to giggle. She adored her father, but she was his daughter, and it was just too much fun to tease him right back. Elizabeth was a smart girl, after all, and she always knew exactly when her father was messing with her. Very often, she could tell he was about to do it before he even said a word. She just had that kind of connection with him.
"Elizabeth, why don't you go get dressed?" Misty suggested, halting the girl's laughter. "I've got to make you your special birthday breakfast, but it'll take me a little while."
Elizabeth's face lit up. "You're still going to make me my special birthday breakfast?"
"Of course!" Misty chirped. "Just like I would never forget your birthday, I'd never forget your special birthday breakfast."
The girl jumped out of her seat and clapped her hands together. "Yay!" Turning towards her father, Elizabeth held out an arm and beckoned, "Pikachu, come with me!"
"Pi!" Pikachu squeaked, jumping off his trainer's shoulder and scurrying up Elizabeth's arm.
"Just think," Elizabeth breathed. "In a couple of hours, I'll have my very own Pokémon! I can't wait!"
And with that, the beaming child darted straight out of the kitchen, leaving behind her two highly amused parents.
"She's so much like you it's scary," Misty addressed her husband, skirting over to the pantry to begin gathering ingredients.
"I think it's awesome," Ash chuckled. "I mean, I wasn't really surprised when Aiden turned out like me. But Elizabeth? I never really thought about what it would be like to have a daughter who was similar to me."
"You never really thought about anything aside from Pokémon or food before we were together," Misty teased, pulling out a large mixing bowl and placing it amongst the ingredients.
"I thought about some other things," Ash calmly challenged her. "But kids definitely weren't one of them."
"And now they're your best friends," Misty replied in a sing-song voice.
"They're pretty cool," Ash agreed, smirking back at her. "Aiden and Michelle work so hard as trainers, and I know Elizabeth is going to be just as determined. I'm really proud of all three of them."
"I am too," Misty murmured. She remained silent for a few moments as she began to prepare Elizabeth's special breakfast. After a bit of time, however, she continued, "so, do you think your plan is going to work?"
"I sure hope it does," Ash sighed. "Elizabeth is really smart. I'm worried she's going to catch on and figure out the surprise before she can actually be surprised."
"I'm sure she won't," Misty breathed quickly. She couldn't be 100% certain of that because, just like Ash had said, Elizabeth was an incredibly bright girl. There was always the chance of her catching on, because it happened quite often. More often than her parents would like.
Ash frowned at his wife's non-committal response. "That didn't really sound too confident."
"Sorry," Misty apologized, shaking her head out. "Just do your best! You always do. As long as you're confident, Elizabeth probably won't get suspicious."
Ash swallowed thickly as he nodded his head. Misty was right. Confidence was key. Elizabeth was smart, but she also looked up to him, and as long as he put up a strong front, she would probably be super into the whole thing and not try and read into it.
"Tada!"
Ash and Misty looked through the kitchen doorway, spotting Elizabeth at the bottom of the stairs with Pikachu circling her feet. She had returned fully dressed in the brand new outfit Misty had picked out for her: a candy pink dress with thin straps and fluttery sleeves that wrapped around her shoulders. The dress perfectly matched her adorable low-top sneakers, totally pink with the exception of the sides, which were splashed with dazzling silver glitter. To tie everything together, a silver glitter bow attached to a headband was placed atop the girl's head.
"Oh, Lizzie, don't you look gorgeous!" Misty practically squealed.
"Like a little princess!" Ash chimed in.
"Thanks!" Elizabeth giggled. "I really feel like one!"
Ash slowly looked over his shoulder at Misty, who gave him a small nod. Grinning, Ash grabbed onto the bag full of goodies he and Misty had just purchased downtown, and carried it over towards his daughter.
"Elizabeth," Ash began, causing the girl to glance up at him. "I've got a couple of special birthday surprises for you!"
Her eyes widened at that, especially when she realized he had a bag in his hands. "Is that what those errands were for?"
"Sure were!" Ash chuckled.
"Why didn't you say so?" Elizabeth asked with a delighted giggle. "I wouldn't have been so mad if I knew that!"
"I can't give away all of my secrets," Ash joshed. "Life would be much more boring if I did!"
"What're my surprises?" Elizabeth rushed out, making a jump for the bag. Before she could get her hands on it, Ash pulled it away, causing the girl to pout. "Hey!"
"You can't just dig right in!" Ash cried. "It's not much of a surprise that way."
That explanation didn't seem to do much in terms of placating Elizabeth. She continued to pout, earning another hearty laugh from her father. This caused her to soften a bit. Elizabeth adored Ash, and the sound of his laughter had always managed to transfix her.
"I'll give you one at a time," Ash continued, holding up a single finger for emphasis.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "How many surprises do you have in there?"
"Just a few," Ash replied. "Now…you want the first one?"
Elizabeth's lips bent back into a smile as she nodded her head.
"Close your eyes and hold out your hands," Ash instructed. Elizabeth did just that, and once Ash was certain she wasn't peeking, he reached into the bag and pulled out the first of the gifts, placing it in the palms of his daughter's outstretched hands. "Kay, open your eyes!"
Elizabeth's eyelids fluttered open, and she found herself staring at the object in her hands: a beautiful silver picture frame surrounded by the images of poke balls made up of red, white, and black crystals.
"Ooh, this is so pretty!" Elizabeth squealed, her eyes sparkling.
"You can put a picture of you and your very first Pokémon in it," Ash informed her.
"That's such a good idea!" Elizabeth trilled, hugging the frame against her chest. She loosened her grip after a moment and added, "But I still haven't decided between Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander."
Ash could feel his heart speed up a bit, but he managed to keep playing it cool. "That's alright. You've still got some time to decide!"
"Not that much," Elizabeth replied warily. "I'm gonna have to figure it out by the time we get to Professor Oak's lab."
"Well, the good news is that Professor Oak has known you since you were a baby," Misty reminded her daughter, piling the freshly finished waffles on three separate plates. "He'll be very patient with you! Don't rush into any decisions. This is a big one, after all."
Elizabeth's eyes widened at the sight of the food. She breezed past her father, who managed a look of disappointment. Pikachu tilted his head and scurried up to his trainer, easily scaling the man and settling on his broad shoulder. Ash's frown disappeared the moment Pikachu rubbed against his cheek, quickly replaced by a chuckle and a scratch between the ears.
"I hope you made plenty of those," Elizabeth breathed, gazing in awe at the waffles as they were carried to the table. "I'm starving!"
"You sure eat a lot for such a little thing," Misty remarked, earning a cheeky grin from her youngest child.
Elizabeth was certainly petite: very skinny and a bit on the shorter side. She had inherited her mother's long legs, however, and that seemed to make her appear a bit taller. Elizabeth, however, didn't necessarily mind being smaller. She thought it made things like running and jumping and dancing much easier.
"I know," Elizabeth giggled. "And I'm especially hungry this morning! There might not even be any left for Daddy!"
"Hey, not funny!" Ash whined, whipping around and rushing towards the kitchen table. "Leave some for me!"
XXX
As soon as Elizabeth had finished her breakfast, she began pleading to head straight to Professor Oak's lab.
"Why the big rush?" Misty questioned. "You just said before you still don't know which Pokémon you want."
"I don't," Elizabeth confirmed. "But I want to make sure I can actually choose between all three! Not like-"
"Can we stop bringing up my disastrous first day as a trainer?" Ash groaned. "I knew telling you kids that story was a mistake…"
"Nuh uh, it's my favorite!" Elizabeth giggled.
"Mine too," Misty cheerfully agreed, causing Ash's sulk to deepen. "Alright, that's enough teasing Daddy for one morning. If you really want to get going to Professor Oak's lab, then we will."
"Yay!" Elizabeth cheered, jumping right out of her seat. "I'm so excited!"
The girl ran straight for the front door, while Ash and Misty slowly got up and prepared to follow calmly after her.
"That first surprise went over pretty well," Misty commented.
"I guess, except Elizabeth still hasn't gotten the hint," Ash mused.
"Well, you were worried about her figuring the whole thing out, so I'd say that's a good thing," Misty sniffed.
"Guess you're right," Ash sighed, tilting his head.
"When are you going to give her the next one?" Misty asked.
After taking a minute to think about it, Ash replied, "Right before we head to the lab. The trip will give her some time to think."
He gathered the shopping bag that contained the rest of Elizabeth's surprises. Pikachu, who had just polished off the last of his breakfast, climbed back up to Ash's shoulder. Misty was already heading towards the front door, so Ash picked up his pace in order to catch up with her. Elizabeth was waiting there, impatiently shifting from one foot to the other.
"Someone's just raring to go, huh?" Ash chuckled, causing Elizabeth to pout much like he had before. "Hey, no need to get testy! What if I give you another one of your surprises?"
That perked Elizabeth up. She repeated her actions from before without having to be told: closing her eyes and holding out her hands. Ash retrieved the next surprise and handed it over to Elizabeth, who was quick to reopen her eyes.
This time, Ash had given her a pretty light pink bow, which matched the color of her dress almost perfectly. Elizabeth was excited by the gift, but also a bit confused. She owned so many bows already, and was certain she had a color just like this up in her room.
"It's not for you," Ash laughed, realizing his daughter was bewildered. "It's for your first Pokémon!"
"But what if it's a boy?" Elizabeth questioned. "I can't put a bow on a boy Pokémon!"
"Why not?" Ash asked. "Boys can like bows! And pink!"
"You don't," Elizabeth muttered. "And neither does Aiden. Or David. I don't know any boys who like pink or bows!"
Ash's cheeks flashed a pale red at the mention of Elizabeth's friend David. He was going on this journey with her, and it drove Ash crazy to no end. He could only help their other friend Maria would serve as a good buffer between the two.
"Just wait and see," Ash tried. "You don't know what your Pokémon is going to be like!"
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. What was that supposed to mean? It was like her father knew what her Pokémon was going to be like. But how could he? She didn't have it yet!
Ash saw the expression change on Elizabeth's face, and his nerves flared up again. "Anyway, let's head on over to the lab! You wanted to be early, right?"
"Um…yeah…"
"Great! I think Mommy is already outside! Let's go!"
Ash opened the door and rushed outside, Elizabeth grabbing onto the frame and furrowing her brow. "Daddy is being weird."
XXX
The entire trip to Professor Oak's lab, Elizabeth thought aloud about each possible starter she could choose. She went over the positives about Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander, trying to figure out which one would suit her best. Misty thought it was adorable, and Ash did too, but he was far more nervous than his wife.
"I think I'm just making myself more confused," Elizabeth sighed, slumping against her seat. "What do you think, Pikachu? Which Pokémon should I choose?"
"Pi!" Pikachu trilled, his ears twitching.
"I can't pick you, silly!" Elizabeth giggled. "Your Daddy's Pokémon! Although, I wouldn't mind taking you with me…"
Ash's eyes widened, his head snapping to look over his shoulder. "What?!"
Elizabeth started to laugh again. "I'm just kidding! I would never take Pikachu with me, Daddy. I know you guys are best friends!"
Ash let out a sigh of relief, swiveling his head back around. "I think she teases a bit too much."
"Sorry, she gets that from me," Misty apologized, her eyes twinkling with unabashed pride.
The second the family pulled up to Professor Oak's lab, Elizabeth unbuckled herself and threw open the car door, flying out like a Pidgey on a sugar high. Ash and Misty both whipped around, alarmed by their daughter's sudden exit.
"She's really wasting her breath," Ash muttered, causing Misty to groan and smack a hand against her face.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, was not about to stop in her tracks or wait for her parents. She was making a bee line for the lab, running up the tall, winding steps that would lead her to the front door. As soon as she made it, she allowed herself entrance, not even bothering to knock. She knew her mother would scold her for it as soon as she caught up, but Elizabeth was just too excited to care.
She kept on running through the foyer and up the next set of stairs which led her to the professor's sitting area. Elizabeth made no time to stop there either, however, and simply bounded towards the third staircase…this one finally taking her to the actual laboratory where she'd be receiving her very first Pokémon.
Tracey was in the room, but he was sitting at the desk, meaning his back was facing the staircase. He appeared to have his nose buried in one of his sketchbooks, which meant he was totally in the zone and therefore, oblivious. A trick instantly popped up in Elizabeth's head, and she had to quickly cover her mouth to prevent her giggles from escaping. Once she'd managed to settle herself down, Elizabeth began tiptoeing towards the desk, moving as quickly and lightly as she'd been taught in ballet for so many years. As soon as she was close enough, Elizabeth leaned over and, after sucking in a hushed breath, shouted, "HI, UNCLE TRACEY!"
The green haired man yelped and jumped, throwing his arms out and knocking nearly everything off the desk, sending the wooden chair he'd been sitting in backwards. He fell with it, creating a thud so loud and powerful that several nearby books went barreling towards the floor.
Elizabeth gasped and sunk down beside her uncle's head, a deep frown gracing her delicate lips. "I'm sorry! I didn't think you'd get that scared!"
"Elizabeth Dilynne Ketchum!"
The girl gulped as she slowly looked behind her. Ash and Misty were standing at the top of the stairs, both of them looking stunned by the scene before them.
"I didn't mean to!" Elizabeth cried, not even having time to cringe about her mother using her full name against her.
"Why do you have to cause so much trouble?" Misty fretted, ignoring her daughter's protest. "Whatever happened to my sweet baby girl?"
"I think I spent too much time with Daddy," Elizabeth murmured, shyly glancing towards the floor.
"Oh no, don't you pin this on me," Ash calmly retorted, moving towards Tracey and helping the Pokémon watcher back to his feet. "I had nothing to do with this!"
"Not this, but I learned all this kind of stuff from you," Elizabeth muttered, slowly looking up towards her disapproving father. "You're always making jokes and playing tricks!"
"That still doesn't make it okay," Ash sighed.
"Guys, it's alright, I'm fine," Tracey assured Ash and Misty before smiling at Elizabeth. "You're just really excited, huh?"
Elizabeth's own grin returned as she rapidly nodded her head. "Yeah, I am! I can't wait to get my first Pokémon!"
"You'll be lucky if I still allow you to," Misty admonished.
"What?!" Elizabeth cried. "No, Mommy! You can't do that!"
"Yes I can, I'm your mother," Misty nearly hissed. "And you know that kind of behavior isn't acceptable! Especially for a girl who's becoming a Pokémon trainer today!"
"Misty, really, it's okay," Tracey insisted. "Besides, Elizabeth isn't wrong. Ash would've done the exact same thing at her age. Actually, I'm willing to bet he would've still done it right now."
"Thanks, Trace," Ash sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose as Pikachu snickered.
Despite the hot water she was in, Elizabeth allowed herself to giggle again. Not wanting her mother to have a reason to continue reprimanding her, however, the girl walked closer to the desk and began gathering everything that had fallen off after she'd scared her uncle. When she picked up the sketchbook he'd been busy with, she was able to see what he'd been working on: a stunning colored pencil drawing of grass type Pokémon in a flower-filled meadow.
"Uncle Tracey, this is so pretty!" Elizabeth squealed, jumping up to her feet and holding the sketchbook out.
"I'm glad you think so!" Tracey chuckled, gratefully accepting the book from his niece.
"Is it for a book?" Elizabeth asked. She knew that while her uncle's main job was working as Professor Oak's right-hand man, he also created all kinds of beautiful artwork that were used in Pokémon books.
"It is," Tracey confirmed. "For Gary's, actually! He's writing a new textbook and asked me to do the art for it."
"You're so good at drawing," Elizabeth sighed dreamily.
"Almost as good as you are at dancing!" Tracey crowed.
"I guess so," Elizabeth hummed, shrugging her shoulders.
Tracey laughed and, telling he was beginning to embarrass his niece, decided to change the subject. "So, have you decided which Pokémon you're going to choose?"
"No," Elizabeth sighed. "It's so hard! All three of them are so cute. And there's not one Pokémon type I like more than another! I really don't know who to pick."
Ash stepped forward, holding the shopping bag out towards his puzzled daughter. "Lizzie, I have one more surprise for you, and I think it might help you make your decision."
Elizabeth went wide eyed. "Really?"
"Yeah, I'm willing to bet," Ash chuckled. "Want to try?"
Elizabeth nodded, just once this time, closed her eyes and held out her hands. Ash pulled out the final surprise and handed it over to Elizabeth. "There. Take a look!"
The girl opened her eyes, instantly furrowing her brow one she saw she was holding a brand new backpack: gray in color and printed all over with pink and white flowers. "It's really pretty, but I don't get it. This is supposed to help me pick my first Pokémon?"
"Open it up," Ash prodded, nodding towards the bag.
Silently, Elizabeth unzipped the largest compartment, taking a peek inside. Blinking, she reached in and pulled out an object that was nowhere near brand new.
"Teddi?" Elizabeth questioned, examining her most prized possession. "Now I really don't get it!"
"Sorry I'm late!"
Ash had been about to respond to Elizabeth, but was grateful for the interruption. Professor Oak had finally appeared, his pajamas still on beneath his white lab coat. He had actually managed to get even goofier with age, though Elizabeth found him highly entertaining.
"Professor, you know you're still wearing your pajamas, right?" Tracey groaned.
"Hmm?" Professor Oak hummed, glancing down. "Oh, well. Would you look at that! At least I'm comfortable."
He moved closer to Elizabeth, who was smiling softly at him.
"10 years old already? My, does time fly!" Professor Oak guffawed. "I remember when you were first born. It feels like it was just yesterday!"
"I couldn't agree more," Misty sighed sadly. "It's gone by too fast."
"But I know she's going to make you and Ash very proud," Professor Oak assured, beaming at Misty and then at a blushing Elizabeth. "She always has, after all!"
"I agree with that too," Misty breathed, her smile widening as Ash wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Now, for your first Pokémon-"
"Professor Oak, I still haven't decided which one I want," Elizabeth interrupted, looking and sounding rather remorseful about the whole thing.
Professor Oak, on the other hand, simply chuckled. "I don't think that'll be a problem!"
Elizabeth tilted her head. "You don't?"
The researcher shook his head as he reached into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a minimized poke ball, handing it over to an enamored Elizabeth. "Go ahead, see what's inside!"
Elizabeth gave the ball one last look over before pressing the center button to expand it. With a confident smile, she tossed it up in the air and called, "come on out…whoever you are!"
The sphere popped open and released a bright light, forming into an almost bubbly shape on the floor. As soon as the light dissipated, and the Pokémon fully appeared before her, Elizabeth gasped and let out a squeal so loud all of the adults in the room were almost certain their ear drums had burst.
"Oh my gosh!" Elizabeth shrieked. "A Teddiursa!"
The little bear Pokémon was gazing up at Elizabeth with its beady black eyes, its orange-brown fur almost shining under the fluorescent lights of the lab. It had one paw placed in front of its mouth, as Teddiursa were known to do, and would occasionally twitch its big, round ears whenever Elizabeth unleashed another sound of pure joy.
"Professor Oak, you got me a Teddiursa?" Elizabeth breathed, looking up at the elderly researcher.
"Not me," Professor Oak refuted. "Your father!"
Elizabeth spun around, her mouth hanging open. "Daddy? You?"
Ash smiled sheepishly and nodded his head.
"All those surprises he got you were supposed to be hints about your first Pokémon!" Misty added.
"Oh, that's why you stuck Teddi in my new backpack!" Elizabeth giggled. "And I can put a picture of us in the frame, like you said. But…what about the bow? I still don't really get that one."
"I'll show you," Ash chuckled. He took the bow out of the bag, where Elizabeth had put it back for the trip to the lab, and approached Teddiursa. The young Pokémon perked up as Ash got closer, even giving a little bounce as he knelt down in front of it. Once he moved away, Elizabeth saw that he had clipped the pink bow in front of Teddiursa's right ear, not dissimilar to the way Elizabeth often wore them in her own hair.
"Does that mean Teddiursa is a girl?" Elizabeth asked.
"Sure does!" Ash confirmed. "Told you to wait and see!"
"She's such a cutie!" Elizabeth crowed. "I really, really love her, Daddy! Thank you!"
She ran forward and jumped at her father, giving him the biggest, tightest hug she could possibly manage. Ash laughed almost wildly in response, giving his daughter a great hug back.
"Don't mention it," Ash murmured, kissing Elizabeth's temple before staring into her deep green eyes. "Happy birthday, pumpkin!"
The pair separated, Ash turning his attention back to Teddiursa. "This is Elizabeth. She's going to be your new trainer! I know you two will get along great, and she'll take the very best care of you!"
Teddiursa stared at Elizabeth in contemplation. The girl just beamed at the bear, her excitement somehow managing to further overflow. In a split second, Teddiursa was soon smiling as well, happily chanting her own name as she scurried towards Elizabeth. The new trainer knelt down, lifting the normal type up in her arms and rubbing their noses together.
"You're so sweet, too!" Elizabeth giggled. "I can't wait to go on all kinds of adventures together!"
"Ur!" Teddiursa agreed, throwing her paws up in the air.
Tracey hummed, looking over at his thrilled sister-in-law. "Ash has really wised up, huh?"
"He knows how to make the people he loves very happy," Misty concurred, nodding her head. "Ash is really something special."
Pikachu, feeling left out, jumped to the floor and began pawing at Elizabeth's leg, silently begging to join in. Elizabeth quickly got the hint, grinning at the electric mouse before placing Teddiursa back on the floor.
"This is my daddy's Pikachu," Elizabeth informed the little bear. "I bet you two will like playing together!"
"Ursa?" Teddiursa murmured, tilting her head.
"Pi-ka!" Pikachu greeted, spinning around to gently tickle Teddiursa's cheek with the tip of his tail. The normal type began laughing almost immediately, clapping her paws together in delight.
"I knew it!" Elizabeth trilled, standing up to her full height. "Fast friends!"
"I'm so glad you love Daddy's surprise," Misty commented, catching Elizabeth's attention. "That took a lot of pressure off, huh?"
"It sure did!" Elizabeth cheerfully agreed.
"Now all you have left to decide on is whether you're going to do gym battles or contests," Ash chuckled.
Elizabeth's face paled as the smile faded and gave way to a look of frustration. "Don't remind me!"
Right, so she still can't decide actually which kind of trainer she wants to be. Elizabeth is very set when she knows what she wants, but when she isn't sure, she's extremely indecisive. I am too, so I can relate ;)
I wonder what you all think though. Would Elizabeth become a gym trainer? A coordinator? Maybe both? Tell me! I'm really curious.
