“Astronomers are advising residents of Little Root to keep an eye on the sky today! Those bright flashes aren’t planes or rocket ships, but shooting stars. These are the result of our planet passing through the debris field left by the Millennium Comet. So keep your wishes handy, because any made on these extra-terrestrial rocks will be extra potent.”
Nella bound down the stairs, heedless of the radio’s droning. She went right by her mother in the kitchen, acknowledging her only with a “Sorry, Mom!” as she ran out the front door. The thirteen year old met the mailman at the box, hopping between her legs until he handed her the post, most of which was magazine ads or bills. Ew. She dropped those and stared at the red box from The Hoenn PokeMon League.
That red box was what Nella had been dreaming of for years; everything a PokeMon trainer needed to begin their journey. A Pkmn League Uniform, six basic PokeBalls, five Potions, and her own officially registered Pkmn League Passport. Oh, and a type matchup card, because no one could have enough of those.
The box came at the perfect time; the very last day before this year’s tournament began. Nella was going to enter, and she was going to win. And no one was going to stop her.
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Kendra was already so over this. She was over this stupid region and this stupid little town. Most of all, she was over everyone’s stupid obsession with PokeMon. They were always on about their latest capture, the coolest move, the newest discoveries.
But she didn’t get it. Ok, some PokeMon were cute. But that didn’t mean they should be a personality trait. Plus, Kendra reasoned, if she could spit gouts of water or belch fire, hypnotize, or whatever weird thing PokeMon could do, she definitely wouldn’t be taking orders from a person. And definitely not a literal child. But since everyone else was obsessed, sometimes Kendra had to give in.
Which is why she trudged to the lake wearing a trenchcoat to hide a PokeMon costume underneath. It wasn’t that it was risque; nothing more than a bathing suit was. She just didn’t want to be seen in it. She worked for and with a modeling agency, and while most of the time she had her choice of jobs, this had become a “rent before pride” situation. They had picked out the costume and sent it, she would model it.
Kendra just hoped the photographer would be here on time today.
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“Absolutely not!” Mom shouted, and Nella was pretty sure their neighbors across the street heard her
“Why not?”
Never one to say “just because,” Mom listed off all the reasons, “Because you’re barely thirteen, because we just moved and need some time to settle, because I don’t want you wandering around a new region alone, because you’ve never captured a PokeMon before, let alone battled one, and because I said so!”
“I wouldn’t be alone, I’d have my PokeMon! They’d take care of me!”
“You’re supposed to take care of them, Nella. Do you know the first thing about taking care of a PokeMon?”
“I would if you let me have one!”
“When we get fully moved in, I’ll let you get a PokeMon as a pet, and we can discuss entering the tournament next year.”
“What if I get a PokeMon today? I have the PokeBalls. I know how they work. I can...”
“Next year, Nella.” Mom wasn’t yelling anymore, and that wasn’t good. That meant she had made up her mind.
“Ugh, this is so unfair! Everyone else gets to start their PokeMon journey at thirteen.”
“Just because everyone else is doing something means I have to let you do it, young lady.”
“But Mom...”
“No. We’re done having this discussion. You’re not going.”
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The photographer was late. Of course he was late. So Kendra had no choice but to pace along the lake shore, clenching and unclenching her fists. No choice. Had to. How could he do this? Again? And the way he talked to her. So dismissive. So unprofessional. He sounded like he had just got out of bed. Unfortunately, he had been doing this far longer than Kendra. And who’s word would the agency take? His, or a model currently dressed in a blue bathing suit with the style and markings of some super popular water ‘Mon, plus a blue wig and fanned tail on the back.
“What kind of PokeMon are you?” A boy asked, stopping Kendra from rage walking, and she glared at him: maybe ten years old in shorts, holding a bug catcher net.
“I’m not a PokeMon, kid.”
He shook his head, “You look like a Mudkip,” and he pointed to the blue fin sticking out her blue wig.
“Well, I’m not. I’m just wearing a stupid costume.”
“Yeah, Mudkip is kinda stupid. They’re not as super cool as Dustox. Do you wanna see my Dustox? I named him Dusty.”
“No, I don’t want to see your PokeMon.”
“Aww, I thought we could have a battle.”
“I’m not a trainer, I don’t ‘battle.’”
“I meant, since you’re a Mudkip.”
“I’m not a PokeMon!” Kendra shouted, her voice echoing across the lake and into the nearby creepy crawly bug forest. The kid jumped back when she shouted, and she would have cared if he didn’t call her a PokeMon. Twice. “Get outta here, kid.” She growled at him, and he took the better idea and ran off.
Kendra watched him go, took a deep breath to collect herself. When she failed to do that, she threw her head back and shouted at the sky, “I wish I understood why everyone is so obsessed with PokeMon!”
She said it just as a shooting star raced overhead.
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Nella leaned on the posts on her front porch, despondent, looking at the dirt. All her dreams had been dashed by one conversation with Mom. She wouldn’t be wandering the Region alone; she would have her best friend, her PokeMon, by her side, and they would look out for one another. Everyone knew that, why didn’t Mom? Why was she punishing Nella like this?
She would show her. She could be a trainer; she could be the best trainer the Region had ever seen. If Mom saw Nella with her own PokeMon, she would understand, and let her try out for the tournament. Right?
But Nella didn’t have a PokeMon. She sighed and looked up as a falling star streaked across the sky. The girl jumped, closed her eyes, and made a wish.
"I wish I had an amazing PokeMon so I could enter the Tournament.”
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The star danced. It had been falling on a normal, arcing path and would land in the ocean. But when two voices, at the same time, rose up to its high place in the sky, it changed course and fell toward the lake.
Nella, watching the sky, saw the sudden reversal, and her eyes went wide;
Kendra, disgusted and tired, stalked to a bench.
Nella grabbed her backpack and leapt off the porch;
Kendra shouted when she saw the star’s bright light racing toward her.
Nella ran toward the star;
Kendra ran away from it.
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She was too young to die! Kendra tried to dive out of the path of the streaking ball of fire and light, but it juked toward her. Rolling over, she saw the last remnant of the interstellar rock burn away and turn to debris. Soot rained on her, strange, and warm, and sparkling. Her body glowed with the stardust, and changed her.
“What?” She asked. Only, that’s not what came out of her mouth, which was “Mudkip?”
She had to catch this PokeMon! Nella turned the corner to the lake, where the light of the falling star was fading. Something moved, bathed in strange light. Something blue, with a fin on top. Nella already had a PokeBall in hand, her arm cocked, and throwing, before the light faded. It was her very first throw of a PokeBall. Guided by fate and magic, It didn’t miss.
Kendra looked up in time to see the red and white orb strike her chest. It bounced off her, and hovered in the air for a moment, opening up. She furrowed her brow, “Mudkip?” Enticing light erupted from within the ball, and Kendra’s body mimicked that light, glowing an ethereal radiance she had never seen, though many others had. Light called to light, and Kendra raced into the PokeBall, shouting “Mudkiiiiiiiip!” the whole way in.
Nella watched the ball fall to the ground. It had been a star-fated throw. The PokeBall never even shook before it gave a sealing ‘click’ of the lock. And there, on the banks of the lightly lapping lake, Nella had a moment of perfect, shocked, stillness before she threw her arm in the air and shouted.
“I did it! I caught my first PokeMon!”