The sun cast long shadows all about Kim as she stood, arms crossed with her mousey-brown hair flowing freely behind her in the gentle Summer evening breeze. The sky was streaked in beautiful shades of orange, red and pink, the clouds stretching across the vast expanse. The entire sky looked like it had just been thrown into a blender to produce this beautiful sight.

A beautiful sight.
Too bad it would be the last she would see. Or maybe… no that would be stupid quitting now when she hadn’t even started. Yet, she wasn’t too far away from Professor Elm’s lab. She still had the chance to walk back inside and give him back the pokeball and then she could make her way home and collapse in a heap on her big double bed. That way she could stay in New Bark Town forever. But then Annie’s face took form in her mind, the soft yet proud expression, cheery blue eyes and her thin lips forming a confident grin. Gradually Kim could visualise Annie’s entire body in her mind, her dirty blonde hair streaked with brown highlights, tied back in the usual messy bun with thick strands cascading down in tangled knots. Clothes hanging loose about her skinny frame and a pokeball gripped in one hand out in front at arm’s length in Annie’s expected braggy way. She wanted more than anything just to prove Annie that she wasn’t a pushover. But she always seemed to be the best at everything. The fastest, the hardiest, the cleverest. Well that was over now. She had a pokemon and now everything was going to change for the better.

She had to move on with the others. Everybody was growing up, setting off on their own adventures – intent on setting high unwinnable goals for themselves and winning trophies to make their families proud. She had to move on too. She couldn’t stay in New Bark forever.

“Come on out Chikorita” she whispered soothingly to the pokeball, letting it lie in the centre of her palm.

The pokeball split into two halves, the illuminated light shooting out and taking the solid form of a small Chikorita, no taller than halfway up to her shin, beside her.

“Hey there little buddy” she murmured, crouching down to stroke the top of it’s head.

“Chiko!” it greeted, licking the centre of Kim’s rough hand.

Kim smiled, brushing her hair behind her ears and pulling out a half-ruined map of Johto from her pocket. Carefully unfolding it as to not ruin it any further, she traced a finger from the green dot that represented New Bark Town to the pink square representing Cherrygrove City. She looked behind her, only to see the sun descend in the rainbow-streaked sky and the silhouette of Professor Elm’s lab loom in the distance.

Should she or shouldn’t she?
Annie wasn’t all that important that she'd have to leave this instance. Yet, she did have something to prove.

She looked down at her new Chikorita.

“What do you want to do?” she asked the grass starter. “Do you want to be somebody else’s pokemon? Or mine?”

“Chiko?” the grass starter cocked it’s head to one side, confused. How sweet.
“I’ll take it you’ve been shoved in that pokeball for too long Chikorita. I’ve decided. You can be my pokemon.”

Kim paused.
Was she really sure of this?
After all, she had learnt the hard way that things never go the way you plan. Not even close.

“But here a few rules,” she added softly, brushing another strand of hair out of her face, “We’re going to grow stronger, together. And we’re going to have fun. Lot’s of it. Catch lots of pokemon, win handfuls of badges. And maybe even a trophy. But we’re going to have fun and grow stronger together always alright?”

The Chikorita still seemed confused.

“One day you’ll understand ab-”

Kim had planned to say ‘about’, but was cut off as she heard the faint plop of water from behind her. She spun around, suddenly nervous of the intruder, eyeing the lake a few feet away. She didn’t dare approach the lakeside. What if a mysterious creature would drag her in and drown her? She couldn’t die at ten years of age! She had a life to live, pokemon to catch, a future to make.

“No be brave Kim. You’re a trainer now. With a pokemon” she whispered to herself firmly, clenching her hands into fists and gripping Chikorita’s vacant pokeball.

She glanced at Chikorita which had extended both vines above it’s head, as if waiting for the signal to attack. Well there was only one way to find out what this mysterious monster is. And Chikorita has a pretty good idea on how to do it.

“Chikorita you ready?” she asked, her lips curving into a smirk.
“Chiko!”
“Vine Whip now!!”