It’s Not That Easy

Chapter 1

Cathy woke up late. Saturday. Aaahh. Nothing to do but relax and start her Pokemon journey.

Her Pokemon journey?!?

She leapt out of bed and dragged a brush through her frizzy blonde hair. Oh my god, she was a mess. Freckles, raggedy clothes, messy hair…how could she go out looking like this? Throwing on some clean clothes, she ran downstairs and headed out the door.

“And just where do you think you’re going?”

Crap. She hadn’t told her mum, had she? “I’m starting my Pokemon journey,” she said in a small voice.

“Oh really? What about school?”

Cathy winced. “Mum, all the girls my age are going!”

“Really? All the other thirteen-year-old girls’ mother’s are letting them just waltz out the door?”

“Yes.”

“Name some examples.”

“Er…Hannah Stone’s mum…”

“Hannah Stone!” exploded Cathy’s mum. She flinched. Hannah Stone belonged to a rich family. Her father was one of Hoenn’s best trainers, and her grandfather owned Hoenn’s Devon Corporation and treated Hannah like royalty. She always got what she wanted and had people waiting on her hand and foot. “Who else?!”

“…Nell Ketchum…”

“Nell KETCHUM?! As in, Ash Ketchum’s DAUGHTER?”

Cathy flinched again.

“No. That’s that. You are not going off into the world by yourself. For one, it’s extremely dangerous.”

“I hate you!” cried Cathy, even though it wasn’t true, knowing the dramatic effect it would have.

There was a pause. “Cathy –”

“No!”

“I was going to say…” her mother sighed. “It’s…fine.”

“Really?” Cathy turned around in utter shock.

“Yes. I guess I was a little…unfair.”

“Thanks…” Cathy was bewildered. She gave her mother a little hug. “I’ll see you later…” she said, still in shock. With that she turned on her heel and walked out the door, heading towards the lab. Kriya Town was a tiny place, with only a few houses and no school or supermarket. Most people earned money by working over in Aoi, Kiroi or Nwonu Town.

Cathy walked down to the lab and knocked on the door. It was a very official looking place, tall and made of red bricks with a smart metal sign outside saying, “KRIYA TOWN – PROFESSOR FERN’S LAB”. She knocked on the door. A young woman opened it. She was about twenty-one, with short black hair and green eyes hidden behind glasses. “Are you here for your first Pokemon?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said Cathy. She felt extremely scruffy with her pale, unruly hair and old jeans and t-shirt next to the well-groomed, tidy Professor.

“Come in,” said the Professor.

Cathy walked inside. There was a table right in the centre of the room. On it were three Pokeballs. Cathy picked up the first. A Pokemon broke out. “Shroo!” the Shroomish said cheerfully, parading around the room. Cathy released the second and it opened to reveal a Ponyta. The third held a Marill. She looked at all of them in turn. “I really like the Shroomish,” she said. “No – the Ponyta! Wait, no…the Marill!” She sighed. “I don’t know.”

The Professor watched her. “Ponyta is very fast and full of attack power, Marill is very slow and weak at first but the more love you give it the better it will grow and the stronger it will become, and Shroomish is smart and logical and spends a lot of time sapping energy from the enemy.” For the first time, a smile brightened her bored, pretty face. “Did that help?”

“It did,” said Cathy, “and I’ve decided on the –”

“Ponyta!” squealed a voice, and a younger girl ran into the room and wrapped her arms around the startled Pokemon’s neck. “Can I have this one?” she asked Professor Fern.

“I don’t see why not,” said the Prof.

“Yay!” She led the horse Pokemon out of the room.

“Okay,” said Cathy, “then how about the…”

“A Shroomish!” came a delighted voice. A small boy ran into the room. “I’ve always wanted a Shroomish for my starter! Please may I have it Professor?”

“Sure,” said Professor Fern a little blankly.

“Gee, thanks!” he cried, and ran out with it in his arms.

“Then I think I’ll take…”

“Marill!” said a little boy, and ran into the room. The Professor scratched her head and sighed.

“You can have it,” she said dismissively.

“What about me?” asked Cathy when he’d gone.

“Well, there was a spare –” The professor paused. “But I gave it to some other kid.”

Cathy erupted. “Shouldn’t the spare have been a last resort?!?”

“Eheheheheh…” said the professor. “Yeah…but the kid didn’t like any of the starters.”

Cathy sighed. “Whatever,” she said. “I’ll get my Pokemon somewhere else…”

“There is one more,” stated Fern.

Cathy almost fell over. “You have TWO spares?!”

“Not exactly,” explained the Professor. “One, I’m studying. But I suppose I could…”

Cathy cried, “What is it??”

“It’s a Machop, but I’m not sure if many trainers would want this particular Machop…”

“I’ll take it!” said Cathy in desperation.

“Well, it’s your choice…” Fern handed her the Pokeball.

Ecstatic, Cathy ran out of the room and all the way out of the town. Behind her a guy in shorts called, “Dude, where’s you backpack?”

Oops.