Getting Back to Where I Belong

By Finaille Nailo

Part 1

Dear Journal,

I?ve been back here in the real world for three weeks. My adventures in the Pokemon World seem so unreal now. I don?t understand. Every corner I turn, everywhere I go, I expect to see one of my friends from the Pokemon World, or even a Pokemon, but all I see is real. Real me. Real parents. My body is? real. Nothing is? I don?t know, animeish anymore. It?s awkward. I spent nearly six months in the future, and now, I?m? real. Ok, I know this doesn?t make a lot of sense to you.

I really don?t understand how I got to the Pokemon World with all my normal clothes, and everything with me. When I leave, everything stays. It doesn?t make sense. Is everything that happened? real? Or is everything just a VERY long dream? Anyways, I supposed I should go. Mother?s calling me to dinner.

Love,

Rennie

I close my journal, and look out the window. I stare out into the night sky. I feel so empty, and I can?t help it. I?ve felt this way ever since I became? real again. Real? is that a REAL word? What is real? I don?t feel real right now?

"Rennie! I said dinner is ready!" My mom yells.

"I?ll be down in a few minutes, mom!" I yell back down to her.

"Ok, but it?s not my fault if your food gets cold!" My mom yells back up to me. I roll my eyes. I stare back out the window, and look up at the very faint stars. It didn?t look familiar. I remember the bright stars I used to see almost every night when I was in the Pokemon World. Ash?s arm around me, talking to the others, feeling safe, and where I belong?

I come to a jolt. But I didn?t know why. I felt like I just said something that totally made sense. What did I say? Grrr, curse my short-term memory. I lie on my bed and sigh.

"RENNIE! DINNER! NOW!" I hear my dad yell.

"Coming!" I yell, hopping off of my bed. Although I had no intentions of eating, I don?t want my parents getting angry.

************************************************************************

"This stinks?" Ash says, setting his fork down in an angry manner. Misty looks up at him.

"Thinking about Rennie?" She asks, quietly sipping her hot cocoa.

"Can?t get my mind off her." Ash replies, frowning.

"Oh, don?t worry about it Ash!" Jen says, hitting his shoulder in a playful manner. "She?ll come back! I know it!"

"What was Rennie like? I never really got to know her." Mike asks curiously. Ash smiles sweetly and goes into a daze.

"She has brown hair, which curls halfway down her back, dark brown eyes that are so big you could get lost in them?"

"Wow? I said what is she like? not her description? I HAVE seen her before." Mike says, sweatdropping. Jen takes over while Ash is in his daze.

"She?s sweet and nice and caring, everybody loves her? including Ashy-boy over here, who?s obsessed about her." Jen says with a grin. Brock walks in on them and sits down.

"Hey guys, finally got done checking my emails." Brock says.

"Any interesting?" Misty asks.

"Well, Susie?s gonna be in Ecruteak next week, so I plan on getting together with her and do something. I haven?t seen her in such a long time."

"Really? Hey, we get to see her too!" Misty says.

"Yeah! We haven?t seen her since we were in Ecruteak a few years ago!" Ash adds, finally snapping out of his daze.

"Susie?" Jen asks.

"Who?s that?" Mike pipes in.

"A wonderful Pokemon breeder. She?s one of the top in the world." Brock says with a dreamy look on his face. Jen notices his look and grows a little jealous.

"Oh yeah, I?ve heard of her. She?s? alright." Jen says.

"I?ve heard of her too! She?s awesome!" Mike says.

"Well, let?s hope Rennie is back then." Ash says. Misty puts her hand on Ash?s shoulder.

"Ash. Use your brain for once! I know you don?t want to hear this, but she?s probably not coming back."

"Not coming?" Ash says, dropping his soda all over himself.

"No, she?s NOT!!! You?" She starts to say more, but Jen and Brock grab her away from Ash and cup her mouth.

"Misty, I think that?s enough!" Brock whispers harshly into Misty?s ear. Jen sits where Misty was just sitting.

"Ash? she will come back?" She also starts, but Ash interrupts.

"I?m going to bed." Ash says, standing up and pushing Jen to her feet. He runs to their room. The others watch him silently.

"Oh no?" Brock groans, placing his hand on his forehead.

"What do you mean, "Oh no?" Brock?" Jen asks.

"He?s gonna go into the same mode when Misty left?" Brock says with a sigh.

"What do you mean, "mode"?" Misty asks.

"He was? pretty depressed. It took me forever to get him outta bed and into a better mood." Brock explains.

"Ooh? I didn?t think I?d hurt him when I left? I thought he didn?t care anymore." Misty says.

"No? that guy you left with was a huge liar. He tried to kill you!!!" Brock yells.

"Then, we gotta get Rennie back." Misty says.

"I agree." Jen says, butting into the conversation. "It?s killing me not seeing her."

"Then let?s get her back." Mike adds. "I?ll get my father."

*********************************************************************************

"Well, see ya later mom!" I yell, grabbing my backpack. I rush out the door, smoothing my school uniform. It apparently lasted six months without getting any mothballs, so I guess I?m pretty lucky. I smile excitedly, but feel nervous. I hadn?t seen my friends in months. I miss Emily like crazy! I decide to pick up my pace, and start jogging. I get to school in about five minutes. Right away I?m greeting by Keisha and Amelia.

"Rennie!" Keisha yells, her light curls bouncing as she runs up to greet me. I hug her, then Amelia. Amelia pushes her blond hair away from her glasses to get a look at me.

"I haven?t seen you in forever!" Amelia says. "What happened to you that made you stay in the hospital for so long?"

"I really don?t know. The doctors don?t quite understand it." I say, lying through my teeth.

"RENNIE!!!" I hear a voice yell. I turn around and see my very best friend, Emily, running towards me at hyper speed. I grin and she runs up to hug me tightly.

"Em! I missed you!" I say, hugging her with all my might.

"Oh it?s so good to see you again!" She says, letting go of the hug, but still clutching excitedly onto my shoulders.

"I know! Come on; let?s go in. We have so much to catch up on!" I say with a huge grin and the four of us walk to our first class.

*********************************************************************************

"What?!" I yell angrily. It was 9:00am, and I was already in the school office.

"You have to stay back in 10th grade! You missed too much." The administrator explains to me.

"But? all of my friends are going into 11th! I can do it! I can!" I yell, begging to be let up into the grade I belong.

"I?m sorry Rennie. You were gone for nearly 8 months. You can?t just expect to be up with your class. I?m sorry, but it?s final. Now, here?s your schedule." The administrator hands a piece of paper to me. "Run along. Have a good day!" She pushes me out the door and I was forced to repeat 10th grade. Yay. NOT! I glance at my schedule.

"Band?" I mumble. I go to my locker, get out my saxophone, and head to band class. I sigh unhappily when somebody taps on my shoulder and scares the crap out of me.

"Hey!" I hear a boy?s voice say. I turn around.

"Matt!" I say with a smile.

"Hey Rennie! Haven?t seen you around in a long time." Matt says, smiling at me. "Where you heading?"

"Band."

"Really? Me too! I didn?t know you played an instrument. What do you play?"

"Saxophone."

"Awesome! So do I." Matt says.

"Yeah, that?s really great! But, what really sucks is they?re making me take 10th grade over again." I say with a frown. Ok, pause time? I should tell you a little bit about Matt. He?s a senior, and he?s really nice. He goes to my church, and I will never forget the day I met? er, really started hanging around him. It was in ninth grade. I was at our library, trying to find some books. Matt comes along and helps me find some. He was really sweet to me. After that day, we starting talking constantly at church, then school as well. I?ve had a gut intuition that he?s liked me for a while, but I?m still not sure. This is one guy you can?t pick up clues on. Oh well.

"BRIIINNNNNNNGGG!!!"

"Oh crap, that?s the bell! Come on Ren, we gotta run!" Matt says, grabbing my hand and pulling me to band as fast as possible.

*********************************************************************************

"Ash! Stop this now!" Misty yells. She and Ash are in a bedroom at the Ecruteak Pokemon Center. Ash is under the covers, depressed.

"No? she?s not coming back? I lost another one?" Ash says, sobbing quietly.

"ASH! You are acting like a baby! Quit this now!" Misty says, grabbing his hand and yanking him out of the bed. Misty falls over backwards, and Ash lands on top of her.

"Misty? are you serious about Rennie never coming back?" Ash asks her with a serious look plastered on his face. Misty smiles.

"She?s gonna come back? I know it." Misty says with a soft tone. She hugs Ash, stroking his hair gently as he finally calms down for the first time in days.

A/N- Ok, finished with Part 1! So proud of myself. Please review, and if you don?t like, um, don?t! Ok? Gives readers a bad rep ^^.