Part II - Platinum Journey

Chapter 3 -

You Have Chosen
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~Fern~

I awoke to the sounds of Pidgey chirping, the neighbours Miltank mooing and the glorious golden sunlight shining in through my window, lighting up my room. Sound's good right? Well, something that good wasn't happening to me. What I really awoke to was the normal morning clatter of breakfast dishes, my alarm clocks horrid buzzing and the glass shattering voice of my older brother singing in the shower.

"Jake! Get out of the shower!" Mum hollered from the bottom of the stairs. "Fern, get out of bed and get up for breakfast!" I yawned and got out of bed, my warm feet touching the cold tiles, waking me up and making me decide to put my fuzzy Eevee slippers on. Shuffling into the kitchen with my bathrobe and slippers on, and my eyes almost closing, mum greeted me with a whole plate of waffles. "Morning Fern."

"Mornin," I mumbled back.

Dad put down the paper and sipped his coffee. "Good morning Fern," he greeted me, formal as usual. I was surprised that dad wasn't at work yet, but I figured he was coming to the monthly Cassar trainer ceremony.

Other kids from our small Cassar community have been trying to become a trainer, and every month a quiz is held in our town. The four people who score the highest marks get to leave on a journey with a pokémon partner. This month I was giving it another shot, and so were a few others. My best friend, Zoe Jefferson, wasn't going to try out this month, she's been grounded and had to stay home for the ceremony.

I wasn't sure if I'd leave her here or not, it'd be hard going on a journey without your best friend, but I'd have to see what she'd say. I may not even be going on a journey.

"JAKE!" Mum bellowed. Jake jogged down the staircase, pulling a T-shirt over his head.

"Are we going mum?" he asked, his bleached blonde hair messy still. He began to gulp down a waffle at top speed. Mum sighed and nodded.

Dad folded up his paper, took a last sip of coffee and got up. "Let's go then," he said. "In the car you lot."

After a quick change of clothes, I bounded into the car next to Jake (who's 16 by the way. I'm 13.) Dad started up the engine and in no time we were at the Cassar Hall. I went up on stage with the other contestants, and smiled as my family walked and sat down at one of the tables.

"Fern, what type of pokémon does Pineco evolve into?" Zach Monty asked me quietly.

"Foretress, a bug and steel type," I whispered back.

The mayor of Cassar, Mr Solomon, stepped up to the microphone and tapped it, testing it. "Welcome to the Cassar June Pokémon Trainers Competition," he announced, beaming. "We are pleased to have a lot of children, all who have an equal chance at this quiz on pokémon training. The test will begin in two minutes. Please can you try to keep it down while the test is on in the other room. Contestants, please go into the exam room."

Followed by Zach Monty, I, Fern McClover, entered the exam room, head up high, stomach filled with fluttering Butterfree. I was nervous as hell. We sat down at the allocated tables, in front of a computer with a touch screen.

One of the Nurse Joy sisters cousin-in-laws daughters nieces cousins second cousins mother-in-law Joy stepped in. "Good day fellow competitors, in front of you, you have your exams. If you press start you may begin."

I punched the start button to begin my quiz.

What are the four types of pokeballs?

1 - pokeball, great ball, super ball, master ball
2 - standard ball, super ball, hyper ball, ultimate ball
3 - pokeball, great ball, ultra ball, master ball


Most of the questions were like that. Easy. I flew through the test and pressed the finish button. Peeking over at Zach's test, he was still up to Question 15.

What type of pokémon does Pineco evolve into?

1 - Bug
2 - Steel
3 - Bug/Steel


Poor Zach.

About half an hour later, Joy came in again. "You have all finished and may step outside onto the stage. Mr Solomon is about to call out the four winners." I stood up and stretched and walked outside. Zach, the nerd, caught up to me.

"How did you go?" Zach babbled. "Do you think you'll win?"

I shrugged. Zach was bugging me. "I dunno."

"I hope I win. I so badly want to get a Eneti!" Zach told me.

I sighed. "They don't give legendary pokémon out, Zach," I sighed. "They give out starters."

"Aww," Zach whined.

Mr Solomon shuffled his papers and began to read. "The exams have been marked and we have four winners. Coming fourth with 78 of the 100 questions right was Zach Monty. Third with 89 out of 100 was Nancy Green." Great, Nancy Green was one of the material girls, who spent hours in front of the mirror doing her hair and her makeup. She was annoying. "Second was Fern McCloud, with 96 questions right."

"Yes!" I cried, startling everybody. I was too excited to care. I had come second in the town!

"And first was Angela Bloomer, with 97 out of 100 correct," Mr Solomon continued. My happy feelings faded. Angela Bloomer was the snobbiest girl around, always putting people down, making herself look good, and to top it all off, she had Nancy Green, the town's blondest blonde as her best friend. If those two were going to journey together, then I needed a partner.

"Hey, Fern," Zach said. "Do you want to be my traveling partner?"

Great. "I was planning to travel alone," I told him. "Sorry."

"Aww that's okay Fern, I understand," Zach replied. "Hey! How about we meet up in Cliffedge next Wednesday and go out for pizza?"

I shrugged. "Why not?" I answered. Zach looked as if he was on cloud nine. He began to get all dreamy, but suddenly, Mr Solomon's voice brought us all down off the clouds and into reality.

"Would the four trainers please step up to the pokémon machine, it is their turn to select a starting pokémon. Angela Bloomer will be going first, followed by Fern McCloud, then Nancy Green and finally Zach Monty."

Angela smugly smiled and walked up to the machine, and pressed the red button. The screen displayed one similar to the screen of a poker machine, the colors were flipping, through red, blue, green, yellow and many more. Pressing the button again, the colors slowed down and finally stopped, showing a light blue circle with a pair of black wings. Out of the bottom of the machine popped a little platform, with a light blue and white pokeball. Angela picked it up and tossed it up, saying "Pokémon I choose you!"

How like her to show off. Out of the pokeball popped what looked like a sky blue kitten, with royal blue stripes. Its tail was menacing with a large spike on the end, and its claws were extended like mini blades. It's eyes were surrounded by royal blue, and it was glaring with golden iris's. It turned to Angela and purred as it rubbed itself against Angela's legs, its spiked tail not scratching Angela one bit.

"Go ahead Fern, let's see if you can get a better pokémon than my Ceruline," Angela hissed as I walked past her to the machine. I jabbed the button and jabbed it again, causing it to stop on a circle that was burnt orange, with a picture of a flame on it in black.  Out popped an orange pokeball, which I picked up. "Here goes nothing," I said, tossing up the pokeball. It opened in the air and blasted out a pokémon. The pokémon landed on its two feet, its eyes burning. It's skin was kind of scaly, and it only had the two feet, no arms were visible. But two wings jutted out of its back, with flame on the ends, and flames burned in the shape of a mo-hawk hair cut on its head. It was a dark crimson color, with a sort of rounded face. Two big eyes stared up innoncently, the color a bright blue. It flew over onto my shoulder.

It was so cute. "Angela, what do you think of my Flur?" I asked her, patting my Flur's head.

Angela smirked. "Your Flur may have looks, but my Ceruline has got charm, and attack power."

"Nancy Green, choose your pokémon," Mr Solomon reminded. Nancy stepped up to the machine, and pressed the button.

Angela groaned. "Press it again to stop it!" she hissed rudely. Nancy nodded; her blonde pigtails bobbing, as she hit the button one more time. The color turned out to be jade green, and a jade pokeball rolled out. She picked it up.

"Who ever you are, pokémon, come out!" she called, and released her pokémon. Jumping, a small green bird with leaves as feathers fluttered around Nancy's head. Its eyes were a dark goldenrod, and so were its chest feathers. Nancy patted it.

"I got a Twetstine!" Nancy cried with joy, patting the small birds' feathers. It tweeted happily.

Zach walked up to the machine, and a pokeball automatically rolled out, one with bright golden sparks on it. He let loose his pokémon, which formed the shape of a little rodent, with a furry body of yellow long hairs, (it looked like a hampster), and had a long curled tail. Its eyes were black, and it scurried around, scared.

"Wow! A Thusa!" Zach cried, reaching down and picking it up.

"The ceremony is over," Mr Solomon announced. "You trainers may start your journey once you have gotten your pokedex's off Nurse Joy's sisters cousin-in-laws daughters nieces cousins second cousins mother-in-law, Nurse Joy."

Nurse Joy handed them out, and I grabbed one and ran to my family, Flur flying behind.

"Nice work kiddo," Jake grinned, ruffling my hair. I batted his hands away lightly.

"So are you going to leave today?" mum asked.

"No, tomorrow," I replied.

"Flur!" Flur agreed, landing on my shoulder, as I patted its head.