Poke-Passion (From 
Ruby/Sapphire version) (Part 1)

Ashton shifted, sitting up in bed amidst the rumpled covers. She turned, running 
her fingers lightly through her hair. She swung out of bed, her azure eyes 
showing reluctantly from behind shadowed lids. Sleep still shrouding her vision, 
Ashton stumbled over to her dresser and peered at her reflection in the mirror. 
Soft brown curls cascaded down her back in waved across her broad, pale 
shoulders. She reached across the smooth surface of the dresser, picking up a 
brush and running it absently through her hair as she struggled to overcome the 
yawn that threatened to bubble from her mouth. The calls of her mother echoed 
from downstairs, and Ashton replied with a soft "Alright, alright already. I'm 
comin'." She wrenched open her bedroom door, not caring to change from her 
pajamas.
    Suddenly it hit her. Today... She was 13... her mother would finally allow 
her to start training! Ashton tried to suppress the cry of joy that almost 
erupted from her throat. She leaped down the bottom two steps, flipping the 
toast off of the plate that her mother had set for her and gobbling it up in 
huge chunks. Ashton snatched her backpack from the table before her mother could 
wish her a happy birthday or change from her dumbfounded state. She had almost 
flown out of the front door when she stared down at herself and, to her horror, 
remembered that she was in her pajamas. 
   With a grunt of annoyance at herself, she jogged up the stairs and sifted 
through the heap of clothing that lay folded on her bed. Ashton's palms rose 
with a navy and black t-shirt and black jean shorts hanging limply on them. She 
flung them on, then ran downstairs and out the door. As she stepped onto her 
porch, sunlight burst around the garden, making all of the features of 
Littleroot Town sparkle magnificently. Her sneakers thudding dully on the spring 
grass, Ashton trotted two blocks down to the house of Doctor Williams, the new 
pokemon professor in town. Just as he promised, he answered to her knock on his 
door with a warm smile and an invitation inside. 
   With a huge grin, she stepped isnide, still unable to overcome the awe that 
sweeped through her body when she gazed around at his house. A small table in 
the corner was cluttered with pokeballs of different sizes and colors, and next 
to it was a large generator that radiated heat that could be felt even from a 
distance. Near the center of the room was a large shelf containing berries of 
all kinds, the ends bulging with packets of pokefood. In the back corner of the 
room sat a large cedar table, and on it an electric conveyer-belt-type machine 
on which pokemon were healed. 
   A single pokebal was sitting on the corner of the desk, and in bright blue 
letters a card on the side read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ASHTON!" Ashton gave the 
professor a quick hug, then dashed over to the table and picked up the pokeball. 
She shook it lightly, wondering what kind of pokemon would be on the side. She 
had helped Mr. Williams clean up his house when he'd first moved in, and in 
return he'd promised to give her a pokemon for her birthday. Pursing her lips 
nervously, she cupped her hand around the pokeball and lightly tossed it into 
the air, saying shakily "Pokeball, go!" A beam of bright red light shot from the 
button in the center, and the pokeball parted.
   With a backwards glance at Mr. Williams, she grinned and flashed him a thumbs 
up as the red light began to take form. Small glitters of light danced up, 
revealing two small feet tipped with petite claws. The light moved up from 
there, moving slowly as if to give her the chance to savor it all. Little tufts 
of orange feathers appeared, the light dissapearing further to reveal cute amber 
wings.The light vanished all at once fromt here, and a small orange bird stood 
about a foot tall at the feet of Ashton. Ashton stared at the bird, smiling 
widely. From it's warm colors, she could tell at sight that it was a fire 
pokemon. She scooped it up in her arms, cradling it to her breast 
affectionately. The bird looked confused, and squirmed but relaxed after a 
moment. Ashton glanced at Williams. "What is she called?" Williams replied, "She 
is a torchic. She developed from one of the eggs I was studying. Happy 
birthday!" With a little skip of glee, Ashton hugged Williams with a free arm. 
"You're the best!"
   
                            And so Ashton stepped out the door into the world of 
pokemon.