Hey all! It's been a long time since I updated! Thanks to everyone who sent me e-mail, asking me where in the heck I was! As for my fic The Pokemon Academy (co-written w/FoxFire), I want to update it, but haven't been able to contact FoxFire. So, in any case, this is a new fic, and it's about a girl named Roxie, who's struggling with life. The Chosen Path Part 1 Roxie stood silently in the darkness, her shimmering blue eyes twisted in fear. Why had she come here? Her decision went against everything she'd ever wanted. . everything her mother would have wished for. A solitary tear escaped Roxie's eye, making its trail down her face, dripping off onto the floor. "Come on, Roxie," she begged herself, "your mom's dead. She won't find out." Feeling a swell of pain in her heart, Roxie stepped out from the shadows. Hesitantly, she took another step, gradually making her way through the building. Soon she'd be there. . .soon she'd meet him. Feeling overwhelmed, Roxie tried to clear her mind, focusing on the pungent aroma of pine trees. The smell was inevitable; any place hidden so deeply in the Ilex Forest would smell just as strong. As she walked, Roxie caught a glimpse of herself, reflected in the shiny glass of a window. Her normally vivid blue eyes looked pale and vulnerable, her long, black hair looking like a tangled mess. Wiping her eyes, she glared, trying to look firm. This wasn't a job for the weak, she knew, and she was determined to get this job. Half-satisfied, she continued on the long, pale corridor—a corridor the very color you would expect an old school building to be. At the end of the corridor, Roxie found herself at a rusty door. Reaching for a doorknob, her hand met nothing. Confused, Roxie studied the door, realizing the doorknob had been removed, probably for security reasons. Level with Roxie's eyes was a slot, about the size of a mail slot. Roxie outstretched a shaky hand, knocking firmly on the rusty door. Almost automatically, the slot opened, revealing cold, black eyes. "Roxie Tambridge?" a gruff voice seemed to guess. Roxie nodded, unable to find her voice. The slot closed quickly, and the door was nudged open. Roxie tried not to meet the eyes of the man sitting by the door, instead taking a look around. In the corner, in full uniform, were several Team Rocket members. They were in the middle of an intense pokemon battle, and it seemed that some of them were betting on it. The floor was cold, composed completely of concrete. The walls were all tiled in black, except a few that formed a big, red "R." Roxie scanned the letter. "Roxie," she murmured. Feeling suddenly stupid, she shook her head and turned to the man. "W…where would I find Giovanni?" she stammered, still very nervous. The man studied his fingernails casually, as if he didn't care about her problems. As if bored, he gave her a nearly robotic response, "The boss is upstairs. He's expecting you." Roxie suddenly felt awkward, looking around. It seemed everyone had been waiting on her to arrive. Taking a deep breath, Roxie began stepping softly toward the granite staircase. The staircase stood before her, almost menacingly, daring her to take another step. Roxie slowly began her way up the staircase, feeling out of place. When, finally, she did reach the top, she saw that it stretched into another corridor. This one, however, had red carpet and several pictures of powerful pokemon hung on the walls. Stepping delicately, Roxie nervously made her way down the hallway, soon arriving at a beautifully polished oak door. Roxie reached her hand up to knock, but a voice stopped her. "Come in, Roxie," a masculine voice commanded. It was, indeed, that of Giovanni, a voice she had heard only once. Roxie knew she was under surveillance; how else would he have known she was there? Nervously, Roxie wrapped her hand around the doorknob, twisting it, then pushing open the door. Giovanni's office was completely different from the rest of the tacky hideout. Looking like an elegant hotel room, it shined in contrast to the concrete room below. Giovanni sat in a leather armchair, focusing sternly on his computer. Roxie slid her feet across the crimson carpet and took a seat on a small, wooden chair. Giovanni looked up from his computer, focusing on Roxie. His face expressed a mixture of emotions. . .half sympathy and half firmness. "Roxie," he began, "I'm sorry to hear about your mother's death. It's most unfortunate news. You. . .you came to the right place, however." Roxie cocked her eyebrow, "Did I? Because my mother would kill me if she were alive. Maybe I should go." Roxie turned toward the door. "Where are you going to go, Roxie? You're a ward of the state now, and they'll lock you up if you come back. Runaways get punished," he promised. Roxie stopped and turned around, looking defeated. "I came to you because I'm interested in a job here. I can't just go back to the old way of life, so—" Giovanni cut her off, "So you're going to live the life farthest from it. I understand your goals. If you're serious about becoming a member of this team, you're going to have to undergo rigorous training, just like everyone else. Are you willing to?" The girl nodded, her formerly vulnerable eyes fixed in a firm glare. "Yes, Giovanni, I'm going to be a Rocket." Giovanni nodded his approval, reaching for a small notebook. He opened it and looked at some chart. "There's a girl almost your age that is also becoming a Rocket. You'll bunk with her in Cabin 6." He reached for a folded piece of parchment and handed it to Roxie. "Here's a map to the cabin. You have everything you need there, and night is drawing near, so move quickly." Roxie nodded, "Thank you, Giovanni, I won't let you down." She turned around again, heading for the oak door. She got a good grip on it and almost had it twisted when Giovanni spoke once more. "Roxie, we can talk more about. . .your mother later," he promised, sounding as if he felt guilty. Roxie didn't turn, but spoke, "We'll talk more when I feel ready, Dad." Giovanni didn't say anything, sitting in the seat, and Roxie continued out the door. *~*~* Giovanni had been right; night had been drawing near. When she walked outside, the forest was blanketed in darkness, lit only by the silky light of the lone moon. Roxie flashed the map in the moonlight, trying desperately to find the cabin. "Is that Cabin 5 or 6?" she asked herself aloud, praying for a sign from God. Stumbling through the forest, she found herself at a picturesque log cabin. Its sign read "4," so Roxie reluctantly continued on. Walking on, Roxie suddenly heard a shaking in the bushes. Turning, she saw a figure sitting on a bush, and she heard something dripping. When Roxie finally realized this girl was using the bathroom, she was too late. The girl laughed slightly, standing up. She pulled up her pants, fastening her belt, and spoke in a tough-girl kind of voice, "Hey, I didn't know I was public entertainment." The girl's curly red hair was pulled into a ponytail, and her lavender eyes glowed in the moonlight. Roxie quickly apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to. . ." "It's all right," the girl nodded, "I shouldn't be peeing in front of God and everybody, but it's a long hike to the bathroom. When a girl's got to go, she's got to go." The girl smiled and extended a hand, "I'm Raya." Roxie hesitated in touching the girl's hand, but finally shook it, thankfully finding it to be dry. "I'm Roxie. Could you help me out? I'm looking for Cabin 6." Raya spit out a big wad of gum, landing directly in between Roxie's feet. "Yeah, I'm in Cabin 6. I guess we'd better get going, roommate." Roxie felt a mix of emotions. She wasn't used to tomboys, but this girl seemed all right. "Yeah. . .roommate," Roxie mumbled halfheartedly. As she followed the curly red ponytail into the deeper forest, her head felt heavy. Somehow, everyone of her senses felt deprived. Raya seemed a little uneasy with the silence. "So, Roxie, you seem like a good girl. Why are you joining the dark side?" Roxie didn't answer at first, her mind feeling blank. Shrugging, she answered, "I guess I'm just escaping it all." Roxie watched Raya's ponytail bounce as she nodded. "Leaving the past behind? I feel you." Roxie waited for Raya to continue, but she didn't. Slowly, Roxie's mind began to process that perhaps Raya was going through a similar trial. Ask her, Roxie, Roxie told herself, you could use a buddy. "How about you, Raya? Why are you here?" Roxie asked quietly, ducking her head under a tree branch. "I'm here because the cookie crumbled that way," Raya shrugged, continuing on. Roxie didn't know exactly what she meant. "The cookie crumbled that way?" she asked, scratching her new mosquito bites. Raya either laughed or groaned—Roxie wasn't sure which. "I was born in a bad family, Roxie. Everybody in my family goes to jail sometime, and everyone expected me to go the same route. . .so I did." Disappointed, Roxie sighed, following Raya to a cabin identical to the one she'd seen earlier. This time, however, the door's sign broadcasted a six. "Welcome home, Roxie," Raya joked, opening its door with her key. She pushed it open, the warm light of a fire piercing the forest darkness. Roxie peered into the cabin, her bold blue eyes widened. The walls and floors were solid oak, as were two dressers and the bases of two beds. A blaze cracked almost melodically in its small cobblestone fireplace. Two lights illuminated the spots of the beds, and on a small coffee table sat a slip of paper. "This is great, Raya. I'm definitely going to love this place." "It'll help you escape some of them ghosts, eh, Roxie?" Raya smiled. Roxie faked a smile, knowing Raya's intentions were pure. She didn't know Roxie's mother was dead. . .all she knew was that Roxie was running away. Sighing, Roxie made her way to a dresser, pulling open the drawers to find a small wardrobe of clothes. "They're my size," Roxie marveled. "Team Rocket. . .service with a steal," Raya nodded, taking a sip of coffee. Roxie pulled out a pair of plaid sleep pants and a white midriff, quickly changing into them. She examined herself in a small mirror. Her tan skin looked dark next to the creamy midriff, and her black hair was finally under control. "So, Raya, how does this training thing work?" Roxie asked, turning to examine herself at a different angle. Raya took another sip of coffee, slurping this time. "We take classes half the day, then we have "free time," during which we're encouraged to go work out. At the end of the week, we all have to run the obstacle course. The top six make it on to become Rockets." Roxie frowned, looking at her stick-like arms. "This is going to be one workout week," she decided aloud. The other girl laughed, her creamy face distorted in laughter. "Yeah, Roxie. You'd better catch some Z's. Our first class is bright and early." Roxie felt exhausted, and quickly decided to follow Raya's advice. "Yeah, I'm gonna head off to bed." Raya winked, reaching for the light switch. "See you at boot camp, Roxie." With an odd laugh, Raya flicked off the light, and Roxie heard her climb into bed, coffee-in-hand. As Roxie lay in bed, she began once more to think about her mom. .life before the accident. Roxie sighed, her blue eyes beginning to flow once more with tears. Had she made the right choice? She was becoming a Rocket. . a Rocket! Three weeks ago, she would have laughed anybody who said she would become a Rocket right off the planet. Now. . the unreal was a reality. Roxie shook her head, speaking aloud, "Mom, I've got to make my own way through this. Don't hate me, Mom." Sighing, she closed her eyes, and steadily drifted off.