Chapter Text
The day had started normally enough. She'd woken up, put on her shoes, greeted her parents, and headed off to school to see her friends. Today had been the last day of school, and she was excited. She hadn't told her parents, but she desperately wanted to leave home and explore the world. As such, she'd signed up to take the trainer exam, which she'd aced. Good thing she'd studied for it.
She'd found herself outside her teacher's lab shortly after, bouncing in place excitedly. Her friends, Eda and Darek, were most definitely already inside. Entering the rather simple building greeted her with the view of her teacher, friends, and a table with pokémon sitting atop it.
One was a green gecko and the other a bright orange bird she'd recognize anywhere after all her books and battle streams. Treecko and Torchic. Though it was odd that there were only two. Eda and Darek were cheering as the pokémon hopped off the table in response to something the professor said. Torchic practically leapt into Eda's arms and Treecko stood calmly by Darek, matching their personalities almost to a T.
"Um? Am I late?" She'd called out, startling the professor and her friends.
"Kina! Hi!" Eda chirped, energetic as always.
The professor looked nervous, swallowing heavily, "Oops." Her eyes darted between the table and Kina.
A lab assistant, sitting nearby and working on papers, spoke up, "There were only three pokémon and one went to another trainer that came by much earlier. I told you to have another ready, Alama."
"I did!" She looked nervous, hands pulling at long blond hair, blue eyes wide, "Kina! Come by my house! I live right next to you. Your partner is waiting there!" She hopped around energetically before running out of the lab, passed a dejected looking Kina.
"Will you still meet us on the beach later, Kina?" It was Eda that spoke.
Kina sighed, "I suppose." She muttered, turning away and missing the look shared between her friends as she left the lab.
Sparrow Town was tiny; five houses, a school, a lab, and a small beach was all it had. Her teacher's home was easy to find. The outside neat and tidy with flowers growing wildly around it. Complete chaos. A piano could be heard from inside. Surely the professor hadn't forgotten about her already?
Inside and up a small set of stairs, the blond woman sat at a piano, face serene and calm as she played. Next to her sat her clumsy little psyduck, the bright yellow bird swaying from side to side happily.
"Professor?" She jumped.
"Oops! Sorry I didn't think you'd run over so quickly!" She yelped, hopping off the piano stool, "Come, come." She waved as she shuffled over to a small, nearby table. On it, sat on a plush cushion, was a large, blue egg with a black top, "I found this egg a long time ago on southern island. I dunno why it hasn't hatched in all this time, but some eggs just need to meet the right person!" Kina move closer, heart pounding.
The egg's shell was warm to the touch, smooth, hard, yet somehow soft.
"I want you to take this egg. I just know it'll be in good hands!" Then she was being shooed out, her teacher already having that distant look in her eyes that told her she'd probably forgotten something important again.
Outside, she held her egg close, stroking its shell softly, dipping her head to rest her chin on it. A part of her, deep down, resented not getting an actual pokémon to start with, instead being stuck caring for an egg for who knows how long. Another part of her was ecstatic at the possibility of raising what might be her closest friend from the moment it hatches. As she made her way to the beach, the egg felt warm in her arms. A comfort she hadn't realized she'd needed.
Eda, Darek, and she had promised to meet at the beach when they got their first partners as a sort of farewell thing. Her friends didn't often invite her out, knowing she didn't particularly enjoy outings much, but this was an event she had asked to join. The beach wasn't far from her home, just a short trek south. It was enclosed by tree covered cliffs. Small tufts of grass stuck up in the sand along with many little tree sprouts from wayward coconuts.
Part of the beach was messier than usual, with plants torn up and parts of the sand turned into tiny sparkling fragments of impure glass. Amidst the mess stood her friends, breathing heavily, their pokémon a bit beaten up, but jolly all the same. Something clenched in her stomach, twisting into nausea.
"Guys?" She called, voice a little more strained than she'd meant. She clutched her egg tighter to hide her shaking hands.
Eda whipped her head around, blond hair falling from its ponytail and her brown eyes wide. Darek's face pinches, steel colored eyes turning downward, his pale purple hair falling over his face.
"Uh, hi, Kina!" Eda's voice was a nervous squeak, "We didn't think you were coming, so we decided to battle."
The nausea twisted, fading as a distant ringing hit her ears. That was expected. She didn't have a pokémon. Not like she could start traveling tomorrow with only an egg anyway.
"Its fine." She muttered, voice quiet. She hid her dejection well, a smile on her face, "We can still celebrate, right?"
Eda dug her foot in the sand, biting her lip and looking away. Darek scoffed, "We already did that. We should leave and let our pokémon rest anyway."
Blunt as ever, wasn't he? Hurt swam in her chest, "Sorry. I didn't think about that." Of course. After a battle, their pokémon were hurt and tired. How selfish, to want a celebration afterwards, "Want to have breakfast together? Before leaving I mean?"
"Yeah, that sounds fine." Darek nodded. He probably didn't realize how much she was hurting. It wasn't his fault. She hid it too well. He probably had a lot on his mind, like how to tell his father he was leaving. Eda and Darek did stay a few minutes, giving Kina a hug and pats on the shoulder before slowly leaving, shouting goodbyes all the while.
Alone once again, Kina felt the familiar burn of tears threatening to fall. She scrubbed at her face, willing the tears to go. With a sniffle and an inward curse at her own lameness, she shuffled onto the beach's lone pier. Fishing boats were the only thing ever docked here, and even that was rare. Volbeat and illumise danced over the ocean's surface, the happy chirps barely keeping her depressing thoughts at bay.
As she watched the bugs, two loud cries startled her. One was lower and smoother, the other higher and sweeter. Shadows flew overhead and, by the light of the moon, she saw them. Smooth bodies, long necks, one white with a bright red body and wings. The other was much larger, white with blue where the first was red. They flew in the air, smooth and graceful and joy clear on their faces, even at a distance.
"How lovely." Kina found herself whispering. There was a crunch in the sand nearby and she made to turn her head, however something made her stop. The pokémon were flying closer, the moonlight glimmering across their bodies. However, it was the glow of her egg that had her attention.
It was warm, but the light was a cool blue. It pulsed softly, like a greeting. Like a whisper under blankets between children. Her heart stopped and her breathing stuttered. The light covered the egg as it changed shape, growing bigger before becoming smaller. Arms and legs formed, a body, and a head. The light faded and red-brown eyes blinked open, meeting hers. Silence stretched, one beat. Two.
Then a cry.
"Rio!"
Arms covered in blue fur grabbed her, wrapping as best they could around her. Its head rested on her chest as it huffed, "Lu!"
The tears were back, slipping down her cheeks, "Hello." It blinked lazy eyes up at her, "I'm happy to meet you, Calix. My name is Kina."