Pokemon: Dreams Come True

Prologue: Why I Hate Them

I was ten-years-old, watching in anticipation as Sinnoh Champion Cynthia and world-famous trainer Ash Ketchum had one of the most intense pokemon battles I'd ever seen. The end of the World Coronation series was drawing close, and I could almost feel the other spectators suck in air as they kept their eyes open for the climax of this intense duel between the Pikachu-Carrying Underdog and the reigning Champion of Sinnoh.

My name is Vali Shirona, and I live in a world filled with mysterious and wonderful creatures known as pokemon—powerful monsters with supernatural abilities. Not much is known about them, despite the fact that humans have been researching them for many, many years. All we know is that they sometimes become attached to humans. These humans are called pokemon trainers, and most of the time, they bond with pokemon and battle with them. It's become somewhat of a sport.

So, if these creatures are so extraordinary and fascinating, it would be awesome to become a pokemon trainer, right? Wrong. If you're anything like me, you know that being a pokemon trainer isn't worth it. Why should I team up with what is essentially a wild animal, use that to battle other humans that also force wild animals into battle, and then form bonds and friendships with them?

No, I'm not going to be anything like her. I promised myself that long, long ago.

Ash's Mega Lucario and Cynthia's Garchomp battled it out in a final Bullet-Punch-to-Dragon-Claw clash, settling the match once and for all. Sparks flew and shockwaves generated as these monstrously powerful pokemon dueled, each struggling to remain victorious in the noble struggle.

I remember myself watching with utter awe, refusing to blink despite my dry eyelids, not wanting to miss even a millisecond of the battle. Occasionally, I took mental notes on their strategies, move patterns, and other nerdy stuff that make me cringe to this day. But I wanted to savor every last moment of this battle.

"Whoa there, bud, you gotta make sure to blink," my dad, who was sitting next to me, chuckled. My father looks like the dependable teacher-type. He has short-cropped brown hair and amber eyes that twinkled with amusement. Despite him telling me not to blink, I could tell that he too was paying very close attention to the battle.

"But I can't miss even one second of this awesome battle, dad!" I protested, stubbornly continuing to not blink, despite my eyes crying out in pain.

"Yeah, but your eyes look like they're about to pop out. Just blink already."

"Fine," I sighed and blinked a couple times, hoping that I didn't miss too much. In hindsight, I was very childish.

Anyways, the battle drew to a close as Lucario and Garchomp exchanged one last blow, before collapsing on the ground. It seemed like it was going to be a double knockout. I was on the edge of my seat, thinking: Come on... come on. There was one person in particular that I was rooting for.

Then, with the last of its strength, Ash's Lucario came out on top, standing up slowly, remaining victorious. The crowd went wild, creating a cacophony of shouts and whoops, everyone shouting at Ash's unexpected comeback.

I was a bit disappointed at the outcome—the person I'd wanted to win lost. But still, I couldn't help but think about how cool it was. Two world-class trainers clashing it out was something you didn't see every day.

The person I wanted to win was Cynthia, who is my mother, the Champion of the Sinnoh region. And she is the reason why I hate pokemon—why I refuse to even be near them. But we'll get to that soon.

My dad and I were a bit sad, but Cynthia put up a good fight and almost won, and we were proud of her.

We tried looking for her after the match, but we couldn't get to her, she was in a room where only the ones participating in the World Coronation Series could be in. And after the tournament? She was too busy training with her pokemon to speak with us.

Apparently, she was going to retire after the tournament, but after losing to Ash, her flame was rekindled, and she increased her training tenfold, not leaving any time to spend with us. As a child, I was confused, sad even, wanting to see my mother, because I too wanted to be a pokemon trainer. That was my dream—to be a legendary trainer like her.

She never was like this, though; she balanced her duties as a regional Champion and as a mom and wife. But after that battle that reminded her of her love for pokemon battles, she decided to spend all her time doing just that.

And what about her family? My dad and I were heartbroken. My relationship with Cynthia was distanced to the point where she became a stranger to me. My dad's marriage with her was stretched thin, to the point where he became estranged from pokemon and pokemon battling alike.

Eventually, we got the message: Cynthia didn't have time for us. We moved regions, making our way to the humble city of Viridian, a small city in the Kanto region. Five years later, my dislike for pokemon remains. And that's where our story starts.

This is the story of how a fateful encounter with a pokemon saved me.