The Guardian of IIex Forest

Part 1 - The Beginning.

Mei walked along the dirt track that led to Azalea Town. Her fluffy boots scuffed the surface of the ground as she walked.

"Seeya Mei!!" called out Naomi as she walked away.

"Bye!" answered Mei.

Naomi was on her way to a friends house. Mei didn't have many friends. Her siblings needed too much help. She hoped Naomi would be ok by herself, even if she was the second oldest. 

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She was bored. She had left at least three hours ago. Her back and feet ached from too much walking and she felt like she had sweated enough to fill a lake. Mei then shouldered her duffel bag and sighed. She should have asked her mother to drive her instead of walking. She could have even asked her Wingull to fly her over. But no, it was busy takings her siblings to school. But it was too much to ask, with her four other brothers and sisters. There was enough on her plate already. 

Mei was on her way to visit her Auntie Kath. She was only fifty-five, but her mother said she was "young at heart" so she was always doing stuff like break dancing, listening to top 40 and giving Mei leg warmers for her 13th birthday, which was two months ago. She also had a pokemon greenhouse, in which she looked after. Mei loved pokemon. They were great companions, and they can battle and do all sorts of things. She had 20 pokemon, but her mother made her leave them all behind in case they got lost. Typical mum.

  Auntie Kath is her father's sister. But she lived so far way from Mei, which meant she only saw her at least once or twice a year.

But Auntie Kath had asked for Mei personally to stay over for a week or two. She had no idea why, but she went anyway, because she knew that it would lift some weight of her mother's shoulders. 

Being a single mother was hard, especially with five kids. Mei's father had left Mrs Karutso when Mei was about seven years old. Back then there were only three kids. Now, her mother was struggling to survive with five, so she relied on Mei to look after the things she couldn't manage. Cleaning the rooms, cooking meals and entertaining her siblings. Mei never really missed her father; she knew him, but he wasn't that much fun anyway. Most of the time he was sleeping or having a fight with his wife. 

After Mei's father had left, Mrs Karutso gradually descended into depression. She hardly ever ate and her room was always dark. All of her kids were very worried. Mei then called a counselor and life for her mother was full steam ahead again. 

Back to the present, Mei saw a sign which said, "Azalea Town, 2.5 kilometers". Her smile brightened. Not too long to go. Her feet were sore enough already.