Mega Love

Chapter Six

     I pass the entrance to Aquacorde Town and enter Route 1. The sun still shines through the trees onto the paved path, and I'm reminded of how beautiful Serena was, staring into the seemingly endless forest. I let a smile rise to the surface of my face. I can't believe I got to meet such wonderful people on my first day in the Kalos region. Not to mention the fact that I have my very first Pokémon now! Like Serena, I've always dreamed of being a really skilled trainer, and now I can finally start!
    I continue making my way down Route 1 and arrive at the entrance to Vaniville Town pretty quickly. I pull the gate open and walk through, making sure to close it behind me once again. Entering town, I notice a sign that I must of missed before. Probably due to Shauna being in such a rush! The sign reads 'Vaniville Town, a town whose flower is about to bloom.' I feel as if it refers to Vaniville's beauty only being at its beginning, but maybe we, Serena, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and myself, are the real flowers about to bloom as we head out into the world.
    I walk around the brick wall surrounding my property and arrive in front of my house. Looking to the right, I see the house next to mine and smile, knowing that it belongs to Serena and her family. I check the mailbox, having forgotten to do so earlier, but it's empty, not that I was expecting anything. I hear the cry of a Pokémon and turn to see my mother's Rhyhorn walking up to me. My mom is actually a former Rhyhorn racer, and she was pretty popular too. Rhyhorn has always been like a part of the family for us because of this. We've always let him stay in the yard to relax since he's not the kind to go running off.
    I kneel down and greet him with, "Hey Rhyhorn. Looks like you are finally up!" He had been sleeping when I first departed with Serena and Shauna. Rhyhorn lets out a friendly cry as I pet his head. "I'll be back in a second, okay?" I say as I get up. Rhyhorn starts happily trotting his way back to his blanket in the grass, and I walk over to the house next door.
    Serena's house has the same layout as mine. The only real differences are with the yard and what is inside the houses. I walk up to the front door and knock firmly three times. I'm not really sure if anyone is even home, but I thought it would be nice to introduce myself since it's what I had planned on doing today originally. Plus, I could possibly score a few brownie points. I wait a few seconds and then I hear footsteps coming towards the door.
    The door opens to reveal a pretty woman around my mother's age. She's wearing a gray shirt, some jeans, and boots. Her brown hair is tied up in back, but isn't long like Serena's.  Upon seeing me she says, "Hello!"
    "Hi! Would you happen to be Serena's mother?" I reply.
    "Yes I would, but I'm sorry. Serena's already left on an adventure," she responds.
    "Oh no, don't worry! I'm not looking for Serena. I was just introducing myself. My name is Calem. My mother and I just moved in next door."
    "Oh! Well it's nice to meet you. I thought I had heard Serena say something about picking up the new neighbor. I'm assuming you two have spoken?"
    "Yeah! She's a very beautiful and nice girl. We were all together, but I actually just came back to give my mother a letter from the professor. Serena and Shauna are actually waiting for me in Aquacorde Town, so I should probably hurry. It was nice meeting you though!"
    "You too! Make sure you take care of my Serena for me. She's a strong girl, but I still worry about her. I'm sure you guys will both grow from your experiences together!"
    "Will do!" I reply as I give a wave and start walking away.
    "And by the way!" says Serena's mom. I stop and look back. With a smile she finishes, "She's got a bit of a sweet tooth."
    I smile in response, "Sweets. Got it! Thanks!" Serena's mom then shuts the door and I walk back over to my own home with a huge grin.
    I open the front door and step inside. Mom walks over from working in the kitchen.
    "So! I heard you talking to some girls outside! What did you and the neighbor kids end up doing?" she says. "Wait one second, Calem! Is that a Pokéball you have there?"
    "Yeah!" I reply enthusiastically.
    "You got your very own Pokémon? Lucky you!"
    "Want to meet her?" I ask.
    "Of course!" she replies. I unclip my Pokéball and hit the button. With a flash of light, Fennekin appears in front of us.
    "Awe! She's so cute!" says Mom as she picks up Fennekin. Fennekin lets out cheerful cry from all the attention she's getting. "How about that? You're a Pokémon trainer now, too! Congratulations!"
    "I went with Shauna and Serena, the girls I met this morning, to Aquacorde Town. Apparently the Pokémon professor of the Kalos region wants us to try and fill the Pokédex. We also met up with some guys named Tierno and Trevor, who gave us our first Pokémon and this letter for you," I say before handing over the letter Tierno gave me. She gives me Fennekin to hold, takes the letter, and reads who it's addressed to.
    "Huh? A letter for me? It says it's from somebody named Sycamore. What could it be? A love letter?" she says as she opens the letter. I laugh at her assumption as she begins reading. "Wow, what lovely handwriting... Hmm? What do we have here? A request... Oh, I see!" She then folds up the paper and slides it back in the envelope.
    "What did he say?" I ask.
    "He's asking for me to give you permission to help him and to help you get ready for your journey. Calem! We've barely unpacked and all sorts of exciting things are happening!" she responds.
    "You're telling me!," I respond sarcastically. "I'm the one with two girls waiting for him in the next town over."
    My mom giggles and asks, "Are they cute?"
    "Maybe... ," I reply, not exactly sure if I can trust her with the details.
    "That's a yes. Is there one in particular?"
    "Shut up Mom! I have to go!"
    "Which girl is it?"
    "MOM!"
    "Okay! Okay. I'll meet her eventually anyways," she says with a giggle. "Ok! Let's get you and Fennekin ready for your journey!" She starts toward the stairs and I follow behind her. Once we are upstairs, Mom starts going through my room and throwing things into my bag.
    "Am I bringing the whole world with me?" I ask.
    "Yes. Journey's are no joke. You need to be prepared," she replies as she closes up my bag. "Here you are. I even packed a change of clothes."
    "It's going to weigh a million pounds!" I exclaim.
    "You can handle it. It's only going to get heavier as you add things on your journey anyways. Plus, you got to get some muscles to impress that girl!" she replies. I let out a sigh before following her back downstairs. I let Mom say goodbye to Fennekin before returning her to her Pokéball. "My what a turn of unexpected events! It's just like a sudden burst of speed from a racer in a Rhyhorn race! You made friends, met your Pokémon, and now you get to take a lap around Kalos! Oh, and I have a couple more things for you," she says as she walks over to the kitchen. She comes back over to me holding a picnic basket and a small electronic map. "This is something I made for you and your friends," she says as she hands me the basket. "There should be plenty of food in there for everyone."
    "Wow! Thanks Mom! This is awesome! I'm sure they'll love this! Oh! That reminds me. Shauna and Serena say hi," I respond.
    "Well tell them to think of this as a thank you gift. And this is a Town Map. You do know how to work a Town Map, right?"
    "Of course. It shows all the towns and cities in the region, and it even has a GPS tracker that shows you where you currently are."
    "That's my boy!" she replies as she hands me the Town Map. It's a little rectangular device that collapses in half. "I don't know what this Professor Sycamore wants you to see on your trip... But taking a journey with your Pokémon is a really wonderful experience. Come on, I'll see you off!"
    I take a few steps out the front door, and Rhyhorn walks over to me and lets out a roar. My mom follows right behind me and laughs. "What a card!" she says. "I guess Rhyhorn wants to give you a big send off for your journey too! Well, he has known you since you were born, after all."
    "Don't worry. I'll be back," I say, kneeling down and petting him. I get up and turn back towards my mom, "Well, I guess this is it."
    "I guess so. Good luck, Calem! Go for broke! And don't worry! You'll have your Pokémon by your side, so you'll be fine!" she says, wiping a tear from her eye. "I don't know whether I'm saying that for you or for myself." We both laugh, and I hug her tight.
    "I'll be fine. Thanks, Mom. I love you!" I say.
    "I love you too. Stay safe!" she responds as we let go of each other.
    "I will." I reply. I then turn around and start walking away with her basket in one arm. As I'm about to turn the corner onto the road and out of their view, I look back and give a wave. My mom waves back and Rhyhorn let out a cry. I continue on, officially beginning my journey. Now it's just me, my Pokémon, and my friends. I make my way onto Route 1 and start back towards Aquacorde Town.