A Girl's Advent

The bird is generally thought to be a symbol of freedom. They can walk on the earth and swim in the sea as humans do, but they also have the ability to soar into the sky. Birds are free to roam to earth and the sky. Many cultures believe that they are a symbol of eternal life; the link between heaven and earth.

She knew she shouldn’t really, but she wanted to see that man again. The one who had saved her from the kind-man-who-wasn’t.

Yesterday, she had gone back to her room to wait for Sammy after Giovanni had left her in the restaurant. She wasn’t exactly sure he had left her alone though, because there were people she noticed before that trailed around him, sometimes in the open and sometimes not, and who had been still around and had quietly made sure she had made it to her room.

She thought it was nice of him to make sure she got back okay.

When Sammy had come back from his meeting, she hadn’t said anything or revealed she’d gone out. She was still somehow sure that he’d known, because he’d given her a look and she sort of fidgeted in place. But he didn’t say anything and they had a quiet dinner, while he told her about what the convention had been about and what he’d learned. She made sure to pay attention, so that she could take better care of her pokémon in the future when she went on her pokémon journey.

After that, Sammy had tucked her into bed and told her favorite bedtime, about the time he met a pokémon trainer named Ash Ketchum (just like her, he teased). And she’d smiled inwardly because she had a Pikachu just like Ash the Boy now, and she hoped that Sammy would like her more than him. Or even better, that she would remind Sammy of the other Ash, and Sammy would feel less lonely and wistful for him.

But now Sammy was back at the medical convention, and she really, really wanted to meet Giovanni again. So she snuck out again, when she knew she shouldn’t and even Giovanni had warned her against it. Or had he? He’d only warned her against the world and strangers…

She guiltily latched onto the loophole and looked around the outside again, careful to try not to draw attention to herself and also hopefully the Man with the Vulpix wasn’t around either.

“You know, I thought I said you shouldn’t be wandering around by yourself,” his familiar voice was quick to warn her, and she looked around and spotted him some ways away. She grinned widely and ran towards him, surprising him when she tossed herself at him and hugged him tightly. She missed the uncomfortable look on his face, before it smoothed out and he unfamiliarly repeated her actions, albeit with more care and less roughness (though his arms did feel rigid).

“Nuh uh. You told me to not go with strangers and to not be so trusting. You never said I couldn’t go out. And I wanted to see you again!”

Then, in the middle of that public place where no one was paying attention to them, Giovanni gently pushed her away and knelt on one knee, so that he could look her better in the eye.

“Dolcezza, understand –I’m not a kind man either. I’m not a good person. I am one of those I warned you against.”

Ash frowned, but nodded. Except –

“But you’re a good man to me,” she blinked and he sighed.

He stood back up and ruffled her hair. “Come. You can stay with me while Oak is still in that convention, little blackbird.”

“Eh? You know Sammy?!”

He chuckled slightly. “Who doesn’t know the famous Professor Oak? You should be asking how did I know you were with him?” he hinted.

She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. “You must know everything.”

“…That’s one way of putting it.”

Halfway to his room, which she was delighted to know was in the same hotel as her, he let out his Persian and Ash had fun playfully running around with it as they continued their walk. She barely even noticed that they’d gone into an elevator and gone high up, to which they headed to a lone door on a top floor. When she finally noticed anything, they were entering the room (or suite, more like) and she was gaping at the large expanse of the area, and the view she was surrounded with, wall windows all around and affording her a look of the city.

“I have some work to finish, so why don’t you play with Persian over there?” he told her softly and she nodded, following after Persian, who had tugged at her skirt.

He watched her for a second, before he headed to his desk there and pulled out a laptop. For a moment, all was quiet.

“Um…sorry to bother you, but what’s this?”

He looked up and saw that she was looking at the Mew plaque his mother had found and obsessed over for years. The plexi-glass case protected it, so he wasn’t worried she would break it.

“That is Mew,” he informed her. “It is a Legendary Pokémon, said to have been the first of all pokémon. My mother found that plaque long ago.”

She and Persian traveled over to him and he swiveled his chair to face them, as they sat by his feet. Persian laid his head on one of his legs, and he automatically began to pet him as he began speaking about the pokémon, his quest to find it and/or revive it (following after his mother’s ambition), and continued on until he noticed the girl had sleepily put her head on his other leg. He spoke more quietly, pausing his petting of Persian, to use his other hand to calmly stroke her head.

As she finally fell asleep, Persian wiggled out from under his hand and tucked himself into the girl, who automatically put an arm around the feline. Seeing no work could really be done in his position unless he were to move them, he just reached for his phone and began to send out some orders, his first being that someone was to leave a message at the front desk for Professor Oak to let him know where his charge was.

Afterwards, it was all a matter of delegating.

When Ash opened her eyes, she could still feel a warm hand softly stroking her head and she sighed happily. Lifting her head, she noticed she was curled up on Giovanni’s lap and her head had been resting on his left arm, as his other was preoccupied with petting her head. Persian was contentedly sitting by his feet, licking at his paws.

“Finally awake then?”

She blushed and nodded shyly.

“Good. I have something for you,” he said mysteriously. He reached over her head and grabbed something from his desk, handing it to her. She grinned widely as she noticed it was a Mew plush doll, though it was strangely a little heavier than a regular plush.

She hugged it happily and rubbed her cheek against it. “Thank you…”

“Maybe it’ll remind you of me,” he said in amusement.

She turned to him. “I won’t ever forget you,” she said seriously.

And then she jumped off his lap and over Persian, who got up and followed after her, and the two began to play a make-believe journey, with the Mew plush doll acting as an aspiration for the “pokémon trainer” to chase after through all the regions.

It made Giovanni laugh to himself.

Then Ash began to hum quietly, before outright singing and causing Giovanni to listen intently to her pretty voice.

“Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme; remember me to the one who lives there, for once she was a true love of mine. Tell her to make me a cambric shirt, sober and grave grows merry in time; sewn without seams or fine needlework, if she would be a true love of mine. Tell her to wash it in yonder well, every rose grows merry with time; where never spring water or rain ever fell, and she shall be a true love of mine. Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn, there’s never a rose grows fairer with time; which never bore blossom since Adam was born. Then she shall be a true love of mine.

“Now he has asked me questions three –”

A loud knock sounded, interrupting Ash’s singing of the old folk ballad, that Giovanni had closed his eyes to and had been listening peacefully. He reluctantly got up, aware both Ash and Persian were watching him, and went to the door. He opened it to find Oak on the other side, looking worried.

“I got your message, Giovanni. Is she –”

“Sammy!” Ash quickly came over and hugged him.

“Well, that answers my question,” Oak said wryly. He turned his attention back to Giovanni. “Thank you for taking her in and making sure she was looked after. Ash, come on. The convention is over, so why don’t we go around the city now?”

“Okay,” she agreed, before ducking down and sitting on her haunches, so she could embrace Persian tightly. “Bye, Persian. I’ll miss you.”

Then she stood up and hugged Giovanni as well, once again putting an uncomfortable and awkward look on his face. Though, this time Oak was there to catch it, smiling inwardly at the thought of the acidic gym leader being softened up by a little girl. He knew better than to smile about it outwardly though. Arceus knew what Giovanni would do to him.

“Alright, let’s go now, Ash,” he hustled her. She let go of Giovanni and went to his side, grabbing hold of his hand. They began leaving, though Ash turned slightly, seeing Giovanni still watching them as he stood in the hallway. She couldn’t help a small grin as she turned her body halfway and waved excitedly.

“Giovanni! When I’m older, I’m gonna marry you!”

He barked out a laugh. “I’m 23, kid. You’ve got 16 years to catch up to me.”

But she gave him a happy smile, while inwardly promising herself that she was going to grow older and marry Giovanni when she saw him again.

Oak looked at her bewilderedly, while feeling uneasy inside.

When they got back to Pallet, they had gone to Sammy’s lab first, where he’d gotten some surprise news. Ash didn’t know what it was, but Sammy had let her go to the Corral, where she immediately looked for Pikachu, while he went to the main lab with some of his aides.

“Pikachu! I missed you,” she said as she caught the mouse pokémon, who had run towards her and jumped into her arms. “I want you to meet a new friend.”

She took out the Mew plush doll and showed it to Pikachu, who sniffed at it. He did understand that his owner and friend didn’t really have friends, so sought friends in whatever and whoever she could; therefore he knew that even a stuff doll was precious to her.

“This is Mew. Mew, this is my friend Pikachu.”

Pikachu played along, greeting the plush happily. “Pika!”

Ash smiled sadly. “Let’s all be friends, okay?”

She missed Giovanni already.

“It’s all your fault, Ash!” she heard Gary yell from behind her, and she turned to see Gary stomping over to her. Pikachu made himself scarce, so he wouldn’t be seen by the other. Ash wasn’t supposed to already have a pokémon after all.

“What are you talking about?” Ash groused, upset with the other for making Pikachu have to hide, and ruining her playtime. He never plays with her, so he could at least let her play by herself (and with Pikachu and Mew).

“Didn’t you hear?” Gary asked sourly. “Your mom went to the League Board. She got them to up the age for kids to get their Trainers License. You gotta be 18 now!”

Ash’s mouth formed a small ‘o.’ She hadn’t known that at all, or that her mom had been thinking about such a thing.

“See? It’s your fault!”

“Gary! Are you blaming Ash for that silly license change?” Sammy was striding closer, scowling. “It is not her fault, and I happen to agree with the change! Children out in the world on their own, when they’re 10…it is senseless. None of you are old enough for anything, much less to travel and be by yourselves. 10 isn’t an age where any of you are legal for anything, not even for jobs! I believe this is a good change to the rule. Especially with those people…”

He trailed off and didn’t finish, shaking his head and looking uncomfortable at his thoughts.

“Never you two mind. Gary, I was just coming here to tell you one of your friends is at the front, asking if you wanted to go play,” and with that Gary forgot about Ash and began to excitedly run to his home, busy thinking about playing with his friends now.

Sammy turned to her and smiled fondly. “Go on then, Ash. You can stay back here and play with Pikachu. You can sleep over as well, since your mother won’t be back from the Indigo Plateau until tomorrow at the least.”

Ash smiled brightly up at him, and he left as Pikachu ran out of hiding and jumped onto Ash, climbing up until he was perched on her shoulder and rubbing cheeks with her.

“Haha, cut that out, Pikachu! That tickles!”

Pikachu did, though he noticed something about the Mew plush in Ash’s arms. He bent down a little, sniffing at it again, before catching whatever it was with his teeth.

“Huh? Pikachu, stop that! You’ll hurt Mew,” Ash tried to get Pikachu to stop, only for him to finish his task, unzipping the zipper he’d found.

A pokéball fell out of the plush doll, and they stared at it as it dropped to the ground and rolled.

“Is that…” Ash murmured. She looked at the Mew doll and reached into it, finding a folded up note inside. Taking it out, she read it and was glad that she could read so well.

Ash,

When I started my pokémon journey long ago, I had a Charmander for a starter.

He will protect you well.

Giovanni

Ash swallowed nervously, walking towards the pokéball with Pikachu slowly. Picking it up, she tossed it and let out the magnificent-looking pokémon, who came out and surprisingly was quiet, which Ash was glad for since it wouldn’t draw the others to them.

The large Charizard breathed deeply and bent down, lowering his head. She reached up and petted his head in awe.

“You’re really strong, I bet,” she murmured, and he huffed, a snort of fire escaping his nostrils as he smirked at her.

He butted his head against her hand and she laughed, beginning to pet him again.

“Together, we’ll be great,” she swore.

“There are other threats out there than the Teams! We are so focused on them, that we are missing the dangers to our children, who are out in the world on their pokémon journeys. Rocket, Galactic, Aqua, Magma, whatever –we are so focused on them that we are neglecting what I feel are the real dangers in this world; the ones who are hiding in the shadows and taking advantage of the spotlight being shone on the Teams, dealing with activities that are heinous and outside of humane thought.

“While we’re out focusing on the Teams, we have people like those rumored traffickers abducting our children off the streets, when they should be enjoying their journeys and learning about pokémon and making friends. The focus needs to be shifted and the main threats need to be dealt with first –”

Her mother shut off the TV, frowning as she did so. Ash stayed quiet, holding tightly to Pikachu, who Sammy had given to her as a “pet,” allowing her to have Pikachu early and with less of a hassle from everyone (especially her mother, who was suspicious and still disapproving, and Gary who didn’t think she would be much of a battler because she was a girl and Pikachu was just a “little, cutesy pet” –she couldn’t wait to prove him wrong).

“You shouldn’t be watching such things,” Delia said sternly. “It’s too disturbing for you.”

“Yes, Mom,” Ash inwardly sighed. Her mother went to go to the kitchen, but Ash stopped her hesitantly. “Um, Mom…are you still going to let me go on a pokémon journey when I’m 18?”

Delia gave her a strained smile. “…Yes, of course.”

And then she was off to make lunch for them.

Ash sighed aloud this time. Her mother promised her, just after she met her Charizard (who she named “Maximus,” which meant ‘greatest’ in Ancient Roman, to hearken back to Giovanni’s Italian roots), that she could go on a pokémon journey when she turned 18.

She was 14 now and was counting down the days.

In fact, she’d just finished making a calendar to help her keep track of the days passing by. She was about to go up to her room and post it up, when her doorbell rang and she curiously went to answer it, with Pikachu jumping out of her arms and racing her to it. When she opened the door, she saw it was Gary outside. Oddly, he’d taken to visiting her more lately, and his face always looked rather red.

“Gary? What is it?”

He grinned awkwardly at her. “Nothing, really. Just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out?”

She blinked at him and gave a hesitant smile back. “Er, sure…”

It was really weird, but she didn’t really mind the company either.

They watched a bit of TV, talking about idle subjects, when someone familiar came onto the screen and Ash’s face lit up.

“Oh! It’s Giovanni,” she remembered the man she met when she was younger.

“He’s really strong,” Gary nodded. “If he wasn’t so busy with his business, he would be part of the Elite Four or even Champion, instead of just a gym leader.”

She beamed happily at him. “When I grow a little bit older, I’m going to marry him.”

Gary laughed. “Yeah, sure, right.”

Ash scowled. “I will too! You’ll see.”

“Okay,” he rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say.”

Inwardly, he changed his opinion about the guy, mumbling to himself that he wasn’t so great.

After Gary had left, Ash and Pikachu were cleaning up the living room and were about to pass by the kitchen, when she heard her mother on the phone. She hesitated before deciding it wouldn’t hurt to listen in.

“…I know, I know. I told her. I don’t know. I’m not sure. I just…I’ve just been telling her she could go on one when she turns 18, but I don’t really think it’s a good idea. I’m just telling her okay for now, but I’m trying to work her into not wanting to go on one. Maybe over the next few years, she’ll forget about it and just focus on her schooling.”

Ash backed away quietly, blinking away tears. Pikachu followed her as she slipped out of her house, and then she picked him up and started to run. She ran as fast as she could, not paying attention to anything. She made it to the forest outside of Pallet, where she fumbled for her belt and took off the lone pokéball and threw it. Her Charizard got out and looked to her for orders.

“Maximus, fly us away from here.”

She clambered onto Maximus’ back, letting Pikachu settle himself in front of her, and leaned forward and held tightly onto Maximus. And then Maximus flapped his wings and then took off.

Ash continued to blink back tears and refused to look back.