A shadowy figure swept over the land, casting a dark smudge over the already dark shadows. Lightning knifed through the sky, tearing through the black canvas of the night. Another flash struck lower, and the flash was turned into a constant, flickering light. Within moments, dancing flames covered the land, engulfing the night in a beautiful, horrifying wave.

A fork of lightning touched down in the center of the flames, and a small Pokemon stood in the midst of the fire. "Cynda!" it cried. Then, it grew bright, brighter than the flames and lightning combined. It changed rapidly, growing into a taller, but still small Pokemon. The dark fur on its body was barely visible before it started to glow again. Glowing fiercer than before, the small Pokemon became much larger, taller than a full grown adult. It raised two massive, sleek paws, paws that crackled with fiery energy. A mane of flame jutted from the back of its neck, and it threw back its head.

Its bellow shook the flame-covered plane and shattered the lightning. "Typhlosion!"

Hazel awoke with a start. She pulled the heavy bed cover tighter around her, then threw it back. Grabbing a notebook from the side of her bed, she scrawled the details of her dream on a blank page in her usual cursive writing. Flipping the book shut, she tossed it into the mess of blankets on her bed.

Standing up, Hazel glanced around her room. Her bed stood in the middle, with the headboard against the wall. The right wall of her room was filled by a window; the sun's rays currently sheathed by the tan mini-blinds that hung across it. The left wall contained all different sorts of posters and pictures; posters of Pokemon and animals, photos of her friends, drawings of Pokemon, and fragments of magazine articles. Anything and everything two dimensional was plastered onto that wall, carefully arranged in no order whatsoever. Across from Hazel's bed, and on the wall opposite the said wall, were various dressers and shelfs, filled with all sorts of things from notebooks to colored pencils to rocks she had collected. Clothes, blankets, and other things littered the floor, neatly arranged, or at least to Hazel's mind. Anyone else, particularily her mom, believed Hazel's room was an absolute mess, but Hazel couldn't imagine living any other way. To her, it was organized.

The thought of her mom pushed her into motion. Judging from the amount of light forcing its way through the window, her mom would be in here soon, wanting to know if she was ready. And truth be told, Hazel was not.

She scooped her backpack off the floor and opened all the pockets. Dumping out her school stuff, she opened a drawer containing neatly folded clothes and chose a few shirts, pairs of socks, underclothes, and a clean pair of jeans. She stuffed them into the largest pocket, slamming the drawer shut as she collected various notebooks and crammed them into another pocket, along with colored pencils and pens. Hazel quickly changed out of her pajamas and into jeans. She slipped on a light shirt and her favorite zippered sweatshirt, black on the outside but flame-colored on the inside. Tucking a bag filled with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and other bathroom items (the only thing she had gotten ready the night before), she closed up her backpack.

Glancing around the room, Hazel figured she'd clean it up a little. She pushed the dirty clothes into a pile near the corner, and stacked the blankets behind her bed. She did her best to straighten the mounds of stuff sitting on her dresser, and didn't bother with the wall or her bed. Scuttling over the latter, she pulled the drawstring on the blinds down, opening the blinds and letting a bright stream of light shine through.

Today was the day that she would begin her journey as a Pokemon trainer. Excitement flooded through her at the thought. She would soon be receiving her very first Pokemon. Hazel twirled around her room, imagining the adventures they would have. She was a member of the Thunderflame alliance, so her Pokemon would probably be a Fire type or a Electric type. Her spinning was interrupted as someone knocked on her door, most likely her mother.

The door was pushed open by your mother. Her head was down, looking not at you but at the tray she carried. On it was some scrambled eggs and sausages- she was bringing you breakfast to eat in your room. She looked up and smiled, but her eyes were red. Apparently she had been crying that her daughter was going to leave.

"I've brought you breakfast," she stated in case you hadn't noticed. "This is a special day, so I thought you deserved a treat." She placed the tray on a table and stood up. She didn't look like she intended to leave, and you noticed she was holding something behind her back. She wasn't giving it to you yet, so perhaps she was waiting for you to start eating.

Hazel smiled at her mom. "Thanks, Mom," she said, picking up a fork and scooping some of the eggs into her mouth. She chewed slowly, giving herself a moment to come up with the right words. Swallowing, she spoke. "I'm not going away forever, you know," she said in a teasing voice. "I'll be sure to visit, and I'll keep in touch." Clearly she was trying to keep the mood in the room happy.

Realizing just how hungry she was, Hazel devoured more of the eggs and started on the sausage. She swallowed, and glanced around her room. "I, uh, attempted to clean it," she said.

Your mom smiled and sat down on your bed with a soft creak. She unfolded her hands, and you saw for the first time that the object she held was a Pokeball.

She seemed to speak to the Pokeball and not to you. "Yes, we're all so proud of you, leaving on a great journey and all. It's just-" she paused and sniffed a little- "it seemed like only yesterday you were a little child. Now you're grown up and leaving and... we'll miss you terribly. You do know that, right?" She looked up at you finally, her eyes glistening with fresh tears.

Hazel gasped when she saw the Pokeball. Excitement flooded through her again, mixed with wonder. How amazing, she thought. Me, a Pokemon trainer!

She gazed at her mom, listening intently. "Oh, Mom..." she whispered, and sat down on the bed to give her mom a big hug. "I'll miss you too," she said, feeling tears stinging her own eyes. "I have my PokeGear," she said, her voice shaking a bit. "You can call me, and I'll be sure to call you. Everything will be fine." Hazel wondered if maybe she should stay home, but pushed the thought away. Becoming a Pokemon trainer was one of her life's dreams.

Relief visibly flooded your mother's face with these words. She smiled finally. "I'm sure you'll do great, Hazel. Beat those gym leaders! You go, girl!" She laughed as she handed you the Pokeball.

"Here- you wanted it to be a surprise, so I'm not saying what it is." She put her finger to her lips to emphasise this. "It's premium-bred. We chose it thinking of you- it's full of personality. Dad is sure you'll like it. Be sure to take good care of it and yourself, okay?"

Hazel smiled. "You bet I will!" she laughed. "I'll be sure to tell you all about the shocked looks on those gym leaders' faces when I beat them," she joked.

She accepted the Pokeball with trembling fingers as she fell silent with wonder. "Wow..." she breathed, hardly able to speak. She layed the Pokeball across her palms, admiring the way it reflected the light. "Thank you," she said to her mom. "And thank Dad for me too," she added, as she would be leaving before he came home. "I'll take great care of it," she promised. Laughing a little, she added, "And myself, Mom."

She looked at the Pokeball, her heart thumping wildly against her ribcage. She raised the Pokeball in one hand and wrapped her fingers around it. Raising her other hand slowly (she wanted the moment to be perfect), she pressed the silver button on the front of the ball.

The ball flipped open with a click, followed by a whoosh. Red light swirled out of the ball, collecting on the floor and beginning to shape a small Pokemon. Hazel watched in amazement.

The red light faded away, and a small, blue-black and tan furred Pokemon stood on her bedroom floor. It had two tiny hands and a short, round snout. It stood firmly on two black legs, and its eyes appeared closed, but Hazel knew that was just the way this Pokemon was. The most remarkable feature of the Pokemon were the flames that flew from its back, forming a mini bonfire on the Pokemon. It raised its head and looked right at Hazel. "Cyndaquil!" it squeaked.

Hazel stared at the Pokemon in amazement, her eyes reflecting the joy inside her. She was frozen in delight.

Your mom had clearly seen the Pokemon before and smiled at your reaction to it. However, a fleeting worried expression passed her face again- the Pokemon's fire was blackening the polished wood table it stood on.

"Your father knew he'd be perfect for you. You are priviledged to name him whatever you like- the hatchery only names them after evolution, but most are bought before that time anyway." She gazed out the door. "Well, grab your stuff!" She said cheerfully. "You don't want to waste your first day of trainerhood!" She patted you on the shoulder. "Up and at 'em, kid! Show 'em who's boss!" She held open the door for you and your Cyndaquil.

(( Cyndaquil can extinguish their fire, by the way. You probably know this already, but just so you're warned. That furniture was antique. ))

Hazel watched the Cyndaquil in amazement. "Oh my gosh..." she whispered as she crossed the room to be closer to him. She slowly held out her hand, and the Pokemon moved up to her. Extingushing the flames on its back, he walked to the edge of the table, calling, "Cynda!"

Hazel gently scooped the warm Pokemon into her arms, and turned back to her mom, glancing at the blackened spot at the table. "He's perfect," she said, delight shining on her face. Stroking the Cyndaquil's head, she added, more to the Cyndaquil, "I'm going to call you Kyrii." Cyndaquil squeaked in what could only be agreement.

Hazel nodded at her mom, feeling the rush of excitement growing in her. "I'll show them, Mom," she said, smiling. "Won't we, Kyrii?" she added. Cyndaquil jumped from her arms to the bed as Hazel swung her backpack over her shoulders and gave her mom a final hug. Saying goodbye to her mom, Hazel left her bedroom and walked slowly through the house, with Kyrii at her heels. Pushing open the front door, Hazel and Kyrii began a whole new chapter in their life.

It seemed to Hazel that the crisp air of Firelight Town had never been fresher. There was a whole new adventure ahead of her - things to explore that she'd never thought of before. Plus, there was Kyrii right by her side.

Just as Hazel walked outside, she noticed that one of the neighborhood kids were standing on the sidewalk, watching her.

A 5-year-old girl came slowly by and asked, "Hey...Hazel? Are you...are you going to be gone?"

Hazel stopped to face the girl. "Hi, Becca," Hazel greeted, smiling. Her face fell slightly as she heard the sad tone in the girl's voice. "Yes, I'm leaving. But I won't be gone forever, and I'll visit, too," she said.

Kyrii walked up to Becca, the flames on his back hidden. He glanced up at her. "Cynda!" he cried, curious about the new person.

Becca nearly flinched back as Kyrii approached. But sensing that the Pokemon was friendly, she relaxed and asked, "Um, is this... your new Pokemon?"

Despite her shy smile, there seemed to be some sort of envy in her voice. Before Hazel could reply, a boy stepped up behind the girl. It was Becca's brother, Zach. Unlike his sheepish little sister, Zach's face seemed to be full of envy and...jealousy? "Hi," he said.