Snippet #1623139

Raine Selwood was used to waking up alone. Since she was little, her mother always had to get up early in the morning to open up the flower boutique next door. It was a rather popular shop in Adinitium, so as its owner, her mother didn’t have a moment to spare for her late-rising daughter.

However, Raine was not at all used to being jolted awake with a series of static shocks across her face. With a small yelp, she sat upright, rubbing her offended cheek. “Well that’s a pleasant start to the day,” she mumbled before glowering accusingly at the woolly pokémon nestled in her pillow. Her expression weakened, and she broke into a small smile. “Luce, you’re just too cute,” she snickered before waking him with a poke to the cheek.

The mareep had been a graduation present from her mother – one that Raine was rather surprised to receive as her mother wasn’t very supportive of her dream of travel. It wasn’t love at first site. The mareep had worked his way into her heart with its timid antics, like how he liked to press by her legs instead of be carried around in a pokéball. She was rather surprised when the bulb at his tail started to glow at night just a few days ago. After learning that it was a natural occurrence thanks to her pokédex, she had offered him the name Luce. She was glad he accepted it.

The mareep drowsily opened his brown eyes, shaking his head to chase the sleep away. Bleating, Luce clumsily stumbled to four feet and leapt off the bed, only to collapse into a dozing heap yet again. Its blue fur and fluffy white wool contrasted sharply with the dull wooden floor of her room. Raine shook her head, chuckling, and leaned over to her window, throwing the curtains open in one swift motion. What she saw startled her. “When’s the last time I saw the sunrise,” she murmured, smiling wryly to herself.

She looked in the mirror to her left and smiled at her reflection. In the orange lighting of dawn, she seemed a little different than usual. Sure she saw her sixteen-year-old self, looking less than travel-worthy in her sleepwear, but it was something about the glow to her skin and short hair. She seemed a little more ready for what lied ahead? Then again, she had no hesitations.

She nudged Luce with her foot, successfully rousing him before making her way to her closet. She had prepared her outfit the night before, valuing comfort over style as usual. She changed from her sleepwear into the sleeveless black shirt and dark green trousers she had chosen and slipped her black Xtransceiver onto her left wrist. Her favorite addition to the outfit was the long hooded vest, crisp and white. It was uncomfortable when she zipped it up, so she kept it loose.

With her outfit, she had packed her travel bag the day before – a dark green messenger bag with a pokéball design the side pocket. She slung it over her shoulder easily since it was nearly empty. Its only contents were a bit of money, her journal and an assortment of pens and pencils. Her pokédex was tucked safely in the pocket of her vest. Then, taking an elastic from her wrist, she loosely tied back her short dark hair. It was just long enough to tie at the nape of her neck. “C’mere, Luce,” she called, scooping him up with one arm. The mareep was a little clumsy on his feet sometimes, so Raine found it easier to carry him – when his wool wasn’t full of static electricity.

When she left the house, she didn’t expect to see her mother outside the flower shop. Raine had forgotten it was earlier than usual, so her mother would just be opening up instead of at the counter already.

“Well you’re up early for once,” Raine’s mother said with a smile.

Raine’s own grin diminished as she replied dully, “Yeah well… it’s a rather special day.”

“Is it?” her mother asked, seeming distracted. “Well, since you’re up, won’t you help your mother set up the shop? The berries were ripe and I have a whole batch of them to display,” she said, handing Raine the smaller of the two baskets she was carrying.

Raine watched as her mother entered the flower boutique, murmuring to herself about a bouquet delivery to make later on. So… her mother had forgotten. Raine knew her mother was never all that supportive of her leaving on a pokémon journey, especially after Raine’s father left and never returned for similar reasons… but Raine thought that as a mother, she would have the decency to remember.

“Apparently not,” she mumbled, setting Luce on the ground. The mareep stared at her questioningly as she opened a pocket in her bag and poured in the contents of the basket. Smirking at him, she said, “Just a little something to help us get started on this journey.” However, that smirk didn’t quite reach her eyes. She hadn’t planned on stealing the first day into her pokémon journey, especially not from her mother… but like always, things don’t always go as she planned. Raine knew she wouldn’t regret the decision.

Five oran berries, two pecha berries, two cheri berries, and a chesto berry. That would save her a lot of money at the PokéMart, thankfully.

“Our next stop’s the PokéMart, Luce,” she said, giving one of the oran berries to Luce who eagerly took it in his mouth and tottered after her.