Putting the Pieces Together

11: Choosing

Rose looked at the giant expanse of land. It was amazing! She took a step towards it wanting to just go and run in it.
"It's wonderful isn't it?" Sycamore asked Rose, his voice full of pride,"This land is used as a safe environment for pokemon to live and a place for us to research them." Rose nodded as she watched a couple Lillipup run past her. Sycamore watched his daughter happily. She really seemed to love this, and she never even had a pokemon.
"Which one do you want?" He asked. Rose turned around, now actually paying attention.
"What?" She asked astounded. Sycamore laughed at her expression.
"This is your surprise. You can pick any one of these pokemon to be your new partner." Rose kept staring at him. Sycamore smiled and nodded off her to go ahead. She grinned back and ran into the fields.
The pokemon here were much more trusting then the other wild pokemon she met; they ran right up to Rose when she approached them. All of the bird-like pokemon perched on her shoulder, and the others bounced around her legs. She sat down and all of them tried to crawl on her lap and get her attention. Rose laughed and began to pet any pelt she could get her hands on.
It went like this for awhile until the Pokemon got tired and ran off. Rose stood up and brushed off her clothes. Now it was time to get to business. She looked at each if the pokemon playing around. They were all so sweet, but none of them fit for Rose.
She walked around some more. Some of them were to big for her to control as a first timer. Others were way too rowdy for her. Others just didn't seem right. Rose turned her head back to her dad. He was kinda far away now. She saw him give her a thumbs up. She didn't do anything back to say she noticed him.
Now that Rose could take in everything, she thought about her dad. She was swept off her feet when he showed her this, but the grandeur had worn off now. It didn't matter how great Sycamore seemed now. He still did inexcusable things that left a wide gap between them.
Rose was now in the woodsy area of the land. She went and sat against a rock. Her head rested against the rock as she let out a large sigh. Rose wasn't going to be tricked into forgiving her dad so easily. Her guard would always have to be up. Rose took another deep breath. Her chest felt so tight.
Rose put her hand on the grass. A soft smiled played on her lips. This whole place was amazing. The ground even felt like a cloud. A small cooing noise came from the ground. Rose looked down.
A little Swablu looked up at her. Her hand was laying on one of it's fluffy wings. Swablu looked curiously at Rose, and she smiled at it. Swablu cooed happily back at her. Rose picked it up and put Swablu on her lap. It snuggled up and began to sleep. She petted it's wings. It was so calming next to this little pokemon.
Rose stayed like this until Swablu woke up. It cooed again and stretched it's wings. Rose smiled at it and picked it up to her face level.
"How would you like to go on a pokemon journey with me?" She asked. Swablu blinked it's eyes sleepily and opened it's beak widely in a yawn. It then looked at Rose and smiled.
"Great," she stood up and cradled Swablu in her arms. Rose ran through the trees and across the plains. She reluctantly stopped when she reached Sycamore. He smiled at Rose and the pokemon.
"A great choice Rose! I can already see a bond between you," he petted Swablu and it nipped his finger. Sycamore pulled his hand and shook it around. Rose laughed a bit, but quickly covered it up.
"I've never been good with the bird ones," he explained as he sucked on his finger,"Come on you'll need a pokeball and a pokedex." He walked back to the elevator and pressed one of the buttons when Rose got in. They went up a floor.
An assistant greeted them when they walked through the door
"Hello Professor am I correct to assume that you have a new traine- oh," she said as she looked at Rose with a pokemon in her arms. Sycamore nodded to the woman.
"This is a new trainer, but she also my daughter. We are going to need a few unoccupied pokeballs and a pokedex," he told her. The assistant answered with a Yessir and went into a room. She came back out with the materials and gave them to Sycamore. He thanked her and turned to Rose.
" This Pokedex will track all of the pokemon you have seem or caught," Syamore gave her the device,"Now all you need to do is tap the Swablu with the pokeball and it will be caught." She looked at him.
"Will it hurt Swablu?" Rose asked. Sycamore laughed and shook his head.
"No, she'll be fine," he assured her.
"She?"
"Yes, her beak is more rounded than the males and her fluffy feathers are softer." Rose finally nodded and turned to Swablu with a pokeball in hand.
"Are you ready girly?" She asked. Swablu flapped her wings. Rose took it as a yes. She pressed the pokeball's button to Swablu's nose. The pokeball opened up and drew Swablu inside. It shook three times then stood still. Rose picked up the ball and looked at it. This was her first pokemon!
"I'm glad you are excited Rose," Sycamore said. Rose turned around. Oh yea, there was still him. She smiled awkwardly at him.
"Thanks for helping me Professor."
"Dad."
"Huh?"
"Call me Dad."
"Uh, ok Dad. Thanks for helping me with all of this," Rose said. Dad looked a bit sad.
"Does that mean you're leaving then?" He questioned. Rose nodded slowly. Dad sighed,"Well it was fun then." She smiled and began to walk to the elevator.
"I love you sweetie," he called before Rose could reach the doors. She froze.
"Um... Uh-huh Dad.". She bolted through the elevator doors and went down. Rose breathed out. It was all over. Hopefully forever it was. She lifted up the pokeball and looked at it. Rose felt a bit calmer thinking about her pokemon. She smiled. This was her first one!