Now and Forever

The crowd cheered as the seconds ticked down, unfortunately they were cheering for the opposing team, the Dragons from Esut Xen City. They were just ahead of us, 45-46. However, to our dismay, they had the ball and soon the Hokkou 8th grade basketball crown would belong to them. The point guard took it down the floor. I jabbed at him nearly stripping the ball away from him. He drove but lost control of the ball, it rolled towards our hoop. I rushed at the ball and picked it up, driving towards the hoop. I glanced at the clock, only five seconds left! Quickly I put up a prayer shot on the perimeter as an opposing player tackled me to the ground. When I hit the floor, I heard the sweet sound of a ball going straight into the hoop. We had just won the 8th grade championship! The arena ignited in celebration or (in the Dragon fans content) sad grim defeat. I jumped up and ran into the other nine beaming players on my team. Shouts rang through the arena, ?Way to go Connor. Connor, Connor, Connor!?

My best friend, Kody, ran up next to me, he slapped my back, ?You won the game, man!?


After the celebration ended, I joined my mom and dad and we headed home to our silent, large house on Tornado Terrace Drive. The ivy covered mansion stood welcome and open and as we headed into the house, I remembered in all the excitement that tomorrow I would start my pokemon journey.

?Good job, Connor,? they said to me as I tiredly stumbled off to bed, straining to keep my eyes open. ?So are you ready for your journey??

I was too tired to answer and all that managed to come out was a low mumble.

?Boom, boom!? went the thunderstorm. The thunder reverberated through my room; trees were knocked to and fro outside in the great forest.

?This isn?t good,? I thought, before the land dreams swept me back into slumber.

The next day I woke up and rushed downstairs to the smell of fresh pancakes, eggs, and toast. I saw my mother heaping three pancakes, two eggs, and two slices of toast onto a plate. She set it down and poured a rich glass of orange juice.

?Hi Mom,? I said has I quickly sat down and gulped down some orange juice, followed by pancakes and eggs and toast.

?Hey Connor,? she replied. ?Listen, they canceled the new pokemon at the laboratory. Dad bought you one though, you wanna? see it??

?Sure,? I said, ?where is it??

?Its out in the stables,? Mom replied.

?Sweet,? I said calmly, masking my fears of not getting a water pokemon. I rushed out to the stables, a few acres behind the main house and looked in. Within the stable stood a colt. Its mane was the color of the sunset, fiery red, and his tail was the same. All else of him was pure white.

?It?s a fire type,? I murmured, ?how could they get me a fire type??


?Why?? I asked a while later. ?Why did you get me a fire type? I hate fire types, I hate them.?

?Well,? my dad replied, ?it?s our family?s way. Every person that set out on a journey from the O?Brien family has been given a fire pokemon. Your grandpa had a Torkoal, I had a Charolt. Even your five aunts that are in the Elite Trainers had fire pokemon as starters. It?s the O?Brien way.?

?No,? I whisper, ?no, no, no!? I slung my backpack over my shoulder, slammed the door, and ran. ?To Kody?s house,? I thought, ?he?ll probably get a pokemon from his parents too, they?re so rich.?

I rang the doorbell in the usual manner and walked in.

?Hey Connor,? Kody said as he scurried down the stairs, his hand on the ivory railing.

?Hey, Kody,? I said glumly, ?you got a pokemon yet??

?Yah,? Kody replied, ?a Herbine.?

I lightened up a little, ?Hey, that?s what you wanted, isn?t it.?

?Yah,? he replied. ?Anyway, why the long face??

?Oh,? I grumbled, ?I got a stupid fire type.?


We sat in our usual spot, in the back of Kody?s yard, on a bridge overlooking a creek. The forest around us was dark green. Droplets of rain plummeted down on us in each stormy gust.

?I don?t get it,? I said as I snapped a twig in half. ?I just don?t get it.?

?You?ll understand eventually,? Kody replied. ?Anyway, I bet you?ll still be a great trainer.?

?Yah,? I said, ?I guess. Anyway, I can catch tons of water types along the way.?



As I sat by the creek pondering my journey, little did I know that the famous trainer, Ash Ketchum, was in a battle on a ship moving closer and closer to my home region, Hokkou.

The ship Orion 2 moved silently over the waters, but Ash Ketchum didn?t care. In fact, all he cared about was the battle he was in. The battle against his friend he had traveled in Hoenn with, Max. Max, Ash, Brock, and May where all heading to the region of Hokkou where Ash would try to win the Champion Tournament, one of the best leagues in the entire world. After placing second to Tetsuya in the Hoenn League finals and defeating him in the Charleston Cup, as well as placing well in the Battle Frontier and the Sevii League, he strived to win this one.

?Sceptile, Leaf Blade,? Max commanded his gigantic squirrel, scratched and bruised from the long battle. His sister stood next to him cheering him on. The squirrel rushed at the gigantic lobster that Ash had trained. It sliced straight through the lobster and almost knocked him out; but not quite.

?Crawdaunt, use Bubblebeam then Headbutt,? Ash said to his pokemon. The lobster fired hundreds of small bubbles out of its claw that went straight towards the squirrel. Next, the lobster rushed at the opponent and stuck his head towards him. Before the bubbles could reach the squirrel it dodged the attack, but the lobster rammed its head into the stomach of the green squirrel.

?Sceptile, Double Team then Solar Beam,? Max commanded his pokemon. The lime-green squirrel with all the power it had left started to run around and around the lobster while it was charging up energy from the sun. The lobster stood confused in the middle while the squirrel finished charging its ray of solar energy.

?Now fire the beam, Iron Armor,? they said simultaneously.

Sceptile fired the beam just as Crawdaunt shielded itself with a steel coat of armor. Crawdaunt stood still for a couple of seconds while Sceptile fired pain-striking energy into the lobster. Just as Sceptile?s beam ended Crawdaunt dropped out of his armor onto the brownish floor. Ash had lost to Max!



?We better get going,? Kody whispered.

?Sure,? I replied, in slightly better mood. ?Hey,? I welcomed, ?Charolt, come on out!?


We walked through the forest, our journey had begun. The trees hung over the path as if watching us. We looked left and right, wondering why the forest was so quiet. My fiery colt strode beside me, its reddish mane and tail swaying in the wind.

A creak could be heard; a giant tree sped down towards us.

My colt released a fury of fire. ?Char, char,? it beckoned. The red flames held back the tumbling trunk.

We jumped out of the way. ?Charolt, return,? I said quickly. A red flash of light immersed the colt just as the giant tree came down.

Charolt had saved our lives. We sat by the fire that night, looking about the forest. My colt sat, curled up; right next the fire, heating its fiery soul.

?Don?t know how I?ll make up for it Charolt,? I whispered, calmly stroking his mane. ?Good night, Kody,? I whispered, ?good night too, Charolt.?