[Pokémon] Natasha - Youngest Pokémon Master

[patch.]

Introduction

This is terrible. This first chapter: terrible. I don't like it. I doubt you'll like it. If you like it, good. But if not, as much as we both hate it, I urge you to continue reading as I will continue writing. Every good story has to start somewhere, and apparently my start is bad.

Chapter I: The Trap

The dawn of a brand new day shone brightly on the horizon. The man hidden in the bushes smiled; he was right on time, and his plan should be in effect correctly. The slight breeze hurried through his messy hair and his bottle-cap glasses were angled awkwardly across his slightly bent nose. He seemed slightly uneasy, as if anything in this world could harm him, and even a mere butterfly made him bat an eyelid.

Finally he exerted a breath he had been saving in for a while. He was safe, he was fine. The boss had assured him of that.

Suddenly, his target appeared in the distance: a girl somewhat through her early growth spurt, one of the tallest in her year. Joined by two of her friends (or posse, as the boss liked to call them), the three were giggling loudly. Even a while away, the man could hear them loudly, and like most other things around him – it made him uneasy.

As they moved towards the park gate, he had to stifle a gasp: they walked right on past. Cursing his luck, he turned his attention to his trap, and noticed a confident two year old beginning their way up the steps. Swearing silently, he broke into a run. The mother was chatting with another woman on the park bench, and only noticed at the last moment as her now not-so-confident son began to freefall through the sky as his favourite play area collapsed beneath him. At that moment her heart broke.

It repaired as quickly as it shattered as a random man made an amazing catch on her baby boy. The boy, thrilled, wanted to go again, but the man set him down. This was making him uneasy.

When the woman turned back around from her handbag to give the man two hundred Pokédollars, he was gone. Slightly disheartened but not enough to comfort her child and assure him that he was not going to do that again, she began to make a call to the park officials to make a very serious complaint.

-O-O-O-​

Natasha Rain, or Tasha, entered the new café that had opened up in the middle of town. A new hotspot, the two of her closest friends she had been walking with, Ginger and Nadia, were still engrossed in conversation.

"So you actually kissed him? Eww!" Nadia stuck out her tongue in disgust. Tasha giggled, although equally surprised at Ginger's confession. Ginger shrugged in the carefree way she always did, and the three entered one of the various cubicle like seats that were in the café. The Waitress quickly came to them – after all, Nadia's parents were rich – and asked if they wanted anything. Their orders in the making, the three moved in to discuss more private matters.

"So, Tash, you got your trio worked out yet?" Nadia asked with a grin. Running a finger through her coiled blonde hair, Tasha nodded.

"Think I've got it all down. It's a tough decision though, got to be said!" Everyone at the table knew she was lying and all smiled at the little in-joke; there was no way Tasha would choose any other than her original three, even though they were widely known as her selections. Either way, people had tried to counter her before and she'd beaten them, so she wasn't particularly worried.

Nadia sighed. "I've already said, my dad could get you any Pokémon you want! Why do you stick with those?"

"Because they were my first team and always will be, Nadia," Tasha recited perfectly, as she had done so many thousands of times before. It was slightly bittersweet, having a friend who was rich. Whilst they may be able to get you things you want, Tasha found, they were never reluctant to flash their cash and Tasha knew that really, Nadia's dad just wanted one of his Pokémon on her team to make their family look good.

"Well I mean, if you ever need one…"

"I know, Nadia." Tasha sighed and glanced out the window at the day. She raised an eyebrow as she saw a strangely clothed man rushing past people threw the park. Long-sleeved, white jackets were certainly not the fashion anywhere, Tasha guessed, and she grinned a little watching him fall. Ginger tried to meet what she was looking at but saw nothing, and shrugged, returning to the milkshake she had ordered.

Glancing at her watch, she sighed. "Sorry guys, I've got to go – extra training."

Not giving them a chance to respond, she rushed outside, running home as the sky darkened.

-O-O-O-​

Glancing at her own blue eyes in the mirror, Tasha wiped a finger across the red cut along her cheek. She was hoping it wouldn't scar, ruining her freckled face. Well maybe that's slightly too much, she thought with a smile. Hanging her towel up and getting dressed, she immediately made her way to the kitchen, microwaving a pasta meal that had been laid out for her. Sitting silently at the dinner table, she recalled the time her family had all been together; mum and dad worked late, and grandma had left them two years ago. She felt a pang of sadness as she remembered her grandmother's smiling face, but shoved her feelings aside for a bit – she had a job to do.

Entering her room (which was actually the ex-garage of the house), she glanced at her desk. On top of the pale wood sat three Pokéballs. Picking them up one at a time and throwing them into the air, the three balls opened, unleashing their Pokémon.

"Come on guys, let's get busy!"