
Spirited Embers
Spirited Embers is set in the Sinnoh region some point in time before the timeline of Platinum. The protagonist in this story is a young trainer who just began her journey into the vast world of Pokemon. This story chronicles her adventures as she grows more aware of herself and the world around her, facing challenges and many obstacles. Yet, she also encounters bonds with people and Pokemon along the way.
.: Prologue :.
A young adult stares out of his house's window, watching his childhood Pokemon Charizard play around with his daughter and her young Shinx. Her Shinx became a part of the family on Satomi's 10th birthday, but as she wasn't yet allowed to become a trainer, it hadn't evolved as she aged for another 2 and a half years.
"Nova, you don't have to stand watching them all day. Fefnir can keep an eye on her." Interjected a woman's voice. This was Eve Vesuvius, Nova's wife. She worked much of the week as a Pokemon nurse at the city's Poke-center in Sunyshore city.
"Kyuu!" Her Audino tugged at his jacket, beseeching him to help them with preparing dinner for the night.
Nova sighed in resignation. "Alright, sorry... I was just thinking about things." He had been brooding over the recent argument he had with their daughter. She had been throwing more debates for being allowed to explore Sinnoh on her own the older she got.
Being a rather protective father and seeing the crimes of Team Rocket while Satomi grew up made him worry about it a bit too much. That was where he decided it was best for them to move from Johto with his adoptive mother. After Satomi was born, he tried to put off the idea of letting her go on her own for a while. It just kept growing longer with time. And he was running out of it. Deep down, he just wanted Satomi to be his little girl a bit longer and be able to baby her a little bit more, as did Eve.
"Hmm! It's not fair, Fefnir!" Satomi and the Pokemon took a break from their horseplay to sit under the shade of a large tree. She had taken a seat in front of the Charizard and used him as a support for her back while her Shinx named Leo curled up in front of them.
Satomi puffed her cheeks out in a pout.
"You and Papa traveled together when he was a kid too, right? Why can't I?"
Fefnir shrugged with a high toned growl before nuzzling Satomi's cheek to make her feel better. "Char..."
"Maybe it's a parent thing..." she mumbled defeatedly. "I just wanna go out and see everything like he did. And Mom too." Satomi reached over to pet Leo, who purred in response. "Papa's probably mad at me for yelling at him. He doesn't seem to like when I ask about it. If I don't apologize, I don't think I would have any chance by then..." she mumbled to herself.
"You take a nap, Fefnir, I'll go and say sorry." Satomi got up and went inside, leaving the Pokemon to their devices.
Nova stood in front of the stove stirring some pasta, muttering to himself while he read Eve's sauce recipe.
"Tamato berry?... that woman sure likes her spices..."
"Papa?" Her voice made him snap out of his cooking zone and he lifted his head to look behind her.
"Oh. Hey, sweetie." Nova said, no expression on his face.
"I wanted to say sorry for yelling yesterday... I shouldn't have done it. Sorry..." Satomi looked at the tiling on the floor.
"It's nothing. In fact, it got me thinking about things." Nova replied. Satomi raised a brow.
"R...really?"
"Yeah. You're just growing up is all. A little too fast, I think." Nova said. "But I was around your age when your Nana let me travel on my own. So withholding that opportunity from you, if you wish it, isn't right."
"Does that mean...?" Satomi's eyes widened expectantly.
"I have to consult with your mother regardless." Nova added. "We would need to plan for it as well. Sunyshore's seas have Tentacruel in them, and the current's much too strong for you to even attempt to cross."
"Oh boy oh boy!" Satomi started jumping up and down in glee.
"What's going on here?" Eve stepped back into the kitchen clutching a manila folder pertaining to her work. "So loud..."
"Mom, mom!" Satomi ran over to her mother and tugged at her sleeve. "Can I go out on my own like all my friends? I wanna be a trainer and travel around Sinnoh! Pleaaaaase?" She poked out her bottom lip, making puppy eyes.
Eve glanced over at Nova. "Did your father say yes?..." he nodded silently. Looking back at her daughter, Eve ran her fingers through Satomi's hair and sighed a bit. "I guess I can't hold it off anymore... given your Papa and I were trainers when we were younger. That was how we met."
"Really!? Oh my gosh oh my gosh! Thanks so much, Mom!" Satomi hugged her mother as tight as her little body would let her.
Eve looked at Nova and smiled rather defeatedly. "Guess we need to start planning things out for it..."
The following week, the family was together planning how they would travel all the way down to Twinleaf town and what they would be doing, and what they would teach Satomi.
Of course, Satomi seemed to know a bit already, but they wanted to make sure she knew the basics. They didn't have to worry about how Satomi would travel, as she and Nova always spent weekends camping in the forest near Sunyshore for Nova's work days. He always brought her with him along with Fefnir for travel.
Once they reached Twinleaf town inn, the Vesuvius family spent one last night together. Since Satomi was a rather cuddly type of child, the parents hugged her between them for comfort before the morning.
"Our baby really is growing up..." Eve whispered, her eyes getting a bit watery. Nova wiped his wife's tears with his thumb, looking about the same.
"I know, honey..." he looked at the sleeping girl, snoozing away peacefully in their arms. "But she'll fly off sooner or later. All the same." Nova rubbed noses with Eve affectionately. "Satomi will always be our little ember."
"That's true, Sunflower~" Eve smiled through her tears. "It seems like yesterday we first held her in our arms..."
"She'll be back before we know it at any rate. I know so." Nova heard a quiet purring noise emerge from nearby. "Hm?"
The purring came from Satomi's spot, but there was a lump under the bed covers moving about. Shinx popped his head out from under the bedsheets, yawning a bit. "Shi...~" Leo nuzzled Satomi's chin.
"There you were. And I thought she kept you in the Poke Ball." Eve giggled.
Nova pet the little Pokemon, yawning himself. "We should be sleeping too. The flight back will be long."
____
The next morning, the family had breakfast and left the inn, Nova and Eve walking with their daughter around the town.
"Alright, have you got everything?" Nova asked. "Map, food, raincoat, tent in your backpack?"
"Papa, I got everything!" Satomi puffed her cheeks out.
"Not everything, sweetie. Forgot your flashlight and your Papa's old Pokegear. I'm surprised it still works." Eve said, placing the flashlight in Satomi's backpack and putting the orange Pokegear around her neck.
"When I get bored enough I go on repair sprees." Nova bluntly stated. "Besides, I prefer to hear your voice rather than read letters. Not to mention my penmanship is worse than it used to be."
"Alright Papa. Is your new number in here?" Satomi squinted her eyes to look through the screen. "Couldn't you get me one of the newer ones?"
"They don't make them in Sinnoh. So that's one of a kind." Said Nova. "Now, make sure to drop us a call when you step into town so we know where you are. Keep us updated, and you remember all the basics, right?"
Satomi nodded. "Don't worry, Papa! I'll be okay." She grinned up at him, earning a ruffle of her hair from both her parents.
"My little girl is going out on her own... I'm so happy!" Eve gushed like the usual doting mother would.
"You ought to stop by and meet the Professor here. He's quite the influence." Suggested Nova.
"Okay! He can probably give me some pointers and stuff too!" Satomi began walking towards the busier area of the town where she presumed Rowan's lab to be at. She waved at her mother and father. "I'll be home before you know it! I love you, Mom! Love you, Papa!"
"We love you too!" Nova and Eve said in unison. "Make good decisions!"
Fefnir stood behind them, waving as well, and making a short roar to the girl. Satomi turned around, and Fefnir grinned, blowing a spout of fire before flapping his wings once to give Satomi a boost of energy. She laughed and took off, everything she needed right in her backpack.
"Nova, you don't have to stand watching them all day. Fefnir can keep an eye on her." Interjected a woman's voice. This was Eve Vesuvius, Nova's wife. She worked much of the week as a Pokemon nurse at the city's Poke-center in Sunyshore city.
"Kyuu!" Her Audino tugged at his jacket, beseeching him to help them with preparing dinner for the night.
Nova sighed in resignation. "Alright, sorry... I was just thinking about things." He had been brooding over the recent argument he had with their daughter. She had been throwing more debates for being allowed to explore Sinnoh on her own the older she got.
Being a rather protective father and seeing the crimes of Team Rocket while Satomi grew up made him worry about it a bit too much. That was where he decided it was best for them to move from Johto with his adoptive mother. After Satomi was born, he tried to put off the idea of letting her go on her own for a while. It just kept growing longer with time. And he was running out of it. Deep down, he just wanted Satomi to be his little girl a bit longer and be able to baby her a little bit more, as did Eve.
"Hmm! It's not fair, Fefnir!" Satomi and the Pokemon took a break from their horseplay to sit under the shade of a large tree. She had taken a seat in front of the Charizard and used him as a support for her back while her Shinx named Leo curled up in front of them.
Satomi puffed her cheeks out in a pout.
"You and Papa traveled together when he was a kid too, right? Why can't I?"
Fefnir shrugged with a high toned growl before nuzzling Satomi's cheek to make her feel better. "Char..."
"Maybe it's a parent thing..." she mumbled defeatedly. "I just wanna go out and see everything like he did. And Mom too." Satomi reached over to pet Leo, who purred in response. "Papa's probably mad at me for yelling at him. He doesn't seem to like when I ask about it. If I don't apologize, I don't think I would have any chance by then..." she mumbled to herself.
"You take a nap, Fefnir, I'll go and say sorry." Satomi got up and went inside, leaving the Pokemon to their devices.
Nova stood in front of the stove stirring some pasta, muttering to himself while he read Eve's sauce recipe.
"Tamato berry?... that woman sure likes her spices..."
"Papa?" Her voice made him snap out of his cooking zone and he lifted his head to look behind her.
"Oh. Hey, sweetie." Nova said, no expression on his face.
"I wanted to say sorry for yelling yesterday... I shouldn't have done it. Sorry..." Satomi looked at the tiling on the floor.
"It's nothing. In fact, it got me thinking about things." Nova replied. Satomi raised a brow.
"R...really?"
"Yeah. You're just growing up is all. A little too fast, I think." Nova said. "But I was around your age when your Nana let me travel on my own. So withholding that opportunity from you, if you wish it, isn't right."
"Does that mean...?" Satomi's eyes widened expectantly.
"I have to consult with your mother regardless." Nova added. "We would need to plan for it as well. Sunyshore's seas have Tentacruel in them, and the current's much too strong for you to even attempt to cross."
"Oh boy oh boy!" Satomi started jumping up and down in glee.
"What's going on here?" Eve stepped back into the kitchen clutching a manila folder pertaining to her work. "So loud..."
"Mom, mom!" Satomi ran over to her mother and tugged at her sleeve. "Can I go out on my own like all my friends? I wanna be a trainer and travel around Sinnoh! Pleaaaaase?" She poked out her bottom lip, making puppy eyes.
Eve glanced over at Nova. "Did your father say yes?..." he nodded silently. Looking back at her daughter, Eve ran her fingers through Satomi's hair and sighed a bit. "I guess I can't hold it off anymore... given your Papa and I were trainers when we were younger. That was how we met."
"Really!? Oh my gosh oh my gosh! Thanks so much, Mom!" Satomi hugged her mother as tight as her little body would let her.
Eve looked at Nova and smiled rather defeatedly. "Guess we need to start planning things out for it..."
The following week, the family was together planning how they would travel all the way down to Twinleaf town and what they would be doing, and what they would teach Satomi.
Of course, Satomi seemed to know a bit already, but they wanted to make sure she knew the basics. They didn't have to worry about how Satomi would travel, as she and Nova always spent weekends camping in the forest near Sunyshore for Nova's work days. He always brought her with him along with Fefnir for travel.
Once they reached Twinleaf town inn, the Vesuvius family spent one last night together. Since Satomi was a rather cuddly type of child, the parents hugged her between them for comfort before the morning.
"Our baby really is growing up..." Eve whispered, her eyes getting a bit watery. Nova wiped his wife's tears with his thumb, looking about the same.
"I know, honey..." he looked at the sleeping girl, snoozing away peacefully in their arms. "But she'll fly off sooner or later. All the same." Nova rubbed noses with Eve affectionately. "Satomi will always be our little ember."
"That's true, Sunflower~" Eve smiled through her tears. "It seems like yesterday we first held her in our arms..."
"She'll be back before we know it at any rate. I know so." Nova heard a quiet purring noise emerge from nearby. "Hm?"
The purring came from Satomi's spot, but there was a lump under the bed covers moving about. Shinx popped his head out from under the bedsheets, yawning a bit. "Shi...~" Leo nuzzled Satomi's chin.
"There you were. And I thought she kept you in the Poke Ball." Eve giggled.
Nova pet the little Pokemon, yawning himself. "We should be sleeping too. The flight back will be long."
____
The next morning, the family had breakfast and left the inn, Nova and Eve walking with their daughter around the town.
"Alright, have you got everything?" Nova asked. "Map, food, raincoat, tent in your backpack?"
"Papa, I got everything!" Satomi puffed her cheeks out.
"Not everything, sweetie. Forgot your flashlight and your Papa's old Pokegear. I'm surprised it still works." Eve said, placing the flashlight in Satomi's backpack and putting the orange Pokegear around her neck.
"When I get bored enough I go on repair sprees." Nova bluntly stated. "Besides, I prefer to hear your voice rather than read letters. Not to mention my penmanship is worse than it used to be."
"Alright Papa. Is your new number in here?" Satomi squinted her eyes to look through the screen. "Couldn't you get me one of the newer ones?"
"They don't make them in Sinnoh. So that's one of a kind." Said Nova. "Now, make sure to drop us a call when you step into town so we know where you are. Keep us updated, and you remember all the basics, right?"
Satomi nodded. "Don't worry, Papa! I'll be okay." She grinned up at him, earning a ruffle of her hair from both her parents.
"My little girl is going out on her own... I'm so happy!" Eve gushed like the usual doting mother would.
"You ought to stop by and meet the Professor here. He's quite the influence." Suggested Nova.
"Okay! He can probably give me some pointers and stuff too!" Satomi began walking towards the busier area of the town where she presumed Rowan's lab to be at. She waved at her mother and father. "I'll be home before you know it! I love you, Mom! Love you, Papa!"
"We love you too!" Nova and Eve said in unison. "Make good decisions!"
Fefnir stood behind them, waving as well, and making a short roar to the girl. Satomi turned around, and Fefnir grinned, blowing a spout of fire before flapping his wings once to give Satomi a boost of energy. She laughed and took off, everything she needed right in her backpack.