Once I saw him crouching suspiciously outside the lab, I didn't stop to think, Huh, maybe he's up to something. But instead I approached him, not thinking anything of him, a stupid smile on my face as always.

"Hey," I said, as I finally got next to him. A moment passed with me fidgeting and him still staring through the side window. I cleared my throat and at last got his attention. He fwipped his head to the side, giving me the stink-eye. He gave me the once-over, and then lifted the side of his lip in what seemed like disgust. I guess he didn't like what he saw.

"What?" he asked sourly. I cringed just the tiniest bit, but held my ground. His hair was a brilliant red. No, not the brilliant red that screamed at you out of its brightness, the brilliant red that seemed just right for any occasion. I smiled even more.

"Hi! What're you doing?" The mysterious boy lifted an eyebrow in amusement as if saying, "Are you seriously trying to get a conversation out of me?" and then he turned back to the window, his bad attitude and even worse communication skills laid out on his back. I felt like I was fighting a fruitless battle, but got even more intrigued in knowing more about this red-headed boy. He looked close to my age, a fellow Pokemon trainer maybe? I hoped so, although I didn't have my own first Pokemon yet.

Maybe he could train me in the future…

I looked inside the window as well, through less than half a pane due to Red-head's puffed up do and intimacy with the dirt-streaked window. Peering inside as he was, I saw the professor I was to meet and three spherical objects about the right size to hold in my hand. I placed my right hand on the edge of the window, and the left on Red-head's right shoulder. I shook him a little, curiosity sparking within me.

"Hey, do you know what those are?" I asked, indicating to the balls. Less than a second passed before Red-head suddenly stood up from his crouching stance and turned around. My left hand got thrown off from his shoulder, and along with the earlier unfriendly face Red-head had, he added the aspect of surprise, an extra eyebrow raised.

"Are you serious?" he semi-yelled, attempting to keep his voice down for who knows why. I surely didn't at the time. My eyes were wide, a Girafarig in headlights.

"Wh—what? What is it?" I asked again. He stood, shocked, an incredulous look on his face that made me feel like a joke. As if I were missing on something large, like the world was ending and that I was too stupid to realize it. I frowned. "Can you just tell me?" Slowly, he regained his posture, head shaking side to side, convincing himself that no such specie as I existed on the face of the world.

"It's…They're pokeballs," he said calmly, eyes staring directly at me, waiting for a reaction. It came. I felt the heat rush up to my cheeks, and quickly pulled down my white cap, trying to hide my face and embarrassment. In my awkward movements I peeked at him, who was half serious and half not-trying-to-laugh-at-the-ridiculous-girl-in-front-of-him. He was kind enough not to laugh though, which showed his inner kindness. My heart warmed at his thoughtfulness. But instead of laughing he turned back to crouch next to the window, ignoring me.

Again.

I felt a bit outraged but more grateful. After I gathered myself again I took my position next to him, curiosity killing the poor old cat that was me. I was about to try to strike up another conversation with him, but instead he did so before I had the chance.

"You've never had any Pokemon then?"

"Yeah."

"That's stupid."

I thought a bit, and then replied, "Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

--

Everything was going fine. My plan was in motion, I had my mind made up, I had my intent set, and all I needed to do as wait. Everything was fine.

Until she came along.

I faced her, my temper boiling.

"Why are you here anyways?" I yelled at her, my need to stay quiet overpowered by my want to kick that girl out of my sight. Everything about her was just plain annoying.

The way she dresses…Those brown pigtails paired up with that huge white hat! Is it even a hat? Or is it a cap? And what's with the ribbon? Do you need a ribbon on a hat/cap? Can't you just have one thing on your head at a time?

The way she looks…The stupid, aloof expression she has! Is the world perfect all of a sudden? I can only compare it with a Bidoof!

And last but not least, her overall attitude…Just, no.

My head spun at how this small town girl must see things. Her thoughts must consist of justice this and justice that and if-it's-not-justice-it's-a-no-no-in-my-limited-vocabulary. Can such a dense girl live in a harsh world like this? I automatically sneered. In the midst of my deep thinking, the naïve girl said something back to me.

"What?" I asked, impatient. I'll never admit it was my fault I never heard it in the first place.

"Why are you here, if I'm not allowed to be?" She smiled innocently, like she got me in the middle of a trap. My temper was just about over the edge.

"Just shut up and leave! It's none of your business! Shoo! I don't know why you have to go out of your way to talk to a stranger that could possibly be dangerous!" I growled at her, my eyes just slightly able to view what was happening inside the lab. She looked hurt, eyebrows furrowing in rejection and possible frustration. I gave her one last nasty show of my teeth before she looked down and whispered something I was unable to fathom. But as she left, dragging one foot behind the other, I smiled to myself, glad I got the runt out of my face at last.

Going back to my original crouch, uncomfortable behind bushes, I looked into the window once again. To my shock, there she was. Ms. Annoying disrupting my view from inside the lab. She stepped forward and…

What? She knows Professor Elm?

Unbelievably, she greeted him casually—wearing the same stupid face—but casually, otherwise. To think, I had a chance to—ugh—befriend her and have a fast pass to the first step of my plan. I felt a deeper frown pull at my mouth. I kept watching. The professor seemed to have attempted to crack a joke, to which Ms. Naïve expectedly laughed in a jolly nature. Hmph. Bidoof with privileges, huh?

A minute or two passed of them switching jokes before the professor got a call. It was rather quick, ending with a hint of exasperation in his expression. He continued talking with Ms. Troublesome in a more sophisticated, serious manner, using hand motions to explain something to her. She smiled still, but dutifully nodded after he finished. Time ticked by as she started walking across the floor. Step by step, each filled with more pep than the one before it. She stopped.

In front of the pokeballs.

She picked the one to the very right up and pressed the button on the middle of the pokeball. A Cyndaquil popped out of a bright light. She smiled at it, face filled with joy. She wanted to get to know it better before she took it, I guess, because she extended her hand to it, initiating a handshake. She can't possible be… She returned it to the pokeball and stared at it for a while. I shook my head.

Don't take it, don't take it, don't take it!

She set it down reluctantly. A rush of air left me as I breathed out. I had unconsciously held my breath for those numerous tension-filled seconds. Turning to the professor once again, she seemed to ask him a simple question. He answered and I tried to read his lips. Pointing to the pokeball to the middle, he said something that ended in "ta" or "da". Moving his finger to the left-most pokeball, I caught his mouth distinctly moving to form an "ul" sound at the end of a four-syllable word. Without hesitation, Ms. Annoying picked the middle pokeball, thanking the professor. She walked to him excitedly, shaking his hand and bidding him adieu. She sprinted toward the exit and as she neared the edge of my vision I craned and strained my neck to spot one last view of her. I failed in doing so, hanging my head and sighing.

Wait, sighing? Ridiculous! I don't sigh! Not for creatures like her at least!

I fought with myself over some nonsensical topic, almost leading to banging my head on the wall in front of me. I honestly didn't know what was wrong with me ever since Ms. Annoying came along. From the corner of my eye I saw something red move. I reacted quickly, only to see Ms. Naïve in her mostly red outfit and her new Pokemon trailing behind her, a Chikorita. It twirled the leaf upon its head once, then twice, and in the swift movement of its head I found it jumping at the sight of me. It chirped, and I almost rushed out to cover its loud mouth. Thinking wisely, though, I ducked behind the bushes, looking through a hole between layers of leaves to watch the girl and her new Pokemon.

It jumped once more, searching for me, and then looked over to its owner. Ms. Naïve bid her Pokemon to come to her, and the green Chikorita complied, reaching its owner after tripping five times. Like trainer, like Pokemon? I snickered a bit, holding in the rest of my laughs for later. But as she skipped away that Ms. Annoying looked happy as ever, claiming that maybe the world is perfect for once with her cheerful look. She left to leave through the side, her just-as-naïve Chikorita trailing her. Along with my attention.

Thank God she didn't notice.

--

My heart flipped and did twirls in my stomach, luring butterflies into place, but not only because I finally got my first Pokemon.

It's because I noticed.