caligal0224
06-19-2004, 10:23 PM
“Hey, are you ready to leave yet?” I spoke into the phone piece, while fixing my shoelaces.
A soft, drifting voice spoke back, “Ummm, yeah. I guess you can pick me up now…would that be alright?”
“Sure, see ya in five.” I replied, and hung up the phone. The person on the other side of the line was my best friend, Jillian; we had been friends since the day I fell off the swings in first grade. I’ll never forget how she was so kind to me, she even offered me her candy bar from her lunch.
“Mom, I’m going over to Jillian’s house…we’re going to the Safari Zone. I’ll be home for dinner.” I shouted down stairs from my room.
“Alright, just make sure you bring your jacket, it looks like there may be some slight showers this afternoon.” My mother shouted back from some part of the house, most likely the kitchen; she was always making new treats for her rare and exotic Pokemon.
I grabbed my jacket from my doorknob and selected two Pokeballs from my dresser. Then I dashed down the stairs and headed for the front door.
“C-ya mom!” I shouted, while turning the silver doorknob, but I never waited for a reply, I quickly darted outside, slammed the door, and started down the lonely dirt lane.
The sky was filled with thick melancholy clouds that hung low in the sky. They were a light gray though, so I didn’t expect rain anytime soon. The dirt below my feet was soft and my sneakers left imprints in the clay-like substance; the moist air is what never seemed to let the dirt completely dry. The atmosphere was humid and sticky; this was the thing I had hated most about summer in my hometown, the thick air that one could never quite elude. Whether it was sunny or cloudy the air was always thick.
I did, however, like the smell of the tall grass blowing along lane. The thick air allowed the scent of the sweet grass to hang in ones nose; I breathed deeply. The grass swayed in wave like motions that reminded me of the ocean. Beyond the lane I was currently walking, and spotted amongst the tall sea of grass, were large houses made for large families. Each house was on acres of land, which was usually used for Pokemon breeding farms. This habitat was the perfect place to raise any farm type Pokemon, like Miltank and Mareep; as a matter of fact, it was the perfect place for many Pokemon to be raised.
I lived in the country, and I had all my life. When I was smaller I admired Pokemon but never thought I’d become a trainer, I was more interested in breeding Pokemon. I wasn’t interested in training until I was about fourteen, so I had a late start. When I turned fourteen though, I did decide to get a Pokemon from the Professor of my hometown and take a few months traveling to nearby cities. I chose a wimpy Charmander, who I had named Flame, as my first Pokemon who was now a lively Charmeleon and soon ready to evolve into a mighty Charizard. I returned to the security of my parents, however, due to homesickness, and I was now fifteen and still hanging around at home. Through my short journey I had managed to capture and buy a few of my favorite Pokemon, and now I was trying to strengthen my team by battling and collecting stronger Pokemon, ones that weren’t necessarily my favorite.
Jillian only lived a few minutes away, so my mom never worried about me, besides, she knew Jillian’s parents very well. Jillian’s mother spent most of her time slaving away in front of her computer; she was a computer programmer and was always trying to think of new and innovative programs for her clients. Jillian’s father was much more laid back; he worked at the Safari Zone. Once a week during the summer he would open the gates for us after hours, and Jillian and I would wander around in the high lawn. We made it a game to only bring in one Pokemon to the zone; we would sit in the tall grass and wait for a Pokemon to approach and battle, hoping to capture it. We had only captured one Pokemon in our years of this game, and we had done it together last summer. We caught a Wobbuffet, which I agreed to let her raise. This summer I was going for much bigger Pokemon, and I wanted to catch them on my own, for myself. Today, our first day of summer vacation, I was planning on catching a Rhyhorn, and I didn’t want any of Jillian’s help. I also had a little trick up my sleeve, and was hoping Jillian wouldn’t find out.
When I had arrived at Jillian’s home, she was waiting at the edge of her lane, like normal. She had fair skin and glowing green eyes that matched the swaying summer grass. Her unusually dark brown hair hung just below her shoulders and always blew in her face; she had bangs too, which she had been trying to grow out; they now bounced along her thin cheeks.
“Got your Pokemon?” I asked her.
“Sure do…and I’m ready to catch some Pokemon too!” She grinned. Her eye’s lit up as she waited for my approval.
“Let’s go then!!!” I shouted.
We walked along the country lane and chatted about our sophomore school year that had just ended. We giggled at the stories and memories we brought back to life. We both loved the fact that the school year was officially over, and agreed that it had been the hardest year yet.
As we continued down the lane to the Safari Zone, the wind continued to gently blow, tossing our hair in each and every direction. We joked as it tickled our faces. The sky was still a light gray, but it seemed that the clouds had raised themselves from the ground, and the chances of rain seemed less and less; I was still glad my mother had suggested a jacket though, the air had a slight chill to it as it pressed against us.
Before long, we arrived at the Safari Zone. We walked up to the big double doors as the remaining visitors walked out. I held the door open for my friend and admired the small building we were about to enter. It was painted a jungle green and sunset orange, an odd combination, but I hadn’t seen it since last summer and I was glad to return. I walked in the doors and found Jillian’s father behind the large front desk. Even though Jillian’s father was laid back, I always remember him having a clean desk; all his papers were neatly organized. Even the pictures on the walls were always perfectly straight and evenly aligned. Most of those pictures were of people who had won prizes for their catches and I hoped to get my picture on the wall someday.
“Hi daddy, we’re ready to test our skills…” Jillian smiled at her father who was relaxing behind the desk.
“Oh, hey there…I’ll get you guys a few Safari Balls and you can be on your way.” He smiled back and went towards a large cabinet in the back of the room.
“Are you happy that school’s out, Kaelin?” He asked me, while scrounging through the cabinet.
“I sure am, and this summer I plan to capture a Rhyhorn, here, in the zone.” I replied.
He turned around with three small yellow and black balls in each hand; then he pushed the cabinet closed with his shoulder.
“Well, good luck, I’ve got some tough Rhyhorn out there this year.” He chuckled and handed each of us three balls. “Remember, you guys need to be back here before it gets too dark, we may have some heavy rains this evening.” He brushed his dark brown hair back with a swift sweep of his hand; his matching eyes looked sternly at us, warning us to obey his instructions. I realized how much Jillian looked like her father the older she got.
Jillian and I replied in unison that we’d be back before long, and then skipped out the back doors.
“So, what are YOU going to catch?” I challenged Jillian.
“Well, I’M going to catch a Heracross, or maybe a Girafarig…” She smiled back, seeming to accept my challenge.
“I’m going to go over here,” I said, while pointing towards a dryer portion of the land. “Are you going to follow?” I questioned, hoping she’d stay back so I could be alone.
“No way, I’m going to stay right here.” She said, positioning herself deep within the tall shady grass.
A soft, drifting voice spoke back, “Ummm, yeah. I guess you can pick me up now…would that be alright?”
“Sure, see ya in five.” I replied, and hung up the phone. The person on the other side of the line was my best friend, Jillian; we had been friends since the day I fell off the swings in first grade. I’ll never forget how she was so kind to me, she even offered me her candy bar from her lunch.
“Mom, I’m going over to Jillian’s house…we’re going to the Safari Zone. I’ll be home for dinner.” I shouted down stairs from my room.
“Alright, just make sure you bring your jacket, it looks like there may be some slight showers this afternoon.” My mother shouted back from some part of the house, most likely the kitchen; she was always making new treats for her rare and exotic Pokemon.
I grabbed my jacket from my doorknob and selected two Pokeballs from my dresser. Then I dashed down the stairs and headed for the front door.
“C-ya mom!” I shouted, while turning the silver doorknob, but I never waited for a reply, I quickly darted outside, slammed the door, and started down the lonely dirt lane.
The sky was filled with thick melancholy clouds that hung low in the sky. They were a light gray though, so I didn’t expect rain anytime soon. The dirt below my feet was soft and my sneakers left imprints in the clay-like substance; the moist air is what never seemed to let the dirt completely dry. The atmosphere was humid and sticky; this was the thing I had hated most about summer in my hometown, the thick air that one could never quite elude. Whether it was sunny or cloudy the air was always thick.
I did, however, like the smell of the tall grass blowing along lane. The thick air allowed the scent of the sweet grass to hang in ones nose; I breathed deeply. The grass swayed in wave like motions that reminded me of the ocean. Beyond the lane I was currently walking, and spotted amongst the tall sea of grass, were large houses made for large families. Each house was on acres of land, which was usually used for Pokemon breeding farms. This habitat was the perfect place to raise any farm type Pokemon, like Miltank and Mareep; as a matter of fact, it was the perfect place for many Pokemon to be raised.
I lived in the country, and I had all my life. When I was smaller I admired Pokemon but never thought I’d become a trainer, I was more interested in breeding Pokemon. I wasn’t interested in training until I was about fourteen, so I had a late start. When I turned fourteen though, I did decide to get a Pokemon from the Professor of my hometown and take a few months traveling to nearby cities. I chose a wimpy Charmander, who I had named Flame, as my first Pokemon who was now a lively Charmeleon and soon ready to evolve into a mighty Charizard. I returned to the security of my parents, however, due to homesickness, and I was now fifteen and still hanging around at home. Through my short journey I had managed to capture and buy a few of my favorite Pokemon, and now I was trying to strengthen my team by battling and collecting stronger Pokemon, ones that weren’t necessarily my favorite.
Jillian only lived a few minutes away, so my mom never worried about me, besides, she knew Jillian’s parents very well. Jillian’s mother spent most of her time slaving away in front of her computer; she was a computer programmer and was always trying to think of new and innovative programs for her clients. Jillian’s father was much more laid back; he worked at the Safari Zone. Once a week during the summer he would open the gates for us after hours, and Jillian and I would wander around in the high lawn. We made it a game to only bring in one Pokemon to the zone; we would sit in the tall grass and wait for a Pokemon to approach and battle, hoping to capture it. We had only captured one Pokemon in our years of this game, and we had done it together last summer. We caught a Wobbuffet, which I agreed to let her raise. This summer I was going for much bigger Pokemon, and I wanted to catch them on my own, for myself. Today, our first day of summer vacation, I was planning on catching a Rhyhorn, and I didn’t want any of Jillian’s help. I also had a little trick up my sleeve, and was hoping Jillian wouldn’t find out.
When I had arrived at Jillian’s home, she was waiting at the edge of her lane, like normal. She had fair skin and glowing green eyes that matched the swaying summer grass. Her unusually dark brown hair hung just below her shoulders and always blew in her face; she had bangs too, which she had been trying to grow out; they now bounced along her thin cheeks.
“Got your Pokemon?” I asked her.
“Sure do…and I’m ready to catch some Pokemon too!” She grinned. Her eye’s lit up as she waited for my approval.
“Let’s go then!!!” I shouted.
We walked along the country lane and chatted about our sophomore school year that had just ended. We giggled at the stories and memories we brought back to life. We both loved the fact that the school year was officially over, and agreed that it had been the hardest year yet.
As we continued down the lane to the Safari Zone, the wind continued to gently blow, tossing our hair in each and every direction. We joked as it tickled our faces. The sky was still a light gray, but it seemed that the clouds had raised themselves from the ground, and the chances of rain seemed less and less; I was still glad my mother had suggested a jacket though, the air had a slight chill to it as it pressed against us.
Before long, we arrived at the Safari Zone. We walked up to the big double doors as the remaining visitors walked out. I held the door open for my friend and admired the small building we were about to enter. It was painted a jungle green and sunset orange, an odd combination, but I hadn’t seen it since last summer and I was glad to return. I walked in the doors and found Jillian’s father behind the large front desk. Even though Jillian’s father was laid back, I always remember him having a clean desk; all his papers were neatly organized. Even the pictures on the walls were always perfectly straight and evenly aligned. Most of those pictures were of people who had won prizes for their catches and I hoped to get my picture on the wall someday.
“Hi daddy, we’re ready to test our skills…” Jillian smiled at her father who was relaxing behind the desk.
“Oh, hey there…I’ll get you guys a few Safari Balls and you can be on your way.” He smiled back and went towards a large cabinet in the back of the room.
“Are you happy that school’s out, Kaelin?” He asked me, while scrounging through the cabinet.
“I sure am, and this summer I plan to capture a Rhyhorn, here, in the zone.” I replied.
He turned around with three small yellow and black balls in each hand; then he pushed the cabinet closed with his shoulder.
“Well, good luck, I’ve got some tough Rhyhorn out there this year.” He chuckled and handed each of us three balls. “Remember, you guys need to be back here before it gets too dark, we may have some heavy rains this evening.” He brushed his dark brown hair back with a swift sweep of his hand; his matching eyes looked sternly at us, warning us to obey his instructions. I realized how much Jillian looked like her father the older she got.
Jillian and I replied in unison that we’d be back before long, and then skipped out the back doors.
“So, what are YOU going to catch?” I challenged Jillian.
“Well, I’M going to catch a Heracross, or maybe a Girafarig…” She smiled back, seeming to accept my challenge.
“I’m going to go over here,” I said, while pointing towards a dryer portion of the land. “Are you going to follow?” I questioned, hoping she’d stay back so I could be alone.
“No way, I’m going to stay right here.” She said, positioning herself deep within the tall shady grass.