Snowpoint City isn't the largest city in Sinnoh, it doesn't even come close. And it isn't a wonder either; with its location by Mt. Coronet and its isolation from the rest of Sinnoh, it can be a surprise sometimes that anyone lives here at all. But, there's a beauty in that. After all, in a town of 31, a celebration for one is a celebration for all.

And a celebration that's for all to start with? It becomes something that always felt magical to me.

That's what it became the day of the Total Solar Eclipse, the first to be seen by us Sinnohans for over 200 years. At least, that's what one of my elderly neighbors told me.

We had all trekked up to Lake Acuity, the snow lightly falling as we all sat on blankets and waited for the moon to meet the sun.

"Clara, dear, I'm so happy you were able to make it," Mrs. Heading, my neighbor, said to me in her croaky, broken voice. "I was worried you would be too preoccupied with preparing for your little adventure."

"It's just trainer school. Not really a big deal." I looked at Mrs. Heading, who was trying to keep the snow from sticking to her glasses. I knew that going to trainer school was a pretty big deal, especially since there was technically an academy here at Snowpoint. But, everyone said it was best to go to Jubilife, so that's where I was going.

"It's a far journey though, Clara."

"It's not like I'm walking it. And I've got Swinub with me." I looked down at my lap, where I had laid the Pokéball of my new friend, Swinub. He had been given to me just a few days earlier, but I felt like I had already gotten to know him pretty well.

"Why don't you have him out, deary? It has been said that the Solar Eclipse helps trainers and their Pokémon bond. Something about the energy, I believe." I felt Mrs. Heading's hand on my shoulder, and when I looked back at her, she was smiling gently at me.

I had been worried about that. Now, Swinub is a wonderful little Pokémon, but he could be a bit of a handful sometimes.

Despite that, I obliged, and sent out Swinub.

"Swin!! Swin!" The little mound of fur shot out the Pokéball like he was waiting for me to let him out, moving too fast for me to catch him and keep him near me. He started to run through the few rows of blankets, his nose close to the ground.

"Really, Swinub? Already?" I stood up, exasperated, as I tried to keep track of him. I broke into a run, hoping that he wasn't about to cause trouble. Talk about a great last impression.

And, of course, I found him by Candice, the Snowpoint City gym leader. He was sitting in her lap, eating a Oran Berry out of her hand. I felt a strange twinge of pain in my stomach, as I stood and watched Candice and Swinub, and waited for her to say something.

"We're going to have to make sure you have lots of food for when you're at Jubilife, right Clara?" Candice looked back at me, petting Swinub softly as he finished off the Oran Berry.

"Yeah, I, I guess." I pushed away a loose strand of my blonde hair, which I had forced my parents to let me dye the ends of pink. I continued to stand there, though, feeling like I was supposed to do something, but not sure of what.

"Why don't you sit down? I wanted to talk to you anyways." Candice waved me over, and I kneeled down next to where she was sitting. Candice wasn't much older than me, but I knew that she knew much, much more about Pokémon than I did. At least, the parts that weren't just pure facts.

"I feel like Swinub likes you more than he likes me," I said, looking at him. It seemed that he was now falling asleep in Candice's lap, after he had his easy snack.

"It's because I give him snacks whenever I see him." Candice leaned back, looking out into the lake. "But, are you planning on taking on the gyms after you finish with schooling?"

"Maybe. I don't know," I sighed, giving a small shrug of my shoulders. "I don't know how good I'm going to be at battles, though. Like, you always beat me whenever we battled, even when you gave me a Pokémon with a type advantage."

"That's for two reasons. One, you don't have experience with those Pokémon; you didn't have a bond with them." Candice picked up Swinub, placing him in my lap. He moved slightly, but didn't wake up. "Two, you think too much when you're battling. I think that has to do with not having bonds also. That's what you have Swinub for."

"But, how do I know it won't be the same with Swinub?"

"Why else do you think that I recommended that you go to Jubilife? You'll meet people there, and they'll likely have philosophies that you can learn from." Candice then handed me a pair of eclipse glasses, turning my attention back to the sky. "Now, stop worrying, and appreciate this moment."

I stayed quiet, putting the eclipse glasses on as I fully sat down next to Candice. I was careful not to wake Swinub, but I felt him shift within my lap again.

Do I actually know what I'm getting into? I thought, watching the moon slowly pass by the sun.

I remembered the elders of Snowpoint talking about what the Solar Eclipse meant. Some argued that it showed the energies of two beings combining, but the few others said that the main meaning was one of rebirth.

Either way, it's like I'm about to get into a lot of trouble.

But if I had known how much trouble I was about to get into, then I probably would've never had left the familiar town of Snowpoint.