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Age: 8
Setting: Family home in the middle of the forest.
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Elaina placed a callous hand on her younger brother's chest, one that was roughed by clenching tree bark, and forcefully pushed him backwards. The blonde girl frowned, holding a familiar glower that her parents had come to accept as a regular expression.

"I'm going up first, Leon." She told her six year old brother with a large sense of finality in her tone. The younger boy knew she meant business and made no question.

Elaina hoisted herself onto the nearest tree branch with her young, pudgy arms. Thankfully, the trees of her family back garden were low enough to allow an adequate view of what lay beyond the fence without triggering her fear of heights. Besides, it meant she and her younger brothers could watch the outside forest without permission from their parents, who were always cautious about the trio's tree-climbing habits.

Aron pushed his twin brother aside, being the larger one, to trail his sister up the tree. Leon pouted, watching his bigger siblings scale the leafy branches before him. But, he'd learned to deal with this treatment from a young age. This house hold was not built upon fairness, but rather status and impulsiveness. At least, it was for the children.

Soon, all three blondes sat perched upon a thick branch, knees cradled into their chests and wondering eyes scanning the outside forest for any flickers of interest. The world meant nothing to these three children. For them, life completely existed within the back garden fence. Limits and restraints were all they knew. But that was the thing, they didn't know freedom. How could they yearn for something they never even knew existed?So it wasn't that bad.

Three sets of teal eyes flittered across each tree that sprouted outside the fence, wondering what it would be like to scamper up that one, some even wondering if they could get away with pushing their sibling out of it. Would it feel different to leave the perimeter of that darn fence? Was it really as dangerous as their parents claimed?

A sudden rustle amongst the scenic, reticent forest perked their little ears into alertness and an apprehensiveness creeped into their muscles.

The forests are dangerous they said.

Don't leave the fence they said.

Elaina's lips parted, as if she were going to say something, or scream. Her pupils darted across the verdant expanse like the very creatures her parents spoke of could crawl from every angle of her vision and engulf both her and her brothers in a turmoil of claws and fangs and wild eyes.

But there was nothing to fear. Instead, her father stepped out from behind the banks of forest shrub, emerald orbs scanning the area before proceeding to the garden gate. Clutched in his hands were two empty plastic bottles that reeked of a smell so foul, it almost made Elaina gag, even as he passed under the tree in which she sat. The blonde girl had seen her father with these bottles a few times before, but she'd never asked about their purpose.

"Daddy!" Little Aaron exclaimed beside her, boyish features brightening like a newly changed bulb. He'd always been passionate about family.

At this age, the six year old's sister was still taller, could still invoke fear into him if she concocted an opulence of anger. But in the coming years, he'd hit a growth spurt and construct his own fortress of strength, becoming the robust and hearty boy that would make his mark on the world.

"Children? In a tree again?" The father of three looked up and spotted his blonde haired offspring congested on a single branch. He'd always been skeptical of what they might see upon those fruitless trees. But he couldn't do much to stop them. The infants wouldn't hesitate to inflict scars to get what they wanted.

"I like trees!" Leon chirped happily, beaming as wide as his thin, pink lips would allow. The father chuckled at the littlest sibling, who's features, even then, were unblemished and handsome.

"Daddy, what was in those bottles? They stink." Elaina scrunched up her face, tasting the vile redolent on her tongue. Her father's face twisted into a strange kind of smirk, as if his work with the bottles was something to admire.

"It's what keeps the danger away, my dear. They despise the smell as much as you do." He answered as his jet black hair dropped into his face of burnt caramel skin. The smirk continued to play along his lips as he said those words. They made Elaina feel uneasy.

"What's the danger, daddy?" She questioned, for the first time. The way her parents spoke about them--the beasts-- like the conversations would burn their tongues and leave a bitter aftertaste seared into the walls of their mouths. And being a young girl, she thought asking would physically pain her. But it didn't.

"Nothing you'll ever need to worry about, my darling." Was all she got in response. The blonde haired girl was not satisfied. "Anyways, why don't you three get down from that tree."

"No." Elaina blurted as soon as she heard the words leave her father's mouth. She liked the view of the outside too much to leave it so soon. Her brothers shook their heads in unison, sharing the same alienated threads to things beyond the fence. On some days, it was sparked by sheer curiosity but others, it was the pang of exhilaration they got from being rebellious. Sometimes, it felt so good to be bad. But, they were children after all, and so childish was exactly how they behaved.

"Five more minuets, while I go wash and put away these bottles." The father strictly told them. The three had nothing much to do but nod. Their father could easily snake his fingers around their little bodies and pull them down.

Soon, the trio were alone again, save for the gentle wind that tussled their blonde hair like ribbons of seaweed on an ocean bed. At first, it was silent, and each child basked in what remained of their time in the tree. But the peace didn't keep long, not when an unnerving rattle punctured the quietness with such sudden, Leon almost fell off the branch in fright.

Perched upon a leafy limb was a creature of red, black and subtle blue. Winged and paltry, round head cocked to one side and considerable eyes drunk with the image of the trio's young faces.

The creature looked thin-boned and breakable to Elaina. She reckoned that if she clutched it's feathery body between her infant fingers, it would snap to pieces. But in that moment, the gold haired girl froze solid, muscles refusing to function and jejune mind scrambled beyond belief. She'd never seen anything move --anything breath, the way that creature had. Nothing except her family, of course.

Aron opened his mouth to speak but whatever jumble of words he planned to voice got trapped on the buds of his tongue. Long seconds passed as it stared at them, and them, at it. Four pairs of eyes ample with unbelievingness.

Is this the danger? Elaina thought to herself. Despite, she couldn't help but question if the creature was precarious at all. The innocence that shone through its inky eyes outdid even her own. She pondered if it could just be a facade. Maybe, any minuet it would combust into a revolting varmint with fangs and a crazy look. But it didn't.

"Fletch! Fletchling!" Was all it said, which of course, startled the three children, rearing back like a collapse of dominos. Their nerves jumped like springs beneath their skin, hearts racing in anticipation of an attack. But it didn't come.

With hesitation and uncertainty shaking her fingers, Elaina reached out to the creature, who gazed upon her approach with an equity of haphazard. Perhaps, the creature would swallow her hand whole and char her skin with venom, like her parents had claimed. But, the golden haired girl was going to find out for herself. Staring at this mystery seemed nothing more than a reverie, something she could lose herself in. She did not see a hazard.

The pocket of air between both human and Pokemon was so narrow, the only thing seeming to squeeze between them was the forest breeze. Possibly, Elaina had been too hasty to close those last few inches. Possibly, she wanted to know what danger really meant far too much. Either way, she ruined her chance with this lack of patience. The young eight year old had never been a girl of patience.

The creature took flight, gliding through crossroads of tree branches in an effortless manner. Elaina had never seen something fly, take off with so much freedom under it's wing, as if the liberation thrust it skywards. She tried to imagine what it would be like if she could do that, fly high above the garden fence.

The creature had been more fearful of her than she of it.

Was this the danger?

Was it?

This was the first time Elaina and her brothers ever saw a Pokemon. A few years down the line, this very encounter would spark her most memorable argument of all time. She called it the 'I saw something in the yard' fight. Who knew that one Fletchling could spark so much torment? Could ignite such a roaring fire? Had the power to tear a family apart and then build it back up again?

Sometimes the littlest of things have the biggest of impacts.