They of the Sun         
Chapter Four: Panned Out

     Robinhood? Robinwood? Silvarro? Owl Eyes Pendulum Dragon? Dart Wing Synchro Dragon? Leaf Rebellion XYZ Dragon? Glen? Rowlie?

     I spun the shiny, practically untouched PokeBall over my head. It was probably the smoothest thing my hands would ever hold. I didn't want to call my Rowlet, simply "Rowlet" forever... among the many Rowlets named "Rowlet" that already existed. What a sentence. I sighed and set the ball down on my stomach. Why was I naming it? I wasn't doing this stupid Island Challenge Taurosshit.

     "Cyra!" My mother called from the kitchen, waking me up from my daze. I stretched, relieving the aches in my neck and back. The sound of her yelling made me want to roll over and go back to sleep. I stood up but my arm wanted to stay down. I scowled at the bandage sticking to my sheets. I knew the moment I set foot in the school, I'd get so many questions. Questions I didn't need. Now I really wanted to go to bed and never wake up. "Cyra! You have visitors."

     They must be here to confiscate my first, last, and only Pokemon. Fantastic thing, because I really wasn't looking to get attached.

     "Good morning!"Sen said in a way-too-cheery mood for the morning. I met his eyes with no other goal but to get this damned capsule out of my hands. I ignored Lillie, Hau and my mother. I placed the Ball in his hands, leaning my face in very close. I must've looked like a mad woman, but I did not give a single shit.

     "Thank fucking Arceus! Take it! Take it and go!"

     Sen stared at me with confusion and a hint of a blush on his cheeks. He shoved the ball back into my hands, taking a step away. "Wh-what? No! That's not why we're here."

     I groaned and shuffled back to my room to change out of my pajamas, despite my mother muttering about how rude I was being. The minute I closed the door her soccer mom facade was back on; offering them drinks and breakfast. I heard Hau agree with a cheer. I dressed myself, then sat on the floor to re-bandage my arm. As I finished, there was a soft knock on the door. I could hear Sen being obnoxious and my mom commenting about Hau's appetite. So it could only be one other person and as much as I didn't want to be bothered, I know I wouldn't hear the end of it if I didn't give her permission to enter. There stood prim and proper Lillie, holding up the stupid charm I thought I had lost. "Y..you left this."

     YoU LeFt ThIS. I rolled my eyes. "Drop it."

     I should've specified that I meant the entire situation and not the cursed charm. I could've laughed, but I was already annoyed. "The Professor has something to give you.."

     "Whatever it is, I don't want it." I said, keeping my tone cold. I kept my attention on idly adjusting my already perfect bandages and putting away the first-aid kit. No way was I gonna go with those helpless creatures. I didn't want a single thing he had to offer either.

     "Pl-please!" Lillie said a little louder than her usual sophisticated soft tone. To my dismay and my own downfall, I glanced up at her and saw her on the verge of tears.

     Next thing I know I'm in the passenger seat of the car with Meowth on my lap and Lillie, Sen, and Hau in the back. I don't even know why my mother took the car because the drive there was short.

     We got out at a very beaten up house on the beach. A few trainers milling about that I chose to ignore. Inside I could hear a man yelling commands at his Pokémon.

     "Kukui's probably torn another hole in his lab coat..." Lillie mumbled as she pushed open the door, Hau, Sen, my mom, and I right behind her. Inside a barely dressed man- I assumed it was Kukui- had taken a fighter's stance, Rockruff on the opposite end of the house. There was an aquarium filled with Luvdisc and Corsola swimming about. The professor looked back at us with a wild look in his eye, his hat knocked off, and his low-ponytail was a mess. His lab coat was, in fact, torn and tattered like Lillie had feared. "Alola!"

     He straightened then, waving off his little pup of a Pokémon (which I thought had been Sen's?). "I'm glad you could make it. I've got something for ya."

     He jogged downstairs, completely and miraculously unaffected by Rockruff's attacks. I looked over at Lillie who was timidly hanging out by a ladder that led up to a loft. Hau ran to it excitedly only to be shut down along with Sen. I felt a smile tug at my lips even though I was totally unamused. Or at least I thought I was. Who cares?

     Kukui was back in an instant with a strangely shaped device. The coloring and the screen led me to assume it was a Pokedex... but what an odd Dex. It was unlike the only one I had seen so many years ago. None of the words he was saying to me registered as he held it out to me. It was just a piece of technology that I shouldn't be bothered by. But somehow everything goes back to that day. That awful, awful day... and that person. I tuned out my thoughts immediately. It just didn't matter. He was still going on about the Dex and how the Trials would be... With the first being Ilima.

     There was that name again. Ilima.

     "Oh, Rotom there you are!" A little streak of electricity raced around us, causing Lillie to jump a little bit with a squeak and Hau to laugh. A small orange and blue Pokémon floated over the Pokedex he was holding, its bulbous little body unable to hold still from all the energy it seemed to have. "We fixed your favorite toy."

     It gave a happy buzz before vanishing into the Pokedex, its arms completing the odd side slots and the screen coming to life; its eyes blinked a few times. It floated out of Kukui's hands and smiled at me. "Zzzzt! Glad to meet you, please, be careful with the merchandise!"

     Rotom didn't give me a moment to respond before it tucked itself away in my bag. The realization dawned on me that I was now one of the few chosen Pokedex Holders. I forced my heartbeat to slow by breathing in deeply. I could feel it's hum in my bag. I wasn't necessarily thrilled because if I had learned anything ever: It was that Pokedex Holders seemed to attract trouble. But I am trouble.

     "This... This isn't what I signed up for!" I said, my voice covering up the shakiness I felt in my legs. "I don't want to be a trial-goer and I don't want to be a Pokedex Holder and I don't want to be a Trainer."

     I stared at Kukui's steady brown gaze. It's like he wasn't surprised. My chest was rising and falling quickly, and I prayed to Arceus no one could notice. Everyone else was staring at me in absolute shock. Hau then opened his big mouth, "But the Tapus! They chose you! You... you can't just refuse them."

     I sneered at him. I didn't care about some stupid prophecy-like occurrence. Because that's all it was. Coincidence. Maybe Tapu Koko is searching all over for its stupid stone or Hala returned it, knowing I wasn't one quite for the job but he gave me a partner anyway as consolation. "Watch me."

     I refused to acknowledge the look my mom was giving me and walked out. I didn't care for any of this. I didn't want to be around any of these people or any of these responsibilities. I was halfway to the car when I heard footsteps behind me and the fluttering of wings. Hau was yelling at me and the Rotom Dex seemed to magically appear beside me. "Zzzzeeemzz like you're gonna be engaged in battle zzooon!"

     The haunted machine let out a happy spark as I whipped around to be met with the harsh warmth of Litten's flame passing by my head. Hau was on the porch, shouting and stomping is feet, "I don't get why you're being so negative! I'll show you what it means to be a Trainer!"

     I raised my arms over my face to block the sand rising up from the flames that threatened to get into my eyes. "I told you I'd never ever fight you!"

     "I don't care!" He yelled a command to his Pokémon before it flew at me, its body glowing with whatever power it was drawing within itself. He was forcing me to battle. I looked at the bandages at my arms and felt myself smirk. I felt the anger bubble. Did he actually think he could make me call out my Pokemon?

     I grit my teeth together and stuck my arms out to grab it by the sides of its face. I saw confusion in its eyes and then horror as it met my brown gaze. I didn't break that gaze as I felt my fingers sink into its fur and latch onto its skin. I let my nails dig in. I grit my teeth, fighting all the guilt out of my body and letting the anger build. Who were these people to tell me what to do? Who to be? They meant nothing to me.

     Litten let out a horrible screech, it's claws slashing at me, and my body was then flung back into the sand. Hau was screaming, running to his Pokémon. Lillie was following with the magic dust bunny out of its bag and watching me with a look of interest. Like a baby. Like it didn't understand. Sen had me pinned-I didn't even realize I was struggling... and my mom was going hysterical. Sen released me and I sat up, gasping for breath as I pushed them away. He was trying to speak to me.

     But I didn't focus on him, I could only stare at the terror in Hau's eyes as he watched me. He was hugging his trembling Pokémon beside him. Litten's yowling still rang in my ears as I stood and ran. I could hear other cries, too. Echoing in my ears. And I wanted to scream, but I bit my tongue all the way home until I could taste blood.

     These were the sort of things I didn't want to be dragged into. I just wanted a normal life where I got to be just a normal girl, who gets to make the choice themselves to become great. But I wasn't getting any choices and if there were any, none of them were appealing. The Rotom Dex floated out of my bag, its screen shining in front of my watery eyes. Arceus, I was crying? What pathetic shit was this? "Incoming call!"

     "Decline!" I snapped, rubbing at my eyes as I grabbed the ball from my bag staring at it. I wanted the choices to grow up and to not. Right now it felt so fucking bleak I wanted to be taken away. Where my wants and my choices were one and the same. Because today didn't pan out the way I wanted... Then it dawned on me. The name I wanted to give what I could only assume was my Pokemon. Since it wasn't confiscated today...

     Peter Pan. A childhood story that I've always loved. Running away and never growing up.

     Actually, a little shorter than that. It'd get to be an annoying ass mouthful at some point.

Pan.