One.

A narrow strip of ashen sun ran across the wood floor of a cozy, clean room. The first touch of daylight, a soft, glowing finger that slowly inched its way up thick, pink blanket. She had always loved having an eastward bound room. The mornings she woke early to get some pre-class studying in had been made beautiful by watching the sun rise from the large window that overlooked the garden and gave perfect view to the forest and, eventually, mountain scape that created such a heartbreakingly beautiful skyline. 

Her mother , had chosen this town because it was nothing like the bustling, smog-thick city Paradiso that she'd come from. It was a quiet, picturesque town where the people lived simply and knew everyone by name. At times, it had driven her to madness, especially when she was younger. She found the tight knit community to be invasive and gossipy, dying for a bit of entertainment to spice up the humdrum life they lived day by day. But rather than sulk and whine she had turned her frustration into her school work. At age ten, she and every child in the world graduated from primary. A few dozen, the top 20% in their graduating class, received letters in the mail inviting them to take a test for their trainer's license. An even more exclusive bunch received invitations to apply for Pokemon Academy. Elizabeth was among them. 

But practicality forced this to the back burner. Being a Pokemon trainer had never been her goal. She had wanted to change the world. In her experience, a Pokemon trainer was after only after two things, fame and glory. Her plans had been so much bigger, so she finished high school with stellar grades and spent her summer thinking long and hard about her next move.  

There was an academy an hour away, on a cliff extending the western ocean. It was an hour's drive and a small, exclusive school, renowned for producing great water pokemon specialists. She applied and received scholarship. 

And so, for two years, she toiled in a few dozen others in lecture halls and on the beaches, training against waves and under the sun until, finally, graduation came. She donned her blue gown and hat, complete with gold tassel, and stood in line with the rest of the graduating class at twenty years old, with serious, fierce eyes and a dark tan.

She had waited an entire summer for what came next.

The tendril of sunlight had finally ascended high enough on the bed to slip across her face, composed serenely in her sleep. Her eyes moved beneath their lids as she raised languidly from her dream and, finally, her dark eyes fluttered open. She stared up at the ceiling, still dazed by sleep, her head framed by the halo of her soft, brown hair and she tongued her dry lips.

She could hear the sounds of breakfast being made in the small kitchen below, the clatter of cooking ware caring well despite the shut tight door. She lifted herself up and dressed in a practical but quality uniform meant to weather the elements and look good doing it. She slipped on her sneakers, waiting patiently for her by the bed, and lifted her pack, all ready to go. She was every bit ready to leave this place behind, but a nervous feeling touched the back of her neck and shoulders, keeping her tense. 

She was going to miss this place.

She kept herself from throwing a glance around her small room, with its cotton, pink curtains and shelves full of books. Instead, she focused on composing herself, keeping herself strong. 

"I'm ready for this."

It'd be embarrassing to not be. Every other kid in the neighborhood that could had left ten years earlier than she had. Had they looked back and felt like crying, at leaving everything they'd known behind? Maybe. But she was stronger than that. And so composedly she descended the stairs, backpack slung snugly across her thin shoulders, and into the clamor of the bright rooms below.

The kitchen was in chaos, a mess of food surrounding a bright, almost beautiful woman. She was blonde by chemistry, not biology, and slender despite her age. A smile split her pale face cleanly in two, and above them were two wide, green eyes that simultaneously seemed to shine with joy and tears. She worked mercilessly at the stove, producing food by the pile, while a tall, broad shouldered, tan man at her side tried to keep up. 

For a moment, they didn't notice her in the door frame, looking at them with unconcealed fondness. It had taken her years to let down the defenses she'd built sturdily around her heart for them. But now that she had, she realized that she loved them very much. They had always provided the best for her, unconditionally, without asking for anything back. They had always supported her, even when her dreams set them back in their pursuit of their own. 

Today was no exception.

As her father put a stack of pancakes on the table he finally caught sight of her and immediately the sounds of clamor multiplied tenfold. This breakfast would be a celebration, not a goodbye party.

The sun was almost at its zenith by the time she left the house, well fed and well hugged, and she straddled the old bicycle she had had since her pre-academy days. She had spent one week at home preparing the things she'd need, walking through town, watching old, favorite movies with her parents and a handful of distant friends. It was time to go.

Gingerly, she fingered the minimized pokeball clasped to her utility belt, containing the Squirtle she had picked from the academy's roster. She had spent some time with him, but the relationship was still stiff and formal. But that would fade with time, she knew, as she kicked up the stand and began to pedal through town, the quaint houses and buildings slowly flowing behind her as she angled her bike down the path towards Epoch Forest.