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Oakley sets down her pencil, then combs her fingers through her silver hair, smoothing the flipped ends into place.
Her sister Annie sits beside her at the school desk, drawing Espeon and Umbreon. A doodle of Annie stands next to Espeon with a matching one of Oakley next to Umbreon.
Annie loves Espeon, so of course Oakley would love Umbreon. After all Espeon and Umbreon are a perfect pair, just like Annie and Oakley.
Oakley doesn’t mind Umbreon; its dark fur and golden markings always struck her as beautifully mysterious. But when Oakley imagines a pokemon beside her? Umbreon has never felt right.
Annie looks to Oakley, pointing at the doodle and mouthing: It’s you!
With Annie’s smile beaming at her, Oakley decides it’s time to put her plan into action.
When the school bell rings, Oakley drags Annie towards town, hurriedly explaining her idea.
“But I thought everyone gets a Pokemon for free once they turn 10?” Annie pokes a strand of blonde hair back into her bun.
“I don’t want to wait that long,” Oakley says, “Besides, do you want a Totodile?”
Annie’s face twists as if she’s eaten something sour, “Totodile’s fine.”
“You want an Eevee.”
Annie’s eyes sparkle, “Let's both get Eevees!”
“So you’ll help me, right?”
~~~
“Can you get the Sentret doll from the top shelf please?” Annie coos.
“Give me a second,” the Pokemart clerk groans, walking closer.
With the clerk’s back turned, it’s easy enough for Oakley to take a pokeball from the display and slip it into her pocket.
“Wait!” Annie cries, “I forgot I already spent my allowance, can you put it back?”
The clerk sighs.
~~~
By the time they reach the forest, the sun is setting.
Annie stumbles. Oakley reaches out to catch her, “Be careful!”
“Can you catch Eevee here?” Annie asks, breathless.
“You can’t catch Eevee in the wild.”
“Then why… oooh, can you catch Pikachu?”
Oakley catches a glimpse of her target in a nearby tree. She ducks behind a bush, pulling Annie beside her.
In the tree is a Spinarak spinning a web between two branches. Spinarak carefully adds another ring to the outside of its web. The sunlight beams between the trees and lights the strands of the web a brilliant silver. The curved lines are impossibly thin but shine like a precious platinum necklace.
The Spinarak pauses for a moment to admire its work, the design on its back turning upward into a smile.
A caw erupts as a Murkrow breaks through the forest and speeds towards Spinarak’s web. Spinarak’s markings twist into an angry expression. It spits a glob of web that catches the edge of Murkrow’s wing. Murkrow cries out, landing on a distant branch to preen its feathers.
Oakley steps out of the bushes and approaches Spinarak, who spits a clump of web at the ground ahead of her.
“Listen, Spinarak I need your help," Oakley tightens her grip on her pokeball, "If you come with me, I’ll make sure Murkrow ever messes with you again.”
Spinarak tilts its head quizzically.
“I know you’re doing fine on your own. But don’t you want to face more intimidating enemies?”
Spinarak seems to consider this for a moment, then the markings on its back curl into a happy expression.
“Is that a deal?” Oakley asks.
Spinarak clacks its mandibles.
Oakley takes a deep breath and tosses the pokeball. While her aim is a little off, Spinarak jumps to the other side of its web, making sure the ball hits true. With a beam of red light, the now occupied pokeball falls gently on the grass.
~~~
Bill struggles, wrapped in Spinarak’s silver silk like a mummy head to toe.
“Great job Spinarak!” Annie cheers.
“We’ll take that Eevee,” Oakley grabs the pokeball from Bill’s desk and hands it to Annie.
“You’re mine now,” Annie hugs the pokeball tight.
Spinarak jumps onto Oakley’s shoulders, the design on its back smiling wide.
“This is our calling card,” Annie beams, placing a small card on Bill’s desk. On the corner are two overlapping hearts drawn in colored pencil, one pink and one purple.
Annie and Oakley, with Spinarak in tow, run out the door overcome with maniacal giggles.
Bill thrashes in the web, barely managing to get his head free as the door closes.
“I would have just given it to you,” Bill sighs, “Why does this keep happening to me?”