Pokemon Evolution: A fanfic for older Pokemon Fans

Chapter 33: Sherwood

Ryanne's Note: Hey everyone! As you can see from the attached image above on June 25th, 2018 "Pokemon Evolution" is listed in Wattpad's Rankings as #1 for 'transwoman' stories, #2 for 'mimikyu' stories, and much more. This series' popularity is thanks to dedicated fans like you. Thank you all for your viewership and your comments, and I hope to keep the good stuff flowing for a while.

*Long before Ryanne ever found herself in Kalos, long before she found love in Alola, long before she ventured into the unknown worlds of Ultra Space, Ryanne went by Ryan. Just a fledgling trainer on a journey of his own. This is one of his stories...*

The harsh sound of pounding on wood jolted Ryan from his sleep. "Ryan! Get up!" harped the voice of his mother. The young boy groggily fumbled for his glasses, shoving them up his face and near-mangling himself as he struggled to de-tangle himself from the sheets of his bed. "Ryan! Get-" the voice cut off as he threw open the door to his room. On the other side of the doorway, Ryan's eyes met with his mother's. She looked pleased with herself. "Oh good, you're up." Ryan resisted the urge to roll his eyes, he knew his mother would yell even more if she thought he 'didn't respect her'.

Ryan craned his neck back to read the time on the clock by his bed, the time was just after 7:30 in the morning. "I'm not leaving until 10:00 Mom, why did you wake me up early? It only takes me thirty minutes to get ready." Ryan tried to sound respectful, but he was honestly too annoyed to care too much about his tone at this moment.

"Jennette called." His mother informed him, "She's running ahead of schedule, so she says she be here around 9:30. While you're waiting, take the key for the old storage unit and go through some of those boxes we haven't touched in a while... Like that box of dress up clothes. You haven't used any of it for years, and some of that stuff hasn't been worn since your sister was your age. Maybe Lilith can wear some of it?" She handed Ryan a small silver key.

Ryan shook his head to jostle out what sleep remained "Lilith isn't even a year-old yet mom. I'm pretty sure she doesn't care about floppy hats, clip-on ties, and oversized sunglasses."

"Don't argue with me about it, just do it! And have you packed your bags yet? You're leaving on a journey for who knows how long. I don't care if you're going five days or five years, you need to get ready."

"I packed yesterday. Let me get dressed, and I'll go down to the unit." Closing his door, Ryan heaved a sigh of relief to be reprieved of his mother once again. While he was barely older than eleven, he knew he didn't want to deal with this life at home forever. As he changed from pajamas to regular clothes, he thought about how lucky that his older sister, Jennette, didn't have to deal with his mother on a daily basis. She lived with her husband and infant daughter in Verdanturf Town, the next town over, and she was a lot happier without their mother's constant... assertions.

Having dressed and ran a brush through his hair, Ryan carefully looped his shoulder-length hair into an elastic ponytail holder. The thin bundle of hair barely reached below his chin, yet he was proud of the little piece of individuality he had. The wisp of hair came in handy too, acting as something to naturally fidget with whenever he became nervous or flustered. No matter the situation, twisting his ponytail in his fingers or over a material like a ribbon helped him refocus.

Next to his bedroom door, Ryan's backpack and large duffel bag waited for him to take with him on his 'errand' with his sister. On top of his duffel bag rested a flier with the image of three Pokémon: a Torchic, a Treecko, and a Mudkip. All three Pokémon were being offered in an essay contest as partners for first-time Pokémon Trainers. Ryan's essay was one of the three winners, so now he would get to select a Pokémon partner of his own. Many of the other kids in Mauville City already had their own Pokémon, but Ryan's mother never allowed him to keep a Pokémon of his own, not until he was ready to leave on a 'journey' of his own.