just the start (Complete)

[Celia Silkwood]

Today would have marked the day of an aspiring trainer's first step towards achieving greatness. It would have marked the beginning of fame for a wannabe coordinator or a fantastic life for a breeder. It should have been the day to commemorate, to embrace with every ounce of passion and drive the human body could muster. With a sullen look to the sky and a grim expression written across her face, Celia held this day no closer to her heart than yesterday. In fact, she felt a quiver of fear roll over her body. This wasn't the carefree world her parents grew up in. She would not be joining the ranks of smiling faces or ambitious hearts.

She, like everyone else on Mi-aro, was on her own in a world that couldn't care less whether she survived.

The walk to the Emissary offered little excitement. No birds came out to sing, nobody urged the woman to idly chat. The only good thing to say about the brief journey was the pleasant weather that hung overhead. It came with great relief to Celia that she didn't have to pack on extra layers; she had so little as it was and a pair of shorts (spotted with dirt, no less) and a linen top fit the bill quite nicely. A lick of wind ran its warm fingers through her hair, tugging at a few loose pieces to free them from the hair-tie's hold, and the sun shone brilliantly but Celia chose not to enjoy it now. Shading her face with her hand, she regarded the weather passively. It may lend a hand to creating a nice atmosphere but she had enough experience with sunburns to know the pain they caused.

The geometric building spread across the horizon just yards away. She took only seconds to pick over the architecture with feigned interest before promptly opening the door. Even fewer moments were spent gazing at the interior. Appreciation for mankind's feats were meant for greater minds that that of a simple gardener. Without a moment's hesitation, Celia approached the secretary's desk. Rapping on the top with a curled hand to gain the worker's attention, she took no time in waiting to first be acknowledged.

"I was told to find the Ambassador," the woman said curtly. In fact, that was all she said. It was the employee's job to guide her and Celia certainly gave enough of a hint to why she was even here. Her outfit of choice clearly didn't give the impression of someone that fit into the lavish quality of standard the Emissary's building put forth.

[Olive]

The young woman smirked and pushed back her hair. She glanced to the door on her left. "Right through there ma'am. She's expecting you so don't worry about knocking."

In the room there was a large desk covered in paperwork, and a lady that sat behind the structure and tended to the documents. She was on the heavier side, but that obviously did not strike at her confidence. She wore her pitch-black hair in a tight bun and sported an intimidating pink blazer and pencil skirt with matching heels. When she noticed Celia's entrance into her office, she looked up and allowed a short-lived smile to cross her face. The woman rose to meet Celia and extended her hand.

"Hello Celia, I am Anita Nguyen, your ambassador," luckily she seemed to be in a good mood today. With a nod she gestured Celia to sit in the chair in front of her desk. "I read your profile, and I've made a few choices of some of the Pokemon that I think might fit you." She clicked over to her desk, grabbed five pokeballs and released all but one.

"So I have chosen five Pokemon for you to choose from. The fifth will not be let out of its pokeball in my office, because it's one of these" she stated as she pulled up a picture of a Tauros.
"I feel that you and Tauros have that same stubbornness and hard-working attitude that can make things happen. Not to mention these Pokemon can plow a field and even be ridden if you train it well.
Budew, of course, is from a family of rose Pokemon. As Budew's native rose breed doesn't exist here, it's entirely possible for you to use its abilities to make some wonderful plant life. It might be nice to keep around a plant that can understand your other plants.
Pidove fits you better than you might think. This line of Pokemon are known as the "Proud Pokemon." You won't see this partner ever back away from a fight. And you never know when its ability to fly might come in handy!
I'm sure you'll understand why I chose this one. Panpour, even in the wild, are berry waterers. They have a penchant for gardens. What else can I say?
Finally we have Litleo. These Pokemon are by far the proudest line you can find. We even refer to their grouping as a 'Pride.'"

Anita did an about face to grab a bag from her desk. She handed the bag of Key items to Celia. Inside the bag was an X-Gear, Data Log, First Aid Kit, Berry Sack, Spile, Canteen, Tool Bag, Mortar & Pestle, Weapon Sheathe, and a Quiver. The woman nodded, "You may choose three of those and," she gestured to the Pokemon, "one of them." She latched her fingers together and patiently awaited the woman's decisions.

[Celia Silkwood]

She regarded the attendant with a quick, dishonest smile before moving on towards the Ambassador's office. Placing her hand on the door and firmly pressing forward, Celia was greeted by a scene of a cluttered desk surrounded by neat composure. Among the paperwork sat who she figured was the Ambassador herself. Plump yet secure in who she was, Celia raised a brow at the eye-catching outfit that adorned the woman's body. Perhaps it was her own distaste in such loud colors but the gardener didn't see how it was suitable for such a job. Nevertheless, Celia tossed her judgements aside in order to move on to why she was here.

The introduction came and went as quick as the woman's expression. A hand extended to lightly grasp Anita's only to fall back to the side seconds later. Flattening her pants (and absentmindedly rubbing the dirt away), Celia plopped herself down in the chair though only out of respect for Anita. If she had her way, a pokemon would have been laid out--pre-chosen, of course--and items already arranged for pick up the moment she stepped into the room. If there was really a profile on her, the Ambassador shouldn't have had too much of a problem figuring out what she needed.

As the thought buzzed past her conscious mind, four pokemon burst forth from their respective balls. Already she had her eyes set on one in particular though the others pulled at her attention. Celia did take a moment to mull over her choices, including the one not presented physically, and even took Anita's comments to heart. The Tauros, a huge monstrosity but quite handy in the long run, would make a suitable tiller  but her garden was barely that. Much too small for the large creature to till but, if and when Celia did become successful in her endeavors, the bull pokemon would make a wonderful asset. The only problem was finding a place to keep it without someone stealing it or it breaking away on its own.

She then moved on to the Budew and Pidove, both small and essential in their own ways. The Budew, whom held the top choice at the moment, was more akin to her needs than the pigeon yet could not fly. In the end, the aspect of flight was the only reason Celia kept her gaze trained on the Pidove for more than a second. They were birds, after all, and known to feast on seeds. The gardener shook her head at the very thought of taking the bird home only to have her produce pecked away before their first leaves could see the sunlight. No, the Pidove could go to someone else. It had no place in her home.

The next one, a Panpour, was intriguing at best. The idea of not having to water her growing garden was favorable but, as noted by Anita earlier, hardwork was at the center of her being. Letting a pokemon, let alone teaching one, to do the job the gardener was meant to do was something Celia did not have in mind. Dexterity was the other redeeming trait but just imagining the long hours and tedious tasks set forth to teach the Panpour to hold a spade or gingerly pluck berries from their stalks would certainly take over the majority of her time.

Lastly, the cub. It was cute and bound to make for an excellent guardian but there was plenty of time to find such a pokemon. Celia first had to focus on what little she had now! Not whether or not she had something to protect her meager wares. Her eyes alighted on the Budew again. Nodding once with pursed lips, she pointed towards the bud pokemon with certainty. "This one, for the reasons you spoke of and ones of my own," Celia said before placing her attention on the pile of objects spilling from the bag. Oh, another choice was to made.

Careful deliberation went into her final choice although it only took a few moments. She had no need for weapons or data logs at the moment. "And I'll take the tool bag, berry sack, and first aid kit, thank you."

[Olive]

Anita scrunched up her brow a little. She wasn't as sure that she like this Celia as much as she had first thought. With a tug of her blazer she rounded up the Pokemon to withdraw them. With a forced smile she handed the Budew's ball to her. Beside the desk was a gorgeous bamboo box that Anita had just bent down at and started to fish around in. She arose with a few things in her hands and went to meet Celia.

She held 3 unactivated pokeballs, 2 potions, and 3 pieces of 100ft string. "Of course you know what the pokeballs and potions are for," she stated presumtuously, "but you can can always use string out there. Maybe even braid it into twine?" With a nod she gestured to the Tool Bag and Berry Sack. "In there you'll find a Hammer and 5 Poiup Berries."

A deep breath and exhale as she clicked her way the door. She pulled it open very slowly and popped her head back to Celia. With her free hand she gestured to the north. "I'm sure you're aware of the lack of gardening space in Port City. Might I suggest New Pallet?" Anita snapped her fingers and made a surprised face, "Or perhaps use that old Dirt Road just north of Pallet?" She nodded at her own comment, then stated, "You might also want to swing by the Market to pick up anything else you might need before leaving."

Ms. Nguyen smiled and bowed her head at Celia. "It was lovely meeting you dear."

[Celia Silkwood]

Celia took the occupied pokeball with rough hands though cupped it as she would a fragile rose. It was a proud moment for the gardener--this marked the first time she ever had a pokemon of her very own. She did not rejoice, however, and merely planted a faint smile across her lips. Rolling the ball through her fingers momentarily, reality slowly hit the woman. She was on her own, albeit ten years late, but Celia now had to face the world with only the knowledge gifted to her by her parents. Which wasn't that much, once she thought about it. She shook off the worry with a change of focus, now shifting to the Ambassador as she rummaged through yet another container.

It seemed like today was the day of gift giving as Ms. Nguyen handed over even more items along with the ones Celia handpicked. It came as a great surprise to her that she would leave the Emissary with a pack full of free things, and quite useful things at that. She may not have a sincere need for pokeballs and potions just yet but the time would come when her team of pokemon would need a few more. Perhaps it would be sooner than she thought.

Celia lifted herself from the chair, already missing the comfort it provided as se stretched. Tucking her belongings into her rucksack, she gave a curt nod to the stately woman. The Port was all she really knew but the words that fell from Anita's lips carried truth with them. It was a shame, really, but there wasn't a thing she could do to change how things were. Change was always good, right? Maybe it was what she needed to truly become a successful farmer.

"Lovely on my end too," Celia added out of politeness with a nod of her head, "and thank you for the help." With that she was gone and headed towards new beginnings with her rucksack and everything she owned pressed against her back.