It's been two years since my brother disappeared. He used to send letters to my Trainer's School every day; explaining to me the Pokémon he'd met, the Gym Leaders he'd defeated, and the growth and evolution of his own team, but all of a sudden, right around the time of the terrorist attack on the League building, they stopped. Cheren and Bianca told Mom that he was okay last time they saw him, but they've been off studying so long that I haven't had the chance to ask them myself. Ever since he vanished, I've been so distracted that I almost flunked my 12th grade exams twice, and since I just got my Trainer's Licence, I don't even have a Pokémon of my own to comfort me or take my mind off of things. My family even moved from Nuvema Town to Aspertia City last year because the place brought back too many bad memories for my mother.
Everything changed today, though. I woke up to my mother shaking me awake, exclaiming that she had received a call from Professor Juniper (an old college friend of hers) declaring that in honour of my graduation and 19th birthday would receive my very own PokéDex and Pokémon, just like my brother had two years ago. I jumped out of bed immediately, realizing this was my chance to go on an adventure of my very own, and maybe even locate my missing brother.
As I rushed off to meet Juniper's aide at the Aspertia Lookout, I was met by Brett, a kindly and rambunctious boy who's the only real friend I've made since moving here. He explained to me that due to his breeding prowess (he'd recently hatched and raised a orphaned Snivy, one of the rarest Pokémon in the region), he had also been selected to receive a PokéDex.
As we climbed the final flight of stairs leading up to the lookout, it was revealed that the aide was none other than Bianca, my brother's childhood friend. I immediately grilled her about his whereabouts, but she gave the predictable answer that no one had heard from him in three years. She did add that since his PokéDex entries were still being transmitted to Juniper, he had to be somewhere in the Unova region, but no one could track a precise location.
After spending some time catching up and reminiscing, Bianca us a PokéDex, and me a Pokéball containing an Oshawott (who I named "Jake" in honour of one of my favourite television shows), cheerily exclaiming that it was an offspring of her Samurott. I could've spend hours gushing over how adorable it was or how powerful my brother had told me it would become, but my fantasies were immediately cut short by Brett suggesting we have a friendly battle with our Pokémon to test their strength. I of course accepted and two minutes later, his Snivy lay dizzy on the ground, clutching its bruised head.
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My mom didn't want me to leave. She said that she didn't want me to turn out like Desmond; that she had let one child too many out of her reach. After hours of arguing and tears, she eventually broke down and allowed me to leave on my own, so long as I didn't go farther than Virbank City (which could still be easily monitored from the Lookout with the right equipment). I begrudgingly agreed to her terms and, worn out by my first day of being a Pokémon Trainer, collapsed into my bed for the night.
Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. I don't care how far I have to traverse, or what region I need to visit. I will find my brother, no matter the cost.
-Amaya Kane
