Vol. I, Part 1: Chapter 5

  “Rosa, I'm not having this discussion with you again. I've already spoken with Dr. Reese about your enrollment into the Medical department,” Dennis said, his voice flat and final.

  “But can't you just let me try doing something else for once? I don't have to stay with Research and Development forever. I can maybe just do a semester or two,” Rosa argued.

  “It's better to start your career as soon as possible. Look at your brother. He's been studying for almost eight years now and he's just starting his residency this year.”

  “You heard Mom. I can still study medicine on the side. Plus, it's not like I'm going to a different University.”

  Dennis started to get angered. “No. I will not bargain with you. Do you understand the opportunity that you have been given? It is not one that most students will ever get. You are in a position above most of your peers. You're smart and incredibly talented, even if you don't see it yourself. I don't want to see that go to waste!”

  Rosa's face flushed. The heat of her temper began to rise, tightening her chest. She hated how her dad thought the only thing she was good for was her academic ability.

  Who does he think he is?

  “If anything is going to waste, it'll be me! I can't stand medicine!” Rosa shouted.

  “Don't use that tone with me!” Dennis snapped, slamming his hand on the coffee table.

  “Why can't you just let me do what I love instead of what you love?”

  “Rosa, it's not about that. It's about making sure you find success as an adult! Don't squander away your education just so you can goof off with your cousin playing with Pokémon!”

  “Dennis! That's enough!” Laura scolded from the side.

  The silence that followed was suffocating. Rosa turned her head, staring at the intricate patterns of the rug to avoid their eyes. A wave of emotion crashed over her. Anger, angst, and then the crushing weight of rejection and abandonment. Her vision blurred as hot tears spilled over. Before she heard another word, she turned and bolted.

  She ran upstairs, threw herself into her room, and slammed the door hard enough to rattle the frame. She collapsed face-first into her pillow, letting out a muffled scream. She felt like no one would listen to her.

  Hilda would listen to me.

  The thought of her cousin brought a fresh wave of sobbing. She felt like she had failed Hilda.

  I'm so sorry, Hilda. I tried. I really did.

  Her dad's words were a scar on her mind.

  ‘Goof off with your cousin playing with Pokémon.’

  Those words etched themselves into her brain. Not only did her dad force her into medicine, but he viewed her passion for Pokémon as a complete, utter waste of time. There was no convincing him. There was no way out. She briefly entertained the thought of running away. To hell with her dad and the Whitley legacy. She should be her own person, chasing her dream. Not theirs.

  Several hours passed. The room had grown dark as the sun set. Rosa was still lying in her bed, clutching a blanket tightly around herself. The tears had dried, leaving her face feeling tight and sticky. She stared at the wall, motionless.

  There came a gentle knock at the door.

  Go away.

  She did not respond.

  The knock came again.

  “Go away!” she shouted, her voice raspy.

  “It's Matt. Can I come in to talk?”

  “No,” Rosa said.

  “Okay.”

  The door clicked open anyway. Matt stepped into the room, the hallway light casting a long shadow across the floor.

  “I said go away!” Rosa shouted, burying her face back into the pillow.

  “Rosa, listen. I think Dad was being completely unfair to you,” Matt began gently, closing the door behind him.

  “It doesn't matter. He won't listen to me,” Rosa said, her voice muffled.

  “I understand you're upset. I get it. You really don't want to study medicine, do you?”

  Rosa was silent for a moment. Slowly, she sat up to face Matt. Her eyes were red and puffy.

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  “No,” she replied softly. “I would do anything to get away from it.”

  “I know,” Matt said, leaning against her dresser. “I think you should follow your dream. If you are truly passionate about Pokémon, then that's what you should pursue.”

  “Easy for you to say. You're Mom and Dad's prodigy. I'm just their weird failure of a daughter,” Rosa spat out. She didn't fully believe it, but she was hurting.

  “Rosa, you know that's not true. You have to understand that Dad comes from a place of love. He wants to see you succeed,” Matt explained calmly.

  “No, he just doesn't want the Whitley family name tarnished by having a daughter who won't follow in their footsteps.”

  “Look, I'm not here to argue about what Dad wants. I came here to tell you to fight for yourself. Don't take no for an answer. You're capable of making decisions. If you enroll in Research and Development behind his back, well, that just sucks for him. He doesn't control you.”

  Rosa let out a small, dry laugh. Matt was technically right, but Rosa wasn't the type to go rogue. Despite her anger, she loved her family, even if she felt like she was living in their shadow.

  “You'd support me if I went to study Pokémon instead of medicine?” Rosa asked.

  “Hell yes, I would! You're my sister. I want what's best for you. Not what's best for Dad,” Matt said with a genuine smile.

  Rosa managed a weak smile back. “Thanks, Matt. You're not so bad after all.”

  It had been several days before Rosa began talking with her parents again. She moved through the house like a ghost, avoiding eye contact and ignoring attempts at conversation.

  She thought constantly about what Matt had said. Could she ‘fight’ for herself? She wanted to talk to Hilda, but she was all the way in Nuvema and Rosa didn't want to complain over the phone. She wanted to do it in person.

  She spent her time in her room, reading books on Pokémon biology she had tucked away on her shelf. The isolation was lonely, and guilt gnawed at her for freezing out her mother, but she held her ground. Occasionally she saw Matt, but he was always busy.

  One afternoon, staring at the old, rusted Poké ball on her desk, she decided enough was enough.

  It's time to stop acting like a child.

  She stood up, smoothed her clothes, and walked downstairs.

  In the living room, her mom and dad were sitting together on the sofa, drinking tea. Her mom looked up, surprised to see her daughter voluntarily leaving her room.

  “Rosa, honey,” she began.

  “Mom. Dad.” Rosa stood tall, clutching the banister for support but keeping her face neutral. “I want to tell you both that I'm done trying to be the daughter you wished for. My passion is for Pokémon. I'm going to enroll myself into Research and Development. I don't need your permission.”

  Her parents looked at each other. The silence stretched thin.

  Rosa's voice had been firm and steady, a tone she had never used with them before. She maintained her stoicism, refusing to appear weak.

  “Rosa. Your mom and I have been discussing it,” her dad said, setting his tea down. “We will allow you to go to Research and Development.”

  “Y-You will?” Rosa blinked, her stoicism cracking slightly in confusion.

  “Yes, on one condition,” her mom added.

  “We want you to keep practicing and studying medicine. You don't have to enroll in the Medical department, but you need to do your own studying,” her dad explained, leaning forward. “You're very smart, Rosa. Your mom tells me that going into Research and Development will open up opportunities for Pokémon medicine. To me, that sounds like a great way for you to learn on your own about being a Pokémon doctor.”

  So, he still wants me in the medical field.

  It was a compromise. A tether.

  “I can do that,” Rosa said slowly. “There are Pokémon that need care at the Rehabilitation Center.” She didn't know exactly how much ‘hands-on’ practice she would get, according to Hilda, it was minimal, but it was a way out.

  “Then I support you going with Professor Juniper,” her dad said plainly.

  “Thank you,” Rosa said. She stared at them for a moment longer, ensuring it was real, then turned and darted back upstairs.

  She couldn't believe it. She didn't have to become a human doctor. She was free to make her own choices. She grabbed her phone to call Hilda.

  Hilda's not going to believe this.

  Three weeks later, Rosa was officially a member of the Research and Development Team.

  She had driven down to the University with the rest of the team to visit Professor Juniper. The campus was breathtaking, expansive pastures of wild Pokémon stretching out behind high-tech facilities dedicated to nurturing young Pokémon and rehabilitating the sick. There were several arenas for battle testing, where the air crackled with energy. Rosa was impressed. It was a world away from the sterile medical textbooks she was used to.

  During the visit, Rosa was given the opportunity to select her very first Pokémon. Having never owned one, she felt a mix of nerves and awe. Juniper presented three options: a Tepig that snorted embers, an Oshawott that played with its shell, and a Snivy that stood with its arms crossed, observing her.

  Rosa ultimately decided on Snivy. Its reserved and elegant nature reminded Rosa of a queen, and she felt a kinship with its composure. Snivy was, in fact, female.

  To celebrate the formation of the Field Research Team, Hilda invited everyone to her house for dinner.

  Hilda's second passion was food, especially sweets. Her third was cooking. The house smelled incredible, a mix of roasting herbs and savory spices. They sat around a large table, passing plates of Hilda’s superb cooking, talking excitedly about the places they wanted to visit.

  “I’m sure we’ll see plenty of Unova. Professor Juniper will keep us busy all year,” Cheren said between bites, looking more relaxed than usual.

  Rosa's excitement grew as they spoke of the adventures ahead. This was where she belonged.

  “You know, we still have room for a few more members. Juniper said she aimed to have at least seven. I count five of us,” Hilbert said, gesturing around the table with his fork.

  “Ah yes, about that. Bianca, care to explain?” Cheren asked.

  “Right!” Bianca swallowed a bite of food. “It so happens we are already talking with two more trainers from Aspertia City about joining.”

  “Aspertia? I've never heard of it,” Hilbert said.

  “It's a small town all the way west, across the ocean. I hadn't even heard of it until recently,” Cheren admitted.

  “Yup. These two, apparently, graduated at the top of their Trainer class,” Bianca explained.

  “Wow, looks like we got ourselves some hotshots coming in,” Hilda grinned.

  “I should be meeting them soon. We're in the process of getting them enrolled. Once that’s done, I'll be meeting up with them to take them to the University and set up their dorms,” Bianca said.

  “What are their names?” Rosa asked.

  “Nate and Hugh.”