A Loyal Friend

  My trainer was the best.  

  Ever since I set my eyes on him, he gave me this exuberant aura that riled me up. When he was given the chance to choose one of us, I won’t lie, I was really scared. I was scared that he wouldn’t choose me. I was scared that he would choose one of my friends. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy for them if the trainer chose either one. It’s just…in my heart, I really want to be his friend. I want to start my adventure into the outside world and see the many beautiful things that I’ve seen from the professor’s books.

  And what’s more, if this trainer chooses me, I’ll be even happier because not only will I begin my life-changing journey, I will also begin it with my new friend.

  And, at long last, as if my wish was heard, the trainer saw me. And when he did, he flashed this wide, happy smile and the words he said made me the happiest Pokémon that ever lived: “I’ll choose this Cyndaquil!”

---

  Days go by and my trainer and I were unstoppable.

  It was amazing! The moment he chose me, my life changed for the better. I’ve met different Pokémon and people. I’ve been to lands I never knew existed. I’ve even gone stronger and my form even evolved over time! This was far better than all the books combined!

  But, my favourite will always be that, no matter how many Pokémon that my trainer has caught and befriended, I will always be his number one. I will always be his priority and we will always have each other’s backs be it rain or shine. Even during the hardest of battles, my trainer will support me and cheer me on that it actually gives me the strength I need to defeat my opponent.

  My trainer believes in me. My trainer cherishes me for me. And even when there were days that I lost, my trainer had never scolded me, but instead cheered me up and made me smile again.

  My trainer is truly the best. I know that, no matter how old we both are, we will always be together.

---

  Why…
 
  Why is my trainer abandoning me…? Why is he letting me go to some random person I don’t even know…? Why is he trading me off…? Am I…Am I not a good Pokémon? Am I that weak and useless to him that he has to get a new one? Why…? Why is he doing this to me…?

  Why are you smiling…? Do you like disowning me? Do you really want to get rid of me that much? Please stop smiling… Please stop showing me that loving, caring smile that you always do… It really hurts… You’re giving me away so easily and flashing the exact smile that you’ve shown when we first met… My hearts hurts so much and I feel like crying...

  P-Please… Please don’t do this to me. I’ll be a good Pokémon, I swear! I’ll promise to get stronger! I’ll promise to make you happy! I’ll promise to be the best Pokémon you’ve ever had! Just…please don’t abandon me!

  Just…please…

  I love you…

---

  I was finally traded.

  No matter how hard I pleaded, how badly I cried and begged, in the end, I was finally traded away.

  I was sad, disheartened even. I lost my very best friend and I am all alone in this world.

  Although, that being said, all I can do was meet my new trainer.

  This time it was a girl. Her hair was brown and tucked under a green bandana. It had an odd style that actually made me forget about my sorrow for a while. Her attire was a bit…different. Judging by the white gloves and the ranger-like outfit, she seemed pretty sporty and outgoing.

  And then I saw her eyes. It was a vibrant green; gleaming, sparkling, bursting with energy just like my old trainer.

  It felt odd, but when I looked into her eyes, it gave me a sense of…familiarity.

  It was then that she smiled. I was shocked, because her smile reminded me so much of my first trainer. Although she was a girl, it still held the same essence of love and care just like him. She looked so happy, excited actually. She looked at me as if I had been her Pokémon for so long.

  Then she patted me. Her hand touched the top of my head, gently caressing my fur and making me purr out of impulse. Her touch was soothing, casual, so filled with love that was so alike.

  As if the sight and touch alone didn’t seem familiar enough, the next words she said felt like I’ve known this new trainer for so long: “There’s my big baby Adam! I miss you!”

---

  As the days continued, my friendship with this new trainer grew stronger.

  She was just like my old trainer. No. They were so alike, it seemed like they were of the same person.

  She cared for me, loved me like she’d known me since forever. She treated me like one of her best friends. She made me into her number one priority not only in battles, but also in these fun activities called contests. I was actually happy. I was having the time of my life. Every time I spent my time with this new trainer, it felt like she was my original trainer all along.

  It felt like home. She made me feel like we had been best friends from the beginning.

  I love it. I love it so much.  

---

  I know I should’ve have seen this coming. But no matter what, I still feel sad about it.

  I was traded off. Again. No matter how much I cried and mourned over it, I was easily given away in exchange for another. Before I disappeared, I saw that smile; that same, loving smile like my previous trainer. A smile that was so honest, so absent of guilt that it actually broke my heart.

  Am I not that important? Am I just that easy to be abandoned? Am I just a mere toy to be played with, then thrown away when bored?

  I only drew a sorrowful sigh as my body was ready for the exchange. I didn’t look at her, for I was too heartbroken. The experience was painful, and it was twice as agonizing when going through it for the second time.

  Suddenly, before I was traded away for good, I heard her voice. And, as much as it brought such confusion and shock to me, her words still perfectly rang in my ears: “I’ll see you soon alright buddy?”  

---

  It was a new trainer. But like the previous two, this new girl also held such a strong sense of familiarity.

  The way she treated me. The way she loved me. The way she brought me along her adventures despite my experience. All of it was all too familiar. No matter how she looked, or where I was, being with this new trainer gave me a sense of family.

  And, even though her voice was far different than my old trainer, it truly did feel like she was my old friend when she said, “I’m happy you’re with me.”

---

  Again I was traded away. And again I felt the same feeling towards every new trainer that obtained me.

  Six times. That was the amount of times I had been traded off. I won’t lie. It still hurts knowing that I’ve been exchanged for another. That smile I’ve seen every time before I was traded away now gives me a sense of confusion rather than sorrow.

  Be it a dark-haired girl to a pigtailed brunette, all of them felt so familiar. Their personalities, their behaviors, all of them made me feel like I’ve known them for so long. Although the lands I’ve reached are foreign and the people and Pokémon I’ve met are unknown, all the trainers that became my companion felt like an old friend. They treated me just the same. They loved me just the same.

  No matter how different they all are, I feel like they’ve been my best friend from the beginning.

---

  After the seventh trade, everything changed.

  I met my new trainer. And this time, unlike before, she looked far different than the others.

  Her hair was a medium black cut. Her skin was quite tanned. Her outfit seemed normal, yet it still had that style that defined her. She flashed the widest smile I’ve ever seen. She even giggled, laughed in excitement the second she saw me.

  Then I saw her eyes.

  It was a bright brown, so filled with joy and love that I couldn’t comprehend. I could see the pure bliss from her when she looked at me. I could sense the emotions from her when she broke into another sweet laugh.

  And, as much as this might sound crazy, the moment I saw her, I knew this was my trainer all along.

  She hugged me tightly. Her hug was loving, sincere, brimming me with ecstatic joy like the day I was chosen. Her laughter made me so happy. Her presence made me feel – made me realize – that, all this time, I was with my original trainer all along.  

  I returned the hug and laughed with her. I was so happy. I felt so loved. All the smiles that I’ve seen from my previous trainers, all of them were merely smiles from the same person. It wasn’t a smile that told me that I was not needed. No, it was never that. It was a smile that reminded me that we would see each other again. It was a smile from the same trainer who I started my journey with together. It was a smile from the same person who loves me unconditionally no matter how much things have changed.

  My trainer is always there for me. No matter what.

  My trainer is the best.

END