Beth tossed the fishing rod into the water again, this time hoping to get something other than old boots and boulders. The hook sank, creating small sea waves.

"No luck today huh, Beth," said Carl, wryly, with a smile between his lips.

She looked at the man in the canoe not far from there. With a raised eyebrow and a fake smile, she replied, "This is what we will see".

Moron.

Carl was her father's best friend. The man almost always accompanied them while fishing, but Beth had never gone too far with the man's face. And her embarrassing jokes certainly did not help to change her opinion of him.

She felt the rope line being bitten. She started to pull on it with all her strength. When coming out of the water, attached to the hook, was a Magikarp struggling stupidly.

"That's it Beth! Nice hook," waved his father beside the canoe.

She took the pokémon by the fins and placed it on the large net in which other Magikarps struggled for air.

"I think it's fine for today. We'd better get going just before the Spearows and Pidgeys start scratching around here," said her father, announcing that they had finished the day's task.

Beth looked at the sky.

A large Fearow flew over the space, looking with longing eyes at the Pokémon trapped in the net.

She had spent most of the afternoon frying in the infernal heat. Now, the sun was already beginning to say goodbye and give way to the moon. The clouds took on a red-orange background amid the immensity of the sky.

Beth and her father started paddling, accompanied by Carl's canoe alongside New Bark. When they got close to the ground, they stored the canoes in the port and started walking towards their house, carrying the net with the result of the day's catch.

New Bark was a small town, so Beth knew almost everyone right away. Every night Dona Lucinda would put berrys for her pet Furrets to eat, Valcir would ride his bike selling milk from Miltank. Professor Elm, clumsy as usual, was in his laboratory doing pokemon research.

It was a very peaceful city to live in ... but not for her.

Her dream was to become a trainer and go on a journey to capture Pokémon, battle gym leaders and all the other things that Pokémon trainers did. And she wouldn't be able to accomplish it if she was stuck for life in that end of the world.

They arrived at her humble house and entered through the door. The pet Growlithe ran out of the room, jumping on Beth and licking her. Her mother was waiting for them, wiping her hands on her apron.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Hello dear," said Estefania, giving Antony a kiss. "Beth, I see you had a very profitable day, the network is full."

She looked at the net they carried with them, now full of Magikarps.

"My day was a pain as always and, to top it off, I smell like Magikarp. Really, what a profitable day ..." replied Beth, ironically. She threw the net on the floor.

Her father looked at her with a reproachful look. "More respect for your mother, young lady. You know very well that this is the essential activity of our family. All generations of our family tree consisted of renowned fishermen, it is thanks to them that today you have a good life."

Whose good life? , she kept that to herself.

"What's the point of spending the whole day in a canoe in the sun waiting for a Pokémon to take the bait, and repeat the same thing a hundred times?", She replied, already full of that same conversation repeated over and over.

"Well, You should be grateful, it is thanks to this that you have to eat and wear. Do you think you would do what most of your life if it weren't for fishing? With only fourteen years old and without study, I'm sure that not even any PokéMart would accept it as an employee ... "

She bit her lip.

Her mother looked at everything, desolate. She was already used to that discussion, but Beth realized that it hurt her deeply.

Her father didn't wait for her to answer and then said: "Oh I see, are you still with those silly dreams in your head of becoming a Pokémon trainer?"

"I AM going to be a Pokémon trainer," she replied angrily.

"Really? Very well. First of all, you need money to have a Pokédex, not to mention trainer clothes, money for food and your stay in cities, and of course, Poké Balls." Her father raised his voice, "Where do you intend to get all this?"

Beth controlled herself to not to cry.

She didn't understand why he always insisted on humiliating her like that.

"That's right, it is good that you already conform to your destiny and start to like it hard. Don't keep feeding your children's fantasies, you will just end up hurt."

"Enough, dear," said her mother, trying to appease her father.

Beth ran out, up the stairs and locking herself in her room.

She lay on her bed and covered the scream with the pillow.

"I will definitely be a Pokémon trainer..., " she whispered to herself.

It was not fair for others to have the right to go on a journey while she was rotting in that city.

She looked at the poster on her bedroom wall. Gold looked at her with those excited eyes reminding her that, if her plan worked, in a few days she would be leaving on her Pokémon journey.

Gold was the champion of the Johto region. He was known to have defeated the strongest former coach in the region, Lance, even at the time when the elites in the region Kanto and Johto were unified. And there was also the rumor that he was defeating the legendary trainer Red, but that could not confirm it.

I will not let anyone get in the way of my dream.

Her dream was to become a Pokémon trainer and defeat all gym leaders to have the opportunity to battle with her idol, but for that she still had a long way to go. And I wouldn't be able to achieve that if She kept crying there.

She wiped her face and went down to dinner.

When she arrived in the living room, her father and mother interrupted their conversation. They were certainly talking about her, he thought. She sat down at the table.

"You're better, good," said her father, smiling.

Beth returned the smile.

"I thought a lot and you are right, Dad. My future is in the water and I should be proud of it!" she answered. She had a smile that said the opposite of what she thought.

The food, for a change, was Magikarp stew. She started to eat thinking about what she would have to do in a few days.