>12:20 pm, Australia...
>
> Azel finally came to the end of the dirt road. Located here was
>a sprawling farmhouse, built piece by piece and constantly added
>onto over the years. The ramshackle place was coated with dust from
>the hot dry summers (which Azel personally hated, though the rest
>of her family enjoyed) but it was always kept in good repair.
>Prairie stretched out in all directions with a few sparse trees
>dotting the landscape.
> *Ain't it lucky one of those trees grew right besides my window*
> Azel, carefully making sure no one was about, walked up to her
>tree.
> *Poor thing, it's growing so withered due to the heat. Well it's
>served me faithfully...or as faithfully as a tree serves someone.*
> Azel remembered all the times she had been supposedly confined
>to her room and how she use to climb down her tree and go exploring
>in the nearby area. A couple of things she had learned from those
>trips, mainly how to navigate around the area and a detailed map of
>between here and the two cities nearby, but also, walking quietly
>when passing the kitchen. Since the kitchen was located directly
>beneath her room, Azel could pick up some good gossip and learn what
>was really going on, but also it made her trips more dangerous, and
>therefore more exciting. She had only been caught once.
> *Purely accident it was...but they never trust my enough. I'm
>not the youngest and yet they always treat me as the baby.*
> Azel sighed and stood at the base of the tree.
> *This place has been good to me though...dang it, I'm not sure if
>I really want to leave. It's such a big decision. But then, I'm
>older now. I have to make my decisions for myself.*
> Almost as out of nowhere, voices floated up and teased around
>Azel's ear. Azel immediately recognized the voices as belonging to
>her mother and one of her younger sisters.
> *They must be in the kitchen.*
> "...leave it in the oven for half an hour?"
> "Yes, dear. Azel should be home by then."
> "Mom, we don't need her help. Why did you ask Lavos to tell her
>to come back early?"
> "Well...Mark's coming for dinner tonight. I want to talk to Azel
>before he gets here. We have to discuss the future."
> "Please don't tell me your letting Mark eat with us!"
> "It's just a possibility...Azel needs to accept that she can't
>live her life like this forever...traveling round, no roots. No
>family, no job-"
> "What about that Pokémon-stuff?"
> "Every one knows that's not a REAL job, it's just a hobby for
>rich little kids to get out of school."
> "You let Azel get out of school."
> "That's different...um, she was ahead of the others, the teachers
>picked on her, she needed freedom, space...eh...mainly she needed
>direction."
> "So why not now?"
> "Now's time to settle down. Plan the rest of her life. She's
>been traveling since she was ten-"
> "Not that much-"
> "Quiet when I'm speaking, girl...now where was I? Yes, as I was
>saying, traveling a lot. Time she settled down."
> Listening to them discuss her life, Azel felt like a mortal
>eavesdropping on the fates.
> *However, unlike the fates, these people have no power over my
>decisions. And I'm not going to let them decide for me.*
> Azel quickly climbed up the tree to her room and crawled through
>the open window. Her room was plain white with no decorations. She
>never bothered to buy anything nice for her room because she found
>that if her siblings liked it, they'd just appropriate it.
> Azel grimaced as she remembered her mother's reaction the first
>and only time she had complained.
> *Just another line of why don't you settle down...then maybe
>people would respect you...* With no punishment forthcoming, all
>her siblings "borrowed" her possessions.
> Azel walked the short distance from the window to her bed. The
>old faded quilt rustled and released herbal scents as Azel reached
>under her bed and searched for her backpack. She waved her hand
>around till she caught a strap and pulled her backpack out. Azel
>regarded the backpack with pleasure. It was a heavy all-purpose
>item, equipped for overnight backpacking and to stand up to all
>kinds of wear.
> *Perfect for what I'm going to do...*
> Azel reached deep into her backpack and pulled out a small black
>felt bag.
> She opened the bag and gingerly poured the contents unto her
>quilt.
> Out rolled five pokéballs and a small blue pokédex.
> *I still remember the day I received my first Pokémon from the
>professor in Sydney. Professor Stach taught me all the basics to
>Pokémon training. It was then I realized this was what I wanted to
>do with my life.*
> Azel attached the pokéballs to her belt, in her mind, promising
>to explain what was going on later. Quickly, Azel grabbed a
>sleeping bag from the closet and her clothes from the dresser. All
>the rest of her gear was already packed. Making sure no one was
>around outside, Azel quickly shinned down the tree.
> *Now, from my knowledge of this area, I can get to Sydney before
>dark, but only if I ride Ponyta. Then that's what I'll do.*
> Azel headed out into the distance, searching for the fastest way
>to leave Australia.
(
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