Making his way through the forest, Gerard spoke aloud to himself to pass the time. "I wonder what this Rhydon will be like. According to the task, it shouldn't be too violent, as it hasn't done anything yet. But I guess I'll just have to find out when I find it." As he walked, Gerard thought he heard a noise coming from somewhere in the woods. It sounded like something yelling loudly. It even sounded like a person. That was when Gerard remembered seeing another boy headed towards the same village as he was. He didn't really get a good look at him, since the boy had taken a different path.

Focusing back on the task at hand, Gerard emerged from the woods into a clearing, and saw a cave directly in front of him. It was very dark, and Gerard couldn't see much in front of him. "I wonder if this is the cave I was supposed to find. It seems like it is, but I can't see inside of it…" Gerard paused and thought of a plan to lure out the Rhydon that was supposed to be inside. "…I've got it!" Pulling his bag off of his shoulders, Gerard opened it and looked at the berries in his pack. "Hmm… a super tough rock type like you would probably enjoy one of these." Gerard pulled out two chesto berries and placed them on the ground. He then rolled a third one into the cave, and waited.

He heard a crunching noise, followed by heavy footsteps. The Rhydon emerged from its cave. It was less than half-a-foot taller than Gerard, but that didn't stop it from seeming like a giant wall from Gerard's perspective. Once out in the sun, it looked around, and then saw the other chesto berries Gerard had laid out of it. Bending over, it picked up the berries in its massive claws, and shoved both in its mouth. It chewed them happily, which pleased Gerard. He walked up and touched the pokemon on its stomach as he stared in awe. An entire village feared this giant creature from afar, but up close, Gerard saw that it was a gentle beast. Gerard proceeded to rub the Rhydon's belly, which gave it great pleasure as it wagged its tail back and forth. The tail slammed into the side of the cave entrance, and immeadiately a large rumbling sound was made. Gerard and the Rhydon paused, both of them sensing trouble. They then looked up at the cliff, and saw cracks forming quickly. "Oh man! We've got to run!" Gerard quickly ran from the cliff, with the Rhydon close behind it. They stopped and turned just in time to see the entire cliff crumbling and falling hard on where they were originally standing.

Heart racing and startled, Gerard took a moment to contemplate what had just happened. He then remembered that the task had said the dangers of the cliff. Now, due to his carelessness, the entrance to the cave was blocked off. He looked at the Rhydon, which was saddened by the loss of its home. "Don't worry Rhydon. I'll do anything it takes to find you a new home!" Gerard smiled and walked along the side of the formation where the closed off cave was, with the Rhydon beside him. After about an hour, they had found a cave that could fit Rhydon. And because it was much further away from the village, there was no chance the two would ever have to worry about interacting again. "Good luck Rhydon. I hope you live a good life." Gerard gave one last glance at the pokemon before he walked away, happy with what had happened this day.

A pair of earthly brown eyes peered over the rocky landscape. It was filled with an abundance of shells which made up many different shapes, colouring the landscape with their pastel purples and blues. Scanning the water as the ocean froth was slowly rolling onto the shore of the beach, the pair of eyes could not see one single Pokemon in sight. Disappointed, the young girl unclipped the smooth surfaced, red and white ball from her belt, staring at it intently, her eyebrows showing her discontent.
"Poliwhirl, this is all we've managed to find, I don't see how we're going to enter the contest with just a Magikarp!" Isobelle Tyrone complained as she shook her head.
The Poliwhirl she had spoken to stood beside her as he looked upwards at his novel trainer. His large dark eyes, filled with content, complemented the young Poliwhirl's appearance. His smooth, leathery skin, a pale blue in colour, was shimmering with droplets, having just made his way out of the cooling water.
Poliwhirl could understand the frustration his trainer felt at this moment by only having caught a Magikarp in their day's excursions, thought to be one of the weakest Pokemon known to man, by human standards. He had always thought Isobelle would make an excellent trainer, the pair having been good friends for a number of years now but Poliwhirl had not realised how difficult it was going to be.
Isobelle or 'Belle' as she was also known, at just seventeen, had not long ago decided that she'd take up Pokemon training. There had been no decision made about which type of Pokemon she'd train - the answer had been obvious as Isobelle both already had a water-type Pokemon and hailed from Red Rock Isle, an island which was a part of the 'mysterious' Whirl Islands in the Johto region. There were a number of myths and legends surrounding the Whirl Islands and the status of mysterious Pokemon that were said to dwell on the ocean floor. Isobelle, however, just called it home.
Red Rock Isle was also where Poliwhirl had been born and raised as a young Poliwag. It was common for many residents of the Whirl Islands to establish breeding programmes, much like the one Poliwhirl had been born into. The majority of these breeding programmes specialised in water-type Pokemon, the most common type around these parts. The skills of the water-type Pokemon were utilised everyday in various different ways. The Whirl Islands had become somewhat famous for the variety of water-type species the breeding programmes produced with trainers and Poke-enthusiasts coming from all over the globe to add one to their team.
Isobelle and Poliwhirl, just weeks into their training, had made it safely to Yellow Rock Isle, the next port north of Red Rock Isle, getting its name from the landscape, which indeed did contain rocks of a yellow tone. They'd been searching for more water-type Pokemon, spending the majority of their second day on the isle looking. It had started off as a fun adventure, Isobelle's confidence lifted once she had successfully captured her very first wild Pokemon - a slightly weak looking Magikarp. Isobelle had, since then, dragged Poliwhirl half way around the island, her dark eyes forever searching for the slightest sign a water-type Pokemon may be within her reach. They'd had no luck, however, not even seeing one flick of a fin or little bubbles rising from the ocean depths.
Isobelle quickly scanned the waterproof watch she had been given specifically for this trip. It told her that it was 4:33pm.
"C'mon Poliwhirl, we might as well head back into town before it gets too dark out here," She motioned to her friend before gathering her belongings that were strewn out across the rocks they had settled on.
Gritting her teeth, Isobelle thought ahead, to the coming weeks that would bring her and Poliwhirl one step closer to the ultimate challenge - the Whirl Cup. A Pokemon battling tournament located in the Whirl Islands, it brought water-type Pokemon trainers from all over to Red Rock Isle to battle it out for the title. Being a lover of all things water-type, Isobelle had seen this as the first step in her journey. It was the reason she was so eager to capture and train more Pokemon. She needed at least three water-types if she was going to have any chance at the competition. She hadn't realised how difficult it would be already. Poliwhirl and herself had only had a limited amount of battle training in the past few weeks.

I used to be a nervous child. I always had nervous breakdown whenever I talk in front of many people. I also hated socializing with other people. I was a kid with no friends. I used to play alone with my Pokémon stuffed toys. When I reached ten, I only went to Professor Thyme because my parents forced me to do so. They were famous trainers back in their days and they wanted me, their only child, to follow the same path. Honestly, I really don't want to become a trainer because it would mean socializing with various kinds of people: Trainers, Leaders, Breeders, Researchers. And I freak out merely by the thought of it. But my father, he made me go unwillingly to Professor Thyme. He used threats like cutting off my allowance for my hobby: sticker collection. My mother agreed with him and even added that if I were not to become a trainer, then I should just go to school. I find neither choice very inviting, but I have to choose the lesser evil. So I found myself staring at the funny face of Professor Thyme.

He was holding this box full of balls, which according to the Professor contains the fulfillment of our dreams. I let out a big sigh. Dreams, huh? No dream for me. Predestination maybe, but not dream. I was the last one to get a ball. I threw it into the air and out came my first Pokémon: Ekans. However, it is not the normal purple-colored snake but it is a rather pale-golden. The kid beside me, who got a Zorua, was staring in amazement.

"It is a Shiny Ekans! I have read things about shiny Pokémon, Pokémon whose color is not the normal one people usually find in the wild. There is a very small chance of obtaining a shiny Pokémon, and your first was one!" He excitedly said. I went away from him for fear of inviting a conversation. As I walked away, I saw his face turn from excitement to confusion.

"We will be having your very first Pokémon battle right now! I will be dividing the group into two, and the battle will commence!" I was paired with a girl. I have no argument about that since it is much easier for me to battle with the same gender. She was a hardy one, I remember. I think her name was Salon? Or Salem? I can't quite remember. I last saw her with Chill, the guy with the Zorua, during the Great War a year ago. And we were not quite on good terms that time. Salem had a lucky pick with a Totodile. A major elemental Pokémon will always be at an advantage against a minor elemental Pokémon and, to nobody's surprise, my shiny Ekans fell when Totodile's Fling, a medium-sized stone hit it in the head. Salem offered a hand but I refused and quickly got away.

After the battles, we were finally sent off our own way. My father and mother were beaming with joy, seeing their only daughter going on an adventure they took many years ago. I let out a big sigh. Our group of sixteen kids was walking down this path to Helaium City when I, always the loner, took the road less taken in the forest, slowly separating from the group with my Shiny Ekans.

Looking back, I realized I was the first one to divert from the original plan. I unconsciously triggered the series of events that ultimately led me here. If I had not separated from them, who knows where I am now?

Casey huffed as she walked out of the cave with her Growlithe by her side, it skipped along with her and Casey crouched down next to the Pokemon. They had just gotten out of a heavy battle, one involving a Golem and Aron. Casey was just amazed that they got out unharmed, well...mostly anyway.

"I got a potion for you." She told the Growlithe who was inspecting it's paw. Chuckling softly, Casey took her bag that hung from her shoulder and took one of the Potion's out before handing it over to the little Pokemon. It gulped the liquid down and bounded off down the bridge connecting bolder to bolder. "You're welcome, Growlithe." She muttered and swung her bag back over her shoulder before going after the Pokemon.

An hour more of walking until the duo had made it to Slateport City. Growlithe let out a happy chirp, looking back at it's master with a...she could have sworn it was a smile. Casey smiled back and nodded towards the city, Growlithe didn't need anymore encouragement than that as he bolted through the gates. Growlithe loved to do that, it was a favourite thing of his, to just run to many different places with Casey following after. Though she never complained, because if she encountered more pokemon, there he was. Ready to fight.

The relationship between the two was very compatiable. The Growlithe felt as if Casey were trying her best to take care of him as she had no experience before, she had found him in bush wounded and injured. Sadly, this was on a day where the Pokemon Center was just too full to take anyone else, so Casey nursed him back to health. Ever since then, they have been a team. They were protective of eachother and didn't like having the other out of sight for too long, but it didn't matter. The other always came back and they were still a pair of the best trainer and pokemon in the world.