The crisp morning air felt cool as Ruby Cosgrove exited the Pokémon Center of Pewter City. Even after boarding a boat, riding it across the ocean, and even battling and catching a wild Pidgey, the young woman found it hard to believe that she was actually standing here right now. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she'd be searching in an entirely different region. She glanced down beside her, smiling softly at the sight of an ever-faithful Houndoom named Fang that stood by her side, patiently waiting for his Trainer to begin moving once more.

"At the very least I'm not doing it alone," Ruby thought, reaching down to scratch behind Fang's ear. "The problem is I don't know where to even start. That last bit of information I received from that fisherman back in Olivine only mentioned that he spotted someone that looked like my old man boarding the ship that came to Kanto. Nothing else..."

A part of her wondered if maybe she was wasting her time. After all, Kanto was not exactly a small region. The chances of managing to locate the man she was searching for without any actual clues on where to begin were most likely a slim to none chance... And something told Ruby that slim was out of town. The ebony-haired girl felt a nudging at her leg. She glanced down, smiling softly at her Houndoom who seemed to be offering her an expecting look. Sighing, she patted the dog Pokémon one more time before starting to walk away from the Pokémon Center.

"I guess you're right, Fang," Ruby said, casting a brief glance at the fire-type as they walked. "Standing around and thinking about it isn't really gonna get us anywhere. Besides, we need to get some money rolling in if we're gonna go through with this little search. We spent pretty much everything we had on that boat ride from Olivine... plus a few Pokéballs and Potions."

Fang barked in response, the Houndoom picking up his pace as the duo walked down the Pewter City streets. Ruby giggled at the sight. It was honestly a bit of a nice mood pickup to see a fully grown Houndoom getting all excited as if he was still that little Houndour she had found on the streets of Violet City those eight years ago. Originally, Ruby had debated about leaving Fang back home in Violet City. However, it was moments like this that made the young woman happy to have had him come along with her.

"Let's see... I guess while we walk I should read up a bit about just where we're going," Ruby mused aloud.

She reached into a pocket on her jacket, pulling out a small book that was usually handed out to travelers of the Kanto region. Thankfully the book had been free upon her arrival in the region. It was eagerly handed to her by someone who happened to be working at the docks where the ship she had rode worked. Ruby figured it was probably something commonly handed out to those who arrived in Kanto for the first time. Flipping through the pages of the book, her eyes eventually lit up as she found the page she was looking for.

"Let's see... Welcome to Pewter City," the young woman began to read aloud. At this happy little city nestled at the basin of Kanto's famous Mount Moon, there is plenty to see and do. Our most famous attraction happens to be the Pewter City museum. It's here that you will be able to see all sorts of interesting attractions, including moon rocks and fossils that happened to be mined straight out of our beloved mountains..."

She paused, glancing up from the book and looking at her Houndoom with a frown. "I think I'll skip ahead a bit. I'm not really here to do any sight seeing... At least, not yet." Ruby turned the page and smiled as she resumed reading. "Pewter City is also home to one of the gyms of the Indigo Plateau Pokémon League. The gym leader, Brock, happens to specialize in Pokémon of the rock-typing. He is commonly the first stop for many trainers who decide to take the Indigo Plateau Pokémon League challenge."

Ruby closed the book and placed it back in her pocket. A feeling of worry quickly took hold of her stomach from reading the small exert. While she knew she was no where near that of a professional trainer, Ruby did know that rock-type Pokémon happened to have quite an edge against those of fire and flying. It really did little to help with the fact that said two types were the only Pokémon she had on her team at the moment. While Ruby knew that Fang was pretty tough, the young woman had to admit that she was a bit concerned about her other teammate.

"Maybe he won't want to use two Pokémon..." she muttered. "Then again, if he sends out something weaker, like maybe a Geodude... Juliet might just have a chance..."

Sighing, Ruby stuffed her hands in her pockets and decided to slow down her pace for a few moments. After all, the gym and Brock were most likely not going anywhere. Ruby knew that if she wanted to be a successful trainer while completing her own tasks, she would have to play caution in battles and think ahead. Besdies, the woman was sure there was nothing wrong with having a strategy of sorts planned before engaging a gym leader in battle.

Vernita Glade Adventures

Intro: Team Destiny BF
~Pewter City~

As Vernita got off from the Altaria, she looked to the woman with blond hair and blue eyes, and she smiled at her.

"Thanks for the ride Madame Nelli. I appreciate it and the Eevee."

Nelli also got off the Altaria and went to Vernita and hugged her. She also smiled at her.

"I should be the one thanking you miss Vernita for not only finding my son but also giving him your pokemon. It must have been hard to give Pachurisu up."

Vernita started to imagine the boy, whimpering in the cluttered part of Route 6, all crouched up and alone. He was only about eight, and he had his clothes torn and his brown hair a mess. For an odd reason, seeing him reminded Vernita of her brother Vincent back in Jubilife City. It was Pachurisu who had found him, and Vernita felt obligated to help him out without knowing who he was. Quickly, she picked him up and carried back to the city she came from; Vermilion City.

She was about to go to the officer patrolling the streets when Nelli came to Vernita, pointing to the child and saying he was hers. Afterwards, they started to talk while the kid rested, and playing with Pachurisu. Vernita started to explain how she came from Sinnoh to Johto to Kanto. She explained about her ambitions, and how she wanted to challenge the Pokemon League in Kanto. Nelli then recommended to head to Pewter City, where she would get her first badge if she could prove herself worthy. After saying she had a Turtwig and a Pachurisu, Nelli said that the poor squirrel wouldn't be much of a use.

"He has a Rock/Ground fusion, so electric moves won't work at all," she said.

She then went to the corner of her living room where three Eevee slept, and she picked up the one with a pink ribbon on. She told Vernita to take it as a token of gratitude from her. Plus, she would give her a free ride to the city to save time. But when it was time to go, Pachurisu didn't want to leave, so she let her partner stay with the now happy boy.

Now as Vernita stands in Pewter City, she realizes that she does misses her cute pokemon, but she shook the thoughts away. She had her Turtwig and Eevee, and this was after all a new beginning.

"It's alright. Pachurisu wasn't much into adventure anyway," Vernita stated. "Plus, I was just at the right place at the right time. And thanks for the ride too."

"My pleasure. Well, I should get back to my boy now. I'll be seeing you soon in Vermilion City when you want that third badge."

Have a good day," she said cheerfully. "Hope to see you soon."

With that, Nelli climbed onto her Altaria, and then she was up in the air. As Vernita waved goodbye, she started to realize she would need a place to sleep. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Nah, I'll worry about that for later. For now..."

Vernita drew out two pokeballs from her belt and threw them in the air as she pressed the buttons. Out from them a Turtwig and Eevee, and the both cried in unison.

"I couldn't have you out while we flew, but now, it's our time!"

They cheered, but then stopped when they saw a conflicted look on Vernita.

"It's just that where do we go? This is a lot of territory to cover... Oh well, let's just walk."

Leaving the doorsteps of the Pokemon Center, she decided to walk up a bit north until she saw a huge building ahead. Apparently curious, Eevee ran north.

"Vee! Wait up!"

Vernita scooped up Turtwig and ran after her pokemon. She ran for a while until all of them stopped in front of the building, and Vernita read the sign next to her.

Welcome to Pewter Museum!
Remember, Admission is 50 Pokedollars!

"A museum, huh?" Vernita smiled. "Perfect."

Together, all of them entered the place.

Pewter City[Pewter Museum of Science]

Damien Welters

"So this is a Helix fossil..." Damien muttered to himself. He took a few steps forwards, looking down through the glass cage that held the ancient fossil captive. Damien could certainly tell it was the real deal, from all the cracks and discoloration of the rock. The museum obviously spared no expense in the preservation of not only this fossil, but most likely everything in the museum.

"You like it?" A voice spoke from behind him. Damien turned around and noticed a rather old man, dressed up in your typical security guard uniform.

"Uhhhh...yeah. What Pokémon is it?" Damien asked the old man, turning his attention back to the fossil. The security guard walked over, standing beside Damien, also looking at the fossil.

"An ancient Pokémon known as Omanyte. They were able to revive a few of these fossils, as well as some other ones." The security guard said, staring intently at the fossil. Damien had heard about fossils being revived, although he never really saw an ancient Pokémon due to their rarity and the high cost of actually revitalizing them from their so called 'slumber'. "They're Rock Type Pokémon, you know."

Damien just continued to look at the fossil. It seemed this town was pretty big on Rock types. He figured the gym Leader had something to do with it. He had never met Brock before, so he had no clue what he was in for, but from rumours he supposed to be a rather skillful trainer. Brock's got another thing coming...Both of my Pokémon have type advantage over Rock types. Damien walked over to the next cage, which just had more fossils, this time of various sizes. Fossils, fossils, and more fossils. It certainly was interesting seeing all of the remnants of ancient Pokémon, even though it may not look like it, Damien didn't mind observing and going to museums. "Why don't you stay for the tour?" The security guard asked him. Damien thought for a second. He wasn't in a hurry, but he did want to try and defeat Brock instead of waiting around. But then again, he was in one of the most famous museums in the Kanto Region.

"Ehhh...I'll see. I kind of have other stuff planned as well." Damien said, smiling a bit, while just looking at some more of the display cases, as the security guard nodded and walked off.

In Pewter City's PokeMart, Mauve was perusing the aisles, picking up a fair supply of Super Potions and Pokeballs. He was wearing his dark, purple, button-up shirt with one button unbuttoned. His grey pants, and black shoes looked very clean, along with his shirt. This was because Mauve was not a fan of dirtiness. Not to an obsessive point, but he will try to becom clean as soon as possible.

However, the most notable feature about this young trainer, was that a Weepinbell. More specifically, with his vine wrapped around his trainer, so that the Flycatcher Pokemon could stay out of its Pokeball. He simply observed his trainers actions. Mauve, having finally finished picking out what was needed, stepped up to the register. "Hello, kind sir. I'm finally ready." The cashier, however, was perplexed by the Weepinbell around Mauves chest. "That's a healthy lookin' Weepinbell ya got there. Does he have a name?" Mauve nodded, with a warm smile, and replied, "Why, yes. His name is 'Raze.' This little guy is my partner." The cashier gave a pat to the Weepinbell, saying, "I can tell you care for your Pokemon, sonny. Lemme get you your things. Brock is always ready for new challengers."

That's when it hit Mauve, like a sack of rotting potatoes. Brock, the Gym Leader, must be having a match by now. After hurriedly grabbing his things and stocking them into his bag, he began a quick paced walk to the Pewter Gym. "Well, Raze, we'll be at our first bout soon. Are you excited?" The Flycatcher Pokemon rocked back and forth, with a determined look in it's eyes. Mauve smirked, patting his partner. "That's what I like to see, my dear partner."

Mauve made it into the Pewter Gym, which had a very cave-like feeling to it. Except for the lanterns and oil lamps perfectly placed throughout the entrance area. An elderly woman was at a desk, looking up at the young trainer. "Well, another trainer already? Welcome, young man." "Thank you, ma'am. Is the Gym Leader available for a battle?" She shook her head. "Sorry, but another trainer went in just moments ago. However, if you'd like, you may have a seat. You can speak with Brock once he finishes this match." Mauve nodded, and thanked the old woman with a bow. He then sat down at a chair, and began to think through some strategies. He knows his Weepinbell was a pretty tough Grass-type, but this is a Gym Leader. He'd have to think of some tricks.

Vernita Glade Adventures

Venturing the Museum
~Pewter City~

Upon entering, she was greeted by a clerk in violet clothing. The lady stopped Vernita and smiled at her.

"Hello ma'am. Welcome to Pewter Museum of Science! We have many grand displays, and we recently added some new fossils and stones discovered!"

"So new displays?" Vernita asked. The lady nodded. "Great! Where are they?"

"Not so fast. You must first pay your admission fee, and you can't have two pokemon out at once. You don't want them to ruin the displays, now do you?"

Vernita sighed as she pulled out the money and handed it out to the clerk. She then looked at her pokemon, Turtwig and Eevee, and was lost on who to take. She drew out an empty pokeball and pressed the button towards Turtwig.

"Sorry Buddy. Might as well get to know Vee a bit more."

Once Turtwig was back in his pokeball, the lady let Vernita pass with Eevee.

"Have a good time ma'am!" She said encouragingly.

As they walked forward, Vernita realized she didn't know where to start. Apparently Eevee did because she ran to a display with some kind of stone in it. Vernita walked up and read the plate under the display.

This is a shard of the great Moon Stone on top of Mt. Moon. This stone can make certain pokemon evolve, but it has been rumoured that this stone does not come from Earth. Instead, they say this came from a big meteorite that crashed at the foot of Mt. Moon. There isn't much to point out why this is true, but archeologists managed to find just this shard.

"It's very educational, isn't it?"

Vernita jumped up in fright, and turned to see who talked to her. She found herself starting at a hiker, and beside him was a Sandslash, holding a tour book in his claws.

"I like coming here before I travel to Mt. Moon every year, just to refresh my memory on the bloody mountain. It's actually one of the smallest mountains there is, but the Moon Stone and the fossils gives it some recognition."

"So no one truly knows about Mt. Moon then?"

"Well, archeologists and scientists will keep on trying to find the answers to their investigations. But take this from a hiker; some things are just meant to be left alone."

The Sandslash and Eevee were playing around beside them, trying to catch the booklet the pokemon was holding earlier.

"You may be right," Vernita responded a few seconds later. "Look at all the crazy things that happened because of discovery."

"Yeah, that's it. But I recommend you to check out the fossils if you plan on going to Mt. Moon. You might stumble upon a fossil and never know what it might be."

Vernita smiled and she picked up Eevee.

"Okay. And thanks for the chat!"

"Anytime miss," the hiker said back.

Vernita carried Eevee to the display of fossils and began to investigate it. She looked at a fossil that was orange, but it was shaped like a flat orb.

"I think this one is Aerodactyl, since this is the Amber Fossil," Vernita said to Eevee.

She was going to the next display when she saw a buff boy with dark blond hair, and he was way taller than her. She went to the boy.

"Which fossil is that one?" Vernita asked to the boy.

Pewter City[Pewter Museum of Science]

Damien Welters

Damien stared at the fossil display case. These ones were a bit more dome-like in appearance, which gave them more of a similar resemblance to a regular rock than a fossil. However, it was obvious that it belonged to a different Pokémon, and not Omanyte. "Which fossil is that one?" A voice spoke from beside Damien as he was looking at the fossils. He turned to see a girl with brown hair, looking at the fossils he was looking at. Damien looked around for the display and info plaque, and found it sitting right next to display case.

He bent down a bit to read the writing engraved on the plaque. "Well, It says here these ones are Dome Fossils. Originally being the Pokémon Kabuto." He said, looking at the girl and then back at the previous display case. "Those other ones over there are Helix fossils. I think the security guard told me they are Omanyte. Apparently they can resurrect some of these fossils, but I don't think they have any actual living fossils here at this museum." Damien laughed a bit, shrugging. It was too bad they didn't have any here at the museum, but observing the fossils was good enough for him. He then noticed a small brown creature situated near the girl's leg, moving about. "Hey...is that your Pokémon?" He looked at the girl. He wasn't sure if the girl was a trainer or not, but to Damien she certainly didn't look like a very skillful or intimidating trainer.

Vernita Glade Adventures

Among Sea Fossils
~Pewter City~

To Vernita's surprise, the boy actually responded back.

"Well, it says here these ones are Dome Fossils. Originally being the Pokémon Kabuto."

The boy then looked at Vernita, and she saw his blue sea eyes. He was probably checking to see if Vernita caught that, and she did. She actually remembers the fossils from Sinnoh, given that one time she went underground (which she did not like) and went to the museum at Oreburgh in Sinnoh (which she liked better). In a sense, she felt that being in a museum could help her feel a bit closer to home... She hoped Vincent was alright. She then made a mental note to call her brother. Drawing herself back to present, she saw the boy look at another display.

"Those other ones over there are Helix fossils," the boy says. "I think the security guard told me they are Omanyte. Apparently they can resurrect some of these fossils, but I don't think they have any actual living fossils here at this museum."

The boy then laughed a bit, probably saying an amusing joke or something, at least to Vernita's comprehension. But still, she did vaguely remember that every museum had a fossil revival somewhere, except this was no Safari Zone to be displaying pokemon, live ones at least. The boy shrugged, but then her stared at Vee, which at that point the Eevee got bored and decided to roam around Vernita's legs.

"Hey...is that your Pokémon?"

Vernita wasn't sure if this was a praise or an insult, but she wasn't sure at all. She shrugged her shoulders and picked up Vee.

"Oh, this little Eevee? She wasn't mine until a few hours ago."

All of a sudden, Vernita was afraid that this boy here wasn't going to take her seriously, since she was a trainer after all.

"But, I didn't come here to challenge Brock with just this Eevee. I brought my Turtwig from Sinnoh to accompany me to get all the badges."

She then realized this boy must be a trainer too if he bothered to ask.

"Are you a trainer also?" She asked shyly to the boy.

She made sure to next time put modesty over curiosity.

It was not long before Ruby and Fang finally made their way to the Pewter City Pokémon Gym. It had taken a bit of debate, but the young woman had mostly figured out a strategy she could probably use to help in her battle against Brock. Of course, the problem was that she had apparently poked around a bit longer than she had meant to. It seemed that during her walk to the gym, a small line of sorts had formed for potential challengers who hoped to battle against the rock-specializing trainer. Normally, Ruby would have just decided to do a bit of sightseeing around the city and just drop by the gym a bit later. However, the woman still felt a bit uneasy about her upcoming battle against Brock. She decided that maybe if she stuck around, she might be able to pick up a tip or two from asking the trainers how their battles went against the man.

In the meantime, she would just have to wait for one of those trainers to arrive to question. Ruby made her way over towards a seating area, a soft smile on her face as she spotted a boy who looked to be roughly her own age. He was dressed in a purple top and from the expression on his face, she was able to determine that he seemed to be in deep thought about something. Ruby felt a bit bad disturbing him, but she was always told by her grandmother to be polite and greet someone before just taking a chair beside them.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Ruby asked, gesturing over towards an empty seat beside the boy.

Baby Steps
Devin Aldrin

It was not a pleasant evening for Devin. He just got off the train station and was heading to Pewter City when he fell over a hill and got dirt all over his jeans, and followed up by that he almost OHKO'd an Eevee he found on the road. He caught it nonetheless, however it was by the skin of his teeth. Followed up by his catching of the Eevee, who's name he hasn't decided yet, he almost got ran-over by a man riding on a Tauros. Apparently here in the Johto Region, things get more wild than in Hoenn. He was livid with anger, and his hair had gotten messed up. He spent 2 hours trying to comb his hair, while walking, and finally arrived in what seemed to be Pewter City. Immediately after walking into the city he saw a young boy, 2 inches away from him, propelling at high speed into the museum. This was his second brush with death, and he'd been in this region for less than an hour! To think that there are people in the world that want to crush those who have outstandingly fabulous hair. Pitiful creatures.

Devin's first action was to rush into the PokeCenter, his Eevee was weak and Nifty had seen better days. He himself needed a rest, but he didn't find anywhere that he could sleep in. He took a look inside the Gym, and saw 2 people already inside. It'd be a while until the Gym Leader would be ready for him. Devin just went outside and took a stroll, and he immediately found himself outside of the Fossil Museum. There was no other in Kanto, so might as well took a look.

The lady inside asked for a mere 50 pokebucks. He willingly paid and went inside. He noticed two people, and the young boy who almost killed him. He etched by without being noticed, and examined a display case. The case said : 'Old Amber'. The skeletal structure that was found in the original amber apparently resembled that of an Aerodactly. How intriguing...



The Party

Pewter City[Pewter Museum of Science]

Damien Welters

"Oh, this little Eevee? She wasn't mine until a few hours ago." The girl spoke. Damien arched an eyebrow. He found it awfully weird letting the Pokémon run around outside of its Pokéball, when she said that she had only recently caught it. He himself definitely wouldn't trust a Pokémon that quickly. "But, I didn't come here to challenge Brock with just this Eevee. I brought my Turtwig from Sinnoh to accompany me to get all the badges." Damien just looked at the girl. So she's here to challenge Brock also... It wasn't uncommon meeting other challengers, but the main problem for Damien was that he got the vibe that the girl wasn't a very good trainer. He could have been wrong, but that was simply the feeling he was getting. "Are you a trainer also?" She asked him.

Damien stood for a few seconds, and then nodded. "Yeah, I also came here to challenge Brock. But to be honest it looks like I'm doing a bit more sightseeing than actual battling." He laughed a bit slightly out of embarrassment, fiddling around with the hat on his head. "I dunno, I've heard a lot about this museum so I thought I should check it out. I never travelled much, so I like to take advantage when I can." He said, looking down back at the fossils.

"Hello kid how are you doing?" A voice suddenly chimed in. Damien looked to his side and noticed a young man about his age with brown hair approach them. "And what is a lady like you doing with this kid?" Damien honestly didn't know what to say. He took this as a bit of an insult, and normally, he would of said something in return. He looked around, and didn't exactly want to cause a scene, as promised to his parents.

"Uhhh...yeah, I'll catch you later. Nice talking to you." Damien said to the girl, and then giving a slight irritated look at the other young man before turning around towards the back of the museum. It certainly was unexpected, but he figured now would be a good time to head over to the gym.

"Pewter City Gym...." Damien muttered to himself, as he gazed upon the building in front of him. This was it. The first step in his journey, and probably one of the most difficult. He didn't exactly have 'professional' training, only street battles. He knew battles in gyms were much different because of the rules and guidelines, plus the Gym Leaders' Pokémon were always usually properly trained for combat. Walking down the dirt and grass path, he opened the doors to the gym, revealing a small seating area for what he assumed to be the challengers. There were already some other people waiting, so he figured he may as well sit down and wait his turn before someone else came in and snatched his spot right up. Sighing, he walked over to a cushioned couch, in a relaxed position, putting his backpack down next to him.

Vernita Glade Adventures

A New Chapter Unfolds
~Pewter City to Viridian Forest~

The boy stood for a few seconds without responding her, but then he nodded.

"Yeah, I also came here to challenge Brock. But to be honest it looks like I'm doing a bit more sightseeing than actual battling."

As he laughed a bit and played with his hat, it had occurred to Vernita how nervous she was to facing Brock. Sure she had Turtwig's Seed Bomb and Razor Leaf combinations along with Eevee's Dig and Iron Tail moves could take care of his pokemon, but you may never know. After all, he was a Gym Leader. But Vernita didn't get just three badges of Sinnoh for nothing. Well she could have continued on, but she felt that challenging Sinnoh was getting too easy. After all, she knew which pokemon type they were using since she watched countless battles of every gym leader on tv. Her Turtwig, Gastrodon, Pachurisu, and her Gabite were the perfect combination to beat anything. But she wanted something new, something she never had come across before. And Kanto was just the place to do so.

"I dunno, I've heard a lot about this museum so I thought I should check it out. I never travelled much, so I like to take advantage when I can."

As he said this, he looked back down at the display. Vernita knew how he felt; she used to feel the same years ago when she first started to take care of Vincent. She could feel the suffocation everyday being stuck indoors, never knowing if she was free to go outside. And every time when she could go outside, she cherished it like it was her last. But that was before she realized there was no escape and accepted the responsibilities.

"I..."

Whatever Vernita said got cut off by a boy that looked about their age and he had brown hair.

"Hello kid how are you doing?"

Vernita flinched at the voice and she looked to see who this new stranger was referring to. He was looking to the boy next to her. Did they know each other? But based on the quizzical look he wore, it didn't seem likely. The new boy them looked at Vernita.

"And what is a lady like you doing with this kid?"

Vernita felt her face being flushed, but she was just irritated now, and she usually doesn't get ticked off fast. Whatever positive thoughts she had from this new boy vanished. In all her life, she's never met a person that could be so rude and approachable without sounding like neither. Maybe he was... no, he should know better.

"Uhhh... yeah, I'll catch you later," he said to Vernita. "Nice talking to you."

He gave a very irritated look at the new boy and he left the museum. Vernita sighed. She didn't even get to know his name. But if he's a trainer and also challenging Brock, she would surely see him around. Then she turned and looked at the rude boy. She really didn't feel like talking to more people if she wanted to challenge Brock. So instead of chatting with this new boy, she told him:

"You should be ashamed of yourself young man. No one taught you about manners? I'm going to be really surprised if you are a trainer. And if you are, well good luck getting any badges."

With that, Vernita left with her Eevee, who had fallen asleep in her arms, and left the museum. She felt really bad that she told that to the new boy, but she could tell that the boy she was chatting to held his anger.

"Eevee, wake up. Vee."

The Eevee slowly woke up, and she was surprised to the different environment around her. She leaped off the arms of Vernita and cheered. They walked south of Pewter City to the gym.

"Eevee, just looking at this place makes me a bit nervous. I shouldn't be since I was conquering the Sinnoh league, but I feel that we should train more. After all, someone is already challenging Brock."

Eevee nodded, clearly grateful that they weren't going inside a building soon. She left the gym doorsteps and climbed over the ledges. She really didn't feel like making a u-turn. They skipped all about until they were close to Viridian Forest.

"Shall we?"

Eevee looked at the huge trees ahead, and they were intimidating. But as she sniffed, she could tell that there was some delicious food there. She cheered, and they were about to enter the forest when two campers rushed in and bumped into Vernita as they left the forest.

"Sorry," the boy mumbled.

"Are you going in there?" asked the girl.

"Sure," Vernita said. "Why not?"

"Because of the hoard of Pikachu that keeps on electrifying everyone," stated the girl.

"They go in a group and attack anyone they see."

"Thanks for the warning," Vernita said.

Those poor Pikachu might be misunderstood. Maybe they're defending their territory or something... Eevee looked a bit more excited to enter the forest, and both of them entered the maze.

Maxwell "Max" Hudson
Pewter City > Museum

It was quite a long journey from Johto to Kanto, but Max had finally arrived in Pewter City. He would have gotten there sooner, were it not for Max getting distracted with some things along the way. He had to stop to buy some supplies, he stopped to sketch some adorable scenes of wild Pokemon that he would never get the opportunity to do again, and most importantly, he caught a Cleffa along the way. It was good addition to his collection of Fairies. Not that two Pokemon could really be considered a collection.

At first, Max wasn't interested in this whole Pokemon Trainer thing. Sure, he traded away the Dratini his dad got for him in exchange for a Togepi that some kid didn't want, but it was intended to be a pet rather than a fighter. Besides, it wasn't like he could let adorable Togepi stay with some boy who didn't want it... After his father's reaction to his desire to be an artist instead of a trainer, the fact that he traded away his Dratini, and him coming out of the closet in the heat of the moment, caused Max to run away from home. They let Pokemon trainers wander around on their own, so why not? He had to battle wild Pokemon and trainer's, and sell random junk he found on the street to make money. It was worth it in the end though, because all that battling experience caused his Togepi to evolve into a Togetic. After spending some time thinking about it, Max decided to get his license and become a trainer after all. He would do it in the Kanto region, so he wouldn't have to return home right away. Becoming an accomplished trainer with the Pokemon he liked best was a perfect way to teach his father, and all those bullies back home a lesson. Getting the Gym Badges of Kanto seemed like a good way to start on that goal.

Now that Max was in Pewter City, he wasn't sure what to do next, The town was small, and their didn't seem like much to do there besides the Gym, but he had just arrived. He wasn't in the mood to participate in an important Gym battle when he spent so much of his day getting to the town in the first place, and was tired from the journey. The first thing he did, was release his two Pokemon from their balls. In a flash of light, a Cleffa and a Togetic appeared before him. After spending so much time alone, these two were the closest thing to a family Max had right now. "Come guys, let's go see what there is to do around here." He took Aurora the Cleffa into his arms, and Belle the Togetic floated beside him.

As he wandered around the town, he passed by a Museum. At first, Max was excited, believing it to be an art museum. Then realized after reading the sign more closely that it was a science museum. "Hm... there doesn't seem to be much else here besides the Gym, may as well go see what this is about."

---

After paying the small entry fee, Max walked around, but only saw rocks, rocks, and more rocks. Max was starting to get bored of it. "Ugh, do they have anything here besides rocks?!"

Something caught his Cleffa's attention. He waved her tiny arms around frantically, and started shouting. "Cleffa! Clef!" She pointed to one of the displays.

"What is it Aurora?" The boy turned around to see what the Cleffa was getting excited about. He saw that she was pointing to a display case containing yet another rock. "...It's another rock..."

Aurora sighed in exasperation "Cleffa..."

Belle understood what Aurora was getting excited about, and floated over to the display, and calmly pointed to the small sign describing the stone inside. "Togetic."

Max read the sign carefully, and finally understood his Pokemon's excitement. "Ohhh, it's a Moon Stone! I get it now." Moon Stones caused Clefairy to evolve into Clefable, so it made sense that the small Fairy type had a connection to the space rock. Her trainer still thought it was just a mere rock... Thankfully, there was something better for Max to pay attention to, or rather... someone. It was a cute blonde boy in glasses and wearing a purple suit. The guy seemed close to Max's age, and he seemed much more interested in the Moon Stone than Max was. Since he rarely ever had an actual human to talk to, Max decided it was a good time for a friendly hello. "Hey there buddy!" Max exclaimed, giving the guy a light pat in the back. "You look like you're really into that rock."

The girl and the boy left with rude face. I got really angry. My strategy failed. Bubbles splashed my face.

"I know what to do... Try to see whit is her problem..." Bubbles sighed.

As i left, i remembered that my skateboard was here and it wasn't anymore. Then i see Gary Clark. The popular kid of the school.

"Thanks for your skateboard you looser!" He said as he ran away with my skateboard, laughing. I hate that guy!

G. Clark (his nickname) is an arrogant boy and the cool one at the school. Gavin, my best friend, was the smart one; Larry, G. Clark's best friend, was the tough one and i was the cute one at our school. Me and Gary are always fighting for everything, which reminds me my brother.

I saw the Pokemon Gym. I was already imagining it; I would be the first one of course.

I enter and i got shocked. I was like the last one. Sludges, Leaf and Bubbles were almost laughing.

"How can i be the last one?!" I could not believe. I sit down and start to be nervous. Leaf sits down with Sludges and Bubbles (That was really tired) tried to sleep. About me... I decided to read my strategy.

The car ride from Celadon City to Vermilion City's port had taken about four hours, with an extra half an hour or so spent trying to navigate through the bustling harbour in search for the correct boat to jump aboard. Seriously, whose genius idea was it to name those things after women, instead of, you know, the actual route they were taking? S.S.Mary-Sue didn't mean shit. S.S.Pallet-Vermilion would have spoken volumes. But, you know, rich bastards and their need to give female characteristics to inanimate objects they owned so they could feel slightly less creepy for getting boners staring at them. Couldn't be helped.

Sigur wasn't entirely sure how long the boat ride that followed had taken, considering how he'd spent half of it in his cabin's bathroom bent over a toilet, half trying to prevent Bál from jumping overboard in an attempt to fight whatever random water Pokémon she felt had tried to pick a fight with her. If he had to guess, he'd said it took forever. A more realistic estimation would probably be a day or so. It had been a cruiser ship meant for sea gazing, after all. Or so he was told. He didn't particularly care, considering all he'd been gazing at was whatever he'd eaten that day.

Regardless, from there, the walk from Pallet Town to Viridian city had taken five or so hours. And then the trip through Viridian Forest had taken... what?

"Almost eight fucking hours?" Sigur groaned, directing his accusing words at the dragon Pokémon making a mess out of what had to be the gazillionth Weedle that day. The teen was sitting atop a tree stump, his bag discarded somewhere to his right and back pressed against whatever plant happened to grow behind him. His arms were folded, icy gaze alternating between glaring daggers at his wristwatch and his starter. Although, at the moment, he was solely focusing on the latter.

"You think that's enough?" He questioned, tone raised just enough to convey his sarcastic tone without drowning it out with irritation. "You think you've left a big enough pile of bug corpses to last you a while? 'Cause I'm starving like hell and the city's still like an hour's walk from here."

Bál merely pulled her claws from the side of its latest 'opponent' - although Sigur preferred the term 'victim of circumstance', in this case - and merely scoffed in response. If her trainer wasn't willing to actively seek out battles for her, she had to do it herself. And besides, that Kakuna had clearly challenged her by not moving from her path when she approached. She let her opinion be known by the only way she knew how; repeating her name a few times before returning to her search for her next source of experience. Sigur grunted.

"I freaking swear," he breathed, glancing at the Pokéball on his belt. 'Let her be outside her ball' his parents had said when they'd first given her to him. 'Let her get used to the outside world' they'd said. Well he had, and look where that'd gotten him; she refused to go back in, and even if through some miracle he did manage to force her there, she just forced her way out a second later, only ten times more irritated than she'd been prior. And considering her usual state of mind seemed to be irked out, that was saying a lot. Ugh. How the hell did some people enjoy this? He'd sat in one damn spot for half the day, watching his sentient critter beat up other sentient critters in a forest that smelled of Pikachu droppings. Yeah, best way to spend your day ever. He couldn't wait to continue this wonderful journey.

Speaking of Pikachu... weren't those things supposed to be rare? He'd heard as much from some random teenage chick back abroad S.S.Whatever. Yeah, not the most trusted source to be sure, but considering her squealing had been high-pitched enough to break class when she'd heard talk about going to Viridian Forest, he had reasons to believe she'd done her research. That, and when he'd seen people show-off their prized Pokémon as a kid, he'd rarely seen a Pikachu included. Of course, that could just mean that they were not worth bragging about, but... well, whatever.

It was just sort of weird that for a while now, he'd seen a bunch of those things stealing peeks at him from the bushes. At least, he figured it was them; he didn't know any other electric type indigenous to the area. Well, not that it mattered much. He wasn't really afraid of them or whatever. He was more concerned over the occasional Beedrill flying overhead, to be honest. He wasn't really afraid of bugs but yikes. Talk about disturbing.

Just then, Bál spotted something in the distance and stomped off to find whatever she'd deemed to be her next punching bag, and Sigur could do little but sigh and fix his sitting position to be more comfortable. He was getting tired. At this rate, he'd have to move his Gym Battle for tomorrow. Not that he really looked forward to it anyway, but the sooner he got all the badges or whatever, the sooner he was done with this whole journey business. And then he could go back to doing what he was doing before. Which... uh, was nothing, pretty much. But it beat this any day.

A rustle from his right startled Sigur into vigilance. As he turned, he saw a yellow ball of fur on all fours glaring up at him, cheeks releasing small crackling bursts of electricity in the air. For all intents and purposes, it did not look too happy. Sigur cocked an eyebrow, pushing himself to sit straight.

"Huh? What d'ya want?" He asked, head slightly tilted. The Pokémon didn't answer, just took a step closer, sparks flying from its fur. Instinctively, the teen edged a bit further away, still sitting on the stump. "What? I don't have any food or shit to give you. I'd eaten them myself if I did."

That answer didn't seem to satisfy the rodent, as its advance continued and tail twitched in what was decidedly annoyance. It glanced to where Bál had wrecked havoc earlier, and Sigur followed its gaze, confused. It didn't take long for him to realize what the matter was, though; lying in the bushes a little distance from them was a familiar looking creature, unconscious and scratched up. Bál had apparently attacked a Pikachu among all the other things she'd knocked out. Uh, okay then? So was this thing, like, after revenge or sh-

Before Sigur could mentally finish his sentence, the Pikachu had already answered by leaping from its spot on the ground, whole body covered in yellow light as it attempted to tackle Sigur's head. Letting out a somewhat uncharacteristically high yelp, the blonde scrambled to his feet, grabbing his bag and distancing himself from the rapid rodent - and what seemed to be its pals emerging from the nearby bushes - as fast as he humanly could. Oh shit.

"B-Bál, hey, Bál! If you want things to beat up, I've got-," he glanced behind him, but the Gabite was nowhere in sight. "... Bál? O-oi!"

No answer.

Great. Perfect.

"Fuck!"

Throwing his backbag over his shoulder, Sigur kicked into a run. Suddenly, he kind of missed only having to worry about an empty stomach and having to sit in a place smelling of rodent crap.

Well, on the bright side, it probably couldn't get worse than this, right? Unless, well, the things actually caught up to him.

...

Just in case, Sigur sped up his running pace.

-------------

Pokémon on Hand



Bál, ♀
Ability: Sand Veil
Moveset:
- Dragon Claw
- Body Slam
- Dig
- Sandstorm
- Hone Claws

Mauve was suddenly stirred from his thoughts by a voice, seemingly directed at him. He looked up, and saw quite a lovely girl. She had black hair, and a blonde patch. Mauve was... well, taken aback. She was quite easy on the eyes, and looked quite athletic. He was certainly stuck on a reply, as Mauve was never around people his age. Raze, however, greeted the girl with a hearty "Bellllll!"

"Well, aren't you a friendly little guy," Ruby greeted, glancing down at the Weepinbell that was hanging around the boy's shirt. Fang glanced up at the duo, looking between the boy and his Grass-type before letting out a loud, hearty bark. She glanced over at her Houndoom, nodding and giggling softly. Rub reached down and scratched behind his ear gently. "Yes, yes... I haven't forgotten you were here, Fang."

As soon as the girl's Houndoom barked, Mauve jumped in his seat, and looked down at the Dark Pokemon. He shivered a bit, and muttered a reply, "S-Sure, have a seat." Raze was swinging back and forth in delight. Mauve, however, could feel his heart racing ever so slightly, with the gorgeous girl and the Fire-type that he could only assume was her partner. Raze swung a little bit, trying to help Mauve calm down a bit. He looked down, and patted his partner. With a deep breath, he looked up at her. "It's okay. I'm not holding this seat," he said with a nervous chuckle.

Ruby gave the boy another smile and took the seat beside him promptly. Fang took a seat by her feet, stretching his body out for a moment before coming to curl up comfortably on the floor. She then extended a hand out to Mauve, deciding that it was probably polite to introduce herself next.

"Thanks for letting me sit here. I really didn't wanna wander around town and end up getting stuck in an even longer line to challenge the gym leader," Ruby said. "My name is Ruby, by the way. It's nice to meet you... uh..."

Mauve extended his hand, and shook her hand firmly. He eyed her Houndoom, still a bit uneasy, but tried to swallow his increasing discomfort. "My n-name is Mauve. Nice t-to meet y-you. M-Mauve B-Banzett. Um... yes?" Mauve felt a metaphorically large sweat drop descend upon him, as he noticed that Ruby noticed his discomfort.

"Mauve...? Well, that's a nice name," Ruby said, continuing to make small talk. She gave the boy a curious glance, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. "Is... everything okay? You're looking a bit flushed... Oh, I know. You're probably a bit nervous, aren't you? I can't blame you. This is my first gym battle, so I've got a few butterflies in my stomach too."

"Eheh... it is, thank you. Your name is lovely, too." He smiled back at her, but panicked on the inside. Mauve couldn't help but be charmed by this charming girl, yet intimidated by her Houndoom. He remembered what his mother told him about interacting with others... "Mauve, if you want to make a good impression, you must be honest, and confident." He hung his head, and sighed deeply. Taking a big gulp of air, he sat up, looking Ruby in the eye. "To be quite honest..." He looked down at her partner Pokemon, and then back at her.

He tried and tried to think of a way to not only be honest, but also not anger her. "You see, I... have a fear of Fire-type Pokemon." His glasses slid a bit, but he slid them back up with an index finger. Raze looked up at Mauve, feeling his heart beat even faster.

A small whine of confusion was heard from Fang as he glanced up. The Fire-type glared slightly in annoyance at Mauve, as if he was offended by the fact that the boy was afraid of him. Ruby giggled at the scene before her, petting her Houndoom gently and getting the dog to lay back down on the floor once more. After calming Fang down, Ruby returned her attention to Mauve.

"You don't have to worry about Fang. He's harmless, really..." Ruby assured him. A small smirk quickly came to her lips. "He'd never actually hurt you or anything like that... usually."

With a sigh of relief, Mauve was able to calm himself. For the most part. Though, when her Houndoom glared up at Mauve, he felt his spine stiffen greatly. "Well, if you say so... my apologies," Mauve replied with another nervous chuckle. He smiled at her, after parting his bangs away from his right eye.

Trying to keep up the small talk, Mauve asked Ruby, "Well... back to your previous question... I'm not too worried. Sure, my new Koffing may have some trouble, but Raze can get the job done. Isn't that right, partner?" Mauve looked down to a smiling Weepinbell, slightly swinging. Looking back at Ruby, he then asked, "What about you? How do you feel about facing this gym leader?"

"I'm absolutely terrified," Ruby said, giving Mauve a small grin as she answered. "I don't really have any Pokémon that have a great advantage over Rock-types. So, I pretty much have to come up with a great strategy right off the bat or else I won't have a prayer." The young woman paused, bringing a finger to her lips as if she was suddenly thinking something over. "Hey, how about you let me watch you and steal a few tips?"

With a small frown, Mauve thought maybe it would be a good idea to let her watch. But, on the other hand... her, watching him battle in his first gym battle... made him quite nervous. "Ahem... Yes, absolutely. I'd be more than happy to let you watch," Mauve said with a nervous smile. Weepinbell rattled a bit, then smiled at Ruby.

Ruby let out a small, light-hearted giggle. "Oh, don't worry. I was just kidding, actually. I wouldn't dare pry into your private matters like that," she replied. "Besides, if I need to steal tips on how to beat the first gym leader, then something tells me I'd probably be in the wrong career path anyways and would most likely need to head on home to Johto... Speaking of which, where are you from? You've got that accent that tells me we're from the same region."

"Well, I don't know about that... I mean, this Gym Leader uses Rock-types, of course. And usually, they're also part Ground-types. Which could cause serious problems for Fire-types like Houndoom," Mauve explained. His knowledge really shined when it came to his research of the Kanto gym leaders.

When Ruby asked about them being possibly from the same region, Mauve replied with, "If you mean Johto, then yes. I come from Ecruteak City. My mother was originally an incredible Coordinator, but, she wanted to teach Pokemon dancing where it originated. What about you?" Mauve was very curious, wondering if she lived close to his hometown.

"Violet City, born and raised," Ruby answered, crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat a bit. "I live... Well, lived with my Granny and little sister there. Granny worked at the local PokéMart, while my sister and I usually helped her out there part time." Fang's ears perked up as his trainer began to talk a bit. The Houndoom slowly picked himself off the ground and made his way towards Ruby, where he then nudged his snout against her leg in an attempt to gain the woman's attention. "Don't worry, we wouldn't forget you either... Fang was also from Violet City. I found him there back when he was just a stray, little Houndour."

"I see... well, I'm glad he found a good trainer." He winked, and looked down at his partner. "I met Raze because of my mother. I was homeschooled by my mother, and when I turned 16, my mother gave me this little guy as a Bellsprout. We became close very quickly." He smiled down, and was met with a happy Weepinbell. "Speaking of our Pokemon, do you have any others with you?" Mauve asked, interested as to what else she may have.

"Nothing amazing special, if you're hoping to see a rare species," Ruby answered. "I caught a Pidgey on my way here. I figured that having a flyer as one of my first teammates would always be a good idea. Of course, that was before I discovered that the first gym leader I'd be fighting would be using Rock-types..."

"Pidgey, and their evolved forms, are quite the reliable Flying-type Pokemon. You can't go wrong with a Pidgey," he explained. Hesitating, Mauve continued with, "Well, I don't remember if I said, but I caught Huff 'n Puff, my dear Koffing on the way." He knew Ruby was going to have a difficult time with the Gym Leader. He didn't want to think it, but she may struggle with him, too. "Maybe I should stick around to help... just in case. She seems like a pleasant girl to be around... plus, she's very beautiful."


The two continued to talk and enjoy their company, forgetting where they were while chatting.

Vernita Glade Adventures

The Odd Mystery of Viridian Forest
~Viridian Forest~

Vernita and Eevee started to stroll along the forest, and both sighed as they breathe in the fresh air.

"This is why I came here," Vernita said to herself.

Eevee, curious as to what exactly she was saying, cried out to her. Vernita turned to look at her.

"Oh, I mean why I came to Kanto. Sinnoh is pretty developed, and most of the cities can be suffocating sometimes. And here in Kanto, there's so much nature to explore, from these forests to the mountains... and the beauty..."

Apparently Eevee thought the same thing, because she cried out to her trainer and nudge her. Vernita started to wonder how a recently new pokemon could like her already, but then she remembered she was just a new born. So basically both of them were pretty new to Kanto. After a while of walking in silence, the two of them stopped when they heard some noise. At first, they thought that it was nothing, but as they slowly walked closer, they heard screams from people and cries from Pikachu, lots of them. Vernita took out Turtwig.

"Listen to me," said Vernita. "We're going to help those people out, but we're going to have to engage in battle. Just try not to harm anyone too much, okay?"

Turtwig automatically nodded, and Eevee gave a battle cry.

"Okay, let's go!"

All of them ran east of where they were to a camp. The tent was intact, but everything else was a huge mess; whatever supplies left remained in the rubble, scattered everywhere, and the people screaming were surrounded by at least four Pikachu, electricity taking over their bodies. Eevee and Turtwig stopped in their tracks as they saw they were outnumbered. Vernita barely caught up with her pokemon when she stepped on a lone stick, and the pack turned to look at the new spectators. Two of the Pikachu backed away from their positions and went towards the pokemon. Before they could get closer, Turtwig unleashed a Seed Bomb attack of the Pikachu to the right. The one to the left tried to jump on Vernita, and thanks to her small size, she managed to doge the attack. She then noticed something.

"Eevee! Eevee, where are you?!"

Her pokemon then sprang from the ground and launched herself at the Pikachu, sending it flying to a bush. She looked at her pokemon and smiled. She saw the other Pikachu there trying to retreat, but Turtwig gave them a chase. Vernita then went to where the campers were there frozen, and she went there and told them:

"You might want to get out of here while you can. I'm sure there are more of these pokemon here. I'll hold them all, but I appreciate if you can get backup in Pewter City."

All of them nodded and they ran towards the exit, but one stayed behind.

"You might as well get some potions from our camp. After all, it will be a while."

Vernita nodded as the girl broke off to a sprint and ran towards her friends. Noticing it was just her and Eevee, she said:

"Eevee, do you mind sniffing out where Turtwig went?"

Eevee gave a cry and went deeper into the forest. Before she followed her, Vernita tooks some supplies, including some food, berries, and potions, and ran after Vee. She saw the fox run until they came in a clearing. She saw Turtwig fighting with the run away Pikachu, but then she heard a very high yelp not far from her. She turned her head to pin a location, but she wasn't too sure of herself.

"Turtwig! Use a Razor Bomb!"

Turtwig nodded and surrounded himself in a cloak of Razor Leafs, but then he charges at the Pikachu, and coming in contact, he released Razor Leafs and Seed Bombs and hit them. One of the Pikachu got up and this time Eevee gave it a pursuit. Turtwig and Vernita did their best to keep up, but Vernita stopped as from the corner of her eye a boy. She and Turtwig went over there and saw a boy fasten some shoes. All she saw was blond hair, but as he lifted up his head, she saw piercings on him. What awed Vernita that he was here without a pokemon.

"Hey!" Vernita yelled out to him. "You really shouldn't be out alone in the wild without a pokemon in a forest, especially this one. Mainly because-"

Whatever came next was lost because a Pikachu that was perching in a tree lunged at Vernita and she wrestled it on the ground. Hurry, she said to herself. Hurry before this pokemon charges up. The Pikachu started to get some electricity on its cheeks when a Razor Leaf attack came and Vernita freed herself of the Pikachu. She flushed and breathed hard, unknown as to what to do next.

The fresh mountain air filled Keia's lungs as she stepped outside of the Pokemon Center she'd stayed at for a cigarette. The rooms were all non-smoking, and anyway she didn't believe in smoking indoors. She lit up and leaned against the wall a courteous distance away from the front door. It was still fairly early and a chill Keia hadn't been prepared for clung to her skin. Back in Cinnabar her tank top and jeans were more than sufficient. But now she mused that she should have brought her jacket down with her, just in case. That was something she was going to have to get used to. Cinnabar provided a warm, breezy climate with the occasional cold snap ferried in on the ocean. Not everywhere would be like that, and she couldn't assume anything. Though the change in temperature was such a simple thing, the nerves that had remained just beneath the surface bubbled up again. Keia was so far from home, so far from what she knew. It was hard not to feel a little shell shocked. It would help if she at least had half an idea what she was doing in battle. A little experience would be nice. But her knowledge lay in the more technical aspects of things rather than the practical application.

That would have to change soon if she were to have any chance in the League. There had to be others starting with a cleaner slate than hers, but among the challengers she knew were those with the knowledge and skill to sweep through the circuit like it was nothing. They intimidated her more than anything else. They were her peers, the standard that she felt she had to hold herself to.

As it always did, though, the simple act of inhaling and blowing smoke through her nose helped her calm down. If she put it all in perspective her lack of experience wasn't such a bad thing. What was it Blaine told his trainees? "I'd rather you know nothing and let me teach you everything, than you think you know everything and me have to teach you that you know nothing." She could start from the ground up and figure it out as she went. And if she lost a gym battle or two? So what. She could just try again after a little more training.

Keia dropped the remnants of her cigarette in the bin and headed inside to pack up. She could probably get a few extra hours of sleep in if she really wanted to, but she would much rather get going. She wanted to check out Viridian Forest to the south before she went to the gym, and with any luck she would bring a new partner into her team. As she'd never caught a Pokemon before, Keia wanted to give herself plenty of time to make mistakes and blunder about. She yawned wide and stepped into the elevator, stretching her sleepy limbs. Her body hadn't quite got the memo that it was time to be awake. She'd always had trouble waking up in the morning, and for this simple reason she headed for the coffee maker as soon as she got back to her room. While it brewed she packed her belongings into the black and burgundy backpack she'd bought before leaving Cinnabar. As she'd packed as light as she could there wasn't much to worry about just yet. She was done far before the coffee finished, leaving her time to straighten the room up just a bit. Though it was technically the maid's job she didn't like to leave a mess. Cleanliness and respect for others was something her father had drilled into her from a young age, and it still stuck.

When the coffee was finished Keia poured it into a foam cup, sweetened it to taste, and popped the lid on. She had originally planned to sit and relax while she drank, maybe wake up a little more, but she felt far too antsy for that. Instead she double checked the belt around her waist that held Harley’s ball and five empty ones and then headed downstairs to return the key to the front desk. This was it, the actual start to a journey she didn’t feel all that ready for. It was terrifying, but more than that it was exhilarating. She took deep lungfuls of the fresh morning air--able to enjoy it properly now that she’d donned her jacket--and took the path south. The sparse trees on either side of the path soon grew dense around her until the sunlight that filtered through their leaves cast a green tint on the dirt. Keia had never been to a forest before, though she’d always wanted to go. It was just as pretty as she’d thought it would be. Everywhere she looked she could see Bug Pokemon crawling about in the trees, stretching their wings or having a breakfast of leaves. The grass rustled here and there as she disturbed the wildlife. Most of them fled before she even had the chance to see what she’d found. That was alright; though she’d come here to catch a Pokemon she was in no rush. When she saw the right one she would know.

And with that thought she peered beyond a bush to find a strange Pokemon she’d never seen before staring up at her with the most cantankerous expression. It was squat and fat with a body the color of dead leaves, covered in green spots. It looked quite a bit like a mushroom, Keia decided as she watched it curiously. It seemed to have nothing but contempt for her and it turned to waddle away on clumsy little feet. But Keia liked it, and she wanted it. She took a step back and pressed the button on Harley’s ball. That, at least, she knew was the right thing to do. Harley nickered in greeting, her ears perked and eyes bright.

“Harley, Tail Whip on… uh… the mushroom thing.”

She snorted and tilted her head, not sure what Keia meant, until she made a vague hand gesture in the direction of the disinterested Grass type. Only then did Harley realize this was an actual battle. The equine perked up and immediately moved to do as she had asked. She charged at the mushroom Pokemon and turned at the last second, swatting at it with her tail. The force was enough to make the unbalanced Pokemon fall on its face. It made an odd gurgling sound of distress and struggled to right itself. Now that it recognized Keia and Harley as a threat its frown deepened. It shook its body--Keia noticed with some degree of fascination that its upper body swished freely, almost like a dress--and emitted yellow spores from the top of its head. Harley didn’t wait for instructions before scrambling away. It didn’t take battle training for her sensitive nose to recognize the powder as a danger to her.

“Good! Use…um… Stomp.”

As soon as the air was clear enough Harley charged at the little mushroom and stomped down on it with her front hooves. It hissed and backed away in a daze. That had to be good enough, right? Keia picked one of the empty Pokeballs off of her belt, her heart thudding in her ears, and threw it. The capsule opened and swallowed up the Pokemon in a jet of red light. It fell onto the grass and shook.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

@ Keia

But the pokeball sprung open again! The grumpy mushroom thing returned to its true size and shape, and it was grumpier than ever, spores still lingering dangerously in the air around it. Apparently, it was too tough to let itself be overwhelmed by a few physical attacks... Let there be fire?