I've completed this story before, back when I was in 12th grade, but now I'm a university student, so I can't write as much as I used to.
Nevertheless, this is the story I completed back in 12th grade!
As a favour to InfernusXS and to all readers who enjoy reading a reformed ex-criminal named Mars, please read this story!
The Road to Snowpoint City
Chapter one: Starting on the Wrong Foot
September 12
Mars really didn't have a choice when it came to choosing her footwear, as she was tasking herself with the ludicrous journey to Snowpoint City to obtain her eighth and final Gym badge. Although the technical order was obtaining the Sunyshore City Gym badge last, there was a reason Mars, like any common Pokémon Trainer, wanted to challenge the northern Snowpoint City Gym last: it was because of the cold and blizzard. Currently, her everyday footwear was a pair of standard all-purpose running shoes. In truth, she really could walk in the snow with them, but they wouldn't spare her the luxury warm feet in a city so far in the north. Indeed, she wore these same shoes during Christmas season, but this climate was different.
The same went for her gloves, although Mars didn't wear her own pair much.
"Made up your mind, lass?" the employee asked as he walked to the cashier.
"Uh… not yet," was the answer.
The Pokémon Trainer and former Team Galactic Commander concluded that the most efficient way to travel to Snowpoint City was to store the clothes and boots in her bottomless-like bag until she had approached higher ground – that is, the higher ground of Mount Coronet. Choosing carefully in the store, she selected the initial shell-like jacket and pants (black with red trims, for Mars' taste), a pair of boots not unlike those she wore in the days with Team Galactic, and very thin and flexible but warm gloves. Mars brought the contents to the cashier's desk.
"That all, lass?"
With Mars giving a polite nod of approval, the employee went to work, scanning and typing codes belonging to their respective attire.
"Thirty thousand Pokedollars, lassie."
Mars paid for the clothes with her HSBC bank card. After receiving her receipt, she neatly folded the clothes into her bag, and putting the boots in. By the time Mars had thanked the employee and left the shop, she felt like she was ready for anything.
The next hour was mainly spent on buying food and water supplies for the inevitable journey. Mars purchased bottles of water and lemonade, followed by select apples and savoury biscuit sticks from the local market store in Hearthome City. Again, after paying for her supplies, Mars set about walking the route west in the direction of Mount Coronet – that is, Route 208.
"I guess I could use some company here…" she murmured, getting the feeling she was alone. Mars took out a Poké Ball in her bag and threw it in the vast space in front of her. "Go! Purugly!"
The red-and-white capsule burst open with a BANG and a very serious-looking tiger cat, a very big and plump one, come to that, landed on the ground. In short, it was a Pokémon named Purugly. She had been Mars' companion since she was a little girl and as long as Mars could remember (when Purugly was a Glameow!).
"Know where we're going, Purugly?" she asked her Pokémon, and to her unsurprised surprise the Pokémon walked ahead of her through the route, running past a berry house, tall grass, and stopping abruptly at the foot of a flight of steep stairs. Mars, on the other hand, spent precious seconds looking at her watch. It was still morning, so she didn't need to be THAT worried about nightfall.
Brushing past annoying waves of green webs, Mars met with Purugly at the stairs, and the two began to hike up the stairs at the same pace.
Looking behind, Mars looked down from high ground to see a temperate rainforest covering what was the eastern half of the Sinnoh region. Below, she could see those trees surrounding the city lights of Hearthome City.
"Better be ready for this…" she told herself, and walked into the dark cavern that was the base of Mount Coronet.
With the dense amount of people frequently traversing between the cities of Hearthome and Oreburgh, the two municipalities felt the need to redevelop the road between them was imminent. However, with an endless number of Pokémon who reside in the mountain's natural state, the project had to be done in the most eco-friendly manner. In the end, the project was completed, and an effective road was established.
For the route to Snowpoint City, in contrast, the trail was used rarely by pretty much anyone who lived in Sinnoh, let alone outsiders, because the route meant traversing the entire mountain. The municipalities who were interested in developing such a road scrapped the idea immediately. Not only because it was expensive, but also because it (the route and road) was long and dangerous.
Fortunately, Mars knew half the mountain in the days of her then-criminal career, so…
The first thing to do is… she thought. Right. We have to do some rock-climbing.
The development at least provided limited lighting for navigation ease. Following those lights, Mars veered away from that road and in the direction where there was no light (that is, to her right, which was northbound).
Dripping noises of water fell from stalactites above.
The discomforting crescendo of them increased as Mars and Purugly got closer to the impossibly steep-and-jagged wall. Securing her bag, Mars looked up and tried to remember how she did it before.
There was a trick, she thought. What was it again?
"Yo!" a voice rang out from above, which forced Mars to look up to see where it came from.
It was only an innocent hiker.
"Do you know the way to the Spear Pillar?!" he called from above.
Mars racked her brains and memories to remember the route. She didn't know if it was second nature or anything, but back then when Team Galactic drove and forced Mars to memorise the entire route to Spear Pillar to fulfil the then-failed mission, she had no problem knowing the way there.
"You'll keep going up those stairs and you'll run into a cavern!" she shouted upward. "There's a supposed broken-down destroyed wall there, and you'll end up at the summit. Just keep navigating, and you'll wind up at the summit!"
The hiker waved. "Thanks! By the way, do you need help with anything in return?"
A sudden thought came to Mars' mind and it was a dreadful feeling. It wasn't that she didn't know her way around Mount Coronet, but she nearly forgot that she had never travelled to Snowpoint City before. She realised that if she knew her way to Spear Pillar but not to Snowpoint City, then she might have a problem.
"Can I ask which is the way to Snowpoint City?" she uncertainly asked.
"Snowpoint?!" the hiker exclaimed, as if he was surprised to see Mars was here at all. "There's a much safer and shorter route besides traversing the mountain! You've got to get to Eterna City first, and then you can try your luck at getting to Snowpoint! That way's much shorter and safer! Go that way!"
What motivation Mars had in her was quickly replaced by frustration.
"NO! BLAST! WHY?! WHYYYYYYYYYY!" she stomped her foot. Turning around, she tore off for the entrance to Oreburgh City (opposite Hearthome). There was a highway that hled directly up to Eterna City, though since it was located on higher round, and Mars had a bag full of many travelling goods, she was bound to be exhausted by then…
The worst part was, Mars and Purugly had wasted precious daylight time!
This is the beginning of the great, cold, dreadful, dark, bright, light journey...