Well, here it is. I've been planning this one for awhile. I've seen a few people taking a crack at a novelized version of Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, but I figured it was finally my turn. So, let's get started.

DISCLAIMER: The following is a non-profit fan-based work of fiction. Pokemon is owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, The Pokemon Company, and Satoshi Tajiri. Please support the official release.

Chapter 1: Embarking On A New Journey

Ethan moaned drowsily, rolling over and hitting a button on his clock to stop the alarm. Taking a moment to breathe deeply, he pushed himself upright, glancing at the clock. His eyes widened.

"Ten-thirty?! Crud, I'm late!" he exclaimed, slipping out of bed.

Quick as a flash, he had changed out of his pajamas and into the clothing he had selected the previous day. Just as he finished tying his shoes, he heard his mother call from downstairs.

"Ethan, are you up yet?"

"On my way down!" he answered.

Ethan walked down the stairs and stepped into the den.

"There you are! I thought you were supposed to go meet with Professor Elm an hour ago." said his mother.

"I was. Apparently I need to up the volume on my alarm." Ethan explained.

"Well, that explains it." said his mother.

"Explains what?" asked Ethan.

"The professor must be getting a bit impatient. He sent your friend Lyra over to get you. When I told her you were asleep, she offered to wake you up." his mother explained.

Ethan shuddered at the thought. Lyra waking him up usually entailed her Marill and a lot of water.

"Well, I should be going. I don't wanna keep the professor waiting any longer." said Ethan.

"I should think not. Have fun." said his mother.

With that, Ethan walked to the front door, grabbed his hat and backpack off of the rack, set his hat on his head, shouldered his pack, and walked out the door.

He didn't make it two steps before bumping into something.

"Rill!"

Looking down, Ethan saw that he had indeed collided with Lyra's Marill. The water mouse was shaking its head, trying to regain its bearings. Upon looking up, it saw that it had bumped into Ethan's leg. Marill's expression immediately changed to an apologetic one.

"Are you okay, Marill?" Ethan laughed.

Before Marill could reply, it's trainer called out to it.

"Marill, there you are! Did you bump into Ethan again?" asked Lyra.

"Marill." Marill replied in its Pokemon speak.

"What have I told you about watching where you're going? One day, you might evolve and get bigger, and crashing into someone could hurt you both." said Lyra.

"Rill, Marill." Marill said apologetically.

"Alright then, come on. See you later, Ethan." said Lyra.

She and Marill walked off towards her house.

Ethan continued towards the lab. As he neared its front door, he noticed something odd. A boy around his age with long red hair was staring into the building through a side window. Ethan considered approaching the boy, but decided against it due to a feeling in his gut that there was something not quite right about him. Instead, Ethan proceeded inside and to the back of the room where Professor Elm was waiting for him.

"Sorry I'm late, professor." Ethan greeted.

"It's quite alright, Ethan. Better late than never, I always say." said Elm.

"True enough, I guess. So, why did you want to see me?" asked Ethan.

"I was hoping I could ask for your help with my research." explained Elm.

"Sure, I'll help however I can. What do you need me to do?" asked Ethan.

"I've been studying the behavior of Pokemon, and I found out something rather interesting. Before Pokeballs were invented, people would walk together with their Pokemon. I wanted to study this further to see if there was a difference between it and using Pokeballs, so I needed someone to walk with a Pokemon." said Elm.

"Which would be me." said Ethan.

"Correct. I thought you would be the perfect person to do this, Ethan. I know you're a kind, spirited young man, and you haven't got a Pokemon of your own yet. Would you be willing to take a Pokemon and walk with it for me?" asked Elm.

"Of course! I'd love to have a Pokemon!" Ethan exclaimed.

"I had a feeling you'd say that. I'm very fortunate to have someone as dependable as you, Ethan. Thank you. Follow me, please." said Elm.

The professor walked over to a machine. He pressed a button on the top, causing it to open and reveal three Pokeballs. Ethan walked over to get a closer look.

"These Pokeballs contain rare Pokemon that I've been studying. The one on the left holds Chikorita, a grass-type Pokemon. The middle one contains Cyndaquil, a fire-type Pokemon. And inside the one on the right is Totodile, a water-type Pokemon. You may choose whichever one you like." Elm explained.

"Wow, thanks Professor!" said Ethan.

"You're welcome. It's the least I can do in exchange for how helpful you've been in the past." said Elm.

Ethan took a moment to decide which Pokemon he wanted.

'I don't think I'll get Chikorita. From what I've read, grass-types take a lot of effort to raise, and that would make it tougher to help the professor with his research. Totodile would be cool, but Lyra has a water-type already, and I wanna get something different. Cyndaquil sounds like it would be the most fun, anyway.' he thought.

His mind made-up, Ethan smiled and reached for the middle ball.

"I choose Cyndaquil!" he announced.

"Good choice! I'm sure you'll love it! Why not let it out? Just press the button on the ball." said Elm.

Ethan did so. The ball opened, emitting a red light onto the floor. The light formed into a small, dark blue and beige Pokemon shaped like a cross between a mouse and a badger with squinting eyes and red spots on its back.

"Quil?" it spoke.

Instinctively, Ethan got down on his knees and placed his hands behind his back.

"Hi there. I'm Ethan. I'm gonna be your trainer from now on. It's nice to meet you, Cyndaquil." he spoke gently.

Cyndaquil approached Ethan cautiously, sniffing him, eyeing him curiously. After a few moments, Cyndaquil smiled, jumping onto Ethan's head.

"Quil! Cyndaquil!" it squeaked happily.

"Heh, I think it likes me!" said Ethan.

"To connect with a Pokemon so quickly and easily, it's amazing! Now I know I made the right choice asking for your help, Ethan." said Elm.

Ethan stood up, gently picking Cyndaquil up off of his head and setting it on the floor, patting it on the head.

Suddenly, Elm's computer beeped and something appeared on the screen. The professor walked over and examined the computer. A moment later, he turned to Ethan.

"It seems my acquaintance, Mr. Pokemon, has found something. He's always raving about his discoveries. However,the e-mail I just received from him says that this time, it's truly amazing. It could be just another Pokemon egg-he tends to find a lot of those. Still, it's worth checking out. Ethan, since you're already helping me, would you mind checking in with Mr. Pokemon? He lives just north of Cherrygrove City, the next town over." said Elm.

"You got it, professor! Although, I gotta wonder, how does someone get the name 'Mr. Pokemon'?" asked Ethan.

"It was a nickname I and some other friends gave to him when we were young, due to his seemingly endless knowledge about Pokemon. It was that knowledge that inspired me to become a Pokemon professor. I guess the name stuck, because he's been calling himself Mr. Pokemon ever since." Elm explained.

"Huh. The more you know." Ethan quipped.

"I'll let him know you're coming. Off you go, now." said Elm.

Ethan bent down to look at Cyndaquil.

"Well, Cyndaquil, what do you say we get going? Adventure awaits!" he exclaimed.

"Quil!" Cyndaquil squeaked, nodding its head.

"Okay! Let's head out! See you later, professor, and thanks again." said Ethan.

"No problem. Have fun! And make sure to come back here afterward!" Elm reminded.

"Got it! Let's go!" Ethan exclaimed.

Ethan and Cynadquil headed outside, and were met by Lyra an Marill.

"Hey, Ethan. How did your meeting with the professor go?" asked Lyra.

"He gave me a Pokemon to walk with as part of his research and asked me to go meet a friend of his who said he had found something special." Ethan explained.

"He gave you a Pokemon?" Lyra asked.

It was then that she noticed Cyndaquil.

"Oh my gosh, it's adorable!" she squealed.

"Mar Marill?" asked Marill.

"Of course not, Marill. No Pokemon is cuter than you." Lyra giggled.

"Rill." Marill said.

Marill greeted Cyndaquil, and the two began conversing in Pokemon speak.

"So, what type is it?" asked Lyra.

"The professor said it was a fire-type, but I understand why you asked. It sure doesn't look like one." answered Ethan.

Cyndaquil clearly heard what Ethan said, as no sooner had he done so than Cyndaquil suddenly flared up, flames erupting from the spots on its back. Marill cried out in surprise, jumping back a few inches.

"N-never mind." said Ethan.

Lyra giggled again.

"Well, you'd better get on that errand for Professor Elm. I'll see you when you get back." said Lyra.

She and Marill walked back to their house once more. Ethan decided to stop by his house to let his mother know he'd be going out of town for a bit.

"Welcome home, Ethan." Ethan's mother said as he walked through the front door.

She noticed Cyndaquil.

"Aww, what a cute Pokemon. Did Professor Elm give it to you?" she asked.

Ethan nodded. He brought his mother up to speed on what he had been tasked with.

"Is that right? Well, Cherrygrove isn't that far. It shouldn't be too difficult to get there. Travel safe. Oh, I almost forgot. Your Pokegear is back from the shop." said Ethan's mother.

She walked over to a shelf, grabbed a watch that was sitting on top, walked back over to Ethan, and handed him the watch.

"Thanks. I'll be back in time for lunch." said Ethan.

With that, Ethan and Cyndaquil walked back outside and proceeded west out of New Bark Town.

Upon entering the tall grass, they were beset by a Rattata.

"Alright, I guess it's time for our first battle, Cyndaquil! Use Tackle!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Quil!" Cyndaquil squeaked, running headfirst towards Rattata and slamming its body into the purple mouse.

Rattata retaliated by biting Cyndaquil's nose with its Super Fang attack. Another Tackle left Rattata down for the count.

The duo proceeded onward. They encountered more wild Pokemon, including Sentret and Pidgey, which Cyndaquil took care of thanks to a combination of its Tackle and Smokescreen attacks.

Soon, they reached Cherrygrove City. As they walked through the small town, a voice called out to them.

"I say, child, might I have a moment of your time?"

Ethan turned to see an old man gesturing for them to come over. Ethan obeyed.

"Yes, sir?" Ethan asked.

"No need for 'sir', though I appreciate the politeness. You may refer to me as Guide Gent. Everyone around here does. I can see you're a bit of a rookie trainer, so I thought I'd offer some advice." said the man.

"Thanks, but I don't need any help. I made sure to read up on the basics before I started my journey." said Ethan.

"Oh, well, you can't say I didn't try. It's good to be prepared, though. And since you were nice enough to talk to me anyway, I simply must give you something in return." said Guide Gent.

He reached into his pocket and fished out a tiny card, almost like a microchip.

"I see you have a Pokegear. This map card will allow it to display a map of the Johto region, including information about the various towns, routes, and landmarks. I'm sure it will be most helpful." he said, handing the card to Ethan.

"Thank you, s-uh, Guide Gent. I'll make sure to put it to good use." said Ethan.

"You're welcome. Say, I don't believe I got your name." said Guide Gent.

"Oh, right. I'm Ethan." said Ethan.

"It was nice talking with you, Ethan. Good luck on your journey, wherever you go." said Guide Gent.

Ethan nodded. He started to walk off, but stopped and turned back.

"Actually, there is one thing you could help me with." he said.

"What would that be?" asked Guide Gent.

"Do you know the way to Mr. Pokemon's house? I was told it's north of Cherrygrove, but I could always use some more specific directions." Ethan explained.

"Mr. Pokemon's house, you say? It's quite simple, really. Once you reach a fork in the road with a small house in the middle, just keep to the right and you'll see it after a few minutes." said Guide Gent.

"Thanks." said Ethan.

With that, Ethan and Cyndaquil set off once more. Ethan stopped at the Pokemon Center to heal Cyndaquil and then headed north to the next route.

He soon reached the fork in the road that Guide Gent had mentioned. However, he was surprised to see a man standing out in front of the house. He looked sad. Ethan approached him.

"Excuse me, sir, but what's wrong? Are you alright?" asked Ethan.

This startled the man, though he calmed down fairly quickly upon seeing Ethan.

"Well, I don't mean to burden you with my problems, but if you wish to know, I'll tell you." the man sighed.

"I'll listen. It's no problem." said Ethan.

"I built my house here because I though it would stand out and people would visit me. But they never do. They just go right on past every time. I started standing out front hoping that they would notice me, but it seems that I'm invisible. You're the first person to talk with me since I moved here." said the man.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must be hard to think that no one cares. But look at it this way: because so many people overlook you, it makes it that much more special whenever someone talks to you. In that sense, it makes everyone you meet special in some way, and that means all the loneliness is worth it if it means meeting special people, right?" said Ethan.

The man thought for a moment. Suddenly, he perked up.

"You're right! If all the ordinary people pass me by, it just means that I get more time for meeting amazing people like you! I get to meet special people! And in that sense, it makes me special, too! Thank you for helping me realize that! I've simply got to reward you somehow!" the man exclaimed.

He dashed inside of his house, emerging moments later with a small box.

"Here. Take one of my handmade Apricorn Boxes. It will let you store Apricorns, like the one growing on my tree." the man explained.

To demontrate his point, the man grabbed a small, round green nut off of the tree next to his house and handed it to Ethan.

"That's a Green Apricorn. There's a man in Azalea Town who can make it and other colors of Apricorn into custom Pokeballs." the man explained.

"Custom Pokeballs, huh? Sounds interesting. Thanks." said Ethan.

"No, thank you. Without you, I would've spent who know how long standing here and moping. Now, thanks to you, I can smile once again. Good luck to you!" said the man.

Ethan waved farewell and continued north. Once the house was out of sight, Ethan looked down at Cyndaquil.

"You know, I wasn't sure that what I was saying would actually work." he whispered.

Cyndaquil let out a squeaking laugh.

The two pressed onward passing through a few patches of tall grass until he reached another house. The sign on the front read "Mr. Pokemon's House". Ethan knocked on the door. It opened moments later to reveal an old man dressed in a suit. The man smiled.

"You must be Ethan. Professor Elm told me you were coming. Please,come in." he said.

Mr. Pokemon stood aside to allow Ethan and Cyndaquil to enter the house, following behind him and closing the door once they were inside.

"Now then," said Mr. Pokemon, walking over to a large display case on the far side of the room and grabbing something out of it, "this is what I want Professor Elm to see."

He walked back over to Ethan and handed him a somewhat small Pokemon egg, white with red and blue markings all over it.

"An egg, huh? The professor suspected as much." said Ethan.

"That doesn't surprise me. However, in all my years of research, I've never found an egg like this one. From what I can tell, it's one-of-a-kind. That means it could be a new Pokemon we haven't seen before. Therefore, if anyone should look at it, Professor Elm should. He is, after all, the number-one authority on Pokemon evolution. Even Professor Oak here recognizes that." said Mr. Pokemon, gesturing towards the table in the middle of the room.

Ethan realized he had completely missed the other person in the room. An aging man with short grey hair wearing a white lab coat. The man stood and walked over to the other two.

"Wait, the Professor Oak?" asked Ethan.

"Yes, it is I. I was here visiting Mr. Pokemon; the two of us are old friends. When I heard that you were coming here on an errand for Professor Elm, I decided to wait here and meet you." said Oak.

Oak then noticed Cyndaquil.

"Hmm? A rare Pokemon?" he wondered aloud.

Oak examined Cyndaquil, seeing how happy it was.

"I see. I believe Professor Elm knew you would treat your Pokemon with love and respect. You appear to be a trustworthy and dependable person. I have an idea. Why don't you take this?" said Oak.

He reached into one of the pockets on his coat and procured a red rectangular device with a fold-out screen.

"This is the latest model of Pokedex. It contains knowledge about every Pokemon in the Johto region, like a mini-encyclopedia." Oak explained.

"Sweet! Are you sure I can have it?" asked Ethan.

"I know it's sudden, but I sense something in you, Ethan. Something tells me it's the right thing to do." said Oak.

"Alright, I'll take it!" Ethan exclaimed.

Oak handed the Pokedex to Ethan.

"Well, I'd better be leaving. I don't want to be late for my radio show in Goldenrod City." said Oak.

He moved to the door.

"Goodbye, Mr. Pokemon. It was pleasant to see you again." he said.

"Likewise, my friend. Farewell." said Mr. Pokemon.

Professor Oak departed, leaving Ethan and Mr. Pokemon alone.

"You had best be leaving, too, Ethan. You need to show Professor Elm that egg. And while you're at it, you might show him that Pokedex as well." said Mr. Pokemon.

"Alright, then. Let's get going, Cyndaquil." said Ethan.

The Trainer and Pokemon exited the house, but they didn't walk two steps before Ethan's Pokegear began to ring.

Ethan looked and saw that Professor Elm was calling him. He accepted the call. Elm's face appeared on the screen. He looked upset.

"Professor, what's wrong?" asked Ethan.

"Ethan, something's happened! Please, get back here as quickly as possible! I'll tell you more when you arrive! Just hurry!" Elm shouted.

The call shut off. Ethan took off running.

"Come on, Cyndaquil!" he shouted.

Cyndaquil ran after its trainer. The two dash back into Cherrygrove, but as they reached the east path, they were stopped by someone. A boy with long red hair.

"You got a Pokemon at the lab, huh? Pity it's not as strong as the one I got." said the boy.

"What was that?" asked Ethan angrily.

"Did I stutter? My Pokemon is stronger than yours, and I'll prove it." the boy retorted.

"If you're asking for a battle, you've got one! Let's go, Cyndaquil!" shouted Ethan.

Cyndaquil stepped forward.

"Go, Tototdile!" shouted the boy.

He threw his Pokeball, which opened and released a blue baby crocodile.

"Totodile!" it hissed.

"Totodile, use Scratch!" the boy commanded.

Totodile rushed forward, swiping its claws across Cyndaquil's face.

"Cyndaquil, use Tackle!" ordered Ethan.

Cyndaquil rammed Totodile.

"Scratch again!" said the boy.

"Keep Tackling!" said Ethan.

The two Pokemon continued to trade blows. It was clear that Totodile was winning.

"I've gotta do something quick." Ethan muttered to himself.

He gasped.

"I've got it! Cyndaquil, use Smokescreen!" he shouted.

Cyndaquil released a thick cloud of smoke, covering the battlefield.

"Dang it! Totodile, don't you dare lose sight of that thing!" Silver ordered through a cough.

"Use Tackle! Give it everything you've got!" ordered Ethan.

Cyndaquil charged forward, slamming itself into Totodile with as much force as possible.

When the smoke cleared, it revealed Totodile on it's back, its pupils swirly. It was unconscious, leaving Cyndaquil the victor.

"Alright!" exclaimed Ethan.

"You've gotta be kidding me." muttered the boy.

He returned Totodile to its Pokeball.

"Pathetic." he said.

The boy shoved Ethan aside, walking towards the Pokemon Center.

Ethan noticed something fall out of the boy's pocket and fall onto the ground. It was his trainer card. Ethan picked the card up, barely managing to glimpse the boy's name before said boy stomped back over.

"Hey! Give that back!" the boy shouted angrily.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-" Ethan was cut off when the boy ripped the card from his hands.

The boy walked to the Pokemon Center. Seeing that Cyndaquil was too tire to walk, Ethan returned it to its Pokeball. He continued walking back to Professor Elm's lab.

Upon reaching the lab, Ethan noticed a police car parked outside. Fearing the worst, he ran inside.

He noticed the professor in the back as he usually did, talking to an officer. The professor notice him.

"Ethan! Thank goodness you're here!" he said.

Ethan walked over.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We received a call that a Pokemon had been stolen." said the officer.

"Stolen?" said Ethan, shocked that such a thing might happen in a small town like New Bark.

"According to the professor here, he was looking at something on his computer when he heard a crashing sound. He looked to see that his window had been broken. He then saw someone grabbing one of the Pokeballs from that machine." said the officer, indicating the machine which had held the Pokeballs for Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile.

"I tried to stop him, but he was too quick. He ran off outside and took off towards Cherrygrove." explained Elm.

"The professor says that the perpetrator was a boy with long red hair." said the officer.

Ethan's eyes widened. The boy he had battled had long red hair and had a Totodile.

"I know who he is! I battled him in Cherrygrove! And I managed to see his name when he dropped his trainer card!" Ethan suddenly announced.

"Is that so? Tell me, what was his name?" asked the officer.

"His name is Silver." said Ethan.

"Thank you. This information will be a big help. Never you fear, we'll stop this thief and get back the stolen Pokemon." said the officer.

The officer then took down some information about Elm and left the lab.

"I can't believe this. Never in a million years did I think that someone would steal a Pokemon from this lab." said Elm.

"Don't worry, professor. The police are doing everything they can. And if I run into Silver again, I'll do what I can to stop him." said Ethan.

"Yes, I know. I'm just still rather shaken by the whole ordeal. At least I'm not hurt, though." said Elm.

The professor took a moment to compose himself.

"Now then, I supposed we should focus on other things. What was it that Mr. Pokemon wanted me to see?" he asked.

Ethan pulled the egg out of his bag.

"This." he said.

"That egg...it's much different than others that I've seen. It could be a new Pokemon." said Elm, pleasantly surprised.

"Mr. Pokemon said as much." said Ethan.

"Indeed. Alright, then. Just set it on the table, there. I'll look at it later." said Elm.

"There's one other thing. Professor Oak was at Mr. Pokemon's house, and he gave me this." said Ethan, pulling out his Pokedex.

"A Pokedex? From Professor Oak?!" asked Elm.

Ethan nodded.

"Why, that's incredible! Professor Oak is superb at seeing the potential of people as trainers! Why, just three years ago, a trainer he gave a Pokemon and Pokedex to ended up becoming the Indigo League champion!" said Elm.

"I remember hearing about that. Red, the youngest champion in history." said Ethan.

"Exactly. If Professor Oak thinks that you have potential, why not take the Pokemon Gym Challenge and have a go at the Pokemon League yourself? Not only would you get to experience the world and grow as a person, but your time spent with Pokemon would greatly aid my research." said Elm.

Ethan thought for a minute. He had often dreamed of being a great trainer, traveling across the land, battling and connecting with Pokemon. He smiled.

"Alright, I'll do it!" he shouted triumph

Ethan waved goodbye, walking out of the lab and to his house.

Once inside, he sat down at the table and explained to his mother everything that had happened.

"I had a feeling that one day, you'd want to go out and see the world. It's not healthy to remain stuck in one place your whole life. It'll feel a little empty here without you, but on the flip-side, I won't have to do as much laundry. I'll still keep your room tidy, though." Ethan's mother said.

"I'll try to call every now and then." said Ethan.

Ethan stood up and moved to the door. His mother followed.

"Promise me you'll stay safe. Have a wonderful time. Never forget, your mother loves you and you can come home any time." said Ethan's mother, hugging him and kissing him on the forehead.

"Thanks, Mom. I guess I'm off." said Ethan.

Released from his mother's embrace, Ethan walked out the door.

As he walked through town, he met with Lyra and once more. She was carrying Marill in her arms.

"Hey. I heard what happened at the lab. Who would've thought that something like that could happen here?" mused Lyra.

"Yeah, it's pretty crazy." Ethan agreed.

"So what are you up to, now?" asked Lyra.

"Well, when I went to see Mr. Pokemon, Professor Oak was there, and he gave me a Pokedex. When I told Professor Elm, he suggested I challenge the Gyms across the Johto region and challenge the Pokemon League. I agreed, so I'm off on an adventure, for real." said Ethan.

"An adventure, huh? If that's the case, then...," Lyra paused, sighing, "please, take me with you!"

Ethan jumped at her sudden shouting.

"Sorry, it's just that, without you around, it will be boring around here, and I'll be really lonely. I've always dreamed of seeing the world, but I didn't want to go alone." Lyra explained.

"It's alright. I was going to ask you to come with me, anyway." said Ethan.

"Really?" asked Lyra.

"I was thinking the same things you were. Without someone else around, it would get kinda lonely. Sure I'd have Cyndaquil, as well as any other Pokemon I catch, but I'd like to have someone who speaks a language I can understand." Ethan quipped.

Lyra smiled.

"Well, alright then. What do you think, Marill? Ready for an adventure?" Lyra asked, looking down at her Pokemon.

"Rill! Mar Marill!" Marill squeaked happily.

"Alright! I just gotta grab my stuff and let my parents know that I'm leaving, and I'll be ready!" Lyra exclaimed.

She dashed over to her house, slipping inside. She exited a few minutes, later, calling out a farewell to her family as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder, being careful not to drop or squish Marill. She walked back over to Ethan.

"Okay, I'm ready." she declared.

Ethan nodded. He tossed Cyndaquil's Pokeball. The fire badger appeared once more.

"Let's go, Cyndaquil. Our adventure has officially begun." he said.

"Quil!" said Cyndaquil, climbing up onto Ethan's head.

"I guess that's his favorite place." said Ethan.

"Maybe it's because of all the hot air up there." Lyra joked.

Ethan would normally have sighed, but he was so excited that he simply laughed along.

The pair of trainers, their Pokemon in tow, walked west out of town, ready for the journey of a lifetime.

Holy cow that was a long chapter. I hope it's enjoyable. I would've uploaded sooner, but my internet crapped out, leaving me wit plenty of time to write, but no way to upload any of it. As always, thanks for reading, and until next time, I have been TheLoZKing, signing off.