Prologue: Bumble Bea

A steady torrent of water passes tranquilly through a modest prairie, a soft stream slowly weaving by persistently and with an atmosphere of calm induced through the humble splashes of its meandering path. Its grassy banks thrive in verdant health within soft and spongy soil that stretches unevenly across the small, exposed prairie, a clearing contained by a vibrant and vivacious forest. The trees that encase the spot brim with spirit, and grow and move in fascinating shapes, the twisting rust-brown bark and intertwining branches painting a dreamlike vision of fantasy that can only please the eye in ways few could ever sit and imagine. Flecks of dandelion seeds float peacefully through the air, rays of golden evening sunlight igniting them to glow like gentle embers that light the ambiance with serenity and relaxation. This picture is an image of perfection, a scene coveted by whoever possesses sufficient imagination to conjure it, to form the image into something only they can view as pure magnificence. It can only ever be a dream, a dream created to soothe, to relax and to tantalize the most adventurous urges.

He darted. Feeling the sanctuary of the fresh forest air overwhelm him, knowing his flanks to be guarded by the giant obstructions, the sky-scraping trees. He struggled to maintain a steady speed, constantly swerving to avoid direct collisions with the tight-knit trunks. Though he didn't mind, their obtrusiveness was too invaluable to label hindrance.

He knew he could lose them in here; this was a maze and a sanctuary. If the trees weren't enough to prove a valuable obstacle, then the wide expanses would be.

Yet their voices didn't fade. Their presence was drawing nearer, and he could feel it. They seemed accustomed to the forest, far more experienced than him. Was this a mistake? Panic blocked his thoughts and he pondered no longer, but ran.

She opened her eyes, and sighed. If only such a place did exist, that would be the day. All she could see now was an overcast sky that slowly darkened as the minutes progressed into dusk. Around her were nothing but pine trees, boring, identical pine trees that grew thick and tight, allowing only the thinnest rays of sun to seep through the countless pine needles. Below her was a forest floor blanketed in those needles, dead and rigid and far from restful when she lay upon the ground, staring at the blank sky with only her imagination to satisfy her with the atmosphere she so desperately desired.

But all in all, 'Route Twenty-Nine', as it was called, was not at all what she hoped for. The rather unimaginative name was bad enough, but the endless stretches of evergreen pine trees that grew so thick they could barely contain a Ryhorn and the plain, uninhabited expanses of table-flat land was enough to drive any greenhorn Pokemon Trainer insane. In fact, the only feature of interest within this seemingly endless forest was the miniature stream that did indeed trickle past serenely, the very stream that she had been hopelessly following for the past day, assuming that it would lead her straight to the nearest town of Cherrygrove. She knew that it would take far longer than a day to reach any nearby town, but the endless repetitiveness of the forest simply drained her enthusiasm with every meter she covered.

This girl, the daydreamer and rather discouraged rookie Pokemon Trainer, was named Beatrix Witherspoon, a sixteen-year-old girl with little ambition other than to make it to the next town in one piece, her destination. Cherrygrove City, it was called, a small piece of suburbia that resided nearby to the west of Newbark Town, from which Beatrix originated and departed from around eight hours ago. It was now, according to her wristwatch, approaching five 'o' clock in the evening, with little more hours to go before darkness completely enveloped the entire area. There were no lights in this place, no lights unless they were emitted from creatures she would rather not encounter so soon into her journey. Wild Pokemon themselves.

Although she was now, legally, a full-fledged Pokemon Trainer, with a Trainer's license and ID to match, she could never get her head around the fear she felt for camping out in the wild. How Trainers coped with such a daunting prospect every night they traversed the wild, she could never quite comprehend, but she just couldn't help but feel unremitting fear for the inevitable vulnerability that would become of her if she chose to camp out in the dark. Yet, with little progress towards Cherrygrove, and a slowly setting sun dragging her hope along with it, camping in the open seemed the only option.

His reactions began to linger, and he found himself ramming a shoulder into every tree he passed. Pain began piercing his lungs as he struggled for oxygen. But he couldn't stop, they were still pursuing him he could hear their voices – malicious and persistent. He couldn't hold up for much longer, he just wasn't accustomed to fleeing, he knew it not to be his forte. The pine trees could only offer limited protection.

Beatrix could feel her heart pumping in her chest as scenarios began to taint her imagination. The dreamlike prairie that did occupy her thoughts distorting into a sight of darkness and peril, wild beasts lurking within the shadow of the trees, the tranquil stream loudening as they flailed invisibly in its waters, approaching her as she slept. The darkened sky shadowed her security and unseen beasts as they drew near her unawares, maliciously baring claws and teeth.

She opened her eyes, frightful of her own imagination, and she let out a troubled groan. What this world needed were stops where wandering Trainers could stay and rest.

He needed rest. If he continued, he'd only face the grasp of exhaustion and in time the clutches of his pursuers. What he needed was a ruse, a distraction to allow a stealthy flight into the shadows of the dense forest. His piercing blue eyes flickered to his knapsack filled with Pokeballs. He reconsidered swiftly, he'd never be forgiven, no matter what he tried.

She finally lifted herself from the ground and scanned the horizon. Beyond the stream that flowed a few meters ahead of her, she could see nothing. A few openings here and there and the odd jutting rock dotted the landscape, but otherwise, there was nothing but the perilous confines of the trees. It was rare to stumble upon a patch of grass, and such areas were usually subjected to an opening in the canopy.

There came a rustle in a nearby tree, causing it to shed a few pine needles as an inconspicuous bird fluttered away from her position, startled by her movement. She soon remembered that she wasn't out here alone, but was in fact accompanied, and had been so for the past day in the forest.

A week before her departure from home, Beatrix had purchased a Pokemon egg from the Pokemon Breeders of Newbark Town. They ran a small business selling the eggs of Pokemon they bred as a living, wishing them away on journeys and adventures that would grant them a wonderful life of experience and growth. Beatrix, back then a soon-to-be Pokemon Trainer, concluded that purchasing a Pokemon egg was the best way to attain a Pokemon at her point, and so she spent whatever modest sum she could spare on that ever-revered companion growing within one of the eggs.

The Pokemon she purchased was cheap in expense, due to the fact that it wasn't purely conceived, but crossbred. This sped up the process of growth in a way, and it took two days before her very first Pokemon emerged from the basketball-sized egg she had kept on her person at all times. It was a species commonly referred to as 'Mareep', a quadruped that highly resembled an average sheep. Uninteresting as it was (and that wasn't just her own opinion), Beatrix knew from the moment she bought it that the little Pokemon inside was going to play an important part in her life as a Pokemon Trainer.

Beatrix's Mareep was a rather undersized specimen upon emergence from her egg, and given her newborn state, was barely coated in a thin, creamy yellow fleece. Her legs were short and hoofed, and her skin was a bright electric-blue. She had a small, adorable head with beady eyes, and a tiny mouth positioned just beneath her egg-shaped snout. She had a rubbery tail, striped black and yellow, which held a small, barely developed spherical tip. One factor Beatrix had noted about her Mareep, during the time she had to bond with her, was her rather well-developed voice box, and her capabilities to reach a high amount of decibels every time she bleated.

He swerved; perhaps an attempt to conceal himself would prove a wise action. Pinning his body flat against a pine tree, he gasped for the breath that had escaped him and contemplated an ensuing move. But little time progressed before he sensed movement to his left, a pursuit dog, grizzled and vicious, covered in dark fur and black markings reaching him at great speeds. He fled once more, growing more terrified each second as his chances rapidly slimmed. His mind was blank, and he could only run.

Taking care of the baby Pokemon for the past five days she owned her was a trialing experience, but for the past day, Beatrix had neglected to release the Mareep at all, for fear of losing her only protection. A name for the Mareep was a struggle to obtain, and Beatrix had yet to settle on one. Although overwhelmed in the excitement of the arrival of her new Pokemon, she did take heed of such matters beforehand.

Beatrix adored the Pokemon. She spent the days approaching her departure tending to her condition, spoiling her with all kinds of treats and games bought from various Pokemon-pet shops, decorating her steadily-growing fleece with ribbons, and nurturing her as she grew. She was quite rapid in her growth too; within three days the Mareep had grown a foot in length and half that in height. Her fleece began to gain a bit of volume and her legs became sturdier as time progressed. In fact, Beatrix was highly confident in her little sheep's abilities that morning when she planned to leave.

The Pokeball containing her Mareep was now snugly tucked within a small pouch of her traveling bag, which rested neatly against a nearby tree. Diverting her gaze from the grey sky at which she'd been staring at while she reminisced, Beatrix turned to a tree to her right. Her bag was rectangular, about three feet in length, and one thick orange strap connected both sides lengthways. A few small pockets were attached to the front, which had an orange circular design splayed across it. The bag itself was light brown in colour.

One of the pockets bulged a little, as if it contained nothing but a marble. Beatrix smiled and reached out for the strap of the bag, which lay limply upon the ground, and she dragged it towards her. It wasn't too full; she planned on stocking up when she reached Cherrygrove, but for the journey there, she was advised to keep her bag light and practical.

Digging into the middle pocket, she pulled out a tiny sphere barely the size of ping-pong ball. Its smooth sheen suggested that it was indeed new, and it seemed detachable through the middle, a black indent running through the whole circumference. A small button was positioned in the center of this black line, and Beatrix gave that button a gentle push. The ball, via sliding panels that slipped and unfolded from beneath one another, was enlarged within a matter of seconds, easily doubling the size of what it was before, and as it did so, an appealing, heart-shaped pattern was splayed upon the top half of the ball, the bottom half remaining a pearly white.

The mechanical device was her Pokeball, a custom-designed Pokeball, given to her by her close friend back in New Bark. It was an average Pokeball, intended to contain the essence of any Pokemon, but with a sweet touch in exterior design.

She watched the ball with anticipation. She'd learned about the mechanism during her Training course, and it never ceased to amaze her how such a device could hold a Pokemon. It was almost a magical prospect. It was light, the shell thin and easy to hold, though worryingly fragile.

Throwing her practically empty bag aside, Beatrix pushed the Pokeball's central button upwards, which immediately triggered a flash of light, releasing the creature inside in an instant. Almost as soon as it opened, the Pokeball clasped firmly shut in her hand, and the light subsided, allowing her eyes to refocus on a little sheep standing just before her, shivering as if shaking off the effects of the Pokeball.

Her Mareep was gorgeous. Her fleece had grown into a wonderful state, shimmering beautifully in the light that rained upon her, and her bare blue skin was beautifully pristine. The little bulb that tipped her rubbery tail was developing nicely, a gleaming golden sphere the size of a minimized Pokeball. She was indeed Beatrix's pride and joy, a perfect example of a Mareep, and releasing her into the wild only caused her reluctance to escalate, for fear of exposing her to certain troubles.

But she needed her to get through the night, and priorities won over.

He could feel the sharp stab of exhaustion pierce his lungs, yet the pang failed to rival the prospect of his captors' intentions, and while his pace steadily decreased and his footsteps became lumbered, he could only push on in the hope of finding an escape, somewhere, somehow. But the pine trees, their defense was all but temporary, and their uniform structure and infinite stretches became a cage in which he'd pushed too far to escape.

His head lulled and his eyes blurred until his entire sense slipped to distortion, and he was completely incoherent of his actions. As his mind faltered and dissolved, he could no longer control himself, and his torso met the pine-strewn ground before he could realise his severance from the world.

Needles were thrown from the ground in great splashes as powerful paws pounded the forest floor. Three Mightyenas, great grizzly canines covered in matted, jet-black fur and bearing expressions of sheer malice and persistence flew through the forest with utmost ease, gliding past each tree as if they were nothing but bodiless illusions. Their faces were fierce and remained constantly upright, still as every tree they evaded, focused on their target, impervious from straying thoughts.

The scent was pungent, and it only grew stronger as seconds progressed. Fury etched the face of one Mightyena as his triumphant barks relayed a message to the other two, diverting them immediately to establish a strategic formation. They seemed to halt completely as they made a sudden turn, tearing through the trees in a tight pair as the other continued forward without hesitation.

The two flankers made a slight turn, creating an arch in their path and slowly allowing the scent of their prey to pass by as they made their way round. He was in their sights now, he was outrun and his path was impeded, he was trapped and as good as dead.

The lead Mightyena could see his prey, and his partners in the distance. Throwing his head back with a mighty hurl of his mangled mane, he let loose a blood-curdling howl, swiftly returned by the pair in the distance. They had won, and their incapacitated prey had reached his fate.

They closed in on him and howls echoed through the forest as the pursuit came to an end.

The evening brought a dazzling sunlight, shooting through the pine forest with fractured rays, dotting the ground with beautiful shining pinpricks that caused the forest to glitter serenely before succumbing to the oncoming twilight.

Beatrix had sat herself up against a tree beside her bag, a small cobalt laptop propped upon her cameo-jean-clad knees. Every now and then, her pale blue eyes would flicker from the screen to observe her Mareep, weary of her tendency to wander unescorted. Her beautifully carved cherry-red lips bore a gentle smile induced through the pleasure of watching her curious companion exploring every inch of the prairie, visiting areas she'd visited more than once just to refresh her fickle mind of the features.

She flicked a trailing lock of platinum blonde hair from her view with a swish of her hand, pushing it behind her ear to reform the shape of her wavy ponytail. Upon her laptop screen was a list, a list of names that she'd been scrutinizing for the past half hour. Her eyes would flick from the screen to her unnamed sheep every five seconds, as she subconsciously matched each name to the spirit of her Mareep.

Whittling the list down to the final five was no easy task to achieve. It had taken her this long to rid the list of two, an action she was already beginning to reconsider. It wasn't due to a dislike for the names, but down to her fondness for each one. They all seemed perfect, but at the same time didn't compare to one another. It was frustrating, but naming her Pokemon successfully was a task she'd been committed to since the moment she attained the beast.

She let out a fatigued sigh, pouting a little as she admitted defeat for the moment. The sun was swift in its descent, and she could already note a darkness gradually overcoming the golden rays decorating the forest. It was time to set up a camp, and eat.

She secured the laptop with a click, and reached for the dark green fatigue cap that sat alongside her, placing it firmly atop her head with a tug. She was unprepared to say the least, what with a mere sleeping bag rolled up and resting against a tree being her only camping tool. Still, this was what she was training her Mareep for, right? Protection. That's all she needed right now.

The prairie was an ideal spot to spend the night. It was one of the few areas that weren't sparse of any kind of verdant features, a large patch of uncovered grass proving a perfect mattress on which to lay a less-than-desirable sleeping bag. The trees were relatively tight, or seemingly tighter than the rest of the cramped forest, and offered a welcome sense of security, if not adequate protection. She'd even managed to amass a few low-hung branches that she intended on igniting. The stream was still close by also, though a few meters further into the distance, and the sound it emitted was a perfect lullaby of nature.

Taking in a sigh of appreciation, Beatrix took hold of her sleeping bag, and began to set up camp.