Ruby's Story
Journey through Hoenn
Dear Miss Ruby Fey,
We are pleased to say that we have received your application for the Hoenn Pokémon Leagues. Unfortunately, a representative is away on work, so you will have to wait at least four months before you may start out on a Pokémon journey. We hope it might be sooner.
Yours truly,
Madeline Shipper, Secretary of the Hoenn League-----
"Trash!" Twelve-year-old Ruby Dew Fey slapped the paper violently down on her kitchen table. Ruby was twelve, with vivid red hair tied in a ponytail, and misty green eyes shining over her askew bangs. "I can't believe it. It's just a excuse." She told all this to her family's Golduck, Gill, who had been through generations with her family.
"It might be true…" He offered timidly, before a glare from Ruby shut him up.
"Jeez… Can't a kid get any sleep around here?" Ruby glanced to see her younger brother, Opal, walking sleepily down the stairs into the kitchen.
"Nothing!" Ruby snapped. "Nothing at all!" She walked briskly to the door, pulled it open, walked out, and slammed it with such force that it rattled the windows. Opal and Gill winced.
"Why's Ruby so mad?" Opal asked quietly.
"Because she has to wait to find family," Gill sighed, and began to prepare breakfast.
"Feh!" A furious exclamation as Ruby made her way through the crowded streets. They seemed even more crowded, as there was a commotion in the city square. Ruby, curious like usual, forced her way through the crowds and came into view of it.
A battle!
Between a Poliwrath and an opponent's Electabuzz. The Electabuzz's Trainer commanded a Thunderbolt, and the electric Pokémon shot it from its hands. Ruby watched, amazed, as the battle continued, and Electabuzz won from sheer type advantage.
Slowly, the crowd dispersed and the two trainers were left, talking to each other. They were around Ruby's age, maybe a bit older. Slowly, Ruby walked up to the victor and said, "Congratulations. That was an awesome battle! I've never seen an Electabuzz before! You two must be very powerful Trainers."
"There are stronger!" The boy with the Poliwrath admitted. "I lost today, and that tought me I shouldn't take a opponent for granted. Don't you have a Pokémon?"
Ruby shook her head. "No. My application is…"
"Going to take a while, I know," The other boy said with a smile, patting her shoulder. "Tell you what. I'll have a word with Professor Birch. He's a old friend of our family." The boy had blue hair in dreadlocks, and bright gold eyes. He wore a yellow vest over a black shirt, and a pair of black pants. Tipped lopsidedly over one ear was a yellow cap with two black stripes going down the middle.
"Wow! That would be great! I'm very grateful. My name's Ruby!" Ruby exclaimed.
"Lance. I'm Lance Johnson!" The boy grinned, and tipped his hat to her. "And this is Pichu." Out of his backpack poked a yellow head, and the pre-evolution of Pikachu perched on Lance's shoulder with a cheery wave.
The other boy had already left. "When can you talk to him?" Ruby asked.
"Right away. Let's go to the Pokémon Center. I have to heal Electabuzz anyway!" Lance shrugged and the two made their way toward it. Inside, Lance handed a PokéBall to Nurse Joy and he and Ruby seated themselves in front of a VidPhone.
"Hello?" Professor Birch's face popped up on screen, with a curious look. It then brightened as he saw Lance. "Ah! Lance!"
"Hey Professor. My friend here would like a starting Pokémon, but the application is…" Lance trailed off.
"Really slow. I know!" Birch nodded. "If you catch a plane to Littleroot town tomorrow, I can give you Torchic, Treecko or Mudkip for your starting Pokémon!" He now directed it at Ruby.
"That would be great, Professor. I'm real grateful." Ruby grinned and Birch nodded.
"I hope to see you soon. You too, Lance!" Birch grinned at Lance and his Pichu, and flicked his end off. Lance stood up and brushed off his pants.
"Hey, since we're such great friends now…" Lance winked and Ruby sweatdropped heavily. "Let's say I'll come with you for your Journey!"
"I could use some company…" Ruby pretended to think for a moment while Pichu and Lance wore similar anxious expressions. "Okay." Lance and Pichu face faulted.
"That's it?" He said blankly. Ruby grinned.
"We leave tomorrow!" She cheered.
-----
Ruby boarded the plane, Lance close behind her. They sat down, marveling as they rose higher and higher, the city Ruby had known for so long slowly fading away. 'I'll miss it.' Ruby turned her head away, on to a new life.
-----
"Everone please leave the plane in a orderly fashion!" Crowed the pilot. Let's just say the people left in anything but an orderly fashion. Lance and Ruby were jostled into the streets of Littleroot town, and Ruby fixed her bandanna.
"Talk about rude…" She grumbled.
Lance laughed. "And talk about too serious!" He teased. Ruby shrugged as they walked toward the white building. From inside, they heard a crashing sound and Lance raised an eyebrow. Ruby shrugged and slowly pushed the door open.
Inside, a Treecko was swinging from the ceiling, calling taunts down at the middle-aged man trying to reach her. "Get down! Please!" He cried.
Ruby looked around. A Torchic was sitting calmly, looking around at the mayhem as though it wasn't there. And a timid little Mudkip was huddling in his basket fearfully, paws covering his head. She stepped inside, and let out a shrill whistle.
"YOU! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" Ruby screeched at the Treecko. She, amazed, obediently fell down onto the floor and shuffled toward Ruby, looking quite afraid. "What were you doing that for!?" Lance, who had gone to comfort the Mudkip, was amazed as the Treecko bowed her head shamefully.
"Here's… A Translator that I was going to put on her…" The man, known as Professor Birch, said, holding a necklace with a ying-yang charm dangling on the end. Ruby draped it around the Treecko's neck, and pressed the ying part with her thumb.
"Well, t'was on'y tryin' to 'ave a bit O' fun. Plus, dis' place is too stuffy an' I was tryin' to get out dat dere window," She grumbled, and jerked her paw toward a window near the place where she had been hanging.
"Swinging from the ceiling isn't going to get you outside. Being with me on a Journey will do that," Ruby said.
"Do… Ya mean ya're takin' me wit' ya?" The Treecko was amazed.
"Yep." Ruby nodded.
"How come?" Her gold eyes narrowed.
"Well, you seem like you could use some training to toughen you up. Plus, I think you'd like to travel around Hoenn!" Ruby smiled, and held out her hand.
"Fine. Ya got yerself a deal, girlie." The Treecko winked, and slapped her tails against Ruby's hand.
Birch was grinning. "Wow. I want you to have this as thanks for controlling this Treecko!" He held out a PokéBall for Ruby.
"What is it?" Ruby asked.
"It's a Skitty. They're kitten Pokémon!" Birch explained.
"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed, and took it gratefully. "Thanks, Professor!"
"And here is a PokéDex!" Birch handed her a green PokéDex, along with five PokéBalls, and Ruby immediately opened the PokéDex and aimed it at the Treecko.
"Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokémon"
"TREECKO is cool, calm, and collected. It never panics under any situation. If a bigger foe was to glare at this POKéMON, it would glare right back without conceding a inch of ground."
"Current Level: 5"
"I coulda tol' ya dat…" The Treecko piped up.
Ruby smiled at her. "I'm going to name you Everglade. It seems suitable!" She said, ignoring the Treecko's previous response. "And we're going to make a great team. Right?"
Everglade grinned. "Right!" With that, Lance, Ruby, Pichu and Everglade walked out of the Lab, with Birch waving to them. They were starting a new journey. And it was going to be a good one.