II- Trubbish trouble

"So, d'you know what you're doing?" the breeder asked looming over his pipsqueak sidekick. The scrawny lad shook the man's hand meekly and gave him an even meeker nod.

"I sure do, Jacko" – so that was his name: Jacko. "Which pokemon are you taking with you, on your travels I mean?"

"Well, Lava for sure" he presented an Ultra ball to his assistant; I presumed it contained my Growlithe's mother, "an' I'm also taking this Riolu; Buster" the Riolu from earlier leapt from the ground and onto Jacko's back gleefully, "I never bred Buster thy knows; I found 'im in a trap on Route 20...bloody poachers"

"Lava and Buster?" Lexi grinned, "Sweet names! That reminds me. Myles, what's your Growlithe called?" Truthfully, I'd never come up with a name for my pokemon. Most boys just called them by their default species names; but seeing Jacko with his Buster almost inspired me.

"Um...Frank!" I said, quite impressed with the intentional pun. Lexi and Jacko seemed less impressed, but they obviously didn't get the reference. With my pokemon nicknamed our little trio set off. I set one foot down on the grass and Jacko already started yelling at me.

"Do you even know where you're goin'?"

"I was heading west, you know, to central Unova, I'm sure I'll find a gym there"

Jacko just stared at me with a look of amazement and disgust, "Jesus wept", he eventually said "it's a good job I joined you two pair of numb nuts before you got yersens killed" Jacko turned away and shouted "follow me you two we're off to Aspertia City"

"Why?" we both chimed.

"So that this clueless 'get' can get 'is first gym badge", both I and Lexi were torn between admiration, fear and hatred of this guy. We decided to follow him since we both were true to our words, and plus, deep down we really were 'clueless gets'

"You two best catch some team mates" Jacko announced when we arrived on Route 19, he put far too much emphasis on team mates and stared harshly at Lexis "Oshawott and Growlithe'll only get you so far"

"Hey, I've got team mates" Lexi retorted, "I'm keeping this Mareep and calling her Flossy". Jacko just ignored him and looked out at Route 19 and saw the small pokemon running about: Purrloin and Patrat were really nothing new or exciting. Lexi released his new Flossy and I put down Frank to play in the grass. He plodded along with his puppy legs, sniffing at shrubs and Patrat. Suddenly, his ginger fur pricked up and his fluffy tail stopped wagging. He had found something. Jacko reacted before I could; he was very in-tune with Frank.

"Come 'ere, Myles" Jacko shouted. I jogged over while Lexi battled a Patrat. I could hear him shout 'Level 8' as I happened upon Frank's find. "D'you know what this is?"

It was a small footprint – at least I think it was. Next to it was a foul smelling purple splodge. Both Frank and Jacko seemed excited by it, but too me it was just a dint in the dirt and a bit of waste.

"Trubbish!" Jacko whispered. "They shouldn't exist in this area, but y'know what people are like, buying cute pokemon and then dumpin' 'em when they evolve an' get too powerful or dangerous"

"What are Trubbish?" I mumbled, feeling a little silly. To my surprise my ignorance was met with a grin, but as Jacko opened his mouth to answer Lexi's scream filled the area. Remarkably quick, Jacko leapt from the footprint and sent out Buster before I'd even seen Lexi's dilemma.

"Buster, Quick Attack!" The Riolu pounced on the pack of purple pokemon that had pinned Lexi to the ground. Their slimy tentacles were wrapping around the pokeballs of the pokemon he'd caught at the ranch. "To answer your question Myles – those are Trubbish!" Buster landed a fast attack on two of the Trubbish with amazing strength. Some of the pack members looked on terrified at their new foe and began to slink away; leaving the pokemon they had tried so hard to steal. However, every pack has a rogue.

"Buster, dodge t' attack!" Jacko ordered without an ounce of fear or panic as one Trubbish vomited acid at its foe. Buster was nimble, quick and in perfect synch with Jacko. The grin that once sat on the face of the Trubbish was long gone. Now its small eyes and quivering lips suggested nothing but fear. "Myles!" Jacko's shout snapped me out of my daydreaming admiration, "I want t' see how that Growlithe of yours battles. Order a bite attack!"

Frank looked up at me, trying his hardest to cover any puppy cuteness. He was cocky and feisty while being a bit naïve – just like me.

"Ok Frank use bite on that Trubbish!" Paws hit hard on the ground as razor fangs crunched down hard. With a burst almost like magic Frank pounced on the Trubbish and began to rip it to shreds.

"Call Frank away" Jacko muttered

"What?" I gasped, "Look he's winning, he's doing gre-"

"Call your Growlithe back now!" Jacko roared. Shaking madly, I called Frank back expecting a hero to gallop over. A limping whimpering mutt is what collapsed in my arms. "Battles aren't all about attacking. A great trainer would have noticed the Trubbish using Poison Gas as Growlithe attacked. He's too hurt to battle, let Buster fini-"

"Oshawott use Water Gun!" not even the agile Jacko saw Lexi command his Oshawott. The gushing force struck the Trubbish and flung it into its pack. Lexi picked up his stolen pokeballs as the pack began to scurry away. Lexi hurled his free pokeball, "You're not getting away that easily!" The pokeball struck the leader as it scurried away but failed to open; it just flopped to the ground as the pack of poison pokemon disappeared into the tall grass. If I wasn't so upset about Frank I would've been as confused as Lexi was.

"Odd" Jacko muttered, "It's as if those Trubbish belong to someone...some heartless, neglectful trainer". Jacko spat on the ground and with a face of thunder turned around and departed to Aspertia City. I and Lexi were quick to follow not wanting to be left in the tall grass without our bodyguard. After being exposed to the pokemon world, we knew we were both crazy to think we'd have been able to make it on our own.