Chapter Two: One Old Friend, One New Friend.

INTRO: Sorry guys about taking so long for chapter two, I was trying to make many improvements on this story plus my family and I went on vacation without wifi so I couldn't post this untill we got back today, but anyways here it is. Please leave any tips or questions if you have any, I hope you all enjoy :D!

With Striaton only a few yards away, I look down at Tepig, who seems to be more ready than any other trainer out there, Tepig probably wants this first badge more than I do to be honest. It's funny, I think he is actually inspiring me. With fire in our hearts we approach the city.

Someone behind me says "Well well well, look who it is."

I look behind me only to find my best friend, Garrett. "Told you I would beat you to Striaton," I said to him.

"I would've been here sooner, but I actually caught my self a pokemon. What about you Andrew, have you caught any?"

"Well. . . I was just in a hurry to get here, I really didn't see any pokemon on the way here," I replied.

"Figures, I took my time and still almost beat you here," Garrett said with confidence in his voice.

"No, I actually met a girl on the way here, we talked a lot on the way here. I think she might be into me." I say with a bit of hope in my voice.

"Well, then where is she," Garrett replies with some sarcasm in his voice followed by a grin.

Some time passes, I just sit there kind of feeling embarrassed. He always had that way of making me feel insecure when we were growing up. As I look down in defeat I see Tepig who seems quite angered by Garrett's general cockiness.

Just as I begin to be inspired by Tepig's courage and bravery, Garrett pulls me in for a quick bro hug. "Look man, I am just messing with you, don't take it personal. However, it does look like I upset your little friend there so what do you say about having a little battle?"

As it seems like an occurring theme with me lately I go from inspired to ready to shock. "I . . . Do you really think it would be fair Snivy if you did that, you do know he is weak to Tepig's fire attacks right," I say with caution in my heart and voice.

"Like I said I have caught another pokemon, and it's a normal type so neither of us get the advantage." Garrett launches a pokeball into the air and after it collides with the ground a tiny rat like pokemon comes out. "So what do you say?"

Such an offer really catches me off guard, do I accept the challenge. Without much time to think I begin to feel Tepig nudges me, call me weird but I think he's trying to encourage me. I look down take a deep breath, turn, my hat backwards and tell Tepig to go into battle.

I pull out my pokedex that identifies Garrett's pokemon as Patrat, a common pokemon found around Nuvema and Accumula town, to be honest I am surprised I did not know that. Either way I start the battle off with ordering Tepig to use his flame charge attack. I fire surrounds Tepig as he charge Patrat. "Yes!" I cry out. Before I could celebrate anymore Garrett orders Patrat to counter with a bite and in my shock Patrat is also able to connect with a tackle, sending patrat a few feet away. The two share combinations of bite, flame charge, and some tackles. I can feel the tension and I'm starting to like it, as the battle heats up so do I and I become less nervous and more calculated with my attacks. As we approach the end of the battle the pokemon each reach a pause and they stare each other down. Garrett then smurks and then commands his Patrat to use some move called hypnosis. Patrat's eyes begin glowing and so do Tepig's, and before I know it Tepig falls asleep.

Garrett shouts "Well I did not think I was going to have to use my secret technique, but I will be honest, you are pretty good, but I am better."

Just as I think all hope is lost, Tepig releases a sound wave from his snout. It connects with Patrat dead on, knocking it off of its feet causing it to faint. I begin feeling a bunch of emotion confusion, joy, relief, and a batch of a couple others. Garrett explains that somehow Tepig knew or learned the move snore so even though Patrat put him to sleep Tepig could still attack. " Well I guess that means I am better right?" I shout.

Garrett explains that he is going to spend some time with his aunt who lives in Striaton, but before he goes we each wish each other luck on our journeys and tell each other we hope to bump into each other through out our adventures. As for me I am going to head to the pokemon center to heal up Tepig.

I reach the pokemon center in the city, its just as I imagined it would be. Large, yet simple, I look around to see a small food court and pokemart is located in here too. After giving Nurse Joy Tepig, I head over to the pokemart and stock up on pokeballs, they have a sale going on: buy ten get one free, but I think I will pass. It's funny, I know I haven't spent much time with Tepig but being here without him feels quite and akward. Before I could think anymore my stomach growls so I head over to the food court. However, when I get there some amazing, its Jade just sitting there by herself.

Without Tepig here to nudge me, I have an overwhelming urge to turn around and pretend I never saw her. I mean in reality she has probably already forgotten who I am. . . "Hey , come sit!" Jade shouts from across the room. Disappointed that I could not back out, I force my self over to sit with her.

"How's it going?" I say.

"Pretty good, just been wandering around the city, looking at stuff, it is so much bigger here than Nuvema. I got lost over by the trainer school, but after a while a searching I ended up here." Jade says while twirling her hair.

"Well I am hungry. . . what about you, would you like to maybe eat with me. . ." I manage to barely to get out of my mouth.

"I would love to," she says with a smile.

We both order and eat while we talk about our journey so far, I tell her how close me and Tepig have already gotten and how we beat Garrett before making our way into the city. She tells me of how her and Oshawott are close too, and Oshawott already knows four moves. After a while Nurse Joy brings up Tepig and then heads back down to care for pokemon. When Tepig sees who I am with he gives be a smile and a nod.

"Well this has been" Jade says as she gets up to leave.

To keep from leaving quite yet I nervously ask her where she is staying tonight. Which makes Tepig drop his head and sigh.

"Well um. . .I don't know to be honest." She says with disappointment in her voice.

"I hear the hotel by the gym is nice and cheap," I reply. Once again I wish I would've thought before I spoke.

"The thing is . . . I . . . my parents didn't give me any money. They refused to fund my adventure, they don't think that I can be successful, especially my dad who thinks only men can be real trainers. To be honest I think I am just going to head back home before it gets dark." Jade says with tears in her eyes.

All I can say to comfort her is "oh." It gets awkwardly quiet and then she gives me a quick hug and begins to walk away. I cannot believe it what right do her parents have, I mean she's a better trainer than me, how can they not allow her to fulfill her dream.

An idea pops into my head and I sprint to catch up to her. I manage to grab her before she gets out of the pokemon center. "I know this is going to sound extremely weird, and I promise I am not a creeper, but . . . why don't you stay with me?" I say as my heart drops as the reality sets in of what I just said.

"I cant ask you to do that, you need your money for your adventure." She replies.

"My parents gave me a good amount of money for my adventure, and we could stay in separate rooms. Besides it would be fun to have an adventure buddy." I say. A while passes, no one moves, nothing is said. Fear is creeping in quickly, did I just scare her or . . .

"Do you mean it. . ." Jade says breaking the silence.

"Yes, it could be me and you, as we travel across Unova proving your family wrong," I say.

Jade is officially in tears now, she comes over to me and gives me a hug. "I. . .I. . . thank you, I have no idea how to repay you, you don't realize how much this means to me." She manages to get out. I calmly tell her it is okay and to not worry about it. " I don't know what I would do without a friend like you" she says.

That ugly word burns as it touches my ears, but right now that's not important. What is important, is that I have a new friend, one who needs me, I just hope that this will work out.