_2._
I glanced up from the PokéNav, confused by the directions I'd been given. The AreaNav app displayed on the screen was telling me to turn right and follow a dirt path, but when I looked for said path, there wasn't one. Nothing but tall, lush grass and aged trees were in that direction.
I'd never really had much luck with technology, but I didn't think the PokéNav would fail me this soon. I tapped the screen with my nails, hoping that maybe a little jostling would make it find the right course. No such luck.
Pikachu leaned around my head to see what was wrong, chittering in a baffled manner.
"This thing isn't working," I held my wrist up to him so he could see, even though I knew he'd make no sense of it. "It's telling me there's a path here, but I'm not seeing it."
Pikachu sniffed the PokéNav curiously. He jumped from my shoulders and scurried in the direction I'd pointed to, his nose twitching as he trailed the ground with it.
"Be careful in that grass!" I called out as he dove head first into the blades. I watched with concern as the grass shook with the yellow mouse scampering through it.
I heard a squeak and ran forward, pushing through the thick blades to get to my Pokémon. There sat Pikachu on a very narrow dirt path, looking as proud as punch. His eyes shone triumphantly, his little paw outstretched towards me, waiting in anticipation.
I laughed and gave him the high five he deserved. "Well done, buddy! Now we can be on our way."
Pikachu danced around happily, seeming very pleased with himself. I gave him an affectionate rub under his chin before continuing forward, allowing Pikachu to guide me.
The AreaNav said it would only take fifteen minutes at most to reach the next town, but it looks like it'll take us longer due to the fact that most of the paths have been covered by over-grown plants.
I didn't really have a problem with it, though. The scenery was nice to look at. Hoenn's quite a lot greener than Johto. It's hard for anything to really thrive in Johto due to the extremely cold climates. It never stayed sunny for too long over there either.
But here, plants had all the sun in the world to soak up and enjoy. I know I've said it before, but Hoenn really is a beautiful place.
A distant rustle caused Pikachu to suddenly stop in his tracks, his tail erect and his ears swivelling. "What is it, boy?" I knelt down beside him, placing a hand on his back. He gave a short squeak in response, his eyes trained on whatever was in front of us.
I looked that way also, but couldn't spot anything with my untrained human eyes. A flurry of black and grey suddenly shot out of the grass, whizzing past us and disappearing just as quickly as they'd came. Pikachu tensed himself, clearly it wasn't over yet.
A second wave of Pokémon came toward us, in hot pursuit of the others. I fell back from the force of furry bodies brushing against me as they passed, some even full on crashing into me in their haste.
One Pokémon accidentally ended up barrelling straight into Pikachu, not seeing the rodent until it was too late. The two creatures went tumbling through the grass, a surprised squeak sounding from the startled mouse Pokémon.
The two separated and glared angrily at each other. I stood and ran out of the grass to try and stop them.
"Come on, sweetie, he didn't mean to run into you like that." Pikachu argued back with hurried chitters of his own, clearly disagreeing. I could see there was no way to avoid the oncoming battle.
My Pikachu was beyond the point of reasoning and the wild Pokémon clearly wanted nothing more than to battle it out against the electric-type.
I quickly opened my Pokédex and scanned the grey and black pup, recognising it as the same type of Pokémon who'd attacked the Professor.
"Poochyena, the Bite Pokémon. Poochyena is an omnivore – it will eat anything. A distinguishing feature is how large its fangs are compared to its body. This Pokémon tries to intimidate its foes by making the hair on its tail bristle out."
I shut the device and pocketed it. So it's a Poochyena. They didn't seem all that threatening, maybe Pikachu could take it on? I could see that the two Pokémon were itching to battle, the Poochyena growling and snapping it's jaws in anticipation and Pikachu responding with a growl of his own, his yellow fur standing on end and his tail erect.
"Are you sure you can handle this, buddy?"
Pikachu let out a confident squeak, digging his paws into the earth and shifting his weight backwards, ready to charge. I was still concerned for him, but I knew there was no way to change his mind now.
"Alright, if it's a battle this Poochyena wants, then it's a battle he'll get," I moved back to a safe distance, before giving out the first attack.
"Pikachu, use quick attack to get up close!"
The electric-type sprung into action, darting across the land and kicking up the earth in his wake. His paws barely grazed the ground as he barrelled towards the waiting Poochyena, his tail acting as a balance rod while he ran in a zigzagging motion to try and confuse the foe.
"Quick, thunderbolt!"
Pikachu pushed off the ground and leapt into the air, using the built up momentum to carry him further up until he was at a safe distance. The rodent curled into himself as he charged the upcoming attack.
Sparks leaked out from his cheeks before he released the stored electricity down onto the Pokémon below.
But the Poochyena had been expecting such an attack and quickly dove out of the way, the thunderbolt colliding with the ground and sending shattered pieces of earth and rocks flying everywhere, few managing to hit the Poochyena.
The wild Pokémon made a leap for the falling Pikachu, who could do nothing but flail helplessly in the air. The Poochyena caught the rodent in his mouth and landed back on all fours, keeping a tight hold on the wriggling electric-type.
"Pikachu, no! Try to get out!" I yelled, wishing I could run over and pry him from the beasts mouth myself. I tried to think of a good counter attack for the situation, but I was so overcome with worry that I couldn't think straight.
The Poochyena's mouth was suddenly alight with flames licking from the corners of his mouth. I watched in horror as the Pokémon's fangs sank deep into the belly of my Pikachu, the fire at the tips of his fangs wrapping around the rodent and spreading across his entire body.
Pikachu let out a pained screech, throwing his head back and writhing in agony as the fire left him with a severe burn.
"Pikachu, get out! Please!" I covered my face, unable to watch as my baby struggled uselessly to free himself. No longer able to bear the sounds of his desperate cries, I reached for his Poké ball and withdrew him from the battle.
I hugged the red and white device close to my chest, my hands shaking uncontrollably. A vicious growl sounded from the Poochyena, who was clearly not happy that the battle had been ended so abruptly.
The wild Pokémon turned around to face me, his eyes narrowed and his teeth bared, flashing those fierce bottom fangs. I felt dread settle in my stomach as the Poochyena raced in my direction, saliva dripping from the sides of his mouth as he let out a terrifying snarl.
He was angry, and trying to fight me! All of a sudden I understood why the Professor had ran from the little Poochyena nipping at his heels. They were scary, really scary. For something so small, they were very aggressive.
I was petrified, my knees clapping together from how much I was shaking. But my feet were rooted to the spot. I couldn't move, my body refused to listen to me. I could only watch in fear as the vicious pup made a dive for me, mouth wide open and flames dancing from it's pointed canines.
A sudden flash of light lit up the open area for a fraction of a second before disappearing to reveal something small and green.
The new Pokémon spun in the air and connected it's thick tails with the Poochyena's face, easily smacking him away.
"Treecko!" I cried, realising what it was. The grass-type landed nimbly on his feet, arms crossed – as always – and sporting his typical 'don't care' attitude. I was so happy to see him right now that I almost scooped him up into a bone-crushing hug, though I refrained from doing so considering the situation.
The Poochyena got to his feet, his tail puffed up and his eyes flashing with anger. Treecko lowered himself into a fighting stance, bending one leg and stretching out the other, one hand placed firmly on the ground while the second was held out in a similar fashion to his leg.
He almost reminded me of a ninja. Almost. I'm sure ninjas didn't sprout two dark green tails from their backsides. Treecko waited for the Poochyena to make the first move before taking any action.
The wild Pokémon veered off to the left, hoping to catch the wood gecko off-guard. But Treecko was quick to retaliate, almost as if he'd been expecting such an attack.
The two were dangerously close to colliding with each other now, not even a mere ten feet between them. The Poochyena went in with a leap, aiming for the other's throat.
Treecko took that chance to drop and slide right beneath the pup, letting off a barrage of seeds from his mouth, aiming at the Poochyena's sensitive underbelly.
The Poochyena yelped as the force of the seeds pushed him up into the air. He flailed wildly, claws raking against thin air, hoping to grab something.
I collapsed onto the grass, watching in amazement as the two battled. I know I should be helping Treecko, but I was still quite shaken up. Besides, it seemed he could manage on his own just fine.
Treecko watched the Poochyena kick out helplessly above him, taking the opportunity to get ahead in the battle. The grass-type jumped after the pup, coming into line with the rapidly descending Pokémon.
The Poochyena caught sight of the starter beside him and snarled, twisting and reaching out in an attempt to do some form of damage to the smug Pokémon.
Treecko pulled himself into a spin, letting the momentum build up before outstretching his tails and pounding them into the surprised Poochyena's stomach with a satisfying 'smack', sending the pup hurdling towards the ground twice as fast.
The Poochyena came crashing down into the earth, the speed of the fall causing serious damage to both the ground and the Pokémon. Chunks of rocks and dirt flew out in a mushroom like cloud across the area, covering everything within a 20 meter radius in a fine coat of dust, including me.
I held my arms up to cover my face from the rough bits flying around. Once the dust had settled I could see the rather large dent left in the earth from the collision, the wild Poochyena lying in the middle of it, the wind knocked out of him from the force of the impact.
I felt bad for the pup, hoping that Treecko hadn't overdone it and caused serious injury to the poor thing. But it seems my worries weren't needed as the Poochyena stumbled to his feet and limped somewhat awkwardly off into a nearby patch of tall grass, whining pitifully.
He was going to be sore for a while...
Treecko came over to me, walking up in his usual stance. I smiled and gave the starter a grateful pat, deciding that he probably wouldn't like a hug. "Thank you, Treecko! You saved me...what would I do without my dependable little knight?"
The Pokémon huffed and turned away to better hide his embarrassment, his tails swishing in an irritated manner. I chuckled and thanked the grass-type once more before returning him to his ball for a well-deserved rest.
I reached for another Poké ball and called out Pikachu to see how he was fairing. I felt bile rise in my throat as I glanced in horror at my poor yellow mouse.
Pikachu lay slumped on the ground, unable to stand even though he kept insisting on trying to get to his feet. The fur around his stomach was matted and singed, the exposed skin beneath not looking any better.
I could see parts starting to redden and swell from where the Poochyena's fangs had been. "Oh, Pikachu...I'm so sorry, I shouldn't of let you take him on. I should've known better!"
Pikachu let out a raspy squeak, his ragged breaths growing more intense as he painfully forced himself onto all four paws. He squeaked again – with more clarity this time – and shook his head, staring up at me defiantly.
I knew what he was trying to say, I didn't need to speak the Pokémon language to understand my Pikachu. He'd wanted to battle, he'd been ready for it. But he hadn't been ready for it, the end results pointed that out clearly.
Pikachu let out a pained whine before his legs crumbled beneath him, a burning blaze of fire enveloping his entire frame before dissipating. Oh no...he'd been burned.
"I have to get you to a Pokémon Center, please get back in your Poké ball for now." I leaned in to touch the device to him, but Pikachu was quick to swat it away with his tail, using what little strength he had left.
He chattered his teeth, once again giving me that intense stare, daring me to defy him. I knew he wanted to stay out in case there were any more wild Pokémon, but how could he possibly fight any of them in this state?
"No, I want you to go inside your Poké ball. Please Pikachu, it'll be easier for you in there. I'll be fine, I promise." No amount of reasoning was going to deter my little rodent though. I sighed in frustration and scooped him into my arms, cradling him as gently as I could so as not to hurt him further.
The rest of the hike hadn't been too bad. There were a few more wild Pokémon on the way who'd taken interest, but I'd been quick to avoid them like the plague and just keep on running.
Pikachu all the while had tried his hardest to be tough and not let the pain get to him, but every burn just brought on another wave of agony for the poor electric-type.
As Oldale Town came into view, I headed straight for the Pokémon Center, easy to recognise by the large red roof. The glass doors slid open to allow me entrance.
I ran up to the front desk, startling the nurse Joy working here.
"Please nurse Joy, I need you to heal my Pokémon!" I held up the shaking Pikachu, suffering through another wave of the burn.
"Yes, of course. Please put your Pikachu in it's Poké ball before I take them to the machine." I handed the Chansey waiting beside me my other two Poké balls, muttering a quick thank you before retrieving Pikachu's and bringing it in front of him.
"I need you to get inside now, so nurse Joy and Chansey can help you, okay?" I was praying that Pikachu wouldn't, for once in his life, be stubborn and just do as I asked.
It seems my prayers were answered, because Pikachu willingly allowed me to touch the device to his head, sending him inside with a flash of red.
I handed the last Poké ball over and dropped my arms, biting my lip nervously as the black surface of the machine my Pokémon sat atop flashed in an array of cool toned colours.
Nurse Joy had sensed my distress and came over, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It'll take a little over half an hour for the process to be complete, why don't you go and sit down for a bit? Chansey will bring out some food for you in a little while."
I gave the nurse a silent nod and shuffled over to the colourful waiting chairs, choosing an orange one to sit in. I let my mind wonder as I waited, seeing as I really had nothing else to do.
It felt like I'd eaten lead for breakfast. Every fibre in me felt heavy and weighed down. My stomach was somersaulting and my heart was pounding furiously from within my chest. The beating pulse in my ears was so loud that I hadn't even heard the Chansey come up beside me.
She caught me by surprise when a clinical silver food tray was placed on my lap. I jumped at her presence, almost knocking the piping hot chocolate from her grasp. She cried out as she struggled to hold onto the mug while I apologised profusely.
The Chansey handed the cup over, giving me a weary look – perhaps thinking that I'd end up spilling it over myself – before going off to attend to the other Trainers waiting around.
I waited until the Egg Pokémon was out of sight before moving the food tray carefully over to an empty blue chair beside me. I wasn't hungry, the worry inside me leaving no room for food.
Instead of eating the bowl of noodles, I opted for taking small sips of hot chocolate, not wanting to seem completely rude. I only managed to get through half the cup though before I ended up just staring into the contents of my drink, lost in thought.
Guilt gnawed at me every time I thought of poor Pikachu. I couldn't stop questioning the 'what if's'.
What if nurse Joy couldn't heal my little Pikachu? What if he ended up hating me for the extreme pain I'd put him through while battling that Poochyena? What if that battle left him traumatised?
If I had just said no to him in the first place and not caved in to his demands, then he wouldn't be this way right now! Why did I always give up the fight against my Pokémon? Was I really that weak of a person? Could I not stand up to them?
I tried to think back on a time when I'd been firm with my Pokémon, but the more I tried to find something, the more I realised that every time my Pokémon wanted anything, I immediately gave it to them.
They wanted berries? They got it. They wanted to go outside in the middle of the night, even though I was sleeping? I let them out. They wanted my human food, rather than their Poké food? I gave them some.
If Floatzel wanted macaroons instead of berries, even though they had to be imported all the way from Kalos? He still got them.
If Pikachu wanted to battle, even though I knew he wouldn't be able to handle it? He still got to... and I regret it so much.
What was I going to do? How could I ever make it up to him for being such a foolish Trainer? I placed the now lukewarm cup on the tray and lowered my head into my hands, digging my fingers painfully into my scalp.
Heh... I shouldn't even be calling myself a Trainer. I have no right to. Sure, I think most Trainers use and abuse their Pokémon just for a silly title, but at least they know how to battle! They know how to get their Pokémon out of a sticky situation, instead of just standing around dumbly and watching pathetically on the sidelines.
They know how to stay calm in such a situation and quickly turn it around to their benefit, whereas all I can do is cry and plead like a little child when my Pokémon needs my help the most.
...What am I even doing out here? Did I seriously think I could handle going out all on my own? No, I wasn't alone...which made it even worse. I had my Pokémon with me, three of them! Two more than the average Novice Trainer gets and I still manage to screw up royally!
I heard the sound of the glass door slide open with a squeak, but could care less about who was walking through them. I kept my forehead pressed firmly against my palms, unwilling to look up even though I heard footsteps coming my way.
I willed the person to go away, to come to an abrupt halt and quickly walk back to the desk, but no such luck.
"April?" I groaned at the sound of my name and reluctantly dropped my hands, shifting my head up to meet the eyes of the person in front of me. It was no other than Brendan.
Who else could it have been, really? I've only just moved here, so it's not like anyone else travelling around would know my name.
He wasn't sporting his usual happy-go-lucky grin though, instead he was frowning down at me, his eyebrows knit together in concern. "Is something wrong?" He took up the seat opposite of the food tray beside me, clasping his hands together between his knees as he held my gaze.
"I'm waiting for my Pokémon to heal." I admitted, averting my gaze to the recently mopped lino floor.
"What? But I thought you weren't a Trainer!" Brendan leaned back in his seat at that, seeming genuinely surprised.
"I'm not," I confirmed, my voice stern. "Not anymore."
"I'm confused..." I snuck a glance over at the boy beside me. His expression was true to his words. He really did look bewildered. If I weren't in such a dispirited mood, I would've found it funny that he was the type to so easily wear his emotions on his sleeve.
"Your dad, Professor Birch, managed to convince me to try out becoming a Trainer, but..." I felt my throat tighten as I thought back on what happened in Route 101. My voice grew a little shaky upon remembering, much to my chagrin. "Pikachu...I couldn't...I couldn't help him. He got hurt because of me."
I glared over at the brunette boy as he let slip a little snicker. How dare he laugh at my Pokémon's pain! I raised my fist and pulled it back, my knuckles colliding painfully with his shoulder.
I instantly pulled my hand away, cradling it against my chest as we both cried out at the impact. Brendan rubbed his shoulder, giving me an apologetic look, although the grin was still there.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh, but it's natu-" He was cut off abruptly as a melodic chime sounded throughout the Pokémon Centre, indicating the machine was finished. I jumped from my seat and ran forward, practically throwing myself at the front desk.
Nurse Joy gave me a soft smile before reaching back and collecting the Poké balls, laying them into my waiting hands. "Please be more careful in the future."
I promised her that I would before rejoining Brendan. A Chansey must've come by to collect the tray, because it was no longer there when I sat down again. I still felt a little bad for not eating any of what they'd prepared for me...
"So these are your Pokémon?" Brendan leaned forward to inspect the orbs in my hands. "Bring them out, would you? I want to see them!"
"Alright, alright, jeez." I huffed at the boy's persistence, picking up the Poké ball I wanted to see the most and opening it. I was temporarily blinded by the light before Pikachu appeared.
He rubbed at his nose with his front paws, ears twitching as he surveyed the place around him. When Pikachu caught sight of me however, there was no hesitation as he jumped straight into my lap, letting out a happy coo.
I wrapped my arms around his little frame and hugged him close, relieved to see him feeling like his old self. "I'm glad you're okay." I whispered, burying my face into his fur. Pikachu squirmed out of my embrace, plopping back onto my lap to continue observing the insides of the Center.
"Cool, a Pikachu!" Brendan spoke up, pointing out the obvious. He leaned down so he was on level with the little rodent, a wide grin stretching from ear to ear. "Hey there, I'm Brendan!"
Pikachu squeaked in surprise and spun around, swatting out in a flurry at the face not even a hand's length away from him. Brendan was quick to pull away, yelping at the sudden attack and covering his face for protection.
"Sorry!" I couldn't help laughing, despite knowing that I shouldn't be. "He gets easily startled."
"No, it's fine...I guess I should've expected it." The boy brushed it off, his earlier cheer coming back. "So, what are the other two?"
"Well, one I actually got from your dad just today." I retrieved the other two and released them also. Buizel looked as good as new, his short orange fur once again shining with the familiar coat of oil that all Buizel's secreted.
Treecko stood a little further from everyone else, surprised to be out next to two completely strange Pokémon to him.
Buizel was quick to jump on me, his goofy grin instantly lighting me up inside. All my previous worries just seemed to disappear when I caught sight of my overly cheerful water-type hugging me and purring merrily to himself.
"What Pokémon is that?" Asked Brendan, poking the clueless Pokémon's arm curiously.
"A Buizel," I explained while patting his head affectionately. "They're from the Sinnoh Region."
"Really? Cool!" Brendan reached out to grab one of Buizel's tails, inspecting it thoroughly.
"Wait, I wouldn't-" But I was too late, the boy had already grabbed the remaining tail in his other hand, giving them a slight squeeze to see if they were as squishy as they looked.
Buizel yelped at the sudden intrusion of hands fondling him and quickly turned around, delivering a swift tail slap to the unsuspecting Trainer's face.
Brendan recoiled in his seat, holding his cheek in disbelief. Buizel hissed unhappily and tucked his tails beneath him, chittering what would probably be sailor worthy insults at the brunette.
"Buizel's have very sensitive tails, they're not fond of them being touched." I stroked the Pokémon's head in an attempt to calm him down.
"I guess I deserved that then," Brendan gave a light-hearted laugh, releasing his cheek after giving it a good rub. "You're from Sinnoh?"
"No, Johto actually. Buizel was a present from a good friend of mine who moved over there a few years ago."
Brendan gave an understanding nod, but when he caught sight of my third Pokémon he suddenly beamed as bright as a sun stone, getting up from his seat to kneel next to the grass-type.
"Treecko! How's it going, buddy?"
"You know each other?" I hadn't expected that, though I guess I should've considering he is the Professor's son.
"Of course! I used to help my dad out with raising the Starter Pokémon until I became a Trainer myself. I haven't spent as much time with the recent batch, but we're still good friends, right pal?"
My Treecko clearly had something else to say about their relationship though, because he was quick to shoot out a spray of seeds at the boy's face.
I covered my mouth with my hand, attempting to hold in a snort. "It doesn't seem you two get along as well as you think."
"Nah, it's just his way of showing affection!" Brendan got to his feet and stretched, bones popping and clicking as he did so.
I flinched at the noise, I've never been a fan of those kinds of sounds. It always made my own bones ache just hearing it.
I placed Pikachu on the floor, and nudged both him and Buizel over to Treecko, giving them all some time to become acquainted.
"As I was saying before," Brendan began, glancing down at me as he re-adjusted his beanie. "It's natural to lose your first battle, even against a wild Pokémon. Novice Trainers rarely ever win the first one, so it's okay."
"But it's not okay," I stared at my shoes, unable to meet his gaze. "I got Pikachu hurt because I didn't know what to do. I let him battle even though I knew he couldn't win."
"Of course he couldn't win."
I glanced up at that. Where was he going with this?
"Like I said, it was your first battle; and his. I bet he was just as clueless as you were. But that's alright, because learning on-the-go is half the experience of your journey! The whole point of becoming a Trainer is to learn.
"To learn how to battle, to learn how to get out of tough situations. Few Trainer's ever know what they're getting themselves into when they set out on their journey, and that's what makes it fun! The surprises and thrills along the way are what Trainer's really set out for.
"Sure, we want the badges, the ribbons, the titles. We get disappointed when we lose, frustrated even. But a loss doesn't mean it's the end of the road, it just means we have to go about getting to where we want in a different way, to try new things to achieve our goal. You know?"
I stayed silent, taking in everything he'd said. He was right; of course he was. I'd been looking at being a Trainer completely one-sided. I believed that it was all about the glory for them, about reaching that shimmering pedestal with the gold medal gleaming in anticipation of their arrival. That they'd do anything to get to that point, even if it meant using their Pokémon to achieve it.
But I'd been wrong. What Brendan had said made my entire view of Trainer's take a complete one-eighty, and he probably didn't even realise it. He'd just been rambling about something that seemed so obvious to him, but it was almost like a slap in the face to me, waking me up from my own narrow-minded judgement.
"Brendan...thank you."
"Hm? For what?" I smiled at the perplexed boy beside me, his arms crossed behind his head as he lounged back in the blue chair he'd once again taken. He was as oblivious as a Slowpoke, having no idea how much his words had changed my outlook on this whole ordeal.
"Nothing," I brushed it off, turning away from Brendan to watch the three Pokémon conversing with each other, Treecko seeming more reluctant.
"Okay... so!" I jumped when Brendan suddenly leapt from his chair, re-strapping his bag over his shoulder and turning to me with an eager glint in his eyes. "If you're officially a Trainer now, then that means I can deem you my rival! And you know what rivals do best? Battle!"
"Now when did I ever agree to becoming rivals with you?" I narrowed my gaze at the grinning fool, finding it hard not to break out into a smile of my own at his ridiculous expression. "And I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to battle again yet..."
"Come on, April. Live a little! You don't have to use Pikachu, you could use you're Buizel...a-actually, I think it'd be better if you used your Treecko! You know, since he's your Starter in Hoenn and all."
I glanced carefully at Treecko. Did I really want to risk him getting hurt just like Pikachu? What if I froze up like last time? But then again...it's already been proven that Treecko can hold his own against other Pokémon. And I'd be battling Brendan and his Pokémon, so he would definitely stop before anything got out of hand. "Well, I guess we could battle..."
"Great!" Brendan lit up like a Volbeat and latched onto my wrist, pulling me up from my seat and over to the front desk. He retrieved his only Poké ball from nurse Joy before leading me out of the Centre.
My three Pokémon were quick to tag along, Treecko hanging in the back while Pikachu made a leap for my shoulders, perching himself comfortably in his familiar spot.
"So, where are we going?" I assumed it was to the Route ahead of us, but I couldn't see the name written on the sign from here.
"To Route 103. I still have some Pokémon surveying to do for my dad before I can head out on my journey."
Houses and people disappeared as we passed the wooden sign. I felt the earlier dread crawling back into my stomach as I saw the tall grass ahead. I creeped a little closer to Brendan's side, motioning for Buizel and Treecko to stay close as well.
"Don't worry, wild Pokémon usually stay away when there's more than one Trainer around. They're not as tough as they make themselves out to be when they know they don't have a fighting chance!" Brendan grinned at that, clearly thinking back on some fond memories of his.
"I'm surprised your dad let's you come out here on your own." I know my dad wouldn't even let me set foot outside of Littleroot Town if I didn't have Pikachu or Buizel with me. Guess I shouldn't tell him about today when I ran out on Route 101 to help Professor Birch, Pokémonless...
"But I'm not alone, I always have my trusty Pokémon with me!" He tapped the Poké ball strapped to his belt fondly. "Careful along here, the dirt gets pretty loose after it rains."
I followed cautiously in Brendan's footsteps, having to catch myself a few times while we walked downhill. Brendan was quick to take hold of my hand when I almost went sliding the rest of the way down.
Buizel was hanging onto the back of my shirt; his attempt at helping me keep my balance, bless his little socks. If he had any, that is...
Treecko was fairing just fine, able to nimbly waltz his way across the path with little to no worries whatsoever. If only I had his prowess...
We made it to the bottom fairly unscathed, surprisingly. There'd been more than a few times where I honestly thought I'd end up tumbling over my own feet and dragging Brendan down with me, but he was stronger than he seemed, able to hold most of my weight – with great effort on his part – while I fumbled to get my footing back.
"Alright!" Brendan cried out suddenly, catching my attention as well as that of my Pokémon. "Let's get this battle started!"
I motioned for Buizel to stand off to the side, Treecko standing diligently at my feet. I removed Pikachu from my shoulders, asking him to wait with Buizel.
I turned to face my neighbour, watching him jog backwards to put a fair amount of distance between us.
"Okay, this is a one-on-one battle and will end when one Trainer's Pokémon can't continue, got it?"
I gave a nod, wringing my hands nervously in front of me. My heart was beating a thousand miles a minute, making it hard for me to concentrate on what Brendan was saying. I closed my eyes, willing away the nerves making themselves known inside my gut. My legs were shaking with the effort to hold me up, my arms feeling numb.
Brendan must've caught on, because he was suddenly shouting all sorts of encouragement to me from across the field. "Don't worry, April. We'll go easy on you!"
I gave a weak smile to that. Why was I so nervous? There was no need for me to be. This was Brendan, not some wild, vicious Pokémon. He wasn't going to do anything to hurt Treecko.
I need to calm down.
I watched as the boy unclipped the Poké ball from his belt and tossed it into the air, the device opening to reveal the creature waiting inside.
It was a small chick-like Pokémon. It's soft, fluffy plumage was mainly bright orange, with tiny yellow developing wings and a yellow plume of three feathers atop its head. It had a small, tan beak and talons with three digits of the same colour. The Pokémon gazed out onto the field with large, seemingly innocent black eyes. I almost didn't want to fight it.
I glanced down at my own small, bipedal lizard-like Starter, gnawing on my lip nervously. Did I really want to do this? His two leaf shaped tails were swaying lazily with the wind, his arms crossed over his red chest. He was sizing up the opponent.
"Okay Treecko, let's go. You can do this, I know you can..." It sounded more like I was trying to convince myself than the wood gecko. Though it didn't seem he needed any encouraging because he was quick to jump into place, leaning all his weight back as he balanced on his tails in a lazy manner, not at all phased.
"Torchic, let's show them what we're made of! Get up close and use scratch!" The chick Pokémon chirped confidently before scampering in our direction, his head in line with his back as he ran at full speed, sharp talons raking up the dirt behind him.
"Don't let him near you!" I shouted, but Treecko showed no signs of worry, instead choosing to turn his reptilian gaze towards the sky rather than listen to me. "What are you doing? Treecko, watch out!"
I gripped the hair framing my face and pulled on it in frustration as the grass-type lounged around, allowing the opponent to get closer. Oh no, it's all over. He's not listening...we're going to lose, and he's going to get hurt...
Torchic cried out loudly as he went in for the strike. I can't take it, I can't watch! I was just about to cover my eyes, but then Treecko suddenly sprung into action, launching himself upwards and twisting in the air to dodge the attack.
Torchic went sliding across the ground, unable to come to a halt. Treecko took that chance to make his move without waiting for me to call out an attack. The grass starter spun around in a blur, creating a storm of sharp, knife like leaves around his body, concealing himself.
The opponent screeched in shock as it was cut rapidly from all angles when the attack descended. But despite being temporarily caught off-guard the Torchic seemed, for the most part, unharmed.
I was flabbergasted. How on earth could that little chick come out of such an onslaught unscathed?
I glanced up, but Treecko was nowhere to be seen. Where'd he go? Surely he didn't just run off in the middle of a battle...
My worries were misplaced however because Treecko suddenly came back into view, barrelling stealthily towards the unaware Pokémon from the sidelines. He must've snuck out of sight while everyone's attention was on the leaf storm.
Brendan was also looking for the grass-type, noticing a little too late. "Torchic, run!"
The startled chick fumbled where he stood, catching sight of the opponent and trying to make a mad dash in the opposite direction. Treecko was on him in seconds though, gliding over the fluffy orange body and smacking Torchic upside the head with his tails, sending the Pokémon skidding face down across a rocky patch of dirt.
Treecko decided to use his built up speed to loop back around, making for another swipe at the disoriented Torchic. His tails made contact again, and again, and again, slapping the poor thing back and forth like a tennis ball on the court each time.
Brendan grit his teeth in frustration, his hands fisted at his sides. I could see he was trying to think of a way out of this predicament.
If I were in his place, I wouldn't have the slightest clue what to do either. Even now, I was as useless as ever, letting my Pokémon do all the work for me.
"Torchic, grab onto him!"
Torchic snapped into focus at the sound of his Trainer's voice. He scrambled to his feet and prepared for the next attack, leaning forward in anticipation.
"Treecko, stop! It's a trap!" I yelled, but he continued to ignore me. I watched, heart pounding away painfully as my Pokémon grew ever closer.
Another swift slap was delivered to the chick, but he was quick to shake the assault off and latch onto one of his opponents tails with his beak, biting down hard enough not to be shaken off.
Treecko barked at the sudden move, coming to a faltering stop and trying his best to rid himself of the tag-along.
"Yes! Now we've got him where we want him!" I didn't like the sound of that. Brendan's victorious grin made my stomach drop. What was he planning? Was the battle over if Treecko couldn't shake his Pokémon off?
"Treecko, you need to get him loose! Shake him off!" I squeezed the Starter's Poké ball between my hands tightly, my palms sweaty.
"Not gonna happen. Go for it, Torchic!" His Pokémon willingly obeyed, squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a muffled cry as he clutched onto Treecko's tail like his life depended on it.
Hot, orange flames suddenly burst from the little chicks body, the blazing tendrils wasting no time in crawling up the length of my Treecko and engulfing him whole.
"No!" I cried out, despite the fact my protest wouldn't do much. It was like a relapse of what happened to Pikachu. No, not another Pokémon...why does this keep happening?
Treecko wailed and writhed on the ground, kicking and clawing at anything near him. He dug his little green digits into the earth, finding that having something to hold onto made the pain a little more bearable.
"Please Treecko, get out! Use your leaf storm, or...or..." My mind clouded over and made it hard for me to concentrate. I had frozen up, just like in the first battle.
Treecko, with great effort, shifted his gaze in my direction, but I was too paralysed by fear to notice it. The Starter was shaking to his very core, rapidly growing weak as the flames continued to painfully lick at his scaled skin.
With all the strength he could muster, Treecko pushed himself onto his feet and conjured up another leaf blizzard, encircling himself with it this time. The stings of the leaves were nothing he couldn't handle, but Torchic was finding it harder to bare with each passing second.
The fire danced wildly in the wind, burning whatever got too close to it, but the force of the gust was enough to eventually blow it out.
Torchic released the other Starter and stumbled back, puffing out his feathers and shaking himself free of the leaves clinging to him. Treecko slumped back to the ground, unable to hold himself up after the initial energy boost wore off, the dim green light surrounding his form dissipating.
I ran forward and dropped to my knees, reaching for the exhausted Starter and cradling him in my arms. "Treecko, are you alright?"
The Pokémon opened his eyes in a squint, glancing up at me silently. He was tired and sore, but it seemed he'd be just fine. I felt a huge wave of relief wash over me, my arms growing weak and almost letting the grass-type slip back to the ground.
"Why didn't you listen to me? I told you it was a trap!" Treecko continued to gaze up at me, giving nothing away. He eventually turned his head to look elsewhere, clearly deciding our discussion was over.
"Don't be too hard on him," I looked up as Brendan walked over, holding his own Pokémon who looked just as wiped out as Treecko. "It's hard for Pokémon to trust someone they don't really know at first. You just need to spend a little more time together, that's all."
"I suppose so..."
"Besides," He continued, placing his Torchic down and lacing his fingers behind his head while grinning down at me cheekily. "He battled really well considering we had the advantage!"
"True...wait, you set it up! You knew you'd win with the type advantage!" I couldn't believe this sleaze ball. Brendan ducked out of the way with a laugh when I grabbed the nearest pebble I could find and pegged it at him. "No wonder you didn't want me to use Buizel, he could've easily demolished you!"
"Yeah, yeah. We still would've won, even against your water-type. Right, Torchic?" The Pokémon jumped back in his arms and cheeped loudly in agreement, fluttering his little wings despite how exhausted he looked.
"Here," Brendan dug through his bag, revealing a small spray bottle when he pulled his hand back out. "Use this. It'll help Treecko with the pain until we get back to the Pokémon Centre."
"Thank you, Brendan." I gave him a grateful smile, taking the potion and spraying it generously to any wounds I could find. Treecko stayed relatively still during the process, only flinching away when the mist came into contact with a particularly deep cut.
"There, all done! Do you feel a bit better now?" The Starter remained silent, but he was at least standing on his own now. I thanked Brendan once again before calling my other two Pokémon back over. Pikachu was quite happy to return to my shoulders.
"Let's hurry and head back!" Brendan called Torchic into it's Poké ball and made a dash back up the path we'd come from.
"Hey, wait up..!" I hurriedly put Treecko into his Poké ball, with his permission of course, and raced to catch up to the boisterous boy ahead of me.
Brendan glanced over his shoulder, sticking his tongue out and waggling his fingers on either side of his head in a mocking manner.
I glared playfully at him, picking up the speed as we climbed our way back up the rocky road.
_. . ._
I was the first to exit the Pokémon Center, my neighbour not far behind me. Treecko and Torchic were both healed up while Brendan and I decided to have lunch.
And I'd actually eaten the food this time, too. I was soon finding out that Brendan was the type to never stop talking once he got started though, even with food in his mouth.
I'd taken a jab at his less than polite mannerism of talking with his mouth full, feigning disgust. But it hadn't bothered – or stopped – him from continuing to do so. In fact, I think my pointing it out had only spurred him on into doing it more often.
Time had passed relatively quickly in the Center, compared to my first trip which felt like the minutes were endlessly dragging on.
I drew the crisp air of Oldale Town into my lungs, holding my breath for a few seconds before exhaling heavily, shoulders sagging with the motion. The taste of the oxygen on this side of the world would take some getting used to.
Compared to Johto, which always held a little icy kick to the air in that Region, Hoenn was much easier to breath in. I could understand why my home Region was one of the least visited places compared to everywhere else. It was rough, cold and bitter while Hoenn's a holiday paradise filled with tropical plants and white sandy beaches stretching for miles around.
"So," Brendan spoke up, breaking my train of thought. I turned to my newly found friend, who so far I was managing to get along with – something that came as quite a surprise to me. "Where are you headed?"
I honestly had no idea. I hadn't even thought about where I'd wanted to go. Grimacing, I gazed down at my feet, deep in thought. I didn't feel comfortable travelling on my own anymore after that Poochyena incident. I know it's a silly thing to be caught up over, but I just can't shake it from the back of my mind.
What if I were to run into a similar situation? I would just repeat the same mistakes as last time, and possibly get all my Pokémon badly hurt because of it.
But I couldn't really go back home either...not after I left that little note in mum's mailbox. There is the chance that she hasn't found it yet...but do I risk it?
I know that if she's found the note my dad is most certainly aware of my travels by now. I don't want to go home, only to disappoint them when they find out that my life as a Trainer was short-lived.
A sudden slap on my back caused me to stumble forward, the offending hand lingering for a second longer to make sure I wasn't going to end up eating the dirt beneath me.
"Don't think so much, you're making my head hurt just watching you!" I snorted at that, straightening myself up and brushing away imaginary dust, trying to play off my almost catastrophic fall. "And you haven't answered me yet." He pointed out, sending me a sideways glance.
I sighed and looked away, tugging at the corner of my shirt. "I don't know what I'm going to do, okay?" I hadn't meant for that to sound as harsh as it did, but apparently Brendan wasn't the least bit bothered.
"Then come travel with me for a bit." He'd suggested it as easily as inviting someone out for lunch.
"Travel...with you?"
"Sure, why not?" He was positively beaming. I'd never considered the possibility of travelling with someone else. It would be a lot safer than on my own, and I wouldn't have to face the disappointment of my parents for giving up and returning to Littleroot Town.
"Sure." I'd decided. I wanted to travel with Brendan, at least for a little while.
"Really?" He wore a perplexed look, surprised by my agreeing so easily.
I grinned whole-heartedly, reaching up to pat Pikachu who was resting his chin on my head."Why not, right?"
Brendan gave me a toothy grin, bumping my shoulder with his own before heading off towards a different Route, me tagging along beside him.
_. . ._
A mixture of warm and cool hues danced playfully with each other across the sky as the sun slowly sank behind the horizon, laying itself to rest and making way for the moon.
The sound of nature had changed along with the transition of the sun and moon. The Taillow were all tucked away in their nests, there melodic songs coming to an end for the day while the nocturnal Pokémon decided it was their time to shine, singing soft, calming tunes of their own.
I would've never guessed that a forest could be so musical. Up until moving to Hoenn, I'd always lived in Goldenrod, a large, flashy city with noisy transportation and bright building lights that always blocked your view of the night sky.
But out here in the wilderness, I could see twinkling stars and distant milky ways for miles around. It was all very atmospheric.
Brendan and I had set up camp a little while ago. According to the AreaNav app Petalburg City was easily a days walk away, not even that if you kept up a good, brisk pace.
But Brendan had decided to help me with my battling along the way, giving me all sorts of tips and explaining all there was for a Novice Trainer to know.
His general knowledge on it all had taken me by surprise, especially since he hadn't been too long of a Trainer himself. Apparently you come to learn a lot of things when your dad's a Professor, or at least that's what he's told me.
Every few hundred steps Brendan would pull me aside to point out little tid-bits of information that would be helpful to me later on.
Like the purposes of the different kinds of berries, which herbs could be used to help a Pokémon recover, and which ones to stay away from. But he told me to be careful when using herbs, as a lot of Pokémon found them extremely bitter and were never too keen to take them.
Our Pokémon, Pikachu, Treecko, Buizel and Torchic had spent the better half of the afternoon fooling around with one another and generally enjoying each other's company. It'd taken a while for Pikachu to warm up to Treecko and Torchic, but I was glad to see them slowly getting along as time progressed.
Buizel had been pretty accepting of the new Pokémon, he never was the shy, withdrawn type; even when he was a lot younger. Not a lot of things could phase him, really. He viewed all Pokémon as friends, unless they were to get on the wrong side of him – which isn't an easy thing to do.
I was shocked when I first caught Treecko making an effort to hang around the other Pokémon, but it was short lived, finding that he couldn't handle anymore of their antics and instead choosing to hang back on his own from the comfort of a shaded branch.
Can't say that I blamed him though. Having that many Pokémon forced upon you all at once when you're not particularly the socialising type would drive any introvert to hide away in a tree.
I turned my gaze to the sky, wrapped snugly in Brendan's spare sleeping bag which he'd so kindly offered. I didn't have any sort of camping gear of my own, not having expected to need any.
I made a mental note to go supply shopping with the little change I always carried with me when we reached Petalburg City.
My heart dropped like a weight whenever I thought of Petalburg; of the new Gym my dad owned which he'd be staying at for the first few weeks.
I tried to imagine how our conversation would go, but the more I thought about it the crazier the scenarios became. I wasn't sure I was ready to face him...
No. I knew I wasn't ready to face my dad. But tomorrow we'd be arriving at our first city, and I just know that he's going to be waiting for me to waltz in from Route 102.
There was no way around it. I'd turned to Brendan that night as a means of distracting me from what was inevitably going to come tomorrow.
We conversed until the sky was at its darkest and the moon its highest. About trivial things, about ourselves, about Pokémon. Everything.
I'd gotten to know quite a bit about Brendan in the last few hours. Him and his family had lived in Littleroot Town his whole life. After his mother gave birth to him she became infertile, so he'll always be an only child, but Brendan was happy to not have to share with a sibling.
Torchic was his Starter choice a few months back, but Brendan hadn't set out on travelling until now because his father always needed his help with research.
Oh, and apparently he's allergic to spicy berries. That would explain why he'd leapt away from me like a Stantler and into the nearby pond when I'd picked a Tamato berry and shown it to him.
I stared into the light of the camp fire, provided by the ever helpful Torchic of course. He'd been so proud of his flames, dancing and clucking merrily with his feathers puffed out. Brendan sat shivering on the other side of the fire.
I felt bad; since it's technically my fault that he's wet. I was the one that'd shoved the berry in his face after all. But Brendan kept insisting that it was no-one's fault and he wasn't cold at all. What a bunch of Tauros.
But if he wanted to play the big boy role, who was I to stop him? Rolling my eyes at his stubbornness I'd dropped the subject and remained silent, instead choosing to listen to the nature around us.
"It's beautiful."
"Huh?" Brendan too had been directing his attention elsewhere, because I'd obviously caught him by surprise.
"The woods," I continued, admiring the scenery around me. "It's beautiful here. I never knew outside could be so...could be this amazing."
Brendan laughed, shifting in his spot to uncross his legs and lean back on his hands. "You make it sound like you've never been outside before."
"Well, that's not far from the truth..."
"Seriously?!" My neighbour suddenly shot up again, leaning so far forward his eyebrows almost caught on fire as hot tendrils licked out at his face.
"I was very sickly as a child, so the only outside I ever got to see was from my window. I'm fine now though!" I was quick to reassure the boy when his face suddenly etched with concern.
"Well, you have all the time in the world to see it now!" He gestured dramatically to the wilderness around us.
"Yeah...I guess I do, huh?" I shared a grin with Brendan before declaring that I was going to sleep. I slipped further into the warmth of the sleeping bag, snuggling up against the cosy body of Pikachu sharing the space with me before closing my eyes.
From here on the chapters will probably be a lot more spaced out between each other, or they might keep coming frequently? All depends on how much I actually get into it, which so far seems to be quite a bit.
Once again, I'm writing this story for myself, with no other intentions. The only reason I'm posting it is for a bit of feedback and self-improvement. So the pace of posting will change between leisurely-sporadic, depending on if I'm inspired to write Pokemon or not.
Despite that, I hope you still enjoyed the read, and if you're planning to stick around for more, that you keep on enjoying it!