In which a Chikorita exceeds expectations.

The professor also suggested that he and Ethan trade phone numbers, just in case Ethan had a problem on his journey. The boy didn't see the harm in it, and when he briefly returned to show Avery off to his mother, she actually thought it was a good idea.

"It's nice to know the professor's keeping the kids he chooses for the Pokedex safe," she said with a smile, offering Avery a slice of apple, which the Chikorita chomped right through.

"Yeah," Ethan said, hoping his mom didn't catch the shifty eyes. "Safety first with that man. Hey, has Lyra stopped by?"

"No, she hasn't," Ethan's mother admitted. "Why, do you want to show her your Chikorita?" When Ethan didn't reply, his mother laughed. "Oh, don't be so scared. I'm sure Lyra will love Avery to pieces."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Ethan admitted. "She might want to trade. I like Avery and want to keep her for myself."

"So just refuse her trading offer," his mother said simply. "Not everything's as bad as you make it out to be. She'll understand."

So Ethan went out to show Avery to Lyra, and it went just as his mother had anticipated. Lyra hadn't gone out to catch any more Pokémon yet, but that didn't mean she was going to volunteer to trade Marill. She looked offended by the very suggestion.

"Why would I want your Chikorita when I have a great Pokémon of my own right here?" she asked, gently patting Marill on the head. "Besides, she's yours. I might want to borrow her sometime, but you have every right to decide when."

Ethan decided he would keep that in mind, just in case.


With Avery by his side, Ethan set off on his way to Cherrygrove City. It was a nice little path, filled with helpful people and not-so-helpful Pokémon, so they decided that they might as well go on and get some training in. Of course, he'd forgotten that his Chikorita's primary attack was Bite, which was illegal in most controlled battle situations even if it was possible to stop the Pokémon before it tore chunks of flesh from its opponent. Avery's teeth were small, built for eating plants, but they were sharp, and many Rattatta and Sentret ran away before she could finish the battle.

Ethan sighed and knelt down to speak with her. "Look, Avery. I know you like to bite, but a Chikorita using Bite is illegal in most battle situations. Why don't you try Tackle instead?"

Avery frowned, but did as her trainer commanded. It wasn't her style, she admitted, but it was still more fun than being thrown off a battlefield for ripping fur out of a Sentret's body. Besides, it made Ethan happy. The two continued this way until they found their way to Cherrygrove City. And, with her Tackle attack, she actually got quite a bit of experience. But, eventually, she grew tired of fighting. Ethan noticed and decided to carry her to the next town, hopefully keeping all other potential opponents out of the way.

Fortunately, they were right outside Cherrygrove City at the time, and Ethan started walking up to a tall building that looked like it could be a Pokémon Center. Unfortunately...

"Hey, kid!"

Ethan jumped about a foot at the sound of the man's voice. Avery's leaf drooped in an attempt to shield her face.

The old man didn't notice any of that. "You look new here. Do you need help?"

Ethan could only stare.

"Come on, then," said the old man. "I'm a tour guide, I know what to do."

And he ran off. Avery jumped down to the ground and looked up at Ethan, chomping on the air as she did so, clearly asking for permission to bite the crazy old man. Ethan shook his head, and she looked very disappointed.

They followed behind the man, watching as he pointed out the Pokémon Center(the very building that they were heading for in the first place) and the mart, and then came the real let-down.

"Up on this route," the man declared, "is Mr. Pokémon's house. You might find talking to him useful."

"You mean you're not Mr. Pokémon?" Ethan wailed, and the old man shook his head.

"What in the world gave you that idea? No, I'm just a proud old tour guide. Now, see here? That's the sea, you see..."

Ethan looked down at Avery, who seemed to be very bored with everything. "I'm sorry, Avery. You still can't bite him."

"Chiii..." Avery cried, and fell over onto the ground and flailed her short, stubby limbs in a tantrum.


Once the forced tour was over, Ethan and Avery went to the Pokémon Center to heal. When the Chikorita was feeling better, she followed her trainer down the route, prepared to face anything and let her frustrations out in battle, the way Sharpedo-mama had taught her.

Ethan studied his new map application very carefully. The old man had said that Mr. Pokémon's house was up this way, so they started on their way to the final step of their journey. It certainly wouldn't be difficult.

"All right, Avery," Ethan said, his Chikorita snapping to attention. "Why don't we go and get more experience? We want to show off to the professor, right?"

Avery nodded happily. "Chiko!"

"Well, then, let's go!"

It didn't take them too long before they found a house, and Ethan, satisfied with himself, knocked on the door. Then they waited, ready to show off.

It was a man who answered, and he smiled brightly upon seeing the visitors. "Are you a traveler, perhaps? Did you come to take a look at my lovely Apricorn tree?"

Ethan frowned. "No," he said, as if that should have been clear. "I'm looking for Mr. Pokémon. You're not him, are you?"

The man shook his head. "Mr. Pokémon is a bit further up the route," he said happily. "Still, a traveler like you must be in need of an Apricorn Box. Here, I have a whole collection, I'll give you one!"

"I really don't think -" Ethan started, but the man had gone back into his house and returned, box in hand. Ethan was forced to accept the man's generosity, and glanced down at Avery. Her eyes were narrowed, her mouth was twitching, and the leaf lay flat against her head like an angry Persian's ears. She looked like it was almost physically hurting her to watch this nonsense. Knowing exactly what she was waiting for, Ethan sighed. "All right, make it quick."

And that was how Weird Apricorn Man got his trousers mauled by a Chikorita. But at least she didn't break skin this time.


"I just want to find Mr. Pokémon!" Ethan wailed, kicking a rock as hard as he could. It sailed across the path and into the grass, hitting a Metapod and bouncing off its hard body. Ethan didn't seem to notice as he continued to rant to Avery. "But it seems that the guy's just disappeared off the face of the planet! Is this why Elm didn't want to do it himself, or send his niece out to do it?"

A boy a bit younger than him seemed to show up from nowhere, and he, too, had a Pokémon outside of its ball. "Did you say Pokémon?" he asked happily, cuddling the Rattatta in his arms. "I can battle you, if you want. Your Chikorita looks tough, but can it stand up to my top-percentage Rattata?"

Ethan looked over at the Rattatta. Avery probably could take it down, easily...but no, he wasn't going to accept this challenge. Not yet, anyway. "Find someone else," he ordered. "I'm on a mission."

"Later, then?"

"Sure."

"All right! Have fun!"

Ethan waved at the boy as he and Avery moved along, knowing that if anyone deserved an Avery attack, it would be that guy.


"Mr. Pokémon?" Ethan called, banging on the door to another house. If this wasn't the one, he decided, he would go back to New Bark Town and tell Professor Elm that this mission was pointless and that Mr. Pokémon could mail him the dumb thing. "Is this the right address? You in there? Please come and let me in. Or at least come outside."

His prayers were answered when he heard a man's voice calling him to enter. He found not one but two men, sitting at a table, having a conversation. One of them looked up at Ethan's entrance, the other didn't. But the man who had looked pleased to see him.

"You must be the boy that Professor Elm sent," he stated, and Ethan nodded.

"Are you Mr. Pokémon? I'm here to pick up whatever it was you wanted to show the professor."

Mr. Pokémon wasn't paying attention. "And who's this little beauty?" he asked, reaching out and petting Avery's head. She then gnawed on his fingers, but it didn't seem to hurt him too much.

Ethan was annoyed. "Mr. Pokémon, please. I'm here to get something. I'm tired and hungry and want to make it home by nightfall, so can you hurry up?"

That got Mr. Pokémon's attention. Pulling his hand from Avery's mouth, he turned to the other man. "Could you take care of the boy, Professor?" he asked. "I have to get the Important Object."

"You call everything 'the Important Object,' why is this one different?" But the man changed dramatically when he turned to face Ethan. The boy immediately recognized who this man was - it was the great Professor Oak! "So, you're the one Professor Elm sent out on a Pokedex quest this year, am I right?"

"Uh, no. He just gave me Avery here and sent me out to get something. I get to keep her, he gets to keep the 'Important Object.'" Ethan made quotation marks with his fingers as he said it, and Oak nodded in understanding.

"I thought it was a bit early to choose the Pokedex carriers in Johto," he admitted. "But I gave Professor Elm's niece a Pokedex of her own for her trip, I suppose I could give you one, too."

Ethan watched in amazement as Professor Oak reached into the pocket of his lab coat and removed a brand-new Pokedex. Some small, insignificant part of his brain was asking if the professors always had spares or if Oak was just crazy-prepared, but the rest of his brain didn't seem to care. As he stared at the shiny device in Oak's hands, Ethan couldn't resist. He was reaching for it when Mr. Pokémon came in, carrying...

An egg.

Ethan proceeded to throw a temper tantrum at the sight of a simple egg, and it took Oak ten whole minutes to get him to calm down.

After giving a brief apology and thanking both old men for their time and their gifts, Ethan and Avery started to head back to New Bark Town. But as soon as they'd left the house, Ethan's phone started ringing.

Thinking it was his mother, Ethan turned it on, prepared to tell her he was coming home now and not to worry. And then it surprised him when he heard Elm's voice on the other end.

"Ethan! Hurry back to the lab, it's important! No time to waste, just get here immediately!"

"Professor?" Ethan asked, and he could see the concern in Avery's eyes as she stared up at the phone. "Professor, what are you talking about?"

"Someone's stolen a Pokémon from the lab!"