Wow, I can't believe in about a week it would've have been close to a whole year that I've done anything to this story. Well here's the next chapter. I don't own Pokémon except my own characters and ideas. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: The Road To Viridian City
Last time, Danielle packed up to travel the Kanto Region and compete in the Indigo League Tournament. She was given not only helpful supplies from her step-mother, but also a pass for the SS Kantoria that would take three hours to arrive in Pallet Town. She spent the time wisely by eating lunch and then relaxing with her Bulbasaur and Eevee by the swimming pool.
"The SS Kantoria has arrived in Pallet Town! It will leave tomorrow for Fuschia City! Thank you for traveling with us; we hoped you enjoyed your stay!" a voice called out as the passengers made their way down the gangplank, Danielle being one of them as she walked through the harbor and entered the small town.
There were houses made of mismatched bricks with picket fences and neat gardens in the backyards. The air was clean, the roads were made of dirt and lined with trees. In the distance Danielle saw a large white mansion sitting on top of a hill, thinking about visiting her childhood best friend Angelina. She suddenly remembered receiving an email a couple days ago that Angelina was also starting her journey in Kanto, so she kept walking down the road as the surroundings changed to longer grasslands and the many sounds of wild Pokémon. She didn't know if she was lucky for not running into any Pokémon as she walked for almost an hour, but as she reached the top of a hill, she could see a small city in the distance.
"Yes! It's Viridian City!" Danielle exclaimed happily as she punched the air with her fist. Then she made her way down the hill and through the moderately busy streets, taking in the sights of the large metropolis. She found it hard to believe that the quiet town of Pallet was only five miles away. The southern end of the city was not heavily urbanised except for a large park, but she didn't have a hard time finding the distinctive drum-shaped building of the Pokémon Center. She slowed down and became distracted by a Pokémon battle in a grassy clearing between a Charmander and Squirtle. She knew they were starters received from Professor Oak, but Charmander was at a type-disadvantage against Squirtle. However, it seemed none of Squirtle's attacks were striking the target and unable to see through the thick black smoke being emitted from the small fire-type Pokemon as a diversion.
"No way! Is that who I think it is?" Danielle asked under her breath, staring at a young girl no older than ten years with brown eyes and long light brown hair into a ponytail with spiky bangs. She wore a black tank top, dark blue jean hip-capris, and spiky high-heeled black sandals. She also had a black Pokémon belt through the loops of her capri pants and a silver single-strap backpack.
Across from the female trainer was a ten-year-old boy with brown spiky hair wearing a blue long-sleeved jacket, blue pants and brown boots. Around his neck was a yellow-and-green ying-yang pendant.
"Charmander, let's finish this with Ember! Go!" the female trainer pointed ahead as her Charmander jumped through the black smoke. He released a spiraling stream of red-orange embers that knocked the unguarded Squirtle into the ground.
The brown-haired boy was shocked, wondering how he could've lost while the female trainer praised her victorious Pokémon and recalled it to its Pokeball. "You've got some luck Amber, but next time will be different!" he called out as he returned his fainted Pokémon. He noticed Danielle standing off to the side and smirked. "I'm Gary Oak, the next future Pokémon Master!" With that said, he began walking towards the Pokémon Center.
"Yeah I doubt that will ever happen," Amber murmured to herself, then smiled as Danielle approached her. "Hey Dani, I haven't seen ya in forever!"
Dani laughed, they usually see each other on Crystal Island during holiday occasions. "I know, how've ya been? Your Charmander looks strong! Did you just start your journey?"
"Pretty good, thanks! Yep, I plan on competing in the Pokémon League too!" Amber said, grinning and gave a thumbs up. "I heard there's some powerful types of Pokémon living on Route 22, so I'd like to see what I can find before I head north."
"Doesn't sound like a bad idea, think I'll join you," Dani said, and the girls walked down the road until they found the obelisk that marked the beginning of Route 22. Surprisingly, instead of long grass or rolling hills, what greeted their eyes was a paved road heading off to the west. Of course, this was a well-travelled route, both to Johto and to the League Stadium at Indigo Plateau, so maybe they should have expected it.
They looked around as they continued onto the path that passed through an area of tall grass that was lined on both sides by trees. Amber didn't hesitate as she advanced into the grass and took out a Pokeball containing her Charmander, running towards something perched in the branches of the trees.
"What is that?" Dani pulled out her Pokédex as it bleeped and showed a picture of a round creature covered in whitish, messy fur with triangular ears, a nose similar to a pig's snout, skinny three-fingered hands, two-toed feet, and a curved tail.
"Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon. An agile and intelligent Pokémon that lives in trees; it is well-known for its short temper and unpredictable nature, flying into an uncontrollable frenzy and not hesitating to attack anything when angered. It specializes in close-quarters combat with high-power physical attacks; being able to learn many fighting- and normal-type skills, but can sometimes know elemental attacks."
Dani couldn't help but smile slightly. If captured successfully, Mankey was going to be a strong Pokémon for Amber to raise. She then saw something in the grass nearby and pointed her Pokedex in that direction. It was a purple rabbit-like Pokémon with large ears, whiskers, and large, protuding front teeth. Its back was covered with small spikes. She did not doubt that it was dangerous, but seemed as if any trainer would even worry about that.
"Nidoran, the Poison Pin Pokémon. Although the female Pokémon is small, they are naturally venomous and should be treated with caution as their venom is dangerous to humans and Pokémon alike. It can perform many different poison-type attacks by harnessing its' natural venom. At experience level 16, Nidoran evolves into Nidorina."
"Oh wow, it's a Shiny!" Dani gasped in shock as she noticed the Pokémon was in a different color scheme than the picture shown on her Pokedex in its regular form. She thought maybe it would be worth the effort since the female Nidoran's final evolution would be a Nidoqueen in due time. "Go Bulbasaur!" she tossed out a Pokeball and her Grass-type Pokémon appeared with a bright flash opposite the female Nidoran, whom looked at him suspiciously. "Don't let her get away, use Tackle!"
"Bulba-saur!" Bulbasaur cried, dashing forward and shoulder-charged the Nidoran, knocking her head-over-heels a few feet away. She struggled to her feet but was having difficulty getting her bearings.
Dani quickly pulled out a Pokéball and maximized it, then threw it at the Poison-type, swallowing her inside. It shook for several seconds in the grass, the red light flashing and then a ringing sounded, confirming the capture. Dani ran forward and picked up the Pokéball. "Yes! I caught a Shiny Nidoran! Great job, Bulbasaur!" she gently pets his head gently.
"Saur, Bulba," Bulbasaur smiled as it was recalled to the Pokeball.
"Hey Dani!" a voice yelled, and Amber was running towards her grinning with a Pokeball in her hand. "I just caught a Mankey! What did you get?"
"That's awesome! Well I found a Shiny Nidoran," Dani laughed at her friend's shocked expression. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll have the chance to get a Shiny Pokémon someday."
"Yeah, I hope so," Amber said as she clipped the Pokeball onto her belt.
The two girls talked alot on the way back to the Pokémon Center, mostly about their family and friends. Amber was from a family whom traveled the world as explorers and trainers; her mother Victoria was a Pokémon breeder and took care of her grandparents Day Care Center while her father Brandon own a facility in the Battle Frontier. Then her brother Marcus currently travels the world as a Pokémon trainer and runs special errands for Professor Oak. Danielle is only step-related to the Joy family, but she became close friends to Angelina and Amber while growing up on Crystal Island and treated more like a relative to the Swarovski family. She wasn't surprised that Amber wanted a life for herself, but also wanted to become a strong Pokémon trainer.
They reached the Pokémon Center faster than they expected; their conversation made the time fly by, and they were greeted by the automatic doors swinging open as they stepped inside, and began gazing at the vast atrium. On the walls to either side were a series of strange, highly styled murals of bird-like and dog-like Pokémon. These, Danielle realised, were the Legendary Pokémon, the semi-mythical creatures said to be the living avatars of the natural forces. At the far end of the atrium was a reception desk and doors that led to the center's other facilities, deeper in the building.
Seated behind the desk was a pink haired woman wearing a pink nurse's dress under a white apron. She smiled at the two girls as they approached. "Hello Danielle. Your mother said you'd be passing by here. Would you like me to heal your Pokémon?"
"Yes, thank you Aunt Quinn." Dani said, taking out her four Pokeballs and handed them to the nurse. She turned to Amber, whom also handed over her Pokémon. "So I think we should head north to Pewter City. Its a good start to collect gym badges if we want to compete in the Indigo League."
Amber thought about that and nodded. "Yeah, I really don't wanna travel alone." she said, just as Nurse Joy went into the treatment rooms with their Pokémon. "By the way, how can you tell the difference between all the Nurse Joys you're related to?"
"Well if its not by the crosses on their hats or the length of their hair, its mostly by their personalities and occupations," Dani explained to her young friend. "Although there are Joy's that have darker skin tones, but that's due to living in more tropical regions."
"Makes sense, those family reunions must be alot of fun." Amber said, wondering how she could keep track of multiple identical relatives from around the world.
Dani smirked. "Oh yeah, it's very joyful," she laughed, but she stopped when Nurse Joy came out carrying their newly-healed Pokémon.
"Here are your Pokémon," Nurse Joy said, handing the girls their Pokeballs. "I hope you two are careful if you plan on traveling through Viridian Forest. It should take you at least three days to get to Pewter City by foot through there."
"Thanks, we will," Dani said, clipping her Pokeballs to her belt. "Can you let Aunt Emma know we're on our way there?"
"Of course," Nurse Joy smiled. Then she heard the sound of someone's stomach growling and looked at Amber. "And we also have a cafeteria down the hall."
Amber laughed, scratching the back of her head. "Sounds great. I haven't eaten since early this morning."
"Alrighty then, let's go," Dani said, walking past the waiting room. "And we can go over our supplies before we head out."
The girls entered the cafeteria and were greeted by a friendly clerk who explained the food was nutritional to keep young Pokemon trainers healthy and fit. They each ordered garden salads with grilled chicken strips, yogurt parfaits with fresh strawberries, and bottled waters.
A half-hour later, they were standing at the beginging of Route 2 going over a list of items needed for their trip to Pewter City.
"Okay," Dani said. "We have a medical kit, food supplies and water for us, Poke Chow and water for the Pokemon, our PokeGears, and new Pokeballs. I think we're set!"
"Good." Amber grinned. "This is gonna be fun." she looked around at the temperate trees that covered the land as far as the eye could see.
Dani grinned back, taking out her Pokedex to identify the area.
"Route 2, the primary route taken by Trainers between Viridian City and Pewter City. It is dominated by forests of moderate density and is, therefore, home to many more species of Pokémon than more open areas. Trainers are likely to encounter Rattata, Pidgey, Pidgeotto, both genders of Nidoran, Weedle, Caterpie, Kakuna, Metapod, Beedrill and Butterfree."
"Well, it's not gonna be easy." Dani said, closing her Pokedex and then looking at her PokeGear. "It's already after noon, so we better get a move on if we want to make any headway to Pewter." and as Amber nods, they start walking down the path towards the dark and forboding forest, not doubting they would encounter unknown dangers and wild Pokemon on their journey ahead.
§To Be Continued§
*The title is based off the song "Viridian City!" from the fist Pokemon music CD 2BA Master.
*Danielle passes through Pallet Town thinking Angelina has already started her journey.
*Danielle runs into her childhood friend Amber Trainum battling Gary Oak.
*Amber just started her first Pokemon journey and received a Charmander.
*Danielle and Amber go to Route 22 to catch new Pokemon.
*Danielle catches a shiny Nidoran female, while Amber catches a Mankey.
*Danielle is half-related to every Nurse Joy in the world.
*Danielle and Amber prepare to travel through the Viridian Forest.
I hope you like this chapter, took me almost a whole year to plan out what I wanted the characters to do. I shall return with the next one!