REVAMPED ON: JUNE 29 2013

Thank you for continuing to read my story. This is chapter two, significantly shorter than the first but I felt like it was a natural break.

Some paperwork and technicalities later, I was set with a pokedex, Kite's pokeball and my trainer's ID. I waved Professor Birch a good bye and I was off on my journey. I was so excited. I recalled all the stories my parents told me about their adventures and I couldn't wait to start.

I had Kite walking happily beside me; I felt no need to return her to her pokeball, and anyway, it'd be lonely walking by myself. With a few goodbyes to the local townspeople I found my way to route one hundred and one. The Route Where Journeys Begin I remember it being called. If I followed this path it should take me straight to Oldale. I think it was about a day's walk. But with the sun growing higher into the sky and the temperature rising, I think I'd be taking plenty breaks on the way.

As I walked, I was also sightseeing. I never really left Littleroot town before, not even to venture to Oldale for groceries (My mother insisted on me staying home when she did travel to Oldale or even Petalburg) The foliage seemed greener but it could simply be my imagination and I looked down at the dirt road I was walking and imagined all the new trainers starting their journey on this very road. But then I simply palmed my forehead, why was I getting so sentimental. It was just a road for Pete's sake. I looked down at Kite and she seemed like she was getting tired already, I had to keep in mind that she really was just a baby. I stopped walking and Kite looked up at me confused, I kneeled down and stretched out my arm, "Want me to carry you?" Kite looked at me suspiciously for a moment and then climbed up, resting comfortable on my right shoulder. "Better?" And Kite replied with a few happy 'Mudkips'.

It seemed like we had been walking for hours when we were confronted with an angry looking Poochyena. It barked viciously and proceeded to approach me. Kite, surprisingly, jumped from my shoulder and put a barrier between me and the Poochyena. I thought Professor Birch said that Kite was a shy pokemon!? But nevertheless, Kite confronted the Poochyena with the confidence of a Charizard. Than Kite looked back at me and barked at me boldly, "Mud mud, mudkip."

I realize that Kite was asking for a command from me and I shakily said, "Err… W-Water gun!" Then as I asked, Kite shot a strong beam of water at the Poochyena and it yelped. It began to shimmy and shake, trying to get the water off and then laid down and rolled around. Before I knew what I was doing, I pulled an empty pokeball from my bag and tossed it at the distracted Pokemon. As quickly as I threw the pokeball, the Poochyena disappeared in a red flash. Kite ran over to the pokeball and watched it intently and I quickly joined her. I was about to pick it up when it began to wiggle back and forth and Kite jumped back. Swiftly darting behind my leg, she peeked at the wiggling ball and we waited. After a few moments the ball stopped moving and made a little click sound. I paused for another long moment before I said, with an unsure tone, "I caught… Poochyena?" I picked up the ball and let out my new pokemon. It looked slightly dazed but quickly realized what had happened. It looked at me and then turned up its nose. "Why you-" I was about to give the pokemon a piece of my mind when Kite darted over to the pokemon and began to spew off some pokemon talk. It looked like the Poochyena was trying not to listen but then eventually was pulled in by Kite's argument. The dark type pokemon looked at me and then at Kite, "Poochye, yena?" And Kite replied with a chipper, "Mudkip!"

Reluctantly, Poochyena came over to me and licked my hand. I looked from the dog pokemon to Kite with a look of disbelief. I grumbled, "Arceus only knows what the Hell just happened…" Kite looking pretty satisfied with herself, requested to be put back on my shoulder and Poochyena walked slowly at my side. Looking down at Poochyena I thought out loud, "I need a nickname for you." I brought my hand up to rub my chin. "But I need to know if you're a boy or a girl." At this, Poochyena's ears perked up but it was too late already. With one swift movement I knew the gender of my new pokemon. "A boy, eh?" I needed a masculine name then. I thought hard as we walked and the sun was nearly at its highest point by the time I figured out a good name. "How about… Kuro?" I asked my male pokemon. He didn't look pleased or displeased with the name so I took that as a yes. "Kuro it is." I smiled. My day was just turning out great. I couldn't see a single thing going wrong.

With one night spent sleeping on the ground, I finally made it to the small town of Oldale. It wasn't much bigger than Littleroot but it did have a pokemart and a pokemon centre. I thought the first thing I should do was head to the pokemon centre and rent my room for the night. It was only noon but rooms tend to fill up fast. I walked through the automatic doors and was greeted by a large pink Chansey. She pointed at my two pokemon that were still out of their pokeballs and I assumed she was offering to take them to be healed. Since we were here, I thought it might be a good idea so I nodded and returned both of them to their pokeballs. She was than off with them.

I looked around the building; it was a very comfortable, but mostly pinks and cream coloured. A lot like a Chansey actually. The decor was round too. I headed to the front desk where I assumed Nurse Joy would be but she was nowhere to be found. I noticed a small silver bell sitting on the desk and proceeded to ring it and the nurse appeared from the back room. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was tending to some pokemon, how may I help you?"

"Could I get a room for the night?" I asked shyly.

"Sure thing. Could I take your pokemon for you also?"

"No, the Chansey at the front door already took them."

She looked confused by that for a moment but she quickly dismissed it. Obviously it was no big deal. "You can wait in the lounge for your pokemon to be healed or you can head up to your room right now." She pushed a key-card across the counter, "its number fourteen." I thanked Nurse Joy and headed over to the lounge and plopped down on one of the various white rounded sofas and sighed. I should phone mom and dad right now but I was here ahead of schedule so I decided it could wait until later, maybe in the evening. I rested my head on the back of the couch when I heard a masculine voice talking to Nurse Joy. Something about it was somehow familiar to me. I straightened my back and turned my head so I could peek over the back of the couch. A boy that looked around my age was talking to the nurse and he was clad in a pair of black jeans and a blue suit jacket. He handed Nurse Joy three pokeballs and picked up a hat off the counter which I presumed he had taken off beforehand. When he turned around and I saw his face I couldn't help but blurt, "Riley?" His dark grey eyes widen and he pushed some of his black hair out of his face as he replied with as much surprise as I did, "Eli?"

I bounded over the couch and literally tackled him with a hug. "What are you doing in Hoenn?" I released him from my bear hug, I couldn't believe how much taller he was than me.

He looked a tiny bit shocked at seeing me, but he tried to collect himself as he put his hat on, covering his long disheveled hair. "I was actually heading to Littleroot town to visit you. Since we haven't even seen each other since you moved away."

I punched him in the shoulder, "You nearly missed me. I'm heading off on my pokemon journey." I couldn't believe Riley was coming to visit me, and the fact we had crossed paths this way. I hadn't seen Riley since I moved away from Canalave City when I was only eight. He had been my best friend and we used to play all the time. We even went and played on Iron Island when we could persuade the sailors to take us there. But don't tell my mom about that. We had kept up through letters and emails and sometimes even phone calls, but never had either of us visited each other. Riley smiled brightly and said, "Good thing I stopped here to get my pokemon healed here than."

I laughed, "I just can't believe I'm seeing you again." I took a good long look at him and I began to realize how handsome he had really become. I remember my mother doting on him when I was young, saying how cute he was. But being a little kid, appearances didn't really matter. But now… I could feel a little blush rising to my cheeks.

"You in there Eli?" He asked and I quickly replied, "What?"

"I was just saying, maybe we can share a room. That way we could catch up." He said, slightly disgruntled at my absent-mindedness. "Oh sure, yeah." I said without really thinking.

"Cool." He grinned happily, "Well see you later. I'll talk to Nurse Joy about the room arrangement now but I than gotta go shopping for supplies and stuff." He patted me on the head and headed off on his business.

Oh dear, what had I just agreed too.

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