Chapter One: Alfie Rose

During the darkened waning hours of a dull and mundane evening, Route Twenty-Nine, the inhospitable and unfavourable pine forest situated atop a wide plane of level land, seemed to plunge into a fearful and outright distressing atmosphere of ghostly proportions. Unpredictable was the wild, and disturbingly serene, for next to no movement or conceivable life was present and hadn't been for at least a day. Sparsely inhabited yet frighteningly so, it was a dull and sickeningly monotonous place, were it not for the occasional sweeping prairies that dotted the forest miles apart. Tight canopies disallowed whatever glow that was left within the clouded night sky to seep through whatsoever, and had plunged the area into complete darkness. Her heart began to race.

With whatever courage she had left within her, Beatrix Witherspoon of New Bark Town sprinted through the forest, unsure of her steps and despondent to whatever she'd abandoned. She was blind, empty-handed and vulnerable, using but a faint glow that brightened the area ahead as a pitiful guide to her direction. She found her speed lumbered by constant collisions with trees, and hesitance to continue that conflicted with her will to recover her Pokemon again.

It was only a few minutes, she lowered her head for a few minutes and already that wayward sheep had dispatched their camp to pursue something as small and as uninteresting as a floating pine needle – or something of the sort, it was too dark to distinguish. Beatrix had only a few seconds to leap out of her sleeping bag (a task more easily suggested than done), bundle her belongings into a single pile, make note of the location, and then dart off in pursuit of the Mareep. If it wasn't for the faint yet perceivable glow that had only recently begun emitting from the orb tipping her Mareep's tail, giving chase would have been a hopeless feat.

Oh she had considered leaving the thing, only to sit and pray for her accomplished return, seeing as she was officially her owner and motherly figure – but doubt crept into her mind when she recalled how those qualities seemed rather irrelevant to the sheep in the past.

Now she fumbled through the thick forest in a feeble attempt to retrieve her Mareep and transport her back to their amateur encampment. Though quite how she was going to relocate that camp, or quite how she was going to persuade the sheep, Beatrix didn't know.

Only the sound of her haphazard footsteps and her cold breaths filled her ears, as the forest was silent and unmoving itself. Her arms were outstretched before her as she attempted to feel a safe passage through the trees as opposed to winging it.

She made an effort to cry out, yet suppressed the urge immediately as her fear got the better of her, intimidated by the silence. At least by now the sheep seemed to lose her target and currently wandered aimlessly from left to right as if searching for a suitable direction. The glow intensified as she pressed onwards.

Beatrix had finally managed to catch up, and her eyes stung with the contrasting brightness of her beaming tail as she reached out to touch the Mareep and grab her attention. But she let out an abrupt yelp as her fingers barely touched the fleece, and generated a small shock that shot through her whole arm, triggering a faint flicker in the light. Her Mareep bleated loudly, and stumbled over her own hooves in her befuddlement, causing her to trip and tumble to the ground.

Beatrix clasped her wrist to sever the burning sensation that seared through her hand, feeling her pulse strengthen within her palm.

"Ouch! What on earth did you go and do that for? I can't believe-" Beatrix cut herself off suddenly for several reasons. Firstly, she realised that she was talking, and that the sound of her rather aggravated tone could and probably would awaken or attract the attention of some lurking feral beast. Secondly, she realised that her tone did sound a little harsh; especially considering the Mareep was now helplessly flailing her legs about like a senseless infant. Thirdly, it just hit her that she'd been shocked, by her Mareep. And not just a petty static shock either.

"Was that –" She cut herself off again, clamping her hands to her mouth as her eyes widened in terror. This time she'd done it.

A distant rustle reached her ears with ease in the silence, and she gasped, staring into the blackness around her. Her Mareep had managed to get to her feet, and began to bleat repeatedly, panicking Beatrix terribly. She felt sick and her hands quivered madly as she fumbled for the Pokeball she stored in her pocket. She rummaged around, breathing sharply as she willed for her Mareep to cease, still sensing a live presence from deep within the imprisoning trees. But her hands touched nothing but the scratchy fabric of her combats. She'd forgotten it.

The rustle grew louder, and began to accompany a groan, an unidentifiable voice. She froze, completely incapable of confronting her fear, and helplessly stared into no particular direction as the darkness crept further in around her.

But her Mareep was quite responsive to the unexpected noise, and found no trouble in charging at her Trainer's legs, jolting her into movement. With an urgent bleat she managed to kick Beatrix's mind back into gear, and without a second thought, the both of them took off into the darkness like startled deer.

Beatrix's mind raced with bewilderment. Moments ago they were both settling down within a serene location, all primed and ready to face the night; and within a matter of minutes the situation had mutated into a nightmare. Beatrix knew she was acting far too hopeful when she supposed the forest was relatively uninhabited.

Her breaths intensified and drowned out the sound of her footsteps. She was racing almost blindly, guided solely by the glow of her Mareep and her luminous tail. Trees would emerge meters before her, allowing but a few seconds for her to swerve or hesitate as she advanced. She worried if her Mareep would manage to keep up, but the little Pokemon was faring far better than she was in terms of navigation, sprinting past trees with an alarming speed. She seemed to perform wide skips, as if she threw herself forward instead of using all four legs in a hasty trot. It dawned on her that the little sheep could do much more than she gave her credit for, she was a Pokemon after all, and she possessed many formidable abilities. That shock moments before, it seemed she was beginning to submit to her feral abilities.

Beatrix's mind snapped back into the moment just as soon as a small hard object stabbed at her toe and forced her to stumble, inelegantly ramming into a tree once her balance was lost. It was a matter of seconds before Beatrix slipped and fell violently to the floor and rolled on her side until she stopped and lay paralysed with shock, her right arm numb with pain. Her face stared towards the ground, and in the distance she heard the loud bleat of her Mareep, doubtlessly powerless to whatever it was that had appeared minutes ago from within the trees.

Her thumping head began to stray. Entering this route was a stupid idea; it was a doomed prospect from the very beginning. No Trainer possessed any hope to survive with but a weak pet who knew only how to ram into an opponent as their guardian. No Trainer would enter any forest with the dread that Beatrix experienced, to flee whenever a slight sound was heard from within the wilderness. No Trainer would be so weak as to fall before any conflict had even commenced, pitifully praying that their life would be spared. No Trainer would lose their only Pokemon, and lay helplessly and unresponsively as it faced an unfamiliar threat alone. She was no Trainer; she had been kidding herself from the very beginning.

It was silent, she was alone in the cold, creeping dark. She could hear the faint rustle of the trees in the moderate breeze that tickled her flaxen hair and nothing else but the sound of her heavy breathing and thumping of her heart.

She let out a muffled cry of frustration into the ground, overwhelmed with the emotions that tormented her at that point, the fear, the anxiety and the hopelessness. She knew nothing of what was around her: where she was, how far it was from their camp, or even whether she was accompanied. She didn't really care anymore; she was too tired to care, too pathetic to care. She just wanted to sleep, she wanted to return home; she longed for the comfort of her duvet and the presence of her family, who would always have been there to watch over her. She'd lost their protection now, she had no protection. She was exposed and useless without her protection. Without her family, without her Mareep, without her comfort, she was helpless.

She wondered if the presence ever would draw nearer, and if it was a threat, or simply an aimless bug or bird Pokemon. She tried to picture the location around her unperturbed by plaguing darkness, and saw within her mind the very serene picture she'd conjured before. Vibrant and lively trees, crisp, moist grass, an untainted atmosphere. Her sanctuary.

Her breathing began to pacify and her mind settled. She felt like she could sleep right there, right on that spot, and no matter what fate was to befall her, she could face it without a struggle. Now that she was alone, without anyone to protect her, she was lost.

But a sudden prod at her outstretched arm triggered a jolt in her heart rate, and her eyes snapped open with the sudden realization that she'd been located. She didn't know what to do, her anger compelled her to rise and face whatever this creature was, but her instincts and subliminal fear told her to remain still and quiet. Whatever decision she was going to opt for, it didn't prepare her for the loud sniff in her ear that caused her to shiver and roll to her feet, squirming.

She brushed her unkempt blonde hair from her fatigued face, and found herself blinded by a luminous glow. She focused, and found her Mareep stood right before her, watching her innocently as she steadied herself. She looked at her for a while, contemplating the situation, how her Mareep had returned to her trainer, and she failed to suppress a grin. There was her protection, and her comfort; she hadn't been abandoned. The light seemed to encase nothing but the two of them, far dimmer than it was before, and she could barely see behind the Mareep whatsoever.

"You came back…" She heard it again, a rustle, movement within the forest, moments ahead of them. She barely had time to gasp before a creature revealed itself directly behind Mareep in the tail light, mangled black wings unfurling suddenly as the creature possessing them pulled up in a sudden halt, startled by the light, and kicking its yellow talons out defensively. Beatrix scarcely had time to register the creature before she took off into the opposite direction, but her blind movement immediately caused her to collide with a solid object facing her.

However, although the object was indeed solid, it was far too unstable to have been a tree. In fact, as she came tumbling to the ground, he could swear she heard a grunt. She hit the floor and saw nothing but darkness.

The pain she thought she'd feel was not present, but was replaced, overwhelmed by a desirable wellbeing, feeling herself cocooned in a thick, squashy fabric that washed her over in sheer, pure luxurious contentment. She didn't want to open her eyes, she didn't want to recall the past events, but her subconscious demanded otherwise and her eyes opened immediately.

The soft crackle of a wood-fueled fire filled her ears, and before her was a golden glowing wall of uneven stone, shimmering in what must have been the light of the fire. She lay enveloped by a thick duvet atop a soft, spongy futon, her senses filled with a pleasant, homely aroma. It all seemed to conflict in complete contrast to the cold, stone wall and its apparent dampness – it confused her greatly.

She refused to turn around and inspect more of the location she was in. Was she dreaming before? The light, the darkness, the unseen beast, the dark, mangled wings, it all sounded rather like some peculiar dream or even nightmare.

Where was her Pokemon?

It was this contemplation that forced her to turn suddenly, head craning to examine every inch of what did seem just like a cave. But it all seemed so illogical, why on earth would she be in this place, away from her encampment?

"Oh, you're awake." The sudden voice produced a yelp from Beatrix as she threw the duvet over herself in defense, too startled to discover the culprit. "Oh come on, I didn't expect you to be scared of me," the voice was male, young and held a friendly tone, but it was too little to gain her confidence, "Now, now, do you really think that if I were someone to be feared, I would have placed you in a bed that wonderful?" He posed a good point, in fact one she'd already considered, but it was still too strange, too unpredictable. She replied,

"Yes." Her voice probably didn't even reach his ears from beneath the thick sheet of the duvet, though he did respond with a slight chuckle,

"Well that's a shame. I was hoping you'd be ok for dinner, but heaven knows you can't eat when you're this frightened." There was a pause, Beatrix held steady and quiet breaths, "Look, I'm a friend, ok? I rescued you, and your Pokemon." Her Mareep, she was ok? He could have been lying, anything was a possibility. "Will you please get out of there and eat?" She still didn't respond. Her grip loosened slightly as she pondered the prospect, which made it all the easier for him to yank the covers from her grasp and look directly at her with deep, dark blue eyes.

"Please?" He said. Beatrix forced herself upwards attentively, watching him with transfixion, noting his outstanding features – his striking white-blonde, rugged hair, his white dimpled smile and his hypnotic eyes, lined with dark eyelashes. His tone and overall persona rendered her relatively (because anything was possible) comfortable with his presence. In fact, as he outstretched a hand in order for her to grasp it, she shocked even herself when she wasted no time in doing so.

"Thank you!" He laughed, bringing her to her feet. She speculated over who this man was. Why was she even brought here? Why had he decided to rescue her? Of course she was regretful for pondering over such points after she'd taken hold of the stranger's hand. But this cave, it seemed so homely, so warm and so different from everything she'd expected when traversing the wild – Route Twenty-Nine in particular.

Nevertheless, the question was still posed no matter what angle she looked at the situation. Where was she?

"I guess you're wondering what happened, and of course, where you are, right?" He said loosening his grip and walking away towards an abstract oaken table, carved from the stump of a tree. He was a tall and rugged man, slender arms protruded from a thick green vest that clasped his torso. He wore thick boots and a ravished pair of lightly faded jeans. Beatrix noted his comment and replied with a slight nod, taking in whatever she could from her position.

It seemed the cave within which they were at that point was not the entirety, but what she supposed could have been classed as a room – were it not for the peculiar shape and of course the natural stone walls. A lengthy blue carpet was spread neatly before a tunnel to her left, which seemed to direct towards another fire-lit room, and similarly to her right was another, this time curved, tunnel. It all seemed rather fake or manmade at least – she knew of no living creature that would organize such a residence for itself, or at least create more than a single catacomb. Of course the furnishings, such as the dreamy futon and table, had to have been placed there by this man. Beatrix shivered – she didn't like the concept of being trapped within an underground maze, least of all with some stranger, no matter how welcoming he was.

Yet he turned towards her, and she couldn't help but let loose a slight smile in return to his warm grin.

"Here, if you'd like to take a seat, I'll bring us the food, it's been kept warm while we waited for you to awake." He offered gesturing towards the stumps positioned each side of the table – each obviously a chair. As she nodded, and made her way towards the table while he departed the room, it suddenly dawned on Beatrix his reference to another person. We?

Her caution rose significantly as he disappeared from view, and immediately she felt her instincts yearn for an escape route. Naturally, the best plan would have been to head for the right tunnel, as he left through the left, but her hesitance dragged and before long he returned with two plates in hand and a small, lively and rather immaculate sheep in tow.

"My Mareep!" Certainly her most prominent comment since her awakening, Beatrix yelled and leapt to her feet as the sight of her little yellow sheep trotting happily towards her lifted her guard. She went to throw her arms around the Pokemon, dropping to her knees as she did so, but the man let out a yell to halt her before she made contact,

"Oh! Wait, I wouldn't do that if I were you, your Mareep has gathered quite a large amount of electricity in that giant fleece of hers, especially during her most recent agitation," he informed, laying the plates of steaming food onto the tabletop, "It's how she stores it," he added with a grin as Beatrix apprehended her move, watching him with a confused expression and rising to her feet. The poor little Mareep looked rather dejected as she trundled behind her.

She pondered over the shock she'd received in the forest. "She can store electricity?" Beatrix spoke to him for the first time, all her suspicions set aside as she took her seat opposite the man, curiously eyeing him. He smiled, seemingly pleased at her new found confidence,

"Of course, Mareep are inclined towards electric attacks and tendencies, electric-types," he told her, placing a steel fork beside both their plates as he spoke, "Yours is very young, not even she knows how to control that electricity she's storing. Once their fleeces grow, you'll find that Mareep can store more and more electricity – and they grow fast. Naturally, if you shave off the fleece, their electricity becomes limited, if at all present. I'm sure there are competitions someplace for the purpose of comparing fleece sizes." He finished, taking a bite of food hungrily.

Beatrix only observed her plate as she pondered over his words, the pleasant smell of chicken and baked potato wafting up from beneath her. Digging her fork into her chicken, she voiced a thought,

"So Mareep can only attack with electricity when touched? And if there's a decent sized fleece?" He nodded fervently as he struggled to swallow a mouthful,

"Well, yeah, but if you train it, a Mareep can learn to shock over distances, albeit short ones. And it does take time for static to build up another powerful shock, depending on the size of the one previous."

Beatrix glanced at her Mareep, who bleated once her eyes were upon her, sat beside and sniffing the ruffled futon curiously.

"Wow." She said simply, feeling her heart skip when she thought about the abilities available to her through her Mareep. She turned to the man, watching him scrutinize a knot in the table as he ate.

"Who are you?" She blurted, causing his head to jerk upwards in response, piercing blue eyes returning her look,

"Oh! I haven't introduced myself, no wonder you're so tense!" He said, setting down his fork and offering his hand. It was warm to touch as she took hold and he brought it to his lips, "I'm Alfie Rose." He stated with a pert smile. Beatrix paused for a moment, and then giggled slightly as she returned to her meal, purposefully failing to return the information. When her lack of reply lingered on for a few seconds, he continued as if prompted, "I know it's a little drastic and most of all distressing for me to have taken you in, but under the circumstances…" He trailed off and took another bite. Beatrix, feeling as if she was finally receiving some welcomed information, encouraged him to elaborate,

"Circumstances?" She asked simply, shaking her head, a lock of blonde hair tickling her cheek. He looked at her,

"You were lost in the forest." He informed her, his smile remaining fixed upon his face, "And if I remember rightly, you were startled, and you fled. Right into me in fact, and I don't quite know how it happened but you kind of…well, you fainted." He told her, nodding his head. She felt her cheeks flare up as the past night dawned on her, and as it was retold, the images slowly cleared within her mind,

"So you took me here?" She inquired, embarrassed. He nodded,

"Yeah, I mean, I couldn't leave you unconscious in the middle of a pitch black pine forest, especially since I think it might have been me that startled you." He added with a hint of guilt. Beatrix felt slightly stupid when regarding his hospitality. It was, of course, a very reasonable deed after all.

When the meal was finished amongst various periods of awkward silence, and Alfie departed the room with the plates, Beatrix felt the ever-growing sense of comfort reach a point where her curiosity began to take hold, and she decided to explore the room. Her Mareep rose to her feet, and began to trail behind her haphazard path, fleece ruffling as she walked.

Throughout her indiscriminate observation of the notably sparse cave, Beatrix felt herself begin to wonder about her position. Alfie Rose. Why was it that being in his presence had little to no impact on her caution? The way he acted, it was kind and pleasant, but surely that wasn't all that was required of a complete stranger to win over her trust.

As she scrutinized the delicate intricacies of the nearby dancing campfire, she wondered how long she'd been inside the cave with Alfie. His story must have been true, because she recalled every moment.

He reentered the room, a brown-strapped bag hanging from his upturned hand, muscles visibly tensed as they were revealed by his lack of sleeves. It took a while for Beatrix to register the bag as her own, and she took it from him with a sound of acknowledgement.

"How did you get –"

"I stumbled upon your camp before stumbling into you, and I naturally assumed that it was yours given your astray state by then. Once in my cave, your Mareep kept dragging it along everywhere as well, so that gave me a clue," Beatrix smiled and rubbed the strap, feeling the bite marks where her Pokemon had placed it in her mouth. "By all means, if you like you can leave, don't let me stop you. It's early morning, and certainly bright enough to travel." Alfie said gesturing for the tunnel he'd passed through at least four times. Beatrix didn't answer or move, but dove her hand into her bag, feeling the smooth case of her laptop,

"I've been trying to nickname my Mareep for a long time now," she said, leaning against the wall, "But I'm torn between two, and I need a second opinion." Alfie grinned, and widened his arms in an open gesture,

"That's what I'm here for," he said, pulling up an oak seat. Beatrix copied him and readied her laptop for her list of names.

"Ok," she said, "I've got either Berry," Alfie nodded and curved his lips downwards in acknowledgement, "Or –"
"How about Comfort?" He blurted, looking at the eager Mareep with observant eyes. Beatrix paused and looked at her screen, although Comfort wasn't one of her top ten most fitting names, it was indeed present within the list. On retrospect, she hadn't really considered the name as positively as the others.

Looking from the screen to her Mareep, she compared the two, matching her persona to the identification. Alfie remained quiet all the while.

It was in her current situation that Beatrix began to recognize that the recommended name was in fact the most appropriate. Comfort. It was cute, it was apt, and it was something that Beatrix had yearned for over the past day or two more than anything else. The more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense to name the Mareep.

"Comfort." She said, clipping her laptop shut. It was perfect.

Alfie watched her nervously, "Do you like it?" He asked, a little wary of her response, or lack of it. Beatrix nodded, and her soft pink lips curled into a smile,

"Yeah, it's perfect." She replied, "Where did you get it from?" The question posed caused him to place his chin upon his hands, and he gazed at her with glazed eyes as if reminiscing, the fire causing his soft blonde hair to flicker with a fiery hue,

"It just came to me." He said. His stare was broken by the sound of Comfort's incessant bleating. Beatrix became very wary of her appearance, and inconspicuously ran a hand through her hair as she turned to her newly named Mareep. She disregarded her thoughts on Alfie as she rose to her feet, breaking the still moment.

"Just out of interest, are you a Trainer?" Alfie asked, raising his denim-clad leg towards his chest,

"I don't think so. I mean, I don't know." She replied, allowing Comfort to nuzzle her snout into her hand, her soft blue skin proving far less hazardous than her wool. Beatrix told the truth, she was torn; past events had swayed her plans considerably – although one aspiration remained set firm: she wanted to travel. "I was just thinking of traveling for a bit really, to see what I can experience with Pokemon by my side."

"So you have no plans?" Alfie inquired,

"Not really. Why?" She replied, clearing her throat and fiddling with the strap of her bag,

"Well," Alfie began, bringing his leg back down to the floor, cocking his head a little, "It's hard for anyone to get by just traveling. Very hard. You'll need better protection, better supplies, and of course money – earning a living on foot is just as important as earning a living at home," he informed wisely, hand resting upon his knee,

"Oh is that right?" Beatrix teased with a faint flicker of a smile,

"Yes it is." Came his reply, a grin dancing across his face similarly, "In fact, from what I saw out there in the forest, I'd say it would be wise for you to travel with someone – someone who knows what they're doing, and perhaps owns a few more Pokemon at that." His tone was suggestive enough,

"And where do you suppose I'd find someone willing to travel with me?" She said, smile widening and her legs folding beneath her, "Are you suggesting you'd fill that position?"

"Oh I'd like…" He paused for a moment, watching the knot of the oaken table again, "I'd like to. But I can't really; I'm a little tied up right now with my own hassles." He told her ashamedly, not ceasing to gaze at the knot on the table.

For some reason, this surprised Beatrix. Though her intentions weren't at all clear, and inclined very little towards actually allowing Alfie to travel with her, she was taken aback by his hesitance. This certainly lifted certain suspicions – ones that had faded with the passing time – but it wasn't quite satisfying enough, in a disappointing sense. Still, she shouldn't have worried half as much as she did; Alfie was still a complete stranger to her, albeit a rather gallant one.

"Your own hassles?" Alfie nodded slightly as he snapped from his transfixion of the tree knot, and he rose to his feet, brushing the matter aside completely

"I'll show you something awesome if you tell me one thing," he said with feigned sincerity, piercing deep blue eyes upon her, "Tell me your name." He said simply,

"It's Beatrix, my name is Beatrix Witherspoon." Alfie nodded, and with that, he gestured for the left tunnel, and she rose to her feet without hesitation, swiftly followed by Comfort. At the sensation of curiosity's reentry into her mind, Beatrix felt herself tense slightly. The fact that Alfie said nothing of his 'hassles' had brought back a mystery about him that she wanted to uncover, but she knew better than to insist, for it seemed Alfie was slightly troubled.

As she walked past Alfie and into the tunnel, the smell of damp finally revealed itself from beneath the mask of the smoky campfire. It was musky and unpleasant, and the tunnel was unnerving and claustrophobic – though it lasted only a short while before they both reached the other end, daylight now flooding the first catacomb of the cave residence, slightly smaller than the room they stood in previously. Taking in the details of the cave had prompted a small gasp from Beatrix as a rather startling sight caught her eye.

From where the daylight entered the cave, a grand, wide mouth that had been pleasantly smoothed through erosion, stood a very unfamiliar beast. It seemed to be a Pokemon, an exceedingly burly quadruped that stood low to the ground, heavy as the grand boulders that peppered the cave's mouth. It's skin was tough, thick and dark, at least the skin visible from its underside; whereas it seemed to adorn a coating of a steel-like skeleton on its top, like a segmented shell hardened to the point of metallic properties. It's thick, stout tail swished from side to side sluggishly as if it were a burden to carry, and its icy blue, feral eyes stared vigilantly out into the forest ahead. It was very much like a dinosaur, and its powerful jaws were short yet wide, and seemed perfectly capable of crushing iron. She'd never seen a Pokemon like it, not within her studies, not within any book she read or website she'd visited. She wondered if it was a local species at all.

Alfie placed a hand on her shoulder,

"That's my sentinel, Gilgamesh," He informed her, smiling at her shocked curiosity, "Here, turn around," Using his hold to guide her, he turned Beatrix to the opposite side of the cave, ushering a shriller gasp from her lips at the sight. About ten wooden shelves in were lined in neat rows, slightly concealed by shadow and facing them both in uniform precision. In long rows of about ten, Pokeballs lined each and every shelf precisely placed, each one maximized and all varying in size, signifying that each one contained a variety of species of Pokemon – some costing a larger space to fill a ball than others and visa versa. She gaped at the collection with slightly envious awe.

It wasn't even only the shelves that held any hint of a Pokemon, as belts hung precariously from the walls, each one equipped with a standard six Pokeballs, and each one differently coloured to the last in order to aid with identification. Alfie Rose was quite the experienced collector, it seemed.

"How…how did you get all of these?" Beatrix wondrously questioned, looking at Alfie intently as she spoke. He looked at the Pokeballs and smiled,

"I caught them of course!" He stated, proceeding forward with open arms, "And I've trained each and every one of them, they were all a part of my team at some point in my life."

"Just how old are you?" Beatrix probed, dumbstruck at the accomplishment and inspired by his apparent abilities,

"Seventeen." He replied, approaching the first shelf and looking back at Beatrix as he said it. He was a year older than her. One year older and yet he held a collection like this. No trainer was that good, or that experienced. He must have embarked on the Training career by ten years old – and if the Pokemon that guarded the entrance was the example to go by, must have been training so hard it drove him mad. Yet his aura was so pleasant, and so down to earth it defied belief.

Alfie reached out for a Pokeball and examined it in his hand. Curious about every Pokemon within the cave, Beatrix inquired to the identity of that certain Pokemon,

"This, Miss Witherspoon, is the creature that startled you last night, I suppose he's the reason you're here. He's been with me the longest, out of all the Pokemon in this room," He told her with a grin, and he tilted his hand slightly to allow the Pokeball to snap open before them as it hit the ground. The flash triggered a bleat from Comfort, and caught the attention of Gilgamesh, who soon disregarded the matter and returned to his guard post with a low, rumbling grunt.

A cawing echoed through the cave as a black form swooped from the light with shadowed grace, ruffled feathers malting in mid air and flitting to the ground. It seemed unbalanced as it fluttered around the three of them, cawing crow-like caws and shimmering with crow-like blackened feathers, each of them appearing to have been stuck to the bird by an infant. It's head bore a large, imposing yellow beak, that was shaped crookedly like that of a raven's, and protruded from beneath a giant head of feathers that formed a rugged rim above its eye-line, akin to sort of hat. Its eyes were dark and shaped like half-moons, and with maroon irises they didn't cease their gaze upon Beatrix.

As she inspected its ruffled wings and sharp, dangling yellow talons, the image of the creature that materialized in the light of Comfort's tail swiftly reentered her mind. It was a beastly and dreadfully ungraceful Pokemon; one that Beatrix had no shame in fearing. She neared Alfie for protection as the bird finally set itself down upon a shelf, gently rocking the rows of Pokeballs.

"Novim is my Murkrow," he told her with a glance, and with a gesture of his arm, commanded the Murkrow down to perch itself on his forearm. Gilgamesh glanced back every now and then to check on the events, and as he returned to his guard, began to patrol the entrance with cumbersome steps.

Novim let out a rasping squawk as he fluttered clumsily toward Alfie, making Beatrix take a slight step back – right into Comfort who shook her head fervently and circled Beatrix to attend her side. Novim's size just exceeded the length of Alfie's forearm, and his deep red eyes stared relentlessly at Beatrix as his head began to twitch from side to side. He looked as if he was about to attack.

"He's not going to harm you, believe me. He tries to spook his enemies by doing this, because he's clueless at defending himself," with that, Alfie poked at Novim's beak, who remained despondent to his actions. Beatrix remained apprehensive, and her eyes kept flickering to her side, ensuring Comfort still remained beside her and hadn't wandered off like she often enjoyed.

"I can take you to Cherrygrove City, if you like, but once I get there, I can't go further." Alfie said, pushing Novim back into flight. He squawked, and fluttered around the cave as Alfie spoke, "I'll help you train Comfort, and if you like I could help you teach her to shock on command, like we said earlier." Beatrix smiled, her pale blue eyes curving with delight at Alfie's generosity. She was gladdened by his kindness, and eager to receive the help of such an experienced Trainer, even if he was still a relatively hazy character.

"I'd like that, Alfie." She said, clutching her hands together by her waist. Alfie went to say something, coughed, scratched his head, and reached for a belt.

"I suggest we leave soon, otherwise we probably won't make it before its dark. I mean, you have to find a place to stay and everything." He placed his hand on a belt that was striped with light blue upon a black background, made from rubber. He fastened it around himself.

Beatrix, suddenly felt a wave of excitement at the prospect of reaching Cherrygrove, and learning to train Comfort with relative skill. Alfie Rose was to accompany her, and given the situation, she felt little to no objection whatsoever.

He took the Pokeball that had contained Novim, and pushed the central button offhandedly, a white flash and sudden disappearance of the fluttering bird signifying his return. Comfort bleated beside Beatrix as she readied herself to leave. The daylight had brightened significantly, and upon inspection of a large wooden clock that was fastened high against the cave wall, the time was half-past seven.

"Ok," Alfie said, making a brief check of the cave before facing the entrance, "Shall we leave?"