Chapter 2: Planting the Seeds of Purpose
The trip through route 101 to Oldale town was mostly uneventful as it was only a ten minute walk and the only Pokémon she encountered were red bug types that vaguely resembled Caterpie, and green bug types, which oddly enough also resembled Caterpie. She didn't even bother to bring Torchic out to battle them. Despite the short amount of time, the foliage and general greenery was pleasant to look at while the way forward offered interesting textures underfoot. Forest eventually gave way to a settlement bigger then Littleroot but still modestly sized.
It was at that moment that Ellen's stomach started to growl. What time was it? It must have been past lunch by now and she didn't pack any food. She did bring a little money. Would her Johto money even be good in Hoenn? She found herself on a street with various shops, which served as Oldale's main street. Ellen then got a whiff of something sweet and a little bit yeasty. It had to be some sort of baked good of some kind.
Ellen followed her nose and found herself in front of a bakery. She was so hungry that she went inside without a second thought. The door's bell rang as she entered and her she couldn't believe what she saw. All kinds of baked goods were out on display, including bread, donuts, muffins and cookies, but the one that caught her attention the most were pastries made with Pokémon berries. Ellen's mouth started to water.
"Can I help you miss-" The clerk greeted but then stopped when he saw Ellen "I'm sorry miss, but we can't allow you in here as you are right now"
"Wha?" Ellen snapped out of her hunger induced daydream "What do you mean?"
"We have a sign." The clerk pointed towards a sign near the entrance that read "No Shirts, No Shoes, No Service". Ellen looked down and realized that she wasn't wearing any.
"I'm sorry, but we can't serve people who come in without shoes. You can come back later and buy something when you're wearing a pair."
"Oh, oh right, I'm sorry, I'll go now..." Ellen dejectedly turned around and left the shop, still with nothing in her stomach. She then spotted a building with a familiar red roof.
"A Pokémon centre!" She picked up the pace and ran towards it. Now that she had her own Pokémon, she realized that she could use their services and even get something from their cafeteria. Her Torchic could use a checkup anyways. She entered the building and saw what appeared to be a familiar face.
"Hello! Welcome to the Pokémon centre." It was Nurse Joy, or a Nurse Joy. Ellen remembered that the one in Olivine had at least three of them, although she couldn't tell them apart. The one in front of her also looked so much alike. It was a mystery to the general populace as to why Pokémon centres are staffed by almost identical family members, and the Nurses weren't going to indulge the information anytime soon. "Would you like to rest your Pokémon?"
"Yes I would please." Ellen handed Torchic's pokéball over to the kind nurse.
"It'll be about a few minutes." She took the pokéball and placed it onto a machine that ran a diagnostic test. "You're a new trainer aren't you?"
Ellen was somewhat surprised that the nurse knew "Yes, how did you know?"
"I haven't seen you here before and you only have a Torchic on you, and those are usually given to new trainers." Nurse Joy explained as the machine behind the counter whirred and hummed.
"Oh right..." A few things crossed Ellen's mind. "Um, Nurse Joy, I've just moved here from Johto and I've got a few questions on Hoenn."
"Oh Johto, I've got some family there." Nurse Joy smiled. "You can ask me anything you want dear."
"Well, for one thing, is my money good here? I don't think I have any Hoenn money on me, just some I've brought from Johto."
Nurse Joy gave a small laugh. "I don't think you'll need to worry. While whoever is printed on the bills is different. It's still considered the same currency here, Kanto, and in Sinnoh. It's also accepted in most other regions, but exchange rates varies. Do you have any other questions?"
"Yeah I do actually... what's the policy on wearing shoes? Is it somewhat strict like in Johto?" Both Nurse Joy and Ellen briefly looked down at Ellen's toes as she wiggled them.
"Most places in Hoenn actually don't mind people being barefoot in public." She explained while Ellen relaxed a little bit. "But you can't go just anywhere without shoes and owners have the right to enforce a dress code as their policy, so you should keep that in mind. That being said, Pokémon centres and Poké Marts will allow trainers and other patrons to come in barefoot. Blackbelts, psychics and swimmers are regulars here. Even Phoebe of our Elite Four... Speaking of which, do you plan on challenging the gyms here? Now that you have a Pokémon of your own, you are able to do so if you've registered."
"I haven't given that much thought, but my dad is now the gym leader of Petalburg City." Ellen beamed.
"Oh right, his name is Norman and you're his daughter. Well it's nice to meet you... uh..."
"It's Ellen."
"Thank you, it's nice to meet you Ellen. It would be very good if you did register and challenge the gyms, and don't forget to visit the Pokémon centres around Hoenn. My family would appreciate that." The machine behind her started to beep, indicating that the diagnostic test was complete. Nurse Joy took the pokéball off the machine's table and handed it back to Ellen. "It looks like Torchic is as healthy as can be."
Just then, Ellen's stomach began to growl louder then before. "Hehe, sorry about that, I haven't had lunch yet..."
"We have a cafeteria to the left of the foyer that's free for trainers and Pokémon. I believe today's curry day."
"Oh that sounds yummy, thank you so much for all the help!" Ellen took Torchic's pokéball and opened it, revealing the small chick Pokémon. "Come on Torchic, let's get something to eat!" and Ellen briskly walked towards the cafeteria with Torchic in tow.
"We hope to see you again!" Nurse Joy waved as she watched the young girl and her Pokémon sprint to their destination.
Ellen made her way to the cafeteria, the smell of various hot food filling her nostrils. She was spoiled for choice but the one item that caught her eye was the curry. Spicy but not overwhelmingly so. She was famished so she got to the counter an immediately ordered two plates and some Pokémon food for her Torchic. She payed at the front counter and made her way to a table.
"Alright Torchic, this looks so yummy!". Maybe it wasn't the best curry in the world, but Ellen didn't really care. Ellen dug in and ate everything. The meat and gravy was savoury, carrots and potatoes were cooked tender and almost soft and the boiled rice was fluffy and almost sweet. She was even tempted to lick the plate clean, but of course she restrained herself. She then moved onto the second plate of curry and ate that with the same amount of gusto. Torchic watched her partner scarf down the food and then imitated her by doing the same to her Pokémon food.
Once they finished what was on those plates, both Ellen and Torchic were satisfied, maybe too satisfied as both their bellies were full. Maybe a quick nap would do the trick. She noticed the lounge area and saw that it was mostly empty with only one or two other people in there. The blue couch looked especially comfy and there was even a coffee table. Hopefully no one will mind if she put her feet up on it. With Torchic in her arms, it took only two minutes before Ellen succumbed to the food coma and she fell asleep. Fifteen minutes from when she sat down, she felt something touch her.
"Hey, cut it out Torchic..." Ellen said groggily as she was slowly awakened by the disturbance.
"Tor?" Ellen looked and saw that her Pokémon was comfortably sitting on her chest. Ellen looked up and noticed someone staring back at her. A girl, a bit younger then Ellen. She was wearing glasses and had dark red shoulder-length hair. She was wearing a light pink shirt and a denim overall dress.
"Erm...Who are you?"
"I should ask you that because you're in my spot." Ellen was confused as to who this girl was. Last time she checked, there weren't any rules about reserving spots in the lounge of Pokémon centres.
"Oh... Well I'm Ellen if you really want to know."
"Well okay Ellen, my name is Polina." This odd girl was suddenly a lot friendlier then a few seconds ago. She guessed that it was a little better then being reprimanded by another person today. "Say, do you being outdoors?"
"Erm... I absolutely love the outdoors, why do you ask?"
"I can tell..." Polina took a quick glance at Ellen's bare feet, which were covered in dirt and grass stains from all the walking she did. Ellen blushed a little. "Say, it must be my lucky day that I found you. Because I'd love it if you could help me with something." Ellen immediately straightened herself and took her feet off the coffee table.
"What is it exactly...?" Ellen was now getting a bit wary of this strange girl. What could she possibly want from her?
"Oh no, it's nothing dangerous or illegal. I just need you to gather something important to me. I'd do it myself but I don't have any Pokémon."
Ellen sighed, "Again, what is it that you need me to do?"
"I want you to gather seeds." Polina answered.
"Seeds? That's it?" Ellen got up from the couch and looked at Polina, not really sure what to make of the request. "Couldn't you get those at a garden store?"
"Those are not the seeds I need. I'm looking for the seeds found in Pokémon berries." The sleeping Torchic in Ellen's arms opened her eyes and looked at the stranger.
"Berries? Why do you need them?" Ellen was getting more suspicious of this strange girl. Ellen narrowed her eyes "Just who are you exactly?"
"Well okay, you know how Pokémon professors tend to ask young trainers such as yourself to catch all the Pokémon that they can for research?" Polina explained, hoping that it would quell Ellen's suspicions. "I kind of want to do the same thing. I may not look like it, but I'm a professor as well. Well, okay, I'm not exactly a professor, but I am a researcher." It might have been working since Ellen's look softened a little. "I'd get the berry seeds myself, but for health reasons, I can't really go on a Pokémon journey."
"Oh I see..." Ellen started to feel a little bad for Polina. Not being able to go on a Pokémon journey must have been rough. Maybe doing this for her wouldn't be so bad. "But what's in it for me exactly?"
"Once I've gotten the seeds, my research will benefit all Pokémon trainers and their Pokémon. So many people research Pokémon themselves, but few of them really seem to care about uncovering the mysteries surrounding berries! They're a kind of life form found in this world that are just as mysterious as Pokémon. So are you in?"
Ellen thought about what Polina asked her. It seemed simple enough, but she needed some more time. She also realized that she promised to meet up with Brendan on route 103. It must have been several hours. "Will you be here tomorrow? I kind of promised someone I'd meet with them today, so I'll give you my answer then."
"Well... Alright then, I'll give you until tomorrow. Same time, same place."
"Come on Torchic, we gotta meet Brendan..." Ellen withdrew Torchic back into her pokéball and headed towards the exit. Leaving Polina behind.
"Brendan eh?" She smirked.
Ellen made her way northward towards route 103. She hoped Brendan was still there, otherwise she would look silly coming all this way. Streets gave way towards open fields before giving way to more forests. Along the way she spotted some flying Pokémon. They were white in colour with yellow bills and feet. She wasn't entirely sure what they were called but there were a lot of them and they were very noisy. Judging by their webbed feet, they were at least partially aquatic. A brief whiff of saltwater let Ellen know that the sea was close by. As she was busy watching the Pokémon flying about overhead, she wasn't watching where she was walking. The girl suddenly felt a cold and wet sensation under her foot.
"Uugh..." Ellen lifted her right foot, which was now coated in some kind of purple slime. Gooey strands stretched between her toes. She'd have to wash it off later, but it wasn't a big deal otherwise. She heard some rustling in the bushes nearby. Ellen kept still. It could be a wild Pokémon. After a minute or so, it turned out that figure was in fact...
"Brendan!"
He turned towards Ellen at the sound of his name "Oh! Ellen! I didn't expect to see you here! If you're here now, does that mean?..."
"Yup, I finally got a Pokémon from your dad." Ellen took out Torchic's pokéball and opened it, revealing the chick Pokémon inside.
"Tor!" It cried out.
"Aww, it's adorable. Anyway, you should see my Pokémon. He took out a pokéball and opened it, revealing a small blue Pokémon with slick blue skin, a fin rising from its head and what appeared to be orange gills on its cheeks.
"Mud-kip-kip" It greeted.
"This is a Mudkip" He scooped up the small Pokémon in his arms. "Its one of the starters in Hoenn. This one's nickname is Finn."
"Oh he's cute. My Torchic doesn't have a nickname yet, so for now she's just Torchic." Seeing Finn gave Ellen an idea. "How about we have a battle? Torchic could use the experience."
"Are you sure? Finn's a water-type. You'd be at a disadvantage." The Mudkip squirmed a little before jumping out of his arms.
"Torchic will be fine. She's eager to fight. Isn't that right Torchic?"
"Tor-Tor!" She looked like she was pumped and raring to go.
"Okay, but let's find a clearing so we can battle." Ellen nodded a both young trainers headed towards an area with flat land, surrounded by trees and a small pond nearby. "Alright, this is a good spot. Go! Finn!" The Mudkip dashed forward and then stopped.
"Go Torchic!" She went a head of its trainer and then stopped in front of Finn.
"Battle begin! Finn, tackle attack!" Finn sped forward.
"Dodge it Torchic!" Torchic obeyed her trainer and moved out of the way of the tackle. "Great now use scratch!" Now it was Torchic's turn to speed forward for a close attack. Its little feet ready to claw at her opponent. It was risky to attack head on though.
"Let Torchic come close..." Finn obeyed Brendan and stood still, letting Torchic approach it. The small blue Pokémon must have had a little more battle experience then her Torchic. Ellen didn't know how long Brendan had him for, but it was probably a good while due to how well Finn listened to Brendan's commands. Torchic clawed at Finn, but he stood his ground.
"Good, now use water gun!" water gushed from Finn's mouth, spraying the area with water. Torchic just barely moved out of the way of the attack.
"Attacking it from close isn't going to do much good..." Ellen wracked her brain on what she could do. Maybe she could try an Ember, even though it wouldn't be as effective due to type match ups. "Try a growl!"
"Torchic! TOOORRRR!" Torchic let out a screeching noise which disoriented Finn.
"Great, now scratch attack once more!" Torchic ran towards Finn once more and scratched it. Unlike last time, the attack seemed to have dealt more damage. It was most likely a critical hit and it really looked like Finn was on the ropes. Ellen then spotted that something was off though. A blue aura started to form around Finn. Ellen recognized it from watching her father's battles. Some of his opponent's Pokémon, mainly the starters, ended up gaining the same sort of aura which made them especially dangerous to deal with. Now she's seeing the same thing with Finn the Mudkip.
"Kip-KIP!" It roared. Well, it wasn't that intimidating coming from such a little Pokémon, but it was a roar nonetheless.
"Watch out Torchic!" Ellen yelled "Its water attacks are going to be a lot more powerful!"
"Really?... I mean, awesome, just as planned Finn! Use water gun!" Unlike last time, the spray of water was much larger then before, more of a torrent. It moved much faster... Too fast for Torchic though as it ended up getting drenched in the water.
"Ohmygosh! Torchic!" Ellen screamed. Torchic hung on as much as she could. Even if she wasn't a fire type, it would have done a lot of damage. Despite being soaked, the small chick held on, but it was barely able to stand. "Torchic are you okay? Can you still battle?"
"Tor...Tor..." It panted, but it still had a little fight left in it. Ellen noticed that a red aura was emanating from Torchic. It was similar to Finn's aura, but different at the same time. It was red instead of blue.
"I think Torchic's fire moves have grown in power... Jump and use Ember!" Torchic obeyed her partner and jumped, she aimed herself at Finn and shot out several embers. They were larger then the ones Ellen saw when Torchic fought that brown Pokémon. The embers hit their mark, creating a small explosion. However, once the dust cleared, Finn the Mudkip was still standing. "One more move should finish the battle." Ellen thought.
"Finn! Use water gun! I know you can make it buddy!" Finn got onto its four feet. His fortitude was admirable. Water instantly gushed from its mouth, powered up by the blue aura surrounding it, and...
BOOM! The water gun had hit its mark. Torchic was completely soaked by the powered up move and was instantly knocked out.
"Oh no Torchic!" Ellen screamed as she ran over, got on her knees and cradled her starter Pokémon. Needless to say, Ellen had lost the battle.
"Tor...Tor..." The tiny chick wheezed mournfully. It seemed far more upset with losing the battle then being hurt.
"I've got some Pokémon medicine if you need it." Brendan offered. He took out some things from his backpack, one of them resembled as yellow crystal of some sort. A revive. The other was a red spray bottle, a super potion. He quickly used the revive and super potion. Torchic fluffed up her feathers and looked a bit better. "There you go Ellen. All Torchic needs is some rest and she'll be alright."
"Oh... Oh thank you so much!" tears started to well up in Ellen's eyes. The emotions associated with battling. The battle itself, and the loss just washed over her, much like the powered up water gun from Finn.
"No problem Ellen." Just then, Finn started to tap on his leg for attention.
"Mudkip-Mud!"
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you." Brendan took out another super potion and used it on Finn. "You did wonderful Finn. That was probably the most intense battle you've had. Torchic as well."
"Torchic Tor!"
Brendan peered at the sky. It was starting to take on a pink hue, meaning that sunset was coming. "We should probably head back home soon." Brendan grabbed Ellen's hand and pulled her up. Both of them recalled their Pokémon and they began walking back to Littleroot.
The two trainers made their way through Oldale Town without stopping. The sky overhead was getting progressively more orange. The two trainers didn't really know what to say to one another at that point so they kept walking until they got past Oldale and were on the outskirts of Littleroot. Brendan was the first to break the silence.
"So Ellen, where did you move from?"
"Well, my family and I originally came from Olivine City, in the Johto region." Ellen explained "Dad was offered the role of gym leader in Petalburg City, so we moved."
"Oh okay." Brendan was not sure where else to take the conversation. He looked down and noticed Ellen's foot, which was still stained purple. "Uh, I don't want to offend you or anything, but how come you aren't wearing any shoes?"
"I don't mind you asking me that." Ellen paused for a moment before continuing. "Well, it's a little hard to explain, but I just feel like I'm myself without them. I need to feel what's under my feet directly." Ellen dug her toes into the grass and grabbed a clump with them. "I just never liked wearing shoes."
"And your parents are okay with it?"
"Well, they did try to get me to wear them when I first started kindergarten, but they gave up after a month or so. I kept filling my shoes with mud and cutting holes in my socks." Ellen chuckled at the thought.
"So how come your foot is all purple?"
"Oh that..." She lifted her stained foot up to get a better look. "I stepped in something, but I don't know what it was."
"Ah!" Brendan was taken aback, as if the purple stains jogged his memory "I think it might be Shellos slime!"
"Shellos?" Ellen cocked her head "What kind of Pokémon is that?"
"It's a Pokémon that's usually found in Sinnoh, Kalos and Alola, but lately its been appearing in the Hoenn region." Brendan explained. "Since you just moved here, you probably don't know about the great rejuvenation."
"The what now?"
"Well a three months ago, there was an incident in Sootopolis City where one of the great legendary Pokémon of Hoenn awoke. We all thought the Hoenn region would be destroyed, but someone with a Pikachu managed to defeat and calm it. There were reports that a huge outflow of energy emanated from the cave of origin, where the battle took place. Since then, the number of Pokémon species in the Hoenn region expanded by quite a number. Professor Birch, my dad, tasked me to document what new species are now found. Shellos is reportedly one of them, but I couldn't find any Shellos themselves, but you seemed to have stepped onto a Shellos slime trail."
"Oh wow, I remember hearing something like that on the news, but I didn't think anything of it until now. Pokémon sure are mysterious creatures."
"Yes they certainly are." The area they were in was now bathed in the orange light of sunset. "We should head back to the lab before our parents worry." The two trainers ran as fast as they could, past Littleroot's entrance, and all the way back to the Pokémon Lab.
It was evening by the time they reached the lab. There they then found Professor Birch, sitting in on his office chair, enjoying a cup of tea.
"Oh! Hello there Brendan and Ellen. Are your Pokémon well?"
"We had a battle earlier." Ellen said "They're resting now."
"So who won?" Birch asked
"I did." Brendan answered "But it was very close, and I had the type advantage."
"Really now? Well I guess that's expected as it was probably the first battle that Ellen participated in." He got up from his chair and took out a box. "I've actually got something for the two of you." He opened the box to reveal two red devices.
"Pokédexes?" Brendan enquired. "Thanks dad-I mean Professor, but why now? And why is Ellen getting one?"
"Well I wanted you two to help me complete the newest version of the Hoenn regional dex." The Professor explained. "You did tell Ellen about the rejuvenation event right? More species are being discovered and caught by people and this requires an update on the number of species that can be found in the Hoenn region. I want the two of you to discover and document those new species." He gave the a pokédex to both Brendan and Ellen. "What do you think? Are you up for it?"
"I sure am!" Brendan grinned as he looked more closely at his new pokédex.
"And you Ellen?"
"Well... I think I can do it. Actually, wait, I know I can." Ellen affirmed.
"That's wonderful to hear! Now these pokédexes are updated with all the Pokémon found in the Hoenn dex before the rejuvenation event. If you encounter a wild Pokémon that isn't native, the pokédex can record it and send the information back to the lab. From there we will cross-check it with reports and other sightings of the same Pokémon. Catching them is optional but it would be greatly appreciated if you sent them to the lab." Professor Birch looked at the clock and realized that it was 9:15 pm. "Egads! It's pretty late. I'll fill you in on the details tomorrow. Ellen, I think its time for you to head home, your parents must be worried."
Ellen looked at her new pokédex for a little bit before stowing it away in her pack. "Thank you so much Professor Birch! I better head home." She turned around and exited the office.
"We should as well Brendan. You know how your mother worries about both of us." Both father and son followed Ellen, with the professor turning off the lights and locking the door.
When Ellen arrived home, her mother was waiting for her with dinner. "Hello dear! You've been gone for a while, so I made dinner. Unfortunately, your dad can't make it as he's got business to do at the gym, so it's just you and me tonight."
"Okay mom." She headed towards the kitchen table before her mother stopped her.
"Nah-ah-ah. You know the rules young lady. You've been outside all day. You need to wash your hands and your feet before you can come to the table. Your feet look really dirty today. Where have you been? Why is your foot purple?"
"I'll tell you after I've washed up." Ellen said as she walked up the stairs towards the bathroom. She went to the sink to wash her hands. She washed them thoroughly without drying them, as she was only half finished. She lifted her leg up to the sink and washed her foot, cleaning all the dirt that had accumulated between her toes. Soon it was as cleaned, she lifted her other leg up and cleaned her other foot. The purple stain washed off, staining the sink a light purple. There. All clean. Now that she was she was ready for dinner, she headed back down stairs.
"So you need to tell me about your day. After you left to meet the neighbours, I didn't see you the entire time. What have you been up to."
"Well the biggest thing is that I got a new Pokémon!" She took out Torchic's pokéball and opened it, revealing the orange chick Pokémon. She chirped at the sight of Ellen's mom.
"Aww, its adorable. I'm so proud of you and I'm sure your father will also be proud as well once he hears about this. How did you get this little one?"
Ellen went into detail about how she fought a large brown Pokémon that was attacking Professor Birch and how he was grateful enough to give Torchic to her. All the while periodically shovelling a forkful of fried rice into her mouth. Torchic ate a few grains off her plate until mom came with a bowl of Pokémon food. Ellen then talked about how she visited Oldale Town and met Nurse Joy, who told her about the Hoenn Pokémon League, and the strange girl, Polina, who asked her to collect all the berries that she could. As she continued her account of the day, she talked about her battle with Brendan and how Professor Birch gave her a pokédex and told her about all the new Pokémon that haven't been seen in Hoenn before. She had finished her food by the time she was done.
"Wow Ellen, we've only been here for one day and it sounds like you've got a lot on your plate already. Well figuratively at least. Do you want seconds?"
"Yes please!" Ellen took her plate and got another plate of fried rice.
After dinner was over, it was time for bed. She brushed her teeth and changed into her nightgown. Torchic was waiting for her on her bed. Was she toilet trained? She hoped she was. She crawled into bed. She made sure that her feet weren't covered by the blanket. She smiled as she gave her toes a wiggle. Torchic snuggled besides her. Her body was really warm, which was expected since Torchic was a fire type.
"Goodnight Torchic... I promise I'll give you a good nickname at some point..." She yawned and drifted off to sleep. It had been a long day and the adventure officially starts tomorrow. Obtaining badges, obtaining berries and obtaining Pokémon. All of them were now possible.
A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I've been busy with other things, such as certain games to finish and what not. Thank you for the reviews as well, although some of you don't seem to care about my fic itself and would rather berate others, so I'm going to ignore these people.
's Fire: Your review is actually appreciated because standing out from dozens of other fics of the same nature would be preferred. I will try to do more to make it unique. The biggest change so far is the fact that the climax of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire already occurred. As for dialogue, it has never been a strong suit, but I'll continue practising it as the fanfic continues.