Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (can't think of anything else to say…)

Still no Lucas, sorry

A Plan for a Journey

A flock of Starly dive into Damion and Dawn and start using peck on them.

"N-now what, Damion!?" Dawn screamed as the bird Pokemon continue to attack them. Damion tried his best to walk towards Dawn, but the Starly had him surrounded. Then while walking, Damion knocks down the brown bag Dawn found earlier and PokeBalls came rolling out the bag.

"P-pokeballs!" Damion grabs one and throws it to Dawn. "Dawn, catch it!" Dawn catches the PokeBall. Dawn looks down at the ball with an uncertain look on her face.

"Are you sure we can use this!?" Dawn yelled, "This is someone else's Pokemon.

"We don't have much choice!" Damion releases one of them and an orange monkey-like creature came out of the ball. "It's a Chimchar!" Dawn pauses looking at the ball in her hand then releases her Pokemon and a blue penguin shoots out of the ball.

"A Piplup!? I don't know how to use a Piplup!" Dawn complained, but the Starly where getting more aggressive and started to use wing attack.

"Stop complaining and fight!" Damion calls out to Chimchar, "Chimchar, use tackle!" Chimchar did exactly what Damion said and took out one of the Starly.

"O-okay then… Piplup, use water gun!" However, Piplup did not use water gun and glanced nervously at Dawn. "W-what's wrong!?"

Damion continues to take down the group of Starly. "Dawn, these Pokemon aren't too leveled up! I don't think it knows how to use water gun!" Dawn was shocked by that statement.

"Then what do you expect me to do!" Dawn cried as the Starly continue to attack both her and Piplup.

"Try using pound!" Damion yelled over to Dawn, "It should know that!"

"P-pound!?" Dawn turned to face Piplup, "P-Piplup, use pound, now!" Piplup then hits the Starly with its wings, knocking it to the ground. "Great job Piplup! Keep it up!"

Soon all the Starlys retreat into the forest living both Damion and Dawn breathless.

"T-that was close" Dawn wheezed out, "I thought we were done for, for sure."

"At least those Starly are gone…" Damion sighed out as he called back Chimchar, but soon after Chimchar back out of its PokeBall. "What the?" Damion returns it again, but it shoots out of its ball again and started laughing. "Pretty stubborn this Pokemon…"

"I think it likes you, Damion!" Piplup then cuddles Dawn's arm. This causes Dawn to pick it up and hug it. "It's so cute!"

"Hey, remember these aren't our-"

"Hey, you two!" A voice from a distance came from an old man with an angry looking face. The old man came towards Damion and Dawn. "Who do you think you are using other people's Pokemon!?"

"W-we're sorry!" Dawn cried, "We were attacked by Starly and we didn't know what to do!" The man walked closer to them. "This guy's scary!" Dawn thought.

"Starly huh?" the man said with his arms crossed. He stared at Damion and Dawn then lets out a sigh. "I guess there's no helping it… Now, if you would." The man extends his hand for the PokeBalls.

"You want the Pokemon back?" Dawn asked sheepishly and turns to Piplup, "I guess this is goodbye, Piplup…" Piplup then grabs on to Dawn and starts crying, causing the man a shocked look on his face. He turned to Chimchar who had a sad look on its face and grabbed on to Damion's arm.

"It doesn't look like these Pokemon want to leave you two." The man sighed, "I guess I have no choice…"

"What do you mean?" Damion asked with a confused expression.

"It looks like I'll have to give theses Pokemon to you two." The man sighed out with his face not changing. Dawn jumped up with excitement.

"Really!?" Dawn yelled happily, "We can really keep them!?" The man simply nodded as Dawn took Piplup and danced around happily with it. Chimchar then drags Damion around in circles, happy that they didn't have to live each other.

"But on one condition." The man coughed out. Damion and Dawn stopped to hear what the man had to say. "These Pokemon are special starter Pokemon. I was going to give them to trainers who were going to help me with my research, but since they don't want to leave you, I guess you'll have to help me."

"What kind of research would that be?" Damion asked suspiciously with his eyes narrowed.

"I'm Professor Rowan, the Pokemon expert of Sinnoh" the man said, "I wanted someone to record information of Pokemon for me."

Dawn cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Record information of Pokemon."

"As you see, I'm an old man." Prof. Rowan admitted, "I can't get around as must as I used to when I was your age. So I need help collecting the data."

"When you mean "get around" do you mean..." Damion asked suspiciously.

"I'll explain myself further another time", Prof. Rowan said as he cleared his voice. "Until then, it might be wise to return back to your homes. You've been through a lot and your Pokemon seem tired."

"I-I guess you're right", Dawn awkwardly giggled, kind of disappointed that they couldn't continue the talk they had. Damion, however, just looked down with a worried look on his face. "When can we meet again Prof. Rowan?" Dawn asked as she and Damion returned their Pokemon in their balls.

"I have a research center in Sandgem Town not so far from here." Prof. Rowan quickly answered. "I would like you two to meet me there tomorrow. At the level they are now, Chimchar and Piplup should be able to get you there without too much trouble."

"O-okay!" Dawn yelled as she and Damion were heading home. "We'll see you then!" The Professor just waved the two goodbye and watched them walk away.

"I wonder how those two would handle traveling… Prof. Rowan thought to himself before living the lake. "I guess I'll find out tomorrow."

Back with Dawn and Damion, they continued to walk home together when Dawn starts wondering what Prof. Rowan wanted to say. "What do you think Prof. Rowan wants us to do Damion?" Dawn asked.

Damion puts on a serious expression and pause before answering Dawn's question. "If I understood him correctly, I'd say he wanted us to travel Sinnoh for him to collect Pokemon information." Damion exampled plainly.

Dawn's eyes shot up after hearing what Damion said. "T-travel Sinnoh!? You really think so!?" Dawn yelled with her eyes sparkling with excitement, "I can't believe it!"

"What do you expect? If he wants us to observe different types of Pokemon for him, then we'd have to travel to different places."

"But traveling around Sinnoh!? I've only dreamed about traveling and seeing all the national landmarks! I can't believe my dreams are coming true! You and me going on a journey for a famous Professor like that Ketchawhaza!(I'm pretty sure she means AshXD.)

"I ain't going…" This statement caused Dawn to freeze with confusion.

"What do you mean you "ain't" going!?"

"There's no reason for me to run around the whole reason for some old guy we hardly know. I'd just be a waste of time." Dawn looked down in disappointment after hearing what Damion has just said. Damion notices this and tries to quickly cheer her up. "B-but you can still go Dawn! Don't mind me!"

Dawn stayed silent, until she went up to Damion face and gave him a huge pout. "You would let an innocent girl, who has never been farther than Verity Lakefront View, travel by herself! I can't believe you!"

Damion gulps at Dawn response and struggles to make a counterargument. "I didn't mean it like that! I'm just not interested in traveling! Besides, lot's of people travel by themselves now of days! Even I-" Damion was stuck silent where he saw that tears started formed in Dawn's eyes. "D-Dawn?"

"W-why won't you come with me?" Dawn sniffled as her tears fell from her face, "You traveled before we met right? Why can't you travel with me?" Dawn puts her hands against her face. "D-do you hate me?"

"T-that's really not what I mean, Dawn! Sure I traveled a little bit, but that was a long time ago. I'm just not up to being on the road again, that's all!"

"And what about Chimchar!?"

"Huh?" Damion said with a confused expression, "Chimchar?"

"If you don't go on the journey, you might not be able to keep Chimchar! Then it will have to go back with Prof. Rowan!"

Just then a light came out of the PokeBall that Damion was holding. Chimchar release itself after hearing what was happening with an betrayed and sad look in its eyes. Damion looked down at the PokeBall and Chimchar in shock. "H-how did you!?"

"S-see!?" Dawn pointed out while still crying, "Chimchar doesn't want to live with Prof. Rowan anymore! It wants to be your Pokemon! Yet you just abandon it!" Both Chimchar and Dawn started hugging each other, crying causing Damion to become very uncomfortable.

"C-come on you guys! Be reasonable! It's really not like that, and-" Before Damion can finish Piplup comes out of its ball, sees Dawn and Chimchar crying, and starts crying itself. "Oh, come on!" Damion yelled in desperation to stop the three from crying.

"Damion it so cruel!"

"Chim, chim, char chim!"

"Pip, pip, pip!"

He's no friend to me, or Pokemon!"

"Char, chim, char!"

"Pip! Lup, pip!"

The three continued to cry ignoring Damion's pleads, or excuses. Damion then collapses from exhaustion from the stubborn girl and the two Pokemon. "C-can't you guys stop crying… I don't know how long I can take this…"

They all keep ignoring Damion, too busy calling him names and saying how terrible he is. "W-we'll stop crying when you stop being heartless!" The Pokemon nodded in agreement and continue sobbing.

After a few moments Damion finally lets out a defeated sigh and walk up to Dawn and crouches in front of her. "Look… If it will get you to stop crying then I'll go."

Dawn looks up at Damion still sniffling. "D-do you promise?"

"Yeah…" Damion sighed.

"You swear?"

"Yeah!"

Dawn then bring out her hand making her pinky stick out towards Damion. "You pinky swear?" Damion stares at the finger with an uncertain look own his face, but finally gives in and locks his pinky with hers.

"I pinky swear…" Damion reluctantly groans. Right after those words come out of his mouth, Dawn and Chimchar reveal evil smirks on their face.

"You hear that Chimchar!?" Dawn suddenly rises to her feet along with Chimchar leaving Piplup and Damion shocked on the ground. "He said yes, and even pinky swore!" Chimchar happily screams with delight and joins Dawn in a dance around in circles. "We're going on a trip! We're going on a trip!"

The two continue to dance as Piplup stares in confusion and Damion shutters on the ground, looking down. "C-crocodile tears?" Damion shudders, feeling absolutely stupid for falling for such a plan. "These guys are pure evil…"

Dawn and Chimchar come up to Damion showing victory signs with their fingers. "There's no going out of it now!" Dawn happily proclaimed, "You pinky swore, so now you have to go!"

"Chim, char, char!"

Damion let's out a huge sigh of defeat and returns Chimchar to its ball as Dawn does the same. After a moment of silence, Dawn turns to Damion with a large smirk. "Looks like we'll be travel buddies starting tomorrow, right!?" Dawn happy yelled.

Damion said nothing and adjusted his scarf. "Just-just do what ever you want…"

Dawn puts on an even bigger smile and runs ahead. "Alright! Look out Sinnoh, Dawn and Damion are coming!

Dawn continues to run ahead as Damion walks slowly, wrapped in his thoughts. "I just hope that… They won't find me… For my and… Dawn's sake…" With that one thought, Damion looks to the sky with a trouble expression. As if he was praying for the journey to be as fun and safe as Dawn expected it to be.

Neoko: The journey will really begin in the next chapter! I'll write it soon! Sorry again for the completely lacking of Lucas, but I wanted to make their encounter with him a special event. (Fancy way of saying I had no idea how to introduce him yet.XD) But I swear he'll appear in the next chapter for sure! Then the real Scarfshpping can begin! So until next time, please review!!