"Let's see. Canned food." Dawn says checking over what Michael got them for the trip to Celestic town.
"And some berries for the Pokemon and Pokemon food." Michael lists off.
"Check." Gardenia says looking over a checklist mostly filled out.
"Okay. That should be all." Michael said looking to the filled cart they had.
"Where is Zoey?" Dawn asks.
"Yeah. Where is…?" Michael asks.
"Right here." They hear and look behind them to see Zoey and stare wide-eyed at the sight of the large skirt and blouse she was wearing.
"Wha…?" Michael asks blinking confused.
"Happy Dawn?" Zoey growls.
Dawn chuckles deviously. "Oh yeah."
"This your next contest outfit?" Michael asks looking at her.
"Yes." Zoey said angrily.
"You look good." Michael comments.
Zoey stops and blushes, taken back by the compliment.
"See Zoey. Even Michael thinks you look good." Dawn saws as Gardenia was confused by the sight of twenty bags of trail mix in the cart.
"Where did the trial mix come from?" Gardenia asks scratching her head.
"Half of that is for Lulu." Michael explains.
"She likes it, huh?" Gardenia asks looking to him.
"She likes to eat constantly. Fast metabolism." Michael says.
"Well that explains a lot." Gardenia said blinking.
"Trust me. I am just happy she likes these." Michael says.
"And if she doesn't get them?" Gardenia asks chuckling.
"She starts to tear up and soon cries if she goes long enough without food. She is still young." Michael says.
"Well that's normal for kids. They will always cry for food." Gardenia said smiling.
"Ok, I will go check out the food then." Michael says.
"I'll take Zoey to the clothing part and her check out." Dawn says.
Gardenia looks between the two before taking the cart and follows Michael. "Wait for me."
"So?" Dawn asks.
Zoey glares to her. "So what?"
"He complimented you." Dawn says playfully.
Zoey groans. "It doesn't matter. I just want this over with."
"Admit it. You like him." Dawn says.
Zoey sighs. "Yes. I do. But I can't really bother him with it."
"Come on Zoey. You should talk to him about this." Dawn says.
"I really don't want to bother him with it." Zoey said frowning.
"Zoey." Dawn says as Zoey walks away.
"Alright, we head…which direction again?" Michael asks pointing on the map.
Dawn smiles and points to the route. "East. Let's go."
"Alright, lead the way." Michael says rolling up the map.
Dawn smiles as she leads Michael away down the street to the start of the route as everyone else follows behind. "She seems to like him very much." Gardenia said to Zoey.
Zoey didn't says anything as she glared slightly.
"Aren't you going to talk with them?" Gardenia asks looking to her.
"It's going to be a long walk. It's about a week or two walk across route 211." Zoey says.
"Ah. Waiting for the proper moment?" Gardenia asks.
Zoey blushes. "I…don't know."
"So tell me, you have known him way longer. What is he like so far?" Gardenia asks.
"Well…he's nice. He's very carefully with friends. He treats his Pokemon well. And…wait…" Zoey stops and glares at her.
"What?" Gardenia asks smiling.
Zoey huffs. "I'm not saying anymore." Zoey said blushing hard.
"Alright then, tell me about…you started telling us about the mining. What was that like?" Gardenia says.
"Small and cramped." Zoey said rolling her eyes.
"And what was Michael like?" Gardenia asks bringing back memories of Michael helping and showing her how to mine very close.
"He's able to hold up in the mine better than others. He even stayed through the night to find a fossil. We did get a new friend with that." Zoey said smiling at the memory.
"I see." Gardenia says smirking as she walked with her.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Zoey asks.
"Nothing." Gardenia said chuckling rushing ahead.
"What were you referring to?!" Zoey says quirking her stride to catch up with Gardenia.
"This is going to be a long trip." Jack said holding Kabuto in his arms.
"No wonder people prefer to loop around south. This terrain is tough." Michael says looking around.
"Probably explains why plans are in place for a simple tunnel." Dawn said walking past him.
"It's nearly dark and we should…" Michael stops and goes silent spotting a wild Shinx.
"Go ahead." Dawn said pushing him forward as she backs off.
'One shot.' Michael thinks pitching the pokeball at the small pokemon more than thirty feet.
The Shinx looks up right as the pokeball hits it in the head and was sucked in before it starts to shake and then the pokeball stops and its bursts out and the Shinx shakes itself before glaring at him and bares its fangs.
"Darn. Riolu, you want to try fighting this one?" Michael asks.
Jack sighs and puts Kabuto down before walking as the Shinx turns its attention toward him. "Boy or girl?" Jack suddenly asks.
"Sexist." A girl voice says.
Jack rubs his head. "Look, I'm just following these guys." Jack said pointing behind him before she launches herself at him and Jack goes wide-eyed before ducking under the bite she was trying to latch onto and reaches up and punched her into the stomach and sends her flying a bit. "Come on. I'm trying to be reasonable."
The shinx start to let off sparks, telling Jack she was about to start to shoot electricity.
Jack looks around like crazy before he felt a light bulb above his head. He then punches the ground hard and sends his paw in a bit up to the bone part on his arm and raises his other arm up before the shinx fires off a lightning bolt and hits his raised arm and Jack grits his teeth as the shock travels through his arms and part of his chest as it goes into the ground before it stops and he pulls his paw out and tries to catch his breath. "I need to really learn counters."
"Riolu, quick attack." Michael calls.
Jack glares at him as the Shinx comes at him with another bite he quickly moves to the side and kicks up and hits her in the stomach and sends her flying. "Got anything else?" Jack asks and immediately regretted that choice of words.
Shinx started emitting an electric aura again before launching more electric attacks before moving closer when he heard. "Close Combat." Jack, hearing that, starts throwing punches and kicks with more strength hitting Shinx sending her skidding. Before Jack could follow up, a pokeball flew and hit Shinx.
Jack watches as shinx was sucked in and then immediately beeps. Jack sighs and walks back to Kabuto and picks her up and holds her.
"He has gotten better." Michael says.
Dawn nods as she looks to Jack. "Yeah. Maybe we can train him easier now."
"Letting Zoey handle that. She has a way with him that I do not." Micheal says as the ball teleports away.
Jack rolls his eyes as Kabuto chitters to him happily. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
"I watched you kid, but it was sloppy." Sneasel says from a tree.
"Shut up." Jack said frowning.
"Shut up what?" Sneasel says.
"Ma'am." Jack said rolling his eyes.
"Good boy." Sneasel says as Pyroar came up looking for Jack.
Jack kept frowning. "Don't bother."
"Bath time pup." Pyroar says.
"No." Jack said huffing.
"Yes." Pyroar said picking him up by the scruff of his neck and carries him along to the resting trainers.
"Oh, you got your little one?" Gardenia says seeing this as Pyroar approached.
"We are back." Michael says before starting to make a campfire, letting them know they were done for the day as the sun sets.
"So what was that commotion?" Zoey asks starting to take out her tent as Pyroar starts licking Jack.
"A wild shinx. I had Jack test himself against it before catching it. He won, but barely." Michael says.
"Screw you." Jack grumbles.
Pyroar, hearing that, bopped him with a forepaw.
Jack sighs and pushes her paw away.
"Pyroar, you mind?" Michael asks finishing setting up.
Pyroar smirks and hits Jack over the head.
"Ow!"
"I meant the fire." Michael says.
Pyroar blinks and breathes a heavy flame onto the fireplace before stopping and goes to nuzzle Jack. "Ow."
"Thank you." Michael says before bringing out the pots.
Jack shakes his head as Pyroar finished cleaning him and let's him go.
"You girls ready to start cooking?" Michael asks.
"Might be good." Dawn said sitting down.
"What do we have?" Michael says as he and Dawn started talking about dinner as Zoey and Gardenia set up all the tents.
"So…talked with him yet?" Gardenia asks.
"You have been here the whole time. You know the answer." Zoey says.
"Then go now. It's a good time." Gardenia said chuckling.
"No, it isn't. Dawn is helping him make dinner." Zoey says.
"Then take him away and I'll help with the dinner." Gardenia said smiling.
"Bu…" Zoey was cut off by Gardenia's finger on her lips.
"No buts. Besides, we are done with the tents." Gardenia says.
Zoey blinks as Gardenia walks over to Dawn and Michael and sits down with them and starts to help cook before talking a bit and Michael gets up and walks back to Zoey. "So…?"
"I…um…" Zoey start to trail off.
"You wanted to go on a bit of a walk, didn't you?" Michael asks.
Zoey slowly nods.
Michael takes her and and they started walking through the forest as the sun started to set and listened to all the noises of the night.
"Michael…?" Zoey suddenly starts.
"Yes?" Michael answers.
Zoey looks to him out of the corner of eyes. "What do you think of me?"
"Can you be more specific?" Michael asks.
Zoey looks to him. "What do you think of me as any other person?"
"Well you are friendly, smart, creative, kind, caring, but firm and strict when you need to be." Michael says.
Zoey smiles. "And me personally up close? Like really close?"
"Well…I…" Michael trailed off until they heard the sounds of a battle not far away.
"Let's go." Zoey said rushing ahead.
Michael relieved about being interrupted and gladly followed where they came across a trainer with teal hair and amber eyes. At the moment they entered the area, they saw a Shinx using thunder fang on a Hoothoot before throwing it into a treat and the girl throwing a pokeball at the Hoothoot, capturing it.
"Yes!" The girl cheers.
Michael seeing this starts clapping as he leans on a tree.
The girl jumps a bit and looks toward them a bit scared before calming down. "You almost got me to call out an attack on you."
"So who are you?" Zoey asks.
"I'm Angie. Who are you?" She asks raising an eyebrow.
"Zoey, contest coordinator." Zoey greets.
"Michael. Trainer." Michael said smiling.
"What do you think Shinx?" Angie asks.
Shinx shrugs to himself as he sits down.
"So you alone?" Michael says.
Angie carefully nods. "Want to battle then?"
"Nah. Too late…we got a camp nearby if you want to join us." Michael offers after Zoey elbows his ribs lightly.
Angie raises an eyebrow at their behavior. "Um…sure."
"This way." Michael says starting to lead the way.
Zoey smirks to him as Angie and shinx start to follow.
"So we then went…Angie?" Dawn asks as Michael's group came back.
Angie became surprised. "Dawn? You're with them?"
"What are you doing here?" Dawn asks surprised.
"What are you doing here?" Angie asks.
"Traveling with them." Dawn said smiling. "What about you?"
"I'm on a journey mys…what is that?" Angie pulling out her pokedex and scans Pyroar.
"No data." The pokedex said as Michael took out his and scans Pyroar for her.
"Here." Michael said giving her his pokedex as Angie was surprised at how much better it looked and felt as the pokedex started reciting the entry.
"Pyroar, the fire Pokemon. With fiery breath of more than 10,000 degrees fahrenheit, they viciously threaten any challenger. The females protect the pride's cubs." The pokedex recites as Angie looks up at Pyroar as she yawns and rests on her paws.
"Kalos pokemon." Michael informs.
"I was surprised too." Zoey said as Angie starts to flip through his pokedex entries to see what else he got.
"Oh, so cute!" Angie exclaims seeing fennekin's information and picture.
Michael leans over to see what she is gushing about. "Oh. That's a starter actually. You can get that when you start the Kalos region."
"That your first pokemon?" Dawn ask looking over Angie's shoulder.
"Yeah. She was my starter pokemon, but sneasel was my first." Michael says.
Sneasel smiles and looks proud at that.
"How many pokemon does your pokedex have information on?" Gardenia asks.
"Seven hundred and twenty-one." Michael answers.
"You have to be kidding." Gardenia said surprised.
"Nope." Michael says walking over to Pyroar and lays against her.
"Um…what are you doing?" Zoey asks walking over to him.
"Getting ready to sleep." Michael says reaching over and petting Pyroar, careful to avoid her mane.
Zoey stares at him before sighing and goes to her own tent. "Might as well." She said crawling in.
"But we just got dinner ready." Dawn says starting to feel drowsy suddenly.
"Pack it up for tomorrow's breakfast." Michael said yawning as Angie lays down next to Pyroar on her other side and lays her head there.
Gardenia didn't say anything as she was already asleep.
Dawn yawns before dousing the fire and trying to pack the food away. "Might as…might as…I'll get it tomorrow morning." She said laying down on her side and starts to sleep as everyone else starts to either snore or drift off.
In the sky above them, a swan like creature flew across the moon's position.