We both woke up later to the setting sun shining in our eyes. The park has quieted down, but there were still people around. We both stretched as we rose to our feet and checked the time. "Wow, it's already going for 7." I said as I shook my head. I then remembered our plans with Ez and Marc. "Crap, Sienna we have to get to the restaurant" as she also showed a look of surprise. We both took off running towards the main area of town.
We arrived at the restaurant just as Ez and her Yamper were arriving as well. Marc was sitting on a bench outside with his Machop. "Well, at least we weren't the only ones running a little late." I said.
"Sorry, my family wanted to meet little Elektra here and we lost track of time" said Ez.
"Wait, I thought you were from Rustboro?" I asked"
"I am" Ez said. "But we're staying with friends here for the day due to the ceremony. What about you Alex?"
"Sienna and I had lunch with my parents and then went to the park for some exercise and training. We ended up falling asleep under a tree and just woke up a few minutes ago." Ez began laughing while Marcus smirked.
"Honestly" Marc said, "I would have expected that out of Ez." Ez playfully hit Marc's shoulder.
"What about you Marc?" I asked. "Did your family get to meet your new partner?" As I said that, I noticed Ez tense up and looked surprised.
"Alex! How could you ask that, you know Marc's...". Marc held up a hand and interrupted her.
"It's ok Ez. I knew things like this would come up with what happened." He turned to me, a soft smile but a slight sullen look. "My parents passed away a few years ago in a car accident. I've been on my own since I was about 12." He placed a hand on my shoulder, as well as Ez's. "I do not take issue with discussing this, but I would prefer we do it with food and drink." He smiled, and we smiled back as best we could. We all turned and headed into the restaurant.
The restaurant, simply called "Caleb's" was a nice, open diner setting. A waitress showed us to our table, with enough room to seat the six of us. She got our drink orders and went to grab them with menus. There were lots of chrome accents, neon signs, red tables and chairs, and checkerboard floors. It had a homey, nostalgic feel to it. She returned with three large and three small menus, most likely for our Pokémon. The menu was diverse, offering a lot of what would be considered home cooked style meals. I decided on a simple bacon cheeseburger with fries. I looked at the Pokémon menu with Sienna, which had a smaller selection but also was able to have portions adjusted depending on the size and appetite of your Pokémon. "Heh, I would hate to have to feed a Snorlax here". That got a few chuckles from the other two.
"Well, you would be correct, but you would not be able to bring one in" Marc responded. I looked a little confused as he said that. He smiled and set down his menu. "Not all restaurants will allow Pokémon to enter them, liability reasons as well as some people just are not particularly fond of them. Those that do generally have guidelines as to what Pokémon may enter. Extremely large Pokémon for obvious reasons. Others like Magcargo and Muk for their effects on other people in such a close space. There are some larger places that have outdoor areas for pretty much any Pokémon to enjoy a meal."
"Huh, I never really thought about all of that." I said with genuine surprise. "It's nice to hear that there are places to fit anyone's needs." We made our choices and gave our orders to the waitress when she returned. As we waited for our food, I figured it would be a good time to chat. The only problem was I had no idea how to start. These guys knew who I used to be, and I really had no idea how to ask about the past or anything.
"So, what are your guy's plans tomorrow?" It was the only thing I could think of.
"Well, anyone who is planning on leaving to start their adventure will be heading directly for Oldale Town" Said Ez. Most will then head towards Petalburg and either challenge Norman there or continue to Rustboro to challenge Ms. Roxanne."
"We were planning to travel together to Petalburg City, since Ez didn't actually answer your question." Marc said, earning him a mean look from Ez. He just chuckled and continued. "After that, we are unsure what we will do next. While I would like to go to Dewford to meet Brawly, I lack a water type Pokémon to travel on. I could probably make the swim on my own, but that would not be a great idea with bad weather and wild Pokémon around. I would probably be better heading to Rustboro and then back to Petalburg."
"Wow, you really have it all thought out huh" I said.
""Kind of" Marc replies. Since there is no specific order to challenge the gyms in, the order many trainers take will be determined by their starter. For me, Norman and Roxanne will be the best to start out. For Ez, she would actually be good to head to Fortree to challenge Winona, but that is quite a journey when starting out. With your Eevee, you'll have it difficult no matter where you go. Norman may be your best bet to start, and then see what other Pokémon you catch to go from there."
"Yeah, that makes a lot of sense." I was surprised. Though it had been shown to me that I was near the head of the class, Marc was extremely knowledgeable and had well thought out plans. Given my lack of understanding of some aspect in this world, maybe sticking with them for a while would be a good idea. I realized I had been talking to Marc quite a bit and hadn't really been paying Ez much attention. I didn't want her to be left out and really wanted to get to know her better too. I turned to Ez, who was just sitting there listening while petting her Yamper. "So Ez, what about you and Elektra? What were you thinking of doing?"
"Umm...well.." she seemed surprised and caught off guard a bit. "Honestly, I'm not really sure. I figured I would stick with you two for a while until I get the hang of things before deciding to head out on my own. I mean, if you guys don't mind...". She seemed like she didn't want to be alone. I can't really say I blame her, I had been there before.
"I think traveling together would be a great idea" I said, making her smile. "What do you think Marc?"
"I concur" he said with a nod. "It would be best for us to stick together to start, there is strength in numbers and we can cover any weaknesses the others may have until we have all gotten stronger."
"Cool. That's good to hear" I said. A moment passed and a throught ran through my head. "Did we have plans to do this before...everything happened, or did I just put you guys on the spot?" I just blurted out without thinking.
"We did" Ez said as she smiled. "We didn't know how long we would stick together, since we all are most likely going to travel different paths, but we planned to stay together at least to get started. Even if we hadn't, we would have gone with you if you asked."
"Precisely" Marc said. "You're our friend, and good friends are those who stick together."
I could feel tears forming in my eyes. I didn't even know these guys and they knew it. Yet, they would have gone out of their way just to help me if I had asked. I...wasn't used to people doing that, at least not people who were basically strangers. "Thank you guys" I barely managed to say while choking up. "That means a lot to me. I barely even know you two and you'd do that for me, even knowing that."
Ez stood up and walked over to my side of the table and wrapped her arms around me. "Of course Alex. We are all friends here, despite the issue that came up. We know you would do the same for us. And if there is a chance it helps you get back your memories, all the better. Even if you don't, you are still the intelligent, kind hearted soul you were before and I don't think either of us would have a problem getting to know you again." I could hear quivering in her voice, meaning she was probably on the verge of crying as much as I was. I held the hug for another few moments, just enjoying the feeling of it. We heard our server coming and sat back down so as to not cause a scene.
The food was amazing, definitely tasted like a good home cooked meal. The Pokémon food looked just as good as ours, made me almost wanna sneak a bite from Sienna. I decided against it. We chatted a little bit more over dinner, but mostly just some plans for our travels. We decided to meet up the next morning and head out together. The walk to Oldale town would take about a day and a half, so we would need to camp out for a night. Luckily we all had gear ready. We said our goodbyes for the evening and they headed home. I headed to the fitness center, wanting to say goodbye to Sam before leaving.
As Sienna and I walked, I thought about traveling as well. The region was quite large and some trips between cities could take a week on foot. Another thing was half the region being separated by water. Without a good water Pokémon or access to a boat, there were a few gyms that would take some time to get to. I wasn't worried though, I had good friends with me and I planned to get a good team together as well.
We got to the fitness center and I had a brief chat with Sam. Since a bunch of people were about to leave on their adventures and it was a Sunday, it was rather busy. She thought Sienna was adorable and reminded me to stop in when I got into town to visit. I agreed and a brief hug later, we headed home.
I checked in with my parents and got a shower. I went over and made sure I had all my gear before we left, didn't wanna rush around in the morning. By nine o'clock, Sienna and I were both sound asleep, me with the blankets hanging half off and her cuddled up down towards my feet, probably worried I would roll on top of her in my sleep. I was still nervous about leaving tomorrow, but with Sienna, Marc, and Ez, I felt more sure of myself than ever before. I was going to become a Pokemon Trainer.