Chapter Four:

Kanto, In Pictures

"So, this is Viridian City!" I shouted happily as I stood at the entrance to the city. I smiled to myself as I tucked my hands in my pockets and strode into the city. I followed the road from the entrance and to the first large building. I glanced up at the sign over the door.

"Viridian City Gym," I read. "Oh!" I shouted. "I wonder if I can catch a battle in progress!" I glanced down to where Gia was normally standing but I found the spot on the ground empty. I immediately blushed and looked around sheepishly, remembering that I had returned her to her pokéball.

I hurriedly opened the door and stepped inside. "And now, you'll face my Exeggutor!" The gym leader was shouting as I walked down the stairway in the auditorium. I slowly sat down in one of the seats in the row nearest the arena floor. The gym leader grabbed a pokéball from his belt and heaved it into the arena. The pokéball broke open and a red beam exploded out of the open sphere. A moment later, a Pokémon that reminded me a lot of a coconut tree appeared on the field.

I looked from the gym leader and to the trainer who was opposing him. I heard Bird mewl quietly and I glanced down quickly. She was pawing at my camera. "Oh," I said, scooping it up and positioning it towards the Pokémon trainer.

I watched him through my lens as he studied the gym leader's Pokémon. Finally, he smirked and selected a pokéball from his own belt. "Let's do this," he said as he hurled the ball away from him as though he were pitching a baseball. "Ninetails!"

An ivory, nimble-looking Pokémon materialized in front of the trainer, its nine, long tails flicking with agitation and preparation. I instantly snapped a photograph. I snatched the paper up and watched as the image formed. I had easily caught the power and fiery spirit of both Pokémon and trainer. The Pokémon, Ninetails, had been in the midst of a determined howl and the trainer wore a confidant expression on his face. I brought the photo closer to my face and squinted.

"Hm," I said to myself, but Bird chortled in response. "Oh," I spoke to her now and held the picture out towards her. She nibbled on the corner. "He looks a lot older than a starting trainer. Like that Johto trainer we met at that farm."

Deciding that the corner of the photograph was, in fact, not tasty, Bird shifted from the top of my bag and onto my lap. Since she was laying on my hands and I didn't have the heart to move her, I was unable to take anymore pictures of the battle unfolding in front of me. Instead, I settled for watching the two Pokémon in front of me that I knew almost nothing about fight.

The Exeggutor that the gym leader was using seemed to favor a brawn over brains approach. It looked to me that he was having his Pokémon fire off strong attack after strong attack. The trainer and his Ninetails were both aware of how necessary it was to avoid most of the oncoming attacks. The fire Pokémon was quick and agile, responding to the commands of his trainer. Just when I was sure that the Ninetails was going to lose solely from the exhaustion of constantly moving, his trainer shouted for him to use a Flamethrower. Ninetails planted his feet and puffed his chest out as he prepared for his onslaught. Without hesitation, I tossed Bird onto my bag again and pulled my camera up to my face. As the powerful fiery attack exploded from the Pokémon's jaws and spiraled towards the gym leader's Pokémon, I snapped a picture. It took seconds for the intimidating image to develop, but once it did, the photo made even me hold my breath due to the intensity.

"What an incredible Pokémon," I breathed as I glanced back at the gym arena. The gym leader's Pokémon was a smoldering, unconscious heap across the room and Ninetails released a triumphant roar.

"Wow!" The gym leader called as he returned his Pokémon. "I'm impressed."

"Me too," I agreed as the trainer returned his own Pokémon and walked towards the gym leader.

"Please, take this badge." The gym leader was holding his hand out and as the trainer approached him, his voice softened and I could no longer hear the conversation.

"Oh!" I suddenly squeaked and I looked over at Bird. She stared back at me from my bag. I glanced from her and to the pictures in my hand. "I just got an idea!" Lady Bird crawled into my lap and put her paws on my chest. I put a hand under her rear and pushed her up onto my shoulders.

I looked back up and found the trainer exiting the gym. "Crap!" I hissed as I shot out of my seat and hurried towards the exit closest to me. As I walked back into the sunshine, I looked around. I caught sight of the male trainer heading towards the exit of Viridian City.

"Hey!" I shouted, breaking into a brisk jog. The trainer stopped and stared at me as I stopped in front of him. I had been right about him being older than a starting trainer. He looked as though he was around my age, maybe a little older, but he was quite tall and lean, as though he had been a runner for a majority of his life. His dark hair was styled into an upright fauxhawk and he had dark, brown eyes that stared at me intently. I actually felt a little nervous under the scrutiny. I cleared my throat and looked down, away from his face and focused my attention on his clothing. He wore a black V-neck t-shirt and jeans with a pair of black and white flat-soled shoes. I cleared my throat again. "I have a proposition for you," I said quickly, remembering that I had stopped him for a reason. I held out the first photograph I had taken of him and his Pokémon. "And it involves this."

The boy took the picture from me and stared at it for a moment. He looked from the picture and back to me, but he didn't speak.

"I was thinking you would let me travel with you and I could chronicle your progress through the region of Kanto, until you finally get all eight badges and go to the Indigo League!" I explained excitedly.

I couldn't be sure, but it seemed as though the boy's face darkened and his stare became an angered glare.

"I just have to stop over at the PokéCenter," I continued, pointing towards the building with the massive pokéball sign over the door. "And then we can go into the Viridian Forest."

Without breaking eye contact with me, the trainer crumpled up the photograph I had handed him. My jaw dropped, his reaction honestly shocked me. He turned around and headed for the exit of Viridian City. He tossed the crumpled picture towards a trash can as he passed it. The balled-up picture hit the lip of the receptacle and bounced off. It dropped to the dirt.

I looked down to my feet. "That is not what I was expecting," I muttered. I let my breath out and looked up. "Oh well," I finally hissed, the boy was disappearing into the beginning of the forest. "I'll find someone else, someone who is nicer."

I turned on my heel and marched towards the PokéCenter. I pushed the door open and walked into the cool building.

I walked over to a group of benches and flopped backwards. Bird crawled off my shoulders and onto the chair. She mewled and I looked down at her. "You must be hungry," I murmured. I reached into my bag and pulled out a can of her food. I opened it up, emptied it into a portable bowl, and handed it to her. She immediately began to consume the food.

"Bulba?"

I looked to my left and found a Pokémon sitting on the benches next to me. "Oh, hello," I said to it.

"Bulba." It spoke again. The Pokémon looked from me and to Bird, who had her face in the bowl of food. I glanced at Bird as well before looking back to the small, green Pokémon.

"That's cat food, not Pokémon food," I told him. "Oh!" I dug through my pouch, remembering that I had packed Pokémon food for Gia. "I do have this!" I glanced up, holding out a can of Pokémon food. The Pokémon's eyes were glued to my face as I opened up the can. "There you go!"

I set the can down on the cushion. The Pokémon stared at me for several long moments before it seemed to forget that I existed and began to devour the food. In mere moments, all the food was gone and the Pokémon walked away from me and settled down at the end of the couch. I furrowed my brow and looked at the Pokémon, someone had to own it.

"Stay here," I said to Bird as I took my bag off my shoulder and walked up to the main desk.

"How can I help you?" The nurse behind the desk asked me.

"That Pokémon there," I said, turning and pointing at the small, plant-like Pokémon on the couch.

"Oh dear," she gasped. "Did he attack you too?"

I furrowed my brow and shook my head while I stared at her. "No ma'am, I just fed him some food and then he laid down there. I was just wondering whose Pokémon he is."

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" I repeated.

She shook her head and sighed. "He's been living in here for a little while, I assume his trainer abandoned him. He's been attacking trainers who sit down on that bench, but I just don't have the heart to throw him outside."

"Trainers can abandon their Pokémon?" I asked.

The nurse nodded. "Unfortunately so, that's what happened to that poor Bulbasaur."

"Bulbasaur," I echoed, remembering the name from somewhere. Then I remembered my brother talking about it. "Like the Pokémon that Professor Oak gives starting trainers in Pallet?"

"You can catch them in the wild too," the nurse informed me. "They're just highly rare."

"Oh, okay. Thanks," I murmured as I pursed my lips. She had caused me to have more questions than she had answered. I shrugged and pushed the thoughts from my mind as I walked back over to the benches where Bird still sat. I was exhausted and was likely going to sleep, regardless of it still being early.

"Bulba!" I heard the Pokémon, Bulbasaur, shout as I laid down. I glanced down at him and found him to be glaring at me. He looked ready to charge.

"Don't worry," I said. "I'm definitely not the Pokémon trainer who abandoned you, I'm not even a Pokémon trainer." The Pokémon's glare softened. "If I were a trainer, your trainer, I wouldn't have abandoned you."

I smiled at the Pokémon before tucking my arms under my head and closing my eyes. It took me only seconds to pass out.

I took a deep breath as I slowly began to wake up. I was aware of pressure against my chest and assumed that it was Bird tucked against me. When I heard her mew and realized that it had sounded from above my head, I quickly opened my eyes. Lady Bird was perched on the back of the couch, looking down at me. I looked down at my chest, surprised to find the Bulbasaur sleeping next to me.

"Oh," I whispered.

His eyes immediately opened and he met my stare. "Bulba!" He shouted, sounding almost frightened. He shot off the couch and headed towards a chair near the window.

"You can stay with me," I called after him.

He ignored me and continued to walk towards the window.

"I won't make you battle."

My comment made the Bulbasaur stop, but he didn't turn to look back at me.

"And, I have more Pokémon food," I added.

The Bulbasaur slowly glanced over his shoulder at me. I smiled at him as he regarded me with an inquisitive stare.

"I'll even buy more, just for you."

Now, Bulbasaur turned completely around. "Bulba?"

"I will," I assured him. "Whatever kind you want."

"Bulba!" A smile formed across the grass Pokémon's face as he charged towards me. He jumped into my lap and nestled his face into my stomach. I couldn't help but to laugh.

It startled me when an arm extended down next to me. I realized it was the nurse and she had a pokéball in her hand. "What is that for?" I asked.

"It's his pokéball," she answered. "No one's been able to return him to it, much less touch him. So since you did one, maybe you can do the other."

I slowly took it from her and the Bulbasaur stared at it in my hand. "We won't put you in it just yet," I smiled at him and winked.

"Bulba!" He squealed and grinned again.

"Come on Bird!" I patted my shoulder. She jumped from the back of the couch and onto my shoulder as I picked up my bag and slung the strap across my chest. I picked up Bulbasaur and lowered him to the floor before standing up off the couch. "Let's go Bulbasaur!"

"Bulba!" I heard him shout and I could feel him follow after me.

As I neared the exit to the PokéCenter, I slowed down, looking at the wall next to the door. Stuck to the wall was a bulletin board with all sorts of flyers pinned to it. "Hm, I wonder," I murmured as I walked up to the board and glanced at all the papers posted.

'Looking for a trainer to trade a Butterfree for a Raticate!'

'Try our new Pokémon food! Specialized for each species and guaranteed to make them stronger!'

'The Viridian School for Gifted Youngsters is now accepting applicants into our Aspiring Pokémon Master's program!'

'Visit the PokéMart for all your Pokémon needs!'

I frowned, I had been hoping there would be people looking for a traveling partner, or at least people who wanted their own personal paparazzi.

"Well, darn it," I muttered as I turned away from the board. At the last moment, something caught my eye and I whirled back around. In the bottom corner of the bulletin board, there was a series of pictures pinned. I looked at the paper above the photos.

'Photographer Contest! Let's see your images of the region you call home! Make sure you leave your name and contact information in case you win our contest!'

I looked at some of the pictures already posted. There was one of a trainer with a Pidgey perched on his arm and eating out of his hand. Another was of a small, dark-haired boy hugging a small, brown, fox-looking Pokémon. A third was of a young girl of about ten receiving her first pokéball from Professor Oak.

I pursed my lips and opened up my pouch. I pulled out the stack of pictures that I had taken so far. Unwilling to part with any of the ones I had taken since leaving Pallet, I decided on a picture I had taken in Pallet. It was of a Rattata climbing out of an overturned trash can at night. It was looking up towards the full moon, where a flock of bird Pokémon, likely Spearow, were flying.

I grabbed a pen from my bag and set the picture on the wall next to the bulletin board. I quickly scribbled a title to my photo and added my name. I then pinned it onto the bulletin board before I pushed the door open to the PokéCenter and headed outside with Bird and Bulbasaur.

'We'll Sleep When Daylight Arises', I had titled the picture. 'Kanto, In Pictures, by Piper Stryfe.'