Chapter 4: Out of Nowhere
"Slash! I found you!"
Slash turned to see Amy running down the road towards him. Picking up Mudkip, who licked his face and beamed, Slash turned and smiled, "Hi, Amy. So what's up?"
"Just wanted to make sure you weren't losing too badly," Amy smiled and walked up next to Slash.
"Actually, Amph and I have been getting along perfectly," Slash responded as Mudkip looked up at him, "It's almost like he knows me already." Mudkip nodded then cooed, pointing to the ground. Slash set him down and turned to Amy, keeping his Mudkip in his sight.
"Maybe he does," Amy replied, "You know, like from another world."
"Another world?" Slash made a face, "I don't think Amph knows me from another world."
"Well, you never know," Amy shrugged, "but he does seem like he's been your friend, like, forever."
"Maybe I knew you from another world," Slash smiled and looked back at Amy.
"Maybe," Amy smiled back, her bright blue eyes sparkling. They stared into each other's eyes, then turned away, suddenly.
"Anyways," Slash picked up a pokéball and rolled it around in his hand.
"Um…" Amy blushed and looked at Amph, who was sniffing a Magikarp that had escaped onto the land and was flopping around, "So, Slash, have you caught any more pokémon?"
"I have, in fact," Slash responded, putting away his pokéball, "I caught a Zigzagoon." Taking out another pokéball, he released a little Zigzagoon, which held a potion in its mouth. "Thanks, Ziggi," Slash replied, taking the offered item.
"She's cute," Amy replied, smiling as Ziggi sniffed at her legs, "So, Slash! Have you figured out anything about where you came from? Who you are?"
"Nope," Slash replied sadly, "Still clueless as to who I am. But at least I have a friend to help me find out." Amy smiled, and sat down on a nearby log. Slash sat down and Amph hopped onto his lap, having knocked the Magikarp back into the water. The two trainers sat in silence, watching the pond in front of them, a world in itself of water-dwelling pokémon and plants. Behind them, the woods were alive with serene life, and the nearby road was empty for miles.
"You know," Amy petted Amph absently, "I wonder why you can't remember anything except your name, even a week after I found you wandering through the trees."
"I want to know why no one recognized me," Slash replied, patting Amph's head, "I mean, I can't be that far from home, can I?" Feeling a soft, slender hand under his, Slash let it rest, looking at Amy, "Can I?"
"Well," Amy replied, "You could have been traveling, and from a different city…"
"But then wouldn't someone have recognized me nearby?" Slash replied, "And, besides, why would I be traveling without any pokémon or even provisions?" Slash let his hand fall back to rest on the log. Amy rested her hands in her lap. Suddenly, Slash got up, making Amph jump onto Amy's lap to avoid being tossed onto the ground.
"Well, we still have a few hours in the day left!" Slash returned Ziggi and Amph to their pokeballs, "Why don't we go find some more pokémon?"
"Sure!" Amy replied, happy to have something to do, "Let's head to Rustboro, through the Petalburg Woods!" Slash nodded, and they headed toward the nearby woods to catch some more pokémon.