Myke looked at the sign that read "Welcome to Littleroot Town." Poochyena panted as Myke picked him up in his arms. He patted him on the head as he looked at the town in which he grew up.
"Goodbye, Littleroot," he said to himself. "When I return, I'll be a great Pokemon master!"
He turned around and looked at the wide wilderness beyond the gates of Littleroot. Myke smiled as he thought of the adventures that awaited him and Poochyena and the new Pokemon partners he would make.
The sun was now shining very brightly upon the Hoenn Region. Myke looked down at the watch he had on his wrist. It said that it was now ten o' clock in the morning. Myke had been out on the road for an hour now and he was starting to get hungry and tired.
Poochyena jumped out of his arms and ran to a tree and rested in the shade. Myke sighed and joined Poochyena. But that was a bad idea. As soon as he sat down, he heard a growling. He quickly jumped back up and looked around for the source of it.
Myke heard the growl again and turned in the direction it had come from. He looked at the bush he had sat by and a pair of eyes looked back at him. Startled, Myke jumped back and Poochyena stood infront of him, barking at the bush. The leaves rustled and something leaped out.
It was some kind of animal, maybe even Pokemon. It seemed to be a racoon the was brown-and-white striped. Myke, wondering what it was, took out the Poke Dex that Prof. Birch had given him. The screen flashed to life and a picture of the Pokemon appeared.
"Zigzagoon," a mechanical voice came out of the Poke Dex. "This Pokemon restlessly wanders everywhere at all times. It does so because it is very curious and becomes interested in anything it happens to see."
Myke placed the Poke Dex back in his pocket and looked at Poochyena, who continuously barked and growled at the Zigzagoon. He nodded, knowing Poochyena was ready for battle. Excitement flowed throughout Myke's body.
"Poochyena, use Tackle attack!" Myke cried, pointing his index finger at the wild Pokemon.
Poochyena did as it was told and dashed at Zigzagoon, who replied by running toward Poochyena. The two creatures collided head first and were sent flying backward in recoil. They both quickly recovered from the collision and were back on their feet.
"Okay," Myke said, looking at Poochyena's attacks in "The Ultimate Guide to Everything Pokemon" and spotted one. "Use Bite attack!"
Poochyena pounced on Zigzagoon and pared its teeth into Zigzagoon's neck. Zigzagoon howled in pain as Poochyena increased its grip. A light breeze shifted the leaves in the trees around them. Silence suddenly fell as Poochyena let go and stood by Myke's side.
About a dozen more howls answered the Zigzagoon's cry. Bushes rustled and suddenly, the cries' owners jumped into the area; about a group of ten Zigzagoon along with two other Pokemon appeared. These Pokemon were long and white with brown stripes on their backs. Myke took out his Poke Dex again to find out what they were.
"Linoone," the Poke Dex defined. "This Pokemon always runs full speed and only in straight lines. If facing an obstacle, it makes a right-angle turn to evade it. It is very challenged by gently curving roads."
"Uh-oh," Myke said, putting the Poke Dex away and looking at the angry faces on the Pokemon. "I think I'm in trouble!"
The Zigzagoon were sniffing the one that Poochyena had fainted. The two Linoone were growling at Myke. Suddenly, the Zigzagoon followed suit and they slowly approached Myke. Myke picked up Poochyena and ran from them. He turned his head around to look back and see them chasing after him, the Linoone catching up.
Two of the Zigzagoon climbed into the trees and jumped down onto Myke's head and used Fury Swipes on him. Myke used his free arm, his face bleeding from the scars, to get them off. The group of Zigzagoon surrounded the two that had attacked Myke while the two Linoone tackled Myke and Poochyena to the ground. Poochyena growled and replied with a Tackle attack at both of them. Myke stared at the scene with fear.
"Poochyena, don't!" he cried. "You can't beat them single handed!"
But Poochyena didn't listen. It gnarled at the two Linoone who were reparing to pounce and attack Poochyena. They sent Tackle attacks its way and Poochyena easily dodged them. To his horror, Myke discovered they were feinting. The Linoone rebounded and used Headbutt.
The attacks were two much. Poochyena was very weakened. It collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Myke ran to Poochyena's side and tried to shake it awake.
"Poochyena, get up!" Myke said.
The Zigzagoon had caught up. The group of Pokemon surrounded Myke and the fainted Poochyena. They were slowly advancing on them. Myke closed his eyes tight.
'This is it!' Myke thought. 'The end! Game over! I guess I was never cut out to be a Pokemon trainer. I even let my own Pokemon down.'
One of the Linoone leaped to attack but was blocked by a stream of orange light. The heat that the light produced caused Myke to open his eyes. The light was a fire. And the source of it seemed to be in the trees.
"Who's there?" Myke asked, looking up in the trees as the Zigzagoon and the other Linoone cautiously looked at the tree.
The leaves rustled and a girl jumped out, along with a brown colored fox with six orange tails. Myke, guessing it was a Pokemon, took out his Poke Dex.
"Vulpix," the Poke Dex said. "At the time of its birth, this Pokemon has one white tail. The tail separates into six if it recieves plenty of love from its trainer. The six tails become magnificently curled."
While Myke put the Poke Dex away, the girl's Vulpix walked over to Myke's Poochyena and rubbed it with its nose. A glow of white light surrounded Poochyena and it slowly opened its eyes and got up. It looked like it had been unharmed.
"What happened?" Myke asked.
"I don't know why it happened," the girl answered. "But, this Vulpix had been able to use Recover ever since it was born. Vulpix have always been known to hold special powers and I guess that's what my Vulpix's special power is!'
The Vulpix smiled and jumped into the girl's arms. The girl turned to Myke and held a hand out.
"My name is Lilly, by the way," she said. "Lilly Ann Waters. And this is my Vulpix."
"Vul!" the Vulpix chimed at Myke.
Myke accepted the handshake and patted Vulpix on the head.
"My name is Myke Zypher," he said.
Suddenly, the two Linoone got up and lead the burnt Zigzagoon on an onslaught attack. Vulpix jumped out of Lilly's arms and growled at them.
"I guess we've got to finish the job," Lilly said. "Vulpix, Flamethrower attack!"
Vulpix opened her mouth and a stream of orange fire shot out toward six of the Zigzagoon. The flame hit and they landed on the ground, knocked out.
"Poochyena, help out!" Myke cried. "Tackle attack!"
Poochyena ran in and knocked the rest of the Zigzagoon against the trees. Angry, the two Linoone swiftly advanced toward Myke and Lilly. Poochyena and Vulpix jumped in front of them and growled. The hair on the Linoone spiked up and needles shot out. They were using Pin Missile attacks. Poochyena and Vulpix seemed to be dancing as they dodged the assault.
"Let's finish this, Poochyena!" Myke cried.
"Vulpix, you too!" Lilly said.
Vulpix unleashed her Flamthrower attack and Poochyena collided with a Take Down attack. The two Linoone landed on the ground and quickly got up, panting.
"These guys don't know when to quit!" Lilly said.
But instead of attacking, the two Linoone led the Zigzagoon away. Poochyena and Vulpix leaped into Myke's and Lilly's arms.
"We did it!" Myke cheered, hugging Poochyena.
"You did a great job, Vulpix," Lilly said, patting her Pokemon on the head.
"Vulpix!" Vulpix replied in glee.
Together, Myke and Lilly, along with their Pokemon, continued their way through Route 101. Myke looked down the hill to Oldale Town.
"There it is, Poochyena," Myke said. "Oldale Town. Our first stop on our quest in the Hoenn Region."
Myke and Lilly walked down to the small town, not know the danger that awaited them.