Route 37 was very open, with no trees at all. There were a few wild pokémon scampering around. Raziya sat down on a rock and took out her sketchbook. She attempted to draw these pokémon, but every time they saw her they ran away. Sighing, she released her Evee from her pokéball.
'Vee!' Evee cheerfully pranced around in circles.
'Sit still, I'm going to draw you.' Raziya ordered.
Evee obeyed, and jumped up onto the rock next to Raziya. She struck a pose, waiting for her portrait to be done.
'Haha, very nice Evee.' Raziya quickly and accurately sketched a beautiful picture.
'Okay, lets go.' Raziya tucked her sketchbook back into her pack and got up. Realizing she was finished, Evee began to bounce around again.
Raziya peddled slowly, as Evee refused to ride on her pack. She tried to keep pace with her trainer, but eventually had to rest.
'You shouldn't have walked. You wouldn't be so tired!' Raziya scolded her pokémon.
'Eee.' Evee replied.
Raziya patted Evee on the head and looked around. Up ahead the path split in two. To the left there was a big patch of tall grass, but to the right there was a high ledge.
Much to her Evee's disagreement, she was plucked off the ground in mid-prance and stuffed half way into Raziya's backpack.
Raziya biked down the path towards the ledge.
'Eeee!' Evee screeched in terror.
'Calm down. We have no other choice.' Raziya commanded.
Evee glared at Raziya and then looked towards the slope covered in tall grass, as if to say 'What about that way?'
'There is no way that I am taking you through tall grass. You'll probably end up springing right into some huge, vicious pokémon. Unless you want to go back in the pokéball…?' Raziya smiled coyly.
Evee pouted and pushed herself deeper into Raziya's pack. 'Vee.'
As Raziya was lowering her bike down the ledge, Evee suddenly popped out of her backpack and landed with a thud on the ground below. Realizing her current situation, Evee began to wail loudly.
'Shh!' Raziya hopped off of the ledge, landing beside Evee. 'You should have held on tighter.'
Evee whimpered and rubbed her head. 'Eeeeev…'
'Let's see.' Raziya cradled Evee in her arms and examined the top of her head. A small bump about the size of a grape was forming. 'Aw, Evee! Don't worry. I'll get you to a pokécenter soon.' Raziya returned the crying Evee to her pokéball.
Freedom. She thought. It's so great being away from Faris for once.
She then began to coast downhill, as there was quite a slope the rest of the way. To pass the time quicker, Raziya switched on her portable radio and clipped it to her bike handlebars. As she hummed along with the tunes of Pokémon music, she noticed the signal was getting clearer.
About an hour later, Raziya came to a fork in the road. Fortunately, she was not faced with much of a decision. A strange looking tree was completely blocking the path to the left. It was tall and scraggly, and almost looked as it if had a face. A sign was tacked onto the tree. DETOUR: The passage to Violet city is currently blocked. Please do not attempted to cut down or remove this tree in any way. We're sorry for any inconvenience.
Raziya shrugged and turned right. A sign was posted here as well. This one read: GOLDENROD CITY.
Goldenrod it is then. Raziya peddled down the path, only to encounter a large group of people blocking the way.
'Excuse me, can I get through?' Raziya tried to get their attention.
A young boy around her age turned towards her. 'Can you? I'm not sure. Can you beat me?' He grinned.
'I don't want to battle, one of my Pokémon is hurt. I'm just trying to get to Goldenrod.' Raziya pleaded.
'Sorry. You beat us, or you don't get through.' The boy replied.
Raziya sighed, and took out a pokéball. 'Fine.' She sighed.
The boy smiled. 'Good girl.' He whipped out his own pokéball and threw it into the air. 'Go! Bellsprout!' he yelled.
Raziya mimicked this move and bellowed, 'Go get him Meowth!'
'I'll have you know my pokémon is a girl.' The boy glared at Raziya.
'My bad. Meowth! Use scratch!' Raziya instructed.
Meowth brought her claws down on top of the Bellsprout, leaving deep indents in her face.
The young boy was furious. 'Bellsprout! Poison powder!'
A pinkish cloud of dust was emitted from the Bellsprout, and settled around Meowth.
Meowth sneezed, and began to cough.
'Sprout!' Said the Bellsprout, obviously satisfied.
'Meowth! Keep going! Pay day!' Raziya urged her pokémon on.
Meowth's coughing stopped momentarily, and she sprung into the air. 'Meow!' Coins rained down on top of Bellsprout, and she fell to the ground with a meek whimper.
The young boy's jaw was left open wide.
'Great job Meowth!' Raziya scratched her behind the ear.
'Owwwth.' Meowth purred.
Raziya returned Meowth to her pokéball and turned her attention towards the young boy. 'May I pass now?'
The boy stared at her, shocked. 'B-Bellsprout!' He stammered. 'How could you do that to my pokémon!'
'Listen, it was your idea. You would have placed an equal amount of punishment on my pokémon if you had the chance.' Raziya replied. 'Let me through.'
The rest of the group was still blocking the path, also shocked.
'Fine. Let her pass. Go heal your Meowth of the harsh poison we put on it.' He sneered. He seemed to be the group's leader or something.
'Okay. You go heal him.' She tilted her head towards the fainted Bellsprout.
'I told you it's a girl!' The young boy said irritably and put Bellsprout back in her pokéball.
'Whatever.' Raziya marched through the crowd.
'Does she know who she just battled?'
'Who does she think she is!'
'She'll be sorry.'
Raziya ignored the whispers from the other kids and made her way to a building. Which she assumed, marked the entrance to Goldenrod. A sign on the front proved her wrong. NATIONAL PARK-Bug Catching Contests Held Regularly! Raziya entered the building anyways. Inside, there was a guard working behind the counter.
'Hello.' He said.
'Hi.' Raziya smiled. 'I was wondering how to get to Goldenrod?'
'Yes. Of course. Just make your way through National Park, turn left to the other entrance. That comes out on Route…oh I forget the Route. Anyways, just keep going, Goldenrod is right after that.' He replied.
'Okay, thank you.'
'No problem.'
Raziya pushed through the doors and for the first time, looked around at what was National Park. Trainers were everywhere, battling wild pokémon and each other alike. It was a very beautiful place. There was a picket fence lining the entire park. On the other side of the fence was a vast fir forest. In the very center of the park, was a gleaming water fountain and pond. Raziya walked up to the fountain, and dug some spare change out of her pocket. Not wanting to be cheap, she took a quarter and tossed it into the pond. It sank to the bottom to join the rest of the coins. Raziya shut her eyes tight and thought hard upon her wish.
I wish I never have to see Faris again.
She then made her way to the south entrance of National Park.
I wonder if this is anything like the Safari Zone? She thought to herself. She had read books on the Safari Zone, located in Fuchsia City, Kanto. It was a protected park, full of rare and wonderful species of Pokémon. It was her dream to one day visit it.
Safari Zone is more like a maze. She decided.
She passed through the southern entrance building, and nodded to the guard.
On the other side, was an almost empty Route. It was also tilted downhill, so it only took Raziya about fifteen minutes to get to Goldenrod. She rode into the entrance building and once again asked the guard the time. He told her it was noon, and she thanked him and left.