Episode Three-Fields Before Viridian
Maya gave Ponyta and Pochama two Oran berries for lunch and ate the remaining peanut butter from the jar. Her stomach still growled and she drank a portion of the milk Mrs. Molly had given her. Even though they had left the ranch three days ago, Viridian was nowhere in sight. I guess we're further than we thought, Maya thought. The wind had already grown unusually cold but Ponyta and Pochama were unaffected. As Maya's teeth chattered the silence in the air was broken by the Chocobo theme song from Final Fantasy. Maya dug her cellphone out of her pocket and answered it,
"Moshi, Moshi?" (Note: Hello via phone in Japan)
"Hey, Maya!" Gary said from the other end.
"Gary," Maya questioned, "Is everything ok?"
"Well yeah…actually no. We got a call from Professor Nakamada, his brother is the professor over in Shinou, named Tatsuya and he's just starting off in Viridian, he wants to see you."
"Oh…so…"
"He needs a trainer to send him Pokemon basically," Gary said, "Oh, and I checked your GPS, his ranch is just a mile in front of you, you can't miss it."
Maya scowled, "Are you stalking me now?!"
Gary laughed at Maya's sarcasm, "Gotta watch out for you, I AM your brother-in-law afterall!" Still laughing he hung up the phone.
Maya smiled, "Same old Gary." I was worried he'd be upset at me still for last week. She recalled Pochama and hopped onto Ponyta's back and began for the ranch at the bottom of the hill.
When Maya arrived she found a beautiful ranch with a lab like Professor Oak's built in the middle. She recalled her Ponyta and looked around to find several lakes and waterfalls with fenced in area and trees, but no Pokemon. Nervously she walked to the front door and knocked. It opened on its own and she walked in to find a man in his late twenties with a labcoat and coal black hair,
"You must be Maya, come in, I've been expecting you."
Maya stepped in and looked around to find papers and research documents piled everywhere, even in the sink, while a Mightyena slept in the corner.
"Sorry for the mess, Gary just called and said you were on your way…"
"It's ok." Maya said, remembering how bad Gary's car was when he drove her anywhere.
"So Gary's already told you…I need Pokemon to do research on, I only have a Mightyena to study…"
"I see…then if you need me I'll be glad to help you."
"Excellent, I just need to make some changes on your pokedex." Maya handed him her pokedex and disappeared down the hall,
"Oh Maya, there's a pokeball on the table, it's a Pokemon I caught yesterday, take it as my thanks."
Maya looked on the table and found a pokeball. She picked it up and released it. The red light formed a green dinosaur with a giant bulb covering its back, "Bulba," it bellowed.
"A Bulbasaur!" Maya said excitedly as Tatsuya returned and handed Maya her Pokedex back,
"Here's my number in case you need anything, and please send me the next Pokemon you catch."
"I will." Maya promised and handed him a paper with her number scribbled onto it.
"Oh, if you want to get to Viridian before night fall it's just a mile down the road east of here, you can't miss the dirt road."
Maya bowed, "I'm sorry to leave so soon, I promise to stay longer next time."
"And I'll try to be a better housekeeper," He laughed.
Maya and the Professor said their good-byes and once outside Maya hopped on Ponyta's back and road down the road towards Viridian,
"Let's go!"
With Viridian in sight and the sun still high in the sky, Maya and Ponyta stopped to take in the surroundings. Maya sat on the ground next to Ponyta and fell backwards,
"Ponyta, I feel so far from home." Ponyta neighed in response.
"I miss Nathan, Grandfather, Uncle Rodney and Aunt Cindy…and…Kyle."
Ponyta turned her head and neighed softly at the sound of Kyle's name. Kyle had been her best friend, but a year ago he disappeared as quickly as he'd mysteriously arrived seven years earlier. The night remained fresh in her mind; the breeze was like this…
"I'm sorry Maya, I have to go, but we'll see each other again soon, but I may not be the same…"
"What…?"
"I won't be in the physical form you know me in now."
"I don't understand Kyle…"
"You shouldn't, not now, not yet…but I must go."
"You can't Kyle….I…"
"You don't have to say those three words to me, I already now them."
Without another word the boy with black hair and piercing blue eyes kissed her and she closed her eyes lost in his kiss and when again she opened her eyes, he was gone.
"Hey!" A voice rang out.
Maya broke from her daydream and bolted up, "Whose there?"
The Voice chuckled, "Silly Girl."
Maya got up slowly and looked towards the river condensed with fog.
"Please who are you?"
"Isn't it strange you knew I was here, isn't it strange what you can do?"
Maya swallowed hard, this was getting a little too strange,
"Show Yourself!" She shouted as Ponyta's neighed nervously. Everything grew quiet except for the wind. Maya could hardly breathe. Still staring at the lake a form peeked through the fog. Slowly, Maya found her walking towards the waters edge and stopped. Then, the fog took on a life of its own and blew quickly past her making her hair stand on end. The figure standing before her was unmasked, a pink Pokemon with a long tail. Weakly pulling out her pokedex the pokedex confirmed her suspicions,
"Mew."