"Sometimes the things that distract us or hold up our travels aren't always caused by us. Sometimes the Pokémon themselves just like to let loose and enjoy a bit of the scenery.
Pokémon are just like humans, and anyone who says otherwise shouldn't be allowed to own a Pokémon.
All Pokémon are unique; with their own personalities, wants and needs, just like humans. If you ever travel with your Pokémon, when the Pokémon want something, it's best to remain patient and give it to them, lest things turn ugly. Pokémon have feelings, wants, and needs too after all."
Sam grumbled as he and the others watched the rain pour over the tent and campsite outside.
"It's been raining for three days!" cried Sam, exasperated. "We've been stuck in the tent since the day you caught that Buneary."
"Well don't yell at me about it," said Alyssandra. "It's not my fault it's raining!"
"I still don't see why we can't just go on ahead," complained Jeremy as he rolled over in his sleeping bag. "It's just a bit of rain."
"Because the road ahead leads to the mountains," explained Niya. "It's very rock, cliffy and is made of soft soil that tends to collapse and cause mudslides and avalanches when wet."
"Oh…that's a pretty good reason I suppose," said Jeremy. "Thank goodness our tents attach; more company that way."
"Yeah, our families were really thinking when they got these for us," Alyssandra agreed. "I just wish there were more amenities, so we weren't so bored."
Sam shrugged. "Well, you can't have everything. Oh look, the rain's letting up! Let's take this chance to cook something."
"Shouldn't we pack up?" asked Jeremy. "And move on?"
"Why?" asked Niya as the group exited the tent. "The rain just comes back every time we leave the tent anyway. We missed a warm breakfast because of the rain, so we may as well enjoy a meal now before the rain continues."
The group quickly began to set up a campfire, using the wood that they kept stored in the smoking tent.
While they got the fire started, they each pulled up a rock for them to sit on and started to debate what type of food they should cook.
"Something quick but filling," suggested Sam. "If it rains again, I don't want to get caught in it trying to cook our food. I'd rather get something that will last until the rain stops again but won't take too long to cook. Oatmeal work for you guys?"
No one had any objections.
"Sounds good to me," said Alyssandra while she braided her hair "I already got soaked earlier chasing after Mime Jr., and I'd really rather not get soaked again."
Jeremy placed a pot full of spring water over the fire to boil. "Why did it just run off like that? That's not typical Pokémon behaviour, is it?"
"Well, that depends," said Niya. "Some Pokémon behaviour can't be described or explained like human behaviour, but typically speaking, no this isn't normal. Most Pokémon don't run off into the forest in the middle of a rainstorm for no reason. Perhaps he got scared or something?"
Alyssandra shrugged. "Whatever it was it took a half hour to get him back into his Poké Ball. I don't know why he's changed, but Mime Jr. hasn't been like that before, I've only had him for a week, but he's been pretty obedient so far."
"Well, you can ask Nurse Joy at the next Pokémon Centre. If we ever get there that is," said Sam. "If we do, it's just outside the entrance to Oreburgh Gate."
"Why is there a Pokémon Centre outside of a city gate?" asked Alyssandra.
"It's not an actual gate," explained Niya. "It's a tunnel; a cave really. But it's filled with some pretty temperamental Pokémon, so the Pokémon Centre is there just in case people get injured, lost or attacked."
"Sounds pleasant," said Alyssandra sarcastically. "I can't wait to visit."
The group sat in a tired, groggy silence as they waited for the water to boil and the oatmeal to begin soaking up the hot liquid once the boiling had commenced. There was no waiting or patience once the food was ready.
"Come get it while it's still dry!" Sam cried out as he ladled the oatmeal into bowls. "Jeremy, go get some more bowls and the Pokémon food so we can feed them too, all right?"
Everyone released their Pokémon one-by-one, but it didn't take Alyssandra long to notice one of her own was missing. She patted down her clothes and pockets, thinking maybe she had misplaced the Poké Ball, but instead all she found was an empty Poké Ball in her bag that had once belonged to Mime Jr.
"Mime Jr. is missing!" she cried.
"What do you mean?" asked Sam. "Where could he go?"
"I don't know!" Alyssandra panicked and scurried about the camp looking for the Pokémon. "He was with me this morning, before I took a nap—do you think he escaped again while I was asleep?"
"Well, it's possible that he let himself out," said Niya. "Pokémon do that sometimes"
"Where could he have run off to?" asked Alyssandra. "Do you think he ran back into the forest? Maybe he hates me because I took it away from his trainer; that's why he's running away like this!"
"Well, whatever the reason is, he's only a baby Pokémon," said Sam. "So, we need to find him, and you need to remain calm for that to happen."
Alyssandra nodded, realizing that panicking will only make things worse. "We'll each split up and search the forest."
Niya called forward her Glameow. "My Glameow is an expert in tracking by scent. We can use him to find Mime Jr."
No one had any disagreements.
"Glameow, I want you to sniff out Mime Jr.'s scent in this forest," said Niya. "Do you have his Poké Ball? We can get his scent from him."
Alyssandra nodded, and knelt, levelling the Poké Ball to Glameow's nose. It didn't take Glameow long to circle the camp with its nose and catch a scent. The Pokémon meowed and dashed off into the underbrush. The remaining Pokémon that had been released were left behind to guard the camp. Sam and Jeremy used their Staravia to track the cat Pokémon as he dashed off to find his query.
Finally, after twenty minutes of running behind their Pokémon, Alyssandra, Sam, Jeremy and Niya reached an outcropping in a cliff side, and beneath the outcropping played Mime Jr. and with it were a Happiny and a Bonsly.
"It's Mime Jr.!" exclaimed Alyssandra to Niya. "And it seems to be playing with those wild Pokémon."
Niya started to put two and two together. "I'll be damned. Mime Jr. must have met these other baby Pokémon in the forest nearby camp, and it must've kept running off because it wanted to play with them. In fact, doesn't your Mime Jr. know Rain Dance as well?"
"Yeah, he—" Alyssandra paused midsentence and smiled. "Well, he's certainly resourceful, I'll give him that."
"So, what are you going to do?" asked Niya. "Take him away from his friends?"
Alyssandra shook her head, and slowly walked over to where her Pokémon was playing with the other wild ones. She knelt and smiled at him.
"Mime Jr."
The other Pokémon watched her warily, but Mime Jr. slowly approached his trainer. He walked forward like a child about to be scolded by a parent.
"Did you cause the rain these past few days?"
Mime Jr. nodded shamefully, eyes downturned.
"And you did it to play with your friends here, huh?"
Mime Jr. nodded again.
"But that's only because you feel so lonely with all the other big Pokémon around the camp, isn't it? You relate better with these baby Pokémon, don't you?"
Mime Jr. nodded happily, forgetting that it was in trouble, and happy that he had made some friends.
"So how would you like it if your friends could come join us?" asked Alyssandra. "If they agree to let me catch them, I'll send you over to Professor Rowan's Laboratory, and you can stay there and play while he studies you guys. Then when he's done, you can go play in the wide-open fields of Sam's family ranch—and there will be so much more Pokémon there too!"
Mime Jr. cheered, jumping up and down happily.
"Can you go ask Bonsly and Happiny if they're okay with this?"
Mime Jr. nodded, and waddled over to his friends.
The Pokémon chattered with excitement. The other Pokémon were clearly okay with this idea.
"All right, then, it's settled. I'm going to use these Poké Balls, okay?"
Alyssandra sent two Poké Balls at Bonsly and Happiny. The Poké Balls absorbed the two Pokémon instantly. The capsules barely shook before the light in the centre lit up, signifying that the Pokémon had been caught.
"All right now, Mime Jr.," said Alyssandra. "I'm going to return you to your Poké Ball, then I'm going to transfer you to Professor Rowan's PC. Professor Rowan will let you out as soon as he removes you from the PC, and then you can play with your friends."
Mime Jr. nodded, and Alyssandra recalled him to his Poké Ball. She then placed all three of her the Poké Balls on the ground. She held them close to her Pokétch and scanned them each with her Pokétch PC app. The Poké Balls shivered and blurred like a static image and disappeared shortly after with a quick pop.
"That was a nice thing you did for Mime. Jr.," said Niya. "I know how much you wanted to use it in your next contest. Your Pokémon won't forget your kindness."
Alyssandra smiled. "Mime Jr. never seemed all that interested in contests anyway. I know what it's like to want to do something despite having other people pushing their hopes and dreams on you. The least I could do was wise up to Mime Jr.'s feelings before it got too late."
No one responded to Alyssandra's comment. No one wanted to delve too deep into their meaning—though they'd been friends with Alyssandra long enough to intuit a likely meaning from them. Instead, the group chose to celebrate the arrival of new Pokémon to their growing family, albeit temporarily.
