After lunch, Oak talked with Alex and Azure, mostly reminders on laws and make certain they don't push their Pokémon too far. Afterward, he let them go, waving them off with a big smile as did Elm and his Sentret.

Azure had taken off for his house, wanting to show his mom before leaving town than letting his dad tell her. Alex decided to do the same with her mom, uncertain how long she may be away. It wouldn't seem fair not to show her in person than waiting until she reached Viridian City to call her.

"Hi, Mom," Alex greeted as she walked in.

Her mother was on crutches, her Mankey helping her carry a tray of food to the couch.

"Did you forget something?" she asked.

"No, I wanted to show you my new Pokémon," the girl smiled, holding up her ball. Pressing the button, the lizard came out. "Her name's Sienna."

"She's so cute! And a female starter no less? That's quite unheard of; they're often kept at the breeding centers. If there are any, they're either requested or found wild."

"Maybe she got mixed in or they had a lot of female Charmander?" Alex shrugged.

"Who knows, still lucky," her mom laughed. "So are you excited for your adventure?"

"I am, but I'm a little scared to."

"I know the feeling when I first started. So long as you and Sienna stick together, you'll be just fine."

"I know, it's just so weird to finally have my own pokéball than a rental from the school or borrowing yours or Dad's for practice."

"But it must be nice, right?"

The girls sat down together, the Pokémon chattering in the background, Mankey showing Sienna around.

"It really is, Azure and I even had our first battle together."

"Really? Which of you won?"

"I did actually, but Azure took it pretty well. He's even going to sign up for the Indigo League too, so we'll be rivals."

"Just be careful, having a rival is good, but there are trainers who take it too seriously. Make sure you keep it fun and if you can help Azure keep it fun as well."

"I'll try my best."

Taking a bit more, Alex eventually said her goodbyes as did her mother before leaving, Sienna called back into her ball.

Walking for a few minutes, she eventually reached the edge of town.

She looked around for signs of Azure but didn't see him.

As much as she wanted to wait for him, part of her felt he likely already went ahead. He lived closer to the edge of town than she did. Plus, he was really excited to head out far more than she was.

So she took a deep breath and began the long walk towards Viridian City. She kept her eyes peeled for any wild Pokémon that may choose to attack her.

Thankfully the path she was taking was popular and well traversed. She took this path a lot as a kid with her parents when they wanted to head to the city by foot. The only time she was ever driven there was for school.

She recalled asking why one time, her father telling her that by foot, it could take about a day and a half due to the foliage and obviously wild Pokémon. Of course, that's only if one stuck to the trail. If they didn't, it could take four days to a week to reach Viridian City.

It certainly felt different being on her own. It was exciting at the thought of this newfound independence, but terrifying as well. Before, if something happened, she had her parents and the Oaks to help her. Now she has to rely on her own strength and the strength of her Pokémon to keep her safe.

A sudden rustle in the grass made her jump, hand instinctively going for Sienna's ball, ready unsure whether to throw it or simply run. Would Sienna be able to handle the fight? What if the Pokémon was really strong, possibly carnivorous?

When a Pidgey suddenly flew out, going overhead and off to somewhere, Alex almost started laughing in relief, her hands shaking.

"Maybe I should have asked Azure about traveling together before we went to our houses?" she said nervously.

Realizing her hand was still on the ball, an idea popped into her head. She unhooked it from her belt and gave a toss, releasing the fire type.

"Char?" Sienna cocked her head after looking who she's to battle but found no potential opponents.

"Sorry, I thought maybe we could walk together?" Alex apologized, kneeling down to her Pokémon's level. "To be honest, I'm a little-scared walking by myself."

"Char!" Sienna gave a big smile, leaning up to nuzzle against her trainer.

"Glad you're okay with that," she laughed, hugging the Pokémon. "But this might turn out as a good thing. It'll give us a chance to bond more."

"Charmander, char!"

"Let's get going then," the young girl grinned, feeling more confident.

With renewed confidence, they began marching through the grassy fields and familiar dirt paths.

For now, Alex had no intention of straying, maybe after she's reached Viridian City and restocked and got Sienna healed, she might return to explore more. By then she hopes to have some pokéballs and more potions even for her Pokémon.

"I wonder if Azure's letting Squirtle walk with him?" she wondered before giggling to herself. "Bet he is, he really seemed happy about picking Squirtle."

"Mand?"

"Sorry, was thinking about Azure and Squirtle," she explained with a grin. "They look like they'll make a really great team. Hopefully, we'll do the same."

"Char!" Sienna cheered, hopping around her trainer.

Alex couldn't help but laugh before something darted in front of them, revealing to be a Rattata.

"Oh wow, it looks really cute. I wish I had some pokéballs to catch it."

The purple rat didn't seem to notice them right away until Sienna's dancing led to a twig snapping, having it look up. It got spooked and ran off, leaving the pair alone once more.

Traveling further along, more Pokémon began to show up. Most ran or played with Sienna, others were a little more hostile, trying to attack them.

After fighting several of these Pokémon, Sienna suddenly breathed out some small flames, chasing a Pidgey off.

"That's great, Sienna, you learned Ember!" Alex squealed. She ran over to her Pokémon, hugging the lizard, feeling her scaly head rub against her face.

"Char, charmander char!" the lizard yipped with joy.

When released from the hug, she fired out a few more small flames into the air. Judging the amazed look on her face, she liked how they looked.

Looking up, Alex's smile grew wider after discovering a sign, reading it excitedly. "This is great; we're almost to Viridian City. Once we're there, we can get you healed up at the Pokémon Center. Maybe even get some potions, pokéballs too."

"Char?"

"If we have pokéballs, then we can get more Pokémon. Not only would we be getting more teammates, but it'll make us stronger."

"Char!"

"Thought you'd like that."

Knowing how close they were now, Alex quickened her pace, mindful not to go too fast for Sienna's sake. She could hear the Pokémon hot on her heels, surprisingly keeping up with her even after all those battles.

Spotting the security booth, Alex slowed down so Sienna didn't fall behind.

"Oh, hey there," the officer stationed greeted with a friendly smile, "is that your Charmander?"

"Yeah, this is Sienna."

"Cute name," the older woman smiled as she walked over. A Growlithe followed her side, sniffing the fire type, the pair seemingly getting along. "Don't mean to be a bother, but could I see your license?"

"Sure," Alex nodded.

She pulled out a wallet from her pocket, taking the piece of plastic out, handing it to the officer as she scanned it.

"Alright, everything seems to be in order. Sorry for bothering you, you don't see a lot of kids walking around with a Charmander."

"I just got her today."

"Congratulations," the officer beamed. "Do you need help getting to the Pokémon Center by any chance?"

"I know the way, thank you," Alex thanked, the officer nodding as she returned to her station.

"Alright, if you have any problems, don't hesitate to get me or call the police."

"I will. Have a good day."

"You too."

Waving goodbye, Alex continued on, Sienna keeping close as she looked around at the buildings coming into view.

"Chaaar…" she awed.

"That's right, this must be your first time in a city," Alex said, turning to her Pokémon. "There are a lot of other cities than here. I'm sure there are some as small as Pallet Town and others even bigger than here and Pewter City!"

Her partner let out an excited cry, eager to explore more, making the young girl laugh, glad she chose Sienna for her energy.

Eventually, they came upon a large white building with an enormous pokéball decoration and the letter P painted below on the roof. In a lot of ways, the building looked more like a concert hall than a Pokémon Center.

Going inside, it was surprisingly empty, only a handful of trainers lounging about with their Pokémon. Walking up to the front desk, Alex was greeted by the nurse working there, recognizing her immediately.

"Hi, Alex, how are you?" Nurse Joy asked sweetly.

"I'm good, I finally became a trainer today," Alex stated before picking her Pokémon up. "This is Sienna; Professor Oak gave her to me."

"That's wonderful and she's so cute!"

"Thank you."

"Would you like me to fix her up?"

"Yes, please."

"Alright, just hand her and her pokéball over and I'll patch her up in a jiffy."

"Thank you," Alex smiled. Setting Sienna down, she returned her to the pokéball, the fire lizard reassured she'll be let out later. Afterward, she handed the ball over to the nurse, the woman gesturing for a Chansey to come over.

"Chansey, think you could get Alex's Charmander healed up? I'd like to talk with her for a bit."

"Chansey!" the Pokémon cried out, taking the ball and hurrying off.

"What did you want to tell me about?"

"Just a few pointers to share since you're now a trainer," Nurse Joy grinned.

"Alright."

Nurse Joy stepped out from behind the counter, gesturing for them to sit, making sure she faced the front in case of a problem

"Now I'm sure you know this, but in case you're uncertain, thanks to the Pokémon League, all Pokémon Centers' services are free. Anything you do pay would be from using the vending machines or doing laundry. But medical treatment, food, and lodgings are all free."

"That's great to hear."

"I'm glad, however, there is a small handful that does charge, but they're ones that are more isolated, thus get little traffic. Others are in areas with a high concentration of Pokémon coming in sick and injured, thus are often running low on supplies and need to purchase more faster than the League can provide. If you do encounter a Center that does charge, make certain to find these stickers."

Nurse Joy pulled out a small folder she brought, showing Alex a bright green sticker, the text reading: This Pokémon Center will charge a small fee for…

Below it was several lines listing medicine, lodging, and food, each with a blank checkbox next to them.

"They're placed at the front door and behind the desk visible to trainers."

"What happens if they don't have it and they're still charging?"

"Don't say anything. If your Pokémon isn't badly hurt, immediately leave and find the nearest town to call the police. They'll look into it and determine if things are legit or not. We don't want trainers getting hurt unnecessarily, do you understand?"

"I do, thank you, Nurse Joy."

"You're welcome, so what do you plan on doing?"

"I was thinking about signing up for the Pokémon League Challenge."

"That's great to hear. If you'd like, I could help you register here."

"Really?"

"Of course," Nurse Joy smiled as she got up, gesturing for the girl to follow her back to her desk. "Just hand me your trainer license and I'll have it all set up in a few minutes."

"Thank you."

"While you wait for your Pokémon and the registration, why don't you check out this pamphlet? It'll explain the basics of how gyms work and a list of the known ones available this year."

"Thank you so much."

"It's no problem."

Smiling, Alex accepted the pamphlet, returning to the chair to read, eagerly waiting for both her Pokémon and word that she's signed up.

After a few minutes, a ding echoed, signifying a Pokémon is healed, the black haired girl looking up to see Nurse Joy waving her over. Next to her was Chansey holding a tray designed to hold pokéballs, a single one sitting in the slot.

Getting up and walking over, the nurse handed the ball over. "Here you go; she should be all healed up now. I have to say, your Charmander is a very healthy Pokémon, you're quite a lucky young lady."

"Thank you."

"Also, your registration went through, so you can challenge gyms now. Here's a case to store your badges."

"Thank you again. Take care, Nurse Joy."

"Take care of yourself as well, Alex."

Giving a final wave, Alex went outside, feeling refreshed despite Sienna being the one to get treated. Walking around town, aiming to get to the Pokémon Mart, she noticed some trainers let their Pokémon follow. They were mostly small ones, a few larger ones like Machoke following their respective trainers.

Part of her wondered if she should do the same, taking Sienna's ball in her hand.

"Why not?" she giggled, calling her partner out.

"Char?"

"Thought you'd like to stretch your legs? It looks like a lot of other trainers do the same for their Pokémon. Of course, if it starts to rain, you're going back into your ball."

"Charmander!" Sienna nodded, happy to be allowed out again.

Spotting the store, Alex turned to her Pokémon, "You see that building over there? That's the market. They sell all sorts of things from groceries and clothes to medicines and other cool stuff a trainer would want. It's really convenient for all sorts of people."

"Derr?" the Pokémon purred. She was clearly enjoying being talked to, clearly listening to every word spoken with clear fascination.

"This is where we'll buy some potions and pokéballs so we can get more friends. We can also buy more food when we need it."

"Chaaar."

Giggling, Alex walked up to the door, letting Sienna go in first before following, telling her Pokémon to stay close.

Immediately she lit up seeing the store clerk, recognizing him as did he when took notice.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite customer's daughter," he joked. "What brings you here, Alex?"

"I was hoping to get a few things. I finally became a trainer," she explained.

"Really? That's great, so I'm guessing that Charmander belongs to you then?"

"Uh-huh, this is Sienna."

"That's a pretty name for your Pokémon, made a good choice for her."

"Thanks."

"Hey Alex," the clerk spoke up, catching the girl before she could start shopping. "Think you could do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Well, I know you just left Pallet Town, but I was wondering if you could bring something to Professor Oak. My delivery boy called in sick and I don't have anyone else available right now."

"Sure, I could bring it to Professor Oak."

"Thank you so much, Alex, you're a lifesaver."

"No problem," Alex smiled as the man retrieved the package.

"Here you go," he said, handing a small box over.

Alex took it, carefully putting it into her bag, "Before I head out, do you know where the potions and pokéballs are located?"

"Ah, sorry, my stock boy's unloading the balls right as we speak. If you'd like, as part of my thanks, I'll ask him to save a few for you."

"That's really nice of you, thank you. What about potions though?"

"I'm afraid I can't help you there," the man laughed nervously. "Some trainers came in here a few hours ago and cleaned me out. I've ordered more, but it's on back order."

"Oh…"

"How about this, I'll give you this voucher for a discount on potions and any other medicines we might be out of here for the next store. Least I can do."

"Okay, thank you… But are you sure?"

"I've had to hand them out pretty much nonstop, mostly to new trainers or any unfamiliar faces I see."

"Thank you again."

"Sorry again."

"It's okay; hopefully you'll get them in soon."

"Same."

With that knowledge, Alex decided to buy whatever she needed that was available, finding a lot was purchased. Mostly in the trainer section, spotting several employees busily restocking what they had.

After paying, she left with Sienna by her side, making her way out of town and back towards Pallet Town. However, she walked slower as worry wracked her brain.

"Char?" the Pokémon whined softly, upset over her trainer's depression.

"Sorry, Sienna," Alex apologized, pausing to pat her Pokémon on the head. "We'll just have to be more careful until they get more medicine stocked or we reach Pewter City. Until then, we'll just use the Pokémon Center in Viridian to heal you and anyone else we find."

"Charmander, char!" Sienna cried out. She pumped her clawed fist into the air, the action she copied from other trainers and their Pokémon.

"You're a great Pokémon, you know that?"

"Char!"

After about three hours on their return trip, the fire type had battled various Pokémon that tried attacking them. She beat them all by knocking them out or chasing them off.

At some point, Alex decided they should sit and rest. She pulled out some snacks they could eat, sharing her water with Sienna. While Charmander may be a fire type, even they need water to keep hydrated just like any other animal.

Glancing at the sky, Alex made a small frown, knowing by the time they've returned to Pallet Town, it'll be evening.

"I wonder how Azure and Squirtle are doing?" she wondered out loud. She continued to stare at the sky lazily, hand resting on Sienna's head, rubbing it gently.

"Maan," the Pokémon yawned, nuzzling into the girl's lap.

"I hope they'll be okay," she whispered, giving her partner a worried look. "I mean, I know he's the son of Professor Oak, so he's not stupid. But with Team Rocket lurking, who knows what could happen."

"Char char, charmander," Sienna purred. She stretched herself as far as she could to lean her face against her trainer's nuzzling against her.

"Right, I shouldn't think like that," Alex sighed, a small smile forming. "Azure's tough, he and Squirtle fought really hard against us. And I bet he'll be even stronger and have really cool Pokémon to protect himself and Squirtle. And he isn't crazy enough to tackle on people like Team Rocket."

"Char!"

"Alright, we should get going if we want to get back home before dark."

As Alex started getting up, she gave Sienna a look, seeing she looked a little tired, guessing it was from all the battling.

"Sienna, would you like to be in your pokéball? Or rather I carry you instead?"

"Chaa…" the Pokémon yawned loudly. She stretched her arms up as her answer.

"Okay then," she laughed, willing to spoil her Pokémon a little.

Not only had her partner won every single battle they've had against wild Pokémon, but she also won their official trainer battle too. She earned getting carried, especially now before the time came when she'll eventually evolve. Alex had doubts she'll be able to carry her afterward.

By the time they returned to Pallet Town, the sun had set, stars sparkling in the sky.

Given how late it got, whether the professor was still awake or not, she felt it was better to go straight home. She could deliver the package in the morning. Plus she and Sienna will be fully refreshed to start back out again afterward.

Heading to her house and getting inside with the key, having decided to keep it for emergencies.

She greeted her mom, telling her what was going on and that they'll be spending the night.

Her mom was thrilled, the two talking about what happened before it was time for bed.

"Night, Sienna," Alex yawned, pulling her sheets up.

She rested on her stomach so she could peek over the side at her Pokémon. The fire type was currently curled up in a cozy basket, the blanket flameproof, courtesy of her mom.

"This is probably going to be our last time in Pallet Town for a while. Maybe even in such cozy beds too, so let's enjoy it, okay?"

"Chaaaaar," the lizard yawned softly as the two eventually fell fast asleep.


Alex - Pokémon 1 - Badges 0 - Deaths 0

Team:

Sienna - Charmander


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