A cold morning greeted Baz this morning as Colin had opened a window. Colin was in his sleepwear (first time Baz had woken up early enough to see that), red boxer shorts and a gray sleeveless shirt, flatcap on his head lopsided. Baz stared for a few seconds, then jumped up and yelled, "What'cha doing?!" Colin, as most people would be in this situation was, to say the least, freaked the fuck out. He practically hit the ceiling with adrenaline coursing through his veins. He immediately turned around, but did so too fast, and his flatcap flew off his head and landed next to Luxio, who had been sleeping peacefully on Colin's bed. Croagunk woke slowly and perched itself on a nearby shelf. Budew was off in the corner with Prinplup, both sleeping like Snorlax. Zubat was hanging upside down underneath Croagunk's shelf. Those two were getting along more and more since Budew joined the team. "And a good morning to you too, Baz.", Colin said halfway between shock and annoyance. Baz was doing all he could to stop himself from laughing. Croagunk seemed as though it would've been amused had its trainer not just woken it up from a peaceful sleep. Luxio was still sleeping like a rock. Budew and Prinplup had woken up and were playing in the corner. Colin sat down on the bed's edge. "You know, Baz. I've been thinking.", started Colin. " 'Bout what?", Baz asked, sitting up in bed. "This entire, what's it been, six weeks? we've been traveling together and we've NEVER had a proper Pokemon battle!" Baz looked like he had just been told his Pokemon were missing. "You are SO RIGHT, COLIN! Six weeks and we've never had the thought to battle each other!" Baz sprang up out of bed and raced into the bathroom. From inside, he said, "Let's get ready and find a place to battle here!" Colin chuckled to himself and replied, "Sure thing, buddy." He looked out the window. Floaroma Town, such a nice little place. Serene, modest, and above all else, cold as all hell. Granted, it IS November, Colin noted. Colin began to dress himself as the Pokemon lied about and some (Croagunk) fell asleep once again.

After packing up and exiting the room the two had been staying in, immediately they hit a wall. Or, more accurately, a person. Baz slammed into a man about their age with hair the color of rust and piercing green eyes. He too had a hoodie on, but his was a powder blue that matched his shoes and carried a brown messenger bag off to his side that matched his pants. "S-sorry about that! I'm just in a bit of a p-panic at the moment." Baz immediately got up and said, "It's alright guy. What's got you all worked like this?" The person stood up, brushed himself off, and extended his hand, as to say, "First off, my name is Vincent and what I'm all worked up about is my dear little Shellos. I'm afriad some strange men in silvery outfits and blue cowl cuts took her from me. You have to help me!" Colin placed his hand on Vincent, who was shaking and said, "It's all right, Vincent. We'll get your Shellos back from those strange people. "Where did you see these people again, Vincent?", asked Baz. "Let's see. By an opening in the trees, why?" Baz pointed beyond the flower shop. "Because they are right over there." As they snuck over to the two men, Colin decided to break the ice. "So, Vincent. Where are you from?" Vincent looked over at Colin and said, "Not from here. My parents are having me start over here and work my way back to my home region." Colin raised his eyebrows and said, "And what would your home region be?"" Vincent immediately replied, "Unova. I was born and raised in Icirrus City, so I'm used to the, um, colder climate." Colin smiled and replied, "I, myself am from Hoenn. Petalburg City. My mother and I had to move out here so she could take a job RIGHT BEFORE she'd actually let me go on my own." Vincent was surprised at this and replied, "The same thing happened to me. My dad works for the people who supply each region's Pokeballs. I was born in Unova, but I grew up in Johto, Kanto, and Kalos before my father traveled to Unova, found a nice place in Icirrus, and finally retired." "So they figured the one region they hadn't been to was the best one for your to start your adventure?", questioned Colin. "Basically, yeah. They let Professor Rowan know and he let me pick a starter. My Grotle." "Grotle? I'm guessing the evolved from of Turtwig?", Colin assumed. "Yep. And there' s my Dr-There they are."

The two men were nearly identical in every aspect, except one had a softer face and the other's was somber. Same silver and black suits, emblazoned with a bright yellow G, same bowl hair cuts, same faded blue hair color, and they were talking behind a cage, containing several Pokemon, but near the front in the corner of the cage, a pink slug-like Pokemon noticed them ans almost blew their cover. "Shellos! We're on our way...", Vincent muttered under his breath. "Here's the plan. Baz, send out Zubat to distract them. Vincent, send out Grotle. Croagunk and I got this.", said Colin confidently. "What Croagu-AAAAAA!", yelled Vincent. Croagunk had been asleep in Colin's hood and the scream was caused because when Croagunk woke up, it heard its name and instinctively popped its head up, frightening Vincent. "Halt! Who goes there?", said the man with the somber face. "Or we could get caught and improvise. NOW, EVERYONE!", yelled Colin. Zubat began pestering the two men with Supersonics. Vincent tossed his Pokeball and out came, in a bright flash of light, a large Pokemon which resembled a sentient bush. Baz had his Pokedex at the ready. ~ Grotle, the Grove Pokemon and the evolved form of Turtwig. It lives along water in forests. In the daytime, it leaves the forest to sunbathe its treed shell. ~ Grotle charged forward and threw itself in a Tackle at the cage. "Careful now, Grotle! Shellos and all those other Pokemon are in there!", Vincent called. Croagunk launched a Poison Sting at the feet of the two men. The two men looked and nodded at each other and launched a counter-offensive. "Go, Silcoon! Stunky, Wurmple, standby for battle!" The somber faced man's Pokeballs released a skunk-like Pokemon and a little worm Pokemon, while the softer faced man's released an odd white ball Pokemon. Colin's face lit up when he saw the Wurmple (it was always nice to see some Hoenn natives here and there), but he remembered what he was doing. His Pokedex opened and scanned the Pokemon opposite Wurmple. Baz did the same, but for Wurmple. ~ Wurmple, the Worm Pokemon. Often targeted by bird Pokémon, it desperately resists by releasing poison from its tail spikes. ~

Colin's Pokedex finished scanning as Budew came out of nowhere and unleashed Stun Spore upon the enemy Pokemon. ~ Stunky, the Skunk Pokemon. It protects itself by spraying a noxious fluid from its rear. The stench lingers for 24 hours. ~ Might be wise not to get near Stunky's business end, Colin noted. "Croagunk, Mud-Slap Stunky!", Colin ordered. Croagunk obeyed, but with a twist. The frog Pokemon hit the ground in front of Stunky, blinding the skunk Pokemon. Grotle had turned its attention to assisting Zubat in attacking the men and their Pokemon. Stunky was blinded and didn't understand how to handle the situation. The skunk pokemon was blindly running about, even at one point running into it's trainer, the man with the somber face. The Pokemon that the softer faced man had sent out was just sitting there, not moving, not doing much of anything other than existing. Baz was as confused as one could be about a Pokemon like that, so he produced his Pokedex once again and scanned it. ~ Silcoon, the Cocoon Pokemon and an evolved form of Wurmple. It anchors itself by wrapping twigs with the silk from its body. It motionlessly awaits evolution. ~ The description wasn't wrong. Croagunk, after dealing with Stunky, had been throwing itself at Silcoon, in an attempt to dislodge it from its place on the ground. Silcoon didn't mind. Colin thought it was asleep at one point. "Croagunk, use Mud-Slap on the ground around Silcoon!", Colin yelled. Croagunk began throwing the surrounding earth at Silcoon. Vincent watched with childlike wonder. Then he heard, "Useless worm!" Wurmple was having trouble moving well after Grotle had accidentally shoved it into the cage. The man with the somber face had shifted from silent annoyance to loud anger. The man began kicking the Wurmple and seemed to smile as it cried in pain. Vincent had become livid looking at this man hurting that poor Wurmple. He insctintively sent out a Pokeball. Out of it popped a balloon with a cloud on top of it. "Drifloon, Ominous Wind on that man!", Vincent commanded. Drifloon unleashed a devastating purplish blast at the man, who went flying backwards into the cage. Stunky had unblinded itself at this point and was in an intense battle versus Croagunk. The two had gone back and forth, missed Bites and avoided Poison Stings, until Stunky faked out Croagunk and charged forward and Tackled the frog Pokemon, knocking the wind out of it. Colin saw the opportunity and ordered, "Croagunk, now! Use Poison Sting!" This ended in two ways a good and a bad. The good was that it worked Stunky had been incapacitated. The bad news is that this didn't happen until Stunky had sent Croagunk and itself into a tree, effectively sending them both out of commission.

Vincent blacked out for a bit. He'd been so determined to show that evil, evil somber faced man a lesson he forgot about Shellos. Drifloon had gone to see the man was chased off. The soft faced man was in a corner, and then something odd fell out of his sleeve. "A badge? What are you doing with a badge?" The soft faced man's expression hardened and said, "Ok, ok. I guess you caught me." In one swift motion, the blue hair he was sporting flung to the ground and his silver jumpsuit seemed to transform into a brown trench coat. "Thank goodness I don't have to have that disguise on anymore. It wasn't exactly warm.", the man said. "Ooook. So you're not one of whoever these people are. Then who are you?', asked Baz. The man looked to setting sun and said, "I go by many names. But, you three may call me Looker." "Looker?", all three seemes to say at once. "I've been undercover about four months. Those "guys" you speak of, are a regional crime organization that call themselves Team Galactic." "That explains the silver jumpsuits and the blue hair.", said Baz. Colin was soaking all this in when he noticed Vincent. "You two get to know each other. I'll go check on Vincent.", Colin said as he walked to the cage. "Soooo. Have you ever shocked someone with an Electric type before?" Baz asked. "Unfortunately, no. But I have...", Looker trailed on. Vincent was watching over the Wurmple, which had begun moving around more than it was. "Hey, Colin.", Vincent said, slightly forlorn. "What's up?", Colin asked worriedly. "Wurmple's getting better, but we still don't know where the cage's key is. For all we know, that guy got away with it.", Vincent said. Grotle was nudging the cage slightly. Zubat was, unknown to its trainer, perched on Baz's head. Croagunk was recovering slowly. Colin had brought out Luxio to go and stretch. Baz let Prinplup and Budew out to do the same. Budew, however, had gone to sit by the cage with Grotle. Looker had bounded over. "What seems to be th-, oh." Looker practically became a new person, becoming more nurturing. "May I?", Looker asked Vincent. Vincent nodded and Looker carefully took Wurmple into his arms. "Looker, you wouldn't happen to know where that cage's key is?", asked Vincent. "Hm? Oh, that cage isn't locked.", Looker said calmly. "What?" "Yeah that other fellow, I think his name was Paul or something, he scared the Pokemon so badly, they hid in there to escape him. I'm sure they'll notice soon enough." Not one minute after Looker said this, a Bidoof walked right out of the cage and sprinted towards the town. The other Pokemon came pouring out of the cage soon after. Shellos rushed out of the cage towards Vincent, who embraced it in a tackle hug. "I missed you, Shellos! This is Colin. He helped me rescue you.", Vincent pointed to Colin as he spoke.

Baz wrangled everyone together after a bit and got ready to head back to the Pokemon Center. Looker had the now near full health Wurmple on his shoulder. "Now i'll get this little guy to the woods so it can be free with most of the other Pokemon.", Looker said matter-of-factly. Wurmple detested immediately, taking a leap of faith from Looker's shoulder to Vincent's. "Actually, I think Wurmple would like to stay with Vincent.", Looker said with a chuckle. Vincent looked shocked, then looked to his shoulder in amazement. "Is that true, Wurmple? Would you like to come with me?", Vincent asked. Wurmple bounced up and down happily on Vincent's shoulder. "Alright then.", Vincent said with a smile. He then produced a Pokeball from his messenger bag and brought it up to Wurmple, who jumped on it without question. One, two, three, click. Wurmple was safe and sound now, in Vincent's Pokeball. Vincent smiled as bright as the setting sun. Later, at the Pokemon Center, the four met at its doors. Looker said, "Well, seeing as you helped me out and I did the same, we can call it even for now. Until next time, friends." Looker left without another word, but came back seconds later, as Colin still had his badge, then left without a trace once more. Vincent looked at the two trainers. "Baz, Colin, I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you both so much for helping me save Shellos and Wurmple." This time, Wurmple popped out from Vincent's hood at hearing its name. Colin smiled, as did Baz. "Maybe we'll meet again someday, and when we do, we're going to battle!", said Colin. "I'll be waiting, Colin. Baz, feel free to battle me as well.", said Vincent optimistically. "Wouldn't miss it for the world.", Baz said tiredly. And with that Vincent turned and walked out of the Pokemon Center, not before Wurmple pooped out of his hood once more and called out to the trainers. Almost as if to say goodbye. Baz and Colin smiled and waved at Wurmple, then headed back to their room. 11:58. Baz and Colin had become restless and spoke to each other. The conversation went a little bit like this: "Baz?" "Yeah, Colin?" "We were supposed to have a battle today." "We helped someone though and that's what matters." "Tomorrow?" "Definitely." Then both drifted off to sleep in the town of flowers once more.

So both trainers headed out to battle and instead made a new friend, for them and someone else. Surely soon they would finally get to battle, right? Find out as the journey continues...

-Author's Note-Author's Note-

So! That little italizied section at the end will hopefully be at the end of every chapter from now on. I'm going to say this. It shouldn't count as spoilers as I'm the one writing this, but Colin and Baz WILL battle next chapter. Making that clear right now. I suppose I've created an arc of sorts. The Floaroma Arc. No? Didn't think so. Anyway, as always, leave any thoughts in the reviews, tell me what you think, and I'll see you all next chapter.

Best Wishes,

-S