A Froakie lethargically wakes up from a nest up on a branch of a great Oak, battered wood planks are the only things holding up the nest. He sat for a little while before going down the tree from makeshift steps nailed down onto the wood, he looms over to a nearby pond before hopping over, a berry bush lies next to the pond and the Froakie takes one and a sip of water before gauging down the berry.
The Froakie later wanders off till he set foot on a path, he hops along the slithering road of the path, it led to a small town alongside a riverbank, it had a bridge of brick and stone connected to the other side of it, and a marketplace at the center, farmland surrounded its outskirts.
"A town? I never found this when I went exploring... but then again I never went near the river when I was younger..." he spoke.
Meet Leonard, a 14-year-old Froakie living in the wilder areas of Tillnear Grove, one of the largest groves of the Feruterra continent. He has a knack for exploration but always puts his survival as his top priority.
"It's quite lovely though, bustling with trade and work." he smiled.
A local notices him. "Oh, hello there stranger! Who might you be?"
Startled, the Froakie hops back. "I-I'm Leonard, h-how about you?"
The local was a young Emolga, probably in her teenage years as well. "Nice to meet you, my name is Miyazaki." She said, pulling out her paw, and offering a pawshake.
He shook her paw. "Well, uh, w-what's with this town? I've never seen it before..." Leonard asked, looking around.
The town was rather new, as no signs of moss or rotting wood were shown. Its stone path didn't show any signs of crumbling. "Welcome to my hometown, Riverside Village, it's fairly new, my parents say its modern structures are built about a decade or two." the Emolga replied.
"Makes sense, I've been exploring this forest since I was 10, moved out of my parents' house." He mumbled.
"Aw, why'd you move out?" Miyazaki asked.
He looked around the town more. "Well, the three of us agreed I had to learn to survive on my own, and I'm quite thankful that it went down that path. I'm able to fight back and forage for food quite successfully."
"That's great! What made you come here?" She asked once more.
"Didn't I tell you earlier?" He responded.
"Did you?" The Emolga tilted her head.
"I remember I did..."
"Did you?" She got closer with a smug face as if she was teasing him.
"Uhh..."
"Kidding!" She laughed. "Come on, let me show you around."
Miyazaki took Leonard's hand and showed him around, there was a butchery, several shops, the town center, and other buildings. For hours, she showed every single bit of the town, decently sized despite its growing population. Later, the two sat on a fallen tree that sat on the riverbed, ice cream in their grasp.
"So, how was the town?" Miyazaki asked.
"Lovely, it was lovely," Leonard replied, licking his ice cream.
"It is, it is." She said as she looked over at the setting sun, which cast a beautiful autumn orange. "I suppose this is the part where you go home, yes?"
The Froakie loomed over the horizon as well, the sun was nearly gone as the sky turned to a bluish purple that contrasted with the autumn orange. "No, I don't think I want to, this town is pretty nice, I guess."
The sky was now a dark blue, the river shimmered as the two sat under the moonlit sky. Stars started to shine as well, soon, they formed a celestial being, a galaxy, and the Emolga spoke. "Well, that's nice but, where will you live?"
"That's something I'll have to figure out tomorrow, for now, I'll go back to where I'm currently living and by tomorrow I'll probably set up a tree house near the town." He responded, taking the last lick of his ice cream before eating the cone. "Say, Miyazaki..."
"Hm?"
"Can we be friends?"
"I thought we already were?"
"Oh, I see. Well, it was great to meet and make friends with you, Miyazaki."
The Froakie leaves under cover of night.
- End Chapter One -