The wood was oddly quiet (aside from the faint rotor blades of the copter). Kerensa found herself confronted by a crossroads. There were fresh prints leading off to the left, so Kerensa headed right. As she proceeded, a sudden rustling got her attention. She turned to see a Wurmple emerge from the trees behind her. The wormlike pokemon let out a hissing challenge and she knew she would have to fight it.
"Mudkip!" she called, hurling her pokeball "Tackle!"
The little blue pokemon appeared and hurled itself forward, butting the Wurmple. It growled and got up again from the patch of ground it had landed on, and then it too charged. Mudkip dodged left and hit the Wurmple in the side.
"Well done, Mudkip" Kerensa smiled, petting the little creature. The dejected Wurmple slithered off into the bushes.
"Mud?" it asked, head on one side like a puppy. Kerensa put the pokeball away and Mudkip wandered on ahead of her.
After a few minutes, Kerensa had defeated two other Wurmples, and a Poocheana. She came to a clearing, and found herself looking down into a small clearing. A boy stood with his back against a tree; a few bruises and bites marked his arms. A small Torchic was standing before him; eyes bright with battle-fury, but it was covered with injuries. It seemed to be on low health, and it was surrounded by four Poocheana. The boy was not Kerensa's brother, but another guy of the same age. He had long curly brown hair, and deep, green eyes.
"Let's go help him, Mudkip!" she said. The little pokemon leaped into the fray. The two trainers exchanged glances. The boy's Torchic, though stronger than Mudkip, was on its last legs.
"We can take two; don't worry about us!" the boy called, as though sensing what Kerensa was thinking. She was pretty sure he could not, but went with it.
Two of the black-furred hounds turned to face Mudkip.
"Tackle!" she ordered. Mudkip slammed into the side of one, but another tackled Mudkip, and he fell over.
"Mudkip!?" she gasped, but the sturdy little pokemon got to its feet and growled. The two attackers backed off slightly, surprised, and he tackled one, head-on. The second, again, came to the aid of its partner, but Mudkip turned and spat a blob of thick mud from his mouth.
"You learned Mud-slap!" Kerensa smiled, proudly.
The second Poocheana was blinded for a moment, and Mudkip took that opportunity to finish the first, and turn to face it.
Coincidentally, the other trainer had also defeated one of his opponents, but Torchic's strength was failing. It was on its knees; pecking feebly at its foe's attacks.
"Mudkip: Mud slap!" Kerensa ordered; a plan coming together in her head. Mudkip blinded its opponent (again), and then she ordered him to finish the one that harried the Torchic. It did not expect an attack from the rear, and went careering into the tree which the boy stood near. The last Poocheana regained its vision by shaking the mud from its face, and turned to look at the two pokemon, which stood side-by side.
"Mudkip: Mud Slap!" Kerensa ordered.
"Torchic: Ember!" the other trainer barked. Torchic spat a hail of hot embers, which scalded the little dog, and Mudkip finished it by knocking it down with a heavy gob of mud. For a moment there was silence, and then the boy turned to his savior.
"Um…" he began "I'm…Stan"
"Kerensa" Kerensa told him.
"Thanks for your help. I thought we were done for."
"Jeez" she muttered "What did you do to upset them?"
"Nothing!" He insisted "I was just training, and then they poured out of the trees and attacked me!"
"Someone must have done something to make them that angry…" she mused. She thought back to the strange message on the Television, and wondered if that had anything to do with it.
At that moment; Dan came crashing through the trees; long coat flapping about him like a mad thing. At his side, Sceptile slashed branches out of his way with his giant, praying-mantis scythes.
"Sceptile: Sla-" he began, and then stopped.
"Ancient history, Dan…" Kerensa muttered "Just like you to get lost on the way to rescue someone."
"…Bloody Hell! How many of these guys did you fight?" he muttered, examining the fainted Poocheana that littered the ground. He looked over at Stan. "You okay; kid?"
"I'm fine…" Stan sighed "Torchic could use healing, though."
"I'll walk you home; where do you live?" Dan asked.
"In Oldale; just through these trees here"
"You did well, Kerensa. Nice one. Perhaps one day you'll be the best trainer in this family…" Dan told his sister, patting her shoulder, then: "Naaah…"
"I'll win against you one day…" she said, and she was serious. Dan nodded.
"We'll see. Go home; mum's waiting for you."
Stan walked up to her, returning Torchic to its pokeball as he walked.
"Thanks, again. You're pretty strong." He said.
"Don't worry about it." She yawned, putting on a show of modesty.
Her brother and Stan walked north, into Oldale, and she turned back, towards Littleroot.
"Mudkip?" her pokemon gurgled. She turned round and saw it sitting on the ground, looking tired from the long battle.
"Oh: Of course! Sorry. Return" she said, and then clipped Mudkip's pokeball to her belt.
--
In Littleroot, her mother had cooked up a curry, and they both ate. Mudkip leaped onto the table and began to share Kerensa's curry.
"You need to teach your pokemon some table manners!" laughed her mother.
"No: he'll be sharing my food on my journey, so he might as well start now." Kerensa smiled, and tickled her pokemon.
"So you really are going?" her mum asked "on the journey, I mean?"
"Yes mum." She replied. A fierce look came into her eyes. "I really want to do this."
"Very well. Remember to pack everything you'll need; but you can only take one rucksack with you; which you need to be able to carry, so no unnecessary things…" her mum lectured. Kerensa shook her head and got up.
"I'll be in my room, packing."
"Not yet. I have a little errand for you." Her mum said. Kerensa stopped; she could guess what it would be.
"I got a call from Rohan; he's north of Oldale town, training. He says he won't be home before dark, but if the two of you are going to start your adventure; you'd better tell him to come home."
"Fine." Kerensa muttered, sarcastically. She strode out of the house and Mudkip hopped down to follow her. She returned him to his pokeball, in the garden, and then crossed the bridge to the wood.
"Meow…" Bindi yawned, watching her go from the doorway.
"She'll be fine" her mum said, scratching the little cat pokemon behind the ears. Unfortunately, her Mum knew nothing of Kerensa's (mis)adventures to come.
And then Dan burst into the kitchen, holding something in his hand.
"Where's Kerensa?" he asked.
"She went to find Rohan. Why?" his mother replied, puzzled by his sudden, late appearence. Dan shook his head, and held up a box.
"I got her a present, to congratulate her on saving that kid. She fought well, you know."
"You're too late, she already left."
"Crap..." the guy muttered, slumping at the table "...all that running for nothing..."
So what did you think? All will become clear, and the mysteries will begin to unravel themselves soon enough.