Chapter 2- Getting Ready
That afternoon, I'm woken by the flip of a switch. The light switch.
"Wake up! You need to get up now if you want to get out before dark!" Before...dark? Oh right, we were up until nearly noon because of everything that happened last night. I think total we've gotten about six hours' sleep...so I guess we're good. At least I am, I don't know about Sapphire. Speaking of which...where is she?
"If you're looking for that girl, she woke up a few minutes ago, and asked me where the Gym was. It's just to the northwest of here, if you want to follow." Well, the nurse is helpful, at least. But..should I follow Sapphire? She might want to be alone with her dad for a while, and it would be rude to interrupt that. Okay. If Sapphire isn't back in thirty minutes, I'll go to the Gym and see what's going on. But while I'm waiting, I'll check out my stuff.
Everything is present and in order, as expected. I look around the room, just in case I've missed something, and notice a note lying on the table. Why didn't the nurse tell me Sapphire had left a note?
"Wait...this is from...Wally?" I may as well read it; he wouldn't leave a note for no reason.
"Hey Ruby and Sapphire! If you're reading this, I've probably already left for Verdanturf. Or maybe you just woke up early..But anyways, thank you again for everything you did! If you come to Verdanturf, call me! My number's at the bottom.
PS: I noticed some strange-looking guys near the woods...they don't seem friendly, so I'm going to stay away from them when I head out that way. You should, too!
PPS: Let's battle when you get to Verdanturf! I'll be good enough to take you both on then!
PPPS: Don't worry about me! With Ralts, I can Teleport out of trouble if I have to!"
Well, that wasn't as long as I thought it would be. Though his horrible handwriting is probably why he didn't write much. Really, Wally, I can barely read this chickenscratch...But it was nice of him to write to us. Strange people..are they just angry tourists, or could they be theives? That worries me, especially since we have to head that way to get to Rustboro. Wally should be safe; even if they are theives, he can get away with Ralts. And he knows that, so he's taken care of.
No, what worries me is Sapphire. She's too hyper, and she might confront these people if they try to do anything illegal or try to harm Pokemon, instead of informing the authorities like I would. And it's not like I can stop her; I can't mute her, even if I could hold her down. I'll just have to steer clear of those people, and hope that Sapphire doesn't notice them. Speaking of Sapphire, I didn't notice it, but time flew while I was thinking. I guess I'll go to the Gym.
When I walk outside, I realize just how different Petalburg city is when you're not dead-tired. The people seem a lot more friendly, the buldings aren't as ominous, and you notice the little things about the city that make people want to live there, like how open everything is; you don't feel threatened here at all. The water and foliage is prettier, and the Pokemon don't look menacing anymore. I lose track of time as I admire the city, and before I know it I'm at Petalburg Gym. It's a bit bigger than I'd thought it would be...and it's very plain. I wonder what type Sapphire's dad specializes in? Most Leaders have a special type, and I'm guessing he's no different. But I'm only distracting myself here... I'll walk in and hope for the best.
I walk up to the door and get ready to step in when Sapphire walks out, beside a tall, stern-looking man with slicked-back black hair, a red, striped, long-sleeved shirt, plain blue pants, and black combat boots. This guy...every fiber of his being oozes power. If this is Sapphire's father..I really need to watch my back. And make sure I don't make her angry; she might call on him. Or worse, she might become just as terrifying.
"Who are you?" His voice fit his character; gravelly, stern, and just a little bit terrifying, and it doesn't help that his face never changes. But even beyond all of that, there was something odd about how he was looking at me.
"I'm Ru-"
" HEY RUBY! I was just leaving! But since you're here, this is my dad, Norman! He may not look it, but he can be pretty nice sometimes too!" Sapphire...please don't do anything to make your dad angry. Please.
"I can introduce myself, Sapphire. So you're Ruby, the one who came here with my daughter. You don't look that different than you did ten years ago. Just older, a little less childish...and more like your father."
"I can't really take that last part as a compliment, sir..." Why am I joking with this guy? I bet he could rip me in half. Hell, he might enjoy it, too. Either wa, he laughed a bit when I said it, so I guess I'll be okay.
"Yeah, you're your father's kid all right. I'd always wondered if there was some mix up at the hospital; Sapphire always acted just like Birch. But I guess we'd have noticed if you switched genders, huh? Well, my wife would have; I...wasn't there." Wasn't there? How could he miss his own daughter's birth? But the look on his face changed a bit when he said that...it's a little bit more sad-looking. I can tell that he's really torn up about that...so I won't say anything. Wait though. Did Sapphire know this before? I guess so; she doesn't seem surprised or angry, just a little sad. Just like her father.
"Well, you two need to get along if you're going back to Littleroot. It won't take you as long this time since you'll know where you are from the start, and you'll be able to see the path."
I'm about to thank him and start heading back to Littleroot when my Pokenav goes off. I check the number, and realize it's Dad. But why would he call now? Did something happen? Or is he just wondering where we are? Regardless, I answer my Pokenav.
"Hey Ruby! How are you two doing? You haven't gotten into too much trouble, I hope?" What does he mean by that? There aren't that many ways to get in trouble around Petalburg...Unless he means with Norman.
"Um, we're fine, Dad. We're talking to Norman right now, but don't worry; we're about to head back." Norman lights up a bit when he realizes who it is. I'll let them talk before we go; it's polite and I need to get as far on Norman's good side as possible. I can't even imagine what would happen if he started disliking me...and I don't want to.
"Ha ha! No no, son! That's why I called. I've talked it over with everyone here, and they say that it's fine for you two to just keep going! You were about to leave anyways, right, Ruby? And Sapphire's always wanted to, but from what I've heard, her mother thought it was too dangerous. Well, she says it's fine if she's not alone! So! As long as it's fine with you two and Norman, you can just continue on from there!" I'd thought about this...but I planned on taking Sapphire back before I left. But if she can go, we can leave soon. Not tonight; I don't have enough supplies for two people and her Pokemon. But definitely tomorrow.
"Okay, Dad. I'll ask them about it, one second." It feels weird talking in front of other people with them not knowing what's going on anyways...I've never liked keeping people in the dark.
"Well, my dad talked it over with everyone in Littleroot...and he says it's okay if we go on on this journey, instead of going back now. And...that includes Sapphire, if it's okay with you two. But we'd have to travel together, or her mom won't allow it." Man, I wish I was better at conveying my emotions, or even just sounding lively. But, being raised in a lab and around a person with far too much of it, you start to resent it a bit...maybe it's the opposite for Sapphire. Her dad seems to be more like me. If her mom is anything like us, then she probably always wanted more emotion in her life; and that's why she's the way she is.
"Hey, kid! Did you hear me?" Norman snaps me out of my daze...what were we talking about again? "I said it was fine with me if she goes. Truth be told, I've always wanted her to go on her own Pokemon journey, but her mom would never allow it. And I guess it's better if there's someone with her." Oh right; whether Sapphire would be coming along.
"Of course I'm fine with it! I've wanted this for so long! And it'll be even better if I'm not alone! But I'm surprised my mom is letting me just because someone is with me...Maybe it's because you're the son of a professor!" Maybe...but knowing my dad should make her more uneasy about me, not less.
"Well, if everyone else is fine with it, I have no problem. But I'll say this now; I don't like to battle. I know a lot of stuff about it, and I'm not that bad, but I just don't like it. So, Sapphire, you'll be doing a lot of the battling. I will if I need to, but I don't really want to have to, if you know what I mean." I need to get this over with now, in front of Norman. If he finds out later that I don't battle, he may get angry at me.
"That's fine, Ruby! I've always wanted to battle, and now I'll get to even more! But..are you fine with it, Dad?" That's what I was worried about...If her dad thinks that I can't help her, then he may not let her go.
"I'm fine with it. This way, you'll learn some responsibility. Having someone taking care of you all the time isn't good for you. That goes for you too, kid. You can't just sit around and let my daughter do everything." Well, Norman's right. But I planned to pull my weight from the start. But before I can say this...
"Dad! You can't say that! If it wasn't for Ruby, I would still be lost in the forest! And Wally would, too! He helped me when it started raining all of a sudden, too! And he even gave me this Pokemon, too!" Maybe she said a little too much; Norman knows I'm not a professor.
"Well, you seem dependable, at least. And about the Pokemon...Birch would have done the same thing. But Wally...you two ran into him? I was wondering where he'd gotten off to. Then he just showed up this morning with my Pokemon."
"Yeah, he caught a Ralts...but it Teleported him into the woods! But Ruby taught him how to control his Pokemon and everything!" Yeah, I guess I did. But it's only natural for someone aspiring to be a Pokemon Professor.
"That's fine then. If you know that much about Pokemon, then you should be fine, even if you don't battle. Just teach Sapphire while you're on the journey, okay? I don't want her to injure her Pokemon or herself because she doesn't know how to control them." Yeah, I'd planned to do all of this from the start. Norman and I, we really think alike.
"Well, if we're going to go, we need to go get some more supplies; I only have enough for myself. And we'll need to go to the Mart soon if we want to get them tonight, though we probably won't leave until the morning." Everything I've said is true, but I can't really order Sapphire to leave now if she wants to stay for a little while longer.
"I agree. Sapphire, you two need to go get supplies now. If you want to come back and talk to me after you do that, you can. And yes, you should stay in Petalburg tonight. Leaving in the daylight will be safer and it will allow you to see the sights around here." I wonder if Norman had a similar upbringing to me...nearly everything he says is in direct correlation to what I say or am thinking...
"Um, okay, if you two say we need to, then we probably do! But..I really don't know what to buy, and I don't have any money.." That's right; I spent most of my money on my supplies, and Sapphire never had any to begin with. But surely her dad will give her some money.
"I'm sure Ruby has his supplies already. Therefore, you can take this, Sapphire." Good, I thought so. He gives her enough money for her supplies, and a bit exra, which I guess is in case we run out of something early.
We bid farewell to Norman and head to the PokeMart, which is fairly easy to find thanks to my Pokenav's map.
"Uh, Ruby? This is kinda embarrassing...but I don't know what to buy here.." Well, I guess I should have expected this; she's never bought anything like this before and she hasn't studied it like I did.
"That's okay. I didn't really expect you to. For basics...you'll definitely want a sleeping bag of some sort. We'll have to use just sleeping bags until we get enough for a tent, sorry. You'll get used to it, though. I did, so you definitely can. As for the actual supplies...just look in my bag; that should show you a good estimate. If it looks like I'm lacking in one thing or have too much of something, feel free to get more or less of that.; I have no problem sharing stuff if you're fine with it. Oh, and you'll need a backpack to carry it all in." Hopefully she gets all of that; I feel like I was talking a little too quickly there.
"Wow...you sure talk a lot when you're explaining something. You're usually so quiet!" Yeah, she picked up on that. But it's only natural for a professor to like explaining things to people. "About sharing, that's fine with me! Soooo...Potions, Antidotes, Paralyz Heals, Awakenings, and Pokeballs! And what is this? It isn't labeled..." Huh? Not labeled? Sapphire pulls a small, round thing that resembles a very thick disc out of my bag.
"Oh! That's a new invention! You see those little pads that come with it? When you go into a cave, you place one on a rock or wall. Then, if you get lost in the cave, you hit the button in the center, and a small map will come up, with a trail leading back to the pad. If you get out with no problem, you just hit this little button and the pad will deactivate. The pads are biodegrable, too, so they won't harm the environment! Oh..sorry, I spoke too fast again, huh?" I need to work on that. I totally lose my calm demeanor when I explain things. I guess I am a bit like my father in that way.
"No, it's fine..but I just can't really get how this works. But I guess I don't have to, huh? If it works, it works, right? Well, let's go on in, I wanna see this place!" I guess so..but I don't see what's so exciting about a Poke Mart. Oh well, I won't ruin it for her.
We walk into the brightly lit store, where the walls are lined with all sorts of items and supplies. Everything is arranged neatly, and it all looks easy to find.
"Okay, Sapphire. We can get everything but the sleeping bag on the shelves. The bags are in the back; we'll have to ask the clerk to get it for us." With that, we start gathering up the items. By the time we got up to the counter, our arms were packed full. The clerk didn't look surprised; after all, people probably buy a lot more than this when they have the money. Sapphire had bought the same kind of backpack as I had, so there would be no problem with room. Once we'd packed everything neatly into the backpack, including the sleeping bag, we headed back out into the city, where it was already pitch-black except for the street lights.
"Thanks for helping with everything, Ruby! But why didn't we wait until morning? We wouldn't have had to walk back at night if we had."
"Well, I wasn't really tired enough to sleep then, and we wouldn't have had anything to do if we had just gone back to the center. Besides, we need to start as early as possible tomorrow, so we can't waste too much time. Anyways, we need to get back to the center now, right?" I hate boredom, so I didn't really want to sit around in the Poke Center forever anyways. And now, I'm getting tired, so I won't be up long at the Center.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's go back." And of course, we do. Once we get back to the Center, the Nurse greets us as normal. I thought she would ask why we're back, but oh well. We head upstairs, and Sapphire gets her Pokeball out and releases Torchic.
"Hey, what are you doing, Sapphire? Is Torchic hurt somehow?" Wait, if it was hurt, she would have taken it to the nurse downstairs...but then why would she release it here?
"Huh? No, Ruby! I just thought that it might be bored being in that ball all day. I don't know how it is in there, but I know I'd rather be out here! You should let Mudkip out too!" Yeah, now that I think about it, if I hate boredom, why wouldn't Mudkip? I'd hate to be in there all alone, no matter what it's like otherwise.
"You're right. Come on out, boy!" I let him out, and for the first time, I study the two. Torchic is small, with an orange, round head and body, short legs with two small, three-toed feet. A beak is in place of its mouth, and has a tuft of yellow feathers on its head. It has no real arms, only small wings the same color as its head feathers.
Mudkip, on the other had, is a little bit bigger. It's mostly blue, with a roundish head with a large fin sticking up out of it, and a small, orange, spiked...thing sticking out on each side. Another fin serves as a sort of tail, and unlike Torchic, it stands on four legs, each with small feet and very small toes. It has a normal mouth, if not a bit large.
The two Pokemon play around with each other, and I make a small pad on the ground for them using some spare blanket I found in the closet...hopefully the nurse doesn't mind.
Either way, it's time for us to go to sleep. Again, the room is empty except for us, and we get ready to lie down.
"Good night, Sapphire. We'll leave when we wake up in the morning, so try to get up early."
"I will, don't worry! And good night!" With that, I crawl into the bed, and fall asleep, watching Mudkip do the same. I wonder what'll happen to us...
Author's Note: Yeah, sorry. No real action in this chapter either...but seeing as how the next will cover stuff like the route before Petalburg and the woods, it shouldn't be AS boring as these first chapters. Sorry if the update is a bit later than it should be; this is my first fanfic, so I'm not really sure on update times. I'll just try to get the chapters out as I complete them.
Oh right. Trivia. The Charmander and Cyndaquil families have the exact same base stats.