Chapter Two: A New Journey
"Well, Charmander left or right?"
Sayo and her little companion were standing at a fork in the road, looking helplessly around them. They had just recently departed the strange Professors lab the previous day, and both were very unsure about what they were to do now that they were alone with the entire world before them. Professor Oak had kindly allowed Sayo and Charmander to stay together as trainer and Pokémon, but as yet they did not know what to do. The past day had been spent wandering along a well trodden, dusty trail that wound its way away from the green heartland of Pallet Town. Now they were well into the mountains and the air had grown cool. Sayo could feel darkness creeping upon them, and knew that they had to strike camp before long.
Charmander and Sayo had become inseparable ever since their first meeting in Oak's entry hall. The loyal little Pokémon had stayed at her side at all times, and she refused to go anywhere where it couldn't follow. The first night that she stayed at the lab, they had both curled up around each other before the glowing coals in the large hearth that oak had in his large kitchen. They had both woken to the hustle and bustle of morning chores with a large thick blanket enveloping them like a warm tent.
Sayo had insisted on helping Tracy with his chores that morning. She had come to the conclusion that he was someone that she liked immensely, and spent hours looking through his sketchbooks examining his incredible drawings and detailed notes. When they parted, he had torn out all of his pages concerning Charmander and its evolutions, and placed it in her hands.
"You'll never know when they will come in useful," He said with a smile.
Oak had also left her with a parting gift. Aside from the Poke balls, he handed to her a brand new Pokedex, flipping it open with a flourish. "This is a necessity for any who wish to own a Pokémon," he said. "It is both your ID and your guide to the Pokémon world. Installed within its memory is a vast database containing detailed information regarding all the Pokémon from the Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, and Hoenn regions. All that we have to do is take your picture and upload your information. Then you are free to travel wherever you wish."
He studied her a minute before continuing. "I must say," That outfit of yours is a little ragged for a proper ID picture. Why don't you try this on?"
He held out a paper bag, and placed it in her hands. Sayo opened it and pulled out a beautiful dress. It was dark blue and made of a light, but sturdy fabric. The sleeves were long, and the neckline hung loosely about shoulder level. She stood for a moment, lost for words. Looking up she saw Oak's blue eyes looking kindly down at her. Excitedly, she dashed into the bathroom and pulled it over her head, delighting in the soft, clean feel against her skin. The dress hugged her frame tightly, and flared out at the hips, coming to an end at mid-thigh. She rummaged around the bag some more and discovered a pair of black gloves, a small knapsack, and two sturdy knee-high boots. She pulled on all of her gear, feeling truly content for the first time in months. Oak looked proud when she emerged. Sayo felt a rush of fondness for the old man and she walked up to him and bowed lower than she had for anyone in her entire life. She couldn't bring herself to speak, but her shining eyes conveyed all of her gratitude, and the wise professor understood.
"Remember to contact us once you reach Viridian City, Sayo." He called after her as she descended the path. "Tracy and I would like to hear how your adventure is faring. Take care of that Charmander; you are possibly the only one who can truly bring back its spirit. And I believe that he will do the same for you."
She did not look back, but held up a gloved hand in a farewell. Tracy and Oak stood watching her for several minutes, before turning back inside. The gentle clunk as the door was pulled shut had made Sayo breathe deeply at that moment, and send out a silent farewell to her kind friends.
A sudden cry from her friend brought her back to reality. Charmander was standing on the left path with a determined expression on his face. He beckoned with his short, stout tail and blew puffs of smoke out of his nose.
"What makes you so sure its left?"
Charmander ignored her and proceeded to shuffle up his chosen path. Laughing, Sayo hurried to catch up, and patted the little creature's smooth, warm head. "Ok, you win. Let's find somewhere to crash tonight, whaddya say?"
He nodded and cast his blunt snout in the air, sniffing. Sayo looked at his antics with wry amusement before she noticed the faint sound of water flowing off in the distance. "So it was the scent of water you were following! Let's camp there, Charmander. I think fresh water is just the thing we poor weary travelers need. It looks like this trail leads straight to it, cummon!" The two kicked dust up as they dashed ahead, following the tantalizing trickling sound that resounded throughout the forest.
When they finally arrived at the lake, for lake it was, they stopped for a moment too amazed even to draw breath. A clear and dazzling diamond surface lay uninterrupted amidst a bank of downy grass. Reflected in the mirror like water were the purple and grey mountain peaks, and the thick forests that cloaked their flanks.
"It's so pretty here, Charmander." Sayo breathed. "It's as if the entire world existed right here in this spot."
Her little companion gave no reply to this, but settled himself comfortably in the grass and began to snore loudly.
"Not one to marvel at the scenery eh?" She said, casting a fond eye over her charge. "If only you knew how precious it was. But never mind that, we have work to do."
The sun was barely visible behind the mountains, when Sayo straightened up, wiping her hand across her brow. "This was much more work than I thought it would be! How am I supposed to do this every night?"
Charmander cocked his eye at the haphazardly erected tent behind him and uttered a derisive snort.
"Well if I had help, maybe it wouldn't go so badly!" She shot at him, scowling fiercely. Just as she spoke, a peg sprang loose, and the whole contraption fell ungainly to the earth.
Charmander chuckled and shuffled over to where she stood, patting her leg consolingly.
"You're right, why should we use a tent tonight? It's much nicer outdoors anyways. I survived for a month without a tent before I ran into you lot, so this should be no trouble. Here, if you are useless at tent making, at least you can help build a fire."
The little creature waddled off grumpily, making its feelings well known with long, drawling grumbles. Sayo merely chuckled, and packed the tent away, feeling happier than she had her entire life. The wind whistled around her, echoing throughout the forest, and making her long black hair dance. She sat still for some time, reflecting on her past. She suddenly shivered, huddling on the ground and wrapping her arms around herself. No use going into such matters. Now was not the time. Yet, despite herself, she couldn't shake loose the image of a tall silhouette, and a pair of red lips, parted in a cruel smile.
The pressure of Charmanders hand resting on her shoulder made her jump. She turned around to see her friend looking up at her with concern. She realized just how frightened she must have looked.
"It's nothing, Charmander, just some bad memories. I'm sorry to worry you. D-Did you get the wood?"
Charmander stepped aside to reveal a perfect fire ring with a fire crackling merrily within it. "Perfect!" Sayo cried, hugging him fondly. "What would I do without you?"
Charmander shrugged, and led her over to the fire, curling up by her side. Sayo lay down, using her bag as a pillow. "Tomorrow, Charmander." She said definitively, looking up at the stars. "Tomorrow, we will start to train. For what, exactly I don't know, but we will try hard. Perhaps we will become good enough to enter the Pokémon League, and battle trainers from all over the world. Wouldn't that be exciting?"
Her small friend gave a small sigh of consent, and snuggled closer to her side. It was true. Tomorrow the real adventure would begin.