Save 3- The Journey Begins

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With little else remaining to be said, Storm left the Pokemon Center. I did not know what to think. How could Silas- soft-speaking, nerdy, shy little Silas- have stolen from Professor Flora? This was one of those issues that made little sense to me. And as with all of these issues, I let it pass. Next time I saw Silas, I'd talk to him, see if he had some explanation.
But for now, I'd let the matter rest.
After consulting the Town Map, I decided on my next course of action: Centauri Town.
It wasn't far: Route 1, Route 2, a pass through a forest. I'd be there before nightfall.
Thus I set out from Draco City and saw the road ahead.
The road leading out of Draco City was well worn with the walking steps of people and Pokemon alike. Tall waist-high grass lined the sides, rustling occasionally. There were Trainers ahead. Waiting for battle. I took a deep breath and exhaled.
Route 1. Right.
I started along the road, prepared for anything. Anything and everything.
"Hey!"
I looked around. What the-?
"You!" the owner of the voice came before me from out in the grass. A young Trainer, maybe half my age and half my height.
Oh no, I though, a battle.
Okay, I know I was officially a Pokemon Trainer, and thus was obligated to engage in Pokemon battles. But having only been in two battles previously- and having lost half- I was terrified at the concept of fighting again.
"You're a Trainer, right?" said the Youngster.
"Newly just," I muttered.
"Do you know how to catch Pokemon?" he asked, "I've been trying for the better part of the last hour and can't seem to get it."
I let out a mental sigh of relief. Thank goodness. "I might be able to help." I said.
Okay, I know I'd never caught a Pokemon before, but from what I'd read, this couldn't be too hard. And besides, this could be a learning experience for us both.
"Thanks," said the Youngster. He walked out into the grass. I followed. "So, Pokemon hide in tall grass. So, a Pokemon should appear anywhere- THERE!"
I looked out at the patch where he was pointing and saw a shadowy figure lurking within. Cautiously, I crept forward a little.
And was Tackled by something small and furry.
I jumped back instinctively, and threw forth Riolu.
My assailant was small and quadrupedal with blue and black fur. It tail was tipped with a yellow star-like shape. It was like a Litleo, but crackled with undeveloped electrical power.
The Shinx reared up on its paws and let out a somewhat fierce attempt at a roar. The Growl was laughable, but Riolu seemed to find it menacing.
"Quick Attack!" I commanded.
The Youngster seemed to be taking notes or something. He was staring rather intently at the battling Pokemon. "Oh," he said suddenly, "You have to weaken it first."
Weakening Pokemon made them easier to catch. I think I read that somewhere.
I saw clearly the Shinx's vitality before me. I could picture it in my head like a bar or guage, a measure of the Pokemon's health. Riolu's Quick Attack had been... effective. But not very.
Shinx's Tackle was next to useless.
Riolu's Quick Attack was not.
I could see it before me. This critical moment. Shinx was nearly our. I reached into my Bag and pulled out a Pokeball and threw it in a high arch. The Ball hit Shinx and encapsulated it in a burst of energy.
The Ball shook.
Then shook again.
Then-
The Ball broke open, snapping in half at the hinge, Shinx flying out.
Arrghh! It had appeared to be caught!
Riolu took the blunt force of another Tackle.
I threw another Ball.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
YES!
I ran over and held up the Pokeball. I heard a weird sound coming from my pocket. My Pokedex had apparently recorded the capture and updated itself to include Shinx's data.
"S403- Tonitrua custus. Shinx- the Flash Pokemon. Shinx are often feril Pokemon that refuse to be engaged in contact with other species. However, when a Shinx bonds with a Trainer, they are often inseparable. The Shinx will guard the Trainer with its life."
I slid the 'Dex into my pocket and clipped Shinx's Pokeball to my belt. I drew Riolu back into his Pokeball and did the same.
The Youngster looked at me in awe.
"Wow!" Amazing!" he said, running next to me."So you have to weaken it, right? Then you throw the Pokeball?"
"Yeah," I said, playing off his excitement, "But it won't always happen on your first try. You just have to persist and you'll eventually catch it."
"COOL!" he yelped, "You know what? I should go try and catch my own Pokemon! Yeah, thanks, Mister!"
The Youngster ran away, running back and forth through the tall grass, waiting for a Pokemon to jump out. I smiled and laughed.
Three Pokemon. I had three Pokemon!
I returned to the road and continued walking.
I had several other battles along the way, Youngsters, School Kids, Bug Catchers. I frankly couldn't remember them all.
I felt myself growing more and more attached to my Riolu. We fought Trainers and wild Pokemon. I could see him grow stronger. I could see him level up.
Espurr was starting to worry me. On some occasions, she'd listen to me. On others, she'd perform some other attack then the one I'd ordered. And on the worst occasions, she fell asleep.
Shinx could battle, relatively well, it seemed. But he was quite weak. On multiple occasions, I had to draw him back and switch to Riolu to stop him from getting knocked out.
But as I continued to advance along Route 1, I discovered that I loved to battle. I could see enemy attacks and could feel them, as if it were me taking the impact, instead of Riolu. We fought. We grew.
And finally, I came to the entrance to Crescent Forest. Well, technically I was at a small building that stood as a sort of checkpoint between Route 1 and Crescent Forest, but still. I was close enough to the great looming trees to hear the chirping and buzzing of Bug-type Pokemon within.
The inside was nice and warm. People were checking on their Pokemon and their stocked equipment. A guard was sitting at a chair, lazily reading a newspaper.
I found a bench and sat there for several minutes, resting and relaxing from the trek. Route 1 had been easy, but it had still been quite exhausting. Was this what it was going to be like for the rest of my journey? Walking and trekking throughout all of Altes? The thought made my stomach twist. I looked at the Town Map. Lovely. Route 1 was the shortest Route in the Region. Just lovely.
I sat there for a moment longer. Gathering my thoughts, I rose to my feet, and left the checkpoint, diving headfirst into Crescent Forest.

The trees were damp and the air was cool. A light dew drizzled across the grass. The fluttery discarded silver scales of Bug Pokemon hung in the air, shining with the sun's light, casting a calming luminescence across the ground. I felt relaxed here, as if I could crawl into the roots of the trees, and fall asleep.
I wandered around a little, encountering small Caterpies and Wurmples. I caught a Wurmple and dispatched the Caterpie. I wanted to catch them, but I only had room for two other Pokemon on my team. And I wanted some type diversity. Maybe I'd come back here once I was Champion- where'd that come from? That was the first time I'd even considered becoming Champion. Just succeeding in the Professor's quest was a journey enough for me. Sure, I'd take on the Gyms, along the way. But I'd never considered taking on the Elite Four, much less the Champion. I hadn't even considered what I was going to do, once I finished the Professor's quest. Where were all these thought about the league coming fro- AGGHHH!
I had been so lost in thought, that I didn't even notice myself walking face first into a large spider's web. Nor did I see the Joltik that was clinging to the other side of it.
I screamed. I'd like to say it was a huge, buff, macho scream, but in reality, someone probably would've confused me with a Beauty or a Lass. The Joltik bounced back off its web and stared at me.
I pulled hard, trying to force the sticky strands to separate. I pulled and pulled; the web did not yield.
I made a grab for my belt and managed to brush at a Pokeball with my fingertips. Nghh! Almost! Almost! There! I managed to push the button on one of the balls- I couldn't tell which- and release the Pokemon within.
"Quick, help me out!" I said, unable to see which Pokemon I'd released.
"Espurr?" came the questioning meow.
NO-O-O-O!
 As if to prove my point, I felt Espurr jump up onto my head.
And take a nap.
Great. Just lovely. Brilliant.
I let out a shrill scream as the Joltik attached itself to the web and continued to weave new threads into it, ignoring me completely.
I screamed again. And again. And again. Espurr twitched and readjusted her position, moving to my shoulder. Lovely. Just perfect. I screamed again and Espurr bounced onto the ground, hopped up and pressed the button on its Pokeball, and vanished into its mysterious confines.
I sat there like that for an unknown amount of time. I hung there. I dozed off several times.
I painfully turned my head toward the Joltik.
"You mind?" I asked.
"Tick!"
"Really, you too?" I said.
"Jol, joljol. Tick." it said.
"Well, I would never!" I said, astonished.
"Jol?" said the Pokemon, quizzical.
"Don't ask me, you're the one who said-" And that's when I realized I was talking to a Pokemon.
"Having fun?" said a pleasant female voice.
"Oh, you know how it is," I said, trying and failing to look at the woman I guessed was behind me, "Sometimes you just want to be one with the Pokemon."
"I get that feeling all the time," she said, "But I'd never go as far as to trap myself in a Joltik web."
"Some of us do things differently than others." I said, "And speaking of doing things differently, can you help me down?"
"That's a random change of topic." she noted.
"Oh, you want another random topic?" I asked, "How many Joltiks do you think it takes to eat a human?"
"Oh, don't worry. Joltiks are vegetarians. Well mostly. Sort of. Actually, I think they only eat other bugs."
"Well thanks for that. That's reassuring and all, but can you please help me out?" I said.
"Of course," she said, "One moment."
I saw the flash of a Pokeball being opened and heard the cry of a loud Pokemon. I saw a Pokeball fly and absorb the Joltik. Three shakes, it was caught.
"Will you be a dear and use Cut?" said the woman.
"Sai!"
Shling! Slice!
The netting of sticky strands split open and fell away. I fell painfully to the ground.
"Thank you, Scyther, you may return now."
"Sai!" Fwoom. The Pokemon became trapped in its Pokeball again.
I rose to my feet and dusted myself off. I looked at the woman who ad saved me.
She was young, maybe be around the Professor's age. Her hair was pulled back in a braid that ran down her shoulder, a long wave of black with green highlights. Her eyes were startling electric blue, somewhat familiar, though I couldn't figure out why. Her ears were pierced, small bright green studs adorning them. A scarlet letter gleamed against her chest, embroidered and outlined in golden stitches against the white of her blouse: an inch high letter 'P', though I could not figure out for the likes of me what it stood for.
"Thank you," I said, bowing.
"You're certainly welcome." she said, beaming.
I glanced over at the remainder of the web, where the captured Joltik's Pokeball dangled by a thread. "Aren't you going to-?" I trailed off.
"Consider it yours." she said, "You two looked like you were getting to know each other and I couldn't dare separate friends like that."
"Thanks," I said, hiding my annoyance. I plucked the Ball from the web and clipped it to my belt. I could hold one more Pokemon. I didn't want a Joltik. I'd never wanted a Joltik, but... oh well, there's no helping it. I'll probably throw it into the PC later.
"Don't mention it." she said.
"I'm Shade." I said, holding out my hand.
"Trianna," she said, shaking it.
I looked out into the trees beyond me.
"Are you good to get through the rest of Crescent Forest?" she asked.
"I think so." I said.
"You'll just have to be more careful. Don't run into any more spider webs." she said.
"Advice taken." I smiled.
She walked away and I continued forward.

I battled and fought more. I checked out my new Joltik and discovered he was a fairly decent fighter. He might have earned a permanent spot on my team. Anything's possible.
Little happened as I continued through the trees and winding trails. I found myself finally standing at the forest's exit and I took it gratefully. I relaxed for several moments at the Route 2 checkpoint, and set out again, through Route 2.
It was the sight of Centauri Town in the distance, standing silhouetted against the falling sun.
Nightfall, I thought, reassured by the thought of the next town and my first Gym. I'll be there by nightfall.

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Alright, my intention had been to end this after the first Gym Battle, but after the whole Joltik spider web thing, I realized this Chapter would end up inconveniently long if I went all the way through. So expect that in the next Chapter or two.

This wasn't as serious as the previous two, but, if one considers this like a Pokemon game, there are always highs and lows, especially in the early game, so just consider this one of the high points.

Also, I am aware that I might have left a few gaping plot points in the second Chapter, but I will get back to them, later.

I hope you enjoyed Chapter 3!