"Oddish?" the dark blue pokémon looked up as Cherry prowled about in search of pokémon.
"Ah!" Cherry jumped and turned to the small one. "Time to get my second pokémon," Cherry said as she tossed the pokéball that contained Sandy. When Sandy appeared he threw his arms up and gave his throaty roar. "Sandy dive!"
The sandshrew jump to the ground and spun underneath. In fright the little oddish released a cloud of orange stun spore. Cherry laughed to herself then shouted, "Now Sandy!" She watched oddish panic more and run in a circle. Sandy popped out of a hole in the middle of the circle and grabbed oddish. Oddish screamed in fright as Sandy threw it down. Just as Sandy threw it down the oddish release another cloud of stun spore. "Oh, no!" Cherry watched as both pokémon hit the ground.
"Ah! Sandy, return!" she pointed the pokéball at the sandshrew and a beam of light emitted and bulled Sand back inside. "Now, pokéball, go!" she threw the pokéball at the little oddish. The pokéball hit its mark and the little oddish was sucked into the pokéball.
"Yes!" cherry said excitedly as the red light indicator went out, meaning she had caught the pokémon. Cherry walked over and grabbed the pokéball.
Cherry and her mom had stopped at camping ground for the night. It was full of pokémon, but this time of year, there were no bug types to be seen. She was surprised she had found an oddish.
"Hey mom!" Cherry called out. She started to run through the bushes that made the outline of their camp. "Hey mom, I caught an oddish!" She jumped through the last of the bushes into the flat camp site. Rin already had the fire going.
"I heard," she said looking up from the warm fire.
"See, See," Cherry said poking the pokéball into her mom's face. "My third pokémon!" she said excitedly.
"So where did you find it?" Rin asked.
"There was a frozen spring out in the woods there and the oddish was just sitting there. I didn't realize what it was at first, so I just left it. Suddenly I heard it name and I knew what it was. So, I sprung into action," she did a dramatic imitation move of throwing a pokéball. "I had Sandy dive into the ground and tunnel under to the oddish. Then Sandy popped out of the ground and threw the oddish to the ground, that's when I captured it.
"Ah, well sounds like me when I was younger," Rin said with a smile as she poked at the fire. "Did Sandy have any trouble with the frozen ground?"
"I guess a little, he was moving a bit slower and he missed the oddish, but it was just barely, so I don't know. But then he got hit with stun spore…" Cherry admitted.
"Well, if that's the case we'll spend the night at a Pokémon Center tomorrow night. Alright?" Rin asked.
"Yeah, okay," Cherry sighed. Cherry sat down of a log, and shivered. "Bleh… its cold…" she sighed shivering.
"Well don't sit own on a snow covered log," Rin said smiling as she poked the logs to keep them going.
"What!?" Cherry said as she felt the cold wet soak into her pants. "Whah!" she cried out as she cleaned her bottom off. "It's cold!"
"Here," Rin said reaching into the tent they had set up for the night. She pulled out a blanket and tossed it onto Cherry.
"Ah! Who…" Cherry said quickly putting on the blanket and pulling it tight around herself. She then crawled up next to her mother for more warmth. "Man… its cold…"
"Well it is in the middle of winter," Rin said; Cherry rolled her eyes. "And if your quiet…" Rin spoke softly. Cherry looked up to her mother, "There's a Skarmory up in that tree…"
"Really?" Cherry asked looking up into the trees. For a long moment she didn't see anything, but then a glint of the fire reflection shown on its steel body. She gasped, it was a young baby and it was shivering, trying to get some heat from the fire. "Awe… its so cute…"
"NnHn," Rin said smiling up at the Skarmory. Rin quietly stood.
"What are you doing?" Cherry asked, wondering and a little worried. The chink of metal coins was heard. Cherry watched as her mother threw a couple pieces of change out onto the ground. The tree branch rustled as the little Skarmory looked over the side; its beak clicked with hunger.
"Now, just wait a minute," Rin said. "Have Chikorita ready, for when I tell you to go."
"Okay," Cherry whispered. She heard the Skarmory move on the branch more as it decided whether or not to go for the coins. Cherry felt around on her belt for Chikorita's pokéball. "Chikorita!" she whispered as the pokéball opened and released Chikorita. Before chikorita could voice its happiness Cherry put her hand over her Chikorita's mouth and shushed her.
Cherry quietly placed Chikorita on the ground as Rin tossed a few more coins. Skarmory was excited as it bounced in the tree and clicked its beak. "Chikorita, when I say, go, I want you to use vine whip on that Skarmory, go that?"
Chikorita nodded and said its signature, "Chika."
"Go easy on it, its only a…" There was a thump as the Skarmory hit the ground. It had grabbed its first coin and was moving to the next.
"Go now," rin said.
"Go! Chikorita!" Cherry yelled, scaring the young pokémon they were about to engage. "Use vine whip!" Cherry said.
Two vines extended from Chikorita's neck and sped towards the Skarmory. The Skarmory let out a cry as it swatted at the attacking vines. "Quick, use constrict!" The vines wrapped around Skarmory. The Skarmory took to flight, as it cried out in pain.
"Chika!" chikorita exclaimed in surprise as she was lifted off the ground.
"Chikorita, use your vine whip to anchor yourself by the fire," Cherry said thinking quickly. Chikorita sprouted two more vines and planed them in the thawed soil. "Good job, now force its neck down and slam it into the ground," Cherry watched her plan go into action as the Skarmory took a hard nose dive. It cried out before it hit the ground.
"Good job, Chikorita," Cherry said complimenting the little pokémon while she pulled out an empty pokéball. "Go, pokéball," Cherry said throwing the ball at the weakened pokémon. Cherry, her mom, and Chikorita watched as the pokémon was absorbed inside the pokéball. The captured indicator light went out with almost no fuss.
"Yeah! I caught a Skarmory!" Cherry exclaimed.
Rin laughed, "Yes, but I think your Chikorita might have a problem."
"What?" Cherry asked, stopping her celebration to look at Chikorita. "Ah!" She yelled as she saw Chikorita's tail, burnt black. "Oh, no! Chikorita!" she jumped down and grabbed the little pokémon. It had gotten burnt standing too close the fire during the battle. Chikorita cried her name, in pain, as Cherry thought of how to ease it. "The snow," she said, grabbing a hand full and pressing it on Chikorita's bottom.
Chikorita jumped from the pain of the touch, but was relieved as the coolness sunk in. Rin returned from an unknown trip to the care. "Here you might want to try this," Rin said holding out a burn heal. "Didn't think I'd actually need this."
"Oh, wow mom," Cherry said, amazed at her mother's knowledge of pokémon. "You are a really good trainer," Cherry complimented brushing the snow from Chikorita. "Hold still girl," she said to Chikorita, as she took aim with the burn heal.
"What can I say?" Rin asked. "Over thirty years in it," Rin said with a small laugh about herself, "Oh, makes me sound so old."
"That's because you are, mom," Cherry said, snickering. Chikorita stood accepting the medicine, Cherry guessed there was still some pain there.
"Hey now, that's mean," Rin said in a little girl's voice. "I am not that old."
"Fourteen to Fourty, mom," Cherry said, smiling. Rin stuck her tongue out and sat down. "See if I give you a burn heal next time."
"Oh, c'mon mom, I was only kidding," Cherry said, before turning back to Chikorita. "Now you take a good long rest," Cherry said pulling out Chikorita's pokéball. Chikorita said its name, softly agreeing. After putting Chikorita away, she returned to her mother and sat covering herself with blanket.
"Well, now's a good reason to stay at the Pokémon Center tomorrow night," Rin said stirring the fire.
"Yeah," Cherry sighed, "Two in one night and they both took out my pokémon before I could capture it."
"Well as good as an idea was for using the soft ground to anchor Chikorita, there was to problems," Rin explained putting a camp grill over the fire. "First, the soft ground, was great, but there is a downside, the ground, is soft and if that little Skarmory had been a smidgen stronger, it would have been off with Chikorita,"
"Quit it mom, your depressing me," Cherry said as she pulled her blanket over her tighter.
Rin laughed lightly as she placed a couple of items in tin foil over the fire. "Its one of my habits, telling people what they did wrong, so they can re-challenge me," Rin apologized. "Well, I'm going to feed my pokémon, will you watch over this? It shouldn't be too long."
"Yeah," Cherry, nodded. Rin stood and walked to the other side of the camp ground. Cherry watched as three pokémon were released from their pokéballs. Dewgong, Seel, Delibird, Sealeo and Swinub, all appeared around Rin. They all said their names, trying to speak to Rin at once.
"Yes, Yes, I know, I know," she said pulling scraps from a bag. "You guys want some fish?" she asked. The pokémon before her all squealed with glee and want. She started tossing them all fish, except for Swinub, who brushed up against Rin's feet. "Don't worry I haven't forgotten you," Rin said to swinub.
After the pokémon were all finished eating, Rin skillfully held four, full sized pokéballs out and retuned the four fish eaters. She picked up Swinub and walked back over to the fire. "So, how's the food look?" Rin asked sitting down with Swinub in hand.
"Huh!?" Chery hadn't paying attention, she had been watching the feeding. "Oh! Ah! Its burning!" she said fanning the hot aluminum foil.
Rin laughed as she used some tongs and grabbed the food out. "No its not," she said check the inside of the food. She placed the food onto a plate and handed it over to Cherry. "Hold that while I feed Swinub."
"Okay…" Cherry said as the food sat warming her legs. Cherry watched Rin gather some snow into a mound and then drop one of the foil wraps onto the mound. She put Swinub down and returned to the fire. "You make special food for swinub?" Cherry asked.
"Yep, its basically the same thing, but Swinub needs a little extra something, and since it's the only one that likes cooked food, I just go ahead and make a batch once a week," Rin explained.
"What do you have to put in it?" Cherry asked.
"A trade secret, that's my other reason for not letting Greg make my food," Rin said as she grabbed one of the wrapped foils.
"Oh," Cherry said slipping a hand out of the blanket to grab one of the foil food wraps. She silently unwrapped it inside her blanket, letting the warmth warm her.
"So, have you thought anymore about going on your own adventure?" Rin asked as she popped some food in her mouth.
"My own?" Cherry asked chewing on the cooked ground beef.
"Yes, you know, me and your father went on our own," Rin said. "Him and me were a pair when we joined up. Then there's the fact that your father was considered a master trainer at some point," She explained.
"Dad? Really?"
"Yep, you have never seen that man battle, he was like known other, able to predict moves and constantly calculating how to counter," Rin explained. "He's done four leagues and won two," she said before biting into a cooked carrot.
"Dad! Really!" Cherry said surprised that her own father was such a great trainer. "Why did he never tell us?"
"He wasn't worried about it," Rin said. "He humbles himself more than any other man I've met."
"Where's all his pokémon? Why haven't we ever seen them, met them or helped take care of them?" Cherry asked.
"You will, the day after tomorrow," Rin said. "Your father invested in a zoologist and made a ranch where the man could take care of the pokémon and make the grounds available for other trainers who went out on their own adventures."
"Really?" Cherry asked getting excited.
"Yes, in fact he's one of the leading scientist here in America," Rin said enjoying Cherry's excitement.
"Who, Who?" Cherry asked wanting to know.
"You might know him as Terrace," Cherry squealed. Her parents had started on of the most famous pokémon professors of all time. He worked with others around the world and had his own show about his discoveries.
"Wait," Cherry stopped as she thought a moment. "How where you guys able to afford that?" Cherry asked.
"Well, your father bought the land actually donated it with all his pokémon," Rin answered. "Your father and I were married and since the leagues funds us, and his dreams switched over to you guys, he just wanted what was best for his pokémon and whatever else he could do, before he left that world."
"Oh…" Cherry said. "Dad's so awesome!" Cherry said think of her dad in a new light. She and her father weren't close, but not far either, it was more her little brother that was closer to her dad.
"Yes, he was," Rin said. "And I bet you he could pick it all back up in a second if he really wanted to."
"Why, has he done that before?"
"Yep," Rin said. "You remember a couple of years ago when the house got destroyed?" Cherry nodded. "When those thieves tried to break in, and I was pulling you off, I had your father take all my pokémon and he battled it out."
"Awe man…" Cherry sighed. She had heard about the epic battle that had taken place in their home, but everyone thought it was Rin, her mom, and her dad had even said it was Rin.
Rin stood up and wadded the aluminum foil. "I suggest you feed your pokémon and give the Skarmory this," she said tossing the foil wad at Cherry.
Cherry caught the wad. "Oh, right," Cherry said pulling out her pokéballs. Rin came back to the fire and handed cherry another wad; she had returned swinub to its pokéball.
Cherry released Chikorita and Sandy first. "Hey, how you guys doing?" she asked grabbing one of the jars of food. Both responded weakly. "I know, tomorrow night we'll be in a pokémon center, and you can be healed. Alright?" they both responded weakly and started eating.
"Okay, time for Oddish," Cherry said releasing the pokémon. Oddish appeared more cheerful then her other two. "Here you go Oddish," Cherry said putting a plate down with the same stuff that Chikorita ate. Oddish repeated its name in thanks and started eating.
"Now, Skarmory," Cherry said releasing the pokémon. The young Skarmory stood as tall as Cherry was sitting. "Hi there," Cherry said offering the Skarmory a wad of foil. It clicked its beak, inspecting the wad, before grabbing it. She fed it two more wads.
After the pokémon were done eating she returned the paralyzed sandshrew to its pokéball. She pulled Chikorita and oddish into her lap and halfway covered them with the blanket. She then turned to the skarmory before.
"You alright?" She asked the skarmory, as her mother looked on. The skarmory made a demonstration of flapping its wings. "That's good," Cherry said smiling. "So would you like to be trained by me?" Skarmory said yes, by moving its beak up to Cherry's cheek and nudging it. She shivered from the is cold metal beak of the bird. "Br… thank you, Skarmory," Cherry said as she returned the pokémon to its pokéball.
"How are you two doing down there?" Cherry asked looking down at the two grass-type pokémon in her lap. Chikorita swayed its head back and forth saying its name over and over, but meaning she was alright. "So that burn heal helped out then?" Cherry asked. Chikorita smiled up and repeated its name happily.
"How are you oddish?" Cherry asked. Oddish spoke differently and there was little tonal difference. "So, um… I guess your alright then?" Cherry said unsure. The oddish repeated its name and did what looked like a bow. "Okay, well then, why don't you two have a good rest," she said returning both to their pokéballs.
After everything was taken care of she looked to her mom and yawned. "I think its about bed time Cherry said.
"That's probably right," Rin said smiling. "You ready to sleep in the freezer all night long?"
"Don't remind…" Cherry sighed. The one difference between she and her mother was the cold, Cherry didn't like it, Rin thrived in it.
"Oh, yeah, mom," Cherry said looking up; a thought popping into her head. "Why did you decide to tell me this now?"
"Oh, well some people know who I married and well, I didn't want it to be a shock.," Rin said, her voice communicating that it wasn't the real reason.
"Why else?"
"Eh, heh, heh, erm… uh…" Rin tried to think. "To comfort you in your adventure…"
"Adventure?" Cherry asked. "What adventure?"
"Oh… the one after the tournament," Cherry eye'd Rin heavily. Rin was going to cave, Cherry knew how to do it. "Agh! Me and your father agreed it was time for you to go on yours, your nearly four years behind," Rin said caving. Cherry was stunned.