AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, not a whole lot to say here, except that this is the longest chapter so far, at 8.600 words! As always, I hope you enjoy it, I aim to please, and submit a review or send me a PM if you've got any advice or comments on the story so far. Or if, alternatively, you think that I should go take a dip in the ocean with cement shoes.
And so, wait I did.
Now that I've taken the test, and don't have to do so many things around the house anymore, not even mope now that Mrs. Sanders has let me know that Mom's doing well in the hospital, and I've got a feeling like you normally get after a bunch of finals at school, when you've got nothing to do and it feels good.
That's not entirely the case here in Sandgem Town though, at least, not for me, since I've literally got nothing to do, and my desires of getting myself into a truly acceptable shape for a Pokémon Journey are sadly a tad higher than my will to do the same, and even if I were more disciplined in that regard, I still can't see anyone spending a full day exercising, heck, that can't be healthy.
I've got to kill time somehow, though, and what better start than failing to get out of bed and instead sleeping for an extra hour more than you usually do? It took until I was dreaming with waking up that I thought 'Ah, sod it, I might as well' and actually woke up. I have the weirdest dreams sometimes, though, I should probably never catch a Drowzee or it might have to go to a mental institution.
I go through my morning routine slower than I can remember ever having done so, taking a long shower that would make anyone else in the house suspicious that also makes me thankful for the first time that that isn't the case, and out of spite at when I remember the encounter the other day with Mrs. Sanders, I take extra care in combing my normally-messy brown hair to one side. I can't help but notice my eyes, as is usually the case when you look into a mirror, and an offhand comment from Mom back when I couldn't have been more than five years old comes to mind. She'd told me that I had the eyes of my father, and that in them she was reminded of the things that had made her fall in love with him, and that every day we spent together gave her more things to love in that bright, almost yellow color.
My own sight of it right now in the mirror begins to blur as tears form in my eyes and that memory is dug up after all these years, and I chastise myself internally for not remembering it until now. It bothers me, that not only was my last time spent with her while she was awake an argument, but I've already forgotten some of the best times I've had with her…and maybe eventually I'll forget almost all of them, and there won't be a chance of creating new ones.
"I can't think like this…" I tell myself as I wipe my eyes on the sleeves of my newly-washed clothes, and the smell of it comforts me a little, inanely. I push the subject out of my mind for the time being and entertain myself with making breakfast while listening absently to the daily news on the TV. To my disappointment, nothing is reported about the Pokémon League's exam yesterday, and in fact, nothing very exciting is said at all, though there is a commercial on a potentially interesting show about a group that seems determined to investigate the legends of the three lakes of Sinnoh. Or at least, it'd be interesting if there wasn't someone new doing the same thing every half year and coming up with nothing every time.
I'm perfectly comfortable at home, but the little outburst I had earlier makes me feel like doing something productive anyhow, so I turn off the TV mid-report about a Pokémon Center Chansey that had single-handedly fought off a burglar, grab my keys and head outside.
After having completed the test and, for now, only in my mind, absolutely aced it, I have to constantly remind myself that I'm not really officially a Pokémon Trainer yet, and that I can't just go ahead and set off someplace to go sightsee freely. I actually stand outside my door for two minutes before I think of something I can do, and am ashamed for not having thought of it sooner.
Some yards away and very little time afterwards, I'm ringing on the neighboring house's doorbell. I don't know how I could have just had the idea of paying back Mrs. Sanders' help lately through the thing I do best, menial chores. Admittedly, I've been in her house a lot recently for meals, and there's not much to do in there, she keeps it wondrously tidy even if most of the time, her husband and son are away. I think she has frequent meetings with other mothers of their neighborhood there, but if so, it's such an exclusive club that I'm hardly certain.
Speaking of her husband… he's standing right on front of me, peering down through his glasses to see who it was that rung the doorbell. I'm actually kind of surprised to see him standing there, as he normally spends weeks at a time away from home investigating some aspect of a particular species of Pokémon or another, then spends another few weeks here. Kyle owes his dark blond hair to his father, who has the same, though only on the sides of his head, the top part being bald. He either just woke up or is having a morning so lazy that it makes mine look like I've been training for the Hearthome Marathon. I say this because he's dressed merely in a T-Shirt and boxers, and I don't mean to disrespect Mr. Sanders in saying this, but it's enough to make me think I should come back at a better time. However, there's no turning away now, and he smiles maybe a little too happily to see me, which means he's either drunk or forced that smile too much.
"Heya, Vic!" he exclaims, referring to me with a nickname that nobody but him uses, "Long time no see! Come right in!" He steps aside, and through the door from the living room to the kitchen I can see his wife, already cooking up something for the three of us, which translates to 'enough for six people and a Snorlax'.
I oblige, smiling back and stepping forward, inhaling and, sure enough, there's going to be a wonderful steak or three on the plate today. And if I know Mrs. Sanders, they had better be gone by the end of lunch or else, no exceptions. At that very moment, she exits the kitchen and comes over to me, smiling more realistically than her husband, but she doesn't say anything, letting me explain what I'm doing here when it's not yet time to eat, and though it probably wasn't her intention, I feel a pang of guilt when I think of it that way. It makes having to explain myself a tad more awkward.
"I, uh, was thinking that maybe there's some way I could help around the house?" I begin hesitantly, looking from one adult to the other. "I mean, I've been relying on you guys a lot these last few days, and I've got nothing to do today, so…what I'm trying to say is, is there anything I could do to help you out?"
My gaze falls on Mrs. Sanders, as she's actually been around to know what I'm talking about, while her husband, though he's still smiling, can't hide a bit of confusion and generally begins to look like he wishes he were anywhere else at the time.
Mrs. Sanders takes only a few seconds to think, then sighs and waves me and the matter away dismissively. "Victor, listen, you've been working really hard this past week, and every day before that, too, and it's impressive, but don't you feel you need to relax sometime? Take a day off? It's every bit as important, you know."
I'm ashamed to say that it's something I'd not considered until now that she literally says it for me, and, at first, the idea isn't all that good, after all, I hardly know how to fill up a few hours, never mind an entire day. But she looks determined not to let me do anything around here, so I nod, and now I feel awkward instead of Mr. Sanders.
"I suppose you're right. I'll come back here for lunch then, I guess. Thanks…" I mutter, turning to waltz off someplace different to pass the time.
"Don't thank me!" Comes the once-again happy voice of Mrs. Sanders behind me and that's all until I close their front door carefully behind me.
Naturally, whatever it is I'm going to be doing, it's probably back at home. I always found it entertaining to watch Pokémon Battles on television, there's always a channel whose reporters are hard at work finding Trainers all over the region, some even in other ones. Even if it feels somewhat like the studying I've been doing up to now, what differs is that I'm going to be sprawled on the sofa watching and half-listening to it instead of fervently taking note of everything I see. That…sounds like an off day, doesn't it?
That night, I go to bed satisfied with the fact that I've done next to nothing all day, and enjoyed it. Sure, I wasted some time deliberately, but it's been the most time I've spent just relaxing since I can't recall when.
It turns out I had been more or less correct. When we sat down at lunch, Mrs. Sanders joyfully stamped two considerably large steaks on my plate and absolutely disregarded the helpless look I gave her, instead smiling almost psychotically.
"Enjoy them, sweetheart," she'd said, in a singsong voice with an edge that, if it were a lawn, it'd cut itself.
Sheesh, no wonder that Kyle's looking a lot better after a few years away from home. Mr. Sanders got one steak, but it was bigger than any of mine so I'm sure he walked (or rolled) away from that meal more than satisfied himself. Mrs. Sanders just ate other things, what she felt she wanted, and looked all too content with the whole situation. Didn't stop me from saying "Thanks", of course, but I didn't go back for dinner, I wasn't even hungry yet.
It's a little early to be heading to bed compared to my usual time, I think, but I have nothing to do after having a piece of fruit to both call today's eating 'balanced' and as a form of dinner, so I try to sleep the sooner, the better. After one frustrating hour of rolling around, I succeed.
That night, I have one of my weird dreams again, the kind of dream that you have more than once and you can narrate the events of flawlessly from memory. This one in particular, I've never really liked, nothing ever happens in it.
It begins with me simply standing in a plain of rolling green grass that seems to stretch on to the horizon and more, with the landscape remaining unbroken except for a few light undulations that form mild hills here and there, but otherwise, there's nobody here, but me, of course, and no building, either. Then, a light breeze picks up, nothing even noticeable at first, all it does is cause the grass to all lean to one side and rustle softly, in what would be a soothing manner if the wind didn't continue to get stronger and stronger.
It stops doing so when it reaches what could be considered a gale, and I have to turn my back to the direction it's coming from as it buffets my face with little blades of grass that have been ripped out of the earth or were already loose. The sun begins to go down at an alarming rate, and the light not only begins to fade, but the color of the landscape turns a dying brown from the lively green it once had only a few minutes ago. And before long, there's not very much for me to see. The new moon rises, giving next to no visibility of the now-barren field, and that's where the dream ends…
Usually. Slowly, the howling wind dies down, and I'm left in an absolute silence staring at the dark horizon and seeing nothing there. There's a tap on my shoulder, and I whirl around, only to come face to face with nothing.
Another tap. I turn around again, this time slower and a few feet away, just barely visible in the darkness, there seems to be a floating blue light. I take a step towards it and open my mouth to say something, but the moment I do, it disappears and I see the small amount of ground I can see becomes even darker, covered by an enormous shadow. But that can't be right, something has to be causing it. There's another touch on my back.
And when I turn, my sense of hearing comes rushing back to me, and I'm perfectly aware of the enormous wave, easily as tall as a skyscraper, coming from absolutely nowhere and ravaging the entire plain of dead grass that's only a few feet from crashing down onto me.
My eyes shoot open, and I'm back in my room. No massive wall of water, no unbearable noise, and the only light is the bit of sunlight coming in through the blinds. Definitely not blue.
I calm down in a minute, which I use scribbling down the new details in a nearby piece of paper for future reference. I wouldn't be interested in remembering it normally, but curiously, my friend Maria used to have the same dream about the plains, though we had them on random days, not at the same time, I think maybe she'd be interested in knowing how it continues next time I see her.
It's only mid-morning, after I've put the whole issue out of my mind, when there's a knock at the door, curiously enough. I pray that it's Mrs. Sanders having made a few more chocolate-chip cookies, and, groaning in resignation, I switch off the TV and stand up, making for the doorbell with contained expectancy.
There are two figures when I open the door. On the left side, I see a young adult, definitely older than me. She's got long black hair and is wearing a red outfit with a few green parts, such as the sleeves, belt, and even her shoes. Oddly, she has thick gloves on, and it's unlikely that she hasn't seen the beach. Next to her, though, is the unmistakable fluffy blue figure of an Altaria.
I'm shocked, to say the least, which is also to say I just stand there holding the door with my mouth agape and an eyebrow raised, silently asking for an explanation. Thankfully, the girl picks up the slack.
"Good morning, you must be… Victor, right?" She says, more affirmatively than interrogatively.
I manage a stupefied nod. She smiles.
"Ah, good. This dummy," she taps the Altaria on the head, and the Pokémon hums indignantly, as Altaria are known to do, "kept saying that we had the wrong house, and I've got to admit that I was worried. It happened once already and…"
It wasn't my intention, but I must've been staring at her like she should've been searching for a mental institution, because she quickly clears her throat and continues.
"Sorry about that. My name is Lisa, and I've been sent here by certain members of the Pokémon League Foundation to inform you that you, Victor Parker, submitted a brilliant exam this last Saturday, and have been one of the," she pauses and snorts, "'victors' of the event that took place that day."
The Altaria spreads it's cottony wings a little and hums a short tune with a victorious (appropriately) theme to it. The both of them stare expectantly at me.
Sadly, I can't humor their interest with more than very wide eyes and an incredulous "No way, really?"
Lisa nods. "Yep. I don't have all the details, I'm afraid, but from what I know, the exams were all corrected by yesterday noon." That's actually quite impressive. "In the afternoon, two of my colleagues and I had to go and inform all those that didn't quite make it of how it went. Most of them lived in Jubilife City, though, so it was just a bunch of running around there. We waited until today to tell the winners, because a full day might be needed."
I can't entirely see why, but that doesn't stop me from smiling cheerfully, and Lisa grins back. "Congratulations, by the way."
"Thanks. It's a lot to take in, actually, so I'd rather not think about too much or I might get a headache. What now?" I ask.
She smiles again and steps away from the door. I've already got my keys, so I follow her a few feet away from the house after closing the door behind me. Altaria watches me every step of the way curiously, still humming something to itself.
"Now," Lisa begins once I reach her, pulling out three Pokéballs. "We've got to get to Jubilife City again, and there, you'll have to take a picture for your Trainer Card, get the prize money, a Pokétch, talk to the other two fortunate souls, and, if you want, a starter Pokémon of your own, or assistance by me in catching one." She looks to Altaria and clicks the button on one of the three Balls, an Ultra Ball, which becomes larger.
It's all unbelievable. I didn't even know I was going to get a free Pokétch, but adding that to the Pokéballs, and actual Pokémon, and goodness-knows-what-else and this almost seems too good to be true. Maybe I'm still dreaming? I read online that Altaria's humming causes dreamlike experiences of people who aren't used to it.
Seeing where she's looking, I ask "We're going to fly there?" I can almost feel the excited glint in my eyes.
Lisa shakes her head sadly, muttering, "Return, Polly," as the Pokémon's humming begins to fade and its form does similarly, turning red and being inserted into the capsule, which she places on her green belt. She's got three other Pokéballs there, and still two in her hands.
"Technically, you can't Fly on a Pokémon until you've got a particular amount of Gym Badges," she says to explain why, then, in a bitter tone, finishes. "Although I think I'm more than capable of watching to see that some rookie doesn't fall off…"
"Anyway!" She exclaims suddenly, clicking both the buttons on the Pokéballs and letting them drop to the floor, where they release two Pokémon before bouncing back up to her hands and she places them back on her belt.
Two new Pokémon are standing between me and her now. They're both big enough to ride on, and I get what we're going to do quickly.
There's the three-headed Dodrio, with one head appearing tired, the other, kind of annoyed, and the last, extremely confused and looking around disoriented. The other is a Gogoat, a Pokémon from the Kalos region that's mainly used for mounting, as they make for a perfectly efficient and comfortable means of transport, and when a person grabs onto their horns, they can sense the rider's feelings and act as one.
I hear Lisa grunt and watch as she climbs skillfully onto Gogoat's back with one leap and some help by grabbing onto its fur. She looks at Dodrio's central head, currently the angry one, and then points at me. I feel something poke the top of my head, the tired face, and my suspicions are confirmed by a giggle from the girl.
"Get on and hold on tight. You should be just fine."
There's not an abundance of space on a Dodrio's back, but it's enough for people to ride them commonly, more for their blinding speed on land than anything else. After two failed attempts, I finally manage to get up and hold onto its feathers and body for dear life. From atop Gogoat, their Trainer looks at Dodrio again.
"Alright, you have to try and match Gordon's pace, you got it? I know you can go a lot faster, but we want Victor to get there in one piece."
Two of the three heads nod with an affirmative sound. The other looks lost and confused still, but it's enough for me to give a sigh of relief. At least two out of three care whether I live or die.
"Let's go, Gordon, Jubilife City!" Exclaims Lisa, sounding excited, and not nervous and fearful at all (which I attribute to her riding a Pokémon that seems to know what its doing). She points in the general direction that we have to go, and then, they are off at a steady pace, around what a car would be like while still inside the Town, and Dodrio follows with similar velocity.
When we reach Route 202, though, both the Pokémon are free to speed up, and any thoughts I might've had of asking Lisa questions during the trip are completely shattered when I can hardly hear my other thoughts over the sound of the wind in my face and Dodrio and Gogoat's steps.
When we inevitably come to a ledge, Gogoat, which is ahead, flawlessly leaps from rock to rock on the way up, and I'm reminded that they live in the mountains, which would explain how adept it is at climbing sheer surfaces. Dodrio takes a second option and jumps over the ledge entirely, then continues running at the same pace, as if the height difference hadn't even been there.
Overall, the whole thing is actually faster that it would be by car, at least ten times as exhilarating, three times scarier, and it gives me just enough time to accept that I really did it, that I had no reason to be scared of all those ten year olds, after all.
We come to a halt right outside the same skyscraper on Grace Street, which brings a smile to my face. I get off Dodrio, though I can still feel the wind on my face and I feel a little lightheaded. I'm barely aware of Lisa recalling both her Pokémon with an "Amazing job, you two."
It takes until she walks up to me to say something but instead cracks up in my face for me to react. I raise an eyebrow, which makes her have another brief giggle fit, and then she points at the top of my head.
"Y-your hair!" She blurts out, and then covers her mouth to laugh again. Thankfully, her odd idea of having worn thick gloves stops me from hearing this one, so I don't get irritated so much as embarrassed. I take a look at my reflection on one of the ground floor's windows and, sure enough, my hair is blown back due to the rush over here, and I take five minutes to get it from that to 'bed hair', which is still better than how it was.
Together, we enter the building. The nice receptionist from the other day isn't there, and we don't pause to talk to this one. Instead, Lisa makes a beeline for the corner of the floor, where I can see a white paper stuck onto the wall and a professional looking camera, so that's probably for our Trainer Card pictures, and four people.
Three of them are familiar to me. There's Clyde, with his glasses and a few papers in one hand, wearing suit pants and a shirt with a square pattern. There's also Gemma, the woman who was supervising the other group, and today she's wearing a pitch-black dress and, once more, matching lipstick, but the dark image is contrasted by her bright white smile.
One of other two is a girl that I remember vaguely from the test. She was in Gemma's group, but while we were waiting, she was the one who viciously answered when Justin asked what the deal was with Clyde. She's around thirteen, I'd guess, mostly from her face, because she's not very tall even by thirteen year old standards, with dark blue eyes and curly blonde hair, looking around impatiently and smoothening out every crease she can in her white dress and skirt. With her is another young adult, very much like Lisa, even in the way he's dressed, with a red shirt and dark red pants with a few green parts on the shoulders and knees. At least he's not wearing gloves, though he's got green hair, which is interesting in its own right.
As we come near, Clyde sighs and pats Lisa on the back.
"There ye are. Welcome."
She just smiles and joins the boy, now leaning against the wall, and the two start talking almost instantly, grinning at each other. The older man then looks at me, squinting behind his glasses as if trying to recognize me, and then flashes me a quick smile.
"Ah, I remember ye, of course. I've got t'say, ya might not be very good at makin' first impressions, but you wrote one 'ell of an exam. Best in m'group."
The girl then steps forward, forcing a smile and holding her small hand out for me to shake.
"Is that so? Not bad. The name's Miranda, from Floaroma Town. It seems I had the best grade overall, though." She really didn't waste any time at all letting me know. Politely, I shake her hand carefully and she pulls it away the moment that's done, sighing and crossing her arms.
"Uh, my name's Victor. I'm from Sandgem." As far as introductions go, it's not good, but she seems to accept it with a curt nod and a little smirk.
"That's an ironic name in this scenario," she remarks, simply, and then goes back to looking at the entrance to the building.
Clyde clears his throat; how couldn't he? And then he quickly informs me that we'll be shown our corrected exams once the last person shows up.
It takes ten minutes for that to happen, but finally the doors open. The first person to enter is another Ace Trainer, as I've learnt that that's what Lisa and Liam, the other guy, are, currently working for the League. This one is another girl, with high cheekbones, and short black hair, that's laughing heartily at something person behind her is saying.
The real surprise is that after her, none other than Justin Thyme comes waltzing into the building, talking enthusiastically about something that makes his companion laugh more. Miranda comes to stand next to me as they approach us.
"No way. You've got to be kidding me…" she hisses, incredulously, and I've got to admit she's got a point, even if I've got nothing against Justin, the Ace Trainer with him is the first person I see with an actively positive disposition towards the boy.
His smile grows even wider when he notices Miranda and me standing there, and he comes to stand next to us. In line, the three of us look at Clyde and Gemma, while the girl that was with him goes to join Lisa and Liam at the wall, though she has the bright idea to say "Sorry we're late."
This prompts Gemma to shake her head and wave a hand. "Oh, don't worry, you're just in time!"
I know what's going to happen before it does. I see Justin on the other end, the right end, of the small line we've formed already open his mouth, and I notice Miranda's right leg instantly shoots to the side to kick him in the leg and shut him up, and he merely lets out a high-pitched whimper.
"I swear he must be part Vigoroth…" I hear the girl mutter beside me, while Justin leans down to rub his leg where it's been kicked.
Clyde clears his throat, and the three of us immediately straighten up and face him. He takes a step forward.
"Alright, listen up. This is how we're gonna do this. First, we'll give ye yer exams so ye can take a peek at how ye performed, what was wrong, that kinda thing. After that, we'll have yer pictures taken and yer Trainer Cards made. In the meanwhile, we'll give you all the nice goodies we promised, and after that, y'all have yer Aces help you out with a starter Pokémon. Does that make sense?"
The three of us nod, and he nods back, then hands one of the papers he's holding to me, and the other to Justin. Gemma gives one to Miranda, but she has to take it back instantly. The girl smiles sweetly.
"Thanks, but no thanks. You already told me I had a perfect score, right? I don't think I need to see it, it'd feel like I'm showing off in front of Victor and John."
"Justin…" I hear him mutter in resignation as he looks over his test, and I can't help but chuckle at his tone, unfortunately, I snort a bit too, and the five of them stare at me funny before going back to their business.
"Whatever," comes the voice of Miranda.
Overall, I did the exam rather well, not as well as I'd expected. The main things I got wrong, or rather, the ones that I'm most ashamed of, are thinking that Vulpix evolved once it got strong enough, and that Alomomola was an evolved form of Luvdisc. Those were pretty obvious, looking back.
Once we're all satisfied, or, in my case, I finally realized why Miranda was tapping her foot on the ground so much, we hand them back for them to be kept in the League's archives, and Gemma stands by the camera to take the pictures of us.
Miranda goes first, and it takes her a full minute to think she looks just right and a few lights have to be turned off so she's showing her best side with what she considers the right lighting, and finally she has her picture taken. At least it looks alright.
It's my turn next, and I glare in Lisa's general direction, perfectly conscious that my hair could be a lot better than it is. She either doesn't care or doesn't notice, and gives me a cheery thumbs up.
When it's Justin's turn, though, he sneezes right when Gemma's about to take it, and after that, he yawns. During the entire time his face is contorted by either gesture, I can hear Miranda hissing next to me.
"Nownownownownownownownownownow…"
In the end, though, Gemma presses the button right when his face turns to a relaxed, yet intrepid and confident expression, with a half-smile that's perfectly photogenic, and I think I can hear Miranda's heart breaking a bit to my lower right.
Justin's companion Ace Trainer, Sarah, heads up to another floor to process the images and bring us down our Trainer Cards, and in the meanwhile, the rewards are given out. Firstly, Clyde shakes all our hands and presses 2000 Pokédollars into them. I almost take them from him before they're offered, and I stuff them into my pocket eagerly.
"Keep an eye on yer cash, boy," he warns me, staring me dead in the eye. "Never waste more'n you should. It sounds simple 'till it goes 'n happens."
Miranda appears perfectly uninterested in the money and she sticks it into a small purse she's brought along without a second glance. Justin seems confounded to be getting it, apparently not recalling that there had been a cash prize.
Liam opens a crate that I hadn't noticed until now, and from it, he retrieves three large backpacks with an obscene amount of pockets that also have a sleeping back tied to the lower part of it, in a matching color. He throws a dark blue one at me, a dark green one at Justin, and delicately walks over to give Miranda hers, a black one. It's kind of a funny sight, because the bag is at least half as big as the girl who's supposed to be carrying that all around the Sinnoh region. Lisa comes over and takes another bag from the crate, a pink one, and opens it to show us its contents.
"Alright, so inside, we've got a Pokétch. Right now, I'm afraid that they've only got a few apps. Pink for the girls, blue for the boys." She brings out one of the famous watches, pink in color and shows it to us, though anyone that hasn't been living with a group of Gravelers for their entire life knows how a Pokétch looks.
"We've got a mini Teachy TV as well. There's not yet an app that can do the same things, so you're going to have to use this to teach your Pokémon moves through Technical Machines and Hidden Machines. Just insert the disk onto the slot in the side, and the rest…well, it's a fairly simple device, you'll figure it out. Just make sure to charge it whenever you're at a Pokémon center! The cable's included, don't worry." She smiles.
"And finally, you've got six Pokéballs in there to start catching new friends!"
We all stare at her silently, blinking in unison at how poorly worded that is.
She acts like it doesn't bother her at all, but she turns a bright strawberry red while she packs up the bag again and shoves it back into the container from whence it came.
Fortunately for her, Sarah comes back down right then, with our trainer cards, and she hands them to us one by one.
I take mine and nearly drop it (apparently I've got a bad habit of dropping cards). It's warm, which I guess means that it was indeed just made. I look ridiculous in the picture taken of me, so I get the inspection over with quickly. It's got my name, an ID number, my birthplace, and, at the bottom of it are eight little slots with odd shapes, all of which are currently empty. But I know those shapes; they're those of the Sinnoh Region Gym Badges. If/When I defeat a Gym Leader in a Pokémon Battle, they'll grant me their Gym Badge to place in the corresponding slot. There's no obligatory order to the Pokémon Gyms, so I better plan out my route soon. The more Badges I get, the more things I'll be allowed to do as a trainer, like, as Lisa mentioned earlier, use the move Fly outside of battle to get from one place to another quickly, though I constantly hear on the news about Trainers that ignore those rules and get caught, and therefore, fined. I can only imagine the amount that do it and don't get caught.
The warmth of the card extends up my arm, in a sense, all the way to my heart, filling it with a candid fire of pride at having gotten this far, though this is just the beginning of the beginning.
At Gemma's request, everybody in our merry little company exchanges phone numbers so we can call each other in case of needing it or any advice from the people that work at the League, as promised, and finally, it's time for all of us to separate again. It's going to be lunchtime soon, but it seems like that'll have to wait for now.
"So where are you going to head first?" asks Liam in general to fill the conversational void as we all head for the entrance to the building.
Miranda is the first to answer, doing so almost instantaneously.
"We'll be heading back to Floaroma Town. I think I'll finally be able to catch this Flabébé I've been friends with for a couple years. I think she's comfortable there, but she'll have no choice but to come with me. Then I'll probably head up to Eterna City and try to get the Gym Badge there."
She looks at me, probably not because she's interested in what I'm going to do, so much as she doesn't feel like listening to Justin right now. The problem is, I don't really know what I'm going to do, I just want to do it.
"Hm…well, I'm not really sure…" I start, stumbling a bit on my words, shrugging. "Probably catch something near Sandgem, and then maybe go towards Oreburgh. Depends on which Pokémon I can find on the way there as opposed to Eterna."
Justin had been looking at me with an interested expression. Maybe he's the kind that would rather have a partner for his Journey, though neither Miranda nor I seem the type, and he certainly doesn't want to tag along with her.
"I…I think Sarah said she could give me a starter Pokémon of my own, and then, I'll say goodbye to everyone, I guess. Train it around here before making any decision of going too far from home."
For the first time, he sounds almost as uncertain as me, though I can garner from that that he lives here, in Jubilife City. Who knows why he got here late, then.
Finally, we all step outside into the bright day. It's well past noon already. Clyde and Gemma don't step out, though instead waving at us from inside the building.
"Make sure to call us every so often, now!"
"Ya kids be careful out there! An' remember, ya ain't alone if ya got a Pokémon with ye!"
We all say our goodbyes to them, and then, to Sarah, and Justin. He comes over to give me a handshake.
"Hey, I don't think we've ever talked before, but I already like you better than Goody-Two-Shoes over there, so if I'm still around here by the time you get to Jubilife, give me a call!"
I nod and smile, shaking his hand firmly and raising an eyebrow in false disappointment.
"Don't I get a nickname?"
He looks at me for a moment, squinting and focusing, then lets go of my hand and walks away, and what he calls back to me makes me wish I'd never asked.
"Fine, see you around, Bedhair!"
Lisa next to me begins to cackle again, so I look to Miranda, and only have time to give her a nod as she fades away in a bright white light from what looks like Liam's Gallade using Teleport.
Finally, we're alone, and Gogoat and Dodrio come back out. Climbing onto the Pokémon back is made even more difficult by having to carry the for now fortunately mostly empty camping bag, but I manage, and the Ace Trainer and I dash off for Sandgem Town once more.
The ride is uneventful, except for the part where I think I see my life flash before me when Dodrio decides to jump when we have to go down a ledge, and I can't see how its legs suffer the fall without any complaint, much less keep on racing at the speed that it does. Once we're outside my house again, Lisa motions for me to remain on top of Dodrio.
"I understand if you're hungry already, but I was thinking, you said you wanted to catch a Pokémon from around here, and there's not a lot of variety, so we can probably get you a starter Pokémon and then get to know it during lunch?"
It sounds fair enough, actually, so I nod absently as I (futilely) try to fix my hair again.
"But I have to do something first really quick, if that's fine?"
She nods and leans back on Gordon's, the Gogoat's, back and closes her eyes, placing her hands behind her head as I jump down from Dodrio.
"That's fine, but keep in mind that Bidoof is a crappy starter Pokémon."
After a visit to the Sanders' residence to let them know I wasn't having lunch there (Mr. Sanders' expression when he realized he was going to have to eat my share was priceless), and, more importantly, a well-needed visit to their restroom to free myself of the panic that Dodrio's leap gave me in a different manner, I rejoin Lisa outside and get back on Dodrio silently and on my second try. At least none of them look angry anymore. The Pokémon lets out a short cry to warn its Trainer that I'm back, and she groans as she sits up on Gogoat's back. Right now, it had its head low and was sniffing at the grass, but the moment she grabs onto its horn, it looks straight at me, and so does she, and two of Dodrio's heads do, too, just so I feel even more uncomfortable.
"All settled? Right, so where did you want to go?"
I almost answer 'Route 202' straight up, thinking that a Shinx would be a wonderful Pokémon for a beginner, both cute and powerful, and wielding the power of electricity, but suddenly, my dream from tonight rushes back into my head. I remember the enormous wave of water, and I remember the mysterious feeling I had the other day when I was chilling out by the lake, and that changes my answer.
"Lake Verity, I think." The answer causes her to smile.
"S'not a bad choice. Though if you were hoping to get lucky and have the being of Emotion all to yourself if we somehow find it, you're out of your mind, you can bet I'll be catching it instead."
I chuckle and as I feel Dodrio stretch its legs, getting ready to run, I crack "If we don't find it, I'm sure you can catch a Magikarp to console yourself."
I don't know what her response to that comment is, as right then both the Pokémon let out a low cry and kick off in a different direction, towards Lake Verity. It's a shorter way that it is to Jubilife, so we should be there in about…
Three minutes is all takes. Well, three minutes and one Dodrio jump, which, while I'm getting used to it, felt like an eternity until we finally touched the ground again, and my heart is still beating like a drum when it's recalled into its Pokéball. Right now, we're next to the slim forest path that leads to the lake, and Lisa doesn't go any further.
"I'll stay here and watch. If something happens, I'll help you out, but otherwise, Pokémon are more likely to come near you if you're alone. Make sure to get a Pokéball, though, from the bag."
That's actually quite a good point. I quickly mutter "Right" as I take the cumbersome pack off and set it on the ground. I left my watch at home, so I put on the Pokétch right there, and though right now it's only showing the time (and a cute image of a Pikachu), it feels more comfortable, and that's saying something, I feel as if I wasn't wearing a watch at all.
My fingers brush the Teachy TV, but that's not what I looking for right now, and they soon come into contact with the small form of an inactive Pokéball. I pull it out, drop it back in, and then pull it back out with either a trembling hand or suddenly in the middle of a magnitude 8 earthquake.
Lisa nods and leans on a tree with her arms crossed, looking out to the lake. Guess that from now on it is time I do something for myself. I stand up, Pokéball in hand, and take a minute to put on the bag again before going straight for the water's edge. There, I see…
The usual. Magikarp swimming around aimlessly and Psyduck doing much the same, only more comically. I frown in disappointment, even if it isn't the Pokémon's fault that I'd gotten my hopes up for no reason at coming here.
I look to the left and see the bush that had been rustling the other day. Maybe whatever it was ran in that direction? Could be there now, or maybe it left me something. I look over my shoulder and see that Lisa's staring intently at me, so if there is something, she'll have my back, and if there isn't, she'll just think I'm a bit odd for heading there, though she likely already thinks that, so it's a win-win situation.
I step slowly and lightly, in a senseless attempt to be stealthy in broad daylight and reach the shrub.
There's nothing in it at first glance. I fight any urge to look over my shoulder and try to discern the Ace Trainer's expression; it wouldn't do much good at this distance anyhow. I circle around it and crouch, thinking I see something blue at the base of it on the other side. A closer look reveal two Oran Berries 'hidden' underneath it's leaves, probably by a solitary Pokémon, as one that lived in a group with other of its species would have it in a common area to share.
But what could that Pokémon be? Clearly, it would have to be something fast, or small, that I didn't see it the other day and most likely either not accepted in the groups of Psyduck or Starly in here because it's weak, bad-tempered, or just not native to Verity Lake.
Whatever might be the case, I set my bag on the floor beside me. I notice one of the pockets on its side has the figure of a Cheri Berry sewn onto it in orange thread, which is perfectly noticeable as the bag is dark blue. That must mean that the pocket is specialized to hold berries. I open it and, sure enough, the pocket is divided into six thin columns, so you can place up to six different kinds of berries in there without mixing them up. I take one of the Oran Berries and drop it into the leftmost division of the pocket, but freeze when I close my hand around the second one.
I hear a strange sniffing noise behind me, and remember that after going into Mrs. Sanders' kitchen, I must smell of delicious food, if the scent stuck. That could be a bad thing, for sure. At any rate, to show that I mean no harm to whatever's there, I close my eyes, stand up, and hold my hands above my head, but closed, so I don't drop the Pokéball nor the berry, and turn around slowly.
There's nothing for a few seconds. Then, I feel a pair of steady, but small, hands grab onto my leg, and impulse the body of the creature upwards. Then I feel what I assume are feet, which have a similar texture to the hands, on my shoulder. There's a pat on the back of my head, a small cry that sounds a bit like a croak, then it's gone off me. I don't hear it land, but there's another, similar noise on the ground in front of me, and I open my eyes and stare downwards.
I don't see it at first, but it's hard to miss the blue skin against the dark green of the forest floor. Standing at my feet and looking up at me with considerably large eyes is a Froakie, or I think that was the name. It's a species from Kalos, like Gogoat, and they're definitely not around Verity Lake. Which is why it makes no sense for this one to be here. Since I went into the beginning of the forest, I don't think Lisa can see me right now, so I should be very careful.
"Uh…I guess these berries are yours?" I ask it, speaking slowly and clearly, then not taking my eyes off the eyes of the Pokémon, I lower my left hand, with the berry in it, and hold it out downwards towards it. It's a male, by the sound of its cries so far.
He simply nods once; with an affirmative sound, then he quickly look around to both sides for some reason before reaching out and taking the berry into his hand. Slowly, after he sees I don't do anything else, he brings the blue fruit to his mouth and takes a bite out of it.
I watch it eat in silence, but then I think of the possibilities. It's quite a rare Pokémon to see around here, and it might make a better choice even than a Shinx, so I might as well take a chance.
"Hey, I don't think I've seen any other Froakies around here. Are you…alone?" I ask, already trying to add a sympathetic tone to my voice.
He stops eating and studies me again with his eyes, that are actually so big they stick out a bit above his head, then, in a sad, dejected tone, hangs his head and croaks out "Fro..."
I crouch down so that my eyes are almost level with him. He moves backwards some, but then, with another sniffing noise, he returns to his previous spot. I'll have to thank Mrs. Sanders later.
"And two Oran Berries aren't enough for a young Pokémon like you to grow big and strong. But hey, you can probably smell it; I have more food than I know what to do with! But nobody to share it with…" I trail off, leaving a clear insinuation of what I mean. At that moment, I open my right hand and show him the Pokéball, touching the button so that it grows larger. All I have to do now is touch him with the button and the capturing process will begin, but when a Pokémon willing to be captured, it goes flawlessly, so I'd rather if he truly agreed first.
"What do you say? Partners?" I offer in a kind whisper.
If I were him, alone and having trouble collecting food, I know what my answer would be in a heartbeat. However, he takes a few seconds to think it over; even finishing his Berry while staring intently at the button. Then I hear a low growl coming from his stomach, and his hand shoots out to touch it.
Instantly, his figure becomes blurry, begins to change color to red, and slowly loses its form as the capsule tries to contain him within. It shakes in my hand one time, strongly.
Twice, a little weaker.
Thrice, just barely.
And following that is the most satisfying click I've ever heard.
I remain crouched and perfectly still. I did it, I got my first Pokémon! By myself, mostly, too, and it and I already seem to get along! The moment is also captured, in my mind, forever. Finally, a light breeze flows through the branches and the bush behind me, and this time, it's not a Pokémon rustling it.
I let out a hearty, relieved laughter that would make Lisa proud, and still don't get up nor put on my bag again. First, I activate the Pokéball and let it drop to the ground, catching it as it bounces back up and emits the same red beam as earlier.
And back on the forest floor is the Froakie, one hand scratching behind his head and looking around to see if the scenery has changed at all. After he sees it doesn't, it cracks the closest thing to a smile I've seen it do so far, and turns to me. When it opens its mouth, what comes out isn't a croak, or the name of his species.
"All I'm saying is you'd better keep your end of the promise. I'm starving."