Chapter 2
Alita quietly walked along the worn dirt path, the sun high in the middle of the sky as she walked amongst the gardens of Route 4. Pyrrha trotted beside her, the Amulet Coin from Clemont glittering in the light.
He had told her a long time ago that the entire Route had been forested, with trees that would stretch over the path and provide shade. However, some complaints were made that it was too 'plain' and 'standard' from the more privileged new Trainers. So, their parents used their connections (and a few threats, maybe) to get the large, beautiful gardens set up. Thankfully, it was only half.
In her own personal opinion, though that didn't matter, she thought that it would have been better to let it stay as it was. Clemont had always spoken fondly of his adventures through the region, travelling with his friends and sister to all sorts of amazing places. Plus, if she had to do this, she at least wanted to experience what her best friend did before her.
She had already passed the grand fountain, Pyrrha dodging it like Pokerus. Labyrinths of hedges were at either side of the path, Combee, Flabebe, and Ledyba buzzing amongst the flowers that framed them. She could see a Budew or two happily wandering through the flowerbeds, playing with the Skitty.
Alita had yet to see a Ralts, though according to the book she read that they were much, much rarer to find. Pyrrha was curiously sniffing the air, and she closed her eyes as the cool autumn breeze blew through. She could see the faint outline of the trees further away, most likely starting to turn to vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, and the rare purple.
Her Fennekin chirped in confusion as she suddenly veered away from the path, sitting cross-legged in a patch of grass.
"I-I have t-to check our su-supplies." She explained softly, setting her bag on the ground. "T-t-to know what w-we have on us." Understanding, the Fire type nodded, padding over and curling up in her lap.
Opening the worn white bag, she carefully placed Clemont's gifts to the side. She blinked at the meager items within.
Only within were five Pokeballs, though there was two Great Balls, and, to her surprise, an Ultra Ball. Alongside it was a few Potions, a matching amount of Revives there as well. There was a Berry Pouch, along with a set of her shirt and pants, a single set of camping dishes within a netted bag, a pot and pan, a spatula, and nothing else. No food besides Clemont's lunches, no medical supplies for herself, and more importantly, no money beside the League starter amount set into her Trainer account, which was programmed into the Pokedex. But even that amount was small.
Her Fennekin chirped in concern as her eyes misted over. She was going to fail, wasn't she? She didn't know how to find food, she never read about it, and she didn't have everything she needed. Her breaths were becoming sharp and her gaze tunneling as memories of everything her parents told her about herself passed before her.
Pyrrha leaped into action, nuzzling under her chin, urging for her to pet the small fox. Alita slowly snapped out of it, carefully placing her shaking hands on the Fennekin's soft ears. She sighed in content as her Trainer scratched behind her ears, blinking years out of her eyes.
"S-s-sorry." Alita squeaked quietly, a tear leaving a shimmering trail down her cheek. Pyrrha licked it away, merely giving a happy smile. Hesitantly a small smile spread across her face. "Th-thank you."
She started to put everything back in, placing the cooking supplies in first before laying the sweatshirt over it. The Pokeballs and Pokemon medicine went in last. Closing the flap back over the opening, she shakily stood up.
"W-we c-can go now." Pyrrha cheered, leaping up from her lap and wagging her tail. Alita walked back towards the path, her partner following when she heard a soft cry. It sounded pained and desperate, not too far off.
She whipped around, wide-eyed. "P-P-Pyrrha, d-dicld you h-hear that?" She asked softly. The tiny fox nodded, ears twitching as to catch wherever the sound was coming from. The soft rustle of the flowers beside the patch of grass alerted them, and she became nervous as the Fennekin started stepping forward.
A small white Pokemon stumbled out, tripping over its dress-like legs as it tumbled over, moaning in pain. It had a green bob-cut styled helmet, two small reddish-pink fins sticking out from the front and back. Its skin was marred with bruises, looking pained. "R-Ralts…" Alita quickly jumped into action, swinging her bag back down.
"P-Pyrrha, p-please, help m-me!" She cried, quickly pulling out one of her few Potions. The Fennekin complied, softly cooing hopefully reassuring words to the tiny Pokemon as it attempted to stand up. "Th-this'll st-sting a little, b-but it'll h-help, pr-promise." Alita reassured gently stroking its helmet. It moaned, but didn't complain as she sprayed the medicine on.
"Th-there, n-now all y-y-you need is r-rest." Alita said softly, carefully unzipping and wrapping her hoodie around the tiny Pokemon. It froze before relaxing, letting out a sigh of relief as it nuzzled into the warm grey material.
"I-I-I should pr-probably scan i-it." She murmured softly, digging the Pokedex out of her pocket and pointing it at the tiny creature. The blue glass revealed itself, giving her the information she needed.
"Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon. If its horns capture the warm feelings of people or Pokemon, its body warms up slightly." It stated monotonously. She careful scrolled down to look at the information available to her.
Gender: Male
Type: Psychic/Fairy
Ability: Trace
Moveset: Growl, Confusion
"S-so you're a b-boy?" She murmured softly, stroking the sleeping Ralts' head. It mumbled something in unintelligible speech, warming up at her touch. She softly smiled, stroking it more with a careful hand as she shivered in the breeze.
"Fenne?" Pyrrha called softly, concerned. "I-I'm okay." She said quietly. Ralts' head shifted, and its eyes blinked at her from under the helmet in confusion and sleepiness.
"H-hi." She murmured softly. The little Pokemon tilted its head, chirping in Pokespeech. "P-Pyrrha and I w-w-were h-here wh-when y-you c-came in. W-we h-h-healed y-you s-since y-you were h-hurt."
It nodded in gratitude, a silly smile stretching across his face as it shook off her coat and extended its hands, offering the hoodie back. Alita shook her head shyly. "N-no, I-I-I d-don't n-need it."
His eyes glowed pink, and he stubbornly lifted it up with an aura of pink, placing it back on her. She gasped quietly. "Y-you don't w-want t-to keep it?" Ralts shook his head, urging for her to keep it.
She zipped it up, sighing as the warmth seeped into her cold skin. Pyrrha chirped at the little Psychic type, prompting them to start a conversation. She giggled as the two happily exchanged an entire banter with nothing but their names to her. It was kind of silly…
Her Fennekin raced back to her side, rubbing up against her. She chirped, clearly ready to go. Alita looked at the little Pokemon, whom waved. "G-goodbye, Ralts…"
He smiled and cheered, waddling back into the flowerbed. She felt something tug at her heart, and she looked on sadly as her new friend left.
The little fox nudged her, prompting her to focus on the task at hand. She picked up her bag for the second time that day, murmuring softly, "C-c-come." as she walked back onto the path. Her partner followed, her Amulet Coin swinging from side to side as she padded onward.
The gardens extended onwards for two more miles, Alita knew that, and then it would be another three miles to Santalune City through the forested lands. She might even have to make camp for the night, though it was doubtful she could last until then. Ignoring her growling stomach, she continued on, passing the Bug types and Fairy types flitting amongst the flowers.
They were all so pretty, and, fairly curious, she scanned the different Pokemon.
"Ledyba, the Five Star Pokemon. When the weather turns cold, lots of Ledyba gather from everywhere to cluster and keep each other warm."
"Combee, the Tiny Bee Pokemon. The trio is together from birth. It constantly gathers honey from flowers to please Vespiquen."
"Flabebe, the Single Bloom Pokemon. It draws out the hidden power of flowers. The flower Flabebe holds is most likely part of its body."
She caught sights of the Budew and Skitty, managing to scan the racing Pokemon.
"Budew, the Bud Pokemon. When it feels the sun's warm touch, it opens its bud to release pollen. It lives inside clear pools."
"Skitty, the Kitten Pokemon. It can't stop itself from chasing moving things, and it runs in a circle, chasing its own tail."
Satisfied, she put her Pokedex within her hoodie pocket, looking at the cheerful scene. She felt longing, she never got to have such fun before.
Pyrrha nudged her leg. Alita blinked, looking down at the little fox. "Y-yeah?"
Her partner nudged her leg again, urging her towards the wild Pokemon. Her eyes widened and she shrunk back. "I-I d-don't want t-to bother them…"
Pyrrha, the stubborn girl, urged her towards them, letting out a cheerful call. Several replies called out, a symphony of different voices.
A few Skitty popped out of the flowers, letting out matching cries of "Nyaaa!" before running in circles around her feet. Shyly giggling, she hesitantly ran into the flowers, the Skitty and her Fennekin following.
They chased her down playfully, running in circles when they caught sight of their tails, but they still managed to chase her. Pyrrha ran beside her, calling encouragement. The Budew, Combee, Flabebe, and Ledyba joined in later on, flitting around her and jumping and twisting and just having fun. It was the first time in a long while that she had ever done so, laughing and doing 'childish' things. It was fun, wasn't it?
After a few hours she collapsed, energy drained as she laid on the grass. The Skitty had ran off, still energetic. Pyrrha lay on her stomach, content in her sleep. The other Pokemon stayed around though, getting some rest after an afternoon of fun.
"Th-thank you." Alita said softly, blushing as the wild Pokemon giggled. The Combee flitted off for the flowers, three Ledyba curiously looking at her hair. The Flabebe, six in total, all got a good look too, tittering to the Ledyba. A few Budew had gently nudged her, urging for her to sit up. She complied, blinking as they all circled her head.
The Ledyba set to work, each taking up a third and, to her shock, started to braid. That's when she realized how friendly they were. It had been drilled in her head the only thing a Pokemon wanted to do was battle, and would attack without hesitation in the wild. These Pokemon were sweet as could be, lovable, and willing to play. They even had knowledge of the different ways people do things.
The Combee buzzed back, happily carrying flowers on their heads and in their mouths. A Flabebe with a White Flower floated over, chirping in thanks before taking up a pretty dark pink wildflower. She flitted back over, quickly tying the stalk round the bottom of the messy, loose braid the Ledyba attempted to create. The other Pokemon followed suit, taking up the wildflowers and placing them in the braid. Her hair looked like a garden, blushing as she realized the kind act.
"I-I-I j-just w-want to say th-this again. Th-thank you…" They merely nodded, satisfied in their work. Pleased, the little group of Flabebe placed a flower crown upon Pyrrha's head and her's, the Fennekin whipping her head up in confusion from her nap. She giggled, gently stroking her back before placing the sleepy fox on her shoulder.
Her partner draped herself across her shoulders lazily, blinking before letting a huge yawn. She fell back asleep, ear tuft tickling Alita's cheek. She could feel the gold medallion of the Amulet Coin press into her shoulder, the metal from Pyrrha's heightened body heat. She stood up, carefully bowing without disturbing her partner.
The Pokemon attempted to bow back, looking silly before rushing off into the gardens. She blinked back the tears that nearly escaped her eyes, sniffling. Now she was alone, her temporary friends gone.
Even if she knew them for a few hours, Alita would miss them. They had showed as equal kindness as Clemont had. Maybe this is what he experienced, surrounded by the pure kind energy of Pokemon as he traveled Kalos.
The treeline of the forest half of the Route loomed ahead, visible in sight. She started to run, her braid flying back as she laughed. Pyrrha awoke, squealing happily as the wind rushed through her fur.
Before they knew it, the trees loomed over them, red, yellow, and orange leaves dotting amongst emerald green and rich brown. Bug types crawled and fluttered through the canopy, she could even see a flock of Vivillon with different patterned wings flying through the trees.
The beat path continued on, hard packed from years of feet stomping on it. Pyrrha yawned and jumped down from her perch, fully awake. Her flower crown fell off, the Amulet Coin glittering softly.
"Y-you silly g-girl…" She murmured, picking up the Flabebes' gift. Pyrrha blinked and looked at the flower crown before jerking her head up towards the crown of her own.
"Y-yes?" Alita asked softly, the teen holding the flower crown out. Pyrrha shook her head, this time using her paw to point at the crown then at her head. She blinked, realizing what her friend meant.
"Y-you w-want m-me to w-wear it?" She asked softly. Pyrrha nodded affirmative, smiling and wagging her poofy tail. Alita carefully placed the arrangement of wildflowers on her head, shifting her bang to cover her left eye better. She probably looked terrible, but she asked quietly, "D-do I l-l-look okay?" Her starter nodded, chirping happily.
"O-okay." They continued on, sometimes stopping to watch in awe of the stunning creatures surrounding her. Those people from the Elite Trainer Academy would sneer and say it looked hideous and average, but Alita knew better. The way the leaves fell, elegantly twirling around the Pokemon before fluttering to lay on the ground, the Pokemon themselves almost dancing as they went from place to place. Combined with the peeking sunlight and rich plant life, it truly was beautiful.
She allowed her tiny Fennekin to continue her walk, trailing along as she peeked at every interesting thing she found. Even as clever as the little girl was, she was still technically a child who was free to do whatever she wanted…
Alita shrunk inherself, stopping in her tracks as she remembered her own childhood. All those painful training sessions trying to tame her mother's Dragon types, nearly drowning working with Water types, getting a harsh burn that scarred her lower back when her father had her train with his Fire types. And they merely brushed her off, stating she needed to train more with how weak she was.
She didn't realize she hadn't reverted back to harsh breathing, her eyes narrowing into slits and widening as her memories flashed before her eyes. Her partner brushed against her the third time that day, softly lulling her back out.
Tears escaped her eyes as she came back, quickly picking up the Fire type and holding her close, she not even complaining as Alita sniffled into the middle of her head. "S-s-s-sorry!"
The Fennekin merely shook her head, picking her cheek and leaping down. She moved her tail, urging her to come on. Alita followed, clutching the strap of her bag as they continued on. But, as fate would have it, it started getting darker and darker out.
Pyrrha cooed in concern as she looked around warily. "W-we m-might h-h-have to c-camp out t-t-tonight." Her Pokemon tensed in understanding. They didn't have any camping supplies, meaning they had to sleep on the bare ground, unprotected. Anything could happen.
She softly stroked her head. "Y-y-you c-can pr-protect us, I-I kn-know you c-can." Pyrrha nodded, understanding. Despite the time they'd known each, a day, she'd grown attached. The tiny human with the big heart had wormed her way straight into her heart, not that she hadn't the same. She could sense the loneliness, the way she would freeze and her eyes glazing over as her body shook like a leaf. If it meant going with her, she'd be happy to.
The patting sound of another's shoes sounded out, Alita tensing. She quickly hid behind a tree, Pyrrha following.
A woman a clear foot taller than her, though that was the normal height of everyone, walked up the path, a stunning cream-colored Pokemon with a mane and tail of roaring flames walked up the path. "What do you think, Amber?" The woman asked sweetly, her accent odd and changing around the sounds of the sentence. "Think we should be camping here tonight?" Her Pokemon, Amber, whinnied, nodding. To her fear, she began setting up on the other side, rolling around her huge pack and unfurling a bed roll.
"I'm gonna release the team! That is, if our little guest comes on out." Alita froze, ice creeping over her heart as she felt the woman's emerald eyes blaze into the tree she was hiding behind. "No need to hide, Lil' Fennekin. I don't bite." Realizing she meant Pyrrha, she urged her partner to go around.
Her starter peeked around the tree, acting accordingly. She chirped cutely and tilted her head, downplaying the fact she had a Trainer. The woman's voice sounded out. "Well, aren't you a cutie?" Her accent distorted it a little, though to her it sounded a bit Johto-ish. "Why don't you help me find some twigs, you get to keep some and we'll use the rest as fire fuel."
Her partner subtly perked up at that, but instead played the shy part, shaking her head and carefully stepping back towards her. "Why so shy? Unless…" Alita winced, nearly allowing a whimper to escape her throat as she realized they might have been caught. She wasn't ready to interact with people! Not yet!
"You have a partner, don'cha?" The crunch of leaves under boots, a soft pat, and suddenly she was looking into the woman's emerald eyes. She flinched back, whimpering softly. The little fox snarled, ready to defend. She held her hands up, looking surprised.
"Whoa, easy there! I ain't gonna hurt you!" She whimpered, whispering quietly, "Y-y-you're n-not m-mad?"
The woman looked shifted her parka around, eyes soft. "You haven't done anything wrong. Come and join my team and I for dinner." Her eyes widened, looking at the woman in shock.
"O-o-o-o-ok…" She beamed, grinning madly as Alita shifted out of the foliage. The younger of the two shrunk into her baggy hoodie, twiddling her fingers as the woman took her in, avoiding eye contact. Her partner jumped on her shoulder, giving the woman a look that said if she tried anything she'd not like the consequences.
She instead laughed, the sound booming. Alita squeaked in fear, shrinking into her hoodie even more like a little Squirtle. The woman, realizing she had frightened her, sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry 'bout that, I forgot you're quite shy."
She merely shivered, quietly shifting towards where she had made camp. The woman's eyes softened, and she strode over to her flaming Pokemon whom was shifting around, looking at her warily as the woman started stroking its snout.
"This here is Amber, she's just like me, she don't bite. I take it you've never seen a Rapidash?" Alita shook her head shyly, quietly pulling her Pokedex. She held it close to her chest, hesitant. The woman looked surprised. "My, never thought someone'd have a Pokedex these days. Darn things are rare as can be with the shortage of the materials needed to make 'em. You can go ahead and scan her."
Alita held up her Pokedex, the clear blue glass sliding into view as it lit up.
"Rapidash, the Fire Horse Pokemon. Very competitive, this Pokemon will chase anything that moves fast in hopes of racing it."
The woman snorted. "Definitely sounds like you." Amber whinnied, huffing in annoyance. "Oh, you big baby, I'm just kidding. Though you can't deny it. Makes me miss when you were a Ponyta…" She huffed again, poking her with her horn.
"Oh you wanna go?" the woman grinned, eyes glittering. Her Rapidash snorted happily in agreement, eyes matching. Alita squeaked, shyly shuffling back. The two blinked, realizing the other two there.
"Ah, sorry about that. Amber can be plain stubborn sometimes." Her Rapidash paced forward, nudging her Trainer aside to get a good look at her. After a moment, Amber calmly nuzzled her chest, snorting in content. The woman grinned. "Looks like she likes you! I never did get your name."
"I-I'm Alita…" She said shyly, shifting her foot back and forth. The elder grinned.
"Nice to meet you! Name's Matilda." She replied. "Now then, how about we set up camp?" Nodding shyly, she placed her fox partner down and hesitantly walked over.
Matilda thankfully had an extra mat, which she offered. She tried to turn it down, but she insisted, even laying both mats out on the grass so she couldn't refuse. She quietly asked Pyrrha to look for sticks, offering the same offer the elder Trainer had in exchange. She nodded excitedly at the prospect of a special treat, racing off into the woods.
"Once your Lil' Fennekin hopes back on over with the wood, we can start the fire and bring out the rest of my team. If that's alright with you, of course." Alita nodded shyly. People were one thing, but Pokémon were genuinely kind. They wouldn't be as loud and harsh.
The rustle of leaves sounded later and Pyrrha's head popped out, mouth and back laden with sticks. Dumping them in the middle of the camp, she took a few off and trotted back to her, content with her reward.
"So, caught any other team members yet?" Matilda asked, merely gesturing at the fire and Amber letting out a small stream of flames that set it alight.
She frowned and hesitantly shook her head. She wouldn't force anyone to battle just for the sake of binding them to her side.
"Well, that's a shame." Alita shrunk back, ashamed. Had she done something wrong? Would Matilda not like her anymore? "I'm pretty sure you would have befriended a Pokemon by now."
Alita said shyly, ducking her head, "I-I-I d-did m-make fr-friends with a f-few, b-but they l-left t-to g-go home." Matilda looked curious.
"Really, where?"
"O-over in-in th-the g-gardens."
She looked shocked. "Honey, most of the Pokemon there are as shy as can be, round humans at least. How'd you do it?" Alita hesitated, afraid to answer. She was thankfully saved by the wobbling of the Pokeballs at the elder's belt.
"Oh, I forgot!" Grabbing five of the six, she threw them in the air. "Come on out, everyone!"
In five snaps and flashes of light, five Pokemon appeared, big and small. Each calmly sat there, blinking at the tiny human before them. One of them squeaked, hiding behind the other. The Pokemon snorted, observing her.
"I'm gonna make dinner while y'all get aquainted!" The Pokemon cheered, the two odd ones out blinking in confusion. Matilda nodded to her. "Feel free to scan them, never gets old."
Alita pointed her Pokedex at the shy one first, the blue glass sliding into view.
"Lilligant, the Flowering Pokemon, and the evolved form of Petilil. The fragrance on the garland on its head has a relaxing effect. It withers if a Trainer does not take good care of it." Oddly, the Lilligant was differently colored than what the Pokedex image offered, but she brushed it off as the night making it look a bit different. She started pointing it at the others.
"Emolga, the Sky Squirrel Pokemon. They live on treetops and glide using a cape-like membrane while discharging electricity." Emolga chirped, eyes glittering as he flew over and climbed up onto her free shoulder.
"Braviary, the Valiant Pokemon, and the evolved form of Rufflet. For the sake of its friends, this brave warrior of the sky will not stop battling, even if injured." It raised its head at that, looking proud and mighty. But, Alita noticed, there was a softness in its glance.
"Milotic, the Tender Pokemon, and the evolved form of Feebas. Milotic is breathtakingly beautiful. Those that see it are said to forget their combative spirits." It elegantly raised its head, looking calm as reddish-pink eyes gazed into her own.
"Espeon, the Sun Pokemon, and an evolved form of Eevee. The tip of its forked tail quivers when it's predicting its opponent's next move." It had laid itself down, falling asleep while its tail swayed lazily.
Matilda smiled at the awed look the tiny girl had, her Fennekin with a matching expression as it sat on her shoulder. As she started stirring in various ingredients to the stew, she stated, "The Lilligant is Lily, the rascal on your shoulder is Chip, high and mighty is Valor, our resident Water type is Phoebe, and the lazy one is Cleo." Her Pokemon let out various calls of acknowledgement, her Espeon lazily padding over and looking hungry at the sight of the stew.
Matilda sighed, using her free hand to rub the Pokemon's head. "You'll get some later, girl. But not now." She pouted, sighing as it went back to sleeping as her Trainer stroked her head and back.
Alita stood there awkwardly, Pyrrha pressed against her in comfort as Chip crawled all over her curiously. Matilda smiled sweetly. "Why don't you sit and relax? Get to know everyone?"
Still a bit tense, she sat down, blinking as the Pokemon curiously, some cautious, came over toward the tiny Trainer. Chip nosed the flowers in her hair, chirping. "O-ok." And with that, she relaxed as the delicious smell of stew wafted through the air.
Alright, so we have our latest chapter! This chapter is meant to display Alita a bit better, and get to see her outside of the range of people. And for those curious, the wild Pokemon she meets are all human-friendly and knowledgeable of human techniques because of the fact they are all used to interacting (aka battling) with and spying on newbie Trainers traveling the Route. And, there might be a chance the Ralts will return! And no, I won't reveal anything else, because there is a very small chance.
Also, did anyone see the new Pokemon Sun and Moon trailer?! As much as I love Lunaala, the Moon Bat, I'm going straight for Solgaleo, the Sun Kitty! And, which starter do you plan on choosing? I'm either going for Litten, the Fire type, or the absolutely adorable Popplio! THEY'RE ALL SO CUTE!
OC introduced this chapter: 'Matilda Nicholson' - Quake Shatterfist
Please Review, Favorite, and Follow the story! And special thanks to my three first reviewers, The Awkward Trumpet, SomeoftheFame, and Quake Shatterfist!