Right then, second instalment of "To the Pokemon Academy". I am very sorry for the late update, but I figured it would be better to give you guys a real chapter with some detailed things, instead of rushing one out. Thank you for your lovely reviews, and please review more if you so wish.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.
Note: I was asked if I accepted OCs, and I want to inform you all that indeed I do^^ Just PM or review with the character description if you want me to include your character. I would be happy to! Sadly, I cannot promise that I will have room for EVERY single character... Though I will try my hardest. If preferable, I can inform whether your character will be in the chapter with a little note at the beginning of each chapter; just send me a PM or review. Now then, onto the story.

"Hi there, Oso," she smiled, waving at the Teddiursa. "Are you alright?"

Oso went on sucking his left paw like he had the night before, looking questioningly at the girl in front of him, wondering what to think of her, when Lena continued. "I was just wondering... We're going off to this Academy, you see, and there we have to work our best to become good partners. Would you want that too?"

"Yarf," he replied, looking somewhat happy. "Grr?"

It would seem he was asking her what she thought (at least this was what Lena interpreted it as), and so she starting talking of her own opinion. "Well... I like the idea, and it seems like a lot of fun, but I'd rather start off by going to Pewter City and battle that leader, Brock, for a badge..."

Oso snorted. Lena's eyebrows went up; what, he doesn't think we could do it? "You seem to think the same as Mama and Baba..." She paused. "Tell me; would you fight for me?"

He shrugged, as much as a Teddiursa with its paw in its mouth could shrug. He did not like or dislike Lena, after all; they had just met. Perhaps, though, they could be friends if she proved to be a kind little girl.

"No? Or are you just indifferent?"

Oso Roosevelt nodded when Lena mentioned 'indifferent'. "So I have to earn... what was it called again? Your respect? Yes. Right. Would you fight for yourself, then?"

"Grr," the Teddiursa nodded, chewing some more on his paw, clearly approving of this statement.

Lena gave thumbs up, smiling slightly. "Right then, we have ourselves a deal. Is it okay if I return you to your ball now? I think I hear Mama calling."


"Right then," she said, smiling at her husband, and daughter, "we'll need to conclude which route to take to Saffron, once and for all."

"Wouldn't it be best to take Diglett's Cave to Vermillion, like we usually do when we're shopping, and go to Saffron from there?" Matthew pointed with his finger on the map while he was talking. Lena felt excited; Diglett's Cave was full of Diglett, naturally, and though they could be frightening when appearing, they were quite cute. I hope we'll decide on that route instead of through Pewter and Mount Moon...

Susie nodded, slowly, tracing a line where Matthew had pointed with her pen. "It does sound like the most logical choice, as neither of us have any Pokemon knowing how make light enough for us to see... Then again, we do have flashlights... I was thinking we'd spend a day or two in Cerulean, you see," she added, winking at Lena, "Misty and her sisters are performing this show, and I think your daughter would want to have a look."

"I want to go through Diglett's Cave and Vermillion, though," Lena tilted her head. "Can't we go to Cerulean too, or is it far off?"

Susie shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee. "Mm, nicely brewed, Matthew... No, it isn't far off at all. I think we have come to an agreement, little one. We'll go the show as well," she sent her daughter another wink, "though I do expect you to be on your best behavior!"

An eager nod came from the girl, promising that she would be good. She figured that getting through the Viridian Forest would be quite simple, as they were residents of the city with the same name, and so knew the right paths to take.

An hour later, Lena and her mother said goodbye to father and husband at the gate before the Forest. Matthew kissed his wife, handed her two Poke balls, and headed home after hugging his daughter.

Lena wondered what the Poke balls contained, and if the Pokemon inside would be her mother's. She asked her mother this as they started on the first path up the Forest, keeping good on the path and not straying into areas where wild, and potentially aggressive Pokemon might appear.

"Oh, these?" Susie smiled. "Yes, I can see it on you; you think these are my Pokemon, and they are. I caught them when I was younger, a bit older than you, in fact."

Lena smiled, cracking a twig underneath her shoe as they walked. "Wow, did you go for the gym challenge, Mama? What Pokemon do you have?"

Susie shook her head. "No, I did not. I was content with staying here. In later years, though, I have started thinking of challenging that Brock from Pewter... As for what kinds, I do have my loyal Shake, who is a Spearow, and-"

"Hi there! Yeah, you two! Mother and child!"

Just as Susie was about tell Lena about the second Pokemon in her team, a voice shouted from the right side of the path. It was not easy to see who was speaking, through the bushes and tall grass, not to mention the trees, but both Lena and Susie squinted, and managed to get a sight of the owner of the voice when he came onto the path.

"Hi," repeated the man, smiling. He was carrying a net, and a little bag in his hands. He was wearing a large-brimmed, straw hat, and blur shorts. "Are you heading to Pewter?"

Susie's eyes narrowed, and she placed a protective hand on Lena's shoulder. "Perhaps we are. Why do you ask?"

The man shrugged. "Just wondering if you were trainers..." He rummaged through his shorts, and pulled out a little plastic card, flashing it before Lena and Susie. "I'm a Bug Catcher, as you can probably tell by my net and attire... My name is Carl, and I would like to battle."

Lena's eyes widened. This was the first time she had ever been asked to battle, and though she felt the statement was more directed towards her mother, she responded. "Oh, that would be great!"

Her mother raised her eyebrows at her. "Lena! You and Oso have never trained together; there is no way I am letting you battle this man... Perhaps, though," she added, as if realizing something, "I might be persuaded to battle him myself."

The little girl was obviously disappointed, but a demonstration of her mother's Pokemon would be alright for her too, it seemed. Mama is right, she thought, weighing Oso's Poke ball in her hand, Oso and I have never even tried fighting a dummy...Will we get to do that at the Academy?

Carl the Bug Catcher looked delighted. "Ah, fantastic. A man must earn his livings, as you know. One Pokemon each, then? Yes?" He waited for the confirming nod from Susie. When he had received it, he retrieved a Poke ball from his little bag, and threw it on the ground."I choose my Caterpie!"

A flash of light came as the ball opened where it landed, and a Caterpie appeared, its antenna wavering. Susie pushed her daughter a bit away, before throwing her own Poke ball to the ground, revealing Shake the Spearow.

Carl did not waste much time, it seemed to Lena, as he shouted a command to his Caterpie. "Slow the bird down with a string shot! Just because it has a type advantageous to yours, doesn't mean we can't slow it down!"

"Shake, create a gust of wind!" Susie said, smiling, as the Spearow obeyed, flapping its wings vigorously. A great whirlwind blew the Caterpie's sticky strings over its own body, making it unable to move much. Shake the Spearow marched promptly up to the the bug Pokemon and attacked it with his beak. The Caterpie squirmed, making small squeaking noises. Carl sighed, and returned it to the its Poke ball.

"You win, then, I guess," he sighed again. "Here's half of my savings," he handed Susie a few coins and a note, "have a great trip, wherever you are going!"

And with that he turned, and went off in the direction he had come from, seemingly unhappy with his loss, but perfectly able to accept that he had to train a bit harder with his Pokemon before he could be able to beat that particular trainer.

Lena jumped up and down, smiling widely. "Mama! That was fantastic!"

Susie smiled. "Seems I've still got it, yeah... " She checked her watch. "Let's get going out of this Forest, and I will tell you about why my Shake won this battle."

So that was it; tune in for the next instalment, titled "Training outside Pewter, and Diglett's Cave".