"Are we there yet?" Christie moaned as they walked along Route 2, they were currently trying to find the lake Steven had mentioned but weren't having any luck.
"Christie you said that ten times now and the answers still the same as the last nine times you said that, no." Steven sighed as he checked his map. "Ann I thought you said that the lake was just north of Viridian City?"
"No, I said it was north of Viridian City, how far north I don't know." Ann responded with a frown and the two older trainers shared a look. "And before you ask, no it's not beyond Viridian Forrest!"
"Good because my feet are starting to ache and there's nowhere around that looks comfortable enough to sit on!" Christie moaned as she folded her arms. "I told you that we should've used the Town Map that I got from my mom!"
"Christie, that thing's so outdated it still lists Giovani as the gym leader for the Viridian City Gym!" Steven pointed out as he checked his map. "I swear girls can be such moaners!" Steve muttered under his breath only to have his ear pulled by Christie and Ann.
"What was that?!" The two girls demanded in a threatening voice and Steven winced.
"Nothing, nothing, please let go!" Steven pleaded with them and they did, Steve rubbed his aching ear before checking the Town Map again. "Ann, are you sure that the lake wasn't too the north of Viridian Forrest?"
"I'm sure! That narrow path up ahead will lead us to the lake!" Ann responded as she pointed it out and the older teens sighed in relief before they made their way through the path and came upon the lake where Christie spotted a Rhyhorn having a drink.
"Ah sweet, I'm going to catch a Rhyhorn this early in my journey!" Christie said before activating her Pokeball and going to throw it. "Pokeball….."
"Christie, that Rhyhorn has a trainer." Steven pointed out and Christie face-faulted when she saw a male trainer patting the rock type on the head. "If it helps I didn't see him at first either."
"I knew that!" Christie asserted with a nervous laugh as she deactivated her Pokeball and returned it to the backpack.
"Ah, so you three are trainers." The male trainer said upon seeing the trio, he was a tall lanky man with short black hair and brown eyes who was wearing a black trenchcoat, a red t-shirt, cargo pants and boots. "And it seems she has a good eye for Pokémon."
"You're not offended that she tried to capture it?" Steven asked as Christie glared at him and the trainer laughed.
"Eh, mistakes happen." The trainer responded as Christie got to her feet. "I'm Tristan, and this little guy is my Rhyhorn."
"He calls that little?" Christie thought as she looked at the large Pokémon. "I'm Christie, he's Steven and that's his sister Ann." Christie introduced herself and Tristan nodded.
"You have no badges huh? Just started your journey?" Tristan asked and Christie nodded. "May I see your Pokémon?"
"Err, sure." Christie said as she dug out her four Pokémon. "Come on out guys!" Christie called out as she tossed the four Pokémon and Evee, Pidgey and Fearow stood their proudly…whilst Magicarp splashed around on the floor.
"Nice mix of Pokémon there." Tristan commented as Christie returned Magicarp to its Pokeball. "But where's your starter?"
"It's that Evee." Christie responded as she pointed to the Pokémon who let out a happy cry as she pointed to it. "He was the only Pokémon available but he can hold his own!"
"Have you given any thought on what you'll evolve it into?" Tristan asked and Christie shook her head.
"When I first started off I thought there was still only three Eveelutions." Christie responded with a frown. "The fact that there are eight of them now makes it even harder to decide."
"Not her fault that they keep discovering new evolved forms of Evee." Steven chimed in as he walked up with his hands in his pockets. "We're looking for Torchic for Christie to capture and raise into a Blaziken, we heard that there were some in Viridian Forest."
"You heard right, I saw some on the way over from Pewter City." Tristen nodded in response. "Didn't interest me though, I'm a trainer who specializes in Rock Types like my Rhydon here."
"Sounds like you really know how to rock!" Christie commented with a grin and the others face-palmed at her bad pun. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
"Can't believe I'm saying this but just stick to sexual innuendos Christie." Steven told Christie and she rolled her eyes before getting her fishing rod out and starting fishing. "You'll have to excuse her I'm pretty much the brains of the bunch!"
"I heard that!" Christie and Ann yelled out simultaneously and Steven sweat-dropped.
"So I get that Ann's your sister and all…." Tristan said as he glanced over at Ann as she took a seat next to Christie as did Christie's Pokémon. "But what about Christie, are you two a couple?"
"Not really, we literally just met today." Steven responded as he shook his head. "I was Christie's first trainer battle but I defeated her pretty easily."
"Thanks for rubbing it in." Christie yelled out and Steve laughed nervously.
"Well you're already acting like a married couple." Tristan chuckled causing the two teens to face-fault and Christie to nearly fall into the lake in the process. "So how did you go from that to…?" Tristan trailed off as a loud splash was heard and they looked up seeing that Christie had indeed fallen into the water.
"Great, now I have to go get changed." Christie grunted as she got out of the lake and gave her hair, which had fallen out of its ponytail, a flip.
"There's some bushes over there you can get changed in." Tristan told Christie and she nodded before grabbing her backpack and walking towards the bushes whilst trying her best to keep her cool and her Pokémon followed her. "So what happened that led to her being your traveling companion?"
"Beedrill attack, yeah, seriously." Steven answered and Tristan winced. "She had just caught some more Pokémon when she was attacked by a Beedrill swarm over in Route 1; I intervened before things could get ugly but she was pretty banged up, from there I bluffed my way into accompanying her."
"It hasn't exactly been her day, has it?" Tristan asked and Steven nodded. "A Pokémon Trainer's first day is always the roughest, she'll get used to it."
"I'm pretty sure she likes it rough." Steve commented before blushing like a mad-man. "Not a word to Christie or Ann about what I just said, got it?"
"My lips are sealed." Tristan responded as he made a zipping motion with his fingers.
*meanwhile*
"First a Beedrill attack, now this." Christie sighed as she swapped her crop top for a red one, she had already chosen her outfit and whilst the only difference, besides how wet her first outfit was, was the fact that her crop top was red she was just glad to be out of the wet clothing. "I lost my damn hairband in the lake as well at least it can't get any worse after the Beedrill attack!"
"Torchic….." Christie's train of thought was interrupted when she saw a Torchic walk by and sniffing the nearby flowers not noticing that a teenaged girl and her Evee where nearby.
"Sweet, maybe if I'm quiet I can catch it without incident!" Christie thought as she grabbed one of her new Pokeballs and activated it, unfortunately for her she stepped on a twig the moment she got close enough to attempt the capture and Torchic looked up, the Pokémon panicked when it saw the Pokeball and ran off. "Wait, I don't mean you any harm!" Christie called after it as she gave chase to the Fire Pokémon but it was faster than she was and led her back to the lake. "Oh screw it! Evee, Quick Attack!" Christie commanded and the Evee took the lead as it chased after the Torchic, the Torchic span around and fired some Embers at Evee but he dodged all but one of them but by that time Evee was close enough to hit the Quick Attack knocking the Torchic to the ground.
"Christie, are you sure that that Torchic doesn't have a trainer this time?" Steven asked as he, Ann and Tristan caught up to her.
"I saw it in the forest sniffing some flowers and no trainer's come forward to claim it. I think it's a pretty safe bet that it doesn't have a trainer." Christie responded as she threw the Pokeball at the Torchic capturing it. "See, what did I tell you?" Christie asked before, to the surprise of her and everyone else the Torchic broke free of the Ball after its capture. "Huh?"
"Well, that's new." Steven admitted as the Torchic walked up to Christie and hugged her leg. "Maybe it's claustrophobic or something?"
"A claustrophobic Pokémon, even I have to admit that's something I've never seen before." Tristan commented as he scratched his head. "Might be worth asking a Nurse Joy about, if anyone would understand Pokémon it's her."
"Maybe your right, still I'll need some place to put it whilst we're walking a long distance or going over water." Christie responded as she started thinking for a bit, she emptied out the front pouch of her backpack, which was where she was keeping her Pokeballs, and held it open for Torchic who happily jumped in.
"You realize that won't work if you intend to evolve it into a Blaziken, right?" Steven pointed out and Christie nodded.
"By then he should be strong enough to walk alongside us." Christie said as she glanced at the Torchic before attaching the other Pokeballs to her belt and putting the rest of the stuff from her backpack's front pouch in the backpack itself. "Besides this is just a temporary measure unless we can't figure out what's wrong with him."
"Let's just hope that Torchic's strong enough to make up for it." Steven responded as he folded his arms and Christie nodded in agreement.
"Oh Christie, that reminds me." Ann chimed in and Christie looked up seeing an Alakazam levitating her hairband. "I noticed your hair was loose so I had Alakazam retrieve your hairband, it's dry to boot."
"Thanks Ann." Christie thanked her before putting her hand underneath the levitating hairband, Alakazam let go of it and she grabbed it before tying her hair back up in a ponytail. "So, what's our next move?"
"It's getting pretty late and we won't reach Pewter for a few hours yet." Steven answered as he checked his watch. "I suggest we camp for the night in Viridian Forrest, we'll be able to use that opportunity to dry off the clothes you took a dive in anyway."
"Very funny, but I agree with you." Christie responded as she rolled her eyes and finished tying her hair back. "I think it'll be good if I let you guys catch up anyway, I mean I did catch four Pokémon on my first day as a trainer."
"I did the same thing when I started my journey but that's still a good idea." Steve admitted and Christie blinked in confusion. "The rest of my Pokémon are with Professor Sycamore back in Kalos, I figured it would be good to get a fresh start."
"I guess it's settled then." Christie nodded before the trio walked off. "See you around Tristian." She called out to him and Tristan waved them off.
"I can guarantee that." Tristan muttered under his breath before reaching into his trench coat pocket and retrieving a pair of Boulder Badges. "If they are serious about the Pokémon league they'll stop by my gym as soon as they leave Viridian Forrest, luckily that'll take them a few hours as Steven said and I know a shortcut." Tristan thought before retrieving another Pokeball and throwing it revealing a Skarmory. "Skarmory, fly me back to Pewter City!" Tristan commanded before hopping on Skarmory and the steel type flew off.
*later that night*
By then Steve had found a good spot to rest up in the forest and the trio where sitting around a campfire with their Pokémon out, well besides Christie's Magicarp for obvious reasons and three tents, one for each trainer, had been set up around the camp fire, the clothes that Christie was wearing prior to her dive was drying off on a nearby branch and despite her preference to leaving it tied up Christie had chosen to let her hair loose.
"Steve, how many lame Ghost Stories do you have to tell before you realize that you suck at them?" Christie asked as a large sweat-drop rolled down her head, Steve shook his head at her comment before getting an idea.
"Okay, okay, one more and I will be done, I promise!" Steve responded and his two female companions shared a bored look before nodding. "There once was a beautiful female trainer from Pallet Town who got attacked by a swarm of Beedrill only to be saved by a dashing prince….."
"Okay, that hit a little too close to home!" Christie interrupted him with an angry look on her face and Steve laughed nervously. "As much as I appreciate the complement, anyone have a ghost story to tell that doesn't end with me being knocked out for four hours?"
"Well I was going to say that they got married and lived happily ever after." Steve commented with a nervous grin as Christie glared at him. "Tough crowd….."
"Steve, it's a tough crowd that features a girl who was actually attacked by Beedrill." Ann pointed out with a frown. "I'm just saying."
"And you're already talking about marriage to a girl who you've barely known for a day." Christie added as she shook her head. "I'm not saying I am or anything but what if I turned out to be a lesbian?"
"I'd respect your life-style choice and move on." Steve responded and Christie grinned at that. "And ask for any sex tapes of you and your partner." Steve added causing his two female companions to face-fault.
"Steve, if you actually asked that you'd be more likely to get kicked in the nuts by the lesbian you're asking." Christie pointed out and Steve gulped. "Some of my female friends back in Pallet Town are gay, trust me, I know."
"How did you find that out?" Steve asked with a raised eyebrow and Christie laughed.
"They tried asking me out and I had to tell them that I was straight." Christie responded and Steve shook his head.
"So how many males where disappointed that you weren't going to be getting it on with other girls?" Steve asked and Christie laughed before shaking her head.
"I don't really hang out with the guys in Pallet Town…..which probably was what made my lesbian friends think that I was a lesbian now that I think about it….." Christie trailed off before shaking her head. "It's not that they aren't nice guys but most of the guys around my age who live there are perverts and I've caught them sniffing my panties on more than one occasion."
"I can't believe I'm saying this to a girl who I haven't exactly been subtle about my desire to date her towards….." Steve trailed off and Christie raised an eyebrow. "But I'm willing to bet that they are glad that your dad's dead."
"The fact that my dad's dead doesn't even register with them, if they were caught they had to deal with my mom's Pokémon which includes a Tauros, a Scyther, a really annoying Pidgey, a Dragonite and a Fearrow basically the last Pokémon that you want chasing you chasing after them." Christie responded earning curious looks from Ann and Steven.
"So if that happened, where were you?" Steve asked and Christie leaned back against a tree trunk with a grin on her face.
"I was watching from my bedroom window with a bag of popcorn in my hands." Christie responded causing the others, including their Pokémon, to face-fault. "Well I needed something to do since I wasn't on my Pokémon Journey yet! And that's not counting the other stuff in my room."
"Okay, that is a fair point I'll give you that." Steve responded with a nod. "I never got into anything that….fun….back home in Kalos, hell I was usually the one trying to sneak into girl's bedrooms."
"Steve, you just said that to the girl you're hoping to date one day." Christie pointed out and Steve sweat-dropped as his eyes widened. "Right now the guys back in Pallet Town are looking more appealing, just saying."
"And you wonder why you've been single this long." Ann sighed as she roasted some marshmallows over the fire. "How about we change the subject before Steve digs a hole so big he'll be able to see the rest of Diglett's body?"
"As much as I'd actually like to see that I agree." Christie responded before stretching with a yawn. "I was out for four hours today how the fuck am I still tired?!"
"I don't know, maybe because it's getting late." Steve shrugged his shoulders and Christie gave him an annoyed look. "And you don't need to worry about using swear words around Ann she's heard me use them more than enough times."
"Let me guess, whenever a weakened Pokémon would still break free of the Pokeball you threw at it?" Christie asked and Steve nodded. "My mom always said that she must've spent thousands of dollars on Pokeballs for that reason!"
"I'd believe it." Steve shrugged his shoulders in response. "Christie, if you're tired feel free to go to bed, we'll keep an eye out for trouble."
"Steve, the only wild Pokémon around here is Torchic, Catapees and Weedles how much trouble can those things be?" Christie asked before yawning as did her Evee. "But on the other hand I am shattered." Christie added before standing up, she returned her Pokémon (besides Torchic) to their Pokeballs and went into her tent with her Torchic behind her. "Goodnight guys."
"Goodnight." Steve called after her as she entered her tent and zipped up the entrance, Steve sighed to himself once he was sure that she was asleep. "It wasn't the Pokémon that I was concerned about."
"Yeah, there have been reported sightings of Team Rocket Minions in the area." Ann responded with a nod. "She's still early in her Pokémon Journey though, most trainers in her shoes are naïve enough to believe that it'll be smooth sailing from here on out."
"Well, even with that in mind her Pokémon Journey hasn't exactly been smooth so far." Steve pointed out and Ann nodded in agreement. "The Beedrill attack, falling into the lake, and that's not even getting into the difficulties she's had getting her journey started in the first place." Steve added and Ann nodded.
"Okay, now that she's asleep I can ask you this." Ann said as she shifted her weight. "Christie's a nice girl and all but do you really believe she has potential as a trainer or are you just using that as an excuse to get in her pants?"
"How did I know that question was coming?" Steve asked with an annoyed sigh. "The difference between you and me in regards to Christie is this Ann, I've seen her battle and you haven't." Steve responded with a shrug. "Would I like to be invited into her tent for a night of sex? Yeah, what straight guy wouldn't? But I'd still like to get to know her first, hopefully without fucking up my chances along the way."
"Well, if you say so Steve." Ann sighed before standing up. "But let's face it, I've only seen her catch a Magicarp and a Torchic so far and if she hadn't decided to use Quick Attack to knock it down that Torchic would've gotten away." Ann added before heading into her tent with her Pokémon behind her. "Goodnight Steve."
"Goodnight." Steve responded before stretching and yawning. "It's definitely been an interesting day to say the least but at least Christie's recovered well from the Beedrill attack." Steve thought as he got up, put out the campfire and walked towards his tent which was right next to Christie's tent, he momentarily glanced up at the tent where he could just make out Christie's sleeping Shallotte, he shook his head before heading into the tent and zipping it up.