The pressure of being a pokémon trainer weighed heavier than ever as I stepped, for the third time, out of my mom's house. My anxieties and fear of true failure haunted my mind. I looked down at the pokéball attached to my belt, then removed it an held it in my hand. It was heavier than an empty pokéball. Not by much, but I could tell the slight difference. Rae, my tyrogue, filled the ball with his power, and gave it this heft.
I worried that his weight was too much for me to carry. I couldn't bear letting him down again. What kind of trainer loses twice so soon after starting their adventure? I couldn't help but as myself. And my answer wasn't kind. Only a sorry excuse for a trainer loses like this. Pathetic. Maybe try actually training if you're going to call yourself a trainer!
Wait, that was it. I suddenly realized it.
I was trying to be a pokémon trainer. But hadn't actually spent any time training my pokémon. Of course I was losing! Rae had barely grown at all since we started off a couple days ago. There was no way we could take on a trainer like Erin without more practice.
I needed a game plan. I thought back to my first success, just after I left New Bark Town. Rae had no troubles against the wild Pidgey we encountered on Route 29, so maybe if we fought more of those, Rae would grow stronger. It was worth a shot.
I set off again down the path surrounded by familiar trees of my childhood, toward Route 29. I found a patch of tall grass and waded into the brush. For the rest of the afternoon, I spent my time battling wild pokémon there. Pidgeys and the occasional ratatta fell to Rae's wicked Mach Punch. I even found a Potion behind another patch of grass that was nearby!
After a number of victories against pokémon hiding beneath the sea of grass, I was feeling a new wave of confidence. Not like last time though. This was more of a feeling of security. I was heading in the right direction. Rae, however, was looking a little rough. Despite our victories, he had taken more than a few hits. I even had to use a potion on him at one point. Since I found another Potion earlier, I still had one to use, but I didn't want to waste it. After all, I could just head back to mom's place and use the Pokémon Recovery Unit there.
No, I can't go running back home every time I run into a problem! My adventure is supposed to take me away from home, not back to it every day! I looked around to see if there was anyone who might be willing to help. I had run into a few folks out for a stroll on Route 29 while I was training - maybe one could spare me another Potion. But there wasn't anyone to be seen.
Instead, there was a small sign, like the one on Route 46. It read
ROUTE 29CHERRYGROVE CITY - NEW BARK TOWN
Cherrygrove City! It had to be just further down the path, since it was named first on the sign. I realized I had wandered further than I thought. But that was okay, because Cherrygrove would have a Pokémon Center, and they could heal up Rae for free!
The trip to Cherrygrove City was a short one from there. It was only a few minutes down the path. Once I entered the city, the first building I saw was the Pokémon Center. I took off at a run to the door. Inside, the nurse greeted me kindly.
"Hello, welcome to our Pokémon Center! We can heal your pokémon to perfect health. Shall we heal your pokémon?"
"Please!" I replied enthusiastically. "I really appreciate it!"
The nurse smiled warmly. She sure was pretty. I don't think I had ever seen anyone as pretty as her. "Not a problem at all! May I see your pokémon?"
"Oh, yes, of course," I said as I fumbled with the pokéball on my belt. "Here you go..." I handed it over to her.
She took my pokéball and placed it onto a machine that looked similar to the Pokémon Recovery Unit mom had at home. A picture of a tyrogue appeared on the screen attached to it.
"Oh, wow, a Tyrogue!" The nurse said enthusiastically. "Fighting types are always very impressive pokémon." She smiled again and I felt my cheeks warm.
"Uh, thanks..." I said. My eyes were glued to the floor. "His name's Rae. My dad gave him to me when I was younger."
The machine chimed and I watched the stunning nurse retrieve my pokéball and hold it out to me. I carefully took it from her, making sure not to accidentally brush my fingers against hers. I couldn't handle that kind if embarrassment.
"Well, you take good care of Rae," she said to me. "I'm sure t's what your dad would want. Please come back anytime Rae needs to heal up!" Her bright, warm smile was beaming. "We hope to see you again!"
I thanked the nurse and stepped out of the Cherrygrove Pokémon Center. I would definitely return, even if it was just to see her! In the meantime, I had a rematch to attend to.
I headed straight back to the Route Interchange Office on Route 29 and carried on North to Route 46. Through the tall grass, I found my opponent. Her eyes were still shining bright. Brighter even than that nurse's smile.
"Erin!" I yelled. She locked her fiery eyes with mine and reached to the pokéballs on her hip. "How about a rematch?"