Once again, I thank those who have review on my story!

I have thirty-nine chapters (most of them I'm editing and fixing up), so updates will most likely come fast. I'm glad to be editing; those older chapters are so bad. XD It's odd how much better you can get at something without even realizing it.

Now enough of my rambling! I'll begin the chapter now.

Chapter 5
The Departure

"Bye, Professor!"

Marina, Kenta, and Jackson stepped out of the laboratory of Professor Elm after saying a final farewell. As soon as the door was shut behind them, the boys turned to Marina. Deep in thought, she was looking at the Totodile that was now at her feet beside Kenta's Cyndaquil and Jackson's Chikorita.

"Hey Marina, are you okay?" Jackson asked her.

"Yeah, I'm good," Marina said with a nod. Kenta, however, shook his head.

"No you're not, I can tell," he disagreed, "Chris just hasn't gotten around to sending you a Pokémon yet. He'd never forget about something like this."

"That's right! He'll probably send it later, so cheer up! Okay?" Jackson added a moment later. "Besides, you've got a good Pokémon already!"

Marina continued to stare blankly for a moment, but she smiled and looked up at them. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks."

Her friends grinned back at her as they walked away from the lab, their Pokémon clumsily following at their heels.

"Hey, it's your mom," Kenta said, noticing the group of familiar people waiting for them ahead.

"Really?" Marina asked, squinting to see. "Oh!"

"C'mon!" Jackson exclaimed, and the three sprinted toward them. Not only was Caroline there among the small group, but also Kenta's mother, who stood beside her. Both approached their children as the trio reached them.

"Here you go, Hiro," Kenta's mother spoke with a smile, holding out the boy's light gray backpack.

"Mom, that's my middle name, don't call me that!" Kenta exclaimed and, blushing, snatched the knapsack from her hands. Jackson laughed aloud, and Marina tried to stop herself from giggling too much. "You guys...! Fine, laugh if you want," the boy moaned.

They and their neighbors harmlessly chuckled.

"Take care of yourself, Marina," Caroline said to Marina as the laughter ended. She handed her a pink backpack, slightly heavy with supplies, and gave the girl a hug. "And make sure you take care of your cute Pokémon too."

"Wani," Totodile squawked at their feet, sloppily trying to dance again.

"I will," Marina vowed. When she pulled away, her mother patted her on the head, careful so not to mess up her bandana. May watched silently from beside them. Catching her sister's gaze, Marina nodded and smiled, causing May to smile back.

"Remember: call weekly!" May ordered.

"All right, all right!"

"We better get going now," Jackson called over the chatter. He was wearing his yellow backpack the entire time, ready to go. In fact, he was already a great distance from everyone else, approaching the town's exit nearby while his Chikorita waved its leaf in farewell.

"Okay!" Kenta and Marina agreed in unison. They quickly sprinted to catch up with their friend, their Pokémon following, separating from the group of parents and neighbors.

Everyone seeing them off said their words of farewell and good luck. Marina, Kenta, and Jackson waved at them, yelling their own goodbyes with wide smiles on their faces.

Walking down the trail of Route 29 for the first time as official Pokémon Trainers, the three children were unable to contain their excitement. Their Pokémon—their very own and not one that belonged to the laboratory—walked loyally at their sides. Cyndaquil looked only a little unsure while Totodile and Chikorita blissfully chatted away.

"Isn't this great, Marina?" Jackson asked as he marched ahead.

"Mm-hm!" Marina nodded and looked down at their Pokémon. She listened as each one of them talked back and forth, trying to comprehend their chit-chat, though only able to identify its overall gleeful mood.

"Wani, wani! Wani!" Her Totodile jumped about eagerly with its stubby arms outstretched, causing Chikorita to twirl its leaf in response.

"Chikori~."

It was only when Kenta's uncertain comment reached her ears did Marina look back up at her friends.

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"What?" Marina asked, confused. "What's not?"

"Who asked you?" snapped Jackson as he turned to Kenta, whose arms were crossed.

"What are you two talking about?" Marina interjected, foreseeing that a quarrel would pop up if she didn't.

"If we should all keep traveling together," Kenta answered her, "Jackson wants to keep going like this, but I think it's better to split up."

"Well, that's what you think," Jackson responded. "If you want to go on you own, be my guest. I'll just stay with Marina."

"I... Why don't we all just go our own separate way?"

Jackson twisted his face and eyed Kenta suspiciously. "Why?"

"I," Marina called out and leaned in between the two, causing them to back away from each other. She glanced at the two as she straightened her posture. "Agree with Kenta," she finished.

"But...But Marina—."

"We won't get as much experience if we all stick together like this. We've gotta learn how to take care of ourselves, right?" Marina asked.

Kenta nodded in response, and Jackson mimicked him unhappily.

"Besides," she lifted her index finger to emphasize her point, "We'd all end up getting sick of each other eventually!"

"Oh, I'd never get sick of you, Marina! Now, Kenta on the other hand..." Jackson glared at Kenta, who turned to him with an offended frown.

"What did I do?!"

Marina stepped in-between them again, and they stopped fighting to make room for her once more.

"Whether you guys want to travel together or not, I'm going to go alone. Bye-bye!"

She turned and briskly walked away, not looking back. The two boys looked after her, partially confused.

"Marina?" Kenta asked.

Jackson made a frown. "Why?"

"Why not? I didn't say forever," Marina said with a hint of laughter. She turned back to them, sticking her tongue out and then making an uplifting smile. "Maybe we can all join up again and travel some other time. But not now; we need to know how to take care of ourselves first! So, well, good luck! Bye-bye for now!"

"Y-Yeah, okay! For now! See you!"

"Good luck, Marina!"

With a cute wave, Marina ran through the field off the trail, her Totodile squawking and trailing behind her. They watched her until she was out of sight, lost in thought. Kenta shook his head and began walking in the opposite direction where Marina went. His jittery Cyndaquil scurried behind him.

"I'm going too, then. See you later, Jackson," he said with a calm nod.

"Yeah, well...so will I!" Jackson replied enthusiastically, walking along the path with his Chikorita. "Don't get lost along the way, Kenta!"

"Like I would," Kenta returned and grinned. They both waved goodbye and rushed down the paths they chose.

Marina found herself in a spread-out forest, grasping the strap of her backpack tensely. She didn't like exploring in forests on her own, but she knew this path well enough and her eccentric Totodile kept her company. He looked around eagerly, snapping his jaws for no reason. It was an almost perfect summer day for a walk, now that the girl thought about it. The air was warm and the breeze complimented it.

Totodile stumbled as his Trainer stopped. Ahead, a brown Pokémon ate fruit from a small sapling with aid of its long, striped tail. Its black rabbit ears twitched as it shifted its gaze to them.

"Wani!" Totodile opened his mouth excitedly.

Nodding to herself, as if a greeting as well to the wild critter, Marina recognized it instantly as a Sentret. Known as the Scout Pokémon, they were common in many areas during the daytime. She smiled.

"All right! Go, Wani-Wani!" She called, pointing at the Sentret. Totodile stepped in front of Marina, but then stared back with a sort of confused expression.

"Wani?"

"You like to say 'wani' a lot, so I'm going to nickname you Wani-Wani. Okay, Wani-Wani?" she asked with a slight giggle. "Now, let's go!"

The Totodile stared for a second longer and turned around, speeding toward his opponent.

"Let's see... Use Water Gun!" Marina said confidently.

My first order! She thought with glee.

Totodile hesitated for a moment, but jumped and smacked Sentret's face with its small claws before the Sentret attacked. The Pokémon cried out in shock as it doubled over, shooting a timid glare at the crocodile. It then rolled into a ball.

"Well, I said Water Gun, but Scratch will do fine," Marina said. Feeling empowered and not the least bit silly, she pointed at the wild Sentret once again. "Use Scratch again, Wani-Wani!"

"Wani!" he called as he attacked, causing Sentret to uncurl. The two slid away and readily made eye contact, prepared to continue.

"Okay, I hope that's good enough." Marina reached into a side pocket in her backpack. She smiled as she pulled out a small Poké Ball.

All right, Mom packed me some Poké Balls, after all! Grinning and inwardly thanking her reliable mother, she pressed the button in the middle of the Poké Ball, enlarging the sphere so it would be ready for capture.

"Poké Ball, go!" she called, hurling it at Sentret. Upon contact, the Pokémon burst into a white light and was trapped inside. The ball, now on the ground, shook on its own. Marina and Totodile stared at it intently.

Come on... Come on, Marina thought, waiting in anticipation.

A moment later, the shivering stopped. There was a brief moment of silence as the reality of Marina's first successful capture sunk in. Making a squeal in delight, Marina smiled and picked up the Poké Ball.

"We did it! It might've been a weak one, but I don't care, it was cute!" She snuggled the ball against her cheek. "Nice to meet you, Sentret! I'm going to name you... um... Oh, I don't know, Nana!"

Tilting her head downward, Marina smiled at her Totodile. "We worked great together, didn't we? Good job!"

The Pokémon nicknamed Wani-Wani looked around them distractedly. His Trainer smiled, and they continued.

As the hours passed by like minutes, the first three days came and went. Unlike the previous sunny days, on the third day the weather on Route 29 was overcast. It suited how Marina felt; she was tired from traveling and sleeping outside. Wani-Wani and her other Pokémon were tired from battling, too. The initial burst of energy had faded, but they still had much vigor left in them.

Marina managed to acquire a few other Pokémon besides Sentret: the common Mouse Pokémon Rattata that she simply nicknamed Tata; the Tiny Bird Pokémon Spearow she called Kenya; and even a Phanpy she named Phany. Phanpy, a little elephant known as the Long Nose Pokémon, took her the most time to obtain. Phanpy were rarer, appeared only in the morning, and were quick to flee. But she was determined and an early riser to begin with. Fortunately, her efforts were not in vain as she managed to capture a rather energetic one.

In the past, Marina had often explored these parts with her siblings and parents accompanying her. So she had a vague idea where to find areas abundant with different kinds of wild Pokémon. But she was running low on supplies, so she forced herself to stop catching at the moment and concentrated on finding her way to the next town.

The girl stopped and looked around her, seeing the berry tree sitting in a clearing.

"Which way was it, now," she muttered to herself. The dirt path below her went straight ahead, leading to a cluster of pink-roofed houses. Her face brightened. "That works!"

I don't mind the outdoors, but I can't wait to get inside a house again. Or a Pokémon Center, she added with a renewed excitement. Grabbing the straps of her backpack, she glanced at her five Poké Balls that were clipped to her Trainer's belt around her waist. Cheerfully, she strolled onto the trail and followed it to Cherrygrove City.

Meanwhile, Kenta still traveled on his own rugged path. He began to realize why one of his friends had taken a path separate from the dirt one.

"Maybe I really should've gone with Marina...She's the one who used to come here with her brother all the time," Kenta murmured to himself.

His Cyndaquil trotted beside him, gazing up at his Trainer. Upon stepping on a surface different from grass, the Pokémon jumped back. The fire on his back exploded in a mini inferno.

Kenta turned to him at once. "What? What is it?"

"Hino!" The Fire Mouse squeaked, pointing to the small yellow Pokémon he stepped on.

A yellow caterpillar-like creature faced them, grumbling in agitation. The short horn on its head secreted a mild toxin defensively; a sure sign that it was the Pokémon known as Weedle.

"All right!" Kenta exclaimed. "Time to fight, Cyndaquil! Tackle!"

"Hinoara," his timid Pokémon cried, running toward his opponent. The Weedle sprayed a sticky thread at him from its mouth.

"Use Ember to burn that string!" Kenta commanded. His Cyndaquil only looked at his Trainer in confusion. The thread stuck and wrapped around him as he did this, causing him to flail in an attempt to remove it.

"Cyndaquil! Ember! Use your fire!" the boy said, trying to explain the attack. Then he realized the reason why his Pokémon was unable to use the attack he desired. He slapped his forehead at his carelessness.

Of course. How could I forget? My Cyndaquil isn't strong enough to learn Fire-type moves yet...

"Rashi!" Cyndaquil cried out, igniting the flames on his back and burning off the string on his back. Puffs of smoke soon followed, causing both him and his Trainer to cough. But when the smoke vanished, the Weedle was gone.

"Darn it! It escaped. It's not like I don't have one at home, but..." Kenta looked around one last time to see if there was any sign of the wild Pokémon. Giving up, he put away an empty Poké Ball he had at the ready.

The Professor had forgotten to give him, Marina, and Jackson extra Poké Balls to capture wild Pokémon, but Kenta realized this soon after he separated from his friends. He had bothered to head back to the lab to pick some up. He wasn't having much luck with catching Pokémon, however.

Kenta sighed and shrugged. He looked up at the sky, which began to show slight traces of gray and orange through the overcast sky.

"Come on, Cyndaquil, let's keep moving. It's going to get dark soon."

"Hinoa," his Pokémon replied and followed Kenta as the boy walked onward.

"Ugh, where are they?!" Jackson complained. Hauling his bag onto his lap, he sat down by the campfire that he had previously worked hard to make. He looked through his bag—again—and checked every pocket for the umpteenth time.

Chikorita watched him, sitting a little far off from the fire. It looked content, amused yet confused as Jackson poured all the contents of his backpack and re-checked his items for the umpteenth time.

"I thought I packed Poké Balls! How could I forget?!" Jackson scolded himself. He picked up a small pot and tripod, as well as a can of food and set them up. With its vines, Chikorita helped him put away his other items as their dinner cooked in the pot over the fire.

"I could buy some in Cherrygrove City tomorrow. If we get there, I mean."

"Chikor," Chikorita chirped. It looked up at the deep sky orange with twilight and tilted its head to the side, the large leaf on its head wavering curiously.

Jackson did the same for perhaps a second, but he shrugged and grabbed a bowl. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it for now. Let's eat!"

"Chikor, chikori!"

Author's Note: Every five chapters, I will post a list of Marina's current roster. Whenever I read fan-fictions, I personally find it confusing or frustrating to remember the Pokémon in the characters' teams. So, I hope this helps you!

Marina's Pokémon:
Wani-Wani the Totodile
Nana the Sentret
Tata the Rattata
Kenya the Spearow
Phany the Phanpy