AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 2 of Tristan and Pikachu's adventures in the Hoenn region. Wayne, Marc, and Lisa are with him in this chapter since Hillary's not. When will she make an appearance? Not in this chapter, sadly. I decided to base this chapter partly on the Pokémon: Advanced episode: "A Ruin with a View." It doesn't have Team Magma, though, but they, along with Team Aqua will make appearances soon. As always, please feel free to read and review at your leisure.

TEASER: Wayne's Torchic battles an Azurill, but ends up all wet instead! Then Tristan and his cousins explore some of Oldale Town's ancient ruins and discover some ancient secrets.

Chapter 2: THE FIRST STEPS, HOENN STYLE

(Music Cue: Fortree City (full version))

Our hero, Tristan, along with his cousins, Wayne, Marc, and Lisa, are on their way to Oldale Town, where Tristan and Wayne plan to register for the Hoenn League as they begin their new journey in the Hoenn region.

"I've got a question, Tristan," said Wayne as he and the others were walking down the road. "I always thought that Pokémon always stayed inside their Poké Balls. But I've been noticing Pikachu's been outside of one this whole time. Why is that?"

"That's because Pikachu hates being confined in a Poké Ball," explained Tristan. "So I let it hang outside with me."

Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"I guess all Pokémon have very different personalities, huh, Tristan?" smiled Marc.

"It just goes to show you that Pokémon come in all shapes and sizes," added Lisa.

Tristan nodded. "According to what Aunt Amy and Uncle Greg said, Oldale Town is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Littleroot Town. Figuratively speaking, we only did the 'hop' part. So after we do the 'skip' and 'jump' parts, we should get there in just a matter of minutes."

"We always go from Littleroot Town to Oldale Town to get groceries every week, and it really doesn't take us long to get from there and back," explained Marc.

"All I care about is getting there so we can register for the Hoenn League," said Wayne. "Right, Tristan?"

"Right, Wayne," agreed Tristan. "But we should also use this time to stock up on supplies before we go."

"Well, there may not be very many supplies in the Oldale Town Poké Mart," advised Lisa. "But what we normally get always helped us get by back home."

"As long as we get medicine, food, and other things we need, that should be fine," smiled Tristan.

"Wow, Tristan, you sound like you're really good at planning ahead," remarked Marc.

"Well, I have been on long journeys with Hillary," chuckled Tristan. "And Brock told me about being prepared, too."

Presently, a quadrupedal raccoon-like Pokémon appeared from some nearby bushes. It had zigzag-patterned fur with alternating stripes of cream and brown.

"Wow, check it out!" said Wayne. "It's a Pokémon!"

"Cool, a Zigzagoon!" put in Marc.

"What's a Zigzagoon?" wondered Tristan as he scanned the Pokémon in his new Pokédex.

The voice sounded like a nice woman as it identified the Pokémon. "Zigzagoon, the TinyRaccoon Pokémon. Zigzagoon is extremely curious and so ends up walking in a zigzag path between things that interest it."

Sure enough, as the Pokéedex spoke, Zigzagoon walked in a zigzag pattern from one place to the other.

"Hey, I wanna catch it!" said Wayne excitedly. "Go, Poké Ball!" And he immediately threw it, much to everyone else's surprise.

"No! Not like that, Wayne!" shouted Tristan.

The Poké Ball hit the Zigzagoon, causing it to turn to red energy and disappear inside.

"Yes, I did it!" cheered Wayne. "I caught my very first Pokémon!"

But that Zigzagoon was not to be denied, for the Poké Ball wiggled as the button flashed, and seconds later, it emerged from the white light that shot out of it.

"Hey, that's no fair!" yelled Wayne. "I caught you already, so get back in that Poké Ball where you belong!"

"No, Wayne, you have to battle it with your own Pokémon if you want to catch it," explained Tristan.

"That sounds real fair," grumbled Wayne. "Okay, we can handle a little battle. Torchic, come on out!" He threw his Poké Ball.

(Music Cue: Crazy Bike Ride (as heard in "A Poached Ego!"))

Torchic emerged from the white light that shot out of it and readied itself for battle.

"Torchic, Ember, let's go!" commanded Wayne.

Torchic emerged a stream of little fireballs from its mouth at the Zigzagoon, but Zigzagoon quickly jumped out of the way.

"Whoa, what a dodge!" gasped Marc.

Then using the speed of the fall, Zigzagoon did a full-body charge on Torchic, giving it some damage.

"Torchic!" cried Wayne.

"That was a Tackle attack!" exclaimed Tristan.

Torchic fell to the ground as Wayne rushed to it.

"Torchic, are you okay?" asked Wayne.

Torchic quickly got back up and shook itself off.

But Zigzagoon, still running in its zigzag pattern, leaped back into the bushes.

"Oh, it got away," groaned Marc.

"Tough break," replied Tristan sadly. But his sadness once again turned to excitement when he spotted another new Pokémon. "Oh, wow, look at that!"

"What?" wondered Wayne.

It was then that a gray quadrupedal canine Pokémon with a red nose emerged from the bushes.

"Wow, it's a Poochyena!" said Lisa excitedly.

"Let's see what the Pokédex says," replied Wayne as he scanned the Pokémon with his Pokédex.

"Poochyena, the Bite Pokémon. Its biting strength is superior to other Pokémon, and has the endurance to chase opponents down until completely exhausted."

"Cool!" said Wayne. "With a Pokémon with that much bite on my side, there's no way I can lose! Now, Torchic, give it a Peck attack!"

(Music Cue: Crazy Bike Ride (as heard in "A Poached Ego!"))

"Hold on, Wayne! Don't charge in!" warned Tristan.

But Tristan's warning came too late, for Torchic had already flown in for the attack, using its beak to attack Poochyena.

Poochyena waited for the chance to strike, and when Torchic was within striking distance, it used its sharp teeth to bite down on the feathers on its head.

"Aah! Torchic, look out!" exclaimed Wayne.

But Poochyena swung Torchic around and around and threw it into Wayne's head, knocking them both onto the ground.

"Oh, boy, that's gonna leave a mark," remarked Marc.

"I'll say," agreed Lisa.

Poochyena, having been satisfied with its victory, fled back into the bushes.

Everyone quickly rushed over to Wayne and Torchic.

"Are you two okay?" asked Tristan.

Wayne quickly sat up and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine, but that Poochyena really makes me mad. Just look what it did to my poor little Torchic."

Sure enough, Torchic had a bump on its head.

"Maybe I'd better take out my first-aid kit," suggested Tristan.

(Music Cue: Crazy Bike Ride (full version))

But Tristan's suggestion was interrupted when Torchic shook itself off and leaped out of Wayne's arms.

"Torchic, hold on!" warned Wayne.

But Torchic just jumped up and down, feeling madder and madder as it quickly ran to a nearby stream.

"Come on, let's follow it!" advised Lisa.

Everyone followed it and saw a round blue mouse Pokémon with round ears and two white dots on its cheeks.

"Wow, is that a Marill?" asked Wayne.

"No, silly, it's an Azurill," answered Marc.

"Let's see," said Tristan as he scanned it with his Pokédex.

"Azurill, the Polka Dot Pokémon. Azurill is the pre-evolved form of Marill. It is able to throw its tail like a lasso, using the momentum to move about."

Torchic, seeing its chance, launched another stream of fireballs from its beak at Azurill.

"No, Torchic, wait!" warned Wayne.

"That's a move which will henceforth be known as Mistake Number One," remarked Lisa.

But Azurill dodged Torchic's Ember attack and dove into the stream.

"Now where'd it go?" wondered Wayne as he looked frantically.

But Wayne didn't have to wait long, for Azurill came out of the stream, but it was accompanied by two more blue Pokémon. One of them had round ears while the other one had long ears.

"Whoa, look out!" exclaimed Marc. "Azurill just brought backup!"

"Marill and Azumarill," added Tristan.

Sure enough, all of three of them were pretty mad, and they all used Water Gun on poor Torchic, knocking it out instantly.

Everyone gasped.

"Torchic!" cried Wayne.

But that wasn't enough for Azurill, Marill, and Azumarill, for they started charging in toward the Trainers as well.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt 'em!" ordered Tristan.

Pikachu unleashed a powerful yellow bolt of electricity from its cheeks toward the ground right in front of the three wild Pokémon, creating an explosion that made a thick cloud of smoke.

"Quick, let's grab Torchic before the smoke clears!" advised Lisa.

Wayne quickly grabbed his Torchic as he and the others disappeared through the cover of smoke while Azurill, Marill, and Azumarill, terrified from their ordeal with Pikachu, dove back into the stream.

"Torchic, are you okay? Say something!" implored Wayne as he cradled it in his arms.

But Torchic, still dazed, said nothing.

Wayne gave a sigh. "I should've known those three Pokémon would use Water Gun. This is like a replay of my match with Tristan yesterday."

"Don't worry, Wayne, once we get to the Pokémon Center, you can have your Torchic's energy restored," explained Tristan.

"A Pokémon Center?" Wayne got more excited. "What are we waiting for? Come on, everybody, let's go!" And he quickly ran off as everyone else followed.

Everyone ran as fast as they could on the path. A few minutes later, they saw a bunch of big boulders.

"I wonder what those rocks are for," said Tristan.

"Those are the ruins of Oldale Town," answered Marc.

"That means we're almost there," added Lisa. "We'll check them out in a little while. Right now, we have an injured Pokémon to take care of."

Tristan and Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, Torchic, you're gonna be okay," said Wayne as he carefully held his Poké Ball in his arms while continuing to run.

Everyone made their way past the boulders and ran inside the Pokémon Center.

Nurse Joy saw them enter. "Oh, my, you four seem to be in a really big hurry today."

"Nurse Joy, please take a look at Torchic," pleaded Wayne.

"No problem," replied Nurse Joy as she received Torchic's Poké Ball. She put it on her machine and checked Torchic's status. "Your Torchic will be just fine. A good night's sleep is all your Torchic needs."

"That's a relief," sighed Wayne.

"Do you feel better now, Wayne?" asked Tristan.

"Yeah," answered Wayne.

"Hey, Tristan, maybe you should call Grandma to let her know you made it to Oldale Town," suggested Marc.

"Good idea," agreed Tristan. "But first, Wayne and I have to register for the Hoenn League."

"Right," added Wayne. "We were so busy thinking about my Torchic that I had forgotten about that. Let's get registered now, and then we'll call Grandma."

"Great."

(Music Cue: Oldale Town (full version))

"Hi, Grandma, we just got into Oldale Town," said Tristan as he spoke on the video phone with his grandmother, Veronica.

Pikachu gave a happy hello as well.

"Hi, Tristan, it's so nice to hear from you," replied Veronica. "And I see you have company this time."

"Hey, Grandma!" smiled Wayne, Marc, and Lisa together.

"Well, hello there," chuckled Veronica. "Long time, no see. How have you three been?"

"We've been well, Grandma," answered Marc.

"We all got our first Pokémon," added Lisa. "I got a Treecko."

"And I got a Mudkip," put in Marc.

"It's so nice to hear that you got your very first Pokémon," smiled Veronica. "Your mother's going to be very proud of you for beginning your journey as Pokémon Trainers. What Pokémon did you choose, Wayne?"

"Well, I got a Torchic, but it got hurt by a triple Water Gun attack," sighed Wayne. "That Azurill, Marill, and Azumarill blasted it but good. I feel terrible."

"Don't worry, Wayne," Veronica assured him. "Remember, you're just beginning, and also, your Pokémon was at a disadvantage. And Tristan, Marc, and Lisa will be able to help you out."

Wayne felt better after that. "Thanks, Grandma, that means a lot."

"Oh, by the way, Grandma, how's Hillary doing?" wondered Tristan.

"She's doing well," answered Veronica. "She's helping keep an eye on Silveena and the egg. She'll come back out to find you sometime soon once she's made up her mind. And by the way, Lugia made it back home safely late last night."

"That's good," replied Tristan. "I hope that egg hatches safely."

"I'm sure with Lugia helping out, it couldn't be in better wings," smiled Veronica. "Well, kids, I wish you a safe and successful journey. And I love you all."

"Thanks, Grandma, you too," replied Tristan, Wayne, Marc, and Lisa together.

Pikachu also gave a happy reply as the video screen turned off.

"Wow, Tristan, I never knew that two Lugia were living at home in New Bark Town," remarked Wayne. "How were you able to befriend a Lugia?"

"That's easy, Wayne," answered Tristan. "Because of this." And he held out his Silver Wing hanging around his neck for all to see.

"Is that a Silver Wing?" asked Lisa in astonishment.

"Not just any Silver Wing, but a really rare one," explained Tristan. "It gives me the power to call on the assistance of any of the Legendary Pokémon I made friends with on my journey. Plus it has many other magical abilities as well. Lugia gave me this Silver Wing as a gift after I helped it out."

"That's awesome," said Wayne.

"I've never heard of a Silver Wing doing that before," added Marc. "I'm so jealous."

"Well, wanna get something to eat, guys?" suggested Tristan.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" smiled Wayne.

"I could use a bite," added Marc.

"Let's go!" agreed Lisa.

And everyone made their way to the cafeteria.

A few minutes later, everyone had gotten their food and sat down to dinner.

Tristan's Mudkip and Pikachu were happily sharing their food while Marc's Mudkip and Lisa's Treecko were sharing theirs.

"Wow, Tristan, this food is really good," remarked Wayne. "I'm used to Lisa and Marc cooking and all, but this Center's food isn't bad, either."

"Hillary and I would usually have our food here in the cafeteria whenever we stop at a Pokémon Center for the night," explained Tristan. "Pokémon Centers are really helpful for Trainers to rest up between activities, like training."

"Boy, it sure is nice to see every one of our Pokémon eating together," put in Marc. "I can't believe they're all enjoying the food you made for them."

Sure enough, all four of the Pokémon were happily chowing down.

"Well, I did learn some recipes from Brock, the former Pewter City Gym Leader," explained Tristan. "He likes to travel, too, like I do. He's training to be the world's best Pokémon Breeder."

"Wow, Tristan, with skills like the ones you have, you could easily be a breeder just like Brock," replied Lisa.

"I guess so, but what I want to do is to become a Pokémon Master," said Tristan. "I want to meet all kinds of Pokémon and get stronger with every one of them that I meet. Plus, I want to keep battling other Trainers to be the very best."

"That makes sense," smiled Wayne. "Because I wanna become a Pokémon Master, too. That's why I signed up for the Hoenn League, too, you know."

"Then that means we'll be great competitors and great rivals as well," said Tristan.

Pikachu was excited to find a good friend to compete against.

"Well, Tristan, it looks like you found your first rival in the Hoenn region," remarked Marc.

"Yeah," smiled Tristan. "It's gonna be fun when we battle each other in the Hoenn League."

Wayne smiled and nodded in agreement as he and the others enjoyed their meal. "Say, while we're here, guys, maybe we should all have a look around."

Tristan, Marc, and Lisa smiled at the idea, and agreed to explore the Pokémon Center after they finished their meal.

"This is the room where Trainers sleep," explained Tristan as he led Wayne, Marc, and Lisa into a room with bunk beds on each side of the room.

"Wow, not too bad," remarked Wayne. "I never knew that places like this had places for Trainers to stay the night."

"And according to what I've heard, Trainers can stay at Pokémon Centers, free of charge," added Marc.

"That's right," put in Lisa. "And now, I think we could all use a little shuteye ourselves." She then gave a yawn. "All this walking is bound to make a girl like me feel sleepy."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," agreed Wayne. "That meal we had really helped me settle down." Then he felt sad. "I just wish my Torchic was with me to share in the excitement right now. I hope it'll be okay."

"Don't worry, Wayne," Tristan assured him. "Nurse Joy's taking care of your Torchic right now, and once it gets a good night's rest, it'll be good as new. You'll see."

Pikachu happily agreed.

Wayne felt better after that. "Thanks, Tristan. I needed that."

"Now let's get some sleep," suggested Tristan. "Our new journey is just beginning, and we have a long way to go before we'll be ready for the Hoenn League."

"Right," agreed Wayne, Marc, and Lisa as they settled in for the night.

"Good night, guys," said Tristan. "Good night, Pikachu."

"Good night," replied Wayne, Marc, and Lisa as they turned out the light and fell fast asleep.

Tristan thought about Hillary and what she wanted to do. Then he fell asleep as Pikachu crawled next to him and fell asleep soon after.

The next morning, Nurse Joy handed Wayne his Poké Ball back to him. "Your Torchic's as good as new," she smiled.

"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy," replied Wayne. He held his Poké Ball and called Torchic out.

Torchic emerged from the white light that shot out of it and leaped into Wayne's arms.

"Oh, Torchic, I'm so glad you're okay," smiled Wayne as he and Torchic embraced.

"See? What'd I tell you?" smiled Tristan.

Pikachu happily agreed.

"Yup, you were right," answered Wayne.

"Why don't we all see what's inside those ruins before we leave Oldale Town?" suggested Marc.

"Yeah, good idea," agreed Lisa.

"I can show you the way to those ruins if you'd like," said a friendly voice.

Everyone turned around to see a man with brown spiky hair and a short ponytail on the back.

"Who are you?" asked Tristan.

"My name's Professor Alden," said the man. "I'm currently studying the ruins of Oldale Town, and I think you're gonna be amazed at what you see in there...and the discovery I made with two other friends of mine just a few days ago. And who might you all be?"

"Hi, I'm Tristan," answered Tristan. "And these are my cousins, Wayne, Marc, and Lisa."

"Hello," smiled Wayne, Marc, and Lisa together.

"Okay, please take us to the ruins," said Marc excitedly.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see what's in there!" added Lisa.

"All right, then follow me," said Professor Alden.

(Music Cue: Hope (full version))

Professor Alden led Tristan and his cousins to the ruins on the outskirts of Oldale Town.

"These ruins are sealed with a door that can only be opened by using four special keys," explained Alden. "These are the keys." And he held up four different small colored orbs: red, green, blue, and yellow. He then carefully and neatly inserted the orbs into their designated spots.

Suddenly, the door slowly opened, and everyone walked into a stone room inside the chamber.

Then Tristan noticed some paintings on the walls. "Those murals are astounding," he remarked. "I wonder how long they've been there."

"It's hard to say for sure, Tristan," replied Professor Alden. "The ancestors of Oldale Town must've been wanting to share what they experienced hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. But what you see here is nothing compared to what you're going to see next." He then placed the four small keys on what appeared to be another door.

Suddenly, sunlight began to beam into the room, brightening the door, which slowly opened, revealing a staircase.

Everyone gasped in wonder as the door opened.

"Wow!" exclaimed Wayne. "A secret passageway!"

"Come on, let's check it out," agreed Tristan.

"Follow me," said Professor Alden as he led the way down the stairs.

They came to an underground cave with a large lake.

"That water looks so fresh and clean," remarked Lisa. "Is that where all of Oldale Town's water supply comes from."

"Yes, it is," answered Professor Alden. "And with as fresh a water supply as this one, it's no wonder that Oldale Town's residents love living here to lead fresh and quiet lives."

Just then, a Pokémon with hard brown scales that were similar to craggy rocks jumped out of the water and dove back down again.

Everyone was astounded by the beauty it presented.

"What was that?" asked Tristan.

"That was the ancient Pokémon, Relicanth," answered Professor Alden.

"Relicanth?" repeated Marc.

"They're ancient Pokémon whose appearance hasn't changed in over tens of thousands of years, maybe even longer," explained Professor Alden.

"That's...awesome," said Tristan, who was awestruck at the information he had just learned.

"I guess that proves one thing: the world of Pokémon is amazing with wonderful creatures like that one," remarked Marc.

"You said it, Marc," agreed Wayne. "Now I want to learn more about Pokémon even more."

"Me, too," put in Lisa. "There's always something to learn."

Tristan and Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"I guess you four are on your way to Petalburg City then, right?" asked Professor Alden.

"Uh, where's that?" wondered Tristan.

"Oh, it's just a hop, skip, and a jump west of here," explained Professor Alden. "And it's a great first step to begin your journey on. And it has a Gym, so you'll be able to challenge its leader."

"Wow, I can't wait!" said Tristan excitedly. "All right then, it's time for us to make the trek to Petalburg City!"

Pikachu happily agreed with him.

"Yeah, and that first badge will be won by me...and you!" put in Wayne.

"Yeah!" finished Marc and Lisa.

Then Tristan and his cousins waved to Professor Alden as they set off.

Having taken their first steps in the Hoenn region, Tristan and his cousins, Wayne, Marc, and Lisa learn about some of the secrets that it has to offer. And so, it's on to Petalburg City as they continue their new journey.

TO BE CONTINUED...