Episode Three

In the last episode, Amanda officially started her journey. She caught a few Pokemon and ran into Team Rocket once again. She even met the one and only Ash Ketchum, who took down Jessie and James to win an Earth Badge. Now, Amanda heads off into the Viridian Forest as her journey continues on.

As Amanda headed into the forest, she quickly realized that she had forgotten something important.

"If I'm going to be a trainer, I need to make sure my Pokemon are well fed." She said. She hurried back into Viridian City and bought some Pokemon food from the local store, along with some more Poke Balls for any new captures. After she was done in the store, she headed back into the forest.

"All right Pikachu, let's look for some Pokemon to catch." She said. They hunted around for a bit but weren't able to find anything. They didn't give up, though, and eventually, they came across a Pokemon with a purple body, red eyes and white wings.

"Oh wow, that one looks beautiful." Said Amanda, and she got her Pokedex out.

"Butterfree. This fully evolved flying type Pokemon can repel water, allowing it to fly in the rain."

"I already have two flying types on me, but I do need to catch as many Pokemon as possible." Said Amanda. "Okay Pikachu, let's go." She commanded a Thunderbolt, and Pikachu's attack hit the Butterfree head on. Being that it was fully evolved, though, it would take some time to beat it. Butterfree flapped its' wings to form a Gust attack. Pikachu got knocked back a bit but it didn't give up. Pikachu then tried to use its' tail to smack Butterfree, but the wild Pokemon used Confusion to send Pikachu into a nearby tree.

"Pikachu!" cried Amanda. She ran over to the tree and picked Pikachu up. "I think you need to sit the rest of this out.

"Pika pika." Pikachu agreed, which meant 'I think you're right. This Butterfree's too powerful for me.' Amanda sent out her Pidgey since it was a flying type just like Butterfree.

"Try your own Gust attack." Said Amanda. Pidgey obliged and formed its' most powerful Gust. Butterfree was only fazed a little bit and sent blue sparkles out from its' wings.

"That's Sleep Powder, Pidgey. Get away from that!" Amanda exclaimed. Pidgey just managed to avoid the powder and went for a Quick Attack. He hit the Butterfree directly and sent the butterfly to the ground. Amanda was about to take out an empty ball when the Butterfree flew back up, albeit in a weakened state.

"I didn't think it could still battle." Said Amanda. "Okay Pidgey, peck it." Pidgey used its' beak to poke the Butterfree, which was now to weak to fight back and it fainted. Amanda threw an empty Poke Ball at Butterfree and easily captured it.

"Good work, Pidgey." Said Amanda and she recalled her Pokemon. Butterfree's Poke Ball rested on the ground for a few seconds before vanishing into the air. Amanda was about to question why her new capture disappeared, but then she remembered what Oak had told her when she was setting out, which was that she could only carry six Pokemon at once.

"Butterfree's number seven, which means it got transported to the lab." She said. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing that her Butterfree was safe. Shen then continued walking through the forest, and although she didn't find any Pokemon, she did come across a few trainers. The trainers were slightly above Amanda's current level, but they weren't too difficult to defeat, and Amanda was able to beat them all. Her Pokemon also got a bit stronger from those battles. Later, the sun started to set, which meant that Amanda should find somewhere to stop for the night. As she was looking, she came across a young girl that was about a year younger than her.

"Hey kid, you want to battle me?" the girl asked. She was wearing a dress just like Amanda, except that this girl's dress was bright red. It had puff sleeves and a white collar around the neck just like Amanda's, and had a bright blue ribbon wrapped around the waist. The ribbon was tied into a bow at the back just like the one on Amanda's dress. The skirt of this new girl's dress went to just below her knees, and she was wearing white cotton tights and a pair of black Mary Jane dress shoes. The straps on her shoes were buckled up tight, and her hair was in a bunch of curls.

"Of course." Said Amanda. "How many Pokemon should we use?"

"Seeing how it's getting a bit late, we'll only use one Pokemon each." Said the girl, and she sent out an Eevee.

"That is the cutest thing I've seen so far." Said Amanda. "Okay Pikachu, you're up." Pikachu jumped off Amanda's shoulder and onto the field.

"Pikachu, start with Quick Attack." Said Amanda.

"Eevee, you use your own Quick Attack." The girl countered. Both Pokemon ran toward each other and collided head on.

"Let's not give up yet." Said Amanda. "Try your Thunderbolt." Pikachu fired a line of thunder at Eevee, but at its' trainer's command, used Agility to avoid each of the attacks.

"Okay Eevee, use Swift." Said the girl. Eevee launched bright yellow stars, which hit Pikachu directly. Some did light damage, but others did some more damage.

"Pikachu, hang in there!" cried Amanda.

"Okay Eevee, tackle it." Eevee ran at Pikachu and gave it a hard tackle, knocking Amanda's partner out.

"Are you okay, buddy?" Amanda asked.

"Pikachu." Pikachu said, which meant 'I'm fine, but I don't think I can continue battling.'

"I don't think so either." Said Amanda, and she faced the girl. "Looks like you win that one."

"I guess so." Said the girl. "I have to tell you, your Pikachu did really well out there."

"Thanks. So did your Eevee." Said Amanda. "You know, with how late it's getting, Pikachu and I are looking for a place to stay for the night."

"You're in luck because I have a cabin right near where we battled." Said the girl. "Come on, I'll show you." She led Amanda down a path that wasn't part of the forest and after five minutes, they got to the cabin.

"Here we are." Said the girl, and she led Amanda inside.

"Wow, this is a great place you have." Said Amanda as she looked at the Pokemon themed decorations on the walls. "I guess you must love Pokemon a lot."

"I sure do." Said the girl. "That Eevee you battled has been my partner for the last couple of years."

"No wonder it was so strong." Said Amanda.

"By the way, I don't think I actually told you my name yet." Said the girl. "My name's Michelle."

"It's nice meeting you, Michelle." Said Amanda. "Do you live in this cabin all by yourself?"

"I sure do." Said Michelle. "Thankfully, I know how to take care of myself. I even know how to cook."

"That's an important skill to have." Said Amanda.

"It certainly is." Said Michelle. She made hamburgers for the two of them, and the two trainers put out Pokemon food for both Pikachu and Eevee.

"These hamburgers are really good." Said Amanda. "Do you order out at all?"

"I don't." said Michelle. "I prefer to make my own food. It's more convenient and I don't have to spend so much money."

"Good point." Said Amanda. After they finished their dinner, they watched Pikachu and Eevee run around and play with each other. Pretty soon, though, both Pokemon and their trainers got tired and let out yawns.

"I guess it's time for bed." Said Michelle. She led Amanda up the stairs and into her bedroom.

"I don't have a guest bed, so we can share mine." Said Michelle. They took their shoes off and got right into the bed.

"I'm so glad we met each other." Said Amanda.

"So am I." said Michelle. "Good night, Amanda."

"Good night, Michelle." Said Amanda. "Good night, Pikachu."

"Pika." Pikachu said in a tired voice, which meant 'Good night, Amanda.'

"Good night, Eevee." Said Michelle. Eevee let out a noise that meant 'Good night, Michelle.' Michelle turned off the light and they all fell fast asleep. Over the course of the evening, the clear night sky was slowly overtaken by grey clouds. Despite this, nothing out of the ordinary happened until it started pouring rain at about five in the morning. Both girls as well as their partner Pokemon were sound sleepers, though, and didn't hear the rain at first. They continued to sleep, but three hours later, a rumble of thunder was heard, which caused both Pikachu and Eevee to wake up with a jolt. They both rushed over to the window and saw the rain pouring down for themselves. They sadly shook their heads and went to wake their trainers up.

"Hey there, guys. What's up?" Amanda asked. Pikachu pointed to the window.

"You want us to look out the window?" Amanda wondered. Pikachu nodded and ran right back over to the window. Amanda and Michelle followed him and saw the rain for themselves. Thunder rumbled again.

"This doesn't look like a good day for being outside." Said Michelle.

"I think we'll have to stay in here until the rain passes." Said Amanda. "Although, judging by how hard it's raining, I have a hunch that this is going to last the whole day."

"I think you might be right." Said Michelle. They both put their shoes on and buckled up the straps on them tightly before having breakfast in the kitchen. The girls both had some eggs with orange juice, while Pikachu and Eevee both had Pokemon food. After breakfast, Michelle took two wooden chairs from the cabin's basement and put them in front of the window right near the front door.

"If we have to stay inside the cabin today, then we may as well sit here and wait for the storm to finish." She said.

"It doesn't matter where we sit, does it?" asked Amanda.

"Not really." Said Michelle. Amanda sat in the chair that was nearest to the door and Michelle sat in the other one. They folded their arms on the windowsill and stared out at the pouring rain. They both let out heavy sighs as they did so.

"This is going to slow down the progress Pikachu and I have been making." Said Amanda.

"The two of you have worked pretty hard, though." Said Michelle. "At least, that 's what I noticed when we battled each other yesterday. You deserve to have a break once in a while."

"I guess that's true." Said Amanda. Both girls sat still as they continued looking outside at the pouring rain. Their Pokemon placed themselves by their respective trainer. Pikachu sat beside Amanda's chair, and Eevee sat beside Michelle's chair. All four of them watched the rain together, but after a little while, Pikachu and Eevee grew restless and pointed outside.

"I know you both want to play outside, but we can't do that today." Said Amanda.

"We'd all get soaked, which would make us get sick. I don't think you want that, do you Amanda?" said Michelle.

"No, definitely not." Said Amanda. Pikachu and Eevee frowned, but they knew that their trainers were right. They kept watching quietly, but ten minutes later, Pikachu got another idea. He talked quietly with Eevee and then Pikachu gently tapped Amanda's leg. Amanda turned to look at her buddy.

"What is it?" Amanda asked.

"Pika pika pika chu?" Pikachu asked, which meant 'Since we can't go outside, can Eevee and I practice our moves inside the house?' Amanda shook her head.

"No Pikachu, that wouldn't be a good idea." Said Amanda. "You and Eevee could possibly break something, and neither of us want you to do that."

"Amanda's right, Pikachu." Said Michelle. "You and Eevee will just have to sit here and watch the rain with us." Pikachu frowned but understood.

"That's a good Pokemon." Said Amanda, and she turned around to face the window again. The two girls kept watching the rain pour down heavily. The thunder rumbled again, but a bit more loudly. Eevee let out a scared squeal.

"Don't worry Eevee, the thunder can't get you." Said Michelle. "The thunder's outside, and we're inside where it's safe. So you have nothing to worry about." Eevee smiled upon hearing those comforting words. The girls continued staring out the window, occasionally turning around briefly to check on their Pokémon. After forty minutes passed, Michelle spoke.

"Tell me about where you were living before you started your journey." She said.

"Up until my journey started, I've been living in the Safari Zone." Said Amanda.

"What's that been like?" asked Michelle.

"It's been pretty interesting." Said Amanda. "It was because of my living there that I got to meet a lot of Pokémon that normally wouldn't be found anywhere else. That was also where I met Pikachu. He and I have been best friends ever since, isn't that right, buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, which meant 'That's right!'

"How long were you living there?" asked Michelle.

"My whole life." Said Amanda. "A Chansey found me floating down the river in a basket when I was only a couple of months old and brought me to a Kangaskhan, who's been raising me ever since."

"So, the Kangaskhan is essentially your mother, then?" wondered Michelle.

"Pretty much." Said Amanda. "She's very nice, though, and she even knows how to talk like we can."

"I thought Meowth was the only one who could do that." Said Michelle.

"I thought so too, but the Pokémon world can be strange sometimes." Said Amanda. "Anyway, Kangaskhan has been doing a great job taking care of me. About a week or so ago, though, Professor Oak visited me there to give me a chance to become a trainer. I accepted, of course, and since then, things have been going very well for me. I already have seven Pokémon."

"That's very good." Said Michelle. "Which ones do you have?"

"I have my starter, Squirtle." Said Amanda. "I also have a Pidgey, a Spearow, a Magikarp, a Rattata, my buddy Pikachu, and a Butterfree. Pretty good so far for a beginning trainer, wouldn't you think?"

"I think so." Said Michelle.

"Is Eevee the only Pokémon that you have, Michelle?" asked Amanda.

"No, I have a few others." Said Michelle. "In addition to Eevee, I also have a Poliwag, an Electabuzz and a Doduo."

"That's not too bad." Said Amanda. "How long have you had your Eevee, Michelle?"

"My dad gave it to me as a gift for my birthday last year." Said Michelle.

"That's pretty nice." Said Amanda. "Where is your dad?"

"The last time I saw him, he was out on his daily walk when he completely disappeared." Said Michelle. "I haven't seen him since then."

"I guess that's why you live in here by yourself." Said Amanda.

"That's exactly right." Said Michelle. "I don't mind being on my own, though. Plus, having you here keeps me company and takes my mind off my dad." That gave Amanda an idea.

"You know, Michelle, you can travel with Pikachu and I if you want." Said Amanda.

"You'd really let me come with you?" asked Michelle.

"Of course." Said Amanda. "Even though I want to catch as many Pokémon as possible, I also want to make as many people and Pokémon friends as possible. That's why I'm making this offer to you."

"It would be nice to travel with a friend." Said Michelle.

"So you're going to come with us then?" asked Amanda.

"Yes, but on one condition." Said Michelle. "Eevee gets to come too. Anywhere I go, she goes."

"Eevee can most certainly come along." Said Amanda. "This way, Pikachu will have someone to play with."

"Great. Thanks a lot, Amanda." Said Michelle.

"No problem." Said Amanda, and the two girls continued looking out at the rain. Pikachu and Eevee ran over to another window close by so they could look out at the rain themselves. After another thirty minutes went by, Amanda spoke.

"Your dress looks very nice on you, Michelle." She said. "Where did you get that from?"

"I got it from the Celadon City Department Store." Said Michelle.

"That's where I got my own dress from." Said Amanda. "What a coincidence."

"Your dress looks nice too." Said Michelle. "Who gave it to you?"

"Professor Oak got me this so I could wear it while on my journey." Said Amanda. "He's such a great person."

"What exactly does he do?" asked Michelle.

"He's a Pokémon researcher." Said Amanda. "He also has a grandson named Gary, who I ran into not too long ago."

"Is Gary a trainer too?" asked Michelle.

"Yes." Said Amanda. "He's been training a lot longer than me, though. About a year to be exact."

"He must have a lot of Pokémon, then." Said Michelle.

"I actually don't know how many he has." Said Amanda.

"If he's been a trainer that long, he must be really good." Said Michelle. "I bet if I were to challenge him to a battle right now, he'd wipe the floor with me."

"I think that's a fairly safe assumption to make." Said Amanda, and they continued looking out at the storm. It was getting more and more intense, with the thunder getting louder and the rain continuing to be heavy. Twenty-five minutes later, Michelle spoke.

"How many gym badges do you have right now?" she asked.

"I don't have any badges yet." Amanda answered. "The gym in Pewter City will be my first one."

"I wish I could take part in gym battles, but I don't think I can do that right now since I'm nine years old." Said Michelle.

"Yeah, I don't think the league allows anyone under ten to participate in those matches." Said Amanda.

"You don't know why that is, do you?" asked Michelle.

"No, but it's probably for both legal and security reasons." Said Amanda. "You can watch my battles and cheer me on, though."

"I appreciate that, Amanda. Thanks." Said Michelle.

"No problem." Said Amanda, and they continued staring out the window. The storm raged on for the rest of the morning and into the early hours of the afternoon. Both girls turned to check on their Pokémon, and they heard the sound of Pikachu and Eevee's stomachs growling.

"I guess they're hungry." Said Michelle. They got up from their chairs and fed the two Pokémon their food. They then sat back down, folded their arms on the windowsill and continued watching the storm. Thirty minutes later, Amanda spoke.

"I think this might be the hardest that I've ever seen it rain." She said.

"I've seen worse than this." Said Michelle. "Three years ago, when I was on vacation in the Seafoam Islands."

"How bad was that rain?" asked Amanda.

"It was really bad." Said Michelle. "We were there for a week, but the first two days, it poured and thundered all day, so I couldn't do anything."

"You must've been disappointed, huh?" said Amanda.

"I was very disappointed." Said Michelle. "A vacation isn't fun when bad weather ruins the plans."

"Just like how the bad weather today ruined the plans Pikachu and I had." Said Amanda.

"Yes, exactly like that." Said Michelle.

"Did you at least get to have some sort of fun?" asked Amanda.

"Oh yes." Said Michelle. "Once the rain cleared, we spent the remaining few days at the beach and I got to build sand castles. You know, the kind of things a kid normally does on a beach vacation."

"At least it still turned out pretty good for you." Said Amanda.

"Yeah, but it would've been better without any rain interference." Said Michelle.

"Any day is better when there's no rain involved." Said Amanda. They both let out another sigh as they continued staring out the window. The heavy rain and thunder continued on for another few hours, but by six o'clock in the evening, the thunder had stopped, and the rain was now a light shower.

"That seems to be a sign that the storm is going to end soon." Said Michelle.

"Good, because I'm hungry." Said Amanda.

"Once this rain stops, I'll make us something." Said Michelle. The rain stopped forty minutes later, and the girls got out of the chairs and headed for the kitchen.

"How does some tuna sandwiches sound?" asked Michelle.

"That's good enough for me." Said Amanda. It didn't take long for Michelle to make the sandwiches, but she also made sure to give Eevee and Pikachu their Pokemon food. After dinner, they watched some battles on TV for an hour and a half before letting out a yawn.

"I guess we should go to sleep." Said Amanda.

"Let me check the weather first to make sure we can go back out tomorrow." Said Michelle. She quickly flipped to the weather channel and saw that the next four days called for sunny skies.

"Looks like it'll be great weather." Said Michelle, and she turned the television off.

"You hear that, Pikachu? We can continue our journey tomorrow." Said Amanda. Pikachu gave out a cheer, then a yawn. Eevee let out a yawn too.

"Time for bed, guys." Said Amanda. They all went back into Michelles' room, took their shoes off and fell asleep. Pikachu and Eevee positioned themselves by the window and fell asleep themselves. The next morning, they found a sunny sky outside and smiled.

"Looks like this is going to be a great day." Said Amanda. The two of them put their Mary Jane shoes on and buckled up the straps tightly. They quickly fixed themselves some breakfast, and then the girls and their Pokemon headed outside the cabin and onto the path that led them to the forest.

"I really do appreciate you letting me come with you, Amanda." Said Michelle.

"It's no problem." Said Amanda. Pikachu got onto Amanda's shoulder and Eevee made herself comfortable on Michelle's shoulder. The two girls held hands and walked off together. Well, who knew that a friendly battle would result in a new friend and a new travel companion for Amanda? What else lies ahead for our two heroes? Find out next time as the journey continues.

TO BE CONTINUED