"When the sun rises on this New Bark, oh…

Horizon's spring, lights up all the paths you know…

Every day, sands of time declare that you will bring… something!

So says the sign, the winds of a new beginning.

Follow the breeze, see where it leads…

Out from the gate, as if it's our fate!"

"…"

"When the sun…"

There was nothing quite like being stirred awake to the singing of a Chikorita. The sun sure had risen, and there she was, laying by the window sill, continuing to hum to herself as she soaked in those golden rays. It didn't surprise Wesley to see Lucy up this early, Grass types and their sun and all that.

The actual surprise came when he realized that it was his rug he had slept on, facing a TV that wasn't off yet. Instead, where the sun's light shone just right, his bed was occupied by the drooling Bellsprout splayed on it.

Wesley groaned as he stood up, rubbing his eyes as he faced the window. "Good morning, Lucy." He paused with a yawn, the TV behind him cutting to commercial. "Did you let Venio take my bed?"

A smile rested on the Chikorita's face as she looked at him, one paw folded over the other. "Hey, he made himself at home. I know better than to turn you or the others away from your 'bolt of brilliance' marathons. After you fell asleep he called dibs on your bed and sprang onto it." The hibiscus she wore soaked in the sunlight as well, swaying ever so slightly as she tilted her head. "Surpurna had already conked out by then, too." The Pidgey in question still appeared to be sleeping soundly atop the TV.

Wesley narrowed his eyes after rubbing them. "And you or Jackson couldn't have just woken me up?"

The Chikorita's smirk was bold. "You were so excited about Roko coming over that we know you needed your rest."

Wesley quickly opened his mouth to retort, but he knew better. There was no denying the tried and true tradition of gluing his eyes to the screen whenever they decided to rerun that series, and the same could be said about his friend's visits. "You know what, Venio can stay there, he looks comfy. Speaking of Roko since we're up early, we can get a head start on heading to Cherrygrove."

Alright bag, off the floor, to the shoulder you go. It jingled as Wesley tugged on the strap, moving it to his back.

"Cherrygrove?" Lucy hopped off to follow him. "Oh, is Roko heading back to Goldenrod today?"

"You betcha. Which means it's time to pick up what I've ordered." He looked at the door to the guest room. Might as well be called the Roko room with how often she's used it. "Gotta pay her back for that Soothe Bell she gave me."

As he faced Lucy with his grin, she rolled her eyes with a lighthearted haughtiness. "Well, I'm not gonna say no to taking an early morning walk."

"That's the spirit."

Wesley twirled the inside of his cap around his finger before tossing it up. Maybe this time—nope, it didn't quite land the mark. Didn't stop the brimming confidence in the mirror as he properly adjusted it on the brim on his head. Looking good.

Hat was good to go, so was his bag, his Pokégear was charged… Right, he still needed to wash his face and brush his teeth, gotta do that first…

"Wait, are we leaving without the others?" Lucy continued watching in wait as he made for the stairs.

"I wanna surprise Roko when she wakes up, so I'm not gonna wait for Jackson to finish taking a morning nap…" Wesley was still fiddling with the toothbrush in his mouth. "If he and the others want to tag along, I'm sure they know where to find me."

Lucy briefly turned her head towards the closet, the Hoothoot in question perched atop. "Hmm, he needs his beauty sleep too, I suppose." Her eyes lit up as she eagerly paced by the staircase down. "So we ready to go now? Out from the gate? Before we're late?"

"You know iiit!" Wesley met the energy of her sing-song tone, albeit not too loudly.

Shoes on, now he was as fresh as fresh can be. Okay, now it was time to go—wait, actually…

Some blaring newscast was on the TV, had to turn that off first. Didn't wanna wake Roko up, especially not with some loud commercials or… some broadcast of a Cianwood robbery incident. Yikes.

Okay, now it was time to go.

New Bark Town didn't even have a gate, but Wesley wasn't thinking about that.

Head to Cherrygrove, fetch the surprise gift, make it back before the others wake up, just in time for breakfast. That was the plan, and sticking to a plan was what got him moving.

A telltale sign that Cherrygrove's cherry groves were in sight was whenever Lucy's stroll picked up into a humming frolic. According to her it was called the "city of fragrant flowers", and she wasn't wrong about the fragrant flowers part.

With how quaint the area was, it didn't take Wesley long to find the local Guide Gent, a rather energetic old man who always took pride in showing people what Cherrygrove was like. Excited to take laps around the place too, he just had that kind of face that everybody could love. When he wasn't doing tours, he was also a humble cobbler in his spare time, though today Wesley called upon his hobbyist craft for something else.

As if the day weren't any different from the morning he first stepped out of New Bark, having just received that brave Chikorita from Professor Elm, Wesley found himself being led to Cherrygrove's shore. It was a quaint sandy outlook of a seawater's stretch, connecting to the rest of Johto's grander waters.

"This is the sea, as you can see." The Guide Gent's aged expression lifted into a visible smile.

"Is this where you want to be?" Lucy added.

Taking a deep, nostalgic breath, Wesley nodded in affirmation. He watched as the Guide Gent pulled out a charm of sculpted glass, held by a string and made in the shape of a curved water droplet. It was briefly submerged into the tide, and when it was pulled out, the charm was filled.

The newly collected Mystic Water trinket was handed to Wesley, and he gazed upon it. Cherrygrove's water was contained in such a compact manner that it appeared as if the liquid was immaculately suspended in a glistening charm. The kind of charm that served as an artifact, one that told of quiet fishing spots, an everyday laundry space, and the tranquility that came with this quieter side of Johto.

"Oh, Roko is gonna love this."

Wesley was more than ready to pay for it, but the Guide Gent simply shook his head with a humble laugh. "Do you plan on exploring past Cherrygrove by any chance? If so, then that venture is payment enough. Taking a piece of here and bringing it all around Johto is all I can ask for."

Wesley paused. "... gotcha." He did his best to keep up his smile, reaching to tuck the Mystic Water in his bag. "Don't worry, you can bet this charm is going places."

That earned him a blooming smile. "You have my thanks, Wesley. You're always such a nice boy."

It had been a long while since Wesley was given his starter Pokémon. He caught three more Pokémon after that, but… that was about it. It had been an even longer while since he considered the idea of going on a grand adventure past Cherrygrove or Violet on his own. Never needed to, outside of a few short errands.

But this Mystic Water was going to go to Roko anyway, so it wasn't as if he was breaking any promises.

As he took another breath, he gave the Guide Gent a more certain wave of thanks before taking his leave. Couldn't stay for long, there's only so much time two birds, a sprout, and a Goldenrod girl could stay sleeping. Still, all's well that ends well, and it was time to take the victory lap back home.

Lucy was still in high spirits, her leaf flowing behind her as she frolicked. "Thanks to his generosity, we… got that for free…!"

Wesley snapped his fingers four times before singing along. "Completely…!" He stopped to clear his throat. "Well, actually, it's for Roko, so it'd be more like—"

There was ringing, his Pokégear was ringing. For that to happen this early, it had to be urgent, and seeing Professor Elm's name on the screen confirmed as much. Wesley flipped the device open.

"H-Hello? Wesley? It's a disaster! Uh, um, it's just terrible, the lab's been robbed!"

"Professor?" Just hearing his labored breathing and stammering was enough to put Wesley on edge. "Professor, breathe. What did they take?"

"I saw him, he had red hair… yes, what did he take…?" There was a pause. Papers were being shuffled across the static, as well as spoken commotion from what were presumably the lab aides present. "Some of my notes were knocked over but everything is accounted for… Here there's one…! One! There's only one Pokéball left! He took the other!"

That was all Wesley needed to hear. "Lucy and I are on the outskirts of Cherrygrove. You can count on us professor, this'll just be like another errand." That was all Wesley needed to say.

Staying where he was, Wesley leaned against the fencing outside Cherrygrove, keeping his eyes peeled on the path. When entering Route 29 from New Bark, there were two ways one could go. Knowing the professor, he definitely would've called the authorities, who'd have to come in from Route 46, so there's that intersection blocked… and assuming the perpetrator didn't have wings…

There. It took a second, but someone was approaching. Head low, hood up, looked about his age, taking a brisk shuffling pace into Cherrygrove. But not brisk enough.

Wesley gestured for Lucy to remain on standby. He stepped in the passerby's way, who was stopped when Wesley reached for his shoulder.

"Hey there. You know, Cherrygrove is known for its really fragrant gardens. My Chikorita got her favorite hibiscus from here, actually. Though I couldn't help but notice you didn't seem all too intent on stopping to smell the flowers." He kept his hand firmly planted, gaze steady on the downcast eyes that didn't stir. "Got somewhere to be, by any chance?"

His knowing tone was rewarded by a scowl from the stranger. The passerby's gaze slowly lifted, eyes of irritation also revealing the red head of hair beneath that hood. Bingo.

Wait, that's a punch—

"—ourgh!" Wesley staggered backwards with a grunt. "Okay…!"

Didn't fall, stood his ground, sleeve wiping against his face, steadied himself. Okay.

Lucy had already leapt into action, staring the foe down alongside him, blocking the way into Cherrygrove. Whoever this redhead was, he wasn't going anywhere. The passerby boy had already sent out a Cyndaquil, but it seemed… hesitant. The flames on its back weren't even lit, poor thing.

Lucy was hesitant as well. "You're from the lab too, right? We don't have to fight."

"I wouldn't recommend starting a fight here." Wesley stood up straight, adjusting his cap as he stared directly at the red haired boy. "Route 29 is one of the most docile routes there is. Do you really want to start a scene here?"

For a second, the Cyndaquil looked relieved. A "tch" was all the redhead had to say before quickly recalling the Fire type back into its Pokéball. Getting that back couldn't have been that easy, he instantly swapped the capsule for another.

Wesley and Lucy both stood on guard, waiting for the next move. Another Pokéball's flash and—claws, those were claws!

The fiercely cold entry of the Sneasel had Wesley stepping back before it set its pursuit on Lucy. It was bigger and much faster than her—evasive maneuvers would have to do while Wesley tried to come up with something.

Lucy kept moving. Got grazed here and there but she was capable of taking hits. Used her smaller size to her advantage, leapt out of the way of its pounces. Swung her leaf whenever she dodged, hoping that throwing out Razor Leaf attacks would do the trick. The projectiles didn't land. The Sneasel just cut through them as if they were targets.

If landing blows wouldn't work, using the projectiles to create distance would have to do. "Lucy, hang tough, Tackle!"

Wesley had seen enough to know how this Sneasel battled, and if all it wanted to do was scratch, then it was time for Lucy to use her Chikorita toughness.

She padded a front paw before breaking into a running start, ready to meet the Sneasel's fleet footed pace. When she leapt, she braced herself for the claws, taking the swipe head on before immediately counterattacking with a ram to the gut.

The blow caught the Sneasel by surprise, but Wesley didn't want to let up just yet. "Poison Powder!"

Purple lines surged through the leaf on Lucy's head, gathering at its tip, before she swung it to unleash a wide poisonous cloud in front of her. The Sneasel leapt back, away from the attack, but the powder still served as an effective barrier to keep it on the back foot.

"We're good to stall for time…" Wesley squinted to see a few noteworthy figures hovering in the distance. He beckoned Lucy back to his side, ready to make the most out of the space she created. "Razor Leaf!"

Out came the projectiles, and with the lingering poison cloud in the way, the Sneasel might as well have had nowhere to go if it didn't want to take the powder directly. One leaf grazed it, then another, and then it took a high leap over the poison cloud. Not unexpected, Wesley was quick to redirect Lucy's attack to the air, it couldn't scratch her from this distance.

So why was it taking a deep breath—

"Icy Wind!"

—ice, that was ice!

The projectiles that were headed towards the Sneasel froze and shattered, with Lucy's barrage unable to push back the snowy gust that engulfed her instantly. The attack swept her away, and Wesley felt his own blood run cold seeing her reeling through the dirt.

Yet, the Chikorita was quick to pick herself up, still insistent on staring ahead. "This is going to be tough…"

Wesley knelt by her side, and despite how Lucy composed herself, he saw the way she trembled as she stood. "Don't worry…" In the distance, he saw the wings that were rapidly approaching. A Hoothoot and a Pidgey, with a Bellsprout riding the latter. "Help is right on time. Told you they'd know where to find me."

He looked ahead towards the redhead, who still carried an impatient glare, while his Sneasel crossed its arms with a prideful smirk now that the purple cloud had cleared. They had no idea what was coming.

"Lucy! Jackson! Surpurna! Venio!" As Wesley raised his arm, the two bird Pokémon joined his side, as did the Bellsprout. "Poison haze!"

The four Pokémon nodded at each other and were quick to reposition. From Wesley's side, his Chikorita and Bellsprout swung their leaves, combining their attacks as a large Poison Powder cloud. From above, his Hoothoot and Pidgey flapped their wings, forming a windy draft that swept the Poison Powder away with it. The attacks swirled into a combined blanket of a gust, one peppered with poisonous specks as it quickly closed in on its target.

Too high to jump over. Too spread out to fight back with Icy Wind. A cough was all that needed to be heard to confirm the hit. The Sneasel was right where they wanted it, at the mercy of the swirling gust, now visibly shaken from being inflicted with the poison blown through it. Although it was weakened, it still looked like it was raring to go, but Wesley was sure he had this in the bag—

"No! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

The red haired boy suddenly screamed in distress, immediately recalling his Sneasel despite its insistence to fight.

"Huh…?" The change in tone caught Wesley completely off guard. "Speak for yourself, you're the one who—"

"I shouldn't have wasted my time here…!" He put his hood back on, sent out another Pokémon, and—

That was a Magnemite—and there was the metal screeching…! Wesley was forced to cover his airs, the abrupt noise left him stunned where he stood, almost blurring his vision, to the point where he was just barely able to see the redhead making a run for it past him.

By the time Wesley steadied himself, his ears had just stopped ringing. By the time his ears stopped ringing, he heard footsteps that had faded into the distance. The Magnemite was gone, and so was the thief.

"Did… did we win?" Wesley's Bellsprout was the first to speak up, looking up from behind the Pidgey he ducked for cover behind. "That was very loud. I did not like that at all."

"You saw the way that guy tailed it, right?" The Hoothoot took a second to yawn and shake himself after teetering with his landing. "Maybe we just scared him off. But if he dared stick around after that attack he pulled…" He quickly shook his head before looking Lucy's way.

"I assumed it had something to do with the Cherrygrove gift you were here for…" The Pidgey, similarly dazed, gave the Bellsprout a pat on the head before she took to perching on Wesley's shoulder. "What was that all about, Wesley?"

"Um…" Wesley's expression thinned into a frown, trying his best not to sigh. His eyes were still fixed on where he swore the redhead ran off to. "I can explain in a sec, it's just…"

His gaze fell upon his Chikorita, whose red eyes looked up at him with similar exhaustion as her leaf drooped, even as the Hoothoot invited her to lean against him. "It's nice to see you guys… but… can we go to a Pokémon Center first? I'm cold…"

Thankfully, Lucy's hibiscus survived that icy attack. It continued to amaze Wesley just how much attaching that flower directly onto her has worked out. He needed the solace. And on the topic of ice, at least the Pokémon Center had ice for his face.

One Chikorita-sized blanket for a Chikorita-sized treatment later, it was back to New Bark Town. Remembering who he was coming back for, he had every right to feel accomplished, but yet, turning his back on everything else that just happened left his gaze drifting towards the dirt.

"Wesley!"

That got him to perk up real quick. Roko's shy tone wasn't usually the kind to shout, but he knew her long enough to know how often his antics drew that out of her. With her lively Marill held in her arms, she approached with a furrowed brow as her orange eyes looked over him.

"You look like you got in a fight… Where have you been?"

"Uh, good morning, Roko." An awkward grin was all Wesley had to say he was guilty as charged. Seeing her here reminded him of what he actually left for, and he had already reached for his bag. "I thought you'd like this, so I got you one." The words were recited with an air of familiarity he was all too used to.

The sight of that glistening Mystic Water charm eased Roko's expression into a soft smile. "Aww, Wesley, you shouldn't have."

"Gimme. Gimme gimme." Her Marill looked doubly as intrigued, clamoring to get a good look at it.

As Roko set Bouncy down to put the Mystic Water around her neck, Wesley noted how dressed she was at this hour. Already in her coat and strapped dungarees outfit, even got her brown pigtails tied up and wearing the special red hibiscus that let her be "flower twinsies" with Lucy.

"You're up early," Wesley pointed out. "Are you already heading back home to Goldenrod?"

"Oh, not just yet." Roko placed a hand over her newly worn charm before facing the building nearby. "I just woke up because Professor Elm was calling me over for something he was making a big fuss about. I was just on my way to see him."

Any relief Wesley had at the first part quickly dropped at the reminder of the other part. "Oh… he didn't happen to mention a robbery, did he…?"

"He… didn't…" Roko raised an eyebrow. She blinked, glanced down at her charm, then widened her eyes at him. "Wait, hold on, did you—"

"Hey, you know I wouldn't!" Wesley stared back in shock. He figured the telltale signs of getting in a battle weren't helping his case. He adjusted his cap before letting out a sigh. "I, just, I also have something I need to tell the professor."

There was a pause from Roko's side before she let out a hum. "Yeah, I know you wouldn't. I believe you." As she faced Elm's lab once more, she made sure to glance back with an earnest smile. "Thank you for the Mystic Water, Wesley." She scooped her needy Marill back in her arms before tilting her head as a gesture to follow.

With less shame in his empty hands, Wesley joined her in stepping through the lab's swinging door. Normally the space of shelves and machines in the back stood as neat as Professor Elm decreed it to be, but things were clearly different today. A shattered window, footprints trailing out, and the busy assistants in coats doing their best to clean things up. A far departure from any other return visit.

Professor Elm was seated in the back, white lab coat turned away, eyes laser focused on the monitor he read. He looked frazzled as is about what happened, which left Wesley all the more hesitant to speak up.

But speak up he did. "Professor, I wasn't able to catch the thief. He got away."

There was a sigh from Professor Elm's end. Whether it was because of the monitor or Wesley's claim, it was hard to say. He stood up tall, sharing Wesley's ashamed look. "It's… it's okay. There are other pressing matters to be concerned about right now."

With another glance at the monitor, his frown took a grim turn as he looked towards Roko.

"Some of my other research associates have been up in arms about something… bizarre. The word I've received is that there seems to be a sudden surge of accidents happening around Johto. Not sure of the cause, but certain routes are dealing with more aggressive wild Pokémon and some that are…" His voice trailed off for a second before he pushed his glasses up and cleared his throat. "Point is, most public transport services are down. For the time being, that is. Recent accidents have made it so that they won't be operational for a while."

"Oh…" Roko's gaze shrunk with her tone. "I told my guardians that I was going to be heading home soon, too… Maybe I could walk the way to Goldenrod?"

Professor Elm paused as he took note of the Marill in her arms. "I wouldn't advise it… Even with your Marill, trekking the routes closer to central Johto might be too dangerous for you to do alone."

Wesley had been mulling over things for a bit, and it was there that he saw the opportunity to speak up. "What if she wasn't alone?"

Professor Elm stared in surprise. "Do you intend to volunteer, Wesley? As an escort of sorts?"

"I sure am. Well, me, Lucy, Jackson, Surpurna, and Venio. So it'd be me and the elite escort four." His grin was sly, one that was quite proud for coming up with that name on the fly. "It'd be just like I'm doing another one of your fetch errands, except this time I'm delivering a Goldenrod girl."

Roko giggled quietly. "I'm not opposed to the idea. Maybe we can visit National Park while we're at it."

Wesley could already hear the cheers that erupted from within his Pokéballs. "That's the spirit! You know, I was just telling my team about it the other day. Guess this is a good excuse as any to finally visit it with them."

He laughed with her, and Professor Elm's tired expression livened up at the sight.

"I suppose I can also use this opportunity to leave some things with you two. Just as an extra precaution, of course…" The professor's attention briefly lingered on the remaining Pokéball nearby before he looked back at Wesley and Roko. "I don't remember ever seeing you this eager to set out this far from New Bark Town. Has something sparked your taste for adventure, Wesley?"

"You could say that." He placed an arm around Roko's shoulder, blowing away a blond strand that hung close to his eye. "Only just… I dunno. The chance to see new places, earn some quality travel time with a good friend of mine, and maybe…" His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, confidence brimming in his grin. "... the possibility of tracking down a certain redhead."