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Ask to Join A brand new start

(OOC: Just so you're aware, this is just the intro for my character to this site, I don't post nearly this much. Righty-o. BIC)

Sunlight peeked through the window, the pastel gossamer curtains lending the morning light a pale pink hue as it crept across the dull grey carpet of the bedroom. A little grey fox creature yawned amongst the well loved blankets of her warm wicker basket as the unwanted light rudely demanded that she awoke for the day. Knowing that this would be an argument that no tossing and turning would win for her, the creature stretched and gingerly stepped out of the comforting embrace of her nest and padded over to her friend’s bed, spying a slender arm dangling over the side. With the aid of a conveniently placed box, Fennekin managed to jump onto the bedspread of her friend, navigating the spongy surface up to where a mass of ginger hair was peeking out from under the covers. With a well practiced squirm, Fennekin slipped underneath the blankets to find the face hidden behind the hair, uncovering a button nose with her own muzzle and giving it a small lick. When this failed to get a reaction from the sleeping form, Fennekin tried again and again, causing her friend to writhe under the assault and finally awake.

“Mmmmnnn…morn’n Fennekin.” Monique yawned, giving the fox type a loving scratch behind the ears as greeting before attempting to sit up, revealing a young girl hidden behind the unruly mass of ginger hair. The young girl stretched her arms wide, relieving the stiffness she gained from sleeping as muscle memory kicked in, causing her to leave her warm bed and begin her morning routine.

After the two had a quick shower, Monique brushed their teeth and got dressed, picking out her favourite Mackenzie tartan skirt and white blouse before brushing Fennekin’s fur and taming her own long forest of hair to a presentable state, brushing and plaiting and finishing it off with a blue ribbon at the bottom and top.

Once she was dressed, Monique made her bed and tucked her folded pyjamas underneath the pillows before the two made their way to the door leading downstairs. As they reached the door, Monique took one last look at her room, taking in her bookshelf, her summer curtains, the flattened cardboard boxes tucked away behind her vanity table, as well as her bed and Fennekin’s basket. With a small sigh of resignation, Monique closed the door behind the two before heading down the stairs.


Laura Page sat at the polished wooden breakfast table, her auburn hair tied up in a loose bun as she sipped her second morning cup of tea. The bird song of Pidgey and Fletchlings floated through the open windows along with the morning breeze that played with the white lace curtains, bringing in the scent of the roses Laura had growing in planter boxes just outside. She smiled at her husband over the mug, the athletic man reading the morning paper across from her looking every bit like the time she first met him. Except for the wisdom lines creeping up the side of his brown short-cropped hair…and the scar on his square jaw…and the wrinkles around his emerald eyes…okay, maybe not completely like the day she met him.

“I’m so glad you were able to get your three day pass for today, honey.” Laura said as she set her mug aside and began to write in her ledger, organising her business clients for the day.

“Dear heart, you know I wouldn’t miss this for the world!” Laura’s husband replied happily. “I had to call in a few favours, but nothing too drastic.”

“I know James honey, but your unit just transferred here last week. Wouldn’t they get miffed about all this?”

“Laura, our daughter is about to become a pokémon trainer, I think the Colonel will understand.” James countered. “Besides, he’s a father of three himself, he’d have been through this before plenty of times.”

Laura nodded, smiling at the family being together again. It seemed like only yesterday that their little Monique ran about pretending she was a pokémon master in the park, looking wide-eyed at her mother’s Lilligant as the pokémon helped her trainer with a client’s perm. Then suddenly Monique was going to school, and it was all but decided that she was going to leave the nest on her tenth birthday. Laura sighed with relief at the memory of her and James convincing their daughter to stay at school another five years. Sure, she only did it on the promise that they would teach her everything about being a pokémon trainer in the meantime, but in Laura’s mind it was worth it. Laura taught her how to save her money and how to wager against the other trainers she’d meet on the roadside, and James taught her how to survive by herself out on the road whenever he wasn’t away with the army. A flash of concern creased her forehead as she remembered how eagerly she took to the hand-to-hand fighting side of her husband’s training, but if it kept their baby girl safe, then so be it. The look on her face as she received Fennekin’s egg for Christmas last year made it all the more worth while, and Monique had cradled and polished that egg every chance she got, even taking it into bed and cuddling it at night.

“What’s on your mind, dear heart?” asked James, smiling at the wistful look on his wife’s face.

“Oh, just thinking about Monique,” sighed Laura. “I can’t believe it’s been fifteen years already.”

“I know, it almost feels like yesterday that we had to stop the moving truck when it was time for her to be born, and now our baby girl is all grown up and leaving the nest.”

Laura hummed in agreement as she took another sip of her tea, stealing a glance at the clock and watching it tick away the seconds until half-past six.

Three…two…one…

“Morning Mama! Morning Papa!”

“Fenne!”

The soft clatter of feet down the stairs signalled the arrival of Monique, a bright smile on her face with little Fennekin scampering about her heels. Monique gave her parents both a kiss on the cheek in greeting and took her seat between the two, where a plate of scrambled eggs awaited her, Fennekin having a bowl of Pokéfood beside her friend.

“Good morning honey!” Laura beamed, “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes mama, though Fennekin had her usual fun with waking me up this morning.” Fennekin snickered at this, as her friendly teasing was one of the fire fox’s favourite things to do in the morning.

“Well, at least you’re getting up earlier than before she was here.” Monique’s mother shrugged as she and her husband put their bookwork aside and started their own breakfast. “You two have been quite the good influence on each other.”

“Mum!” Monique cried out indignantly at her mother’s affectionate jibe. “I would have gotten up in time, I always did before!”

“Yes, but now we’re not in a rush to get to school” Laura smiled pointedly. “Come now, let’s enjoy our breakfast and discuss all that some other time.”

The family continued to eat their breakfast, making small conversation and generally enjoying each other’s company until Mr. Page decided to address the Donphan in the room and bring it to light.

“So Monique, you excited about today?” Monique’s father asked, earning a slight twinge of nerves from his daughter.

“Umm… I’m fine.” Monique smiled meekly. “You’ve both taught me so much, but I don’t know if I can do this.”
“It’s just nerves, you’ll be fine.” Monique’s mother comforted, resting her hand on her daughter’s. “Though you could always stay for another year or so...”
“Mama, it’s fine, really.” Monique insisted. “We already decided that today was the day, so whatever comes, I’ll be ready for it.”

“That’s the spirit, Princess,” Monique’s father encouraged, “You’ve been preparing for this day for five years now, you couldn’t be ever more ready.”

“Thanks mama, thanks papa.” The fledgling trainer sighed with relief. “I needed that.”

Laura gave a small nudge under the table and a knowing look to James, causing him to nod in return and reach underneath his chair.

“So, this arrived for you yesterday, Monique,” Mr. Page said nonchalantly, placing a small brown paper wrapped package on the table in front of his daughter.

“Is that..?” Monique asked, her face lighting up with excitement as she eagerly tore off the paper to reveal a pink gift box wrapped with a light blue ribbon. After removing the lid, Monique found inside a small red rectangular device with the centre looking like glass, along with five red and white spheres that Monique easily recognised as empty Pokéballs, just waiting for her to build a team with, along with an envelope. With a trembling hand, Monique touched a finger to the centre of the Pokédex, causing the device to automatically expand with a glow of pale blue light. At once, an image of herself appeared on the screen, displaying various details about Monique such as age, date of birth, parent’s names, and which Pokémon she had on herself, a section which only displayed Fennekin’s cute grey face on it.

“Welcome,” a computerised female voice greeted. “This Pokédex recognises Ms. Monique Page as an official pokémon trainer in the Kalos region by the Kalos Pokémon league. If lost or stolen, this Pokédex cannot be replaced.”

Monique let out a long excited squeal of delight as she heard this, unable to control her glee. “Oooo I can’t wait to try this out! Fennekin,” asked her little friend that was still enjoying her breakfast. “Would you like to be the first Pokémon I scan with my new Pokédex?”

The fire-type looked up from her bowl, swallowing her mouthful of food before hurriedly smoothing out her tail with a forepaw and sitting up straight, satisfied enough with her appearance to warrant being scanned. Pointing the pokédex at Fennekin, Monique pressed the centre of the device, causing it to extend once again and display a picture of a yellow and orange version of the waiting grey pokemon, along with various vital statistics.

“Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon,” the female voice announced calmly. “Fennekin can vent hot air out of its roomy ears that can reach nearly four hundred degrees Fahrenheit. It likes to snack on twigs, which gives it energy.”

“Wow, that’s amazing!” Monique breathed as she gave Fennekin a loving scratch behind the ears, the fire type leaning in with a smile.

“It also explains why I never had to rake the lawn much.” Mrs. Page commented, earning a small giggle from her daughter.

“Of course mama, that’s because I’ve been gathering them up for Fennekin for her snacks.” Monique explained, picking up her pokémon friend and giving her a cuddle with one arm whilst opening the envelope with the other hand to open up and read the letter inside.





Dear Ms. Page.


Congratulations on starting your pokémon journey! A wonderful life of coexistence between you and the pokémon you meet awaits you. Enclosed in this package is a Kalos region Pokédex programmed with the personal information received upon registration and five (5) standard Pokéballs.

In addition, we at Lumios City Laboratories invite you to visit us along with other new trainers in order to acquaint you to the exciting world of pokémon training. Please call ahead at +758 987 34 392 for an advanced booking.


We hope to hear from you soon!


Lumios City Laboritory.


“There is…one more thing for you, princess.” James mentioned casually, placing a small slender cylinder wrapped in cheerful white and pink polka-dot wrapping paper.

“What’s this?” Monique asked curiously, reading the small tag taped to the side with the simple “To Monique, from Mama & Papa” typical of their family. With a flourish, Monique stripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a foot-long black flash-light, its fore end flared outward to house the bulb and reflector.

“Umm…thanks guys…” Monique smiled weakly, unsure on how to accept a flashlight as a gift.

“Upupup, don’t get excited just yet.” James interrupted with a smirk. “Turn it around and give it a flick. Out to the side, please.”

Monique did as she was told and twirled it around in her hand so that the aft end was facing away from her and flicked it out, jumping with surprise as a two foot long blackened metal wand suddenly extended out from the end.

“Err…Papa?” Monique asked, quite concerned about what she was now wielding. “Is this a…?”

“Yes, a collapsible baton.” Mr Page nodded smugly. “I wanted to give you a proper survival knife, but your mother wouldn’t have a bar of it-ow!”

“She’s much too young to carry a big knife around with her in public.” Laura replied with a pointed look as James rubbed his shin under the table.

“But knives are essential in a survival situation!” James countered. “You can use them to get food ready, cut up branches and whatnot for fires, fending off intruders-“

“Not the knife you wanted to give her!” retorted Laura. “That thing was as big as her forearm!”

“Mama, Papa! Could we please not bicker at the table?” Monique asked with finality, her parents quieting down and giving each other meaningful glances across the table. “Well, this explains why you made me apply for that concealed weapon licence last month,” Muttered Monique as she took it all in. “But I don’t know if I’d ever use this.”

“Princess,” Mr Page began. “You know as well as I do that there are people on the road that don’t have the best intentions. That’s why you asked me to train you in self defence for five years.”

“I know papa, I just don’t think that I’d need to use a baton is all.” Monique replied, slumping back in her chair.

“Monique, it’s fine to not want to use it.” Laura consoled. “It’s not in your nature. Just think of it as a scare tactic, to ward off anyone who might get any ideas.”

“Well, if you put it that way…” Monique considered, before making her decision. “Thanks papa, I’ll keep it close.”

“That’s all we ask, hun.” Monique’s mother smiled, taking a sip of her tea.

The family continued making small talk as they finished their breakfast, the air about the kitchen considerably lighter now that everything had been cleared up.

***

"Now dear, have you got everything?"
"Yes papa"
"Your clothes? Your toiletries? Your tent?"
"Yes mama"
"How about sleeping bag? Food? Water bottle? Matches?"
"Mama, Papa! we went through my backpack last night! Three times! Nothing has changed since then!"
"We just making sure you're prepared, hun." Monique's mother smiled as they stood at the front gate of their home in Vaniville town. Monique fidgeted with the straps of her blue hiking backpack as her father helped her adjust it so that the weight wasn't uncomfortable for his daughter whilst her mother watched on behind a camera tripod, fiddlind with the settings and making sure she had everything set up.
"...there. That should do it. How does it feel, princess?"
"It's fine now papa, thanks!" Monique smiled, Fennekin perched up on top of the pack and smiling happily at her view of the world.
"Well, it's time." Monique's mother sighed. "You do be careful on the road, alright?"
"I will," Monique smiled as she gave her parents a big hug and a kiss in turn. "I'll make sure to call you when I reach Aquacorde town, ok?"
"Please do, Monique." James nodded, giving her one more hug and a scratch behind Fennekin's ears before Laura Page waved them into position for their photo.
"Alright, everyone ready? Aaaand...smile!" Monique's mother sang out, the four smiling as the camera whirred and clicked, Laura walking back and making sure the picture was taken.
"That's a nice one. We'll send it to you once we get the film developed, ok hun?"
"Thank you mama!" Monique smiled as she adjusted her backback and stepped out the gate and onto the street, waving to her parents. "Bye bye Mama, bye bye Papa! I'll call soon!"
"Take care!" Her parents waved at the gate as they watched their daughter walk away, onto the start of her journey as a pokemon trainer.
 
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"He is so cute!" Kit squealed, rummaging through her left sleeve for her Pokedex. She fished it out and pressed the button, and the device slid open to reveal a screen with a digital Pokeball hovering on standby. She directed it at the Pokemon perched on the table in front of her, violet eyes widening as the 'dex came to life, swirling as it identified the creature.
Bing! A digital voice chimed in, "Froakie: the Bubble Frog Pokemon. It secretes flexible bubbles from its chest and back. The bubbles reduce the damage it would otherwise take when attacked."
"Kie..." Recognizing his moment to shine, the Froakie straightened his pose and puffed out an impressive mane of frubbles to display. Kit couldn't resist poking them and giggled as she struggled to pull her finger back again from the sticky substance.

Kit turned her attention back to the trainer they'd invited themselves to lunch with at the small cafe overlooking Aquacorde's lazily bustling shoppes. As he answered her questions about Froakie's favorite foods and best moves, Kit had swapped her Pokedex for a small leatherbound journal and was jotting notes that looked like scribble to anyone but the passionate young trainer. In the seat next to her Sona stared blankly, alternating her hypnotic gaze between the Froakie and the two humans.

"Purr, Purr!" The Espurr chirped, waving her paws at her trainer. Kit glanced at her Pokemon and winked at her, but once again returned her attention to their new acquaintances. "Es.." The catlike Pokemon hissed under her breath, jealous of Kit's distraction. She turned her back to the chatting humans and plopped on the edge of the chair in a huff. Her eyes locked onto a dead leaf on the ground and began softly glowing blue. The psychic Pokemon levitated the leaf and shuffled it back and forth with an adopted appearance of boredom. Inspiration struck the mischievous little thing and she slowly flew the leaf up the other side of the table and had it circle like an insect.

"Fro.." Froakie's eyes immediately locked onto target and with impressive speed he whipped his tongue out to catch the leaf in its tracks. "Kie!?"
Espurr snickered to itself as the Froakie struggled in vain to pull his prize into its mouth. He wrenched his tongue back and launched off the table and onto his trainer's back.
Pulled from their discussion, Kit observed the situation Sona was causing. Froakie glared at the chortling psychic Pokemon, its pride wounded. He shot his tongue towards Espurr, but Sona had not let her guard down. She levitated an empty plate between the two of them and Froakie's tongue latched on and snapped back before the poor frog realized what had happened. The plate smacked him in the face and fell harmlessly to the ground.
"Trouble!" Kit scolded, choking down a smirk at her Pokemon's trolling ways.
"Purr?" Espurr chirped innocently, levitating herself from her chair into Kit's lap. Kit admitted defeat and scratched behind Espurr's large furry ears.

"Sorry about her," Kit managed, laughing nervously. She didn't want to make anyone mad! She liked this little town, so much more peaceful than Lumiose and even Laverre City.
The trainer laughed and told her not to worry about it. It was time for them to head out of town anyway. Kit wished the travelers good luck and then lifted Sona under her arms so they were face to face. She pressed her forehead against her Pokemon's and nuzzled her.
You're so jealous. She formed the thought and sent it like a whisper of energy between her forehead and Espurr's. You know you're my favorite person in the world so relax, okay?

"Purr.." Sona chirped and licked Kit's nose affectionately.

Kit placed the catlike creature on the ground and stood up to stretch.
"You really will have to get used to sharing." She said as she tucked her journal and Pokedex back into her sleeves. "According to that guy at the PokeMart, there are wild Skitty not far from here. We're going to make a new friend!"

The Espurr gave a very dramatic sigh and levitated herself into the black knit bag Kit wore at her waist. Kit rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry. Still have a few errands to run yet. Let's go check out the Potions shop!" The two set off down the stairs and through the little plaza separating them from the shop, enjoying the sights, sounds, and aromas of the town nestled close by the river.
 
An old man steered a small ferry along a calm, clear river, concentrating as if he's never sailed the area before. As he spotted a sillouette of a city in the distance, he looked back towards his two sleeping passengers. The first was a teenage boy with the green hood of his coat covering his head from the sunlight as he leaned it against the empty seat in front of him; his ginger - colored hair hanged down, its loose hairs catching the sunlight to make it appear brighter. The second was beneath the tail of his coat, a round-shaped figure roughly twice the diameter of a basketball.

"Oy, wake up...er...Aaron, right?"

The figure beneath the coat tail was the first to react. Uncurling slightly, he revealed scaly green skin and opened his jet black eyes, white pupils glowing in the shadows. The slight disruption behind the boy pulled him out of his sleep, signaling that it was time he'd get moving as well. While travelling throughout Hoenn he initially enjoyed the view of oceans and rivers and lakes. However, Eventually he got bored of it and slept through most of his overseas voyages. In this case, the journey wasn't as important as the destination.

The boy sprank up suddenly as to forcefully yank himself back into reality, orange-tinted goggles dangling crookedly around his neck. The slipping of the coat tail fully revealed a thin, agile-looking shiny Sandshrew, who in response to the unbelievably rude sunlight curled back into his "ball" form. "Actually..." The boy mumbled, "It's Aran, but close enough. Besides, it's seems that I've already forgotten yours..." Aran's always been bad with names. The slight embarrassment he felt from his statement freed him from his grogginess further. His thoughts and what he actually wanted to say often get jumbled up right after a nap and thus sometimes says things that were meant to be hidden.

The man shook his hand in front of him casually to signal that he really didn't care and turned back ahead of him without retelling his name, now maneuvering the ferry through the city. "We're in Aquacorde City now. It's odd that you decided to come here by river; no one else has for a long time. I'm sure there's an old docking port still here, though."

Aran nodded as he took off his hood and observed his surroundings. The place looked...old and classical...and full of plazas. The signs of modern technology from phones and sometimes Pokédexes were clear, however. He looked back towards his partner, who - metaphorically and literally - still slept like a rock. Aran began generating thoughts of carrying the (suprisingly heavy) guy around town like a slave to labor and cringed. Thankfully, the bustling sounds of people and Pokemon shot the shrew Pokémon awake like a slap to the face, stubby ears perked, and he bent his neck backwards in seemingly unholy positions to get a better view of the city commotion above him, snout to the sky.

The ferry man's assumptions correct, Aran paid him with 20 poké and stepped safely onto a dock. When he reached out his arms towards his partner, however, the Sandshrew simply made the foot - long leap himself, delivering his trainer a slightly annoyed but understanding glance. Aran stood up quickly, put his hands behind his back and looked in a random direction embarrassingly. He was worried for his partner around water sometimes, even when he knew he could handle himself.

"Welp Sorex, here we are", Aran declared as he climbed up the stairs to a main city sidewalk, Sorex following on all fours as he usually did. Aran looked around once again, spotting several Kalos Pokémon he's rarely had contact with in any of the other regions. Just from arriving at Aquacorde, Aran had the feeling that Kalos seemed more...laid back...than a region full of big business and product advertising, such as, say, Unova, the region he plans to visit last.

As Aran searched for the Pokémon Center to settle in and gain some more info, Sorex' focus drifted away from his trainer and towards another who walked by. It was a relatively dark-skinned, short young lady with rediculously frizzy hair that seemed to defy gravity. Sorex shifted direction and began gliding quietly after her, stopping occasionally to sniff the air. The shiny Sandshrew soon noticed a strange white and cat Pokémon in the bag against her waist, in a position making it likely for it to see him. He wasn't even observing from a distance, but was perhaps only a few feet behind them. Sorex cocked his head curiously as if his discovery wouldn't bother him and continued to follow, large black eyes oscillilating between the girl and her Pokemon, white pupils not visible in daylight.

After roughly fifteen seconds of rambling on about the exciting destinations Aran daydreamed of visiting, he glanced down beside him only to realize that his audience was missing. Aran paused briefly before searching frantically around him for any signs of that rascal. Sorex had a tendency to wander off to find things that interest him, usually being other people and Pokemon. He was extremely curious about them and Aran still wasn't sure why. It got to the point where it was kinda creepy...

Thankfully, spotting Sorex wasn't too difficult in the non-croweded streets, trailing behind someone as he thought. Aran approached quickly but cautiously as they entered a small shop through the main plaza.
 
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Edwyn sighed as the bus hit another bump. For some reason, the road through Route Four had seemed particularly uneven, and it was making it difficult for Edwyn to read without getting nauseous. The trip had been a rather long one; from Lumiose City to Santalune it was a four hour ride. Not to mention, he had to switch buses twice. How could he have had to switch buses twice? Edwyn couldn’t understand! He expected there to be a bus line from Lumiose City to anywhere in Kalos! But for some reason, there wasn’t, at least not within the week.

In the seat beside him sat Pluto, his Chespin. The pokemon was happily asleep, which was good; Pluto always had trouble sleeping, and Edwyn was happy that his friend was getting some much needed rest. Lying on his belly, Pluto’s right leg twitched slightly, indicating he was having a deep dream. Drool dripped down his face and onto the bus seat. Edwyn was only slightly repulsed.


Edwyn turned away from Pluto and brought his bag front and center. Opening it up, he saw three packages, each wrapped in paper and plastic. He picked up the first, looking it over, turning it around to its backside. He read the label on it, which simply said “Santalune,” before placing it carefully bag in his bag, and doing the same to the to the other two. These packages had been given to him by his boss, Professor Sycamore. The Professor needed these packages delivered, but the real reason he had delegated this job to Edwyn was different. When Professor Sycamore had heard that his intern, Edwyn, had never gone on his own pokemon journey, he couldn’t have it. He demanded that Edwyn be the one to deliver these packages, and that he do it on foot.

Now, Edwyn was technically cheating by taking a bus. But how could Professor Sycamore actually expect him to waste his time walking from town to town? He could have worked in Saffron for Silph Co.; his father knew people there and could have set it up without an issue. But no, he had to work for the top Professor in the Kalos Region. And what an eccentric the Professor was! Edwyn assumed he had had a great experience as a young boy traveling through all the cities and towns and collecting badges. But Edwyn was too old for that, and he wasn’t even to be collecting badges anyway.

As the bus stopped, Edwyn found himself getting excited. He hadn’t been home for nearly a month and a half now, and he knew his parents would be happy to see him. Edwyn had lived in Santalune ever since he was six, and just a year ago left to start his higher education. A visit home would be just what he needed.

As the other passengers lined up to leave the bus, Edwyn stood as well. He had almost forgotten about Pluto, who was still fast asleep, and rushed to the back of the bus to get him. He shook the pokemon awake.

“Come on, Pluto. Let’s go,” he said, acting a little bit more impatient than was called for. The pokemon, having been awoken from a deep sleep, was dazed. He looked around, confused as to where he was. When he didn’t move immediately, Edwyn reached under the Chespin, and picked him up in his arms. “Here we go,” he said, calming the grass pokemon, who still seemed confused.

Edwyn, with Pluto in his arms, and his bag on his back, stepped off the bus and into the light. He had to blink a few times before his eyes adjusted. Pluto covered his eyes, and rolled over in Edwyn’s arms, and let out a sigh. Worrying the pokemon would just go back to sleep, Edwyn shook his arms.

“Nuh-uh little guy. It’s time to wake up. You’ve slept more than enough, and my parents are going to expect you to be awake.” The Chespin rolled back over, and Edwyn almost lost his hold on the pokemon. Walking and holding a squirming pokemon wasn’t an easy task, not unlike patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time. Pluto got free and climbed up onto Edwyn’s shoulder.

“Piiiiiiiin!” The pokemon cried from atop his trainer. Edwyn simply sighed, and continued onwards through the streets of Santalune City, heading home.
 
Monique looked around with wonder as she stepped through the gate to Aquacorde town. Sure she had visited the small riverside town before with her parents, but this was the first time she had done so as a pokemon trainer, and everything felt new. That was something else she would have to get used to. She was now a pokemon trainer! An actual trainer, with a pokedex and pokeballs, and everything! All around her she saw people living out their lives with pokemon. Here, a couple walked with a pair of magnemite, there, a corporate lady conversed with a bespectacled gardevoir that was taking notes, and over near a bustling cafe a girl's Espurr pranked a Froakie whilst their trainers talked.
"They must be trainers..." Monique breathed before she felt a soft tap on the back of her head. Looking behind her, she saw Fennekin give her trainer a wry smile from her perch on top of her back pack before pointing at a series of payphones on the side of the street, as if to remind her friend of a promise she had made to her parents.
"Thanks for reminding me, Fennekin." Monique smiled, giving the fire fox a scratch behind the ears and a twig she took from a nearby tree branch as thanks, earning a lick on the cheek in return. And so, she made her way to the payphones to inform her parents that she'd arrived in Aquacorde.


~~~


"...Yes...yes Mama, I'll remember...okay Papa...y...yes, I'll remember to do that...yes, thank you...I love you too, Bye now!...Bye!" Monique hung up the payphone and breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that they were only looking out for her and she loved them both dearly, but glory be, could they talk! Fennekin let out a small snicker at her friend's predicament before looking about to see what else they could do, her trainer already making her way to the bridge with a small camera in her hands in order to document their journey.
 
"Thanks so much for your help!" Kit chirped to the shopkeeper as she tucked an armful of potions into her bag. She turned to exit the shop and caught sight of the green, armadillo-like Pokemon spying on her from the doorway.

"Aw, wow, a Sandshrew!" She gasped, fishing out her journal and flipping madly through its pages until she came to rest on a crude sketch and a few notes. She crouched so she could get a better look at the Pokemon and began adding to her notes. "I met a Sandshrew once in Lumiose when I was a kid, but it was golden. I never knew they could be green."

She beamed at the little guy and reached back into her bag. Sona grumbled a bit at the disturbance but Kit was able to wiggle her fingers underneath the cat Pokemon and grab the box she'd been seeking. "Green or gold, I bet you still like Pokepuffs!" She said as she offered the little pink pastry to Sorex.

Sona sniffed the air as the smell of Pokepuffs reached her in the cozy little satchel. She wriggled her way out and climbed up Kit's back, coming to rest on her shoulder. "Purr" She entreated, eyes flashing blue as she made the box of treats shudder in her trainer's hands.

Kit laughed and scratched her Espurr's furry gray head and then offered her a Pokepuff as well. "Isn't this little guy cool?" She said, violet eyes flicking back to the Sandshrew. "Where's your trainer, buddy?"

Sona was licking the last bit of cream from her paw, but her ears perked up at Kit's question. With a graceful little leap the Espurr hopped from shoulder to floor and approached the Sandshrew confidently.

"Purr, purr. Esss... Purr?"

The cat bobbed her head with understanding as she listened to other Pokemon's replies. She then turned back to her trainer and tugged at the hem of her dress. Kit knelt obediently and brought her face down closer to Sona's.

The Espurr pressed her forehead against Kit's much as they had earlier, but this time the Pokemon closed her eyes and began humming "Purr..." softly to herself. After a moments delay, Kit felt the tingly-warm sensation of Sona communicating with her and a image began piecing itself together. Green coat. Orange goggles. Red-gold hair.

"Awesome, Sona, thank you!" Kit exclaimed ruffling the fur atop her Espurr's head. "Let's see if we can spot him."

Waving one last time at the shopkeep, Kit made her way back out into the little town seeking out a trainer who fit the Pokemon's description.
 
The affro girl's stalker didn't react when he was discovered, continuing to glare up at her curiously as she approached excitedly and began scribbling on a small notepad. Casually accepting her offer of a pink treat he recognized as a Poképuff, Sorex's ears and that of the Espurr seemed to simultaneously perk at her following question. "Where's your trainer, buddy?"

The girl's Espurr then suddenly leaped off her shoulder and landed lightly on the ground before approaching, roughly half the height of the green mouse pokémon. Sorex looked down at the psychic cat with a puzzled expression, hoping she would explain why her trainer had asked him a question he clearly wouldn't be able to answer. He had always wondered about why Pokémon could understand humans, yet they couldn't understand Pokémon in return(at least not directly). It was one of the great mysteries to him.

Seeming to catch Sorex's confusion, the Espurr explained that being a psychic type, she was able to roughly translate what other Pokémon were saying to her trainer. Now understanding, Sorex paused momentarily to ponder how he would answer the question, deciding to hint that he was lost, describing his trainer's general appearance as if implied to search for him. Sorex stared in awe as the Espurr touched her trainer's forehead, and after a moment the girl suddenly declared to go search for his trainer; and so, they left the shop.

Sorex smiled slightly as he strolled along with the crazy-haired girl and her Pokémon. He's done things like this several times, wandering off from Aran in order to come across new people. After travelling with one guy constantly and with NO Pokémon companions, he got figity. Sure, travelling has introduced him to many people and places, but that wasn't enough. His inquisitive mind screamed for more, to get to know MORE ABOUT others besides his own trainer.

Sorex initiated what was a hobby of his, to develop a sort of personality evaluation of whoever he meets. For the large-haired girl- adressed as Kit by her Espurr, who he also learned to be named Sona-, Sorex liked her. From her assumed note-taking she seemed curious, like him; she offered him food for no clear reason and generously offered to go out of her way to find his trainer without hesitation, as if it was some sort of quest for treasure rather than an exhausting search that didn't involve her. He pretended to have lost sight of his trainer(which wasn't entirely false) because he thought it would be neat for Aran to meet her, even if it was just a brief exchange.

Aran scurried into the shop, only to mutter an annoyed grunt that they were not there. After emerging from another exit, however, he found them not far away. Relieved, he sighed, slowed to a quick walking pace, and closed in on Sorex and whoever he was pestering. As he got closer his focus on Sorex was altered to the girl; her brown hair was long, curly, and big. Realizing that it was rude to stare, Aran returned his attention to his partner.

"Sorex." They turned around when Aran spoke; he crossed his arms. "Mucking around in someone else's business again? Or are you so sick of me by now that you've decided to flee away with another trainer?" He asked the second question with a slight smile. The green Sandshrew replied with a sarcastic "Sa-San" ("Probably both").

Aran lifted his head back up to the girl embarrasingly with one hand scratching the back of his neck, attempting to speak to her face and not her hair, which was still distracting even in the front. "Uh...I apologize if my friend here is bothering you. He can be quite nosey." After more inspection, the likely teenager's hair wasn't the only thing that caught his attention, electric-green eyes narrowing. She herself had odd violet eyes and, even more strangely, a small dot in the center of her forehead. Aran then glanced away from time to time as she responded, figuring that perhaps he was staring TOO much. He had a tendency to focus too intensely on one thing at a time, sometimes so much so that he becomes unaware of his surroundings.
 
"Thanks again!" Nurse Joy called out at Edwyn as he and Pluto left the Santalune pokemon center. Pluto was happily sitting atop Edwyn's shoulder, waving back at Nirse Joy as they left. Edwyn turned back an smiled.

"No problem!" He replied, probably a bit too softly for her to hear him. They exited the doors and stopped just outside. Edwyn awkwardly shifted his backpack into his hands, while trying to keep Pluto from falling off. After a few seconds of maneuvering he successfully held his bag in his hands. He unzipped the pack and looked inside at the two remaining packages. He turned the first one over, revealing the word "Shalour" on it. His next stop, then, had to be Shalour City. He pulled out his phone and began looking for buses heading to Shalour as Pluto slipped off on him unnoticed. The Chespin was tired of hanging off his trainer, and wanted to walk himself.

As Edwyn found a bus trip that would leave the day after, he came to a realization. Professor Sycamore had sent him out not just to deliver these packages, but to capture some pokemon as well. If he just took the bus everywhere, the Professor would know he hadn't been walking place to place as he was supposed to. Edwyn put a bit of thought into his predicament before making a decision; he would simply go to the Santalune Forest, which was just to the south of the city and was crawling with pokemon, make a quick catch, and get back in time for the bus to Shalour City. How hard could catching a pokemon be? He had never done it before, but people far less capable than he had done it, so it should be a breeze.

"Come on, Pluto," he said to the pokemon at his heels, who had been distracted looking at a nearby woman walking her Poocheyana. "We're going to the Santalune Forest!" The Chespin looked up at his trainer with a confused look, tilting his head.

"Che! Chespin Che!" The pokemon complained, raising his arms as to gesture back towards Edwyn's house.

"Yea, I know, but we have to catch a pokemon; at least one or two. The Professor will think I'm lying if we don't!" Pluto tilted his head again thinking it over before acquiescing, and following close behind Edwyn. The two of them headed to the southern border of the city, from which the Santalune Forest was only a short walk.
 
"Uh...I apologize if my friend here is bothering you. He can be quite nosey."

"Oh, not at all!" Kit laughed at the boy's apology. "I love meeting new Pokemon. I'm Kit LaForce and this is my best friend, Sona."

On queue, the cheeky little Espurr gave a melodic "Purr, purr!" and levitated slightly, her eyes flashing turquoise before fading back to violet as her paws touched the ground.

"I hope this isn't rude, but..." The girl blurted, caving to the rush of curiosity surging through her, "Why is your Sandshrew green? Is it sick? Is it some kind of fashion statement? I've heard about Pokemon dressing up for pageants and stuff, but you don't really look like the pageant type." Her eyes widened and a blush threatened to flare beneath her tawny cheeks. "Gosh, there I go again bein' rude. I'm sure you'd do great in pageants if you wanted to, even the "Cute" ones. But, you look like you're up to something bigger." She giggled a bit at her own awkward rambling. "I guess what I mean is, are you on a journey with your Sandshrew?"
 
(Fixed.)

Aran hesitantly rose an arm slightly to answer one of Kit's questions, but he was cut off by another one. It seemed as if Sorex wasn't the only nosey one, but he didn't mind. The curly-haired girl's following statements intrigued him. I look like I'm up to something bigger? What does that mean, and what gave her that impression?

Aran in responed to her own introduction. "I'm Aran, Aran Ral, and this is Sorex. He's green simply because this is his shiny appearance. You know, exeedingly rare variants of a species that are colored differently than what is normal? As for your second question: Yes, I'm journeying with Sorex here, and we have travelled to any fascinating places. Although, I don't know what you mean by 'journey' specifically, so I'm not sure what answer you're looking for. Are you embarking on some sort of journey as well?" As Aran spoke he observed Kit's Espurr briefly. It was the first Kalos Pokémon Aran's seen in person, so he was genuinely interested. Meanwhile, Sorex simply gleamed happily at the possible indication that the girl considered him cute, although he felt like a deep part of him would strangely be insulted by such a compliment.
 
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Fennekin was waving to monique from the railing of the bridge as her trainer took another photo of her, the river spanned by the bridge framing the fire fox nicely as it smoothed back it's fur for the shot.
"That was a good one, Fennekin!" Monique smiled, her friend giving a cheerful yip in response before posing again, signaling that she wanted another photo taken on the bridge.
"Alright, but just one more.." Monique sighed. Switching the camera back on again, the trainer looked down the viewfinder, focusing on the fire fox when the gleam from a sailboat's mast reflected light straight into her sight.
"Aaargh!" Monique cried out, the momentary blindness from the unfortunate incident causing her to stumble back into the bustling crowd before a adolescent curse and a crash from her right told her she had bumped into someone.
"Eeek! Sorry..." Monique apologised as she blinked her eyes clear to see a blonde-haired trainer with a furious look on his face, the large orange stain on his white shirt and the empty cup in his hand seeming to be the cause for his anger.
"..The hell? Watch where you're going, you moron!" The trainer shouted at Monique. "Argh, this was my best shirt, too! What were you thinking!?"
"I-I'm sorry, I can-"
"I don't wanna hear it." The blond boy snarled as he reached for a pokeball on his belt. "You're gonna pay for this, Get out your pokemon! Crogunk, Go!" A gasp rippled through the busy bridge as the pokeball impacted onto the path before bouncing up, a beam of red light emanating from the small circle in the center to reveal a surly Crogunk, scratching its back and looking at his trainer with a deadpan look on his face.
 
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