Open An Unexpected Journey

[Vaporeonn]

Sophia's face lit up when she saw Goldenrod city.

"Seb, we're here!" She ran, using up the last bits of the energy she had left. Her Persian followed close behind.

Goldenrod city was completely different from any other city Sophia had been in. Especially her home town, Violet city. While the place she spent her childhood in was small, traditional and spiritual, Goldenrod was massive and modern. She watched in awe as more and more buildings emerged from the ground, all the way up to the sky. "These are way taller than our Sprout Tower, huh Seb?".

Seb purred in response. Sebastian, or as Sophia usually called him - Seb, was a Persian. He was a family pet, and was close to Sophia ever since he hatched from an egg as a Meowth. (Sophia's mother would tell everyone how Sophia even kept the egg warm and didn't let anyone come close to it, in fear that something bad might happen to it.) They rarely left each other's side.

The city was packed with things Sophia never dreamed of seeing - a train station, flower shops, a radio tower (the Radio Tower - the one where Professor Oak and Mary's talk show was being recorded in. Sophia might've squealed in excitement.), a bike shop (Sophia ought to take a note of its location), and most importantly...
"The Department Store!" Finally. Sophia was beginning to get worried of getting lost in a city this big - it was mesmerising, but also frightening.

She looked at one of the signs on the (sliding!) door. Poké-friendly. "Alright, Seb! You're coming with." She didn't need to put him in a Pokéball after all. Seb let out a joyous meow. They entered the building and walked straight to the service counter.

"Excuse me, could you tell me on what floor the pharmacy is?" She asked.

After getting her response (fourth floor), she approached the elevator and pressed the button. This was way more exciting than it should be, she thought. After patiently waiting for a few seconds, she entered the elevator, but Seb wasn't sharing her excitement.

"Seb, come on, what's wrong?" She patted her knees, which usually gets him to come, but this time it wasn't working. She sighed, exiting the elevator, not wanting to look a fool for too long. The stairs it is.

To Sophia's delightful surprise, the stairs weren't boring after all! They didn't even have to walk - the stairs did all the work for them. She had to remind herself not to get distracted and remember what she came here for. When they got to fourth floor, she headed straight to the pult.

"Hello, do you happen to have some medicine by chance?" she asked.

"Depends on what kind you are looking for," the vendor said.

"Well, it's for a sick Pokémon." Sophia hoped they'd have what she needed.

"You won't find anything stronger than a Hyper Potion, I'm afraid."

"Oh." Sophia looked down. "Well, are there any pharmacies near?"

"The only one I can think of is on Cinnabar Islands. Sorry, kiddo."

"That's alright... Thank you." Sophia walked away. The flashy stuff didn't seem to keep her attention anymore. When they exited the Department Store, Sophia was surprised how dark it became.

Seb rubbed his head against her leg, trying to make her feel better. "It's okay, Seb! I just gotta call the Professor."

Sophia dialled Professor Elm with her PokéGear.

"Sophia! Good to hear you. So, how's the search going?" Professor Elm seemed enthusiastic. Sophia felt bad for having to break it.

"Well, no luck in Goldenrod. But, there is a place I might find it in," Sophia said. "The problem is, it's all the way on Cinnabar Island..."

"Oh. Well, those weren't the news I was hoping for," Professor Elm seemed disappointed. Sophia knew he wasn't disappointed in her though. "It's alright Sophia. You can come back home now."

"I won't," Sophia said. "I have to find it."

"But you don't have a water Pokémon!"

"I'll manage, just... tell mom I'll be away for a little bit longer."

"A little bit?" Professor Elm sounded worried. "It'll take you weeks, Sophia."

"I know, I know. I'll be fine!" She reassured him. "Don't worry about me. Say hi to everyone for me."

"I guess I can't talk you out, can I?" Elm laughed. "A;right, just- take care okay? And if there's any problem, come back right away."

"I will. Bye." Sophia hung up and looked at Seb, "Looks like we're going to be on a journey longer than expected-"

She was cut off when a man ran quickly past her, grabbing her bag.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Sophia yelled, and followed him, Seb close behind. He took many turns, but she managed to keep him in sight. He entered a building through a back door, but when Sophia tried opening them, they were locked. "Alright, I can take the front entrance."

She came to the front, and saw that it was a Game Corner. She didn't like these places, but she had to come in to get her bag back.

"Hey kid! No Pokémon inside!" a man yelled.

"Sheesh, alright," Sophia mumbled. "You're gonna have to stay out, okay?"

Seb didn't seem thrilled, but he had no choice.

Sophia looked around, but there was no sight of the man - surprisingly, there were no door that would lead to another room, either. "Weird," she said. Defeated, she exited the building.

"Well, Seb, I guess we're gonna spend the night here," she said. "Now, who would take a girl with no money in?" She laughed. No one, Sophia, she thought to herself. Maybe the PokéCenter could take her in...

"We're all on our own, Seb."

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"Where did he go?!"
"Look over there!"
"I think I see him!"
Mercury kept his back close to the wall of the alleyway, breathing heavily as he clutched his backpack close to his chest. He froze as his pursuers ran past his hiding place. As they ran off, Mercury let out a shaky breath. Still nervous, the teen sat there for a good ten minutes, waiting to see if the coast was clear. Once he was certain he was safe, Mercury flipped back his hood and took off his purple jacket, shoving it into his backpack. It was full enough as it was, but he barely managed to shove it in. The only problem was his wrecking bar still stuck out of his backpack. Maybe people won't notice... Mercury thought. He brushed a strand of silver hair out of his face, then walked out of the alleyway. However, Mercury must not have been looking around hard enough, as he tripped over a trainer's Persian with a yelp.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Seb hissed at the person. The sudden noise startled Sophia, and she looked behind to see a boy on the ground, Seb ready to attack. "Seb, calm."

The Persian didn't seem happy to drop the fight, but he listened to his trainer. Sophia understood him though - they were in an unknown place now, and an unknown person just stumbled over him. It was natural to stay alert and ready to fight until deemed safe. But, she also knew that the boy couldn't have wished for harm, so she refrained from yelling a frustrated "watch where you're going!". As tired as she was, she couldn't have been the only one.

"Need a-," Sophia said as she bent over to help the boy up, but suddenly stopped when she saw a wrecking bar, of all things, sticking out of his bag. He couldn't have been up to good with that in his possession. "...hand. Wait."

Seb still had his claws out, and teeth showing, though staying back and silent. Maybe he read the boy right, she thought. Sophia looked at the boy's face, but it was meaningless - it's not like she saw the robber's face. Still, he was a suspicious person that came out of the alley where she lost the robber's track. He might as well be.

"Did you steal my bag!?"

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"What?! No, this is my bag!" Mercury said, scrambling to his feet and putting a protective arm around his bag. He glanced around, then looked at the girl's Persian nervously. Mercury didn't have any Pokemon to defend himself with, so if the girl decided to sic her Persian on him... He would have to go for his wrecking bar. But he doubted he would be able to grab it before the Persian got him. Mercury heard from his sister how fast the cat Pokemon could be.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"What?! No, this is my bag!"

The boy jumped up and clutched onto his bag. His eyes shifted to Seb, obviously frightened by him. Sophia sighed. Of course he wasn't the robber – the person who took her bag was much more alert and probably wouldn't be clumsy enough to trip over a Pokèmon the size of Seb. She smiled at the burn she just thought of.

"He won't hurt you unless I tell him to," she said. "Don't worry. I just had a really stressful day and now, I have no place to spend the night because someone stole my money, and-," she burried her face in her palms and rubbed, like she was just waking up.

"Sorry. I won't hurt you because of the bag," she said. "What's up with the bar, though? You better not be harming any people with that thing..." Sophia raised her finger, like a teacher scolding a student. She guessed he knew better than to swing that at her, not with Seb close to attack if necessary. She had a feeling he wouldn't though, but she felt safe having a backup plan. She waited patiently for the boy's answer. It better be good...

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Mercury glanced back at his wrecking bar wedged into his bag, then sighed and sat back down.
"I, eh, had to buy it for my mom. Don't asked me why she needed me to buy it." Mercury lied. He looked carefully at the girl then again at her Pokemon. Mercury had spent most of his life in Goldenrod City, but didn't recognize the girl. Made sense, she did say someone went and took her money, leaving her with no place to stay.
"I've been having a pretty crappy day as well, so join the club." Mercury said. "I don't recognize you. What brings you to Goldenrod?"

 

[Vaporeonn]

Sophia scoffed at the blatant lie she just heard, but decided not to give it any more attention. It's none of her business anyway.

She was caught by surprise by his question. Surely, he couldn't know every single person in this city, so she probably looked strange. She shook off her insecurity and answered his question, with just enough information to not keep the discourse going. "Goldenrod has the biggest Department Store in Johto. I came tt buy some stuff." The dark was really starting to bother her. She didn't want to run into another no-good jerk. There were just enough streetlights to make it possible to see where she was going, but it still made her feel uneasy.

"Anyway, don't get used to seeing me around. I didn't find what I was looking for."

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"And what were you looking for?" Mercury asked curiously. He was glad that the girl wasn't questioning more about his bag and wrecking bar, but was wondering what she was looking for that couldn't be found in the department store.

It was getting dark, and Mercury checked his watch. His mom should be off work by now. Maybe she was at the apartment already. He should probably be getting home soon anyway. When he glanced back up at the girl, he noticed her looking around uncomfortably at the growing darkness.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"Nothing that should concern you," Sophia said. She didn't like being questioned like this.

Sophia was getting tired. And so was Seb. If they don't find a place to stay, he'd have to spend the night in his Pokéball. Sophia wouldn't like him sleeping on the ground.

She noticed the boy had a watch. "Hey, what time is it?"

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's about... 9 o'clock." Mercury said. He hesitated for a moment, then said. "I, eh, live in an apartment not far from here. You could stay the night there if you needed."
Mercury knew first hand that trying to sleep out in the streets of Goldenrod was rather unpleasant. He had tried to run away, but hadn't gotten very far, or lasted very long either. Not only that, but the girl kind of reminded him of his sister for some reason.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Sophia's eyes widened. A complete stranger just offered her a place to spend the night at. Not only that, she didn't expect a sudden burst of kindness from this boy. She didn't know how much she could trust him, either. Sophia knew next to nothing about him (other than his inability to lie) and he also seemed suspicious.

Then she gave it a second thought. Would she really like to spend the night on the streets of an unknown city? As much as it was beautiful in daylight, it was scary at night. What would she and Seb eat? Sophia just now noticed how hungry she was. She had never missed her mom's sandwiches like she had now. Maybe she should take the chance, but not drop her guard. She'd keep an eye on him. "...Alright, thanks. But I'll have to keep going, so I'll be gone first thing tomorrow," Sophia said.

"Oh. I guess an introduction would be polite," she added, "I'm Sophia, and this sleepy Persian over here is Seb. Be careful. He bites."

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"Its nice to meet you." Mercury said, getting up. He gave Seb a slight nod. "My name's Mercury. I live this way."
Mercury turned, and started walking down the street. He wondered briefly how his mom would react to bringing someone over. Mercury was sure that once his mom heard about the girl's plight, and that Sophia was only staying for the night, that she would be fine with it.

That only left Mercury concerned about his pursuers from earlier. As he walked to the apartment, he glanced nervously around, hoping that they wouldn't show up.

After a little while of walking, they finally made it to the apartment complex where Mercury lived. It wasn't exactly in the best part of town, but it could have been worse. Mercury walked up the stairs that led to the second floor of the apartments.
"The apartment isn't that big, so you'll probably be sleeping on our couch." Mercury said.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"I guess anything's better than the ground," Sophia noted. When she first came to Goldenrod, she couldn't imagine the people living as anything less than kings, but it was just the city facade, serving to trick new-comers into thinking so. The apartment wasn't terrible, though, it was small but cosy, and the couch didn't seem uncomfortable on second look. She looked at Seb, standing straight, but eyes struggling to stay open. The fact that he tried hard to stay awake in spite of his drowsiness made her laugh. "Thank you, again," she told Mercury.

On the subject of Mercury, she couldn't help but notice how uneasy he looked walking up the stairs, or the worried glances he'd throw on their way to the apartment. Sophia wondered if she should be worried, too. Maybe that was what the bar was for. But it was all speculation, and since she knew she probably wouldn't ever find out, she decided not to think too much of it. The thought stayed dwelling in the back of her mind, though.

That was the moment Sophia realised she was going to have to sleep in her clothes, since her change of clothes was in her bag. She would have to make up for the loss of many of the items she had in there. The potions, bandages and other types of medicine (she never knew when a Pokemon would need help - she was Elm's apprentice, after all), and the study notebook she carried everywhere in case she found out something useful about Pokemon development and evolution... Sophia sighed. It would take some time.

Then she noticed her and Mercury were in the apartment alone. "Hey, Mercury," she said. "Where are your parents?" He did seem quite young, and the absence of parents was odd to Sophia. But then she mentally slapped herself - perhaps the boy didn't have parents, and the question was rude and intrusive. She couldn't take it back now though, and decided not to show her worry.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Mercury frowned.
"My Mom should be here. Hey Mom!" Mercury said, yelling into the apartment. "I'm home!"
"In the Kitchen!" Mercury's mom yelled back. "How was your day?"
"Eh, eventful." Mercury said, putting down his bag. "I brought a friend over..."
"Oh, is it Janet from school?" Mercury's Mother asked. Before Mercury could respond, from the kitchen there was a sound of breaking plates, then a thud. Then the apartment was quiet.

"Mom?" Mercury asked. His eyes grew wide. "Mom?!"
Mercury ran into the kitchen to see his mother lying unconscious next to a shattered plate. She looked exhausted, with bags under her eyes and worn hands.
"Mom?! Hey, mom, wake up!" Mercury said, shooking her gently. After a few moments, Mercury's mother groaned and her eyes fluttered open.
"Ooh... I'm sorry, I just felt very dizzy..." Mercury's mother said. Her eyes were red from crying.
"Mom, you shouldn't overwork yourself like that!" Mercury said, relieved that his mom was okay. He helped her to her feet, and lead her to the recliner. Mercury's mother saw Sophia and smiled weakly.
"Hello, dear. There's some pasta in the kitchen if you want it..."

 

[Vaporeonn]

Sophia heard the crash, but didn't know if she should stay or follow Mercury. She decided on staying where she was, but if Mercury should call for help, she'd run in there immediately.

She heard some of the things spoken in the next room, even though she didn't try eavesdropping. Words that stood out for her were "school", "dizzy", "overworking"... Sophia subconsciously connected the clues in her head, and came to a conclusion that Mercury's mother probably works too much. And that Mercury was still in school, so she was right about him being younger than her.

Moments later she saw Mercury helping a woman (his mother, Sophia noted) up. She mentioned something about some food, but Sophia was shaken by the state she was in. "God- Is she alright?" she asked, and ran over. "Can I help in any way?" Then she noticed her red eyes, and wondered what other surprises await her.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"I'm fine, darling." Mercury's mother said to Sophia. Mercury gently helped her into the recliner, and she laid back. She smiled kindly at Sophia. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Emily. Are you one of Mercury's friends from school?"

Mercury walked back into the kitchen, trying not to show how shaken he was from his mom's fall. She always worked herself so hard, and it really worried Mercury. And ever since his sister got sick, Mercury's mother had been trying to work hard than ever. Mercury shook those thought from his head as he took out the leftover pasta from the fridge.
"H...hey. Sophia. You had anything to eat yet?" Mercury asked as reheated some of the pasta.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"No. I'm starving, to be honest," Sophia answered. She felt bad that she was in a stranger's home, even though she didn't feel unwelcome. She felt like an intruder. But, she sat down and ate the pasta (politely declining the slightly bigger portion), and didn't forget to tell Mercury's
mother how good it was.

After she ate, she sat on the couch, and petted Seb when he came over. "Hey, Seb. You like it here, don't you?" Seb purred, and jumped on the couch, too. "Get off, you overgrown ball of fluff. I won't have anywhere to sleep." Sophia didn't feel so tired anymore, but she knew she needed rest. Seb scoffed, but jumped off and laid on the carpet. She took a magazine and flipped a few pages lazily, but an article caught her attention. "The Lapras Express - get to Cianwood City in no time!" She almost let out an exited yelp, but stopped herself, not wanting to wake anyone up. She silently cheered though. Reading through the article, she found out that it ran from 10 a.m. to 18 p.m. every Thursday, and that the cost wasn't too expensive, only 1300 pokedollars. She just had to figure out a way to get the money, and in the best case scenario she'd be in Olivine in ten days.

"She'll be okay," she told Seb, but also to assure herself. Sophia felt even less sleepy now, due to excitement, but felt sleep take over as she finally laid down and closed her eyes.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Mercury couldn't sleep. After having pasta and making sure his mother made it to bed okay, he had brought his bag to his room. Now it stood by the door, directly in his line of sight. He stared at it guiltily. What in the name of Mew was he thinking, pulling the stunt he did earlier today?! What was it for?! Smashing the window of the bike shop and taking its money wouldn't bring back his bike, or make his sister well again. Dahlia would be disappointed in him.

Mercury's gaze wandered to his dresser, where the gift from his sister sat. A Great Ball containing a Pokemon. He hadn't had the guts to open the Pokeball, to see what was in it yet. His mom didn't even know he had that Pokeball. Mercury rolled over in his bed, the knot in his stomach growing tighter and tighter. Around midnight, he couldn't take it anymore. Grabbing his bag, as well as the little amount of money he had saved up, Mercury opened his window and crawled down the fire escape.

Mercury woke up the next morning feeling groggy and slightly sore. The sun was already filtering through his room, and his clock read 10:00. Oh well. Good thing school was out. He thought back to last night. After he had crawled out the window, Mercury had returned the money he stole, as well as some of his own money for the window he broke, and an apology note. Mercury got out of bed and opened the door to his room. The smell of bacon and pancakes waifed through the apartment. That was odd. Mom never made breakfast. Mercury walked into the kitchen. Sure enough, bacon and pancakes were sitting out on the table along with a note.

Had to take a shift at work today. Make sure you share with your friend! Love, Mom.

Friend...? Mercury blanked for a moment before he remembered. That girl, Sophia, with her Persian. They stayed the night. That was just like his mom, going all out with food for the guests. He wondered if Sophia was up yet.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"I overslept!" Sophia shrieked, failing to be quiet this time. The time on her Pokegear read 11:34 a.m., something she found unacceptable as an early bird. She did fall asleep later that night, but 11 a.m. is almost noon! She'd have to live with it, though.

Sophia sighed, and looked over at Seb, who looked distressed. "Sorry for waking you like that, Seb," she said. Her stomach grumbled. She was hungry. She was hesitant to ask for food, so she decided she'd wait a little bit. Or until it becomes unbearable.

Sophia took the magazine from yesterday, read it through again, and came up with a plan. She'd ask Professor Elm, or her mother to send money to the PC in the PokéCenter ("Why didn't I ask this before?" she wondered, but then realised it was night and she didn't want to bother them so late.), restock in the Department Store, but pay attention on her money, so she has enough left for the ferry ride to Cianwood, and then just get to Olivine on a Thursday. Perfect!

Sophia's stomach grumbled once more, and she decided she should get up and go to the kitchen, to see if there's any food. To her pleasant surprise, she saw Mercury, and a plate of eggs and bacon. "Good morning!"

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Mercury heard some sort of a yelp come from the living room, and a few minutes later Sophia walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning." Mercury said. He handed her a plate of egg and bacon.
"You sleep well?" He asked, getting up. He had already finished his breakfast, and started to wash up all stuff. As he washed the dishes, Mercury felt something peculiar in his pocket. Grabbing it, he found that he was holding the Great Ball his sister had given him, the one with the Pokemon in it.
That's odd. Mercury thought. He placed it on the counter. I don't remember putting it in my pocket. I must have done it right when I got up or something.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"I slept fine, it seems," Sophia said. She pulled a chair and took a bite out of the, now cold, breakfast (entierly her fault). Even so, it still tasted good, but everything tastes good on an empty stomach, Sophia thought. Seb managed to get inside the kitchen too, and when he got to Sophia, he looked up at her, patiently waiting.

"Alright, you bugger." Sophia gave him a piece of bacon.

Mercury got up and started washing the dishes, and Sophia had noticed him put something on the counter, but reminded herself again that it was none of her business. Snap out of it, she scolded herself.

As she was finishing breakfast (more accurately brunch, since she got up so late. She still couldn't let it go...), she decided to tell Mercury about her plan. "So, Mercury," she started, mid-chew. She swallowed before finishing, "I was thinking of setting off soon, if it's no problem with you."

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"That's cool." Mercury said. "Where are you going?"

He finished up washing the dishes, and started to put away the food into the fridge. Mercury wondered what exactly he was going to do today. Maybe he's take a walk in the park. Or he could hang out on the underground path. Either way, he should probably stay away from the bike shop for today. Mercury was so lost in thought that he didn't notice his Great Ball roll off of the counter and under the table.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"Olivine," Sophia answered, and gave the last piece of bacon to Seb. She looked outside the window and saw it was sunny. Perfect weather to start off, she thought. She would give Elm a call as soon as she got out, and hopefully finish shopping by four. Then she won't be in a rush.

Sophia saw something drop off the counter, and roll over near her. "Oh, Mercury, you dropped your..." She bent over to take the object, and realised it was a Great Ball. "Hey, didn't know you had a Pokemon. What is it?" She asked.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Pokemon? Mercury looked over to see Sophia holding the Great Ball given to him by his sister.
"Oh, uh..." Mercury said. "I don't actually know, yet."
Mercury felt slightly embarrassed as he walked over to Sophia.
"My sister gave it to me, but she didn't tell me what it was." Mercury said. He held out his hand to take back the Great Ball. "I guess I just... Am a bit nervous about it, you know?"

 

[Vaporeonn]

"Oh... Alright," Sophia didn't know how to answer exactly. Something gave her the idea that something happened to Mercury's sister. She was curious, as always, but didn't want to make the situation awkward with a private question. It would feel too intruding.

Instead, she typed out a message for Professor Elm - need money, lost my bag. That should do it. Seb had his head on her lap now, so she couldn't get up. Again, her curiosity had the better of her. Sophia wanted to know what Pokemon was in that PokeBall, and she felt like Mercury wanted it, too. She decided to act on her curiosity, at least once in her life.

"Mercury..." Sophia started. Well, she can't turn back now! "Do you wanna check what it is?"

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Mercury glanced hesitantly at the Great Ball, then at the surrounding room. Should he? He sighed, and started to think. He knew that he would have to open it one day... Why not today?
No. He couldn't. If Mercury sent that Pokemon out, it would be like... Like... Like accepting the fact that his sister might not live until his 18th birthday. The boy began to absentmindedly fiddle with the Great Ball, unsure of what to say.

Wait.

An idea suddenly struck Mercury, an idea he couldn't believe he didn't think of before. Mercury's face suddenly lit up with hope, and a confident smile suddenly came across his face. If his sister could make money through Pokemon Battles, then so could Mercury.
"Yeah..." Mercury said. "I think I will!"
He pointed the Great Ball at the living room, and pressed the button. A red flash of light burst from the Pokeball, and Mercury realized that he might have made a mistake. Please don't be a Golem, or a Gyarados, or anything huge... Please. A Quilava would be cool, or maybe a Drowzee. Or a Gastly! Just something cool..
"Dino?" Mercury rubbed the light from his eyes, momentarily blinded by the flash of the Pokeball. That didn't sound like a Quilava...
Mercury opened his eyes to see a short, pink and white Pokemon looking back at him.
"What... The...?" Mercury said.
"Audino, dino?" The Pokemon asked, looking around the apartment.