Private/Closed To Start Anew (A Kanto+ RP)

[Dwayna DragonFire]

((OOC: This is an RP between myself, @Mr.RMA, @Tailon, @Brendan Savem and @Psycho Monkey . We are not accepting anymore members, so with that said, let's start this thing.))

Unlike any other profession, one could start their PokeMon journey at the young age of ten years old. The television shows tended to cater more towards a youthful audience because of this, playing amusing cartoons and educational shows about the PokeMon world. Perhaps the worst of the marketing was everything that surrounded the legendary trainer known by the pseudonym 'Red', a ten year old that ascended to PokeMon League Champion in under a year.

Many that were trainers knew the truth of the matter – the television shows were a lie. Although they did provide some sort of information on PokeMon, the reality was far more difficult and gruelling. The League fights were cut to only show the highlights in favour of battered and beaten PokeMon. Perhaps the brutality of the world was one of the reasons why Red was a boy of few words, who had disappeared not long after his championship win.

The boy who was his rival, the well-known grandson of Professor Oak, had been named Blue by fans to match his counterparts choice in a color for a name. In the three years time that Red was missing, Blue had moved to become the gym leader of Viridian City. The previous gym leader, Giovanni, had been exposed by Red to be the leader of the nefarious Team Rocket. The organization had tried to rise again, but another young trainer from Johto subverted their plans and became Champion.

Perhaps Blue had always been waiting to catch wind of his former rival, and whispers of Red's whereabouts on Mount Silver seemed to pass into the ear of his grandfather. The young Champion from Johto was sent to investigate if the rumours were true, and when he came back with news that Red was indeed on the top of Mount Silver, it was only a matter of time before Blue disappeared as well. No-one knew if they stayed in the Kanto region or even if Blue had found Red, the buzzes dwindling to all but rumours and superstition.

It had been another five years since then, the news of nefarious plots heightening around the globe. More trainers aspiring to be Champion seemed to keep them at bay for at least some time, but some cynics would say that evil never sleeps for long. It seemed that they were right.

---

Justice Dellacott found herself tiredly stumbling into the Viridian City PokeMon Center. It had been a couple of days since she started her journey, the buds blooming on trees betraying that it was at least mid-March. She pulled at the brown hair that was sticking to her face, plastered with sweat and dirt. Her green eyes met that of a sympathetic nurse as she handed over a singular PokeBall, containing the Charmander that she had obtained from Professor Oak's lab.

It had been hard enough to travel with the PokeMon in question, since Justice had grown a slight fear for PokeMon with sharp claws. After her older sister had lost an eye in a particularly bad fight with a Weavile, she had been intimidated by the story of the long claws and how they had left such a mark on her sister. Glancing around, she noticed a spot near the back of the PokeMon Center that seemed to be open to sit in.

However, she was quickly stopped as she was met with familiar red hair and a half-scarred face. Scarlet Dellacott grinned at her younger sister, her working eye showing evidence of surprise. The right side of her face had large, claw-like scars that ran down over a closed eyelid, Justice having the knowledge that there was nothing underneath.

“I wasn't expecting to see you here so soon,” remarked Scarlet, seemingly impressed. “It seems I underestimated your skill.”

“What are you doing here, Scarlet?” asked Justice, somewhat annoyed. “Weren't you nearly gone to Unova or Kalos by now?”

“Well, when I heard that my little sis was starting her journey, I had to come and make sure she was doing okay,” replied the elder, continuing to look amused for a moment before her expression turned stern. “You know, I can still see quite well out of the one good eye I do have, and I noticed you only gave one of your PokeBalls to the Nurse.”

“I was too busy focusing on saving my butt from wild PokeMon to do anything useful about that,” remarked Justice truthfully, dread coming over the features of her face. “I knew that it wasn't going to be easy but -”

“You don't really have an excuse there, sis,” Scarlet butted in, her tone lecturing. “I lost a goddamn eye and I had more than a year of experience under my belt. You're going to need more party members soon if you want to survive past the Forest. Fire-type or no, that place is downright dangerous.”

Justice hung her head a little, unsure of what to say in reply to her sister. The horror of having to see the elder sibling in the hospital with gauze over on of her eyes had at least managed to shock some fear into her system, but she had still been far too risky with her battling technique so far. Her companion, the Charmander, had not only looked quite bruised but also seemed quite fatigued by the time they had made it to Viridian, even if she had rushed back to the small healing machine back in Pallet.

“Hey,” said Scarlet in a low voice, snapping the younger woman out of her thoughts with a clap to the shoulder. “Maybe while you're here, you should try to make some friends. Human ones, to travel along with. I know I did a lot of journeying by myself, but I got taught a lot of survival skills from dad. You didn't exactly have that luxury.” A dark look seemed to overcast both womens faces at the mention of their father. She's right, thought Justice, I'm probably going to need some help.

“Alright, Scarlet,” she resigned, sighing exasperatedly. “I'll try to make some friends.”

“Good,” replied the older woman, still looking quite stern. “Be careful, though. There's been some weird stuff going on lately, and not just the stuff you see on the news about other regions.”

“Weird stuff?” questioned Justice, raises her eyebrows in a worried way. “Like what?”

“Wild PokeMon more agitated than usual,” Scarlet replied, looking thoughtful. “Unexplained deaths or disappearances of trainers, in ways that make it evident that it wasn't their choice to just up and leave. Plus I get this weird gut feeling that I'm being watched sometimes. I don't think it's just my imagination, so if someone looks suspicious, try to avoid them. Okay?”

Justice nodded in agreement with the statement, which caused the older woman to give another grin. With a slight ruffling of the younger girl's hair, Scarlet waved and left the PokeMon Center, presumably to go back to whatever region she was seeking out adventure in before. The teen decided that it would be good to sit after such an exhausting trek through Route One. She sat in the nearby empty booth as she waited for her Charmander to be healed, enjoying the sights of Viridian City outside her window whilst thinking of what sort of characters she might like to travel with.

 

[Brendan Savem]

(sorry for the delays, just had trouble making this post satisfactory)

“Hi Dad, just called to say that I’m back at the flat now. Cleaned up the kitchen a little too while I am here.” Marcus said, nestling the phone between his cheek and shoulder while he removed his rubber gloves.

“Thank you son, sorry I’m not home right now, had to check in with a colleague in Celadon City.” His father replied, his heavy breathing echoed down the line along with his words. “How did your first few days as a trainer go?”

“Oh wonderful,” Marcus replied, pacing up and down the kitchen hall as he spoke. “Professor Oak was helpful, giving a lecture about adventure, pointed out some dangers, and then let us pick out our first pokémon. I picked out a Bulbasaur, and he’s been helpful getting me through the first route.”

“That’s good to know son, though I don’t think a Bulbasaur alone is going to get you very far, did you catch any other Pokémon?”

“… No, just Basil so far.”

“Basil? You’re already giving him nicknames then? I knew you would enjoy this. I hear Pokémon training is great character building too. It has certainly been good on your brother. Who knows, maybe you’ll run into him, that would be great.” Mr. Tavish paused to breath. “But listen to me, yammering on like this, you must be bored to death now.”

“No, no I’m not.” Marcus assured, “Look, I’ll just keep going and see what happens. Okay?”

“That’s all it takes. Okay, won’t keep you waiting anymore. Have a good time out there.”

“Okay Dad... bye.” Marcus gingerly laid the phone in its rack, and sighed. Why did it always feel exhausting talking to his dad?

Marcus spent the next few hours getting refreshed; swapping out his already muddied clothes and replacing them with a purple-plaid flannel shirt and beige cargo pants. Hopefully he’ll not fall in a mud bank this time. He also gave his white and red sneakers a good wipe, though they were already stained with dirt, and they were only going to get dirtier. Marcus shot a quick glance in a mirror, checking his narrow face, teal eyes, and Caesar cut black hair. Marcus was making sure he was still city presentable, though he also felt the urge to make sure that he still had both eyes. With that done, Marcus went through to the door and picked up a large travelling backpack, a large blue lump of material on his back loaded with cumbersome camping supplies. Marcus grunted as he slipped his arms into the straps; the thing was so unwieldy, leaning too far to the side would almost certainly topple him over. Finally, Marcus shifted over to the table to pick up his pokeballs and put them in his bag one by one; four empty pokeballs, a pokeball a small leaf sticker, leaving only one. Marcus stopped to examine the last one, it looked no different, yet was heavier than the empty ones.

Marcus didn’t mean to lie, surely his dad would have been proud to know he was already catching pokémon, and would have been eager to know about his feelings of his first capture. But how could he have explained it? The mind-numbing blankness as he battered the pokémon with his attacks even as it struggled to fight back, the emptiness as he pulled out a pokeball to toss at the beaten pokémon, the uneasiness as he saw the pokémon’s wide, frightened eyes as it disappeared in the light, the dread as he picked up the pokeball, as if knowing deep down that he had done a horrible thing. Was he doing it wrong? He had to be. Maybe he should just release this one and try again later on. That seemed like a good idea. First, he should probably patch it up at a Pokémon centre first. Doing the same for Basil also seemed like a good idea. With that, Marcus packed away the last pokeball, left the flat, and locked the door.

---

“Alright, we’ll hold on to your pokémon and let you know when they are fully healed.” The nurse smiled as she took Marcus’s two pokeballs.

“Thank you, I’ll be right here.” Marcus replied, moving away from the reception counter to make room for the next person. Marcus looked around the centre. There weren’t many people in this clinic for pokémon, although he could only account for the lobby, no telling what he might find in the other rooms. Apart from the reception counter that dominated much of the room, the only notable features were the large windows showing the city outside, and the bench booths that lined the walls, where numerous trainers waited anxiously for their pokémon to be healed. Everyone seemed to speak in hushed whispers, with occasional outbreaks of noise.

Marcus stopped as his eyes caught one particular person at the far wall. It was a girl about his age, with dark brown hair, a white t-shirt, with a long-sleeved shirt underneath, dark jeans, and black sneakers. Marcus saw her before, just a few days ago at Oaks lab; she was another one of the trainers there to receive their first pokémon. A few days, was it really only that long ago? Marcus saw her turn her head and look at him, her green eyes making contact with his own teal ones. Realizing that she either recognized him or was about to call him out for staring, Marcus quickly moved towards her to break the ice.

“Sorry,” Marcus apologized as he drew close, “don’t know if you remember me, but weren’t you at Professor Oaks lab a few days ago?”

 

[Tailon]

A Murkrow flew high above the tall grass of Route 22, standing out starkly against the clear, blue sky and white clouds. From his point of view only a speck of crimson and a few other dots of beige and brown broke up the expanse of green below. Keen bird eyes watched for the slightest disturbance, and finally settled on a rustling in the grass, and a blur of blue. The Murkrow dove fast and steep, charging the rodent-like creature and forcing it out from the grass into a small clearing. The crimson speck, actually the Murkrow's trainer, chased after the two Pokemon as they arrived into the clearing.

"Don, use Taunt!" the boy blurted out.

As the little, blue, rabbit-creature attempted escape, the Murkrow, whose name was Don, flew to intercept it with preternatural speed, cawing at it tauntingly. The female Nidoran fell for the taunt, a slight purple aura surrounding her which indicated to 'mon and Trainer that the technique had been successful. The little Nidoran lashed out, swiping her short claws at Don with Scratch, which he quickly climbed into the air to avoid.

"Use Peck, Don!" the boy, whose name was Dean, called to the bird, who immediately complied, diving quickly to clear the distance and pecking at his opponent twice. The Nidoran attempted to shake him off with another Scratch, but he simply flapped out of the way, quickly attacking again with more Pecks.

After a few moments, Dean called out to his partner, "Ready!" The bird knew to get out of the way, climbing a bit and circling back around behind Dean, who held a baseball-sized orb colored red and white in his hand. Rather than throw the Poke Ball, however, he walked up to the little, blue Pokemon and asked it, "Hey little one, d'you wanna come with us? You can see that we're real good fighters so we'd be a good team!"

The little rabbit blinked, for this was highly irregular. Usually, a trainer that passed would simply have their Pokemon fight her until she was knocked out, most often they were much stronger than her and she hid away. After a few moments of apparent consideration, she gave a sort of affirmative squeak, smiling at the trainer as he tapped her on the forehead with the Poke Ball, transforming her into white light which was drawn into it.

"How 'bout it Don? a new teammate!" the boy said to his partner, who now fluttered up onto his shoulder, "Let's get her to the Pokemon Center so we can meet her for real!" With that Dean began to walk back towards Viridian City, his hometown, which was not far from the grassy plains of Route 22, Poke Ball in hand.

 

[Mr.RMA]

"Ugh...Time and tide wait for no man...and no Pokemon I guess..." murmured a teenager stretching his back as he attempted to shake off the tiredness still lingering in him before proceeding to roll up his sleeping bag and stuff it back in his backpack. He wasn't expecting to get the chance to sleep-in this morning, considering how he had decided to spend the night in the midst of the Viridian Forest of all places, but still, those Pidgey could stand to be a little less chatty at such an early hour... All the same, he was up now, so it was best he get back on his journey southward. He was nearing Viridian City, the place he had pledged to start this training journey of his officially, the infamous town that lead right to the Indigo Plateau itself, where so many adventures began and ended. His would be among them, and hopefully, if all went right, he'd be one of those great, albeit rare, success stories...A kid could dream at least.

Feeling the need for some more familiar company than what the swarms of wild butterfree and beedrill provided, the boy by the name of Wyatt took one of the pokeballs attached to the side of his belt and tossed it calmly in the air, catching it as it came back down and placing it back in its rightful spot while gently patting the head of the small bird on his shoulder that it had released.

"How's it hanging, Mata?" he cheerfully asked the Natu, who let out a cheerful array of cheeps in response, ruffling his feathers a bit as he went through his own waking-up process. Wyatt smiled at this and went to grab the other occupied Pokeball in his possession, but decided against it. Avira wasn't a morning Pokemon in the slightest, but that was to be expected from a ghost type. He'd probably let him out a bit later...probably not while in the midst of the city though. Gastly tended to not sit well with a number of people, what with its reputation as something of a prankster...and a ghost of course...

In time, they reached the southerly part of Route 2, and Wyatt could spot the city over the horizon. Finally, he had arrived. He had taken the long way to get here, just to learn a bit more firsthand about this new region that he and his mother had made their home, and now he had finally arrived at his starting destination. He strode through the paved road with an extra burst of confidence as he made his way over to the Pokemon Center, idly pulling out the chained pocket watch from his pants pocket and twirling it around, the golden accessory flying about in a glimmering circular pattern. This old relic of a clock had seen quite a few sites in its time, the boy could only imagine, and he was hoping to see just as many himself.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

A small bird with brown feathers, darker on its back and lighter on its front, flew a few feet into the air and then dive bombed a small turtle with dark blue scales and a long tail that curled at the end. The Squirtle cried out from the Pidgey’s Tackle.

“Leo! Are you ok?” called a young girl with long light-brown hair, her olive colored eyes wide in worry behind her round glasses. Leonardo, or Leo as his Trainer, Ruby, had chosen to shorten his name to, gave her a reassuring nod before shifting his focus back on the Wild Pokémon.

“I’m glad.” Ruby said in relief. “Alright! Use your own Tackle then!” she requested putting on a serious face. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon ran at Pidgey and slammed his shoulder into it. The wild Pidgey retaliated by kicking dirt into Leo’s face with its small talons.

“Try Bubble Leo!” Ruby called. Leo opened his mouth letting lose a small flurry of bubbles. Since he was having trouble pinpointing the Tiny Bird Pokémon’s exact location, he turned his head side to side to maximize his range. Pidgey chirped in irritation from the attack before falling to the ground in defeat.

“Good job Leo!” congratulated Ruby crouching down and giving her Pokémon a hug. The Squirtle grinned sheepishly. He was only doing what he was told, so he didn’t know what the praise was for.

The new Trainer then looked at the fallen Pidgey with concern. The field guide her mother bought for her before she started her journey advised Trainers not to approach wounded Pokémon in the wild, even to help them, because they would be more likely to lash out in self-defense. Even so, Ruby felt bad leaving a defenseless Pokémon lying out in the open like that. She also wasn’t comfortable throwing a Pokéball at an unconscious Pokémon to catch it because that just wouldn’t be fair to the defeated Pokémon.

With a sigh, Ruby decided to continue on her way to north to Viridian City. She knew even before setting out on her journey that the world was a tough place and that she would have to make hard decisions. What that reality entailed was only now beginning to dawn on her. It was a Pokémon’s nature to fight after all and until now Ruby had only witnessed the civility of Trainer-Pokémon interactions. It had been a few days since Ruby got her Squirtle from Prof. Oak and she was quickly learning that interactions with Pokémon in the wild were nowhere near as friendly as the media would lead people to believe.
------------

Within the hour Ruby found herself inside the borders of Viridian City. It was a quaint and vibrant town compared to Saffron City where Ruby had grown up. The air was clean, the bright blue sky wasn’t obscured by towering skyscrapers, and everything felt so spacious!

“Wow.” Ruby said in wonder as she took in the sights. “Leo, come out and see this!” she called throwing a sphere that was red on top and white on bottom. The ball burst open erupting a white light that materialized into the small reptile. Leo looked around at the city in wonder but was panting. Even resting in his Pokéball, he was still pretty banged up and weary after his battles. Seeing her Pokémon in such shape made Ruby conscious of her own fatigue. Being sweaty and dirty didn’t really bother her since that was a sign of hard work, but she also knew it was important to rest so they could be ready for life’s next challenges.

“I guess we should go find a Pokémon Center.” she said awkwardly. “Do you want to go back in your Pokéball or do you want to walk with me to the Pokémon Center?” she asked. Leo started walking forward wordlessly giving his answer.

“Alright, let’s see…” Ruby took off her purple backpack then pulled a small white book with a map of Kanto on the cover along with the title “Field Guide to the Kanto Region.” Ruby flipped through until she came across the section on Viridian City. She absentmindedly walked forward as she read with Leo following close behind. According to the book, the Pokémon Center was in the southern part of the city just a few blocks west from the Route 1 entrance.

“Perfect!” she cheered. “Now all we have to do is…” Ruby’s voice trailed as she realized she had no idea where she was. She looked around in a panic trying to recognize any landmarks but to no avail. “Aw man! Not again!” she berated herself as she lowered her head. Ruby was always doing stupid stuff like this. Not paying attention to her surroundings, forgetting things, losing track of time… Her ditzy habit was her mom’s main concern about Ruby going off to become a Trainer.

As luck would have it though, Ruby noticed a guy with auburn hair and a confident expression on his face heading in her direction. The fact that he had a Pokéball in one hand and a bird with black feathers and a crest on its head resembling a witch’s hat sitting on his shoulder meant this man was also a Trainer. Without a doubt he knew where the Pokémon Center was! Ruby picked up Leo in her arms and ran over to him.

“Um… excuse me. Sorry to bother you, but I’m new in town and I’m a bit lost. Could you please direct me to the Pokémon Center?” she requested with a nervous laugh.

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

Justice noticed the strangely familiar visage of a boy about her age with black-hair, a purple-plaid flannel shirt and beige cargo pants. He seemed to be staring at her for a few moments, almost as if somewhat bewildered to see her. She was about to ask him what he wanted, but then he approached her.

“Sorry,” he apologized as he drew close, “don’t know if you remember me, but weren’t you at Professor Oaks lab a few days ago?” So that was why she recognized him. She gave a nod of acknowledgement, giving a bit of a tired smile.

“Yeah, that's right,” she replied, holding out a hand to shake. “Justice Dellacott. Nice to see you again, though I do apologize, as I don't seem to recall your name.” I think it starts with an M, she thought to herself. Micheal... Matthew... Marcus? Something like that... She didn't have much more time to think on it, as her name was called by the nurse at the front desk.

“If you'll excuse me,” she said, her own tone apologetic as she got up from her sitting place. She picked up the only PokéBall handed to her, smoothing it over in her hands thoughtfully. Maybe instead of PokéMon, she could travel with another human? It seemed the safest way to go at this point... but just as she was about to go ask that person if he wanted to travel with her, she accidentally bumped into another teen boy with black hair. He had a brown tweed jacket and cargo pants of his own, and seemed to be carrying an antique watch of some sort in his hands.

“Oh no, I'm so sorry,” she apologized quickly, looking sheepish as she backed away from the individual a little bit. “I'll try to watch where I'm going from now on.”

 

[Tailon]

"Uh...I'm heading back into town anyway," Dean told the girl who approached him, "I can show you the way."

Dean shrunk the Poke Ball containing his newest catch into its portable size, clipping it to a small, specialized belt built into one side of the lining of his jacket, which contained Don's Poke Ball and had space for one more. "It's back this way," he said, pointing toward Viridian as he began to walk, "My name's Dean, by the way, what's yours?"

 

[Mr.RMA]

"Oh, uh, it's fine, miss, I should'a given you more room," Wyatt responded apologetically as he staggered back a little. He was going to leave it at that and get back to his business here before finally setting off, but in a stroke of curiosity, he turned back to face the young woman who accidentally ran into him.

"I hope I don't sound too odd overhearing that conversation you just had with that guy over there, but I couldn't help but notice him mentioning you two meeting at Professor Oak's?" he inquired, having heard of the acclaimed professor many a time from his talkshow on the radio. "I've never had the privilege to meet the man myself, mind if I ask what he's like? Is he as brilliant as they say?"

 

[Brendan Savem]

(well to be honest, I never said which weekend I'd pop this on. Anyway, was initially going to hold out on this part for a bit at first, but figured may as well get shuffle some plot along.)

“Justice…?” Marcus repeated under his breath, surprised by the name. “No wait yeah, of course that’s right.” He quickly stammered. “Um, my name’s Marcus, and it’s great to meet you, I mean see you, again… yeah.”

“If you’ll excuse me,” Justice said, before she slipped out from her seat and walked past him.

“Uh, sure. I’ll talk to you again later… then…” Marcus waved half-heartedly. Arceus, was he really that bad at this? Then he saw that she had just gone over to the counter to collect her Pokémon. Oh, it wasn’t him then.

“Marcus Tavish to Counter Four please.” The intercom echoed. Wow, that was fast. Marcus hurried back to the counter where the nurse held one of his pokéballs in a tray.

“Thank you so much for your help Miss.” Marcus thanked, before noticing only Basil’s ball was there. “Where’s the other one?”

“Still being treated,” the nurse said, “We still need to discuss the extent of the injuries on your Rattata.” Marcus’s heart quickly sank into his feet. “We’re treating her the best we could but-“

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt it so hard!” Marcus blurted out, loud enough to turn a few heads. “I should have held Basil back, I really should have!”

“Ssssh, slow down,” she hushed, “We are not talking about the leaf scratches from Bulbasaur.

“W-what?” Marcus stammered, quickly wiping his eyes from the droplets that had began to form.

“She had a series of bite injuries along her belly and abdomen. Likely from a larger Rattata, or even a Raticate” The nurse explained, pulling out a small photo and passing it to Marcus. “Is this the first time you’re seeing this?”

Marcus looked down at the photo and nearly gagged, much of the photo was dominated by heavy gashes in the cream flesh of the Rattata’s underbelly, the remaining fur stained red with blood, some of it even hanging loose from the rest of the body.

“I, I didn’t… notice…” Marcus said, as he tried to recall the things he missed from that fight. “I… guess there was a lot of blood in the grass when I found it. I just…”

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t your fault.” She reassured, “In fact, in hindsight, it is likely that that you saved her life.” Marcus remained silent.

“Regardless, Rattata will make a full recovery, but just to make sure,” she pulled out and handed him a small aerosol bottle, “this should be applied to the wounded area every evening, until the bottle is empty, to prevent the wounds reopening. However, it’s too early to determine how the scar tissue will reform. It will likely leave her with permanent scars. To what degree, we’re not sure. But keep a close eye on her, and she’ll be in fighting shape in no time. Rattata will be out soon, so please remain in the lobby for a while longer until she has fully recovered.”

“I was going to… alright. I will be right here.” Marcus replied, stumbling away from the counter, and flopping himself onto the nearest seat. He looked back down at the photo still in his hand, slowly tracing a finger over the contents, replaying what just happened in his mind. What did all of this make him?

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

"Professor Oak?" she queried, tilting her head curiously. Must be from another region. "Yeah, his laboratory was pretty high-tech despite being in a town like Pallet. He himself was extremely knowledgeable as well, but he seemed a little bit off somehow... probably due to the fact that nobody has heard from his grandson in five years." It was pretty common knowledge now that 'Blue' had disappeared whilst looking for 'Red' on Mount Silver all that time ago... This guy really must be from a different place.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt it so hard!” Justice turned her head curiously towards the other boy, whom she had learned was named Marcus. “I should have held Basil back, I really should have!” The nurse seemed to quiet the boy down soon afterwards and explain something to him. She felt some sympathy for the boy - she knew firsthand every time she looked at her sisters face just how brutal this world could be sometimes. Well, I was contemplating it just before I bumped into this other boy...

"Sorry again for bumping into you," she seemed to say, before walking back towards Marcus. "Hey... you okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned. "If I can help in any way, please let me know... But I was thinking that maybe it would be safer to travel in numbers. Especially since we have to go through the forest to get to Pewter City..." She sheepishly seemed to brush at her hair, blushing a bit bashfully. "I - I guess I'm... asking if you'd like to travel with me? You don't have to if you don't want to..."

 

[Psycho Monkey]

It turned out the boy, whose name was Dean, was also heading in that direction and was willing to show Ruby the way.

“I’m Ruby, and this little guy here is Leonardo. I just call him Leo though.” she said returning the introduction while Leo looked up at her at the sound of his name. Ruby set the Squirtle back on the ground since he was a bit heavy to walk with the way she was carrying him.

“So what was in that Pokéball just now?” asked Ruby. “I thought it was the one for your Murkrow, but then I saw another ball in your vest.” Dean gave his answer. As it turned out he had just caught a Nidoran♀ on Route 22.

“Oh really? That’s neat! I just became a Trainer a few days ago so Leo is my only Pokémon so far. I know they say it’s dangerous out in the world so having more Pokémon is better, but I also don’t want to just catch a Pokémon just for the sake of catching it. I guess when the right one comes along I’ll know that it’s ok for it to join me… er, us.” Ruby explained.

She looked down to Leo who was starting to lag behind the two Trainers a bit. Ruby paused her stride and crouched down to let the Tiny Turtle catch up. “Here, why don’t you go back in your Pokéball for now? We can walk together more when you’re rested.” she told him gently patting his head. She pulled out his ball and with a red light he was sucked back into the capsule.

A few minutes later the duo arrived at the Pokémon Center. Just as Ruby’s field guide said, it was a large building with a red roof just a few blocks from Route 1. She felt a bit sheepish at missing it the first time but in the end everything worked out perfectly. If Ruby had made it here on the first try she probably wouldn’t have met Dean. It was always nice making a new friend.

“Thank you for escorting me here Dean. If there is anything I can do to repay you, just let me know.” Ruby thanked graciously. The two entered the Pokémon Center which already had several other people in it. She wondered how long the wait would be to have Leo and Dean’s Pokémon healed.

“Hi! We’re here to get our Pokémon healed.” Ruby stated, probably obviously, to one of the nurses at the nearest counter.

“Sure thing. We’ll have your Pokémon in fighting shape in no time.” the nurse said with a friendly smile taking Leo’s Pokéball.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt it so hard!I should have held Basil back, I really should have!” cried a black-haired boy a few feet from her getting the attention of some of the other Trainers. Something seemed familiar about him but Ruby couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Having just walked in, Ruby wasn’t sure of the situation but one of the other nurses at the desk seemed to be trying to console him. It would have been rude to butt in at this moment when things seemed to be getting under control but Ruby still wanted to help out anyway she could.

She sympathetically watched him slink to the waiting area with something in his hand where he all but collapsed into one of the chairs. It wasn’t until an equally familiar girl with dark brown hair sit with him to comfort him did Ruby realize where she knew them from.

“Excuse me for a moment Dean.” she apologized. Ruby slowly approached the other Trainers. “Um… Sorry to interrupt, but you two were at Prof. Oak’s lab a few days ago right? You probably don’t remember me, but I arrived right as you two were leaving. I’m Ruby.” she introduced. Ruby then turned to the boy who still seemed to be shaken up. “I hope everything is alright.”

 

[Mr.RMA]

"Really? His grandson just disappeared like that?" It seemed quite the shocking bit of news for Wyatt at first, but then he recalled something he had heard back in his detour through Lavender Town. He recalled a woman mentioning something about 'that poor child' and someone else saying 'His grandfather isn't taking it well.' Initially he thought it had been someone who had recently passed on, with it being the town that it was after all, but now it was becoming clear to him that this matter must have been in reference to Blue's disappearance.

Pondering over this, he was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of the young man in hysterics at the counter. Though concerned for the guy's well being, he wasn't sure what he could do about it, and it didn't seem to matter, as a number of people were already moving to console the distressed trainer, Justice included, who he managed to catch suggesting to this fellow, whom she had apparently met before, that they travel together. The mention of going through Viridian Forest piqued his interest, as he had in fact just made it out of that area, and it was apparent that the place was rather dangerous in the eyes of the locals. Strange indeed, the forest seemed rather tame in his eyes. Maybe he had just taken the trip on a good day? In any case, he saw an opportunity to jump in on this discussion and potentially gain a few helpful traveling buddies in the process.

"Uh... Sorry for interrupting again, but, you mentioned Viridian Forest? Coincidentally I was there just this morning, so, I mean... If you guys needed a guide or something, perhaps I could, I dunno... tag along, maybe?"

 

[Tailon]

As Ruby turned away, Dean took the opportunity to bring his new partner and Don over to the counter, turning them over to the nurse. With that done, Dean turned his attention to the ambient conversation, eventually deciding to return to the only person in the building he knew, the girl, Ruby.

"Hello again!" he said as he approached, then noticed the distressed looking boy and the general atmosphere of the conversation and asked, "Is something wrong," sitting down not far from where Ruby was standing.

 

[Brendan Savem]

“Hey… are you okay?” Marcus looked up to see Justice in front of him, a concerned look on her face. Marcus then remembered his outburst, and lowered his head in embarrassment

“Yeah… yeah I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” Marcus mumbled. He wasn’t even sure if he was speaking loud enough for her to hear him.

“If I can help in any way, please let me know... But I was thinking that maybe it would be safer to travel in numbers. Especially since we have to go through the forest to get to Pewter City... I - I guess I'm... asking if you'd like to travel with me? You don't have to if you don't want to..." Marcus looked back up in surprise. Was she… blushing? Surely she didn’t mean-

“Um… Sorry to interrupt, but you two were at Prof. Oak’s lab a few days ago right? I’m Ruby” Marcus nearly jumped at the sudden voice of another person, but was secretly glad she didn’t let him finish his thought. It was another girl, but she had lighter brown hair and rounded glasses that shielded her eyes. Those glasses were all that it took to recognize her, after she arrived at the lab at the same time Marcus was leaving. Ruby then looked directly at him, and Marcus could see her olive-colored eyes, filled with concern, “I hope everything is alright”

“Oh, uh… yeah, yeah I’m fin- fine.” Marcus insisted, stumbling over his words. “I’m… sorry you had to hear that.” Was he really that loud? Why did he go ahead and make such a spectacle of it?

"Hello again!" another person said, Marcus turned his head to see another person approaching, another boy this time; the same age as the rest of them were. He had auburn hair, a grey t-shirt, and overlarge jeans. It seems he was addressing Ruby, an acquaintance perhaps? Maybe he could be a godsend and change the subject.

“Is something wrong?”

Arceus.

Marcus sighed, dropping his head in between his hands. “No…” Marcus said, his face bright red with embarrassment, “Everything’s just fine…” Drowning in his own shame, he wasn’t even paying attention when another boy, with a black shirt and brown tweed jacket delivered that miracle subject change he sought.

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

Marcus was very quiet about it, but he did respond. “Yeah… yeah I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” He didn't get much time to respond to her question, however, as suddenly another brunette approached. Something about her seemed vaguely familiar too...

“Um… Sorry to interrupt, but you two were at Prof. Oak’s lab a few days ago right? You probably don’t remember me, but I arrived right as you two were leaving." Ah, that explains it... she must have been there for the remaining starter PokeMon. "I'm Ruby." Justice smiled and waved to her, about to introduce herself - but the girl named Ruby turned her attention to Marcus instead. They had an exchange, where yet another person turned up for both of them to ask if Marcus was okay... the way the younger boy turned beet red and seemed to want to hide away made her feel a little bit bad for him, not to mention feeling guilty herself. Maybe I should've just left him alone...

"Uh... Sorry for interrupting again, but, you mentioned Viridian Forest?" It was the boy from before that she had bumped into, and she was a little bit glad for the attention diversion. "Coincidentally I was there just this morning, so, I mean... If you guys needed a guide or something, perhaps I could, I dunno... tag along, maybe?" He had actually been through the forest? By himself? Justice thought, her mouth having opened by itself out of shock. Well, it appears this foreigner is already quite strong if that's the case...

"If you're offering to be a guide, I'd certainly be grateful for the company," she replied afterwards, blushing bashfully again as she tried to re-compose herself. "I - I don't exactly have a lot of money on me right now to pay you for it, but if there's anything you need in return I'll be happy to help in any way I can. I'm Justice... Justice Dellacott." She smiled shyly at the introduction, sticking out a hand to shake and wondering idly if her older sister had a reputation in other regions.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

“Oh, uh… yeah, yeah I’m fin- fine. I’m… sorry you had to hear that.” the boy stammered clearly embarrassed about making a scene. Dean coming over and reiterating the same question didn’t seem to help matters as now the boy’s face was red and buried in his hands as he continued to reassure everyone he was fine.

“I’m sorry. I barely know you and yet I asked such a personal question.” Ruby apologized. “I don’t even know your name yet.” she realized feeling a bit embarrassed herself now.

“Uh... Sorry for interrupting again, but, you mentioned Viridian Forest?” addressed a rather large gentleman wearing black cargo slacks, green sneakers, and a black T-shirt with a brown tweed jacket over top. It seemed he was talking to the other girl specifically. They must have met before. “Coincidentally I was there just this morning, so, I mean... If you guys needed a guide or something, perhaps I could, I dunno... tag along, maybe?”

“If you’re offering to be a guide, I’d certainly be grateful for the company. I - I don’t exactly have a lot of money on me right now to pay you for it, but if there's anything you need in return I’ll be happy to help in any way I can. I’m Justice... Justice Dellacott.” the girl replied offering her hand to the guy. So that was her name.

“I don’t have any spare money either, but I have a guide book that might be helpful.” Ruby offered hoping she wasn’t being intrusive. She was planning to go to Viridian Forest eventually anyway after resting for a bit at the Pokémon Center. Travelling with others was always a more fun experience than travelling alone. “What about you Dean?” she asked him not wanting her first companion to feel left out.

“Ruby Pratt! Your Pokémon is ready!” the nurse announced before either party could answer her queries.

“Sorry! I’ll be back in a moment!” she apologized again. Ruby then made her way back to the counter she was at before to reclaim Leo.

“Your Pokémon is back to full health. We hope to see you again, have a great day!” the nurse said with a smile. The line sounded rehearsed but the tone was genuine and comforting.

“Thanks, you too!” Ruby said returning the formality as she put Leo’s Pokéball back on her belt. She then went back to the group to find out what everyone was doing.

 

[Tailon]

As Ruby returned to the group, Dean said, "I spent half my childhood in the forest with Don, so I think I'll be fine without a guide, thanks for the offer though. Ruby, if you want to travel with me I don't mind, but if you want to go ahead and go with these guys."

The nurse called him back to the counter as he was speaking, so he said the last bit as he turned and walked over to the counter, retrieving Don and the Nidoran's Poke Ball. As he walked back past the little group he said, "I'll be outside if ya need me."

Dean stepped outside, expanding Nidoran's Poke Ball, and tapped the button on the front, releasing the little Poison Pin Pokemon in a flash of white light.

"Hi little one, it's nice to properly meet you," Dean told her, "I'm Dean, your new trainer, this is Don, and I think I'll call you...Cleo."

The little bunny creature at first just listened intently, and after hearing her new name, took a moment to think it over, before giving a little nod of approval.

 

[Mr.RMA]

"Oh, well, I don't intend to take any of your money, I was just willing to give you a hand, I'm planning on going back that way myself anyways, I'd appreciate the company," he said with a shrug. "Whether or not you need me of course, I've just been traveling through the region alone for a while. Even with my Pokemon it can get kinda lonesome. Pleasure to meet you all by the way. It's Wyatt, Wyatt Mortain," he said with a nod as he shook Justice's hand.

Mata seemed to let out a friendly chirp at that as if to introduce himself. "Oh, right this is Mata, gotta go get this little fella healed up, just a sec," he added before taking Mata's Pokeball and calling the Natu back, making his way over to the nurse.

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

At first, Justice wasn't sure that she had heard him right. This Wyatt didn't want to be paid for being a guide? Well that's terribly generous, she thought, and his story sounded a bit similar to her own. Traveling alone save her PokeMon... she looked at her PokeBall particularly, swiping her thumb across the smooth surface. You're going to need more party members soon, came the memory of what her sister had said just a few moments earlier. She glanced back to Marcus, giving the boy an encouraging smile before she got up to follow Wyatt.

"Hey... I think I'd like to take you up on that offer," she said to the boy, still blushing bashfully. "I could use the company too, especially since I only have the one partner myself." She tapped the PokeBall, but was reluctant to actually open it... Come on, Justice, she chastised herself. It's hardly his fault that he has sharp claws... She noted that a lot of people had their own PokeMon out, so she reluctantly opened the PokeBall. The small fire lizard with mottled skin peered up at her and around them questioningly.

"Uh... this is... Charmander," Justice introduced, looking a bit sheepish that she hadn't picked a nickname. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to head out as soon as possible," she said to the boy, before turning to the others again. "If any of you want to come along with us, you're certainly welcome." Not only was it a 'the more, the merrier' situation, but it was also not to center on Marcus. Poor guy has gotten enough unwanted attention today.

 

[Brendan Savem]

OCC: Sorry for dropping off the earth like that. Coursework season came around and I had to leave this post half finished. It has finally ended for the time being though, and so has this post.

BIC:
“I’m sorry. I barely know you and yet I asked such a personal question.” Ruby apologised. Marcus, lowered his hands, and shifted his eyes towards her. “I don’t even know your name yet.”

“Oh right. I’m sorry, you had to-. I mean-“ Marcus sighed,

“I’m sorry, it’s been a long day. Let me just start over.” Marcus paused to let the color drain out of his face, then gave a gentle smile.

“My name is Marcus. It’s great to meet you.”

“Uh... Sorry for interrupting again, but, you mentioned Viridian Forest?” the boy in the tweed jacket said as he approached. Marcus kept quiet as he explained himself: a guide then? Marcus knew that Viridian Forest could be dangerous if people weren’t careful. He assumed that just meant not wandering around when it got dark and staying on the path, though he planned to get a guidebook from the center before he made the trek. If Wyatt was offering to help through…

"If any of you want to come along with us, you're certainly welcome.” Justice addressed the group, having already made up her mind.

“Thanks for the offer, I think traveling together for a little while will be nice.” Marcus said, and then glanced over at the other people forming this group in the corner of the pokémon center before addressing them as well. “And, sorry if I’m wrong, but aren’t we all fairly new to the trainer thing? We all could learn a thing or two from each other if we make the trip.”

 

[Psycho Monkey]

The boy, introducing himself as Marcus, seemed a lot better now that he had calmed down. Ruby was glad for that.

“It’s good to meet you too Marcus.” she responded cheerfully.

“I spent half my childhood in the forest with Don, so I think I’ll be fine without a guide, thanks for the offer though. Ruby, if you want to travel with me I don't mind, but if you want to go ahead and go with these guys.” Dean replied to her inquiry before going to reclaim his Pokémon from the nurse. By the sounds of it, he was the type to travel alone, though he did extend the offer that he’d wait outside.

The other boy, Wyatt, declined payment. He was apparently volunteering to assist them out of pure generosity.

“I’m Ruby and this little guy here is Leo. It’s nice to meet both of you, Wyatt, Mata.” she introduced in the exchange of pleasantries.

“Hey… I think I’d like to take you up on that offer. I could use the company too, especially since I only have the one partner myself.” Justice said before sending out her Charmander.

“Oh wow Justice! He’s so cute!” cried Ruby. She crouched down and smiled at the Lizard Pokémon. “It’s nice to meet you too Charmander.”

Marcus also agreed to join the group which put Ruby in a rather awkward spot. Should she travel with her fellow beginners and Wyatt or go with Dean? Based on numbers alone the choice was obvious.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.” apologized Ruby. “I really wish I could go with you guys but…” she turned to the Pokémon Center door for a brief second, then back to the group. “…it just wouldn’t feel right if we traveled as a group of four while Dean traveled alone. I know it was his decision not to come with us, but even with having our Pokémon for company I’m sure it can get pretty lonely out there. Besides, there’s safety in numbers if someone got hurt or if one of us had all of our Pokémon faint. Still, it was a pleasure meeting all of you. Justice, Marcus, Wyatt. I hope we can meet up in Pewter City and exchange stories of our travels through Viridian Forest.”

With that, Ruby returned Leo to his Pokéball and went outside where Dean was waiting. He was talking to a small blue rabbit with small spines on its back. That must have been his new Nidoran♀.

“Dean!” she called to him. “I’m ready when you are.”

 

[Tailon]

"Sure, let's head on out to Route 2!" Dean replied, grinning, recalling Cleo into her Poke Ball as he set off at a brisk walk. The road that led onto Route 2 was the same one they had taken from Route 22, though instead of staying on the straight path, they followed the right fork in the road, leading them north toward Viridian Forest.

Despite the "City" in its name, Viridian was not particularly large, and in fact the North/West main road which cut cleanly through town connected Routes 1 and 2 in a matter of a pair of hours, and from the Pokemon Center it would only take the two trainers 45 minutes to an hour to reach the Route by following the main road.

As they walked, Dean made conversation about where Ruby had come from, asking about her Squirtle, and talking about his time on the routes and in the forest, always watched over by a pair of powerful Flying-types. About an hour later, the last of the pavement faded into the familiar dirt path, patches of long grass dotting the area and a massive, impenetrable tree line to the west.

As they walked, Don flew above, keeping an eye out for potential threats and training opportunities. However, he only called once, though the pink blur he had spotted moving among the trees disappeared into them too fast for Dean to notice when he turned his head.

"Must've seen something too quick," Dean said aloud to himself as he slowed for a moment.

 

[Mr.RMA]

"Hey, no problem, we're all probably gonna be going at our own paces anyway, maybe we'll run into each other on the way even," Wyatt said upon the recovery of his Pokemon from one of the nurses as he waved back to Ruby before turning back to the two who decided to tag along with him. He hadn't expected two people to take up his offer, let alone one, but it was most definitely a pleasant surprise. Human companions had been a rarity for him recently, and it was quite refreshing having someone to talk to who could respond in a coherent fashion, with all due respect to his beloved Pokemon.

"Well now, provided you two have all your affairs here in order, we should probably get going too. My trek here might've been pretty simple, but if there's a bunch of talk about that forest being dangerous, we should probably keep from getting stuck there come nightfall, eh?" he inquired with a light shrug, releasing Mata once more, the Natu perching on his trainer's shoulder almost immediately. "From what I can tell, it's not that long a way through if you take the right path, though, there's more than one beaten down trail out there these days, so, you gotta make sure you're taking the right one. Place reminds me a lot of Ilex Forest back in good ol' Azalea town, used to always enjoy our summer trips there..." He seemed to pause at that, staring blankly at nothing for a moment, reminiscing as if he were a far older man than he really was before eventually shaking off the light trance. "Right then... before my rambling takes up the rest of the day, you guys ready to move out?"

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

The shy boy named Marcus greeted the girl named Ruby, and had said that travelling together would be nice. Justice smiled at this, glad that he was coming out of his shell a bit. She was worried that he wouldn't get over his embarrassment from earlier, but he seemed to be slowly recovering. Justice paid attention just in time to hear that Ruby had decided to travel together with Dean instead, not feeling right about leaving him alone.

“That's completely understandable,” she replied with a small smile. “I wish you two luck.” She waved to them as they left, turning back to her other two comrades. The boy named Wyatt had said that there were many paths in the forest, so someone had to know which path to take. Luckily, that was part of the reason she had asked him to be their guide, and the fact that he was agreeing to do it for free made herself and Marcus all the better for it.

“I think we're almost ready to go,” Justice said to Wyatt. “We just need to collect the rest of our recently healed companions and we'll be good to go.”

---

A little while later, they found themselves on Route 2 as well, probably in a different section than the other two by that point. Justice kind of felt chills down her spine, for more than just the reason that she was finally travelling with others and making friends. Something didn't feel right... It was far too quiet with all the trees and tall grass about them. Where were the PokeMon?

Suddenly, the earth seemed to shake a bit as something that sounded like a large explosion sounded up ahead. There was a cacophony of bugs and birds fleeing away from the forest in desperation and fright. Many of them were even headed towards her and her group, already looking angry enough to try and fight their way through them if they needed to. Justice swore under her breath, her hand hesitant on her PokeBall, but she knew she had to act as visions of her sisters scar swam in her head.

“Go, Charmander!” she called, the small lizard bursting forth from it's ball. “Help protect me!” she ordered, not really sure what else to do. The fire type stayed true to itself, small sparks of flame beginning to burst from its mouth to pelt any wild PokeMon that would try to harm Justice. This was not going to be an easy situation at all... she only hoped her friends could help her.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

The two Trainers headed north to Route 2 right away. The road was pretty straight so even someone like Ruby would have trouble getting lost, even without a map.

“I’m originally from Saffron City so the last few days of being out in nature and in these country towns has been a huge change for me. Not an unwelcome one of course. I knew what I was getting into when I decided to be a Trainer, it’s just so amazing how vast the world is outside of the big city. Back home it’s just me and my mom. I’ve always admired the relationship Trainers have with their Pokémon so I’ve always wanted to go on my own Pokémon Journey. I went to Pallet Town a few days ago and got Leo from Prof. Oak. Two of the other Trainers back at the Pokémon Center, Marcus and Justice, were also there. I was late so I only barely got to meet them at the Lab.” Ruby explained to Dean’s inquiries.

Dean returned the favor by sharing a bit about his life growing up in Viridian City and travelling around the nearby area including Viridian Forest.

“So what were those two Flying-types? Was Don one of them?” she asked. Before Dean could answer, Don squawked probably to indicate he saw something. Dean looked around but figured whatever it was was too fast and got away.

After a few more minutes of walking, Ruby noticed a small caterpillar-like Pokémon munching on leaves in the middle of the trail. It was a light brown color with many red feet, a big red nose, a long two inch spike on its head, and a small stinger on its tail. The Pokémon looked up from its meal at the travelers and tilted its head inquisitively.

“Kyaaaaaa!! He’s so cute!” Ruby squeed jubilantly. She crouched down to get closer to the Pokémon’s level and picked up a leaf. “You’re a Weedle aren’t you? Here you go.” she said holding out the leaf. The Weedle sniffed at the leaf curiously and slowly moved towards it. Once he was sure the girl meant no harm, he started nibbling at the offering getting another squee out of Ruby.

“Look at you! You are so precious!” she complemented. Ruby stood up and picked some fresh leaves off of the nearest tree. She got back down to offer the foliage to Weedle who happily accepted. The Bug-type seemed to feel comfortable enough with Ruby now that he started to crawl up her arm to her shoulder. Weedle started to rub up against Ruby’s face, curious about her glasses.

“Hey stop it! That tickles!” she laughed reaching up to pet the Hairy Bug Pokémon. “Oh you are just too cute! Don’t you think so Dean?” she asked her companion. Ruby then started to wonder if she should catch this Weedle. Usually a Trainer has to battle the Wild Pokémon first to weaken it but Ruby wasn’t sure how Weedle would react having a battle sprung on him after being showered with gifts. She could always ask? Ruby gently picked Weedle off of her shoulder and sat him back on the ground in front of her.

“Hey Weedle, um… My name is Ruby, I’m a Pokémon Trainer. Would you like to join my team maybe? I mean I would really like it if you did, but if you don’t want to you don’t have to.” she asked it awkwardly. Weedle tilted his head as if processing the information, but was immediately caught by surprise by an explosion further ahead that shook the ground where they stood.

“What was that!?” cried Ruby in shock looking at the pillar of smoke rising to the sky. She could hear the aggressive shrieks of Wild Pokémon ahead, no doubt terrified and angry about the sudden explosion. “I need you Leo!” called Ruby sending out her Squirtle for protection. Leo took his position in front of his Trainer to serve as her defense. The Weedle also rose up on his back legs to look taller and more intimidating. He was ready to fight too.

 

[Brendan Savem]

Marcus waved his hand half-heartedly as Ruby and Dean disappeared out the door. Even though she was going mainly to accompany Dean, Marcus wasn’t sure whether he’d meet her again. Then again, they were on the same journey, so they were bound to bump into each other again sooner or later, if not in Pewter.

“I think we’re almost ready to go,” Justice said to Wyatt. “We just need to collect the rest of our recently healed companions and we’ll be ready to go.”

“Alright.” Marcus replied, allowing an excited grin to show on his face. “I already got my Pokémon, so I’ll just grab my pack and meet you by the door.”

As the other two went over to the counter, Marcus went back to his backpack and carefully lifted it up and slung onto his back. In the short drama, Marcus had forgotten just how heavy and unwieldy it was, nearly toppling him over when he got his arm in the first strap. Once he was comfortably stable, Marcus hurried over to his new companions who had already beaten him to the door.

---

A little while later, the trio were on Route 2, similar in geography as the previously conquered Route 1, though on a steadily rising slope. Further up ahead, the grass and dirt quickly gave way to thick trees all huddled tightly together, a large gap between them being the only clear entrance. This was the beginning of Viridian Forest.

Although they started off their hike in pleasant conversation, it had died down as they approached the woods. Justice especially was solemnly silent now. Marcus tilted his head and saw her furrowed look. Something was up.

“You alright Justice?” Marcus asked, “You seem a little off kilter-“ Suddenly, the sudden bang and a roar like thunder echoed from within the forest, the earth shook from the sudden event, enough to make Marcus lose control of his heavy weight and send him falling over backwards.

“What was that!?” Marcus shouted, as he tried to heave himself off his back. After initial failure, he gave up and pushed his arms out of the straps and rose without his pack. Almost on cue, the tree line burst open as a cacophony of bug and bird Pokémon burst from within, all fleeing from the forest in fright, a number of them charging directly at the three.

“Go Charmander! Help protect me!” Justice ordered as she called out her Pokémon.

“Basil! Do something!” Marcus similarly yelled, calling on his own Pokémon. The grass type was a lot more focused than Marcus was, quickly sending several of his leaves launching out from under his bulb. They sailed through the air and cut through the oncoming swarm. Although the type disadvantage meant it wouldn’t harm the oncoming bug and flying types much, hopefully it will still be enough to force them to divert.

 

[Tailon]

The forest exploded.

There wasn't really any other way to explain what happened as Ruby finished speaking to the Weedle she had found. The thunderclap was still ringing in Dean's ears even as Bug types and flocks of Pidgey and Pidgeotto came scattering out of the forest in a living wave, even a few Pikachu and Pichu were visible among the earthbound insects.

Without any command from Dean, Don dove, a dark streak against the green, yellow, and brown of the oncoming Pokemon, and flapped his wings impossibly fast, forming a small tornado in front of him and launching it forward on the final stroke of his wings. The Whirlwind expanded as it approached a group of approaching Pikachu and Caterpie, scattering them harmlessly.

"Don, uh..." Dean called, forcing his scattered mind back to his training, "Hold, and defend... isolate rares."

Don's training had begun even before Dean, and he reacted to commands with easy grace, summoning the shimmering wall of his Protect against any opponent that strayed too close, only breaking his pattern for an instant to sweep around and isolate a single, yellow, Tiny Mouse and guide it to the safety of his holding pattern.

 

[Mr.RMA]

So apparently Wyatt had caught a break on his first trip through the forest if this is what greeted him heading back... An explosion off in the distance, and a swarm, a massive swarm of wild Pokemon storming off in all directions, many of which were headed straight for the small group he was now a part of, one he had just been oh so convinced he could help get through what seemed like such a simple obstacle to Pewter City only moments ago. What was it that he compared it to again, a summer trip? Yeah, that was already sounding pretty damn stupid in retrospect.

Now they had to act fast before a myriad of potentially deadly wild beasts came charging after them... Wyatt seemed unsure for a moment, still shocked it was happening in the first place, requiring a screech of alarm from Mata to properly get his mind straightened out. Just act like this is a battle... that was all he could come up with, but it would have to do. Defensive moves then... which ones did the Natu know again? Something to protect them... The realization at that moment would have been enough for Wyatt to deliver a well-deserved slap to his own cranium if they weren't in danger at the moment.

"Mata, protect!" he commanded, the tiny bird looking a bit disappointed that it wouldn't be directly attacking anything for a moment before nonetheless springing into action, conjuring up a turquoise shield of energy just wide enough to cover both the Natu and its trainer. "You fellas get behind me!" he shouted over to Marcus and Justice, suddenly very grateful he picked up that move for Mata back in Celedon. It wouldn't hold out for long though, hopefully just long enough to stave off this sudden stampede of bugs and birds.

While quietly praying the temporary force-field would see them through this unnatural incident, Wyatt couldn't help but find himself questioning just what brought all this on in the first place. Clearly that explosion more than likely had something to do with it, but that begged the question of what it was, who caused it, and the all-important why? What was there to gain setting off an explosion in a forest like this?

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

Mostly the wild PokeMon seemed to avoid the trainers, more scared of the explosion than anything else. The few that did decide to fight merely saw them as a threat, trying to protect their own hides... it was kind of sad in a way, to potentially risk their lives because they felt so threatened. Justice wasn't sure what do do, as some of them tried to attack but were stopped by Mata's screen of protection or deterred by Basil's razor leaves. It wouldn't last forever though, so she pulled out her cellphone quickly, in hopes of alerting the police.

Before she could dial in the number for help, the sound of distant helicopters and sirens filled the air. The authorities were already on their way, it was just a matter of stalling for time until they got to the Forest. With that in mind, Justice turned towards the determined few PokeMon that were willing to fight, most of them looking to be bugs of a sort. The flame on Charmander's tail caught her eye again, and she sighed with the weight of the situation in, and everything that she would be doing.

"Alright, remember those sparks that came out of your mouth earlier?" she asked her companion, who looked to her questioningly. "Focus on improving that, if you can... Fire may be our only solution to surviving through this." The lizard seemed to understand the sentiment, his mouth already sparking at her command as he valiantly headed towards the wild PokeMon, scratching at the weak little bugs that came his way whilst trying to spit fire. Justice took that time to scan in the creatures that Charmader was fighting. Caterpies and Weedles mostly, though it did seem that some Pidgeys were swooping down every so often as well.

"Careful of the birds," she warned, whilst also looking to check up on her other human companions and how they were doing.

 

[Psycho Monkey]

By his own volition, Don flapped his wings hard creating a powerful Whirlwind that helped scatter a good portion of the Wild Pokémon horde. The Murkrow was certainly self-sufficient. More kept coming still, but most ran by without conflict. It was only the most stressed Pokémon that attacked them out of the agitation of having their daily routine thrown out of balance. Ruby felt bad about fighting them, even if it was out of self-defense.

“Keep them at a distance with Bubble Leo!” she instructed. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon opened his mouth to spray out foamy bubbles at the Weedles, Caterpies, and occasional Pidgeys and Pikachus. Ruby hoped the onslaught would cause the Wild Pokémon to flee elsewhere but if they fainted then she figured that would be fine too.

Per Dean’s orders, Don also threw up a protective barrier to shield them. He also took particular interest to go after a small yellow mouse with mostly yellow fur save for the black fur around its collar, triangular shaped ears, and tail.

The Weedle Ruby befriended was also holding his own by spewing a white sticky thread from his mouth to ensnare the attacking Pokémon. Over the sounds of the fighting, Ruby heard the engine of a helicopter roaring in the distance. She wondered if they weren’t emergency responders from Viridian arriving to assess the situation and possibly help out.