(( //Dream Sequence//

Backstory about Dad being a douchey ranger who left his kid.
Mom was a mad scientist who likely died (?) in a radioactive explosion. ))


What a bad dream.... but maybe it's trying to tell me something? Time to go downstairs to see Auntie! Today is my big day. She said she had a surprise for me, too...

"Hey, Auntie! Can you believe the Professor is going to hire me?!"

She smiles, laughing a little.

"Alright -- take these new shoes I got for you. You'll need them with all the traveling
you're likely to do. I hear they're great for running, too!"

The shoes fit perfectly, and I grin. "Thanks, Auntie <3"

Not long after, I'm off to find Theo. I wonder where he might be?

On the way, I stop by the neighbor's house, and am given a Rare Candy by the guy outside! WOOT!

Too bad I don't have a pokemon to give it to, yet... but that should change, soon, if what Auntie says is true!

After chatting with some of the local yokels, I stop by Theo's house. His dad tells me he's
already left without me to go to the Lab. That jerk! Grumbling a little to myself, I head out
the door and down the path toward the Prof's Lab.

What the hell? I thought Theo's dad said he already went to the lab, but here he is now!

"Hey, Owl! What do you think you're doing trying to get there before me?" He shouts as he
races up behind me and blocks my path.

I startle a little, "Uh... Your dad said---"

"Well, you're not going to get there before me! I'll get the strongest pokemon before you. Ha!"
He runs off, leaving me staring after him as a bubble of hot annoyance rises in my chest. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly and shake my head before following at a more
measured pace.

I'm sure whatever pokemon I choose will be the best. After all, they'll be my new pokemon partner.
It is a little nerve wracking, though.... what if I choose the wrong one, or it doesn't like me?

Before any more bad thoughts can fill my head, I pick up my pace a little and step into the Lab.


The Professor's lab is bright and shiny! And the professor himself is standing there with a grin as he watches us come in.


"Hey kids! You ready to get to work?"

"Uh.." I glance around the place, and he laughs softly. "Don't worry, I'll tell you all you need to know first!"

Theo seems impatient at this, and I suppress a smirk. He never was good at sitting still for more than 2 minutes.


"So, Owl, Tommy--"

"Theo, it's THEO, christ..."

"Owl...Theo -- You'll be traveling around catching all sorts of pokemon for research! Exciting, isn't it?"

It is, and my heart is already beating faster.

"Of course, it's not an easy job... So first is a test to match you up with your starter pokemon!"


After a round of questions, the Professor turns toward me, "Owl -- you seem like a balanced
person who prefers to go with the flow. For someone like you, Eletux is the best pick!"

As the Professor steps aside, revealing three pokeballs, he gestures for me to step forward
with a kind smile. "Go ahead and take it, Owl."

With a nervous twitch in my gut, I step forward and reach out, picking up the ball...

It's much heavier than I imagined it would be, and there's a slight crackle of energy when I touch it,
almost like faint static. I smile, and feel my gut clench in excitement.

"All right! Thank you so much Professor!" I grin and laugh, holding the ball protectively close.

"Would you like to give him a nickname, Owl?"

I consider it for a moment, and then smile, "Yeah.... I think.. I'll call him Ellie. My new
best bud, isn't that right, sweetheart?" Of course, I'm not sure if it can hear me in its
ball, but something tells me we're going to be great friends.

Theo is up next, "Now, you, Theo---"

"Come on already!" His shout breaks the moment, and the Professor and I both wince.

"Alright, alright. For you, impatient, rash, and someone who knows what he wants.. I say
Raptorch is a good pick. Its fiery temperament will give even you a run for your money!" The
Professor laughs softly, and then Theo quickly grabs the ball, a hungry look in his eyes.

"Time to battle, Owl!"

"Er... what?"

"Now! You can't refuse," he says smugly, and tosses the ball. Raptorch emerges with a growl,
and after a moment, I also toss Ellie's. I may have just gotten him, but I knew we couldn't,
wouldn't, lose!


"Go, Ellie!"

It's over before it even begins. Ellie uses his water gun, and Raptorch goes out like a light.
Theo's devastated expression quickly warps into rage as he yells, recalling his pokemon, and
shoves the ball into his pocket. He sniffs, and then starts to cry. I feel bad for him, but
my joy toward Ellie can't be held back.

"You did really good, Ellie! I'm so proud of you. I know we'll make the best team ever!" I
laugh as he yips at me, and jumps up to lick my cheek.

In the background the Professor tries to calm an overwrought young Theo, and after a moment I
give one more pat to Ellie's head before straightening up.

"Theo..."

"No! It's not FAIR! I was supposed to win! This sucks-- I'm going home!" He sniffs, and then
runs off before either of us can stop him. It's easy to remember he's younger at times like
this...

"Well... that didn't go as well as I'd hoped," the Professor sighs, but then turns to me with
a small smile. "But you and Ellie did really well together! I'm proud of you for handling
your first battle so well. IT looks like you two are going to be fine friends and partners.
Anyway, come by Rt 101 and I'll show you how to capture a pokemon for yourself, okay? See you
there!"


I take a minute to savor the quiet as the Professor leaves the lab, and to get my thoughts
together. Today is the first day of my new life as a pokemon trainer. Ellie seems to feel my
excitement and he wriggles and yips at me again. I laugh softly, and lean down to pat his head.

"Alright, boy. Let's go meet the professor."

On the way there, we stop by to see Auntie, and she's delighted at Ellie as I knew she would
be.

"Oh honey... he's just adorable, isn't he?" Ellie yips and growls a little, and I laugh.

"Maybe he prefers to be thought of as fierce and mighty? You should have seen our first battle!
He took out Theo's Raptorch in one hit. Ah... speaking of Theo, I should probably go make
sure he's alright. The professor wants to show us how to capture pokemon. I'll stop by again
after though."

"Ok, honey. Have fun!"


---------- Theo's House -------------


I knock on the door and Theo's father lets me in. It looks like they'd been talking but the
moment I come inside, Theo runs upstairs. I feel bad for him, but as a trainer it's honestly
a bit embarrassing....


After a moment, his dad yells for him to come back down, and he does.

"Theo, being a trainer means that sometimes you don't always win. You have to learn to pick
yourself up and learn from your mistakes. It's not the end of the world. You'll do better
next time, right?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Alright. I have something for you both," he walks away and comes back with two packages.

"Owl, your father gave these to me to hold onto until you were both ready for them."

He hands them over, and as I open the package, he explains what they are.

"They're PokePods. It's a device that includes a map, radio, and a phone for contacting each
other and other trainers. As a trainer, it's incredibly useful, so be sure to keep it in good
condition!"

"Awesome! Thanks, dad!" Theo's spirits are already lifting as his tiny brain turns toward
new aspirations and his previous defeat seems all but forgotten already. I can't help but smile
and shake my head a little as he edges toward the door.

"I'm going to meet the professor now! Meet you there, Owl!"

"Thanks, Mr.Caine. I'm sure they'll come in handy," I smile a little and then wave as I push
the device into my backpack and leave the house.

"Wait, Owl," I pause, and turn to look back at the open door. "I probably won't see you or
Theo for awhile. Knowing him, he's going to want to head off right away and I don't blame
him. But I'll be starting work soon at the new power plant Epsilon. It's the last place your
mother was seen, too, isn't it? Anyway, I just wanted to give you the heads up. Perhaps we'll
meet again soon, though. Good luck on your journey, Owl, and keep an eye on that son of mine
for me, would you?"

I smile faintly, "Yeah... thanks. I will. See you soon, Mr.Caine."



------------ Edge of Moki Town ---------------

Time to catch our first pokemon! Or second, as the case may be. I can't wait!

Theo's already there, and so is the Professor. The sun is just beginning to set, but there's
still more than enough light to see by.

"Hey, guys!"

"Owl, what took you so long? The prof and I were starting to grow roots..."

"Haha, very funny," I roll my eyes and elbow the little runt a little, smirking at him as he
grins back. At least he's back to normal, now.

"Alright, kids, watch me! There's a wild Chyinmunk. They're very common around here. It
hasn't noticed us, yet, so now we'll just---"

He tosses his pokeball, and a battle commences. Soon, he throws a pokeball at the wild
chyinmunk, and with a few shakes, it's captured.

"And that's all there is to it! Of course, it won't always be so easy!" He grins. "Some
pokemon will really give you a fight! But that's what makes it worth it, right?"

Theo and I both look at one another and grin. "Yeah!"


"Good. Now take these,' he hands over a pokedex and some pokeballs. "This should help you get
started. The pokedex will automatically record information on pokemon you've seen and
captured. So do your best to capture as many as you can. When you run out of poke balls you
can always buy more at a pokemart. The closest one is in town at the end of Rt 01. And now
your lesson is officially over!"

"Finally! Freedom!" Theo screeches, and I wince.

"Wait, wait! Let me give you my number, first," The professor takes my pokepod and inputs it
as I promise to do the same to Theo's when I get a chance.

I promised Auntie I'd stop by again, but Theo is in a hurry as usual.

"I'm not mad you got a stronger starter anymore. I'll just go and catch more pokemon and
train them to be the best!" He grins, and then runs off. In a moment he's gone.

I shake my head, and turn back toward town to say goodbye to Auntie one last time. We have
dinner together, and then it's time for me to head out into the world. It's a bit
frightening, but exciting all the same.


"Come on, Ellie... you and me, together. We'll make it!"






---- ROUTE Moki Town Edge :: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS! ------

CAPTURED!!
Ellie :: Eletux : Male : Lv 5 : Rash : Static
Annabelle :: Chyinmunk : Female : Lv 2 : Sassy : Run Away



We trained for a bit to get Annabelle stronger before moving on!

Final Levels::

Ellie: Lv 6
Annabelle: Lv 4





---- ROUTE 01 :: THE TRUE ADVENTURE BEGINS! ------


Right away we pick up a potion someone left lying on the ground. Mine now!


There's a patch of grass near some water on the lower level, so we head there.
A wild Birbie appears!

CAPTURED!!
Calypso :: Birbie : Female : Lv 2 : Timid : Big Pecks


Time to train some more! Birbie doesn't have the best nature for a flying type... so we'll need
to put some real work into it! We run into a Cubbug and make short work of it but Annabelle
is looking tired, and Calypso is worn out and still a bit wild.

I decide to look for a pokemon center, when a trainer approaches me for a battle.
Oh no.

I hope my team can tough it out....


////////////////////


**** BATTLE! School Kid Tath! ****

Chyinmunk : Lv 5

Annabelle is up first! She uses Growl, and then we switch in to Ellie who finishes it off with
a few Water Gun attacks and a tackle. Ellie is looking a bit worn out, though, and there's one
more pokemon to battle!

Birbie : Lv 4

We stick it out and don't switch. I know you can do it, Ellie!

YES!

Ellie's type advantage pulls through! Birbie's Gust attack hardly leaves a scratch and Ellie
finishes it off in two swift water gun attacks.


///////////////////



Thank goodness that's over... but we're not out of the woods, yet.

There's a house further down with a fisherman, but he can't help us. The town is further
ahead.. but so is lots of tall grass...


We dodge two trainers on the way, but finally we make it to Kevlar town.










--------- KEVLAR TOWN :: Time to Rest Up! ----------


No time is spared for passerbys as I run to the pokecenter! The nurse heals my team up while
I grab something to eat, and I breathe a sight of relief. Everyone looks happy and healthy
once they're returned, and Calypso even eats a small bit of bread from my hand with some
prompting.

We're relaxing at one of the tables when a trainer approaches, mentioning his own Chyinmunk
as he spots Annabelle. Then he mentions a battle.

Well.... our team is feeling much better.

"Alright. Probably best we do this outside, though. Don't want to wreck the place, after all."


//////////////////

**** BATTLE! Rich Bow Mawuli !! ****

Chyinmunk : x3

I send out Calypso first, hoping for her to gain a bit of battle experience, but she's still
too new to be much help. Ellie saves the day and knocks the first one out with a critical hit!
The next two are a piece of cake after that.

POKEMON LEVELS ::

Calypso : Lv 3
Ellie : Lv 7
Annabelle : Lv 5


The battle is a bit nerve-wracking, but nothing we couldn't handle. His three Chyinmunk go down
with less fight than I'd anticipated, and we celebrate with a bit of icecream afterward.

//////////////////


By now, it's getting rather late and everyone seems rather beat.

"I think it's time we found somewhere to sleep for the night, don't you think?"

As I stand, one of the nurses comes toward me.

"Excuse me. I overheard you and thought you should know -- we offer lodging for trainers here
at the pokemon center. As long as you have your Trainer ID card, the first night is free,"
she smiles, and I can't help but return it.

"Really? Wow. I had no idea. I think we'll definitely take you up on that offer, though. I don't really have much money to pay for a hotel."

"It's my pleasure. Right this way."

The room is small, and is shared with another young trainer who's already asleep. There's a
screen between the two sides of the room for privacy, but I'm so exhausted none of it
matters. By the time I take a shower and fall into bed, I'm out like a light.

In the morning, the other boy is gone, but there's a note that's been slipped under the door.
The paper looks a bit too generic to be anything other than a message from the PokeCenter
itself.


/// "Good Morning, Guest! This is a friendly reminder that you are to be cleared out of your
temporary room before 11:30 A.M. We hope you had a good rest! Breakfast will be served until
10:00 A.M.

Pokemon are Welcome to dine with us! (Pokemon larger than 150 lbs should be seated in the
outdoor seating facilities)

Thanks for choosing the PokeCenter. We hope to see you again soon!" ///

 ---------- Attached is a small bundle of Oran Berries!


"Well... isn't that nice?" One by one I let my pokemon out of their balls as they follow me
down the hall toward the scent of fresh food. It's only 9:00, so breakfast is still going
strong, though there aren't as many people here as I might have thought.

I grab a tray and sit down, and pop open a can of food for each of my pokemon to chow down as
well. Another trainer passes us -- the kid from yesterday, in fact!

"Hey-- do you know where everyone is?" He glances at me, looking tired and a little bored.

"Most get up pretty early, though there's never too many in this town anyway. Trainers, that
is -- I assume that's what you meant?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you won't run into a whole lot until you get to the bigger cities. This is a pretty
small town." With that, he walks away and I glance after him before shrugging.

"Well, I'm sure we'll find a few to train with if we look hard enough, right guys?" There's a
few noises in what I take to be agreement (or maybe just appreciation for their pokefood).

"Anyway, I wonder where Theo is by now... I was hoping to see him here for another battle."

Though to be honest, hopefully not TOO soon. The kid could be rather loud and had way too
much energy stored in such a small body. The peace and quiet is actually nice. Plus, we  
definitely have more training to do. Calypso is already looking much perkier this morning, so
I decide that it's time for her to get some more training as well.



------- KEVLAR TOWN: Time to Explore! -----------

After a hearty breakfast, it's time to explore the town!

First stop is the pokemart where we stock up on antidotes, potions, poke balls, a couple
repels and an escape rope. It's best to be prepared, after all!

Outside, a boy sits in the bushes crying.

"Hey, you ok?"

"...Just... leave me alone.." He says miserably, and I glance at him awkwardly for a moment
before turning away. A girl comes up to me as I come down the stairs, and sighs.

"Don't mind him. He does it so people feel bad for him and do things for him. It's all
crocodile tears. And he wonders why he has no friends..."

"Ahh...." Awkward.

After that little interlude, we take a stroll through town and find a bike shop. They're out
of stock, but the owner says if I bring him some used parts he'll put one together for me.
Sounds good, though I have no idea how or where I'm going to find bike parts just lying
around....

An old man mentions another town up north, but we're still not ready to leave Kevlar, yet!

Toward the edge of town is a cute little berry shop. I pick a few berries from the trees
growing wild in the front, and hope no one catches me, before slipping inside. The woman
gives me a few more berries and tells me that I can keep them or plant them to grow more.

"Won't I have to water them and such?"

"Well, fertilizer helps but if you plant them the berries will grow on their own. They're
very resilient plants, actually. And it's a good practice. The more you plant, the more
you'll grow, the more you'll have." She smiles, and I look at the small berries skeptically.

"Hm..."

"Come on, I'll show you."

She leads me outside, and shows me how to properly plant the berries, explaining how some
berries need to be planted at different depths but that for the most part, they aren't too
fussy.

"Most grow really fast, too. I wouldn't be surprised if you had some berries here by
tomorrow, even."

"Wow. Really? That seems a little too fast, doesn't it?" She laughs a little.

"Like I said, they're very hardy plants!"

I decide to give a few of the oran berries I'd picked to my team to hold, and then we set off
back toward route 01 for more training.


---------- ROUTE 01 :: Time to Train (again!) -------------


We battle a few Cubbugs and Chyinmunks, and Calypso levels up and even learns a new move!
There's a trainer nearby, and he challenges us to a fight!

//////////////

**** BATTLE! Youngster Rickie ****

Fortog : Lv 6


Calypso starts us out and does pretty good, but has to be recalled when the frog lands a critical hit!

Ellie swoops in and lands a critical hit of his own. They trade blows back and forth, and the
Fortog is soon paralyzed by Ellie's Static ability. Two hits later and it's down!

Calypso levels up again, and everyone is feeling pretty good.

//////////////


"Hey -- that's a pretty good team you have. Mind if I register your number? We can battle
again -- next time I'll be sure to win!"

I laugh, and get out my PokePod, "Sounds like a match. I'm looking forward to it. Your Fortog
was pretty good, too. I was worried one of my team might get poisoned with that wicked Poison
Sting it had."

We exchange numbers, and then I'm off for more training. But first, a quick visit back at the
pokecenter.


Once everyone is feeling better, we head back out for more training.


I forgot about the bug catcher further down! And he wants to battle. Argh. Well, hopefully
Calypso will be able to handle it okay.

////////////////


**** BATTLE! Bug Catcher Flood ****
What kind of name is "Flood", anyway...?

Cubbug : Lv 4

*yawn* Calypso knocks it out in two quick hits.

Cubbug : Lv 5

Oh, this one packed a bit more punch! A critical hit knocks her HP down to half.
You can do it, Caly! Don't let that worm get the better of you!
One more Gust attack and Cubbug is down. We win!

Calypso levels up once more and learns Quick Attack!


///////////


"Yes! Good girl! I knew you could do it! Who's my pretty bird?" Calypso trills sweetly, and I
laugh, cuddling her close to my chest as the other trainer recalls his pokemon.

"That's a sweet Birbie you have there. Great job."

"Thanks," I smile faintly. "Would you believe I only just caught her yesterday? But she seems
eager to train and learn. So far, she's doing spectacularly well. Aren't you, girl?" I grin,
scritching her feathered head, and then set her down to recall her back into the ball.

"Well, I really need to get back to training. Good luck!" I wave, and walk off back down the
path in search of more pokemon for my growing team to pummel.


Annabelle is leveling too slowly here, so we decide to head back to town for a heal, and then
on to Route 2!


POKEMON LEVELS  ::

Ellie :: lv 7
Annabelle :: lv 7
Calypso :: lv 7



-------- ROUTE 2 :: Bigger Adventures Ahead? -----------

Right off the bat we meet a trainer for battle!


//////////////////


**** BATTLE :: Youngster Timothy! ****

Birbie : Lv 5

Annabelle handles it like a pro. A few tackles and this bird is out!

Chyinmunk : Lv 6

'Munk vs 'Munk! And.... it's disappointingly easy. The foe uses Charge all three turns and
Annabelle simply wallops it into the ground.


//////////////////

Well, that was easy! Now to see what new pokemon I might run into! Here we go

We head up toward the mountain, avoiding  the first patch of grass for now and -- oh! Another
trainer!


/////////////////


**** BATTLE !! Hiker Larrie ****

Mankey Lv 6

I immediately switch to Calypso who OHKO's it with Gust! Atta Girl!

Barewl Lv 6

As we switch pokemon I bring Ellie out this time. Idk what a Barewl is but my guess is it's
some type of rock or ground type. Water Gun it, Ellie! Alright! Two hits and it's out for the
count.

Everyone's gained a level in this battle! Nice c:


///////////////

We exchange numbers with the hiker, but for once I'm the one in a hurry! I want to see what's
on the other side.

Apparently the road is blocked by some rocks, and the only way through is the cave.
Since there's only one patch of grass here, we decide to check it out for any possible new
teammates before we head into the dark of the cave!


A wild Barewl appears! Pokedex says it's a Steel/Rock type which could make for a useful tank.
I guess we'll see. Should make a nice addition to the team, though. Apparently they eat rocks
and ore? Sounds a bit like dwarf mythology to me so....

How about Gimli for a name? Haha.


CAPTURED !!
Gimli :: Barewl : Lv3 : Male : Lax : Sturdy


His nature isn't too bad, either. Alright, Gimli... let's see what you're made of, buddy.
We're going back to Rt 1 to train you up a bit!

It has been a rather long day, though, so I think we'll stop at the pokecenter to heal up and
spend the night again. Ahhh, man, I'm sleepy. Time to get some rest, everyone! Goodnight! <3

////////// Owl and Team rest up in Kevlar Town. It's a new day tomorrow! //////////////

The next morning, everyone wakes up refreshed, and there's a similar note as the previous
morning at the door. This time, though, there are no berries. It does, however, remind me
that I should check on those berries I planted yesterday to see if any of them are bearing
any fruit.

So it's off into town we go!

We check on the berry trees and they're all blooming nicely, but none of them have any fruit
yet. We'll have to check back again tonight, in that case. But for now, it's time to train!

On to Route 2 once more!


---------- ROUTE 2 :: Training Continues! -----------


We're grinding away, knocking out Cubbugs, Chyinmunk and Owten left and right. Gimli is
slowly gaining experience and becoming more confident with each take down, but overall the
growth seems to be rather slow.

He did learn one new move along the way; Harden -- but I can't wait until he learns a more
powerful offensive move. Soon, I hope! Good news is that his defense is so high that I don't
even need to switch out to another pokemon, which means he's getting all the EXP to level up.

After a few more angry Chyinmunk are taken to the grave, Gimli finally levels up once more
and learns a new move -- Mud-Slap! Not the MOST exciting, but it does reduce accuracy and has
a typing that may prove useful later on.

I decide to hang out for just a bit longer and level up the rest of the team more before we head
into the nearby cave.


Calypso is doing very well and has come quite far since I first caught her! She makes it to
level 10 without any sweat at all. Next up is Ellie, who takes out his opponents just as
easily and is soon level 10 as well -- and learns the new move Defense Curl!

Finally, it's time to heal up and head out for one final round to catch Annabelle up to the
rest of the group. She's level 8 now, but could use some more training for sure! At lv 8 she
struggles a bit to take out opponents in less than 3 moves, but with a bit of help from
Gimli, she makes it to level 9 and is soon sweeping through her opponents! Before long, she
too joins the ranks of her teammates at level 10!


POKEMON LEVELS ::

Ellie lv 10
Calypso lv 10
Annabelle lv 10
Gimli lv 7


When I set out on Rt 2 with my team for some training, the sun was still shining brightly. By
the time we get back, however, the sun is down and the stars are out. The lady at the
pokecenter recognizes me and gives me a warm look as she takes my exhausted party to be
healed up for the day.

"You look like you were training hard, today" she says with a smile as she hands the pokeballs back to me.

"Yeah. I'm trying to make sure these guys are prepared for anything. They're my friends, you know -- I don't want
to lose any of them."

She gives me a look that's hard to read, but then her smile is back, if a bit more subdued
from before. "That's a very mature thing for someone your age to consider. Keep training and
working with your pokemon and I'm sure you'll form a bond with them that nothing can break.
Good luck out there!"

"Thanks," I turn away, feeling touched by her kind words, and go to sit at a nearby table and
order some food. The pokemon dig in immediately, no doubt having worked up quite the appetite
from all their training today. "Dig in, guys. You deserve it!"

As I watch them eat, I think about home and the strange dream I'd had about my mother and
father the day I received Ellie from the Professor. I've already lost my mom, and my father
for all intents and purposes -- he's never around, anyway. I don't even want to think about
losing anyone on my team, but I know in this harsh world that it's sometimes a fact of life
for trainers.

"...Don't worry, guys. We'll get you trained up nice and strong and then we'll never have to
worry about anything, will we?" Ellie purrs softly, nuzzling into my hand, and lays his head
contentedly in my lap. The other two soon snuggle up as well, and I chuckle softly as I lean
back to enjoy the cuddle session.

"Tomorrow, we'll head into that cave and come out on the other side even stronger than
ever... Then it'll be time to challenge our first gym soon enough."


...................
The Next Day
...................


---------- OLD ENTRANCE TO NOWTOCH CITY :: Into The Dark! -----------------

As we stand in front of the gaping cave entrance to the old Nowtoch town tunnel, a chill runs through me. This will no doubt prove to be a challenging leg of our journey. Calypso gives a soft, encouraging, trill, and I take a deep breath and step forward -- my team right behind me.

"Here we go, guys... we won't be turning back for quite awhile."

A wild pokemon appears only moments after we set foot inside. It's a Tonemy!

Annebelle is up, but the Tonemy uses poison gas.

"Shit." I hurry and throw a pokeball at it, but it breaks out, and Annabelle whimpers softly.
One more ball, and I watch closely as it rocks back and forth before clicking with finality.

I hurriedly reach into my bag for an Antidote, giving it to Annabelle carefully.

"Sorry about that, girl. I didn't know they could use that move," she seems okay, though,
and nuzzles into my hand as if in forgiveness before being recalled to her ball to rest.

I then turn my attention to the new team member I've just captured.


CAPTURED !!
Baez :: Tonemy : Male : Lv 5 : Brave : Levitate **


It's a poison type, as we found out the hard way,which may be extremely useful later on. For now,
though, it doesn't know many moves and is still pretty weak. It seems spirited, though, that's for sure!


More than ever I'm glad that I captured Gimli earlier. Its duel steel typing should come in
handy against the poison type Tonemy we're likely to encounter. For now, I set Tonemy as the
lead, hoping to get a jump start on it's training. It doesn't seem too thrilled to be
immediately chucked into battle when a Hiker challenges us, but the others will take care of
the real battling anyway.

"Don't worry, Baez. We've got your back!" It gives me a nervous look, before its expression
seems to harden and it lets out a battle cry!


///////////


**** BATTLE! Hiker Manny ****

Barewl Lv 7

Immediately I switch Baez out with Ellie. The Barewl lands a blow before Ellie fully gets his
footing and is punished with paralaysis. Ellie quickly finishes it off with a blast of its
Water Gun. "Yeah! Good job, guys. Here comes another one!"

Barewl Lv 6

Baez is switched in, and then switched back out with Ellie once more who delivers yet another devastating Water Gun attack to the opposing team.

"Alright! Great work, everyone. Let's keep going, shall we?"

The hiker grumbles a little about trying to get out of the cave without his pokemon, but it's
not my fault if he wasn't prepared for a real battle.


/////////////////////

A close encounter with an angry Tonemy nearly takes Baez out when it doesn't let us escape.
After that, I decide to put Annabelle in the front of the party. Her Run Away ability should
let us escape whenever we need to. I'm not trying to be stupid and get everyone killed, after all.
In this case, retreat may be the better tactic.

These Tonemy really are everywhere, though. Doesn't seem like I can take more than a few
steps without one of them flying toward us.

"Christ! Do these things ever end?" Annabelle chirps an annoyed sound of agreement as we continue trudging
on into the dark.

After some more wandering, we come across a trainer. My heart is eager to meet some pokemon that aren't
Tonemy, so we agree to the fight!


////////////////////////////

**** BATTLE! Black Belt Keichi *****

Mankey Lv 7

"That's all you, Calypso. Show 'em how it's done!" It only takes one hit of Gust and a finish of Quick Attack for this monkey to go down.

Baashaun Lv 8

"Hmm.... haven't seen that pokemon before. Ellie, why don't you see if you can find its weak points?" I smirk as I send my starter out. "Water Gun."

The foe uses Low Kick, so I assume that despite its appearance it is in fact a fighting type. One more Water Gun from Ellie is all it takes to wipe it out, however. Still, it was a pretty tough little thing. If Ellie hadn't had that Oran berry the battle may have gone differently.

"Great job again, everyone! You're really kicking some butt today," I laugh and recall my team, and take the ninja's money with a small smile.

"Sorry for breaking your win streak, guy. It was a pretty good battle, though."

He sighs a little dishearted, no doubt, about being so close to his 100th win only to lose it to a new trainer.

///////////////////////////////


We run into a few more Tonemy and Barewl, before a new pokemon shows up -- Grozard! It looks sort of like a dragon, or ground-snake. It looks awesome, but I can't catch one since I already caught a Tonemy. I sigh softly and continue to the next area of the cave....

...where another Hiker challenges us to a battle!


//////////////////////////

**** BATTLE! Hiker Nunes ****

Grozard Lv 8

Aw, what the heck! Even the hiker has one of these cool pokemon...

I switch Annabelle out to Ellie, knowing his water type will likely work well on this pokemon. And I was right! Water Gun knocks it out cold.

Dunsparce Lv 6

Another Water Gun attack! This Dunsparce holds on, though, but it's already looking weaker.

"Good job, Ellie! Now finish it off with another round!" We  beat the hiker, and he's immediately apologetic.

"Sorry about that! You've shown me the light. I'm going to stop being so mean from now on."

"Um, sure, I guess?" I shrug, and walk away to someplace else to heal my team up a bit.
Everyone is starting to look a bit ragged -- but Ellie did gain a level!

///////////////////////////////

Up ahead, there's a ladder. I wonder if it leads to the exit? And across from that, another Hiker....

I stand in the shadows for a moment, debating the odds of another battle.

"Fuck it. Ellie can handle it." As I approach, Pokeballs at the ready, the hiker turns with a look of surprise that quickly turns kind.

"This cave can be tough for new trainers! Here, kid, why don't you have this," he reaches into his pack, and hands me a Revive. I stare at it, wondering if it's some kind of joke.... before stuffing it into my own bag.

"Uh... thanks, I guess." I wonder if the item could actually work, but hopefully I'll never have to find out.

Then it's time to get the HELL out of that cave! We hit the ladder and climb as fast as possible into the fresh, sweet, lovely air of freedom!

"Ugh, thank god! I don't want to see another Tonemy in my life. Er, except for you of course,
Baez. No offense, but your cousins in there are a bit overwhelming..."

POKEMON LEVELS ::

Annabelle lv 10
Ellie lv 11
Baez lv 6
Gimli lv 7
Calypso lv 10


After that fiasco, we're all pooped, so I decide the first stop is to the pokemon center and
make a beeline for it. Thankfully no one tries to stop me and soon the team is looking much
more perky again. Even Baez seems more animated once he gets some food.

"Poor little guy... bet there wasn't much food to go around in that cave with all those other
Tonemy fighting you for it, huh?" He gives a squeak and I smile a little. "Well, eat up
everyone. We're going to check out the town after this!"

It's the first real city I've seen in a long time. The lights at night are beautiful and I
intend to explore every inch of it.


We head out, asking around about places to visit and someone mentions the Ranger Center.
It reminds me of Dad, so we go.

"Hello there! You look like a new trainer, is that right?" A perky looking woman in a uniform
approaches me and I turn to her in mild surprise.

"Oh, uh yes I am. How could you tell?" She only chuckles softly, "Why don't you take this?
It will help your pokemon in a pinch." She hands me a Full Heal and I smile widely.

"Wow, thanks!"

"Mnnhm! Good luck! Feel free to check out the rest of the building, though this is a rather
small facility. The real headquarters are in Bealbeach City." Where I was born.... I wince a little,
but nod as I begin to head upstairs.

A woman is sitting there, and she motions me over. A Reactor glows in the corner and I wonder
how safe this really is....

"Hello there! Are you a new recruit?"

"Oh, no I'm not. I was told I could look around, though."

"Ah, a trainer, then?" She motions toward the pokeballs at my belt and I nod as she  smiles. "Well, then
you should take these. Your pokemon are risking their safety for you, you know! These should help them
out if you're ever in trouble in the wild." With that, she hands me 5 potions and I gape a little.

"Wow. You people are really generous, here. People seem to keep giving me things."

She laughs. "Well, people like to see new trainers aspiring to new heights! It's invigorating. You be careful,
now, and keep your pokemon safe so they can do the same."

"I will. Thank you very much."

With that, I head out of the small office-like area, and back outside to the main city itself. My pokemon
follow me through the streets and we take in the sights. It truly is a nice city.

All in all, we run into the Name Rater -- a weird, but harmless, old guy who seems to delight
in rating pokemon nicknames... And a kid who wants to trade his Baashaun for a Fortog. Next door
a lady gives me a TM for Attract, and then it's off to the pokemart.

A few more pokeballs, antidotes and an ice heal later and we're all set.

"Man, what a big city compared to Moki Town, huh?" Ellie yips at me in agreement as we sit at the bench
in the park.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm tempted to see what kind of pokemon lurk in that grass
to the south over there. What do you say?"

There's a chorus of agreement and I laugh softly before leading the team over. "Maybe we'll
even get some training in before bed, huh?"

When we get there, however, the PokePod informs me that this is still Route 2.


------------ ROUTE 2 :: It's like Deja Vu -------------

A trainer appears and wants to battle. I sigh softly to myself, still a bit worn out
emotionally from the trek through that cave, but there's no backing out.

"Well, let's get this over with."


//////////////////////////////

**** BATTLE! Bird Keeper Brent *****

Birble Lv 10

It's stronger than I thought it might be and gives Annabelle a bit of a run, but she takes it
out easily enough with a few Tackles.

Owten Lv 10

This time, I send out Baez in the hopes of training him a bit more. Then it's time to switch
to Calypso. The Owten lands two critical hits in a row!

"Calypso!" My heart pounds as she falls to the ground, not moving, and I rush over, but she makes a soft
sound at me -- still alive. I let out a harsh breath, and recall her, my face going hard as I
send out Ellie.

"Take it down, Ellie." With a cry, the Owten attacks, but is paralyzed and Ellie takes it
down swiftly with a few well placed Water Guns. The first one knocks the thing from the air,
and the second wipes it out entirely.

I'm still breathing hard from the shock of almost losing Calypso when the other trainer
approaches me after.

"...Hey, it was a good battle. I wouldn't mind a rematch sometime if you're up to it?" I
consider the offer before nodding. I wasn't expecting him to be so strong, but it was a good
lesson. I'll definitely need to train my team to be stronger for sure.

I decide it's time to call it a night and head back to the pokecenter. The nurse takes
Calypso to the emergency wing, and I wait anxiously until she returns.

"Your Calypso will need some special care overnight. Why don't you get some rest and you can
see her in the morning?"

"Will she be okay?" The nurse smiles sympathetically at me, but nods. "She was pushed really
hard, but she should make a full recovery."

"...Thank you." The rest of us lie down in the room provided, and everyone, even Baez seems
to want to snuggle close. Not that I can blame them after what almost happened....


\\\\ Owl and their team sleep off their exhaustion to the tune of troubled dreams as the anxiety over their teammate lingers. In the morning, we'll discover Calypso's fate! ///