Pokemon: A Statistical Oversight

~Selena~

She awoke suddenly not moments later. Selena sensed something large and fast approaching a little while ago, and because of her being a light sleeper, awoke long before whatever it was could grow near. Unfortunately that also meant all the wild Pokemon woke and scattered. Selena had to watch all of them run back into the tall grass. Mawile and Chikorita woke as well, groggy and a little grumpy. Selena brushed her fingers against their heads to calm them, and it wasn't long before the boy showed himself.

Was that really all he had to say? What did he want? Why did he come here? He stared as if having some kind of purpose disturbing her solitude and chasing away all the wild Pokemon. The boy couldn't have known about the little ones, but that didn't stop Selena from being annoyed. She didn't want to be approached. Was there anywhere in Hoenn she could go in order to avoid notice from random trainers who insisted on making connections?

"What do you want?" Selena calmed down enough to ask evenly. She preoccupied herself with scratching Mawile's head. The little one closed its eyes and nearly fell over from pushing itself into her hand.

Day and Time: Tuesday – Dusk

As the sun melted the sky into oranges and reds and pinks, the twins sped along the route on their bicycles, zipping past trainers that had chosen to take the trek on foot and those that had already started to pack up for the night. Whereas Merrick had recalled both of his Pokémon, Melanie's Cyndaquil rested in his trainer's lap as she pedaled, doing his best to keep steady although it was not too difficult. The route for the most part was clear and there didn't appear to be too many obstacles in either trainer's way – if they rode through the night they could easily make it to Mauville by the following evening, but today had been fairly eventful already. It would be a far smarter idea to stop along the route for the night and set up a campsite. With that idea in mind, Melanie cycled ahead of her brother and waved as she passed before slowing down and coming to a stop in a clear patch nestled amidst the taller grasses where no other trainers had stopped thus far. The younger twin was quick to oblige and came to a smooth stop just next to his sister.

"I think we should stop here and rest for the night," Melanie voiced aloud as the last of the sun sank behind the trees that dotted the edge of their lakeside view. "As nice as it would be to head straight to Mauville, we won't be off to a very good start if we're exhausted when we get there." The Cyndaquil which rested in a cranny between her arm and her hip let out a mew of agreement, nuzzling into his trainer's side as she began to dismount and collapse her bicycle for storage. When she looked back up, disappointment eclipsed Merrick's face. She frowned. "You know I'm right," she continued as she slid the bike back into her bag, "and you'll thank me in the morning."

Merrick grimaced. "We could at least go a little bit further," he countered, not dismounting from his bike. "There'll be less ground to cover in the morning. And there's a gym there! If we get there sooner then you can challenge whats-his-face–"

"Watson."

"Yeah. Him. You can challenge him and get your first gym badge if we get there early enough." When his sister did not immediately respond, he casually pedaled forward a bit, gaining just a tad bit of distance. For a moment he thought that Melanie might actually consider traveling for just a little longer, but when she shook her head he planted his feet back on the ground.

"I didn't want to challenge him right away, actually," she admitted, reaching into her bag and pulling out her sleeping bag. "He's an Electric-type gym leader. No one on my team is really fit to take him on." She shot her brother a mischievous look that certainly didn't suit her usual demeanor. "Yet. I have a plan to change that."

"Really?!" her brother exclaimed, a little overexcited at the thought. "What are you gonna catch? Something around here?" He dismounted and collapsed his bike, leaving it by his sister to go take a look at the area around them. No wild Pokémon stirred nearby – he had no idea which ones would even be around here. After a moment, he looked back to his sister, but that sly grin remained plastered on her face.

"You'll just have to wait and see," she taunted, ignoring her brother's mock exasperation as she began to lay out her sleeping bag. Her Cyndaquil quickly burrowed its way into the cushiony innards and plopped down with its head resting outside of the bag. Melanie chuckled. "Come on. Help me set up camp," she called out, starting to gather up a few stray branches and tufts of grass. Merrick sighed, but soon joined her.

He would find out eventually.

~Sahara~

Like glittering stars the fireworks lit up the sky. Sahara SAT beneath the light show with her little Pokémon sitting by her side. Frodo send enraptured by the erratic explosions and often reached up towards the sky as if to grasp hold of the memory.

Adam and Liz and Tyrone and Jessica sat to her left side, all lined up while the fireworks made quick work in the night. Sahara began distancing herself from then, starting to wonder about what tomorrow would bring. Were they even going the same way? Even if they were, would she want to travel with them? All questions she asked herself and none she knew the answer to.

After the fireworks were depleted the group of four set up the fire a little ways from the bedrolls. Sahara sat and listened to them, rarely contributing unless they specifically included her. It was so strange to her how these characters interacted. Almost at once she began to think maybe she shouldn't be here. If Sahara was to become a different person, she wanted to be able to choose what kind of person. Judging from the four's mannerisms and speech, she didn't actually want to be here.

"I'm going to bed. It's been a long day," Sahara said, excusing herself. Frodo joined her in her sleeping bag and she set about ticking its nose until it went to sleep. Age followed suit soon enough.

"Hm?" Gabriel perked, oblivious to the fact that he had just woken her up. "I heard someone humming... was it you? You have a nice voice." Though the girl was giving off an inimical vibe, Gabriel was unfazed and carried on the same expressionless face. The tension only seemed palpable from an observer's standpoint; Gabriel stood in the situation, looking on with his careless, eburnean eyes. Any man of lesser mettle would have aborted the encounter from the start, but Gabriel was too ignorant to know better.

Duke tossed and stirred about in the backpack as he woke, his eyes flickering a few times before letting out a single tweet. Gabriel looked over his shoulder and dismounted from his bicycle, so that he could set down his backpack and let the Piplup climb out. Duke tugged at one of the backpack's straps; his way of telling Gabriel that he was hungry. "Heh, I swear all you do is eat and sleep... I guess some Pokemon really do take after their trainers," Gabriel chuckled, slipping his hand into a side pocket for a packaged chocolate wafer. Duke eagerly snatched the wafer and tore apart the wrapper with his beak before taking several bites. Gabriel's attention turned back to the girl. "Oh... sorry for bothering you."

~Selena~

Was this guy for real? The girl sitting by the lake narrowed her eyes at him, he seemed unfazed by both her inflection and her posture. Mawile and Chikorita picked up on her mood earlier and now were standing in front of her, between the two trainers as if trying to protect her. All of this for what? He decided to bother her all because he heard some humming carried across the water? It sounded suspicious and Selena already didn't like being disturbed. Was it just in this man's nature to disturb people when they did not want to be disturbed?

"No, that wasn't me," she lied. Hopefully it would be easy to just make him go away. She didn't like to lie, but it wasn't as if she was given any choice here. How much effort was it going to take to just be left alone for once? Should she even bother saying anything? If she didn't, the guy might never leave. Some men really are that stupid and oblivious.

"Mawile, Chikorita, stand down," Selena murmurs to her Pokemon in an attempt to calm them. Eventually the two irritated ones step back to her sides. "I'm actually trying to sleep here, so if you don't mind I'd like you to leave."

~Sahara~

Wednesday, Early Morning

The sun was just rising over the horizon as Sahara busied herself with cleaning up her gear and getting ready to head off. With Frodo back in its pokeball she would have less noise to worry about - she didn't want to wake up her new "friends" as she was getting ready to disappear on them. She couldn't stand the feeling of being near the group - too much stimuli in one day for her to handle. Sahara wanted to make friends with lots of people, but if she wasn't careful she might end up getting burned again.

Before any of the four were even awake, Sahara went back into Slateport with the sun rising beside her, breaking off into a run once out of earshot. Halfway through the city she took her bike out of her backpack and unfolded it. Technology sure was amazing to be able to fit something so bulky inside a little bag. She pedaled away from the city, heading north along the trail and avoiding the highroad awaiting her.

The four others must have woken by now and saw her missing. Would they look for her? Sahara wondered if this would come back to bite her later, but she didn't really see any other choice. She wasn't of a type to stick around and tell someone she didn't want to be around them. It would be better this way.

A voice called out to her just then, sending an eerie shiver up her spine. Sahara spun around with wide eyes but couldn't find the source of the voice. She knew whose it was though, and immediately ran to the trees in order to hide. She didn't mind the tall grass in the forest and didn't stop until several trees blocked her from view. She heard her name called again, it was Adam, of course.

"Oh, just go away." Sahara murmurs, dropping to her knees. Something slimy touches her hand and she immediately jerks away, nearly letting out her voice. A Pokemon, one she hadn't seen, touched her accidentally and now started backing away from her. "Oh no, I'm sorry," Sahara whispers. She held out her hand to it as a sort of peace offering. "I didn't mean to hurt you, you just surprised me a little." What a curious-looking Pokemon. It had a blue shell and no feet - like a snail of some sort. It made a noise like gurgling water that made Sahara giggle and forget about hiding. "Aw, you're kinda cute, aren't you?" Sahara never thought she would attribute "cute" to a snail, but the blue color really was quite pretty. It seemed friendly enough too. She slowly got out her Pokedex, trying not to startle the poor thing again.

"Shellos, the Sea Slug Pokemon. Beware of pushing strongly on its squishy body, as it makes a mysterious purple fluid ooze out. Its shape and color vary depending on its habitat." The droning of the machine didn't seem to bother the Pokemon. But not a snail, a slug. Not really something that should be deemed as cute, but damn was the thing adorable. Sahara turned her head back to the front of the forest, where Adam was still looking for her.

"Hey," Sahara turned back to the Shellos. "You don't happen to know any good hiding spots, do you?" The little slug nodded once and started moving along the grass. Sahara followed it closely, glancing back only occasionally until Adam was completely out of sight.

Gabriel may not have picked up on Selena's hostility, but Duke was much more intuitive. The young Piplup puffed its cheeks angrily at the Mawile and Chikorita, while it used its flippers to pull at Gabriel's leg as if it were trying to get him away. "Huh? Alright, bye I guess," Gabriel shrugged, picking up Duke and placing him back into the backpack. He vaulted back onto his bicycle and set forth towards his original destination, though it was getting hard to see. "Guess we'll camp out somewhere in front and then look for new Pokemon in the morning. I wonder where that humming was coming from, though." At last, he had reached New Mauville, an abandoned development project that would now serve as a home to various steel and electric Pokemon.

He stopped his bike by the wall and his Piplup climbed out of the backpack. Duke looked at the surroundings and let out a concerned peep. "What's the matter, Duke?" Gabriel looked around. "You think we're not supposed to be here? Bah, nonsense. I'm an official trainer now, and that means we can go wherever we want... I think. Yeah. Definitely. Whatever cave, whatever mountain, whatever person's home we want to barge into - it's all good." Duke tilted his head, not at all convinced. "Maybe you shouldn't have spent all day sleeping. You're probably gonna be up all night now. Just try and get some rest, yeah? I'll cook us something in the morning." Gabriel retrieved the tent from his backpack and straightened out the footprints that Duke had left on it, and lied down inside when he had finished setting it up. It didn't take long for Gabriel to drift off to sleep, while Duke sat on the edge of the ground, kicking his feet around in the water.

Day and Time: Wednesday – Dawn

The twins had set up their camp for the night with very little trouble – the advantage owning of Fire-type Pokémon made setting up a small fire to keep warm all the easier. Each of the two slept peacefully and undisturbed (something others surely longed for greatly) with no worries of wild Pokémon or other trainers happening upon their camp and causing problems. The night which had fallen quickly upon them soon broke as the sun began to reach upward with its first rays and shattered the blackness of the dark. It had barely begun its climb when some jovial piano music began to play from one of the twin's bags – it started off low and sweet but crescendoed until it could not be ignored any longer. Melanie reached out of her sleeping bag and hit her purse a couple times before finally getting a hold on one of the straps and pulling it closer. Although it took the sleepy girl a bit, she eventually found her Pokégear and swiftly put an end to the alarm's beautiful but incessant ringing.

Melanie's Alarm: Piano Medley

For a few moments, the hand retreated back into the sleeping bag from whence it came. Perhaps the day wasn't going to get started as early as the older twin had planned last night? A few seconds later, however, this quickly proved incorrect as the girl slipped her way out of the bag and stretched with a large yawn. The Cyndaquil, which had spent the entire night cuddled up with his trainer, stirred and began to peek out from the cushiony confines of the bag. It joined her with a quiet yip as she dug in her purse for a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a bottle of water. Melanie hummed to herself as she began to get ready, ignoring the fact that Merrick had yet to even crack an eye open. The menial task of preparing for the day ahead took her little time at all – no sooner had she finished brushing her teeth did she begin brushing her hair while throwing some water and instant oatmeal together in a thermos.

The time for the food to cook passed quickly and soon enough she was adding a small packet of brown sugar which she had also packed – as soon as the crystals hit the oatmeal they began to melt and she mixed the concoction with a plastic spoon. No sooner was she about to take her first bite did she hear Merrick rustling. The blond boy roused and looked over to his sister with a serious case of bedhead. A stretch and he began rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked with a yawn, tapping his Pokéballs to release both Charmander and Shuckle. The duo stretched upon being released and very eagerly rushed over to Melanie, smelling the food sitting in her lap.

"I made oatmeal," she responded easily, taking her first bite from the bowl she had made for herself. "You can have some after you feed the others. The Pokéfood's in your bag," she continued, nodding in the direction of her brother's satchel. She quickly tapped the other Pokéball on her person to release her Qwilfish. It looked around and puffed up slightly before dragging itself toward Melanie just a little bit more. A slight growl emanated from the balloon Pokémon's stomach – it blinked expectantly. Even as passive as she was, she made it clear she wanted food. "I'd hurry if I were you – we need to get on the road soon!"

~Selena~

Wednesday, Early Morning

The morning after Selena awoke with Mawile spread across her stomach and Chikorita snug into a tight ball under her arm. The moment she began to move the two awoke and slid away from her. Selena lifted herself into a sitting position and gazed over the horizon. The sun rose to the east, but the sky before her lit up just as beautifully as the sky behind her. She had to beat down the urge to take out her notepad again and instead began packing up her little campsite. She dug in her hard pack for fresh roots and berries, giving some to her Pokemon to eat on the road.

"Time to move on. Mawile, return." Selena took the black and yellow pokeball to return the little one to its ball. She would walk with Chikorita today. She could let both of them out at once, but she wanted to be able to keep track of both of them and not risk one running off somewhere. The little ones didn't seem to mind - Mawile liked being out more than in its pokeball but Selena thought it understood.

Today progress had to be made, so Selena took out her bike and mounted it. Chikorita jumped into the basket on the front of the bike and she took off, staying close to the lake. She could see across the lake a large building entrenched in the water. New Mauville, if her map read correctly. Apparently it was home to a mostly abandoned project to create a new place for people from Mauville to live. Now it serves as a generator factory, supplying electricity to Mauville City. Naturally, electric-type Pokemon gather there.

Selena knew the travel times between cities. She studied the maps carefully and was capable of changing plans at a moments notice. On her bike she should reach Mauville by the end of the day and honestly did not expect to come across much that would interest her. She spotted some wild Pokemon peeking out for an instant before she rolled past, but ignored all of them. She had no interest in the electric types and the Gulpin hanging around here were disgusting creatures in her eyes. Perhaps something would come across her, but Selena had no intentions of stopping today.

~Sahara~

The Shellos lead Sahara to a small enclosure in the forest, right by a little creek. Water flows through from the small pond to the north and a large tree sits at the base of the creek, the roots nearly submerged in water. Then Sahara noticed the other Pokemon. A whole family of Shellos lived here, some were pink and others were blue. Sahara had stumbled upon the place they all lived, but upon being sighted she noticed there was nothing really to worry about. The Shellos were all incredibly friendly and the family started gathering around her.

"So this is where you all live, huh?" Sahara wondered, crouching down to pet the Shellos that led her here. Its shell was hard and not at all slimy and it seemed to like her touch. "It's a cute home. Thanks for helping me." Sahara smiles, still a little worried but relieved enough to relax. These Shellos were proving to be good company.

"So this is where you were hiding!" Sahara let out a small squeak and scrambled to her feet. Adam found her. How? The last she saw of him was far away, but now he's here and a small gray-colored Pokemon was at his side, snarling at her. This Pokemon was a rare sight in Kalos, but she knew it's name - Poochyena. They had a good nose, if nothing else. Adam stepped forward with a sinister smile. "Come on, Sahara, lets go back to the city. The others are worried about you."

"Fat chance of that," Sahara retorted. "Leave me alone." She didn't think those words would do anything, so she wasn't surprised when Adam didn't move. His Pokemon only barked at her.

"Tell you what, you have a Pokemon battle with me, and the winner gets to decide your fate."

"You're joking. I'm not playing this game with you - my life is my own. I'll not be controlled by anyone anymore, and that includes you." The Shellos begin growing angry with this man and start chattering at him, warning him to leave or else.

"Fine, I'll leave you alone. This time. We'll see each other again." Sahara stuck out her tongue at Adam when he turned his back on her. He did actually leave. She had the Shellos to thank for that one.

Morning had at last arrived, and Gabriel woke up to find Duke sleeping afloat in the water, drifting about. "Oh for the love o-" Gabriel rolled his eyes as he tread into the slightly less shallow part of the puddle to retrieve his penguin. Duke had awakened upon being lifted into Gabriel's arms and poked at his trainer's face with his flipper. "Just sit here, I'll make us some food," Gabriel told Duke, as he set him near the campsite. Gabriel unzipped a side of his backpack and retrieved a metal crockpot, along with packaged ingredients.

A small button was on the side of the crockpot, that when switched on would allow it to produce battery-powered heat, while the intensity was controlled by a dial. After tossing in the ingredients and stirring it about with a spoon, Gabriel had managed to cook a rich chowder. He poured a bowl for himself and Duke, letting it cool down a bit before eating. Despite having a strong aversion for actual work, Gabriel proved to have a talent in his culinary practices. Food was often better when he didn't have to make or pay for it, however Gabriel knew what he was doing when he had to actually prepare it himself.

When finished, Gabriel packed all his supplies from the campsite back into his backpack, and hoisted it back over his shoulders. "Alright, Duke. Today's the day we get some new friends," Gabriel spoke, walking forward into New Mauville with Duke waddling beside him. Much like the Pokemon Centers, New Mauville had a much larger interior than how its outward appearance would have suggested. Being the abandoned facility that it was, the hazardous lack of railings against the dangerous heights and rusted metal and debris along the pathways spoke ill of the area's salubriousness. "Man, this building doesn't look like it was built in compliance with... just about anything," Gabriel commented. Who knows just how structurally sound this place really is? Also, I really need to stop talking like Dad."

Suddenly, the noise of metallic screeching was heard around the entrance. Gabriel and Duke peeked around the corner to see the noise coming from under a collapsed concrete slab. The trainer and his Piplup helped lift up the rubble and tossed it aside, revealing an injured Pokemon. The species was identified as a Magnemite, a steel and electric-typed Pokemon. It let out a weak buzz as it was unable to lift itself off the ground. "Wow, this one's hurt pretty badly," Gabriel observed, as Duke chirped and nodded in agreement. "Wish there was something more we could do for it. Wait..." He shuffled through pouch in his backpack and pulled out a bottled Potion, an essential product for trainers that were used to remedy a Pokemon's wounds when a nearby Center wasn't available.

Gabriel sprayed the medicine onto the wild Magnemite, causing it to wince from the initial sting. After a few seconds, the Magnemite opened its eye again and realized that the majority of its pain had been relieved. It regained its ability to lift itself off the ground and floated curiously around Gabriel and Duke, examining the two new visitors to its home. It stopped in front of Gabriel and waved the magnets on each of its sides as a greeting, and a sign of its gratitude. "Never thought I'd actually find a steel Pokemon so soon here," Gabriel remarked. "Say... would you like to come with us? It'd be nice to have another Pokemon to tag along." The Magnemite reverberated agreeably and began following Gabriel as he and Duke explored further into New Mauville.

~Ebony~

Three more left, just three more and then they would be out of here. Ebony glanced over her shoulder, thinking there was someone coming in and making noise. No good, it was impossible to hear with the mechanical whirring. Ebony quickly went back to work, sticking her rubber-protected arm into the dead machine and grasping onto a thick object not quite identifiable. Behind her a small squirrel floated in the air, enjoying the momentary pause before it had to get back to work. Ebony snapped the piece into a socket and retreated from the hole.

"Awright Emm, hit it with another Thundershock," Ebony said to her Pokemon. The Emolga pointed itself at the hole, focusing intently before the electricity swirled around it and then shot forward into the machine. The dead machine rumbled a little, a nearby screen flickering slightly before going out. "Damn," Ebony mutters, kicking the edge of the machine with her steel-toe. "Blasted thing will never come on at this rate! Sorry Emm, it ain't your fault." Ebony was quick to reassure the Pokemon who took the comment personally at first.

Ebony sighs, stretching back and snapping all the knots. Maybe that was enough work for today. Wattson would have to come have a look at it himself at this rate, and Ebony did not want that. There would be no reward for the service if Wattson came. "Maybe I should tear the whole thing out and rebuild it?" Ebony looked towards the flying squirrel. "Problem is, I don't have the blueprints. I guess I shouldn't risk it, this machine is already dead. Blasted Voltorb overcharged the poor thing."

Footsteps echo through the hall, catching Ebony's attention. There was another person in here, but why? And how? No one else but Wattson should have the security clearance to enter this place, yet those footsteps did not belong to the old Gym Leader, how could they? Far too light-footed for such a big guy. Ebony took off the rubber gloves and removed the goggles, throwing both to the ground while watching the doorway into the maintenance room.

A boy? Or a girl? Ebony wondered for a moment, listening intently before deciding who it was without actually seeing the intruder. It was a girl, perhaps a new trainer come in from another region - they should be arriving in other cities soon. Perhaps twenty-years old with blond hair and pale blue eyes. Ebony nodded, short ivory hair bouncing slightly against dark skin. The yellow jumpsuit wasn't exactly the perfect outfit for greeting a potentially cute girl, but Ebony didn't mind. After all, most girls weren't into other girls.

Imagine disappointment at seeing a slouching boy with ivory hair - just like Ebony's - and an expression that just betrayed his attitude. Ebony frowned, half-expecting the guy to keep on walking without even paying her any mind. Before that could happen however, Ebony wanted to give him a piece of her mind. "Hey, your not suppose ta be here! This ain't some playground fer lost children, this place is dangerous!"

~Sahara~

Sahara let out a long sigh of relief. It really seemed like Adam was gone now, though she was incredibly disturbed by the things that he said. Pokemon battle to determine what happens to her? What kind of person was he, exactly? Sahara heard from other regions about kidnappings being common in Hoenn due to the large influx of trainers, but for what purpose did that serve? Most evil organizations wanted to steal Pokemon, not people. Maybe there wasn't some sort of organization behind this and it was merely a solitary event, but Sahara couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't the only one being targeted.

The Shellos all calmed down after a little while and the one that lead her here, distinguishable by its slightly unsymmetrical and large horns, wiggled up next to her. "Thanks again for that," Sahara acknowledged with a smile, scratching the top of its head. "I'd hate to take you away from your family, but I really do think you're cute. I want to catch you the proper way, if that's okay with you." The Shellos seemed slightly sad, but nodded its head anyway and moved back several paces. A battle to determine whether or not Sahara was worthy to have it on her team.

Frodo came out of its ball without any prompting, a habit that Sahara wanted to squelch but could not do much about. She shrugged and gave the two water type Pokemon a good distance. Shellos started first, charging up several little mud bombs and firing them before Sahara had a chance to give out an order. Frodo leaped into the air to avoid the hit. "Nice dodge, Frodo!" Sahara called after it. "Use Smokescreen to confuse it!" The Froakie spit out a little black ball, hitting the ground and exploding on contact into a large cloud of black smoke, consuming the Shellos inside. "Quick Attack!" Sahara ordered and the little frog shot into the smoke. Moments later she heard contact, but winced upon seeing Frodo thrown back out of the smoke.

The smoke cleared with the Shellos standing firm. "Shellos is pretty tough," Sahara murmured under her breath. "Frodo, Water Pulse!" She knew it wouldn't be very effective, but Quick Attack didn't do a whole lot to it. Frodo brought it's hands back to charge up the ball of water, but as soon as it started to form it evaporated almost immediately, being drawn back to the Shellos. "Storm Drain too!?" This wasn't looking very good for her. "We have to go for another Quick Attack, Frodo. Double Team first!" Frodo responded, multiple copies of it appearing around the Shellos and charging it at the same time.

The little sea slug stood firm and spat water at the ground, all of it surging back upwards all around it. Frodo was knocked away once again. "So that's what happened before," Sahara determined. What could she do, then? None of Frodo's attacks will work and the Shellos only showed two moves so far, but it used them perfectly. Intelligence was not limited to humans, clearly. "Frodo!" Sahara called out, "use the foam around your neck to blind it!" Frodo grabbed pieces of the foam formed around its neck and threw them at the Shellos, covering its eyes in it. Since it wasn't an actual move, Storm Drain wouldn't affect it. "Alright! Quick Attack!" Frodo charged in, speeding around the Shellos as it tried to use its Brine again to predict Frodo's movements, but ended up getting hi right in the chest anyway.

Sahara brought an empty Pokeball to her lips, kissed it, then threw it at the falling Pokemon. The ball hit the ground with the Shellos inside and wiggled furiously for several seconds. Just when Sahara thought it would break out, the Pokeball locked tight and stopped moving. "Woohoo!" Sahara shouted, jumping in the air in her excitement. She ran up to the Pokeball and snatched it up, immediately letting the poor slug out again. "We're going to see the world together, Sam. You, Frodo, and me."

"'Lost children'?" Gabriel looked down at Duke and back the girl that suddenly addressed him. "Oh no, you misunderstand. You see, this Piplup here is with me. He's not lost at all." For some reason the girl seemed almost disappointed more than she was upset, and Gabriel couldn't quite put his finger on why that might be. "Don't worry," he added. "I'm a trainer." As if that were legitimate credentials to simply trespass wherever he wished.

The idea of danger didn't seem to deter Gabriel from hanging around the abandoned power plant, and in any case encouraged the idea that such dangerous places would only contain more worthwhile Pokemon to catch. Not to mention he already figured the risks of exploring a place where even the Pokemon could endanger themselves. Gabriel turned back to see if the Magnemite was still following along. "Hey Magnemite," he called to it. "Do you think you could help us find some other Pokemon here?" The Magnemite made a vibrating noise and floated ahead of Duke and Gabriel, and they followed it, moving past the strange girl. With the Pokemon's own magnetic pull, finding steel-typed Pokemon would prove to be a much easier task.

~Selena~

Selena slowed to a stop right before a fork in the road. She glanced down the off-road to see New Mauville at the end of it. Halfway there, and only midday now. She dismounted the bike and rested it up against one of the trees nearby. Chikorita jumped out and stretched out in the sun. "Get some exercise, Chikorita," Selena told it. "Stretch your muscles, then I'll get you something to eat." Selena released Mawile from its pokeball as well. "You too, Mawile." While those too began stretching or running along the water's edge, Selena dropped to her knees andpoked around in her bag.

Her food supplies were mostly just berries, roots, and dried beans. Nothing that required cooking and provided plenty of energy for a decent amount of time. She tore into one of the thicker roots, enjoying the bitter taste that revitalized her. She stopped when she heard something coming close and looked up. An older man appeared with white hair and wearing a brown sweater vest despite the humidity.

"Ah, forgive my intrusion youngster," the man says, turning his back to the off-road. "I'm just waiting for a student of mine to return."

"You're Wattson, aren't you?" Selena determined. She wasn't interested in the Gyms across the continent, but she knew each of the respective leaders and their names. She made it a point to know as much as possible about the region before arriving.

"If you're looking for a gym battle, I'm afraid it will have to wait," Wattson replies easily. "There's a bit of a power issue that my student is trying to figure out and my gym doesn't have electricity because of it."

"I'm not interested in a gym battle," Selena said, turning back to her lunch. "Mawile, Chikorita, that's enough." The two Pokemon heard her and rushed over to get their share of food. The bitter taste of roots didn't seem to bother Chikorita, but Mawile clearly liked the berries more.

"Then are you here for Contests?" Wattson seemed intent on speaking with her, but Selena didn't mind. There was nothing to fear from him, and Selena actually had some respect for the old man. He knew how to make a city the best it could be with available resources and overall greatly improved the state of living in Mauville.

"No, I'm not here for anything," Selena responded easily. "Mawile, eat your roots too." The little one frowned a little, but bit into it anyway. "You should save the berries for last, that way you don't get stuck having a bitter taste in your mouth. Here." Selena dug into her hard pack and brought out some more berries for it. "You can have these, but you're only getting half for dinner later, alright?" The Mawile cried happily, taking the berries from her and munching down on them.

"No gyms, no contests, and no nicknames?" Wattson now turned to her. "What do you think to find here, miss?" Selena frowned, glancing up at the old man.

"I'm not looking for anything."

"Why did you take Mawile away from her family?" That one got her. Mawile was clearly happy right now, wasn't it? And how could Wattson know its gender anyway? Selena narrowed her eyes at him. She knew Wattson was a brilliant, yet eccentric, man, but she didn't expect this level of intrusion. Wattson saw her expression and sighed. "Pokemon Trainers have a responsibility when they catch a Pokemon. They must provide for them and show them things they would have never seen outside their home. Mawile must experience something she never would have if left in her cave."

"Forest," Selena stated pointedly. "Mawile lived in a forest when I found it."

"Whether you think it or not, Mawile tend to stay in caves. Did you see any other Mawile around near this one?" Now that she thought about it - she hadn't. Mawile was alone the day Selena found it. It saw her and ran to her, alone and afraid. Selena knew it was afraid, but she took it away from the forest and out into the open. The new sights brightened the Pokemon's mood, sure, but... "Now you see. Mawile is happy to be with you now, but she could be so much happier if you did more than just care for it."

Selena glanced down at the little ones. Nicknames? She never gave any thought to giving her Pokemon names. They had official names already - why give them another when that would only risk confusing them. But Wattson was right, Selena felt. Selena knelt down in front of Mawile and pet the spot on its head. On her head. "You wanted to see a contest, right?" Selena murmured. The little one looked up at her and smiled.

"Then lets go see one." She'd have to think of a name.

Day and Time: Wednesday – Morning

It took no coaxing whatsoever for the four Pokémon to sit still to be served their breakfast. Merrick measured equal amounts of the different Pokéfood with care and set each respective serving out in a relatively close proximity to their little campsite. When he finished, he sat down next to his sister, who handed him a bowl of oatmeal in turn. "I'm starving!" he exclaimed as he began to dig into it, ignoring how the hot meal burned his tongue and mouth. His sister said nothing in response. He ate quickly. Every so often he chased spoonfuls of the porridge with a swig of water to soothe his throat and slow down – he had learned during their travels through Kanto and Johto that eating too quickly could make you sick if you weren't careful. Despite this, he soon glanced over in his sister's direction to ask for a second helping only to find his sister wandering about the taller grasses. "Mel?" he called out inquisitively.

"Shhh! Hold on a sec," she retorted under her breath, inching further away from their camp toward whatever she had been focused on. Her gaze broke away from him and she held herself carefully as she stalked through the grasses. Emerald eyes remained locked on a set of leaves poking out of the grasses – as she inched closer her suspicions were confirmed. The leaves belonged to none other than an Oddish who happened to be nibbling on a dandelion. Her right hand switched from a fist to peace sign; it was then that Merrick noticed Cyndaquil had been following right next to his sister. As soon as she switched the positioning of her hand, the Fire-type Pokémon hesitantly scampered ahead of his trainer in the direction of the Oddish.

The Grass-type Pokémon must have had peculiarly sharp hearing for a plant with no ears, for it shifted around and glanced up at the Cyndaquil with its beady red eyes. "Drat!" Melanie muttered, watching as her Cyndaquil – quite thrown off by the other Pokémon spotting it – tripped and fell flat on his face. The Oddish blinked. "Get up, Chopin!" the older twin called out, trying her best to keep an upbeat tone. The Fire-type forced itself up and backed off a little but the Oddish just stared soundlessly. "We may have lost the element of surprise, but let's not lose it! Use Swagger!" Mel commanded. The Oddish still seemed rather neutral but the second the Fire Mouse Pokémon let off an eerie red aura, it seemed just a little off-balance. "Flame Wheel, fast!" Melanie added, causing the Cyndaquil to spit fire as it curled into a ball and flew at the bipedal mandrake.

It all proved too easy. The flaming attack struck Oddish and it spent a few moment dashing about like mad before it fell over. Melanie quickly chucked a Pokéball in its direction. In a beam of red, the Grass-type disappeared within the confines of the red and white sphere. It shook once... twice... three times... and then a click. Melanie cheered, "'ata boy, Chopin! Nicely done!" Merrick gaped.

"It didn't stand a chance, Mel," the boy called out with a sour frown on his face. "The poor thing didn't know what was going on until it already happened..." His eyes remained locked on the Pokéball which now rested in his sister's hands.

"So? I caught it. All's fair in love and war," she remarked with a grin, pressing the button on the Pokéball. Out popped the Oddish who fell over immediately – clearly signed and down for the count. Melanie immediately fell to her knees and dug around in her bag. She procured a Potion and gingerly lifted the mandrake into her arms with great care. "It'll be alright, Reed," she said lovingly, "one spritz of this and you'll be right as rain!" Whether or not the Oddish understood or could even hear Melanie was beyond all of them, but she very carefully sprayed the Grass-type with the healing potion. It winced but had no will in it to struggle; it merely lay in her arms for a few moments as the medicine kicked in. All of a sudden it began to squirm and jumped out of her arms.

Melanie made a move to approach the planty Pokémon. "Are you feel better?" she asked amiably, trying to ease the clearly frightened creature. It looked around wildly before spotting Cyndaquil. Immediately it shot a series of spores in defense and Cyndaquil sprinted away as fast as his stubby legs would carry him. "Hey, hey! It's okay, little guy," Melanie stated aloud, grabbing the Oddish's attention once more. "I'm sorry we scared you, but everything's alright now. We're friends!" The Oddish shivered. It looked like it wanted to run.

"You're not going to convince it like that," Merrick commented flatly, kneeling so that he no longer towered over the tiny Pokémon. The Grass-type looked over and he could tell it wanted some comforting. "C'mere little guy," he offered with open arms. Neither of the twins had ever seen an Oddish move so quickly. Merrick cradled it and gave it a gentle rub. "There, there," he crooned, glancing up at his sister with a smirk. "Told you." His gaze shifted downward once more. "It's okay, Reed," he continued speaking calmly, using the nickname his sister had given, "Mel's not that bad. She just really wanted you to join her team." The Oddish looked up. "I can't say I blame her, you're a cute one! And I bet you're really strong too!" The Oddish let out a noise of appreciation. Merrick beamed. "She's not gonna hurt you anymore. In fact, I bet she's gonna spend a lot of time pampering you and training with you to make sure you're in tip-top shape, okay?"

This seemed agreeable to the Oddish. It nodded, albeit with slight hesitation and relaxed as the younger twin set it back down. It glanced over to Melanie and elicited a shaky greeting. Melanie smiled brightly at it, opening her arms as her brother had done.

"Welcome to the team?" she asked with a twinge of hope in her voice. The Oddish blinked. It walked over to her and just as she reached to pick it up it shot a cloud of spores in her face. She coughed vehemently and the Oddish seemed to chuckle before wiping his newfound trainer's face with the leaves on its head. "I probably deserved that..."

~Ebony~

"Wha!?" Ebony let her mouth drop a little at his response. Did he just? Did he really not? Oh boy this kid is going to get himself into some serious trouble one day. New Mauville isn't exactly the worst place on the continent, but there are still Pokemon here that would be angry at his presence. "Agh, I can't be bothered by some dumb kid!" Ebony furiously scratched her head, spun around and kicked the machine behind her with a newfound frustration. Something big dropped inside the machine with a loud thunk and almost immediately the screen popped on.

Ebony blinked a few times, glancing at the screen with confused, emerald eyes. The Emolga behind her flipped and cheered in the air behind her before landing on her shoulder. She zapped its trainer a little, sending a shiver up Ebony's spine. "Oh!" Ebony shook herself. "Nice zap, Emm. Now that the machine works again, ol' Wattson can get back to challenging trainers! Just in time too, I was worried someone might find him before I fixed this blasted thing."

Ebony glanced out the side door where the kid went. A Piplup? So he's from Sinnoh, which means he just got in from Slateport. Of all the...if this kid really thinks it'll be okay just because he's a trainer, then he's in for a rude awakening. "Wattson will set him straight," Ebony decides with a firm nod. "Speaking of, we gotta jet. Let's go Emm!" Ebony took off, leaving the dumb kid to fend for his own. She had a feeling she would see him again.

The Magnemite had led Gabriel further into the power plant, passing through the dark corridors slowly as Gabriel and Duke looked around at the surrounding architecture. Wires were scattered about, with whirring turbines set up rather precariously. There were no engineers or mechanics hired to keep after the place, and it was without a wonder why everything was falling apart. If Gabriel's father could see this place, he would absolutely lose his shit. Whoever designed New Mauville obviously didn't think the project through.

Near the end of one particular hall, the Magnemite stopped and turned to face a blind alley. The path was obstructed by what appeared to be a fort made entirely of cardboard boxes. The Magnemite pointed its two magnets at the fort, causing a section of the boxes to rustle. A wild Pawniard was dragged out from the wall of boxes and fell flat on the floor. It stood up and extended its knife-like hands out menacingly, preparing to defend its territory.

"Alright, a Pawniard!" Gabriel rejoiced. He looked down at Duke and pointed forward, directing the Piplup to face off with the Pawniard. "Okay Duke, you got this!" Duke quavered his avian warcry and ran forth at the Pawniard, which jabbed at Duke before he could act. "We're getting a little too enthusiastic there, buddy. Leave it to me to draw out the best plan of action before doing anything crazy, yeah? Let's slow things down a notch. Icy Wind!" The Piplup pushed away the Pawniard and spewed a chilling breath from its beak, impeding the Pawniard's movements. The Pawniard began swiping in precise motions, slashing away at Duke but with difficulty.

"That's Fury Cutter," Gabriel clarified, having seen the move performed a few times by other Pokemon back at the university. "We can't let the Pawniard keep using it! Stop it dead with Yawn!" Duke complied, inhaling deeply and letting out a soft sigh. The Pawniard's onslaught had slowed to a crawl, and it felt its eyes getting heavier. "Time to wrap it up. Water Pledge, Duke," Gabriel ordered. Duke raised his flippers as a surge of water spouted from under the Pawniard and tossed it into the air. It came back down with a crash, its remaining energy to fight having now been spent.

Gabriel reached for a Pokeball at his belt and lobbed it at the defeated Pawniard. A single flash, and the Pawniard was entrapped inside of the Pokeball. It wobbled about before stopping in place completely, signifying a successful capture. "Welcome to the team, Pawniard," Gabriel bid, holding the Pokedex over the Pokeball. The Pokedex would display its official entry on the species, as well as this Pawniard's learned moves and details. "So it's a male, huh? I think I'll call you 'Sigma'. I think we're about done here. Rest easy, Duke." Gabriel returned the Piplup back into his Pokeball, and began heading for the exit.

The Magnemite would follow Gabriel all the way outside, bumping itself into Gabriel's shoulder when he stopped. "Oh right... Magnemite. I forgot about you in all that excitement. Heh... sorry. Did you wanna come along too?" The Magnemite buzzed in approval, waiting for Gabriel to officially induct it to his team. "You got it." Gabriel reached for another Pokeball and with it still in his hand, tapped the Magnemite. The Magnemite was absorbed into the device in the same way as the Pawniard, and the Pokeball locked in without any resistance. "It's probably best we get to another Center and heal all of you guys off. Guess it's time for Mauville."

Deploying his bicycle, Gabriel head off onto the road and towards the next city.

~Selena~

"We'll be heading off," Selena announces, both of her Pokemon perking up at her voice and tagging along beside her. She looked towards Wattson when she spoke however, as the old man was still standing there, waiting, after she and her little ones finished eating. Selena hesitated, unsure what exactly she should say in this situation. He wasn't responding, maybe just looking for something from her? "I-" she started, but faltered for a moment. Her haste to say something didn't matter when she didn't know what to say.

"You're heading off, right?" Wattson says, his back still turned to her.

"Yes," Selena answered, able to speak now with his question. "Thank you, Mr. Wattson."

"Safe journeys to you, young miss."

"My name is Selena." Selena let herself smile a little and hopped back onto her bike. She returned both of her Pokemon and set off on the road. As she rode through the grassland she felt a sudden warmth about her. Her smile didn't fade either. After one simple encounter, one simple question, she felt a weight release from her shoulders. It was a feeling unlike any she knew, and felt far better than anything she experienced before.

She didn't stop - she wouldn't stop until she reached the city. Even if she had to ride through the night. There was no stopping this emotion - she wanted to feel it all the time.

~Sahara~

"Midday already?" Sahara wondered, looking up at the sky as the sun cast its light over the tall trees. She mostly followed the path set out for her and managed to reach the halfway point to the little pond separating Slateport's Route 103 from Oldale Town. Knowing she needed to stop in order to eat something, Sahara set her bike against a tree. She took it out and put both her Pokemon away so she could get some travel time in, but couldn't stand how lonely it felt to be alone. She was glad for this momentary pause and released her little ones to stretch their tired muscles.

"You two sit tight, I'll wrestle up some grub for us." Sahara told them, looking about the area. She had food on her, of course, but she intended this stop to be very short. A quick bite, some time to play with her friends, and then set off again. She immediately set off to climb a tree with large blue berries growing from its branches. She got lucky with this stop - even though she was specifically looking for a berry tree. She picked some of the fruit and gathered it all into her arms before jumping down from the branches.

Frodo and Sam cheered for her after her graceful landing, so enthusiastically she smiled and took a bow. "And for my next trick, a couple of full bellies!" She said jokingly, setting the berries down in front of her Pokemon. "Eat as much as you like, there's plenty here for all of us." She could always go and fetch more, after all.

From the corner of her eye, Sahara spotted a lone Pokemon peeking at her through the bushes. She couldn't see what it was, but knew something was watching her, judging by the rustling of the brush and the low mumble behind it. Sahara took one of the berries and rolled it towards the bush. "You want one too? Here, I don't mind." She said, hopeful it would come out. Something dark snatched the berry, too quick for Sahara to get a good look at it, and was gone just like that, though she could hear it munching away. "Shy or mischievous?" Sahara murmured to herself, "I'd rather not find out. Hopefully that settles its curiosity."

~Minerva~

It had been a day since she landed in Hoenn, and the breathtaking view of Magnic Tower seemed to loom overhead wherever she went. Slateport was a familiar occurrence, as the sand made Minerva feel as though she was walking through Cinnabar again. The life she lived would not allow her to hold onto any such sentiment - any such memories. From the fellow Team Rocket agents she had fought alongside for so long, to the kind elderly couple that lived across the hall from her that visited regularly and shared a single mooncake, all would have to be forgotten.

Hoenn had presented a brand new challenge to trainers all over the world, and the attention would draw flocks of aspiring challengers by the thousands. What better way to blend in with the crowd than to join them? Signing up to be an official Hoenn League trainer could not have been any easier, as Pokedexes were being handed out like party favors at the local Center. Minerva was now free to travel the region and seek out a place to settle, away from the prying eyes of Kanto's law enforcement. She had already set foot onto Route 110 in her taupe coat and black leather top with her arms cradling a glass incubator holding a Pokemon Egg, when a passing cyclist slowed down to match her walking pace in order to strike a conversation with her. Her eyes of shimmering pools of cobalt only peered forward, refusing to acknowledge the young man.

"Heya, you a trainer too?" he questioned. "Yeah," she responded in turn. "Oh cool! I came in from Unova on the ship, how about you?" the cyclist continued to probe. "Kanto. Celadon City," she admitted. The young cyclist still rode along, a telling factor that he was only further interested in talking. The average trainer seemed to have a more open and friendly disposition than Minerva would have liked, but she felt in no way threatened by the cyclist. After all, it was hard to be scary in a puke-green trisuit that clung to your form so tight that it didn't look like you would be having any kids in the near future.

"Celadon? Wow! I've been there once with my family on vacation! Always wanted to try the slots at the Game Corner!"

"Hm. I used to work there. That and a night shift at the Department Store."

"No way? I heard there's a machine that pays out big!"

"Oh yes, we christened it the 'Face Stapler'. I've seen many people dump their hard-earned money trying to beat it. It's rigged, anyhow. Nobody ever wins the Porygon. Poor chumps."

"Ha ha, ouch. Glad I know this now before I ever go back there. Anyone ever catch on?"

"Not really. People eventually came to terms with the fact that they would have to lower their expectations into a shallow grave in the woods."

"Oh... That's kinda... jeez. Hey, I heard that place was owned by some notorious organization and that the place has a hideout in the back. You know anything about that?"

"...No. I started working there when it was under new management. The space in the back is just for warehousing and stocking now."

"Ah. So uh... what's your name?"

"Katherine."

"Katherine? That's a pretty name. I'm Nick, but all my friends call me 'Tricky'."

"Nice to meet you, Nick."

"So Katherine. If you don't mind me asking... what's with that egg you're carrying?"

"I'm waiting for it to hatch. Obviously."

"Do you know what's inside?"

"No. It was a gift."

"From a boyfrie- I mean from a friend?"

"From an old couple that I used to be neighbors with."

"Oh, cool. So uh... are you going to Mauville too? 'Cause I was thinking it'd be cool if we could go together through the Seaside Cycling Road. Traveling in groups is a lot safer than going alone, y'know? Figured it'd also be nice to collect badges with a friend."

"I don't have a bicycle, so I'm taking the lower path."

Not having a method of faster transportation was inconvenient, but it was a luxury Minerva would have to do without. Nick was out of luck, though he wouldn't let that stop him from wanting to talk to her later.

"Gee, that sucks. The upper road is so much quicker. Well, how about we meet up in Mauville? I'd like to see you again, and who knows? Maybe we'll meet other trainers and form a group!"

"Maybe. We'll see."

"Alright, cool! I'll see you there!"

Nick rode off happily into Route 110's upper constructed path under the notion that he would indeed get to meet Minerva again, however Minerva herself would not go out of her way to look for him when she would arrive in Mauville. Such an instance would be entirely up to chance. Minerva happened upon a pair of twins, one of which was in the middle of battling a wild Oddish. She stood back and watched as the female twin's Cyndaquil incapacitated the Pokemon with a single attack. This could have been easily chalked up as the most one-sided fight Minerva had seen since she arrived in Hoenn. Either that or the obese man she had witnessed going through an entire box of donuts at the Center. Poor confectioneries never stood a chance.

When the Oddish was caught, Minerva began to amble by as the twin was becoming acquainted with her new Pokemon. "Pardon. Just passing through."

~Selena~

The wind swept by briskly as Selena sped through the road. The heat and heavy exercise was starting to get to her, make her sweat. But she was in the middle of her high, she couldn't stop now even if she wanted to. Being on a bike like this was more than just invigorating. It felt as through she could escape all the problems of her past, bound to her by shackles of hatred, forever chasing her. If she could just forget all of that, there would be nothing better.

But as the day drew on and her pace began to slow, she felt the tug against her heart, removing her smile and replacing it with worry. Some strange scent hung in the air, like poison, but she couldn't determine what. Closer and closer she drew as the scent strengthened. She burst through a line of trees and skidded to a halt. Mauville was finally in sight, just one final stretch before the sun went down and she could rest in a proper bed. But that scent drew her away from the city, to the water's edge.

"Hold on now!" Selena blurted in surprise, dismounting her bike and leaving it to fall as she ran over to the water's edge. Several Pokemon lay on the ground, quivering, many of them injured. She knelt at their side, counting eight total, most of them Magikarp. Another was a Electrike and the eight a Vulpix. She recognized them from her own region. "You're a long way from home," she murmured to the Vulpix. It didn't answer or even open its eyes. "Not good, that's poison." Selena reached into her pack and brought out her antidotes, quickly spraying the Vulpix and the Electrike. She left the Magikarp alone - Selena was no fool about Magikarp. Incredibly durable Pokemon, poison would not affect them in the long term, and she did not have enough Antidote for all of them. She merely pushed the water-types back into the river. Soon enough they took to the water and fled.

The Vulpix continued to sleep, though it was no longer poisoned it was still weak. The Electrike woke and stood, glancing up at Selena. "You're welcome," she said to it. It pawed her leg, poking the Vulpix and looking up at her. "Yeah, Vulpix will be fine. More importantly," Selena paused, looking out to the water. "How did you all get poisoned? Tentacool aren't that rude. Gulpin are supposed to be playful. Oddish can poison you, but you'd have to be an idiot to manage to make an Oddish mad." Was there something going on in the lake? It certainly was odd.

The Electrike pawed her again. Selena wondered if it and the Vulpix were friends. That might explain why they were together, but it didn't explain why the Vulpix was here. From what Selena read, Vulpix usually contained themselves to the areas near Mt. Pyre. Still, it was plenty hot here for a Vulpix to find itself in. Selena gathered up the little one in her arms. "Alright, I'm going to take Vulpix to a Pokemon Center," she said, looking down at the electric-type. "How fast can you run?" Selena put Vulpix into the basket of her bike and mounted it, waiting for the little one to follow her. As soon as it was prepared, they took off together - the Electrike keeping up with the speed of her bike perfectly.

Day and Time: Wednesday – Dusk

Oddish's temperament had improved only slightly as the twins packed up their camp. Somehow in the course of twenty minutes it had developed a habit of tricking Melanie and lowering her guard so it could shoot a cloud of spores in her face. The older twin reluctantly accepted this as punishment for being so harsh with the Grass-type but tried to keep herself from falling for the blatantly obvious attempts. Of course, those only lasted so long; the little mandrake evidently learned quickly – no doubt by the time it had been returned to the confines of its Pokéball it had figured out just how much smarter than its trainer it would have to be in order to keep up this little battle of wills. Melanie sighed as she retrieved her bike from her bag. Things would be slow-going for a while on the training of her newest teammate, but she felt their relationship could still be salvaged. With determination coursing through her veins, she took charge and led her brother in the direction of Mauville. A gym battle would await them the next morning.

The ride was made mostly in silence. Merrick watched his sister as she pedaled fiercely ahead of him – for a moment he considered calling out and asking her to stop despite the impressive amount of time they were saving with how determined she was to reach the next city before nightfall. He chose to refrain. If she wanted to get there that badly, trying to stop her wouldn't result in anything other than bickering; Melanie could be way more stubborn than she let on when she had to be. A trait that Merrick assumed came from their mother. Before he could ponder the inquiry much further, however, the sight of Mauville in all of its glory graced their vision. "Alright!" Merrick called out excitedly as he sped to catch up to his sister. "Maybe Watts-his-face is still available for a gym battle!" he added as he matched her pace, which had begun to slow as they approached the structure of the city.

"I don't think so," Melanie responded brusquely, collapsing her bike and once more reaching for the Pokéballs on her side. Her fingers lingered over Cyndaquil's a moment before finding purchase on the ball which held Oddish. She supposed walking around with it and spending time together would be the only way for them to possibly get off on better terms than what they started with. She pressed the button on the Pokéball and scooped up the Grass-type when it appeared – although it did not seem super happy with the movement, its beady red eyes focused instead on Mauville. Despite how close it lived, it clearly had never ventured this far away. The new sight seemed to have the Grass-type in awe. "Let's check-in at the Pokémon center and then take a look around."

Merrick shrugged. He supposed until they got to a town with a contest he would be playing passenger. But oh how things would change when they were focused on him.

~Selena~

"You came just in time," the woman behind the counter said. "Had you left it with just tending to the poison it wouldn't have lasted." The Vulpix was going to be fine, thanks to Selena's efforts. The Electrike and Vulpix went back together. They might have been wild Pokemon in the Pokemon Center, but the little electric-type wouldn't budge from the fire-type's side for a minute. Selena had to be more careful, she miscalculated exactly how injured the Pokemon was. If Electrike hadn't been there to prod her, that Vulpix wouldn't have survived.

"I'm glad. I'll leave both of them in your care," Selena said, nodding to Nurse Joy. "If you have the time, I'd like you to do a checkup on my Pokemon as well." Selena reached into her bag and placed the two painted Pokeballs in the tray on the counter.

"Of course, it shouldn't take longer than a few minutes." Joy disappeared behind the back door. The Chansey was tending to the Vulpix, but it was not in critical condition from what Selena gathered. She turned around and found a place to sit and wait. It wasn't long before Nurse Joy came back with her Pokemon. Selena helped herself to some provided food, restocking her supplies and making sure Mawile ate her roots.

"As promised, a half portion of berries for you," Selena told it, handing over the amount. Mawile looked up at her with sad eyes. "Don't you try that with me, kiddo," Selena reprimanded. "You knew from the start you would only get a half portion of berries because you ate too many during lunch." Begrudgingly, the little Pokemon took the offered berries and spent its time savoring them. Selena made sure it ate the root first.

Soon Selena heard a familiar cry accompanied by another. The Electrike and Vulpix burst from the back doors and ran around the Center, chasing each other until they both came to her feet. Selena smiled at the little ones, reaching down to offer her hand to the Vulpix. "Glad to see you doing well," Selena said. The little fox nuzzled her hand affectionately, it apparently knew she was the one to bring it here and save it.

~Gabriel~

The young trainer continued to trail through the outstretched road with the sun setting behind him. "It's becoming night again already," Gabriel commented to himself, squinting his eyes at the darkening path ahead of him. "Hang in there guys, I'll get you all fixed up in no time... wonder if they'll let me crash at the Center. Pokemon Centers are also youth hostels, right?" It made sense anyway, the idea that Pokemon Centers would allow trainers to stay overnight while their Pokemon were being treated. Otherwise, the every square inch of the routes would be covered in campsites and tents.

Life back at North Sinnoh University was so much simpler. First thing in the morning, get up and go to class. Then fall asleep. Go to the university's cafeteria for free food. Then fall asleep. Take Duke out for a walk around the campus. Then fall asleep. Watch a bunch of hipsters playing ultimate frisbee. Then fall asleep. Go back to the dorm and spend all night watching old Elite Four tapings. Nothing of particular interest or excitement happened, and that was the way Gabriel liked things. The strangest occurrence was when some random prankster tagged one of the university buildings with the words "VERGIL'S POP FILTER", and it was still tame in terms of happenings.

Mauville was now in view, it was only going to be a matter of minutes for Gabriel to get his Pokemon treated. From what he had known, Mauville had used to be a normal town like any other. Now it was similar to a domed city, closed off to the outside with its entirety almost all indoors. To put it blunt, it looked like a giant mall. "I hope whoever was in charge of this wasn't also responsible for that shoddy power plant," Gabriel criticized. "I'd be a little worried coming here." He dismounted off his bike when he reached the glass doors, making his entry into Mauville.

Lights were all abound, allowing for easy navigation through the courtyard. Centered on the grassy sod was a scale model of Lumiose City's own tower. Beyond that was the Pokemon Center, built into the wall. "Finally made it," Gabriel declared. "Like I always say... Kakuna Rattata. It means 'no worries'." Gabriel made his way into the familiar building, approaching the counter and addressing the working Nurse Joy. "Hey uh... I know it's late, but could you heal some of my Pokemon?" He held out the three Pokeballs in their compressed form that contained his Magnemite, Piplup, and Pawniard. He would need them in top condition when he challenged the gym leader.

~Minerva~

She had already passed by New Mauville, but there was still a ways to go before Minerva would be able to reach the next town. As the stars peered into view, Minerva pulled up her hood as she wandered under the cover of night. The egg remained clutched to her chest, and the ends of her coat fluttered with every step through the scrappy grass. She almost missed that incommodious cot she always slept on back in that tawdry apartment. She almost missed the grocery runs comprised mainly of fetching a week's worth of instant noodle cups. She almost missed coming home through the hallways with the smell of the elderly couple's prayer incense drifting through the air. Just what exactly would they need to pray for at that age when they most likely had already experienced all life had to offer? Maybe they weren't praying for themselves.

Minerva knew she would have to sleep, despite the fact that she was making good time getting to Mauville. There was no water-leaked roof over her head that a certain landlord blatantly refused to acknowledge; she was at nature's mercy now. A life of a trainer, but she was no trainer. She wasn't like Nick or the blonde twin that caught the Oddish - she was the girl that was left behind. The majority of the actions she had taken in her life were for her own survival or to follow orders; she had no pipe dreams of glory or fame. There simply wasn't any inspiration to fuel such quixotic ambitions. Even now, she had come to Hoenn to escape the law that was trying to apprehend her and those like her for the crimes against Kanto.

A solitary tree stood in the landscape bestrewn with blue flowers. Forget-Me-Nots... the irony. The weary fugitive sat down and leaned against the tree, setting the incubator beside her. She pointed her finger in the air, tracing the constellations in the stars to distract herself from the wistful nostalgia. When Minerva grew bored, she shut her eyes and prepared for sleep. Tomorrow, she would see what Mauville had to offer.