Private/Closed Neo Kanto

[Vaporeonn]

The sky above Pallet was dull and gray again. The young Professor, Gary Oak, stood in front of the Lab, checking his pockets for his keys. A lengthy hunt, given that his lab coat had around ten of them. Gary Oak's thoughts were drifting, as he remembered the weather forecast from earlier in the morning, and how they predicted rain. Anyone who stepped foot outside could tell that, though, even without the help of Kanto Weather Channel's Windy; Yet everyone, including Gary's younger sister Daisy, worshipped him for stating the obvious. Did he sound that cute? Gary Oak grimaced at the though of him.

The Professor checked every pocket of his lab coat, even the inside ones, yet the key was no where to be found. Maybe he dropped it somewhere? Gary sighed at the thought of his keys in the muddy, beaten paths, and how he would have to search there. He mindlessly put his hand in the backpocket of his pants, and to Gary's delightful surprise, the key was there. He quickly pulled it out, unlocked the Lab, and prepared to enjoy the peace and quiet before any of his aides show up. Not that Gary Oak had anything against his aides – they were a big help – but the atmosphere was always chaotic. It is why he would always go to the lab an hour earlier. The Professor made his way to his 'office' in the back of the building, which appeared to only be a desk bigger than the others (but there was more space around it as well). Still, a cup of coffee in the morning and reading the previous day's report was a perfect start of Gary Oak's day. He turned on the coffee machine, and put a hand to his chin. The stubble growing was an unpleasant surprise, and made him look homeless when matched with the subtle bags under his eyes, but Gary never seemed to remember to shave (or rest well).

The knock on the door was another unpleasant surprise as well. Who could it possibly be," he thought, but told the person to come in. Gary's annoyance was soon replaced with surprise, as an elderly woman closed the door behind her. "Aggie," he greeted his grandfather's old friend, but by the look on her face, Gary understood that this wasn't an ordinary visit. "Agatha," he unnecessarily corrected himself. The air was thick, and Gary could sense the seriousness of the situation. "Is it important?"

"Extremely."

———

Winnie turned the radio on as soon as she woke up. It was a part of her morning routine – wake up, turn her favourite channel on, and then proceed to get ready for the day. The Showdown channel would air reruns of popular Elite Four battles early in the morning, and it just so happened that today was one of Winnie's favourites. Koga against Gold. The commentary was also by one of her favourites. Winnie pulled out some clothes from her closet, mouthing some parts of the battle she knew by heart.
When she made her way downstairs, she found her dad eating breakfast in front of their new TV. "It's wondrous," he'd say. They exchanged their good mornings, and Winnie sat down to eat breakfast as well.

"By the way," her father said. "The Professor was looking for you." Winnie nodded, continuing to eat her breakfast. She asked what he needed her for. Her father shrugged. "Said it was important... And called up some other kids as well. I wouldn't slack off if I were you." Winnie laughed.

She got out rather quickly, and stomped across the beaten paths. They were all muddy and wet because of the rain. It was short-lived, but enough to make Pallet look like a storm took place. Winnie was glad when she finally saw the Professor's Lab in view. What could he have planned out?

 

[Spoiled Bread]

"Next stop: Pallet Town. Next stop: Pallet Town." The bus speaker's monotone voice woke Elliot from her slumber. She sluggishly stood up and got out from the buss.

Phew. I almost miss my stop.

She hugged her brown coat tighter. Damn rain made the air colder and the ground slippery. Now she couldn't even enjoy a nice morning walk.

Oh, shit. Did she just stepped on a dog's poo? She checked her boots and relieved that the brown stuff was just some mud. She decided to sat down on a nearby park's bench before heading to Prof. Oak's lab. Luckily, the park has some vending machine so she could have her daily portion of milk + cheese bread.

Now that she had some time to think things through. She realized she had made a grave mistake by accepting the task given by Prof. Yggdra. Who spent their time to manually scan pokemons anyway?? Only kids still do that!!

She sighed as she opened the pokedex the proffessor gave her. For now, there's only some information abour rattatta in it. She managed to scan one of the critter from the lab's experiment room. She hung her head on the bench as she looked upon the cloudy sky.

Hmm... Something's off. Did that cloud just gotten bigger?

She realized her mistake when a white, smelly substance fell on her face. She immediately washed her face three times using the nearby tap water, sprayed anti-bactery on her face three times, then wiped her face three times with some wet tissues.

"**** you too!!" She shouted at the birds flying in the sky. Since she started her journey from the university, misfortune kept following her around. She almost left the pokedex at home, then almost late getting into the bus, but! She took the wrong bus so she must switch bus on the next station. Seemed like not even Gods favor her.

Enough resting. Now time to move.

She thought to herself as she pulled her bulky suitcase on the muddy ground. Prof. Yggdra told her to meet this friend of hers, for some reason.

When the lab came into her view, she was really glad. Lugging her suitcase around on this kind of landscape was tiring. She felt like her lungs were burning. There's a girl outside the lab, but other than a quick glance Elliot didn't gave the girl much attention. Her first priority was putting her stuffs down. She entered the lab without hesitation.

"Prof...! You here?"

 

[Vaporeonn]

Winnie eyed the strange girl who just walked into the Professor's Lab. The girl was gripping her coat, and carried a lage suitcase as well. She's probably one of the 'kids' the Professor called up, Winnie thought. But the girl obviously wasn't from Pallet, so Winnie wondered how the Professor knew her. She settled on the thought that she'd probably find out later, and adjusted her hair clip. Her bangs were getting longer, and it bothered her. Winnie finally entered the Lab, leaving the gloomy town for a little while.

"Winnie," the Professor greeted her, motioning for her to come near. A few of his aides had arrived, and put a contrast to the slow paced mornings in Pallet while hurriedly typing on their large computers, or running from one desk to the other. Winnie smiled awkwardly, dodging the aides. "Please don't mind them," the Professor said. "It's always like this." Winnie stood next to the strange girl from before.

"You're both here, early." He placed his hand on his chin, while looking down at some papers. "Not to worry, though. We can finish it off now, too, I just hoped you'd all get to know each other." The Professor smiled at the girls. He gestured to the both of them. "Which brings me to... Yes, Elliot, this is Winnie. Winnie, Elliot. She's a student of one of my colleagues at the Celadon University."

Winnie smiled at Elliot. She seemed a bit older than Winnie, which slightly intimidated her when paired with the fact that she was a student at the CU. What could the girl think of her, Winnie worried. She, of course, didn't let it show, as the Professor continued his speech. "You're here for different reasons, but since Winnie is alone for now, I was hoping you could accompany her for some time, Elliot," the Professor said. Winnie felt an embarrassed blush appearing on her cheeks. Damn it! Now she looks helpess as well.

"Winnie, I need you to deliver this letter to Lt. Surge of Vermilion City," he continued, handing her a letter. "Elliot, well, you're here for a Pokemon, are you not?" The Professor then stepped aside, and took a box from a bookcase nearby. He put it on his desk with minor struggles, and revealed a few Pokeballs when he opened it. "Here they are. And, you'll need a Pokemon too, Winnie."
Winnie felt a rush if excitement when she heard that. She wanted to pick first, but decided that it could seem too childish. "You can choose first, Elliot," Winnie finally said something, and was proud that she resisted her urge.

"Alright," the Professor said, moving behind his desk so the girls could see the box. "I'm sure you're familiar with the starters of this region. Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirlte." He felt nostalgic saying their names, reminiscing the first day of his own journey, and a friend he hadn't seen in a long time, and it could be heard in his voice. "Well, choose wisely!"

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

Casey could not see a single person in the audience who hadn't risen and clapped when the play was over. He applauded to conform, but his claps were weak. The smile on his face was the soft, peaceful kind that people wore when a cool breeze rolled in, so the man looked to be in his own little world and not in the world of the actors.

The main character in the play was an aspiring young trainer, an upstart who dreamed of battling on the world stage and proving his skills. The villain was everything the young trainer wanted to be: a veteran Pokémon master and champion of Hoenn who had renounced his title and gone on to conquer his region's Battle Maison, Sinnoh's Battle Frontier, Alola's Battle Tree, and Unova's Pokémon World Tournament on multiple occasions. A trainer whose name was synonymous with success, Prince Golbat was undisputedly one of the greatest battlers the world had ever seen. But he was merciless and arrogant, laughing in his opponents' faces, putting them down, calling their Pokémon trash, and flaunting his wealth. The Prince was one of the most reviled and controversial figures in the professional battling scene, but his detractors could not deny his talent. Watching all of his bouts on television and drawing inspiration from them, the main character set off on a journey across the Unova region, making a name for himself in the hope that he could one day battle his hero.

The honor came sooner than he'd imagined. Prince Golbat would arrive in the city at which the protagonist was staying to fight an exhibition match against the Gym Leader, from whom the latter had recently won a badge. The youngster woke up early that morning and hurried over to the gym, ecstatic at the thought of meeting his idol in the flesh. The match had been delayed several times already, and the Leader again had to excuse himself upon the Prince's arrival to address matters of public concern.

"Why don't you battle this trainer, Prince? He recently won his badge from me, so he is a far more worthy opponent for someone of your caliber," the actor who played the Gym Leader flawlessly interpreted, rebounding from the awkwardness of the situation by praising the Pokémon master effusively.

The starry-eyed protagonist was tempted to pinch himself all over but instead clenched his fists in determination. Although Casey was largely detached from the whole production, he acknowledged the lead actor's convincing suspension of his character's disbelief that his dream was finally coming true.

"Hmm, all right. I suppose I'll overlook your inability to make the scheduled date and battle this young man here," Prince Golbat replied nonchalantly.

The rest Casey knew all too well. The villain soundly defeated the protagonist, berated him for wasting his time, crushed the boy's dreams, and scoffed at his idolatry. He left the young trainer in tears and his Pokémon in spit, while a deep hatred festered in the boy's heart.

Casey watched as the main character rose through the ranks and exacted his revenge on Prince Golbat in a stunning, 6-0 upset at the Pokémon World Tournament. It was the most humiliating, career-ending defeat in Pokémon history, for a trainer whose command of the ring was virtually unchallenged to lose to a rookie. The hero's triumph and the villain's devastation had the audience on its feet and filled Mawilian Hall with thunderous applause.

Indeed, his loss was so historic that it was adapted into acclaimed productions like these that to this day sold out the largest theater in Celadon-Saffron. Why he went and saw them, he couldn't place. Perhaps he relived the events of two years ago to laugh them off, dismiss them as entertainment. Or perhaps he wished to melt into the audience and pretend that the actor onstage was the real Quince Corbat, that this story was not his.

But even if it were, it was not the whole story. There was much that the play had left out: the outburst of media criticism that Quince faced after his poor showing, the losing battles that followed, and his shouting matches with interviewers as he clung to relevancy. He'd been inescapable, dominating the airwaves with the sound of his voice, but he quickly lost his stranglehold on television and radio. Battle prowess had been his only redeeming quality, so his fans abandoned him. What reason did they have to continue supporting him, when nobody liked him for his personality? His detractors prevailed, satisfied that karma had finally come to the arrogant King Crobat and put him in his place. Hated by all, he became the laughing stock of the entire Pokémon world.

Obviously the production was based heavily on his life, but not enough for Casey to take legal action and shut it down. There was no mention of King Crobat. Everything had a fake name, so there was nothing incriminating in the play. And even if there had been, he wouldn't press the issue. He'd simply stand there and rejoice in his fall from grace like everybody else.

~~~

Casey was a very different man from two years ago. He'd faded from the public eye and left for Kanto, settling into a cushy job in Pallet Town. He captained a crew and treated any sick Pokémon that they fished up. Industrial expansion brought murkier waters and environmental consequences, after all. The heightened concentration of pollutants in the water was causing Poison-type Tentacool to evolve more quickly. Large outbreaks of Tentacruel were scaring away other Pokémon and harming the Kanto's fishing industry. It was the boatmen's job to control their populations and Casey's to treat the poisoned Poliwag whose bellies had turned white.

But that wasn't his only mission. He was a researcher assisting the Professor and studying the effects of industry on Pokémon behaviors. The Tentacruel, for example, were becoming increasingly territorial. In the night they climbed onto rocks and flashed their red lights, imitating buoys and warning ships to stay away. These waters were becoming increasingly difficult to navigate, but Casey was there to understand the problem and propose potential solutions. However, keeping medical records of wild Pokémon proved challenging enough alone.

These jobs came directly from the Professor. Casey remained tight-lipped about his past, so Gary had no prior experience to hire him. But the fancily dressed blond won him over with his plastic smile, good looks, and pleasant disposition, assuring Oak that he possessed extensive knowledge of Pokémon and would be of use.

Casey was already wearing the same fake smile when he sauntered into the Lab. So he could not move his mouth any more to greet the two females he saw inside. He instead offered them an eccentric and overly polite introduction. "Salutations. My name is Casey, and I do hope this morning is treating you well. If it hasn't been, I certainly will."

He concluded his greeting with a slight bow. He was smiling without his perfectly straight, blindingly white teeth.

"You summoned me, Professor? Please let me know how I can be of assistance," Casey raised his head and addressed Oak with his perpetual smile.

 

[Spoiled Bread]

"Thank you, and nice to meet you Winnie." Elliot said to the other girl when she offered the first pick. The girl looks kinda tomboy on those casual clothes. She wondered what's the girl relation to the professor.

Then another person walked in. This one was a man with... over the top theatre costume? She's not sure. He also greeted the them with weird greeting. Well, everybody has their own taste, I guess.

"Umm... Salutation to you too." She greeted back the man. Though she doubt that she had done it right.

She focused back her attention to the three starters. Actually, choosing starter was easy for her, she always wanted a fire pokemon. So charmander it is.

"Wait, Elliot. I just remember something." Prof. Oak suddenly addressed her while gesturing for the fancy man to wait for a moment. He digged into his drawer and pulled a box. He then gave it to Elliot.

"She said you could take him instead of the starter here."

The box was your usual everyday normal plain ordinary wooden box. Except there was a note sticked on one of its side with 'For Elliot' written on it.

She opened it and surprised to saw a pokeball and a letter inside. She read the letter briefly before putting it back. Her expression suddenly became a mix of anger and worry.

"I see. That's why you sent me here instead." She said weakly to herself, her fist clenched the letter tightly. She threw the pokeball and called the pokemon inside. A small cyndaquil looked at her.

"C-cuuuteeeeee..." Any trace of her emotion before was was washed away by the pokemon in front of her. She was now giggling like a fan girl.

"C'mon. Come to mama." She moved her hand to touch the cyndaquil, but the fire pokemon shied away from her touch and hide under a table. Elliot approached the table and put a pokepuff on the floor. Then she sat a few distance away from the pokepuff, waiting for the cyndaquil to came out of its hiding.

"Don't mind me." She said with a smile.

 

[Vaporeonn]

A Cyndaquil? Winnie gazed at the little Pokemon, and flinched when she saw fire burst out of its back. She had to admit it was kind of cool, as much as she feared fire. It wasn't as cool as what she was going to pick, Winnie thought as she approached the box, picking up a PokeBall with a small smirk. Of course, she knew what she was going to pick as soon as the Professor showed them the box, and Winnie was glad that Elliot didn't take the-

"Squirtle?" the blue Pokemon that just came out of the PokeBall looked around in confusion. Winnie blushed in shame, hiding her face with her free hand. She returned the Squirlte in its PokeBall, feeling bad for possibly getting its hopes up. "That- That wasn't the one I was hoping to pick up," Winnie stuttered out, putting the ball back in the box. "I wanted the- uh, the Bulbasaur." Now she embarrassed herself in front of two new people. I should think more before I act, Winnie thought, as always, but it never seemed to get in her head for longer than two minutes.

The Professor laughed, shaking his head. "It's alright. This one," he said, taking another PokeBall from the box, "is the Bulbasaur." Winnie took the ball reluctantly, worried that it might be another mistake. Luckily, a Bulbasaur came out of the ball, seemingly a bit disoriented. Winnie wondered why the Pokemon looked like they weren't outside for a long time. She shrugged it off as soon as the Bulbasaur happily let out a growl, finally noticing that Winnie was its new trainer. The girl smiled kneeling down to pat her Pokemon's head. She was glad that the Bulbasaur liked her, but they still had to get used to each other. An important part of trainers and Pokemon bonding was nicknaming the Pokemon, but Winnie wanted to wait some time before she decided on one. "Thank you, Professor," Winnie said.

The Professor nodded as he put the box aside, for now. He then turned to his (relatively) new aide, Casey. Casey proved to be a great help for him, and he earned the Professor's trust thanks to it. He kept his past a secret, but Professor Gary Oak never gave it a second thought – he believed that Casey was as he showed himself. A reliable, trust worthy assistant. No wonder he thought of entrusting him with this task. "Another thing, Casey. I should've let you know sooner, but it popped into my mind earlier this morning," the Professor begun. He thought sending an assistant would be a bit risky, but Casey was still fairly new, so no one would know him. "Could you accompany these two on their journey? It won't be for long, of course, but until you get to Vermilion?"

The Professor was worried he needed more reasoning, so he added, "A larger group is less likely to be assaulted – if it ever were to happen! I'm just taking precaution, and I think this letter is important enough." He pursed his lips. He knew he probably lost them, but he continued nonetheless. "You can even choose a Pokemon, if you'd like." They needed fresh air as well, Gary thought, feeling sorry he rarely let them out. He always found a reason to delay it, though. It was easier to bury memories than to relive them again.

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"Why, it would be the utmost pleasure, Professor!" Casey happily replied, assuring the Professor that the notice had not been too short for him to handle. "Oh, and I'm allowed to choose a Pokémon? That's..."

I didn't think I'd be touching another fuckin' Pokéball in my life after releasing my prized Crobat and the others. Well, fuck it. It'd be weird to say no, so I'll take Gare-bear up on that, I guess. Bear, because he's starting to look like one with all that stubble. Dude really needs to shave, or I'll mistake him for a Pokémon and choose him as my starter.

"...Wonderful! Now, by process of elimination, if the Pokéball that the young lady sent out contained Squirtle, and she has already received Bulbasaur, then... I suppose I'll be choosing this one, Charmander."

Casey gingerly tapped the button on the Pokéball and sent out the flaming lizard. The Pokémon opened its mouth, yawning loudly. Or was it inhaling as deeply as it could after being denied fresh air so long? It was suddenly invigorated after waking from its cyber slumber, however, racing around the lavishly dressed man.

Enjoy freedom, you little shit. But if you think I'm some hotshot trainer who's gonna take you to the Pokémon League, then you lizards are as dumb as the rocks you live under.

"Professor, I'm grateful. Though, I do hope I can keep this one's tail away from the letter. Otherwise, I'd fail you, and your trust in me will have been unfounded," a crouching Casey addressed Oak, looking up as he stroked Charmander.

"Chaaar!" the Pokémon let out a cry of satisfaction. The poor reptile couldn't fathom the loathing in its new trainer's heart, nor could any human. If his smile was as warm as the sun, then what lied beyond it was cold, empty space.

I'd rather stay right here and rot in this gray town, just disappear. Yet here I am, on the road again... with a Pokémon.

"It's nice to meet you both. Since we'll be traveling together, might I ask your names?"

 

[Vaporeonn]

There was something about this man... Winnie wasn't exactly sure. She found his kindness to be exaggerated, dare she think fake, and his smile practiced. Maybe he was a professional suck up, Winnie thought. Of course, she didn't write off the possibility of him being genuine, but she deemed it less likely. Time will tell. To add onto Winnie's minor dislike, the aide picked a Charmander, and she hoped that she could control her fear during their time together.

"I'm Winnie," she told the aide. Winnie decided not to answer in Elliot's place, but to ask for his name instead. "And you are?"

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"What a lovely name, Winnie. I'm Casey. I hope we get along."

Oh Arceus, is this bitch deaf or something? I literally told her who I was as soon as I walked in. And Gary even repeated it... At least the other girl heard.

There was a disconnect between his inner and outer selves. It wasn't as if he said one thing out loud and thought another. He was indeed as he presented himself, but somewhere deep within was another side of him. When the mighty oak snapped, the perpetually smiling "Casey Lindquist" wrapped the falling trunk like a parasitic vine and became Quince's personality, his demeanor. This submissive character was now the dominant of the two. He had to be, because the hot-headed Quince was unable to cope with ridicule and only embarrassed himself even more following his downfall. The most effective way to deal with immense hate is to smile in its face, the epiphany that was the birth of "Casey." But his meeker self's takeover was more than a coping mechanism. The battling legend was so emasculated by his humiliating defeat that he could no longer feed his ego, so his personality receded into his subconscious.

Whatever Quince said did not even constitute a thought. He was in a vast, dark place, his voice echoing and fading before it could enter cognition. But every now and then it would stir the surface.

I seriously hope this little journey isn't as nerve-wracking as that play I saw over the weekend. How dare they clap to that travesty!

"Now, don't say that. I quite enjoyed it."

 

[Spoiled Bread]

"Nice to meet you, Casey. I'm Elliot." She introduced herself to the fancy man.

She never thought this little trip would be a full-blown journey like this. Though, even without these two, she would still spent some weeks traveling the region and visit as many poke store as she could. Speaking of poke store, was there any in this town? She wanted to scans all pokemon available there. Speaking of scanning, she should scans the pokemon here! Three nice additions to her empty pokedex.

"Excuse me." She took out her pokedex and scanned the charmander, bulbasaur and also called out the squirtle so she could scans it. After returning the squirtle, a thought suddenly stroke her. She turned her head to the proffessor.

"Prof, why are we sending a letter by foot? Don't tell me you haven't create an e-mail??" She covered her mouth and widen her eyes in an exaggerated manner.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"E-mail?" Professor Oak looked at Elliot with furrowed eyebrows, searchig his brain for the term. His face washed over with realisation, followed immediately by waving his hand in disapproval. "I don't trust that. Silph, and the like..." The Professor said the last part with less volume, shaking his head at the thought of the amount of data Silph has on every citizen of Kanto due to its network system. Bastards, Gary Oak would think to himself whenever Silph was mentioned. He quickly added onto his answer, not liking the negativity he might've created. "Besides, a journey should be fun! Meeting new people, Pokemon, and so on..."

The Professor looked at a large clock taking up space on the wall of the Lab, and decided it was time to move. "Alright then! No time to waste! Janice, my aide over there," he motioned to a girl in the 'room' over (as they were all only separated by bookshelves, not walls), "will give you a few PokeBalls to start off. Use them wisely! You know the rules..." And in no time, the group of three was outside the Lab, with the words We'll stay in touch instead of goodbye.

Winnie held the letter in her hands, getting more skeptical by the minute. She knew the Professor was often nervous and impatient, but this wasn't at all what she was used to. And the brief mentioning of Silph in such a manner... It was all too complicated. Winnie hoped she wouldn't catch up in that mess. Just deliver the letter, and leave it behind, she thought. The quicker, the better.

The sky cleared up by now, almost giving the impression of a beautiful day, but the rest of Pallet was still as grey. Winnie's Bulbasaur stretched out its vines at the sun, and Winnie noticed a slight change in her Pokemon's color. She kneeled down next to it. "You good to go?" she asked, Bulbasaur cheerfully growling in return. Winnie smiled, getting up, and turning to Elliot and Casey. "What about you? Think we should leave immediately, since Oak rushed us so much?"

 

[Spoiled Bread]

"What's with the abrupt goodbye?!" Elliot grumbled to her other new journeymates. "I'm not gonna rush things because my cyndaquil is still inside!" She turned to face the door again and knock it hard. Only to found her hand hits Janice on the face.

"Ah! I'm sorry!!"

"No, it's okay. I'm sorry for forgetting your pokemon. Here." Janice handed her the cyndaquil, he was munching the pokepuff from before. Elliot eyes sparkled by delight at the sight.

"Thank you!!" Janice only nodded before closing the door again. Now with her pokemon on hands, she looked at Winnie.

"Well, I want to go to pokestore first. Is there any pokestore in this town? I don't plan to buy pokemon though." Elliot visited some pokestores in the past and the price of the pokemons was too high for her. That's why she hadn't had any pokemon up until now. The only business she had there was to scans all the pokemon.

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

Ha! Elliot made Gary look like an idiot! I mean, why WOULDN'T you just send an email instead of making us haul ass over to Vermillion? His reasoning was so dumb, too. You know... Elliot's pretty bright. Can't say the same about Winnie. That girl is HELLA dense.

"I must say, at times the Professor reminds me of the red lights I see off the coast of Pallet at nighttime. Are they buoys warning us of coral reefs, or Tentacruel warning us of their territory?" Casey remarked, briefly caught up in his obscure analogy before getting to the point. "What I mean is that he sends mixed signals. He certainly wants this important letter delivered as soon as possible, yet he also speaks of journeys, catching Pokémon, and meeting new people. So there must be time for these things, no, despite the haste with which we were dismissed?"

He received his Pokéballs from Janice, kindly thanking her before she closed the door. Casey returned Charmander to its Pokéball, because its tail should not touch the letter. Quince also couldn't stand to look at it anymore.

"There's indeed such a store in this town, Elliot, that abounds with litters of cute Pokémon! There is no dearth of time, and it ill behooves a gentleman not to take us there," Casey responded, offering to show them the way.

Elliot's just going there to window-shop? Okay, so Winnie is dumb, and Elliot is cheap. That makes sense. We've all got our faults.

Upon reaching the store, the blond held the door open for the two ladies and gestured for them to enter, closing it behind them.

I could probably buy all the Pokémon in this store with the fat stacks I've got lying around. Winnings from back in the day. Gotta blow 'em off somehow. But if Elliot isn't here for that, fuck it.

 

[Spoiled Bread]

"Thank you." Elliot thanked Casey for telling her about the store. Although his dressing was strange, he seemed quite knowledgeable.

She entered the store gleefully and was welcomed by pokeballs lined up on shelves. There were so many pokeballs that the store seemed like selling pokeballs instead if pokemon. A middle-aged man with alolan shirt came out from the backroom. His practiced smile gave Elliot the chance to witness his yellow teeth. Eww.

"Welcome to my store. Is there anything I can help?" He politely asked the trio.

"Can I see the pokemon here?" Elliot asked the man.

"Sure thing." He opened another door, this one leads to the backyard. "Follow me."

The backyard was a neatly organized place. It mostly covered in short grass. There were plenty of facilities like a small pond, trees and wooden house scattered across the backyard. Small pokemons running around the backyard, they seemed to enjoy this little world of them. Elliot's smile widen at this cute scenery. She pulled out her pokedex and start scanning them. Pidgey, pichu, smoochum, even non-Kanto pokemon such as lilipup was there. The store owner coughed.

"Miss? Do you find a pokemon that catch your interest?" He asked Elliot with a smile on his face, but the tone on his voice indicate annoyance.

"Yes. I'm interested in that Farfetch'd." She pointed at the bird pokemon. It was swimming in the pond while holding a leek.

"One minute, please." The man entered the building and returned with a pokeball in his hand. "This is the farfetch'd's pokeball."

Wait, I'm not going to buy the duck. You know?? I only said that I'm interested! Elliot screamed in her mind. The man seemed happy when she asked about the farfetch'd though. Uhh... Now she felt bad. She took the pokeball anyway.

"Let me show you something interesting." Elliot decided to shift her attention to Winnie and Casey. She then called the farfetch'd back into its pokeball. A red light engulfed the pokemon and a second later it disappeared into the pokeball.

"See? The pokemon was stored inside the pokeball, but so it's leek too." Elliot pointed at the pokeball on her hand.

"This phenomenon also happens to conkeldurr's concrete pillars and dhelmise's anchor. How can this happen?? We always took pokeball as a device to capture pokemon for granted, but not as item storage. Scientists tried to answer this phenomenon for decades. My mentor, Prof. Yggdra is currently the head scientist of this project, and I'm her assistant in the project." Well, a bit bragging wouldn't hurt. She really should be helping Prof. Yggdra in her research, but she's now tasked to deliver a letter with two other strangers instead. What a joke.

"I will give you two a little sneak peak for the future. We will have our personal dimensional pocket sooner than we initially thought." She told them with a wink. She gave the pokeball back to the storekeeper, whom receive it with a startled expression. Then lead the group out of the store. Sorry, mister.

"Allright. I'm finished here. Should we go now??"

 

[Vaporeonn]

Winnie didn't like the idea of Pokemon for sale at first, but the fact that many of the species sold here are endangered, and this offered them some protection, made her think of it differently. If their habitats aren't safe, well, this should be good enough. She was still spaced out during the entire visit, but was brought back into reality when Elliot started talking about the research her and her mentor, Professor Yggdra, were working on. Winnie couldn't imagine why someone would bother with something that seemed so meaningless. Maybe there was a higher meaning she didn't quite grasp, and it did spark curiosity, but not enough to make her restless.

To each their own, though, and Winnie listened to what Elliot was enthusiastically talking to them about. On the other hand, if finding the answer out made one person this happy, there was some point to it, Winnie thought. Then the mention of a dimensional pocket was brought up, and maybe that was the higher meaning Winnie was looking for. But it wasn't enough to take her apart from her trusty backpack.

"Should we go now?" Elliot asked, and Winnie looked at what Casey had to say to that. He seemed to think of himself too highly, and Winnie feared that any answer she might give, he'd have a comment on. Casey's long sentences added onto Winnie's annoyance with the guy, and she was now sure they were a substitute for an ugly personality. Winnie felt way too self conscious around just Elliot, and how smart the girl had to be to enroll into the Celadon University – but now she had to travel around with someone who was a walking dictionary, effectively doubling the doubt Winnie had in herself. Couldn't the Professor have sent a nicer, and less intimidating assistant?

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

Oh, brother. Come on, Elliot. You really did that man dirty with your window-shopping. I mean, it's a Farfetch'd. That thing sucks. I could tell how badly he wanted to get it off his hands.

"That is indeed interesting, Elliot! I, too, have wondered these things from time to time, how whatever held items we give Pokémon are stored with them. Though I hope that doesn't mean I get sucked into a Pokéball along with Charmander, if I happen to be touching him when the ball makes contact."

Dimensional pockets, huh? Good shit. I need deeper pockets.

Elliot was ready to leave, but Casey sauntered over to the shopkeeper to make things right with him.

"Sir, I would like to purchase this money's worth of Pokémon food," he said, producing 5,000 Pokédollars and smiling at the storeowner, whose face lit up.

Nah, I'm not doing this to make you feel better. I actually need that so the Pokémon on Route 1 will fuck off.

Upon receiving several bags of food, Casey stored it in his own, which looked more like a purse with its gold seal and white leather.

"I'm sorry for keeping you, but I'm ready to go now. Are you ready to go now, Winnie?"

He smiled at her like a father, repeating his statement as a question, in the same simple words so that the dense little girl could understand.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Casey slammed five thousand worth of Pokedollars on the counter like it was nothing. The guy must be crazy loaded if he throws it around like that, Winnie rolled her eyes. No wonder he's stuck up. That's a whole month of what her dad earns –

Dad! Winnie recalled not letting her father know what she was up to. He should know where his daughter was going; The trip to Vermilion wasn't as quick as the Professor may have wished. Winnie noticed that there was telephone in the shop, and decided to use it to call her dad up. She tossed the coin in, and listened to the ringing for some time, her father not picking up. Dad must be at work, she thought. She didn't even know what time it was. The lab visit made her drowsy and disoriented for some reason. Winnie sighed, hanging up the phone. She'll let her dad know once it's evening, when he's home. Besides, the Professor should let him know by then as well.
Winnie hung up just as Casey was finishing up his shopping. She glanced at the shop's clock just to be sure. 11:30. Winnie was right. Her dad's shift started an hour and a half ago. Has that much time passed already?

Casey announced that he was ready to go, but made sure to repeat the question to Winnie, as if she was a small child. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to take it as an offense, but she stayed unbothered, answering with a simple Yes. Winnie led the way out of the store, managing her way through the narrow streets. She made sure not to stomp on any puddle, as much as she was tempted to. You're not a kid anymore. She put the letter neatly in her bag back in the store, but made sure to check again before exiting Pallet. Still there. Winnie sighed with relief. Just before Route 1, Winnie took her PokeBall out and sent out her Bulbasaur.

"In case any wild Pokemon try messing with us," she said to herself, adjusting the straps on her bag. Winnie looked at her Pokemon, finding it funny how it waggled more than it walked. She tilted her head to the side, "How about I call you Ivy?" The Bulbasaur just happily nodded to whatever she said. (Ivy, like Poison Ivy, since Winnie likes Poison types - duh. Winnie felt proud for coming up with that.)

"You coming?" Winnie asked Casey and Elliot, who were behind her. Maybe she shouldn't have rushed to much? But, Winnie couldn't wait to get out of Pallet – she had to rush them.

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

Ivy, huh? Woooow. Real creative. You do know "Ivy" is already in its evolved form's name, right? Who am I kidding? This is Winnie we're talking about.

The girl stopped just before Route 1 and asked if they were coming.

No, I'm swallowing. What do you think? Of course I'm coming. I mean, I have to. She looks like a small child nervous to cross a street, needing someone to hold her hand on the way in...

"I'm right behind you, Winnie."

We're robots, asking each other at every little step if we're ready to go, as if we've actually gone more than a few streets. This methodical shit is gonna make this trip even worse than I'd thought.

Instead of reaching for Pokéballs, Casey produced the bags of food that he'd purchased and tossed morsels out to the Pokémon of Route 1, appearing to all the trainers around the epitome of generosity.

That's right. Run along, eat your fill, and fuck outta here. I'm not catching any of you turds.

 

[Spoiled Bread]

One of them had too much money that he bought weeks worth of poke food in a whimp and threw them at wild pokemons, while the other one didn't even carries a phone and use a public phone instead. She couldn't ask for a more normal group, right?

Anyway, she couldn't spent her time thinking. Her mind was focused on the obstacles ahead. She had a hard time manouvering her bulky suitcase around the puddles so she walk even slower than her already slow pace. Not that it would malfunction if it got wet though, but she just dislike something dirty. This was also why she steered away from Casey and walked beside Winnie, he threw all those food and attracted lots of pokemons!! Now she had this urge to spray those wild pokemon with disinfectant and throw them into a bathtub. Though she was also thankhful to him, now she had more pokemon to scans!

"Soo.... What's exactly the letter about??" She tugged Winnie's elbow and asked the question. She seemed to be the closest to the Prof so she might know something.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"The letter?" Winnie looked at Elliot. The girl was walking close to Winnie, which she found surprising – they hadn't spoken a whole lot. But it would be nice to become friends, Winnie thought. "I haven't checked it. I know it's important, but I'm not sure if we're allowed to read it." She shrugged. Winnie thought about reading it, but opening the letter would be apparent to the recipient. Not a risk she was willing to take. Winnie looked over at what Casey was up to, and from what she could tell, he was using the food to keep wild Pokemon away. There go her plans on trying out her Bulbasaur... Maybe next time. Ivy was walking near Winnie as well, but it seemed to be too slow for the Bulbasaur, as it tripped a few times. Winnie sped up a bit so Ivy could manage.

Route 1 was apparently a short trip, as Viridian City was now in view. Winnie could already see the market booths lined up near the city entrance, one behind another. It was always nice to see a city so lively, especially after Pallet, but the crowd (and the smell) of the market would make Winnie uncomfortable after some time. Thankfully, the market wasn't as spread out on the main road as it was alongside small paths that stemmed from it. Viridian seemed the same as ever, but there was something odd this time. A small crowd gathered near a fountain.

"We can't let them control us like this!" An eccentric girl shouted to the crowd through a makeshift megaphone. She had short, bleached hair, and a determined attitude. There was another girl next to her, as well as a boy. They seemed to be promoting something, all dressed in similar attire, although the two seemed less energetic about the cause. Winnie stood by the aides curious as to what the girl had to say. "They made you think it's alright. It's not! They're ruining this country!-"
Just as Winnie was about to think of who they were, a tall woman came behind them and snatched the megaphone from the girl. The girl didn't seem too pleased as the woman announced, "Show's over." Winnie gave her a better look and realised it was Sofia – Viridian City's Gym Leader. These kids (although they were definitely older than Winnie) must've caused her some trouble. Winnie couldn't hear what they were discussing, but the group led by the bleach haired girl walked away, in Winnie's direction.

The girl noticed her watching, making Winnie look away quickly. That didn't stop the girl from making her way towards her, to Winnie's slight discomfort. "Had fun?" she asked, small smirk on her lips. "Happens all the time here. I'm Amelia." She handed Winnie a white flyer. Winnie took it, examining it. Join the revolution! stood out with giant, bolded letters. "I'm Winnie," she finally said, looking up at Amelia.

"What exactly were you doing?" she asked the odd girl. Amelia tilted her head to the side, grinning like she just cracked a joke.
"Starting a revolution!" she shouted, making Winnie blush even more due to the people who turned to look at them. Amelia laughed. "But really, we just want to open everyone's eyes. It's sad how blind they are. Don't you think?"

Amelia didn't even give her time to think before bursting out a gotta run now!, running back to her friends. "Nice meeting you, Winnie! Hope you're interested!" Winnie stood still, processing what happened. She flipped the flyer a few times. Team Neo. She furrowed her eyebrows, putting the flyer in her backpack. It was odd, and not something Winnie felt like being a part of, but Amelia did leave an impression on her. She wondered if they'd ever cross paths again, but it was highly unlikely. Probably an accidental meeting, Winnie thought. Nothing to give much attention to.

She shrugged it off, walking back towards Casey and Elliot.

 

[Mystic Zander]

Levi Crowell had a knack for doing the unexpected, kind of like when he showed up late to Oaks lab for the first time in two years, that day being an important one as well.

"Hey Gary, which one's left?" The spiky haired trainer casually asked, entering Oak lab with his hands planted firmly on either side of his waistline.

"Now Mr. Crowell, you know its more civil to refer to me as Professor Oak, your parents are my assistants after all, that being said I ca-bahhahaha!" Gary suddenly went from a stone cold expression to one of hysteria and laughter.
"I couldn't do it, I couldn't hold the act. Phew, anyways, how's it going Levi, feel ready? " Gary questioned, tossing a pokeball at the young trainer.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He replied simply, releasing the unknown mon from its ball, the red glowing light eventually taking the shape of a Squirtle. Levi couldn't help but smile, unable to hide his excitement about Squirtle being the last remaining starter.
"Hey bud, ready to finally hit the road together?" Levi questioned the turtle Pokémon with a wide grin.

"Squirtle..." The Pokémon replied with a cocky smirk, crossing its arms over its chest with added bravado.

Oak smiled at the interaction between these familiar friends.
"Now the other three shouldn't be more than an hour ahead of you, I'm sure you could catch them in Viridian City. Good luck, Levi." Gary finished, giving his friend a final wave before quickly returning to his tower of files.

"Don't get yourself into to much trouble." A red haired woman in white lab coat spoke, interupting Levi's exit, her expression a mix of happiness and worry, she held five pokeballs and a Pokedex out to Levi, her smile unwavering the whole time.

"Thanks...Mom." He spoke quietly, taking the items from her before giving one final nod as he exited the building, ready to begin his long awaited journey.
------

The journey through route 1 was rather uneventful for Levi, only leading to the knockout of a rattata and pidgey to test out his synergy with Squirtle, the two quickly clicking in battle.

As the duo made there way to the end of route 1, Viridian City quickly came into view, a large crowd gathered around what appeared to be the breaking up of some sort of rally in the center of the city by a small fountain, a familiar face eventually popping up as the crowd dispersed, that face belonging to Winnie.
"Hey Winnie!" Levi shouted, running over to his childhood friend.
"Sorry I'm late, how's everything going?" He questioned the young female trainer before him, glancing back at the older gentleman behind her quickly as he spoke.
"Why does he look so familiar?" Levi questioned internally, almost certain he'd seen the man somewhere before, but not concerned enough to question it.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"Levi!" Winnie grinned excitedly when she saw a familiar face. It surprised her to see Levi, but she couldn't ignore the fact that she was happy to see her friend. "Late? Oh, so you were sent here by Oak!" Winnie clapped her hands. She looked down, and saw a Squirtle next to Levi. He got a starter as well, and Winnie was worried that it was the same Squirlte she sent out by accident back at the Lab. Then again, it would've been nice if it was the same Squirlte, as it would mean that Winnie didn't get it's hopes up for no reason.

Ivy curiously peeked out of behind Winnie's legs, approaching the new Pokemon with caution. The other two trainers didn't have their Pokemon outside of their balls, and there were no wild Pokemon either, so this was Ivy's first interaction with another Pokemon in a long while. The Bulbasaur growled with happiness when it realised that the Squirtle was the same one with which it arrived to the Lab for the first time. "Saur!" Ivy ran around the Squirtle.

"It's nice to have someone I know around," Winnie noted. She motioned to the two she was traveling with, "This is Casey, and Elliot. Guys, this is Levi, an old friend." Then Winnie turned to Casey, "His parents work with Oak, like you!" It was the first voluntary interaction with Casey she initiated, but she didn't want Levi to think there was a lot of tension in the group. Maybe it would pass if enough time went by. (And if Casey dropped his exaggerated act, Winnie snickered to herself.)

"Do you guys want to buy something, or leave immediately?" Winnie asked. She ran her hand through her hair, adjusting her hairpin as well. "I don't know about you, but I was thinking of getting something to eat for later. The trip through the forest isn't as short if we aren't allowed to walk the main trade route."

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Elliot picked one of the flyer. Team Neo? Revolution? Haha. These Team Rocket knock off just keep coming out of nowhere. Like cockroach, ew. More importantly,

"They should throw all these rubbish into the bin." She said to herself while picking up some thrown flyers from the ground and put it into the nearest trash bin. They should took responsibility for their flyers!!

"Hello, Levi. Nice to meet you." Elliot greeted the newcomer when she finished with the flyers. He's Winnie's friend? Wow, Prof Oak, do we really need this much people for delivering a letter?

"Sure, let's do it." She replied to Winnie's suggestion about getting something to eat. "After that. I want to visit another poke store. Don't worry, I know the owner already so I can go alone."

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"They made you think it's alright. It's not! They're ruining this country!-"

Do you not have anything better to do? Get a job, you fucking bum.

Before the protesting girl ran off, she stopped to talk to Winnie and hand her a flyer.

See, Winnie, she thinks you're a sucker. Trying to pull you into this shit. She's not wrong, though.

The girl put the flyer away into her bag and didn't give it much thought, but her face lit up when the crowd dispersed and a boy ran up to her. Winnie introduced him as Levi, an old friend, and his absent parents as fellow assistants of Oak.

Really? Maybe I've seen 'em around. Or maybe not. I work on a boat all day, minding my own business and barely talking to anyone. Just the way I like it.

"Is that so, Winnie? We may have something in common, then," Casey answered the girl's surprisingly cheerful address. "It's a pleasure, Levi. Any friend of hers is a friend of mine."

Well this dude seems pretty hype. Didn't expect that kind of excitement from Winnie. Guess he brings out that side of her.

Casey noticed subtle things, too, like how the girl was suddenly concerned about her appearance and started fixing her hair as soon as Levi showed up... not that there was a lot of hair to fix, and not that there was much of an appearance to worry about, since she looked like a boy anyway. Whatever, Winnie seemed to get her shit together, now appearing poised and ready to go. She was thinking of getting something to eat for later.

"A splendid idea! If we're hungry on the trek through the forest, we can stop and have ourselves a lovely picnic."

No Casey, shut the fuck up! I want to get this shit over with as soon as possible. I don't have time for that.

Elliot seemed to be taking her time, though. She needed to go to another store, and she made it clear that she was going alone.

Okay, so you're basically telling us that we can fuck off. That's cool, I'll fuck off. But hey, I wouldn't have minded tagging along. At least I'm not losing brain cells when I'm around you. ...Wait a sec, I still needa get myself a pack of cigs. So there's that.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Picnic? No. Absolutely not. "I..." Winnie grimaced. "There's not much place for a picnic in the forest," she settled for an excuse, which wasn't a lie either. Outside of the wide road intersecting Viridian Forest, there wasn't much flat, or sunny, place to picnic at. Unless Casey wanted to picnic with bugs. "We can eat while walking. But if you really want a picnic, suck it up until we reach Diglett Tunnel."

Winnie didn't realise what was coming out of her mouth before she heard it out loud. She froze up, panicking for a split of second, before brushing it off. She smiled to the group. "There's a neat spot there. Been there a few times..." Winnie turned around, blushing furiously. The comment could've been taken the wrong way, and she didn't want to be the one to create problems right at the beginning. She just hoped Casey smiled it off with a comment among the lines of 'how lovely'.
You're such a fake, Winnie scolded herself.

To take her mind off that, Winnie thought about the potential Pokemon she could catch. There were Nidoran just before Viridian Forest, Weedle in the forest... Zubat were chased out of the Diglett Tunnel, so they're out for now. She also needed to train Ivy a bit. There were many trainers in Pewter Gym, as Brock let newbies train with his gym trainers for experience. But there had to be some training before...

The letter first! If they spend a lot of time in Viridian, they'd have to stay overnight in Pewter. Maybe they'd have to either way, but Winnie didn't want to slack off too much. "Anyway, I know a good place to get takeout!" She said. "Elliot, do you really think you can go alone? It's very crowded today..."

 

[Spoiled Bread]

"Well. I'm fine, I think. I have this behemot here." Elliot gave Winnie a thumb up and patted her suitcase.

"Though, I won't mind some company..." She mumbled to herself. The reason she said she would go alone was because she thought the poke store visit that she would do on each town would eventually get boring for the others. So she tried to separate this activity from the group's activity. The other could use the time to go to pokemart or something anyway.

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

Casey's smile didn't fade, but it softened a bit. "Oh, did I say something I shouldn't have...? I was merely suggesting. I'm sorry."

What's her fucking problem? First she's all excited and smiley, then she grimaces and says that shit to me. Some people are just so fake...

A flustered Winnie changed the subject twice, to food, then to Elliot, who assured the inquiring girl that she was just fine with her fat suitcase to keep her company.

"That's quite the behemoth, but is there room for one more? How unchivalrous it would be of me not to shoulder your burden! I must compensate for my poor suggestions with kind actions," Casey offered to Elliot, lifting her suitcase and pivoting away from the awkwardness that Winnie engendered without even stumbling, like a true gentleman.

Unlike King Crobat, that perpetual smile always made a comeback. If the rest of his body were as exercised as his face muscles, he'd be the size of a truck. But he was taller than Elliot and had at least enough strength to carry her behemoth all the way to the place Winnie was talking about. Because Elliot herself had stated that's where they were going first.

Bullshit. I'm no gentleman. I should've helped Elliot sooner instead of letting her lug that thing through Route 1. I don't need to go to a damn Pokéstore, but whatever. I've got nothing better to do with my life anyway. And who knows, maybe I'll get a pack there and kill two birds with one stone.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Argh! Casey really couldn't miss the opportunity to make Winnie feel bad, could he? She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her hoodie, mentally cursing at the tall gentleman as he picked up Elliot's giant suitcase, of-fucking-course he picked up Elliot's giant suitcase. Whatever. Winnie was obviously going to look like the bad guy, since Casey had to be so disgustingly nice all the time. She was so tempted to test it, though, because there was no way he could keep the act up forever. But Winnie decided to drop it. It wasn't worth it.

But she needed some space away from her new companions. "Alright!" Winnie spoke up after Casey apologized for his 'poor actions'. "Let's just split up. Levi will go with me, and you two can go shopping. We'll lose time if we do everything separate." Winnie didn't care what they'd think of her (which was a blatant lie, but the girl needed to reassure herself somehow), so she started to walk the way towards the food booth, dragging Levi behind. He was used to her being impatient and stubborn, and Winnie didn't have to worry about her actions around him.

Winnie didn't understand what about Casey irritated her so much other than his niceness. Maybe she should just ignore it until they get to Vermilion. But she knew there was something off with that guy, and she wanted to find out what. This definitely wasn't him, Winnie could feel it. There was always the option that she was wrong though, but Winnie couldn't get even with the fact that the chivalrous gentleman Casey presented himself as was the real deal.

 

[Mystic Zander]

"Pleasure to meet you both." He said with a casual two finger salute, only for his words to be drowned out by the awkward back and forth of the others and tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"C'mo-everytiiiime!" Was all he managed to say as Winnie gripped the back of his collar, dragging him quickly behind her away from the others.
"Glad we all got to know each other." He mused sarcastically, gradually regaining his balance so he could walk alongside Winnie.
----

After several minutes of a rather silent walk, Levi was surprised to hear a loud squeak occurring somewhere in the ally to the right of him.
"Did you hear that?" He asked Winnie, detouring down the dark dank pathway to where the noise originated. It was a small, scared Rattata with its leg pinned under a trash bin, it was squirming about, only adding injuries to the bound limb.
"Alright, alright, calm down, I got ya." He said quietly trying to give a nonthreatening impression as he slowly gripped the large metal bin from the base, lifting it off the small rat Pokémon's injured leg.
The runty Rattata limped out, turning to stare down its savior with a worried curiosity.
"Hey little guy...oh, my apologies, little lady. Look here, promise I won't hurt you." The burgundy haired boy spoke as he slowly crouched down, slipping an Oran Berry out of his bags side pocket and gently rolling it over to the weak Pokémon.
"Eat this, it'll help with that leg, promise." He added in the same quiet tone, a small smile forming on his face.

"Rat...ta?" The Pokémon replied, examining the small blue fruit with a few sniffs before nibbling away at its soft exterior.

"Great...well, I should get going now, try and stay out of trouble." He finally concluded, standing up and slowly backing out of the ally, the Rattata staring at him the entire time.

 

[Vaporeonn]

"Did you hear that?" Levi asked Winnie. They suddenly made a small detour so Levi could investigate, and it turned out to be a Rattata in trouble. Winnie stayed out of the dark alley, but she could see the way her friend took the time to make sure the small Pokemon was alright. She crossed her arms over her chest, smile creeping on her face. Winnie immediately straightened her lips after she felt it. The Rattata Levi helped kept staring at him as he was coming back. "Looks like you made a friend," Winnie noted, the Rattata now half way to where they were. Its small feet worked quickly, making tap tap tap sounds as they made their way across the wide ponds of water. They probably came from all the air-conditioning, or the gutters that lined the roofs. Gross.

The small Pokemon suddenly stopped, Winnie presumed from the attention that was on it. It won't continue as long as she was looking at it, so the girl decided to turn away. The takeout was in that street, anyway. "Perry's is over there," Winnie turned and pointed towards the cosy restaurant, Perry's. "Shall we?" She didn't even wait for an answer, just slightly tugged Levi's sleeve as she walked. Why would she wait for it, though? They were there to get food after all.

The two were soon in front of the familiar red house, a bell ringing as they came inside. "Hi, Patty," Winnie greeted the woman behind the counter. Patty was around her parent's age, always had her black hair in a bun, and she'd take Winnie's orders whenever the girl was at Perry's. Patty knew Levi as well. The woman smiled as the two came in.
"Winnie! Levi! What a pleasant surprise!", followed by quick catching up, and finally Patty asked for their orders. It was nothing special – they didn't want to take food that would get spoiled quickly. Winnie took some of the pastries that they had, even though Perry's specialised in cooked food. They did take a few spring rolls.

Some more catching up as Winnie and Levi were finishing up with the payment, and the two were on their way out. Winnie wished she hadn't left as quickly, but hey couldn't he wasting so much time. Who knows where Casey and Elliot could be...
... Fuck. Winnie facepalmed when the realisation came, the linen bag with food still in her hand. She had ran off on them so quickly, they hadn't even told each other where to meet And she didn't have any of their phone numbers either... What a mess. If only she wasn't such a brat...

Winnie straightened up, trying not to dwell on her mistake. She turned to Levi. "Do you think we could... Find Casey and Elliot now?" She smiled, embarrassed, knowing that if they couldn't find each other's it'd all be her fault. She couldn't pity herself now, though. Winnie had to solve this quickly, the only way she knew – ask the Professor. He ought to have Casey's number, or something, and she could get in touch with the other two that way! Good idea, she hoped. But until she finds out if the plan would work... "Levi?"

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"Winnie, I suggest we exchange-" Casey started to say, but Winnie got away from him as soon as possible, dragging Levi behind her and disappearing into the crowded streets.

…numbers.

"Well, I guess it's just us now, Elliot. And this behemoth, of course, which I've just about tamed!" he smiled at the woman. "I understand your mission is to scan pocket monsters, and though this is indeed a monster of a suitcase, it's hardly of the pocket variety. Shall we go?"

Elliot nodded, and the two of them started in the direction of the store. Casey carried the weight, and the petite young lady next to him carried them forward. The 20-year-old kept up enough to walk beside her as she led the way, greeting passersby and excusing himself when needed.

"I was disingenuous earlier. I accompanied you not out of redemption but out of interest. The road to Vermillion is a long one, so I want to better know the people with whom I'll be traveling. I feel like I understand Winnie quite well already, and if birds of a feather do flock together, perhaps I can understand Levi through her also. But I'd like to talk to you more, Elliot, and establish the same level of acquaintance. So, I did not shoulder your burden out of sheer selflessness, because weight is not all that I gain by joining you."

Yeah, I know Winnie pretty damn well, and I don't need Luxray vision to see that she's got no brains. Getting to know Elliot, though? I don't want this shit to drag on, but if we're stuck running this errand, then why the fuck not? But seriously, someone needs to tell Gary that mailmen exist, unless he's on some rebellion shit like that bitch with the megaphone and boycotting government services.

"I wonder how Viridian looks at night, though we'll surely leave before then. Perhaps it's soothing, or perhaps it's as alarming as the flashing red lights of the Pallet Tentacruel I take care not to disturb."

The store was not very far away, and between the greetings, Casey made small comments like these to his companion, though he spoke little of himself and didn't expand on them. He didn't need to anyway, because his smile spoke for him, suggesting that he was doing fine in whatever world he was in, not longing for conversation but not shying away from it either.

When they arrived, however, the corners of Casey's mouth dipped a little before they perked back up.

Fuck! No smokes here! What is this shit?! Just cause this is a Pokéstore doesn't mean it's for kids only! There are plenty of Pokémon that smoke, like Torkoal! ...Whatever, I'll wait till Pewter to light up.

There were no cigarettes to be found, but he was fuming on the inside. He hid it well, though, so the trip to the store ended up being rather uneventful. Like last time, Elliot scanned the Pokémon, and Casey compensated for her window-shopping, because he needed to blow off some cash.

But now he needed to blow off steam, because Winnie had run off with the letter and without a way to contact him.

Dammit, shit-for-brains! Why are you so Arceus-damn dense!

"Elliot, let's return to where we parted ways with Winnie and Levi. I'd neglected to provide them my contact information before they left, so we're most likely to reunite with them there," Casey suggested, neither his smile nor his grip on the suitcase wavering as they made it back.

 

[Vaporeonn]

Alright. The Pokemon Centre should've been in the street where Winnie and Levi parted ways with Elliot and Casey, and if Winnie wasn't mistaken, there should be a PC in there. Just ask the Professor for Casey's number, call it, and voila! Problem solved. The young girl's stomach was knotting up like crazy, though, her plan not helping with her feeling of guilt. Winnie promised herself to think things through from then on just before... not thinking through and running away from Casey. She felt like a complete idiot.

Winnie took a deep breath. It's all going to be alright. It has to be. She let go of Levi's sleeve, which she was desperately gripping for support. "Let's get a move on?" She said, but it came out more as a quiet, insecure question, nothing like her usual confident self. Get a grip, get a grip, she repeated. Winnie stomped forward, trying to get back her control. The plastic bags were cutting into her palm. She should've brought her linen bags. Much more eco-friendly. Kanto needs it right now. These small thoughts calmed her down, and took her mind off of the bigger problem.

Just as she was approaching the place the group separated at, Winnie spotted two figures. She wasn't sure who exactly it was until she saw the giant suitcase Casey carried. Winnie felt a breeze of relief as she identified them. (She couldn't believe she was happy to see Casey, of all people.)

Winnie straightened her back, and turned to Levi with a grin. "There they are!" she said. "Never doubted myself anyway."

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

Casey turned to the approaching Winnie with a smile.

"I'm sorry again, Winnie, Levi. I can't seem to do anything right," he scolded himself. "I left you without a way for you to contact us, but I can give you my number now so that I don't make the same mistake again."

Prepared to receive everyone's numbers, the blond produced a diamond-studded cell phone, the Devon Corporation logo in gold.

"Did you find it?" Casey asked Winnie.

Did you find a brain?

"Did you find the takeout?"

 

[Vaporeonn]

"Yeah, right here," Winnie answered, lifting up the arm she carried the bags with. Maybe they should put all the food in their bags, so it's easier to carry. She's gonna pitch that idea later. It was important to get through Viridian now. "We should exchange numbers, yeah, I'll give you Levi's since I don't carry my phone with me," Winnie said. "And don't be-"

Is she really ready to admit she was wrong? Winnie stuttered for only a second, but she felt like it was an eternity while she sorted her thoughts out. She hated admitting to her mistakes - she didn't want to spend time on introspection and reasons behind it, though, but she was clearly the only one in the wrong here. If Winnie wanted to start changing... "You don't have to apologise!" she said, maybe too quickly for Casey to comprehend. "I stomped off like a...", brat ,"... I ran off and you couldn't give contact even if you wanted. I'm... sorry."

That didn't feel nearly as good as Winnie hoped it would, but... well, nothing redeeming happened now, but something good must happen if she keeps being honest. Right? At least Casey can't act holier than thou if Winnie doesn't give him a reason to-- No, no, Winnie scolded herself. She shouldn't try placing the blame on anyone in any way, which might be harder than she would like it to be. Besides, she was trying to relieve the group of the tension between her and Casey.

Winnie felt awkward, so she immediately changed the subject to their journey. "We should continue on!" she exclaimed, stepping away from Casey. "It shouldn't be too late. The letter isn't gonna deliver itself."

 

[Mystic Zander]

"Hey, no need for anyone to feel guilty, I assumed we were going to meet up back here anyways, that's why I didn't mention anything. And Winnie....yeah your a brat." Levi spoke up, his quick switch in subject matter causing a small chuckle to escape his lips.

"But you are right, we should get this done and over with, since we're delivering the worlds heaviest letter apparently." The dark haired boy added sarcastically, hoping to snuff out any fuse he may have lit in his easily distracted friends head before continuing forward, there destination no more than a three minute walk away.

"Whats with Winnie? She never acts like that, could it be what he said?"

 

[Vaporeonn]

"Wh- Brat? I-," Winnie stuttered out, embarrassed. It was one thing for her to think so, but Levi? And saying it out loud, as well? Her cheeks flushed red as she crossed her arms, resembling a Squirtle as she withdrew into herself. Winnie was on the brink of exploding. As playful as his remark seemed to be, she couldn't help but feel upset. Levi passed her, adding onto her comment about the letter, and the group progressed onward. Winnie blew air out of her nose and followed behind. Whatever! She didn't care. She's going to act like nothing happened. Her shoulders untensed, but her cheeks kept the pink colour. Winnie took her hair-pin out of her hair, shoving it into the pocket of her hoodie. Hair fell onto her forehead, but it didn't bother her.

After fifteen minutes of walking, the group was out of Viridian City. Winnie noticed some construction workers and heavy machinery outside of Viridian forest. There were only two vehicles, but it was enough for the girl to feel the stench they produced. It was an odd place for them to be at - the construction was usually done in the cities. Winnie didn't have a good feeling about it. What if they were sent there to do work in the forest? The Viridian forest was one of the few places that was kept natural - ignoring the road created for easier navigation of traders. Pewter citizens made sure nothing else was done to disrupt the nature and Pokemon living there; what were these guys doing here? It wasn't a long distance between the two groups, so they were at the entrance of the forest quickly. Winnie hesitated before approaching one construction worker. "Excuse me?" She asked. "What's going on here?"

The construction worker looked down at her, and Winnie could see his grey hair sticking out underneath his helmet. He didn't seem old, so it struck her as a little odd. Stress? But, she wasn't here to guess people's age. "Oh, are to trying to get to Pewter?" he asked, and Winnie nodded. "Don't worry. We won't be sticking around the forest for long. We're just trying to figure out how to get these girls," he patted one of the big, yellow cars, "through it." Winnie felt relieved that nothing was being done in the forest. But she still wondered about one thing.
"What are they for, then?"
The worker looked down at her once more, blinking before answering. "There's been a landslide in the Diglett Tunnel. We assume it was the Pokemon themselves. Thankfully, no one was inside the tunnel," he sighed, "but it still slowed down the trading system."

Just as quickly as before, Winnie's worries came back, this time doubled. She found out that the clean up would take a least a week and a half. She passed on the message to the rest of the group, and they decided that continuing on would be the best thing. They'd figure something out later. Mt. Moon was available but it was a long hike through. Sticking to the main road, as it was the quickest way out of the forest, the group travelled on. Winnie was a bit glum - today wasn't her day. At least they shared the food so Winnie didn't need to carry the bags. Ivy was out of her Pokeball, as Winnie assumed the Bulbasaur would enjoy the forest.

Apart from all of the problems, it was a pleasant walk. The sun started to set, and Winnie looked up at the pink and blue sky. However, the trip through the forest wasn't uneventful. A Weedle joined the group. They found it fighting off a Pidgey near the road, and Winnie decided to interfere. She hesitated before acting on it, but as she was planning on catching a Weedle if she found one, it seemed like a perfect opportunity. She fought off the Pidgey with Ivy (their first fight together!), and caught the surprised Weedle, later named Spike. Spike rested on Winnie's shoulder the rest of the walk. The new addition to her team made Winnie feel better.

"Hey!" Winnie exclaimed. "The exit's right there!" Thank Arceus, she thought. Her legs were about to give up.

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"You don't have to apologise!" Winnie said.

You're damn right I don't.

"I stomped off like a... I ran off and you couldn't give contact even if you wanted. I'm... sorry."

Ha! You're apologizing to me! And I love how it just kills you inside! That makes it so much better! Glad you finally realized how dense you are. You knew all along, though, and that fact bothered you so much that you took out your frustrations and mouthed off to me. Now look at you!

"I concur, Levi."

I concur that Winnie's a brat. You got her! Look at how pouty she is! I think we'll get along just fine, kid.

"I have your contact information now, so I concur that I shouldn't make mountains out of molehills. However, so long a journey to deliver a single letter does seem like just that, so perhaps a whole mountain range of minor setbacks would not be an unwelcome sight on the horizons of our minds!" Casey chuckled.

Winnie was so predictable. When he apologized for his poor suggestion, that hadn't been enough to get a reaction out of her, but when he did so a second time, she completely crumbled. Quince knew that she would feel bad and speak up after Casey blamed himself, and the way she humbled herself was just delicious. This girl was amusingly dense.

For a very brief moment, the corners of Casey's mouth receded slightly. He was still smiling, but differently now, his white teeth peeking sinisterly through his lips.

"..."

~~~

We'll figure something out later, huh? Right after you ran off with no way to contact me thinking the exact same thing. You better not fuck this up.

The more submissive Casey, not one to voice Quince's disagreements, simply smiled and nodded.

"It's a shame that Diglett's Cave is inaccessible. But a longer road means more time to spend together," he chimed upon their arrival in Pewter. "The sun has set, however, so I suggest we check into a Pokémon Center so we'll have a place to stay for the night. Perhaps we could try one of Pewter City's famous restaurants sometime. Of course, I'm not very wise with my suggestions, so if the both of you prefer to press on further, I'll follow."

 

[Vaporeonn]

"I guess..." Winnie said, squinting at Pewter City. The lights made her feel like it wasn't evening, but she sure felt tired. Winnie liked Casey's suggestion, but his comments kept throwing her off. She hated the way he was too nice. Not that Winnie would want to travel with rude companions, but something about Casey's niceness was off. No one would agree to go through a cave after a day of walking. What was he thinking? "Staying overnight is fine by me. Levi?"

Winnie was still bitter over Levi's comment earlier that day, but after passing through the entire Viridian forest without talking to him... Winnie realised she couldn't hold a grudge forever. He wasn't wrong, either. If she was to prove that she was grown and over it, she'd let it go. It wasn't an easy decision, but Levi was Winnie's friend, after all. He couldn't have said it with a wrong intention.

Spike, in the meantime, fell asleep on her shoulder. Poor guy. Must be worn out, she thought. Winnie took off her backpack and placed him inside, since a sleeping Pokemon couldn't balance itself. There was no fear that the letter would tear or anything like that, though, since he neatly put it in the small pocket facing her back. Very convenient. She still double checked it the letter was there before putting the backpack back on.
Winnie could've just put her Pokemon back in their Pokeballs, but she liked having them around her. Pewter didn't forbid it either, unlike some other larger cities, so Winnie was free to walk with them. But it also meant more people could steal the unsuspecting Pokemon. So, just in case, she returned Ivy back into her PokeBall. While Spike was safe inside the backpack, Ivy wasn't; and she was also a Bulbasaur, which was very profitable on the black market, unlike the common Weedle. "Don't worry, I'll let you out once we get to the Center," Winnie told the Bulbasaur.

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

Winnie's legs were about to give up, but Casey didn't need to look there to tell how tired she was. From kind to passive-aggressive, confident to embarrassed, she was all over the place, so her rather absent "I guess..." communicated that the one place she wanted to be now was in bed.

But the sun had only set five minutes ago, and of all the other things that were setting in, fatigue wasn't one. When the sliding doors of Pewter's Pokémon Center parted, Casey approached the counter just as smoothly, very much awake, dressed in white and glowing like a smiling, unblemished moon.

"Good evening, Nurse Joy! Have you any rooms where four people can retire this lovely night?"

The pink-haired lady raised her eyebrows in intrigue and the corners of her mouth in satisfaction. She was used to healing young children's Pokémon, smiling away energetic kids as they ran off, resumed their journeys, and battled their rivals. But the character who stood before her was a composed gentleman, and in his smile she found a rival of her own.

"Well..." the nurse began dreamily. She nearly forgot the unfortunate. "Regrettably... we have no singles for four, but we do have two doubles available."

"That's splendid, and much appreciated! We'll take them," Casey assured her, producing his Trainer ID and sliding it forward. He gestured for Levi, Winnie, and Elliot to do the same, check themselves in and let the Pokémon Center know exactly whom they were accommodating.

"Now, since these are two double rooms," the man addressed Levi, "you and I should take one. The other belongs to the ladies. I'll make sure not to be out too late, but if the sliding doors lock, they're just a swipe of a Trainer ID away from opening. So I'm not worried."

Not about getting back in, and not about Elliot's suitcase. Visiting the Pokéstore was the first thing that she did upon arriving in a new city, but she now had a room to set it down and take what she needed. If he didn't enjoy a night stroll in the cradle of Kanto's history, if his lungs didn't enjoy a smoke, Casey would accompany Elliot because chivalry demanded it.

For now, however, her job demanded that he accompany Nurse Joy, as she led the party upstairs and showed them to their rooms. Casey was used to much finer lodging than the pale yellow walls, light blue blankets, and red roof overhead. But the smile impressed upon his face hid how unimpressed he really was. The identical room to the right similarly saw no change in his expression, however greatly it had relieved the man to place Elliot's suitcase at her bedside. He kept his emotions and belongings to himself, leaving nothing in the Pokémon Center and remaining only for the girl to gather hers.

"Winnie, Levi," began Casey. "The Pokéstore should still be open, so Elliot and I are stepping out for a moment. As the professor's assistant, I naturally fancy a read at the library afterwards."

The gentleman descended the stairs to the exit, the Celadon University student in tow. Why was she following, when he was supposed to be accompanying? Perhaps the sky had darkened more, but Elliot looked as if she were slowly disappearing right then. Casey seemed to be leading her away somewhere, and in that moment the only thing more worrying than his never-fading smile was her ever-fading silhouette.

 

[Vaporeonn]

ooc waaaay overdue. sorry. let's pick this up
bic

Winnie collapsed onto the bed face-down as soon as she entered her room. She groaned into the pillow, her limbs dangling off the sides. She lay there for a few minutes, unable to do anything else. The girl's Weedle crawled onto the pillow next to her. Winnie rolled onto her back. "I'm exhausted," she said, to no one in particular. Because there wasn't anyone in the room with her. Right. Elliot went with Casey. Not that Winnie was mad; She didn't have the energy, nor was it a big deal in the first place. She was just straw-picking to stay mad at the man, even though there was no reason to. They really started off on a bad note, she thought. If she ever gathered the will to try and fix that, she would... If she ever gathered the will. She sighed, sitting up on the bed and taking her backpack off.

The contents of her backpack were soon all over the bed. Crumpled up pieces of paper, Ivy's PokeBall... Oh. Winnie took it and sent the Bulbasaur out. Ivy seemed happy to have come out again, and Spike chirped up as well. A single paper grabbed her attention. Winnie unwraped it. It was the pamphlet that Team Neo girl gave her back in Viridian City. She furrowed her eyebrows. She was sure she saw that same logo somewhere before.
Whatever, Winnie decided. It wasn't worth her time. She crumpled the pamphlet back up and threw it in a bin.

I wonder how Levi is doing, she thought. Their rooms were opposite to each other -she could pay him a visit. After a moment of contemplation, Winnie got up. "You can come with," she told her Pokemon. The two eagerly followed. She knocked on Levi's door.