Hoenn Region

[armoredamphibian]

"I live here. But that must mean," Nyra asked, suddenly fascinated, "that you are. You must be pretty good if you're going to fight Watson."

[Mich3ll3]

'Oh. Well no not really. I'm a new trainer and the Professor said that I probably should take the gym challenge while I'm here.",She said laughing and blushing at the same time.

Eevee started to wonder around the town on its own.

"What I'd really like to do right now is go out and catch more pokemon.",She said hoping Nyra would like to come along just in case things didn't go well.

[armoredamphibian]

Nyra stood silently, thinking that their conversation was over. When nothing happened for quite a bit, she shrugged and hesitantly said, "I'd better too. I was just going to grab some empty pokeballs from home." She turned and almost fled from the scene.

In less than an hour, lots of things had changed. Nyra had a new pokemon, and perhaps a new friend as well? Despite her age, Michelle seemed to have as much experience as she did, with Pokemon training anyway. But her pokemon were SO much more obedient than mean old Pi. Then again, that eevee had been with its trainer longer. Was that all there was to it?

* * *

"Mom?"

Nyra's mother, who was now sitting in the living room with a book, sighed and called back, "I already told you, dear, you're not getting a new pokemon from us."

"I know, Mom," Nyra said quickly, trotting into the room. Mother noticed the strange excited but worried look on her daughter's face. "I was just wondering if I could borrow a few more pokeballs. I was gonna capture something."

"Of...of course, Nyra." Mother replied, smiling. "Are you and diglett finally getting along?"

"Uh," Nyra stopped, grinning awkwardly. "Not...really, but I wanna try battling with him anyway. So the pokeballs...?"

"The bedside table in the master bedroom. And be careful," she added as her daughter pounded up the stairs. "I think Neuf is sleeping up there."

Neuf. Once a badge winner and her father's most faithful battler, the elderly ninetales had retired from that business and become the family pet. He raised his head sleepily as the door creaked open, and carefully turned to face her so his deadly tails were well away from her.

Before grabbing the pokeballs, Nyra stopped to ponder about this. She had never really noticed it before because it was so common while growing up: Neuf knowing where each of his nine tails were and lifting them out of a curious toddler's reach. Her parents had told her a million times about the curse that ninetales involuntarily casts upon anyone who touches those tails, so was it instinctual for Neuf to keep them away, or did Daddy simply train him to do that?

Nyra stroked the curious ancient pokemon on the head once, then grabbed three pokeballs from the table. Then she went downstairs and asked her mother about the whole ordeal with the tails.

"It's because he loves us, honey," Mom replied as if it were obvious. "Neuf would never do anything that would let you, me, or Daddy get hurt."

That makes sense, thought Nyra, something occurring to her. Pi saved me from that electrike, so I guess that means you can love someone and still be mean to them? It still didn't make a lot of sense to her, but she shrugged it off and opened the front door. Love was important to her, but if she had the choice of one or the other, she'd choose manners and respect. And if all went well, Pi was going to learn both those things.

[Mich3ll3]

When Nyra left Michelle just shrugged her shoulders. She got up and walked back over to the PokeMart. She walked in and bought four more empty pokeballs and two potions. That was the rest of her money. She walked back out of the PokeMart and when she did she finally realized the only pokemon walking with her was Spike. Eevee had wondered off.

"Oh no! Spike where did Eevee go?",Michelle asked frantically.

Spike just looked around and showed no sign of reaction. So Michelle started to run around town looking everywhere. While Eevee was actually back waiting on the path to the forest. Eevee was curled up in a little ball on the side of the trail. Some trainers that walked by looked at it interested but continued on figuring a wild Eevee would have ran or something.

Michelle then continued down to the woods.

[armoredamphibian]

"Okay, Pi," Nyra said after reaching the west edge of town, the forested beginning to the route leading to Verdanturf. She pulled out the pokeball and spoke to it. "I'm going to let you out now, so you better behave yourself."

The ball opened with a flash of red, but to Nyra's dismay, Pi emerged with a stuck out tongue and a pulled down eyelid at her.

Well, at least she didn't run away. She knelt down to eye level with the treeko and said to her, "Today, you're going to help me capture some new pokemon, okay?"

Pi ceased the rude expression and nodded.

Sighing with relief, Nyra straightened up, and said, "Then let's go."

It actually seemed that Pi was being obedient for once, which amazed the girl. Along their walk, Nyra spotted something that at first glance appeared to be a walking plant. It turned out to be an oddish, a timid looking one dodging just ahead of them in the trees.

"Alright, Pi," giggled Nyra, caught up in the hunt, "give that thing a pound!"

Pi leaped, but instead of pounding the oddish, it snatched it up and began absorbing the life from the little pokemon. It squealed in pain, but because the grass move was not favorable for Pi, it was able to retaliate by shaking its leaves and spreading a purple powder.

Pi dropped it and cringed as the poison settled onto her. The angered oddish tried to shoot acid at her, but she dodged the attack and this time DID pound the plant pokemon with her tail.

"That's it, Pi!" Nyra screamed, "go for it again!"

Pi jumped backward, landing on the trunk of a nearby tree, and before oddish could react, Pi launched herself off again in a quick attack which knocked the disorientated oddish right before Nyra's feet.

Pokeball! Pokeball! she thought frantically. She pulled one out of her pocket and threw it at oddish. But there was a sudden green blur, and beside her stood Pi, proudly holding the Pokeball she had just thrown.

Nyra began seeing red. What had Michelle said about her? She was trying hard? Trying my foot!!

But before she could fully lose her temper, Pi suddenly jumped in front of her, and both were pushed back by the blast of acid from the recovering oddish.

The type disadvantage plus the poison left Pi dying in Nyra's arms, who didn't know whether to thank or accuse the little creep anymore. In any case, there wasn't time. Oddish began shaking its leaves again and releasing more poison powder. Nyra instinctively covered her mouth with her shirt collar, got up, and began to flee. There was no other choice. Pi was dying. Ahead to Verdanturf.

[Mich3ll3]

Michelle saw Eevee sitting at the end of the path to the forest ahead.

"Eevee!!! Why did you wonder off?",Michelle asked angry yet relieved.

Eevee just shrugged confused. It thought it did nothing wrong.

"Oh well come on. I think we need to train and catch a team before we even think about challenging a gym. Maybe we can challenge the next one.",She said.

She started to walk and patted the side of her hips for Eevee to follow. Michelle was wanting to catch another pokemon. A strong one, but that was cute as well. All she saw though was oddish and a few pidgey.

She was walking down the path when she saw an Oddish that was walking wierd. It was hurt. But when Michelle tried to approuch it to help it he tried to attack her. He held out the potion infront of her to show thats all she wanted to do. But when she tried again the Oddish still didn't understand. So Michelle did the only thing she thought she could do.

"Spike, bite it enough to immobilize it and then let it go.",Michelle said.

Spike ran quickly up to the Oddish and bite tight onto it's leafs. Suddenly a spark flowed through Spike's body and into the Oddish. The Oddish was paraylzed. Michelle then stepped forward to give it the potion. But then the Oddish struggled out of the paraylze and tackled Michelle backwards.

The Michelle realized the Oddish was strong and was also kinda cute. So Michelle stood back up and pulled her backpack around from her back and put the potion back in and pulled out a pokeball. She then threw the pokeball at the Oddish and after about 3 minutes of struggling in the pokeball Oddish gave up and was captured.

"Alright team. We have a new partner! Oddish come on out.",Michelle said after picking up the pokeball.

Oddish came out and rolled on the ground. It was confused on what happened but knew his struggle was over. Michelle then pulled the potion out and walked up to him and sprayed it onto him. After the spray Oddish looked noteably better.

"Now what shall we name you?",Michelle asked as she started to walk.

Eevee and Spike followed but Oddish just sat there rebeliously. Spike turned around and gently picked up the small pokemon by it's leafs.

"Hmmm, Leaf would be to dumb..., how about Rebel...., no let take Rebel into Riley.",Michelle said happily.

Eevee looked at her confused on how she got Riley from Rebel but decided not to even bother.

Michelle laughed and nodded.

"Okay Oddish return.",Michelle said holding out the pokeball as the red light absorbed Oddish. She then strapped on the pokeball to her belt.

"I still want another pokemon...",She sighed but a happy sigh.

[armoredamphibian]

Nyra was perplexed. Nothing was going right.

It didn't make any sense. Her knowlege...not complete, but exceptional for a beginner. Her pokemon...low defense, but rough and fast. Something about everything was skewed in such a way that she couldn't understand what it was. What could it be? What could it be? What could it be?

She used to think it was all Pi, but now she wasn't so sure. Pi was trying, so why wasn't she succeeding? What could it be? What could...

"Your treecko is ready to go, miss." A brunette nurse called into the waiting room. She carried the former suspect in herself.

But Nyra was thinking too deeply. "Pi, c'mere." She called quietly. The treecko obeyed, sensing the serious thoughts of her mistress. She sat down in the chair across from Nyra and stared with rapt yellow eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, Nyra finally spoke. "Do you hate me, Pi."

An immediate nod was the answer. Extremely predictable.

"In that case, why do you stay around me? Earlier, when that electrike attacked me, you could have kept on running."

Pi simply shook her head in exasperation, jumped off the chair, and beckoned Nyra to the door.

"What?" she asked, following cautiously. They walked outside, following the short path outside of Verdanturf. Nyra didn't object; they were heading home now, but at the middle of the journey, Pi suddenly launched into a frenzied run on all fours.

"Wait!" Nyra screamed, chasing after what appeared to be an escaping pokemon, but suddenly, there was a high-pitched shriek, and something yellow came tumbling out of the grass, rolling to a stop just by her feet.

She didn't even have to throw the Pokeball. The plusle was on the verge of fainting, glazed eyes and drooping ears. Nyra simply dropped the ball, which landed on and almost immediately captured the helpless lagomorph.

Pi suddenly appeared, standing on an old stump above the grass, sucking the milk out of a dandelion stem. She dusted her hands once, and then looked right at Nyra again.

I am myself.

No sound passed from the treecko's lips. No words could be heard, but Nyra could tell somehow, she didn't know whether it was the eyes or the posture or something completely different, that Pi was telling her this.

Grinning, Nyra replied to the defiant remark. "We'll do it your way then." She turned, and even though she did nothing to indicate she wanted her pokemon to follow, Pi was never too far behind or ahead on the way back to Mauville.

[Mich3ll3]

Michelle Eevee and Spike were walking down the path together. Spike dragging up the rear and Eevee beside Michelle. Michelle was whistling a tune that she had heard earlier on a TV. For the most part the party was quite. There were probably only halfway to Verdanturf when suddenly Spike had disappeared.

Just not three seconds ago Spike was right behind them. Now he was gone without a sound. Michelle was worried.

"Oddish come on out." She whispered throwing up the pokeball and the small plant pokemon falling out. Oddish was still a little flustered but for the most part he was okay.

"Okay you two. Spike is missing. We need to find him before hes lost. Split up and yell when you find him." She said turning off the path.

The others went in another direction.

Meanwhile Spike was tackled off the path by a Shinx. It looked like a dog fight if anyone else would have seen it. The Shinx bit him and dragged him off the path at the same time with amazing speed for Michelle and the others not to hear him.

The two kept snapping at each other and throwing sparks back and forth. Eevee walked up on the scene but stayed back because it looked dangerous. Eevee backed up a couple of steps and then cried out for the others.

Michelle turned as she heard the cry and ran in the direction it came from. She found Eevee standing outside a bush. Eevee directed her into the clearing where the Shinx was beating Spike.

"Oh no! Spike Hang in there." She cried running to his side.

The Shinx started up a Charge and began running at Spike shooting off Spark attacks. Suddenly Riley popped out behind the Shinx with a Razorleaf. The Grass type move hit the Shinx super effectively and knocked it back. The Shinx jumped back up angerly and was charging again. This time the sparks were like large lightning bolts.

Shinx took off into a quick attack and knocked Riley straight back he then continued the assualt with a Lightning Bolt. The Oddish was out and fainted.

"Riley! Oh no. Return."Michelle called out holding the pokeball as it brought the small plant back into the safety of itself.

"Ok Eevee. Quick Attack and then pound it as hard as you can."Michelle yelled pointing towards the Shinx.

Eevee growled at the Shinx which growled back. Eevee then took off with great speed into a Quick Attack. It knocked the Shinx backwards and then Eevee jumped into the air with momentium and came down upon it with a strong pound making the Shinx faint. Eevee then slowly walked back to Michelle facing the Shinx the whole time.

"I don't know if we should catch this pokemon. Its about like its evil." Michelle said pulling out her last potion and using it on Spike.

[armoredamphibian]

Drawn by the noise, Nyra and Pi peered through the tall grass at the raging battle.

It was that girl again, Michelle, verses what looked like a rabid shinx. It wasn't foaming at the mouth, but it was fighting like it was mad. Even Pi warily stood out of the way.

Wait a minute, she realized, I thought shinx only lived in Sinnoh. How'd that thing get all the way down here? Maybe it's a runaway pokemon.

Despite the little monster's brutality, Michelle's eevee ended up winning. It looked like she was going to try to capture the weakened pokemon, but instead she just stood there, healing her electrike. It would have been sorely rude to come out and say, "Come on already, before I get it first," but Nyra was tempted to.

Suddenly, she realized that Pi had been pulling her backpack frantically, trying to get her to leave. Nyra ignored her, though, got out of her hiding spot and asked Michelle, "You need to borrow a pokeball? I have some empty ones with me."

[Mich3ll3]

Michelle was surprised to find Nyra pop out of the bushes. She thought Nyra would be at the next town already.

When she questioned Michelle on what she was going to do with the small Shinx Michelle really started to wonder. She looked down at Spike then Eevee and then over to the Shinx. She thought it was very sneaky and dishonorable to jump somebody like that but it was pretty strong. When looking over her team the Shinx wouldn't fit in though because the others were respectful.

"No. I'm not going to catch this pokemon. I'm leaving it." Michelle said disqusted with the small pokemon.

She stood up off her knees and dusted them off. She then pulled another pokeball from her belt and returned Spike so he could rest.

"You can have it if you like. By the way weren't you supposed to be in Verdanturf by now?" Michelle asked.

[armoredamphibian]

"I was, but I'm heading home now," Nyra replied. She turned toward the unconscious shinx. Just looking at it made her feel sorry for the little brute, much more than any other pokemon.

"I feel guilty about just capturing it when you were the one who beat it," she sighed, "but okay. Your loss." She tossed a pokeball which landed on the shinx and clicked shut after a few trembles.

Pi stood a distance away, silent, eyes glaring at the closed pokeball. She was wishing she had distracted her trainer so she wouldn't have done that.

"You know, you're really good, so maybe we could battle tomorrow," Nyra suggested out of the blue. "I really want to earn this pokemon."

[Mich3ll3]

She looked at the sky as it started to turn bright red, orange and purple colors signifiying it was late in the afternoon.

"Well I really have to be going to Verdantruf. I'm hoping to catch another pokemon along the way as well. So we wouldn't be able to battle right now." Michelle said discouraged.

She looked down at Eevee and the two pokeballs strapped to her waist.

"Hey, would like to join me? I'm going to challenge gyms now and become a master trainer. We could be traveling companions??" Michelle asked hoping Nyra would say yes.

[armoredamphibian]

For a moment, the answer that screamed in her head was a big "No," but she caught herself and thought about it.

She'd definitely have to get permission from her parents first. They, not to mention herself, always suspected that she would train in Mauville, and then take a boat tour from Slateport to Lilycove when she was ready to compete in the contests. Now, she marvled at the idea of traveling on foot. Everyone always said it was fun, so why not.

"We'll see," Nyra replied, "I'll meet you in Verdanturf first thing in the morning if I get permission. If I don't show up, well, take that as a no."

[Mich3ll3]

"Ok then. Hope to see you then." Michelle said.

She turned back onto the path and began to walk down it. She saw plenty of pokemon along the way. None that interested her though. It was about a 30 minute walk to Verdanturf. When she got there she went straight to the pokecenter. There she healed her pokemon and then slept for the night.

[armoredamphibian]

"Quit acting like a pup!" Neuf growled, snatching the shinx up by the scruff of his neck seconds before he would have bitten the cowering plusle on the floor.

Snarling, the shinx sent a jolt of electricity into his captor, but Neuf shrugged it off. "I'm warning you, mister," he said, "I've dealt with monsters far fiercer than yourself."

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Nyra walked into her bedroom holding two potions, then gasped at the sight. "Neuf, put him down! Don't bully others just 'cause they're smaller than you!"

Shinx gave Neuf a sideways smirk as he was set grudgingly back on the bed. "He was going to kill me!" he moaned with false relief. "Thank Dialga, lord of time, you showed up when you did!"

"Don't even bother," Neuf whispered in a bored manner as Nyra knelt down to spray one of the potions on the plusle, "Most humans can't understand what we say to them."

Shinx rolled his eyes as Nyra approached him with the same intended treatment. "Duh, who doesn't know that?!"

"Well," Nyra said after healing the shinx, "I guess you two need names now." She picked up the plusle, which offered no resistance and even snuggled her. "Awww, you're so cute!" she crooned. Then she closed her eyes, musing. "Addition? Too long. Add? Oh wait, Mom said you were a girl, so how 'bout Addie?"

The plusle nodded and squealed with delight, and Nyra felt very pleased at this. For once, she had a pokemon that liked her.

"So what about you then?" Nyra went on, turning to the shinx. She tried to pick him up, but he bared his short teeth and arched his back at the girl, making her hesitate.

"Something cool sounding," she decided aloud, "but nothing that sounds mean. Cyrus, maybe?"

Cyrus stopped menacing shrugged. "Meh. I've had worse nicknames."

"Feel blessed," Neuf replied, "she used make names up at the spur of a moment, and they were horrible. Had other trainers then, eh, Cyrus?" he added suspiciously.

Cyrus blinked, "N-no! I said I've heard worse nicknames." he quickly corrected.

At that moment, the a window creak open and a voice said sarcastically, "Oh yes, we all believe you, you rabid outsider!"

"Pi! There you are!" Nyra exclaimed happily to the treecko climbing through the window. "I was looking all over for you. I want you to properly meet your new teammates: Addie and Cyrus. Oh, and Neuf, but he's not my Pokemon. Addie, Cyrus, Neuf, this is Pi."

"Yo," Pi said, waving reluctantly.

"I'll just grab everyone some food. Play nice, you guys." Nyra skipped out happily, sincerely believing that her party would "play nice."

"Well, Addie," Pi said approaching the cringing creature that Nyra had set down before leaving, "don't take it too personally that I beat you up. You just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I know," Addie whimpered, covering her head with her paws.

Pi sighed and shook her head at the pathetic plusle, then turned to Cyrus, "As for you, bub, I want you to know that I will pluck your fur out if I find out that you mean the slightest harm toward our human."

"By Arceus, she's so annoying!" Cyrus groaned. "And anyway, why do you hate me so much?"

"Who wouldn't?" Pi sighed. "I saw you ambush that electrike--what was his name again? I don't know, it was something almost as silly as my original nickname--anyway, only a total muttwit would pull something like that."

Cyrus started seeing red, for "Muttwit" was a horrible insult to quadruped pokemon. "DIE, TREECKO." he screamed, charging electricity and then bounding toward her recklessly. Pi was about to quick attack in response when Neuf leaped between them and bounced both of them back with a protective shield.

"Thanks for the strain, you two," the retired nintales grumbled. "I'm an old mon, you know."

They ate silently when Nyra brought up the food, and all were recalled before Nyra went to bed, thinking how nice it was to have a team of Pokemon, and dreaming about winning a ribbon for Addie in the cuteness contest.