[center][color=gray][h3]Leisy Takigawa[/h3][/color][/center]

The Poke Corp building was all sorts of big and fancy, being the tallest building in Central City. Every floor sold a different type of product, specializing in everything from Pokemon-inspired furniture to Pokedex upgrades. Leisy’s eyes couldn’t stop darting around the store as she walked up stairway after stairway, opting not to take the elevator this time around.

[i]This is tiring,[/i] Leisy thought as she climbed up the stairway for the tenth—no eleventh—floor, [i]but worth it. Who knew that you could buy a Pichu-themed backpack?[/i]

Electronic gadgets spanned the fourteenth through seventeenth floors, and Leisy found the camera section on the fifteenth floor. After another half-hour of indecisiveness, Leisy settled on a mid-tier camera built for travel—waterproof and “weatherproof,” as the packaging claimed. Her parents had wired Leisy her monthly allowance, of which the camera all but depleted.

Leisy spent another hour or so in the store, mostly reading descriptions of things she thought were interesting but would never consider buying, but some things—like the portable berry pots—Leisy bookmarked in her mind for a later time. Others, like the pokeball seals, Leisy just wanted to indulge in. 

[color=gray]”What do you think about emerging in a cloud of smoke?”[/color] Leisy asked Bidein. The Fletchling closed his eyes and went back to sleep, which he’d taken initiative to do since his trainer stepped into the store.

Thus, Leisy’s second journey out of Central City started. Leisy hummed as she walked on the dirt path that led out of town, taking a left when she’d reached the place she’d first seen Bidein. 

[color=gray]”Dei, do you remember this place?”[/color] Leisy asked the robin. Bidein chirped a yes, flying up to the branch where he’d sat before as he looked down at Leisy. Leisy grinned up at her pokemon, waving. [color=gray]”Heya, Bidein. Wanna go on a journey?”[/color]

[hr]

[center][color=lightsteelblue][h3]Cillian Weiss[/h3][/color][/center]

Cillian resisted the urge to throw his arms up and just charge through the forest in frustration as he waited patiently, hiding in the bushes. He was currently waiting by the river for Pokemon to emerge from the flora to drink from the flowing water, but after around half an hour he was ready to give up.

[i]Where are the pokemon?[/i] Cillian thought in frustration, fingers tapping a fast-paced rhythm onto his camera. He was used to waiting for a chance picture, but Cillian had been looking forward to a day of wonder and excitement, not a day of playing the waiting game with no one in particular.

After another few minutes, the white-haired boy finally gave up, walking over to a tree and slumping against it. A odd rustling noise above his head prompted Cillian to glance up, and he was horrified to see a large Combee hive above him, shrouded by leaves.

Cillian broke into a sprint, his camera bouncing up and down around his neck as he ran away from the nest of bug Pokemon. A swarm of buzzing behind him told him that the drones were not far behind, and Cillian sped up his speed, panicked. Crashing through bushes as he ran, Cillian looked wildly about for something to distract the Combee. He knew that the often-told tip of submerging yourself in water was a lie, but the Combee were close behind him. 

A grassy field opened up in front of Cillian, but the boy didn’t pause to think before running across it, kicking the heavy grass out of his way as he did. [i]This is it, Cilli,[/i] Cillian thought to himself as he ran, panting. [i]We’re going to die early.[/i]

Suddenly, a flash of green burst up from the grasses to Cillian’s right. The noise of blades slicing air sounded behind Cillian, prompting him to run even faster. However, the fading hum of the Combee told him that the bee Pokemon had departed, so Cillian skidded to a stop at the edge of the grassy clearing. Looking back, Cillian saw a clear image of his rescuer: a bipedal, light green-armored Pokemon with scythes as limbs and cream-colored insect wings. A Scyther.

And then, just as quickly, the Pokemon was gone.