A sudden commotion jolted Olivie awake. She couldn't remember whether she had been dreaming or not, but as she sat up, blinking away the sleep from her eyes, she found herself smack dab in the middle of a nightmare.
Her room -that sanctum of privacy and identity, that refuge, that one place she could truly call her own- was in total disarray. Just about everything that stood on a desk, cabinet, or shelf had been knocked onto the floor. Small pieces of furniture lay on their sides, paintings leaned against the walls where they fell, and several pillows appeared to be exploded. The acrid scent of char invaded her nostrils, causing Olivie to grimace. Dumbfounded, she sat near-motionless, slowly panning across the scene of carnage just to try and take it all in. At the foot of her bed, Buck, who lay on his back, watched her solemnly. No way he did this, Olivie knew—and she had a very good idea about who the real culprit was. Drawn by the sound of whistling wind, she drew her focus to her window, where the jubilant morning sunlight streamed in through a gaping hole in blackened glass. After trashing her room, the sight told her, the perpetrator of this dastardly deed fled through here. Olivie maneuvered out of bed and stood in front of the window in her burgundy nightgown, peering down at the street to see if the little cad was still about.
”So, that crappy monkey woke up after a bath, a meal, and a night of rest, wrecked the joint, and bust a hole in my window to scamper off. Hmph.” She gave a ferocious scowl.
”Serves me right for tryin' to be nice to a wild animal. Next time I see you, hothead, you're getting' a full beatdown and comin' with me.The next twenty minutes she spent in the bathroom, showering, dressing, and tidying herself up. Once her usual morning fogginess washed away, courtesy of the hot water, she felt like a million bucks. Today was the day her Pokemon journey began, and nothing could have filled her with more energy than that thought. She dressed herself quickly, assembled all the gear she needed -including a messenger bag full of the outdoor essentials-, and headed out into the main room with a smile on her face and an eager Bidoof around her feet.
”Bye, mom! Bye, dad!” she called before smiling sheepishly.
”Sorry about my room!” Before they could respond, the girl was out the door.
Stepping outside caused a profound change to settle over the pair. They went from bright and earnest to serious and surly in one second flat. Of course, the joy of beginning remained in trainer and Pokemon alike, but the former had an image to uphold and the latter had a master to take cues from. Olivie made a beeline for the nearest Poke Corp store and arrived at her destination in less than ten minutes. The place gave off an air of mismatch; the exterior showed off all the trappings of a rustic town market, from its earth tones to its flowerpots, but stepping within the building was like stepping into a science lab. Inside, all was sterile, smooth, and efficient. Olivie didn't like it, but she didn't have to. With purposeful stride she made her way to the checkout counter, Buck marching alongside, until the brunette stood with arms akimbo in front of the cashier.
”I want three Pokeballs,” she informed the worker, having previously calculated how much she could get with her current stockpile of Trainer Points. Dutifully the blank-faced person behind the counter produced a trio of the bicolor spheres and held his hand out to receive the customer's Pokedex. Olivie passed it over, the cashier registered it, and the transaction was complete. The Pokeballs were added to Olivie's thigh ring, and with nary a farewell she left the way she came.
Once outside, she paused for a brief moment, arms crossed beneath her chest, to survey the street. Getting more Pokeballs had been first on her list, but her plans afterward had been less well defined.
What to do, what to do. She observed Buck, who stood patiently beside her. Obviously she wanted to figure out and then improve on his fighting abilities, and for that she needed Pokemon. Since the urban Pokemon did not enthuse her, that meant leaving Central City behind once again to come the wilds for potential allies and adversaries. She didn't need to beat around the bush figuring out a way to go, either; as impulsive as ever, Olivie simply picked a direction and started walking.
Her randomly-chosen route brought her through a section of Central City she knew well. In fact, it wasn't long before she crossed the river. Not wanting a replay of yesterday, she opted to continue straight, though she briefly considered a quick detour. The memory of that persistent Feebas bubbled up in her mind as she approached, so she couldn't resist taking a quick peek into the water to see if the ugly fish was still on her trail. For a few second she scanned the river, but Olivie couldn't spot any fish at all.
"Huh." One shrug later, the spirited brunette was on her way once more.
@Balthazar007
