"Hey Prof..." Indigo said slowly. "Do you uh, well, need any help remotely or something? I mean, what I'm trying to say is-" he swallowed. "Do you have any jobs for newbie trainers like me available?"

Professor Lukoo smiled a comforting smile. "Looking for a source of income huh? That's admirable, but not entirely necessary. You see, being a trainer is a job in and of itself. I don't know if you were aware, but the purpose behind the entire trainer system is both population control and research. So by simply catching Pokemon, you're doing the Pokemon community a great service. For this, you will receive free food and lodging at any Pokemon Center, as well as basic products at Pokemarts, such as Pokeballs. And don't get so wide eyed over that backpack and Pokedex, they are part of the deal too. As long as you continue to catch and train Pokemon, you will never have to pay for them."

"All that said, there are ways to earn extra disposable income, income that can be used to buy non-essential but helpful items from PokeMarts and other market places. First, there is the battle league, where you can earn money by battling other trainers, gyms, and even challenge for the title of Septoh champion. Then, there are Pokemon Contests, where you can perform in front of massive crowds. Then, there are special assignments that can include any number of things, such as photography, environmental protection, collecting samples, and much more."

Just then, one of Professor Lukoo's assistants barged into the lobby though double doors at the back of the lab. "Professor, I'm sorry to interrupt." The young man's face was red with embarrassment.

"It's okay, what's wrong?"

The young man attempted to pull himself together after seeing the two new trainers "Can you show me how to fix the quantum engine in the machine T-02 again? It's um... acting up."

"Oh my." The professor mumbled to himself, before turning to Daniel and Indigo, "If you'll please excuse me, I have to go. Please, refer to your Pokedex if you have any more questions." With those words, he hurried toward the double doors, but just as they were about to close behind him, he part way opened one, "Oh, and you'll find five Pokeballs in your bag. Good luck!"

And so, Daniel and Indigo were left alone in the lab with only one direction left to go... outside.

Indigo nodded as the professor explained the details of their region. All in all, he still hadn't gotten an exact answer from the Professor, but he figured he could always call the lab later. The professor thought he was admirable, and that made Indy feel guilty while wanting to laugh. Yeah, right, Prof...

After Indy had spent countless weeks lounging around Cinnabar in fine establishments and eating the most expensive food he could find, he'd racked up quite the bill. And truthfully, this had been his whole life, having the opportunity to always buy what he wanted whenever he wanted without so much as a blink. But when his parents had found out, they had been angry-- rightfully so. He nearly shuddered at the memory, the bleeding disappointment dripping from their words and the tangle of lies that were unraveled from his own. They'd nearly pulled him from his journey, but Indigo had begged and begged and eventually, they'd conceded-- miraculously so. But not without a deal. And that was that he had to show his progress by getting a ribbon or a badge or some kind of proof that he was actually working, training, not just lounging about like he had been. And he had to pay them back for all of his tomfoolery. Suffice it to say, Indigo had his work cut out for him. But that was enough time dwelling inside his head.

Indigo slugged Dan playfully on the shoulder. "Let's blow this popsicle stand, Dan." And he held open the door once more, sunlight pouring from the sky onto the first steps they would be taking as trainers.

Once they were out, Indigo immediately consulted the map on the pokedex. "So, look here," he said pointing. "Says we can take either Quiet Road to Shamba Town, the closest city to here. But we could also go to Breezy Forest which'll take us to Muzin Beach." Indigo folded his arms across his chest, thinking. "They're both gonna take around a full day to get to. I dunno... You pick."

Daniel takes a moment to think about the options for travel, sure the beach would be nice, and it might be a good place to find some cool pokemon, but the forest wouldn't hold much for him seeing as how he already had a grass pokemon, though an extra bug pokemon could be useful. The road offered more in his mind, with a name Quiet road he was sure it would be anything but that, With at least a few trainers there. Then again he always wanted to train another Caterpie, And if there was a water type on the beach it would be good against fire type pokemon he knew he'd face in the future.

After a minute of thinking, Dan said

"Let's go into Breezy and to the beach. I've always liked the beach better anyways."

He started walking quickly in the direction of the forest

"C'mon slowpoke." He said enthusiastically. His Turtwig sticking his head out of Dan's bag (Which he crawled into to hid while the doc originally explained how the bag and Pokedex worked.)

"You know it's just gonna make me go slower, right?" Indigo laughed. As they walked towards Breezy Forest, passing the sign that designated their destination path, Indigo took a moment to take out the pokedex again. "So this thing knows a lot, right? I wonder... Dan, you're gonna want to do gyms, yeah?" Indigo paused. "I dunno what I'm gonna do..." The professor had mentioned different ways of getting money. Photography, contests, sample collecting... "Hey, pokedex, think you can tell us more about gyms and contests?" It sounded stupid, but the professor had said should they have any questions, defer to the pokedex...

@Balthazar007

"Nah, I think I wanna train with Twiggy for a little while beforehand." He says in response to Indy's first question.

He looks towards Indy's Pokedex not wanting to take out his just yet, Curious as to its answers.

Jeez, Twiggy is kinda heavy. He thought to himself, Imagining how huge he would be in the future

"Hey, pokedex, think you can tell us more about gyms and contests?" It sounded stupid, but the professor had said should they have any questions, defer to the pokedex...

He looks towards Indy's Pokedex not wanting to take out his just yet, Curious as to its answers.

As soon as Indigo said, "Hey, Pokedex," a pale blue line crossed the otherwise black screen. There was a solid two seconds of silence after he finished his question. Then came a male voice, that ALMOST sounded human. The pale blue line spiked as the voice spoke. "Hello. I would be happy to go over the basics of gyms and contests with you.



"There are nine different arenas that double as both gyms and contest halls. Each of these arenas has a special theme and is ran by one Gym Leader and one Head Coordinator.

"Those competing in Septoh's battle league will want to challenge the Gym Leaders. Once they collect all nine Gym badges, they will be given a pass to enter the Battle Tower. If they can defeat everyone in the tower, they will earn the title of Champion. Becoming a champion will give them the right to enter Septoh's Champion's league, and ultimately challenge for the title of Grand Champion.

"Those competing in the Septoh's contest league will want to challenge Head Coordinators. Defeating a Head Coordinator will earn them a Golden Ticket. A Golden Ticket can be exchanged in order to enter a Contest Hall, where they can compete for a Contest Ribbon. Once five ribbons have been collected, they earn the right to compete in the Grand Festival, which is held twice per year: once in Summer and once in Winter.

"All victories, in either the battle league or the contest league are rewarded with cash prizes. That is all the introductory information I have on the two subjects. Do you have any more questions?"

The whole pokedex talking thing was pretty cool, Indigo had to admit. "Wow, that's better than my mom's phone," he said. However as it went on his face took on a slight look of annoyance. Contests and gyms both sounded like way too much work. Gym Leaders and Head Coordinators both sounded equally tough to deal with. What had he expected? And with a Torchic like his, it was practically impossible to train. Not that he had tried but he couldn't be bothered. Alright, definitely gonna ignore those two options. He would ask it about other jobs later. But for now... His eyes took on a mischevious glint and his mouth quirked a half smile.

"Hey Dan, listen for a second. Okay, Pokedex," Indy said. "Do you have friends?" He snickered. Of course, messing with the AI of these technologies was a must.

"I am programmed to be your closest companion," replied the electronic voice.

"Pokedex, I hate you."

"That's no way to talk to your Pokedex. Virtual assistants have feelings too." Indigo guffawed.

"Pokedex, make me a sandwich."

"I cannot. I lack the ingredients and the bioware."

"Pokedex, will you go on a date with me?"

"I can't. It's not me, it's you."

"Hey, which Pokedex is the best?"

"The one you're holding."

Having had a good chuckle, he put the pokedex away with a grin on his face. "Alright, that was neat." He tucked his hands behind his head, admiring the verdant cypresses and silver birches. If there was anything Indigo enjoyed, it was beauty, and despite his apathetic attitude towards most things, art stuck out to him. It always had. He glanced at Dan's Turtwig hanging out of his backpack. Hmm... I wonder if I should take Torchic out. Maybe I should nickname her too... It did seem a bit mean to leave her inside her ball... Maybe she had calmed down after her battle. Well, guess I can always return her... He pressed the release button on the pokeball and Torchic's form coalesced. She ruffled her feathers, letting out what seemed to be peeps of indignation, as if to say, 'what took you so long?

"Nice to see you too. Heads up, don't use your Ember attack in the forest." Torchic again cheeped in protest. She seemed to have a better grasp of language, perhaps she had been around more humans? Indigo raised a brow. "You heard me, Hawka." Yeah, that would be her name, Indy thought. Because she was not at all unsteady, but instead focused and sharp like a bird of prey. And after a moment's consideration, Hawka let out a contented chirp and scampered to the front of them. It was evident enough that she refused to let anyone know how much she enjoyed her name.

Dan laughed at indy's string of jokes, But he was only half-heartedly listening. His eyes affixed on the road, His mind was focused elsewhere.

Hm, Quite the challenge we have ahead of ourselves.

He thought to himself. He was confident in himself for the most part but it didn't take long for him to start doubting himself and his abilities.

What if I'm not good enough, I am only a novice after all. Hell, I could barely take care of Caterpie when I raised him, the only reason I still had him cause indy bailed me out. I can barely do anything on my own, I always have to have someone else to help, I've never been able to do anything myself, What makes this any different from the rest of my life?

It was only a short time before his thoughts turned him into a nervous wreck. He hid it from Indy, But Twiggy sensed his distress, He pulled on his shirt with his mouth from the bag in an attempt to calm him down. Dan wasn't normally like this, But he, like most people, had his bad moments. He only barely heard the nickname Indy gave his Pokemon.

"Huh, I like that name, Suits her well," He squeaked, wanting to talk as little as possible.

Indigo didn't quite notice his friend's distress, especially with Dan doing a good job of hiding it. Besides that, it took some time for Indy to recognize these things when he was wrapped up in his own world. And so he slung an arm around Dan's neck. "Say, do you remember the first time we met? You know earlier today, before I saw you, I was wondering if that Caterpie of yours ever turned into a Butterfree or something... Did she?"

@TheForgottenArc

"Uhm, When I left she was still a Metapod, Coming close to evolving again." He said, Meekly.

It made him feel a bit worse reminding him of his failure to keep Caterpie safe in the forest on that day he met Indy. But talking was better than being silent. Gave left room and time for him to think.

"I am going to get a letter when she evolves again." Dan said. Wanting to not seem out of the ordinary.

Indigo's brow raised. "Wow..." How long had it been? "I better be the first person you show that letter to," he added wryly. As they continued, shoes crunching on forest debris, the faintly salty breeze from the beach mixing with the sharp earthy aroma of woods, they settled into an easy gait.

"Say, so why'd you pick a Turtwig? Any reason? He's really cool looking," Indigo said. Dan seemed a little... Off maybe? Indy couldn't quite put his finger on it. As such, although he usually preferred to listen, he figured he could come up with some conversation for the heck of it.

@TheForgottenArc

"I guess its cause bug and grass types are similar, Somewhat at least in its very core. Also...He just looked cute. Oh..... and cause Celia really likes grass Pokemon. I guess it's a way of reminding me of her while I'm out here"

Twiggy, Finally let go of Dan's shirt, after tugging for 30 minutes, Out of sheer fatigue.

"I guess Twiggy is tired, I wonder if there's a place we can rest for a while. We haven't stopped moving since we got here."

Dan took his Pokedex out of his bag and held it in front of him,

"Hey, Pokedex, Is there anywhere around we can rest for a while, Maybe a campsite or something?" He said loudly, to make sure the machine could hear him.

"Rest sounds like a good idea," Indigo replied. They had been walking for around four hours, though truthfully, Indigo didn't want to stop. He didn't want to run the risk of having to camp in a forest at night, and felt that a beach would be much safer. That, and a feisty Hawka he felt was sure to get into trouble if they stopped moving for too long. Speaking of... He looked around.

Hawka was nowhere in sight.

His heart plummeted. SHOOT! He took his eyes off her for two seconds-- ugh! He couldn't even hear her peeping. Where had she gone? When had she decided to go on her own way? He'd just seen her a minute ago! His heart was racing. "Alright, Dan, I think Hawka got ahead of us. Maybe we can press on for a little while longer? Maybe Twigs can rest in his ball for a little?" This was urgent.

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Dan quickly shut off his Pokedex and bagged it, before it even had a chance to say anything. He decided not to put Twiggy in his ball but instead zipped his bag mostly up, Leaving a bit of space in the zipper for the pokemon to be able to see a little bit and to have air.

"Okay, Let's hurry then, a fire Pokemon alone in the forest is not a very good combo." He said quickly, rushing ahead.

It wasn't too long before Dan was far ahead of Indy calling for the rogue Pokemon.

"Hawkaaaaa" Dan screamed, Hoping to hear a chirp.

"Haw---" Mid-call dan tripped and fell into a pile of leaves, He turned to see who or what tripped him, It was none other than Hawka.

She Chirped aggressively at him, angry about getting accidentally kicked.

"There you are Hawka...."

She ran back a couple of feet backward and then charged forward. It seemed she wanted something to battle...And Dan was the one she had chosen.

"Oh no" Danny said, Knowing what he was about to get hit with.

The evening sun peaked through the trees as another breeze swept the air. The scene between Hawka and Danny was escalating quickly.

In the midst of the madness, a traveler passed the two young men. His steps were fast and determined. The man was uninterested in the situation that was unfolding and did not break stride. Preoccupied with Hawka, neither Danny nor Indigo managed to get anything more than a glance at the man.

Indigo spun around when he heard the sudden snaps of twigs and leaves followed by a big whump, catching the sight of Dan falling on the forest floor. There she is. Hawka hadn't gotten far ahead of them at all, what a relief. Or not, because she was just about to hit Dan with something nasty, it seemed. "Hey! Hawka!" Indigo fished around for her pokeball, dropping it in the process instead. Damnit!

Although it seemed like Hawka was about to charge Dan and angry over being tripped upon, such was not the case. Rather upset about something else, instead of charging directly for Daniel or retreating towards Indigo, she made a beeline into the bushes just as Indy managed to grab her pokeball. He wiped the sweat off his brow and groaned, feeling his heart rate shoot up again. Agh, why doesn't she listen? Hearing her soft peeps, he peered through the dense brush.

There was another pokemon! Indigo didn't know the name, but it reminded him of the Rattata in Kanto. This creature seemed to look vaguely like some kind of rodent with puffed out cheeks and large incisors. The eyes were even red like Rattata had, although much more intense. Hawka seemed to be talking to the pokemon. Though it was hard to tell from a human's point of view, she was in fact reassuring the pokemon, who was wagging it's tail and squeaking fiercely.

Who's that pokemon- oh wait I have a pokedex. Indigo retrieved the device and switched it on, the screen coming to life with a soft blue glow. An image of the pokemon appeared front and center, so high quality that it could even be zoomed in on to see the very bristles of fine fur. There was a text caption underneath but the pokedex began to speak.

Patrat, the Scout Pokémon. Using food stored in cheek pouches-" and Indigo quickly muted the dex. Alright that's annoying. Let's see... They use their tails to communicate with others... He frowned. She looked mad before... Is she arguing or something? "Hawka! Are you bothering that Patrat?" The Patrat in question jumped up before retreating into the tangled green and brown of the forest. Hawka shook her head fiercely, chirping, running back to Indigo and pecking at his laces angrily.

"You can't just go running off. Don't get mad at me," Indigo protested, then paused, suddenly feeling as if he were being watched. And indeed, they were. The Patrat had come out of the woodwork so to speak, and they were everywhere. And they weren't too sure about these humans in their forest. "Um... Wow there are a lot of you, aren't there?" He rose up from his crouched position and some of them scampered back into their hiding places. But some stayed, curious. A few held looks of polite interest while others seemed to be waiting for some eventual misfortune to happen.

"Let's make sure we don't disturb them..." Indigo said.

Daniel Looked around at the Patrat's that had surrounded them, He knew if they got attacked there would be too many for his Pokemon to handle, He nodded at what Indigo had just said.

"Yeah, I agree."

Daniel kinda wanted to catch one, he was resisting the urge to pull out a Pokeball and try to catch one of them, But he knew if he had tried then he'd get an ear full from Indy. But he made a mental note to try to catch one later in the night. He backed up slowly, Every crunch sounding like a bolt of thunder, After a good while he made it back into the safety of the road, with a sigh of relief he looked in his bag to see a napping Turtwig,

Hmm, Turtwigs get tired super quickly, probably due to that soil shell...

Indigo let out a low whistle. "Wow, can't believe we didn't notice them until now. They blend in so well." It was true, the Patrat had slender, brown bodies that blended in with the ground and trees and general forest vicinity. They were hiding in tree knots, in tangled branches, in thick shrubs, everywhere. "Once you know what to look for though, it's almost obvious."

Hawka, on the other hand, felt quite indignant. She had not been bothering any pokemon! She had been trying to communicate that they were in this forest and meant no harm! Yet her human seemed to lack that understanding entirely. Irate, she practiced quick dodges and Scratch attacks up ahead against twigs and the occasional tree trunk. Indigo frowned. The little bird seemed riled up about something but he was totally beat as to what it was. Well maybe she just needed some time to cool off.

"I wonder if there's other pokemon around here," Indigo said. Although truthfully, the idea of getting a new team member seemed daunting. He could just barely handle his Torchic, let alone another pokemon entirely. "I mean, I thought forests would have pokemon like Bug types or maybe a flying type... right? You think these Patrat chased all the other pokemon out?"

As the evening continued to settle, the beautiful sound of Kricketot began to fill the air. This sound served as a reminder to the invading Patrats, that these woods are NOT their territory. These woods belong to a happy but protective swarm of Kricketot.

All of a sudden there was a distinct sound of wings fluttering, but by the time either of the two young men could turn around, the source of the sound was long gone.

The forest was alive with life. Our two young trainers just needed more practice in the art of searching.

As the Kricketot hummed and buzzed, and the sun slowly sank, streaking the sky with orange and pink as the day settled into late afternoon. Even Hawka stopped her training momentarily to listen.
"What is that?" Indigo murmured. The noises in question sounded vaguely bug-like, but they also sounded remarkably like xylophones. It was a very pleasant sound to listen to. "Huh, check it out." And there were some bipedal, red and black Bug-type looking pokemon waddling around, letting their musical chirps resonate through the air. Let's check the pokedex... I don't want to disturb them so I better keep it on silent. Huh, says here that the xylophone sound is caused by their antennae. So it is a xylophone! Not bad. "That sure is a nice sound. Right?" Indigo said outloud to no one in particular.

Hawka harrumphed and turned away from Indigo. She was still upset about something... "I dunno why she's being like this. What are you so mad about, Hawka? Listen to the music and take a break," Indigo said, exasperation creeping into his voice. Still Hawka aimed some more Scratches at the trees and kicked up some sand. Maybe she was playing with that Patrat earlier? And I stopped them? Maybe she's lonely? Shoot, maybe I will have to get another pokemon. But if it's easy to deal with and Hawka's mood gets better, it's worth it, right? Maybe this is gonna pay off in the end. "Alright, alright Hawka. I get it," Indigo said thoughtfully. Hawka perked up, her crest fanned out.

"I'll look around some. I know what you're going after. But I'll need some help too."

Confused, Hawka tilted her head owlishly, letting out a hesitant and confused peep. Indigo took the opportunity to scoop her up, mistaking it for mellowing out. "Don't worry, we'll find what you're looking for." Still irate but also curious as to what Indigo meant, she decided to go along with him, knowing full well she could leave some nasty gashes on his arms if he so dared to get on her nerves any more than he already had. "Hey Dan, let's look around a bit. We didn't really get a chance to explore the forest, you know? Let's see what's around here. How about we split up? I don't mean go out super far but our pokedexes are phones and we'll be able to call each other and meet later. Maybe if we cover more ground we'll see more stuff. Call me if you need anything. And if either of us sees something cool, let's ring each other." He saluted his friend before ambling down a path. Though lazy as they came, Indigo did enjoy having fun, and exploring on his own without any parents or supervision around sounded pretty rad.

It didn't take long before a Kricketot crossed his path, its antennae colliding and hitting lovely notes. Indigo gently let Hawka down. "What do you think? Why don't you go say hi?"

Hawka did not appreciate this gesture in the least bit and screeched loudly, causing the other pokemon to flee. Indigo face-palmed. Why is she making it so hard? "Hawka!" He groaned. Hawka stamped her feet and turned away. What the heck was wrong with her? However there was little time to ponder for another rustling started. Indigo whirled around as another pokemon jumped out.

@Balthazar007