Dan woke up only a minute or two before Indy, by a Turtwig nipping at his fingers.

"Hey little buddy, One sec" He sat up and stretch stiff from sleeping on an uncomfortable sleeping bag. It wasn't too long before he was changed and ready to go, he noticed Indy already up but decided not to bother him in any way, Instead opting to write a note with the inscription Hey Indy, I'll be going into the edge of the forest to train up Twiggy and Burmy, see ya later! with a crude smiley face on the bottom to serve as a signature.

It Didn't take long for Dan and his Pokemon to get to the edge just in enough to encounter wild pokemon, He let Burmy out of her ball, her shed was still a green coat as instead of sleeping on the beach, she opted to sleep in her Pokeball, Avoiding change.

"Okay you two, Indy's pokemon are getting ahead OF us..... and that's no good, with me being a trainer. So today is a training day! First, we will train among yourselves then we will see if we can find any wilds to train against. Ok?" Dan said enthusiastically.

Both of the pokemon nodded and separated each other to opposite sides of a small space, ready to start.

"Okay, Go!" Dan shot his hand into the sky and back down as to copy one of those race starters he'd seen in some shows.

Burmy was the first to move to try to get a side hit on Turtwig, but, as she charged forward to hit him (Not tackle as he hasn't learned that, More of that attack Pokemon do when they don't have PP in any move left.... Can't remember its name atm), Turtwig dodged but only barely and swiped a little by the attack. As he dodged he withdrew into his shell and bulked up his defense before popping out, He quickly turned to face burmy and charged forward hitting Burmy dead on!

"Nice one Twig! C'mon Burmy you can do it!" He cheered trying to keep both of their energies up. As a retaliation Burmy quickly rushed and hit Turtwig. Critical hit! The attack hurt Turtwig more than anticipated but Turtwig still stood tall and hit Burmy with another attack.

Burmy Wasn't in a good place one more hit and She'd be defeated and She wasn't going to lose again! She charged again with a new plan instead of brute force. Turtwig thought the attack was pure desperation and it'd be easy to counter So he got ready to dodge and as Burmy got close he sprinted right, Avoiding the attack. But, as soon as Turtwig dodged Burmy stopped and Pushed himself towards Turtwig for an unsuspected hit, With a clear connection Turtwig was defeated...

He was embarrassed to lose a fight with a weaker Pokemon, Much less a bug but he accepted his loss and Grunted as a sign of a good fight.

"Awesome fight you two, Now let's eat and get you back to top shape." Dan said as Burmy jumped towards him out of excitement and Turtwig walked close, careful as to not pull any of his tired muscles.

After they had been fed again and rested for a while, They went deeper into the forest to find a wild pokemon to challenge. As they were walking they heard the bushes next to them rumble and two shadows Burst out from the bushes, Dan didn't know what they were but they seemed mad over something.....

Well I'm training with them, aren't I? He tried to convince himself. Yet all of a sudden, his thoughts were interrupted by a pokemon Indigo hadn't seen before!

The wild Cherubi (lv 7) was caught in the middle of moving from one bush to another. At first, he froze, hoping that the trainer would mistake him for a regular berry. But when Indigo kept staring, he knew... His cover was blown.

As they were walking they heard the bushes next to them rumble and two shadows Burst out from the bushes, Dan didn't know what they were but they seemed mad over something.....

A wild Cherubi (lv 10) was pissed off at a small wild Rattata (lv 4). The Rattata was trying to escape but he had been hit with Leech Seed and was exhausted. Cherubi had him cornered. She was growling at him, ready to launch another tackle.

Why was this Cherubi so angry? Probably because Rattata ate her vestibular second head, as it was missing.

Dan acted quickly, Sending his two Pokemon in the way of the incoming attack. Not wanting to see Rattata get hurt

"Okay you two, Burmy protect that Rat... Twiggy, go on the offense!"

It took only a second for the Pokemon to get ready for their roles. Dan quickly ripped out his Pokedex and scan the attacker.

"Okay Pokedex, What is that thing?"

"Cherubi, the berry pokemon. The small ball holds nutrients needed for evolution." The Pokedex said in its trademark electronic voice.

Small ball? There's no small ball...Just it's head. It took Dan a second to look at the picture displayed on his Pokedex to notice that her alternate head is missing.

"Oh, so that must be why you're so mad...Either way that's no excuse to attack random Pokemon! He probably didn't even know that was a part of you."

The Cherubi scoffed and got ready to circumvent the two Pokemon and finish off the Rattata.

"Okay now, Attack Twiggy" Dan said loudly.

Turtwig charged forward getting ready to hit Cherubi with tackle, but, he misjudged his terrain and tripped on a branch and slammed into the dirt which disoriented him. Leaving only Burmy to defend. The Cherubi charged and Burmy was just able to block the hit, Causing her damage instead of Rattata. She used struggle back, in a desperate attempt to get a hit on the Pokemon, but missed and hit herself with the recoil. Due to the earlier Training, Burmy was still a little sore from the fight, she braced for another hit and...

WHAM!

The Cherubi went flying to the side, taking an unexpected hit from Twiggy, which caused a critical hit, severely damaging the Pokemon.

Cherubi Grunted while getting back on its pseudo feet, and backed up, Knowing she had little chance against two Pokemon at once, especially with her energy source gone. She Grunted and darted back into the forest.

"Let's hope that that's the last of her." Daniel sighed, as he bent to tend to his Pokemon and the Rattata as best as he could. After feeding the wild Pokemon and letting him rest for a while, he bid farewell to the Pokemon, hoping the Pokemon could make it on its own.

Indigo stared at what seemed to be a particularly large, overgrown berry. "Sheesh, pokemon are so weird." He flipped his pokedex on and read the entry.

Cherubi, the Cherry Pokemon. Sunlight colors this pokemon red. It evolves by sucking the energy out of the small ball where it had been storing nutrients. When the small ball is drained of nourishment, it shrivels to herald evolution.

The Cherubi didn't seem like it wanted to fight, and so Hawka, Hero, and Indigo let it go on its own way. Hawka and Hero both decided to take breaks from training, and the three of them took it upon themselves to snack on the nuts and fruit trees back at Muzin for about an hour. There was a freshness and tastiness to the wild, just picked food that supermarket food just lacked. After being revitalized, his pokemon began chirping and whining once more. "You still want to train?" He was bored already, and sleepy. Wasn't there anything else to do? He folded his arms, looking up, quirking a brow and trying to think. "Alright, uh... While you guys train, I'll look for more stuff in the forest. Stay close though."

And once again, Hawka and Hero were at it. They were going to find that bully Rattata and make sure he knew that he hadn't won!

Yet another hour passed with his pokemon working hard and gaining experience, with Indigo perhaps finally finding some kind of item...

---

@Balthazar007

Yet another hour passed with his pokemon working hard and gaining experience, with Indigo perhaps finally finding some kind of item...

Indigo searched the forest high and low, but there didn't seem to be much left to find, besides Cheri Berry bushes. This was true until he ran across a berry bush that looked different than the rest...

(Indigo has found a rare Kee Berry bush with three ripe berries. Also, Hawka and Hero can gain another level for training.)

The Cherubi went flying to the side, taking an unexpected hit from Twiggy, which caused a critical hit, severely damaging the Pokemon.

(When Daniel's wild Pokemon encounter finishes, Twigy and Burmy can gain one level each for getting involved in this skirmish. )

After the conclusion of the battle, Dan left the forest to go to the beach, It took him almost an hour to get back from where he was.

"Okay you two, I don't like putting you two in your Pokeball, but with you two as exhausted as you are, It'll be safer this way."

Turtwig nodded and grunted in acceptance, He didn't like being in his ball, but he didn't care especially with his tired condition.

Burmy, on the other hand, liked being in a Pokeball. She liked the safety it offered and it's symbol as a time to get some quality alone time.

Dan absorbed both of his Pokemon in the ball and sighed, He decided to explore the shallow water and looked for anything that might've been left around by passing Wingulls. It was a mostly barren area but something caught his eye on the shoreline, It was round and flat, Probably just a stone, but he decided to pick it up.

"Wow, Kee Berries? Pokedex says these guys are pretty rare. Well, don't mind if I do..." And Indigo plucked the remaining berries off the bush, stashing them safely away in his pack. "Looking for stuff is kinda fun." It was low effort and required, really, little to no skill on his part. And after today, he was feeling quite accomplished and competent, having found a pearl and some rare berries. Maybe there's hope for lazy people like me... Ha. Maybe I could do this on the side for some extra cash. I sure owe Ma and Dad a lot of money after all those trips on Cinnabar... Maybe I can just like, open up a business for getting pokemon to find stuff... Still though, he was only 16! There were people who were, like, 25 that actually knew what they were doing. How was he supposed to compete with them? "Hmm.... Maybe I shouldn't try after all."

Truth be told though, Indigo was great at finding excuses not to try anything, ever.

He heard the sound of xylophones again, although this time it was combined with a strange, haunting, violin sound. It was inexpressibly exquisite. Music... Again? But I thought the Kricketot only did the xylophone sounds. Hawka and Hero seemed entranced as well. Indigo stooped down to Hero's eye level.

"Do you know what sound that is?" He asked, and Hero nodded, jumping excitedly in front of Indigo, pointing with his coiled antennae. Hawka chirped excitedly. "Okay... Lead the way," Indigo said.

They followed the sound of the music, the melodic pattern changing, as if someone or something was improvising as they were playing. They were impressive, whoever they were. And finally, Indigo, Hawka, and Hero, came to a stop behind a dense thicket of bushes that just revealed a clearing beyond.

Filled with soft grass, wild flowers, and tree stumps surrounding a single, mossy rock, the clearing may have looked like some sort of forest nook. Seated on the stumps were Kricketot, but standing proudly in the center on the rock was a pokemon Indigo hadn't seen before. He opened his pokedex to read the entry.

Kricketune, the Cricket Pokemon. It crosses its knifelike arms in front of its chest when it cries, signaling its emotions with its melodies. By allowing its cry to resonate in the hollow of its belly, it produces a captivating sound. It can compose complex music patterns ad lib. Scientists are studying these melodic patterns. There are even villages that host contests based on the amazingly variable cries of this Pokémon.

It wasn't just the sound though; much to Indy's astonishment, the sound itself appeared to be manifesting as physical, multicolored, music notes. Coming out in spiral, the music notes were every shade of color possible, they glittered in the afternoon light of the sun, glowing mysteriously. It was a beautiful sight, and the pokedex called it the Sing attack.

Indy thought back to when the Tepig had used Tail Whip the other day. That had been unexpectedly cool to see, too. Had... Had pokemon moves always looked so artistic? Maybe there was more to pokemon attacks than just battling? Indigo sat back, staring in awe, spellbound by the performance.

---

The stone was a Pearl! It looked pretty, but it could at least make Dan a bit of money. He searched for another 10 minuets but soon found himself bored. With nothing on the beach and his Pokemon taking a nap, there was nothing for Dan to do. He sighed and looked into the sky after sitting under the shade of a nearby tree and started thinking

Man.... Celia would love this place, She's always loved being at the beach so this would be right up her alley. I hope she's okay at home, Maybe one day she could visit me and Indy over here, Yea. that'd be nice.

Speaking of Indy... Dan hadn't seen him since this morning, He wondered what his friend was up to.

He picked his Pokedex out of his phone and called his friend.

"Hey Indy, You there?" Dan said as soon as he heard something other than a ring tone.

"Hey Dan," Indy replied in a hushed whisper after the Kricketune perform ance. "What's up? Let's get to where you are."

They met up in about twenty minutes, and the reason it took longer than usual was because Indigo had spied something on the path...
"Look here," he said grinning as he walked up to Dan. Hanging off his shoulder was not one, but two old fishing rods. Slightly dilapidated looks aside, they appeared to be functional. "Found these abandoned near some lunchboxes with nasty food. Guess they owners never picked 'an up. I figured, 'why not'?" He tossed the extra rod to Dan. "Well, knock yourself out I guess. By the way, we got any extra places to explore or you wanna do something? Or do you wanna start heading to Kope Town?"7

---

Dan took the rod and stored it in his bag, Not wanting to fish, at least for now.

"Thanks." Dan said

Dan thought about the question posed about exploring but decided against it.

"Let's go into Kope town...Hopefully soon enough to have a rest on a proper bed. Also, It's probably not the best to explore while my Pokemon are resting. Don't want to wake them. Ya know?" Dan said as he picked up his Pokeballs that had been resting in the sand.

"Shoot, whoops, I was wrong about that," Indigo said sheepishly. "Looks like the way to Kope Town is blocked? There's Shamba Town though, and there's even a gym leader there?" He wiped the sweat off his brow. "Going to the next town sounds like a good idea. I'm gonna take one last swim at Muzin... I mean we gotta go get our stuff anyways. Then we can head out?" Indigo then paused, thinking. "Say, actually, there's something I wanted to show you really quick..." Dan definitely had to see the sight of the Kricketune performance!

Dan was packing away the few items he had outside of his backpack.

"Hm? Yea, sure. Just make sure to pack your stuff first"

Let's just hope we don't run into anything... Eh even if we do, Indy's Pokemon can handle it. Dan thought to himself.

He only had a couple of items so pack-up was relatively quick for him.

As he waited for Indy to finish his business Dan sat on the beach on top of a rock as to not get wet from the waves, Looking at his Pokeball thinking of small, almost irrelevant topics.

Indigo had packed up his things, ready to go. He wasn't sure about showing the Kricketune performance anymore, as Dan didn't seem too interested in it. It was probably for the better because they needed to get through the forest to get to Quiet Road.

And so, after taking one last dip at the beach and packing, they were back off through Breezy Forest. But there was a certain something that Hawka and Hero were still determined to finish up...

It happened on the way,about an hour after they started, as the sun was beginning to set. Their old nemesis showed his face again-- the Alolan Rattata! With a gleeful cackle it came out of the bushes to pin Indigo to the ground. "Hey woah!"

But Hawka and Hero were ready. They went after the Alolan Rattata with their attacks prepared and their ability improved. Blow by blow, Tackles and Scratchs were exchanged.

Indy watched them, mouth agape and surprised. Was this what they had planning for? After more shuffling, the Alolan Rattata retreated, hissing. Hawka and Hero had not managed to defeat their opponent, as he was tough and crafty, but they had at least shown him a thing or two.

"I think my Pokemon work way harder than me," Indy said sheepishly. "They're so extra. All of that effort for a Rattata... I feel like I'm missing something here."

He certainly was but they continued

Dan watched the battle between Indy's Pokemon and the Alolan Rattata. After the battle concluded Dan said

"Wow, You've trained them well Indy. They're pretty strong already."

Admittedly Dan was a little jealous, but moreover impressed.

I need to get some serious training soon to catch up. Dan thought to himself as they continued their Journey.

Another hour passed before Dan said anything else,

"Wait... Didn't you say you wanted to show me something earlier?"

I didn't actually do anything... and they didn't even beat that single Rattata... They can't be that strong. Indy shrugged. "They're alright, I guess. I think they're kinda dumb for obsesing over that Ratata." While Indigo didn't quite care for strength or training, he did feel better that the Burmy he was going to release would probably at leaat be able to take care of itself more. And Hawka seemed to be able to protect Indy, which he felt reassured by.

The haunting sound of music filtered through the air, as if on cue by Dan's words. Indy smiled. Maybe Dan would be cool with seeing the bug Pokemon play? He wasn't entirely sure, and he was even a little nervous. Would Dan think he was lame? Was he, Indy, lame?

Hopefully not.

The music wasn't far from where they were,thankfully, and Indigo mentioned for Dan to follow him closely. Quietly the boys crept up on a clearing, a different one from earlier but the scene was magical all the same. The swirling, ephemeral music notes that manifested from the Sing of the Kricketune floated around daintily. The Kricketot followed the beat with their xylophone antennae.

"Isn't it cool?" Indy asked, trying to hide the excitement in his voice. He was sure it would have seemed incredibly uncool if he was excited about something like this. "I didn't know Pokemon attacks could look like this."

Dan wasn't particularly amazed by the display, nor was he too interested in it.

It's just a bunch of music. I don't get what the big deal is. Dan thought to himself. While though he didn't show these feeling on his face and instead opted to a more neutral look, as to not make Indy feel as though he wasted their time.

"Yea it's....cool?" Dan said trying to pick up more of an excited tune to his voice.

Dan did note the twinge of excitement in Indy's voice, So he decided not to rush to get a move on. Knowing that Indy was enjoying it.

I'm glad he's found SOMETHING that fascinates him Dan thought.

Professor Lukoo was done for the day and packing up his things when he heard the buzzer come from the front door. He wondered who would be showing up to his lab this late in the day. With deep sigh he walked down the hallway toward the main lobby. All the while, whoever was at the door continued to hit the buzzer repetitively.

When Lukoo entered the lobby, he could make out the two young individuals. He recognized them right away, but they weren't supposed to be here till tomorrow. As he opened the door, he asked, "Hello there. Aren't you two a little early?"

Beaming up with an infectious smile the girl responded, "Yes, we know. But we couldn't wait any longer! We're just too excited! Can we please get our starter Pokemon now!?"

Internally the professor was grumbling. He was looking forward to getting home to see his family after a long day's work. Externally however, he kept his composure. "I see. Well, I would have to turn my equipment back on and-"

The boy interrupted, "That would be wonderful sir." His tone was calming, charming even, and he held a soft smile. "We truly appreciate your help and understanding."

With a heavy heart, the professor smiled and invited them inside. He would have rather asked them to come back tomorrow (at their scheduled time), but these weren't just any two teenagers. They were the twin children of Septoh's reigning Grand Champion AND Septoh's most decorated coordinator—the most famous and wealthy power couple in the region.

They reached Wanzo town by 1:45 PM, spent and tired. "Hey, let's go stay at the Trainer Place? It's supposed to be a place we can stay for free or something? I'm bushed," Indigo said.

"Yea...Let's do that." Dan said, as the two shuffled into the Trainer Place. The check-in was quick and both Dan and Indy were in bed and asleep in no time.

It was about 9:45 AM when Dan woke up and began doing his morning ritual of basic hygiene. After that, he sat on his bed and as quietly as he could released Twiggy

"Hey, little Buddy. Feeling better from yesterday?" Dan whispered

Twiggy nodded, then nipped on Dan's shirt sleeve.

He sure likes to bite on my shirt...I wonder why?

A loud knock on the door came, he didn't look but it might've woken up Indy. Dan opened up the door, to a mailman standing there.

"Hello, is Daniel Gareth here?" He said in a gruff, loud voice.

"Uh yea... that's me" Dan said.

"Here's a letter, From a Ms.Celia" He said handing Dan a letter.

Dan took the note from the mailman, thanked him for the letter and closed the door.

He opened the letter and read it, smiling as anything from the family was enough to make him happy.

Part of the letter read:

Hey Danny! I hope the trip is going well! I wanted to write a letter to tell you that Metapod evolved! Into a butterfree, She's so adorable now, I wish you could see her. We all miss you, and we are rooting for ya!...
-Celia

P.S Mom is getting better, she's feeling a little stronger than when you left.

Dan smile drifted when he read the last line, He knew his Mom was sick but she should've recovered by now. Dan slipped the note into his
pack, and sat on the edge of his bed, Hoping his Mom would get better.

Indigo woke up around 10 to Hawka and Hero bumping all over him. Still feeling sleepy and groggy, he reluctantly he got out of bed,stretching and yawning. His Pokemon chittered and chattered excitedly.

"Oh hey, morning Dan," he yawned. "Just give me a sec and I'll be ready go go downstairs with ya. Guess we're gonna try to go to Shamba Town today right?" He rubbed his bleary eyes. "Neat.. Anyways."

After getting ready and fresh, Indy was dressed and ready to go. "Okay, well, let's get going I guess." He proceeded down the stairs to the lobby. Hmm.. I gotta get rid of Hero soon. He's so ugly and weird. He felt a smidge guilty but it also felt like he had to do it. After all, he didn't want any weird Pokemon on his team.