---

Tucked away on the eastern coast of Johto lied a sleepy little town known as New Bark Town. Despite this, it was home to a prestigious pokemon professor, Professor Elm. The day seemed like just about any other, the sun shone brightly through the streets, and soft breezes blew threw the trees, rattling leaves, and billowing the occasional set of loose clothing. The weather was warm, the sky was clear, the bird pokemon were singing, and all seemed well in the town.

But out on the edge of town was something different. Something unusual. A tall blonde man stood next to a tree on the road out of town, his jacket getting blown around by the aforementioned breeze. He had a scowl on his face as he scanned his surroundings. People who passed by pointed and talked amongst themselves as they slowly began to realize the man by the tree. It was none other than the reclusive champion, Isaac. Many would also recognize the equally tall Blaziken standing next to him. It was his original partner pokemon, Kick. He was far more sociable than his trainer, and was what most fans of Isaac ended up chatting with, even if Kick couldn't communicate very effectively.

Many kept their distance, whether out of disinterest, fear, respect, spite, it didn't matter much to Isaac. Those who did approach were often turned away by a scornful glare. But as he waited, there was a question on the people's lips: why was he here? What did the champion trainer of Johto want with a little town like this? While the knowledge that Isaac would be taking on the gym challenge yet again was fairly well known at this point, there were little to no details known about where or when his journey would start, or who even won the drawing to travel with him.

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this..." Isaac muttered under his breath as he put his fingers to the bridge of his nose. There was a short squawk of reassurance from the Blaziken next to him as the two continued standing. He had arrived pretty early, mostly just because he had nothing better to do at the time, and as such had been left waiting for over an hour for his "traveling companions". The thought of having to take care of two other people already filled Isaac with annoyance. They were probably too excited for their own good, or were going to bombard him with stupid questions. At least they weren't the paparazzi. Which, strangely enough, he hadn't seen any of here. Was this place too out of the way for them? Were they more focused on the professor that lived here?

It didn't matter much to him. The peace and quiet was nice while it would last, though he knew that at just about any moment it would be ripped away from him. Isaac began tapping his foot impatiently as he waited. If he was lucky, he could just use what was on his original team and blow through all of this in no time, and he could go back home.

"Finally! Took us long enough!" A young woman strode away from the largest building of the quiet town, leading her quiet companion. They were older than the younger kids who would generally visit the esteemed professor of New Bark Town. "Let's get going!"

A few agreeable yips came from her side, a purple Nidoran bounding around her excitedly. The boy trailing behind spoke up quietly, though. "Uh...w-wait, Ema. We're supposed to meet someone first..."

Ema rolled her eyes at his words. "Oh, come on now. We don't need a babysitter. Besides, why travel with our competition?" she questioned. "Let's just go on without him. Everyone's making him out to be special, but he won't be so special after I reach him." She bore a confident grin, encouraged by the yips around her ankles as she moved.

The boy let out a sigh, causing his own partner, a blue Nidoran, to nuzzle his cheek lightly from her spot on his shoulder. The boy smiled at her, scratching lightly behind her ear. "He's the Champion. He's earned that right. We're just the challengers," he retorted. "We kinda owe him that respect, don't you think?"

A frustrated sigh escaped the girl as she shook her head. "Fine, whatever you say, Leo. Where is the guy anyway?" she demanded, stopping her march to turn on her friend.

Meekly, he pointed down the path, having spotted Isaac as they were exiting the lab of Professor Elm. Emilya looked back and gave a nod, changing her strides to walk right to him. "So, you're the Champ, huh? I kinda expected...more?" A lazy smile accompanied her jab, but it was short lived as Leo caught up.

"Ema! Don't be rude!" Leo protested. He quickly turned to Isaac and bowed respectfully. "I'm sorry about her, sir. It's an honor to travel with you."

---

Isaac's face faded into somewhat of a scowl at the pair as they approached, his peace and quiet finally broken. One seemed somewhat... eccentric, while the other seemed much more polite and reserved. Was he just another kiss-ass? Or legitimately like that? The girl on the other hand, he immediately disliked. Too enthusiastic. She was going to be a handful, and that wasn't something he wanted to deal with. Maybe he could get Kick to deal with her?

He ignored the girl's comment as he looked them over closer. "Nidorans, huh? Not what I would have picked, but I suppose it's not the worst choice you could've made. Don't expect to get any Moon Stones outta me for them though." He stood up straighter to seem more orderly, mostly out of habit from innumerable interviews, speeches, and photos. He put his hand to his chin as he cracked his neck, a disappointed sigh escaping as no sound was made.

"I doubt the two of you have been living under a rock, but just in case you have, I'm Isaac, current reigon Champion, and I don't plan on giving that up anytime soon." He pointed a thumb over towards the Blaziken standing next to him, who was watching closely, trying to mirror Isaac's position. "This is Kick. He was my old starter. He isn't allowed to fight or anything like that, unless our lives are in danger. He's only here because he practically begged the Elite Four to go with and they agreed on that stipulation. You can talk to him if you want, I couldn't care less."

Isaac's posture slowly began to slouch as he gave up trying to keep standing up straight. There was so much talking, it was like giving interviews all over again. He let an exasperated sigh as he took a pause from his talking. This was going to be a long day. He'd better wrap this up quickly. "Given your ages I'm going to assume you know the basics like type matchups and status conditions. If not, well..." He gave a half-hearted shrug. "...You'll learn. I know the reigon pretty well, so we shouldn't get lost, even if we stray off the path. I wouldn't recommend doing that too often unless you're looking to hurt yourself or get stuck."

Isaac closed his eyes for a brief second to regain some amount of composure. It was almost over. Just a little more and they could hopefully get to Cherrygrove in relative silence. "I'm going to be doing the gym challenge along the way, you're free to join in, or just watch if you want, doesn't matter much to me." He looked over at the path leading out of town. "We'll be starting here at route 29. There's nothing worth catching or using, so don't waste your time. Just defeat what you can, and build up experience."

Isaac looked back at the pair, gesturing towards the exit to town, before beginning to walk that way, Kick following closely behind. "If you have any questions or concerns, we can walk and talk. Lets get moving."

Emilya frowned as the man began to give them instruction. Who was he to tell them where and what they should do? This was their adventure. "Not giving it up any time soon? We'll see about that," Ema commented under her breath to her friend. Then, louder, she stepped towards Kick, smiling broadly. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Kick!" Her Nidoran chirped up in response, but quickly bristled as it looked at the larger Pokemon. It might be small, it might be terribly underleveled to face something like this Blaziken...but it wasn't backing down at least.

Leo, on the other hand, quietly observed. One comment stuck in his mind as he observed the group. His eyes were locked on Blaziken. It was a Hoenn Pokemon, one that was typically rare in the wild but like any other region, it was one of three that each countered each other. Still, Torchic wasn't the best option among what was typically offered as a starter for new trainers. "With all due respect, sir..." Ema looked back in surprise as she heard the boy speak up. However, whatever defense he was going to give, it died out there. He glanced away for a moment, scratching the back of Nidoran's ear as he moved to follow. Instead, he changed his comment, attaching to a different comment from the champion. "Terra chose me. I'm happy with this arrangement."

Emilya quieted down at Leo's comment, smiling a bit more gently than had been seen so far. Instead of pushing the issue, she drew back, walking alongside him, her own Nidoran bounding right behind her to keep pace.

Despite his insistence of getting a move on, though, Leo seemed more interested in what was around him. They weren't strong Pokemon. Sentret, Rattata, and Pidgey were the most prevalent here. He was quick to stop and observe the Pokemon in their natural habitat. He would scan them with the Pokedex and take out a notebook, jotting down notes as he went. It was a slow crawl through the forest if he set the pace. Ema was happy to let him have it, taking her time to chatter away with her Nidoran or Kick. She didn't mind the slow pace and, if they were observing the Pokemon around this region, it would give her a chance to battle and gain experience as a trainer.

---

Isaac ignored most of the comments directed at him as they continued down route 29. The young boy seemed more interested in scanning things with his pokedex and taking notes rather than trying to actually do any battling to toughen his team up. But, that wasn't Isaac's problem. If he wanted to be unprepared for the road ahead, then so be it. The girl on the other hand was much like him when he first started, trying to see and experience everything around. Kick, while usually sticking close to Isaac, was more than happy to socialize with the two young trainers.

Their pace had begun to slow as they explored deeper into route 29, mostly due to the efforts of the young boy. Isaac rolled his eyes as the steps he took became shorter and shorter. Well, there was no time like the present to get some amount of training in. He grabbed the Pokéball from his belt and tossed out his Mudkip, Anchor. The little Mudkip beginning to run small circles around Isaac's legs in excitement. Eventually, Isaac scooped up the Mudkip, holding it out in front of him under its arms. "Alright, little man, your training begins now. We're starting you off on Hoppips. The ones around here dont fight back much, if at all." He crouched down next to Anchor, pointing to a nearby round and pink leafy Pokemon bumbling around. "Go use Tackle on it until gets knocked out." The Mudkip would let out a small "Mud!" before charging quite literally headfirst into the Hoppip.

Isaac turned towards the other two. "Come on you two, we're about halfway there, the south part of Route 46 is up ahead if you're really interested. We can't really go that way due to the ledges, but you might be able to find the stray Geodude or Spearow if you're into that. I'd personally like to make it to Cherrygrove before nightfall." He began to take a step towards the Mudkip running back towards him, when he turned back once more. "Oh, and by the way, rumor has it that Shinx have been seen around here recently. Don't get too close, they're pretty territorial, and will try and zap you for approaching. So either get ready for a fight or..." Isaac rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. He supposed it couldn't hurt to help these two out, if it made the trip faster.

"...You can use one of these." Isaac reached into his bag, pulling out two small blue Pokéballs with two yellow stripes in an "X" pattern. He pressed the buttons on them to bring them to normal size. He held them out towards the two "I'll be honest, I don't actually know how these work, but they have a pretty high catch rate when you initiate a battle." Isaac let out a sly grin. "Hey, the League said I couldn't bring any Pokémon with me, but they never said anything about items. I think I've earned that privilege at least."

The comments barely received a response from Leo, currently crouched near some of the taller bits of grass to observe one of the Hoppips. He was jotting down notes in his notebook, having already scanned it into the Pokedex. Well, he knew he could get more information from catching them. He had been hesitant before, intimidated by the older trainer who just seemed to want to push on. This was the first time he had really been able to explore and observe, though...it was starting to get the better of him.

Ema glanced over at his offer, looking at the odd Pokeballs in his hand. She had been fine with keeping pace with Leo, not minding the slow movement as she got to battle a bit more. She found ways to entertain herself and Tyrant was getting the experience he needed in battle. "Appreciate it, but I don't know a hand out," she replied with a smirk. That sounded interesting at least. Maybe Shinx would be her first Pokemon after Tyrant.

Despite her words, she did take one of the balls, though. Without missing a beat, she tossed it over towards Leo lazily. "Leo, think fast!" she called out.

The other trainer jerked up quickly at hearing his name. His hand reached up quickly, blocking his face, but entirely missing the Pokeball as it hit his arm and fell down in front of him. He looked at it for a moment before picking it up and looking it over. "A...Quick Ball?" he questioned before glancing back over at the Hoppip he had been studying. It was beginning to bounce away, deeper down the path.

"Don't waste it. Our gracious guide offered it to us," she commented, waving it off as she was already heading forward. "Let's go, Tyr. We're gonna find this Shinx."

"Uh...ah...thank you, sir," Leo said, bowing his head slightly. He pressed the button to let it shrink in his hand before slipping it into his pocket. He'd hold on to this one for the moment. He looked back only to see his most recent interest gone. With a small sigh, he got back to his feet, moving to follow along the rest of the group. "Er...sir...is it true that some of the Pokemon here only show up at night?" He had been quiet and too himself for most of the journey, but the thought had occurred to him.

With their pace, he might have to double back if he wanted to study all the Pokemon here.

---

Well, Ema seemed to at least like the challenge of finding and probably fighting said rumored Shinx. She also gave her Quick Ball to her friend, who probably needed it more, based on his actions so far. As she tossed it over at her friend, Isaac was just a little disappointed it didn't hit him in the noggin, but he at least had some decent reflexes, hopefully that meant he wouldn't get eaten alive by anything even remotely threatening. Well, probably not anyways.

It was about this time that Anchor had returned to him once more from another scuffle with the local Hoppip. Although this time he seemed to have a couple of wounds, likely from a Sentret or something. Well, training is training, so he'd take what he could get. His mind then returned to the Shinx. Anchor hadn't gotten his ground typing yet, so he was still vulnerable to electrical attacks. He'd just have to hope they didn't run into any, or that the kids would take care of it. Either that, or shut it down quickly with superior power. He turned his head towards Ema as he gave her some advice. "If we do manage to find one of these Shinx, they will try and blind you with an electric flash, and then either attack or escape while you're disoriented. Given that there's many of us, and likely only one of them, my bet is on the latter."

He returned Anchor to his ball. That was probably enough for him for now. Any more and he might might end up getting too overworked for when he really needed to fight. After all, Kick wasn't exactly allowed to fight. Speaking of, where was the big bird anyways? Isaac looked around somewhat confused. He usually stuck pretty close, though with the slow pace they were going at, he might've taken the opportunity to run around a little bit. Last he saw he was closest to Leo, likely interested in whatever Leo was doing with his little book. Actually, where was Leo?

Isaac flinched slightly as he heard Leo's voice from beside him. When did he get there? He should probably start paying more attention to his surroundings, given that he was basically taking care of two seriously green trainers. What a hassle. It also looked like Kick was further ahead in the path, the big red bird now standing out much more from all the green around. He seemed to be kicking something on the ground. A knocked out pokemon? Regardless, Leo had a question, and Isaac was thankful it wasn't something completely stupid, like, "What are grass types weak to?"

"Yes, some Pokémon only appear at night, or at least, become more active at night. Around here however it's mainly just Hoothoots. Rattata become more common, too, but you can already find those now. Do keep in mind that the inverse is true as well, in that there are Pokémon that only appear in the daytime, such as Pidgey and Sentret. Some even are only active during specific times of the day, or in certain weather conditions like rain. I won't reveal everything for you though. The whole discovery thing is your main reason for this I imagine, given your habit of scanning and note-taking."

Isaac pointed over at a small building within the trees, it was a checkpoint for separating the routes. "That's the checkpoint for route 46. We can't actually go that way yet, due to the mountainous terrain, but that does mean that we're a little over hallway to Cherrygrove. Let's keep going."

Ema didn't seem to hear Isaac, or, at the very least, opted to not respond. She continued forward, looking around, wanting to find this elusive Pokemon that would garner a challenge. She was sure Tyr would be up for the challenge. The purple form bound along beside her, wandering off every so often to attempt scaring off other Pokemon with cry. At one point, he even looked to challenge Kick, but it likely wouldn't go anywhere. Let him have his fun until it was time for a real fight.

In the meantime, she observed the Pokemon around her. Rattatas and Pidgeys and Sentrets were abundant. None of it was entirely interesting to her, but she did want to build up her team. She considered her options before ultimately deciding not to. She didn't want to fill up her team only to replace them later on. Shinx would be a good option for her first Pokemon. The thought brought a smile to her lips.

Leo gave a nod to the explanation. "That's what I thought...will we be stopping to rest at Cherrygrove? Before we push on to Violet City?" he asked. "It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to catch an electric type. Or at least another flying type. Our Nidorans and your Mudkip won't be entirely effective at the-" He cut himself off, realizing how much he had been talking and who exactly he was explaining it too. His face flushed for a moment before he glanced away. "Sorry, sir. I'm sure you already know all that."

---

Isaac glanced over at the young boy. "I do. But don't worry, I've got a plan. Falkner isn't as strong as you might think, and Sprout Tower isn't that big of a hassle. There's a cave just outside of Violet City I plan on taking advantage of. There's a few rare pokemon there that should prove useful. And yes, we'll be resting in Cherrygrove, getting stranded in the middle of a route at night is a good way to get hopelessly lost. That, and the vampires." Isaac raised his eyebrows jokingly at his last statement. Though there was that one time with that Golbat...

Isaac continued on, dismissing the thought. There was one last grassy stretch of road beside a small ledge. The color of many of the trees in the distance began to change from green to pink, signaling their destination was close. Isaac pointed up to the ledge. "There's an apricorn tree or two up there, if you're into collecting those. You can make Pokéballs with them if you know what you're doing. I know I guy in Azalea who might be make them for you."

Isaac's eyes scanned the surrounding area. It was more of the same at this point. Rattata, Sentret, the occasional Hoppip, the usual suspects. Isaac, however, was looking for other details. Things that might betray the presence of a hidden pokemon, or might lead to hidden areas. For the first few moments, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until he spotted a nearby tree, with black soot around its base. He held up his hand by his side, to signal the others to stop. "Hold it. Look there."

Isaac crouched down into a catcher's squat and pointed out the charred tree base. "See that? That's from something being burnt. That typically only happens from fire or electric types. And considering there are no known fire types around here, well, except for Kick here," He looked over at Kick, who was on a knee beside him. "I think we're in Shinx territory. Watch your step, or you will get hurt." He then pointed to a nearby patch of pink trees. "Cherrygrove is nearby. We can always come back later after we're more prepared. It's up to you." He stood back up, dusting himself off, looking back at the two young trainers. "So what's the plan kiddos?"

Leo raised an eyebrow in response to the joke, taking in the information. It made sense. There were plenty of Pokemon that would make a gym that specialized in flying types a little easier. It wasn't like Mudkip was powerless either. Ground type moves would just be ineffective as a whole.

Not that Terra would fare any better. She could hold them at bay with poison and normal moves, but any fighting moves would be difficult to pull off. Then again, he didn't need to dominate. He wasn't very interested in all of that anyway. This was just a means to an end. He needed the badge to keep moving forward. "I'll be sure to stay close then," he stated softly.

Following the more experienced trainer, he paused as he noticed something a moment before Isaac himself pointed it out. It stood out among the greenery that filled this route and, to his knowledge, only one Pokemon in the area would be capable of that type of damage. His thoughts were confirmed when he was given that warning. He gave a quick nod, glancing around for other signs of the Shinx in question. It would do them better to get the jump on this one quickly. Shinx would definitely be a welcomed addition to their crew as they take on the gym challenge.

However, Ema didn't seem to hear the warning. Or she didn't care. It was probably the latter.

She marched out with Tyr at her side, not even making an attempt to hide or sneak around the area. "Okay, buddy. Let's fine him. It'll be good training for our next match." The Nidoran gave a confident chirp in response, bristling slightly before casting its eyes around the area, looking for its opponent.

---

Isaac looked over at the fiesty girl, declaring her intent to find said Shinx that had made its home around here. "Uhh... look, I'll let you go looking for the thing, but if you get knocked out, I'm not carrying you Cherrygrove." Isaac snapped his fingers, causing Kick's head to immediately turn towards Isaac's direction. "Go with her. Make sure she doesn't end up getting herself killed. If push comes to shove, step in." Kick nodded, before standing up and taking a few quick strides over to Ema, before bowing with a short squawking sound. He stood close behind her, giving a quick "thumbs-up" to Isaac.

"I'll let you take point on this one, since you're so adamant about catching this thing. Besides, if you get knocked around a bit it'll be a good learning experience. And really funny. As for you, little man," He looked towards Leo. "Keep an eye out yourself too, y'hear? Heaven forbid both of you get KO'd." He groaned slightly at the thought of these two getting seriously injured. That probably would earn him some pretty bad press, and he'd never get to hear the end of it from his PR manager. Then there'd be a mountain of insurance paperwork, hospital bills, and who knows what else.

Fortunately, Isaac had been zapped more than a few times at this point, and was completely overhyping this thing. He knew that smaller electric types like Shinx weren't capable of doing much harm alone. If that brat did end up getting zapped, she'd probably just get stunned more than anything. He looked over to the ash on the tree nearby. It was likely from a prolonged battle against something with a decent amount of fluff. Probably a Sentret. If they were lucky, it would probably be all tuckered out by now. Isaac gestured down the path, a smug grin on his face. "By all means, lead the way princess."

Ema didn't seem to pay him any mind. At least, that's the way she seemed. Princess? He could screw right off with all that. She hadn't realized being a champion meant being a smug prick. Still, she couldn't back down now. Not after her previous statement. She moved away, walking out into the forest as she looked around for the small creature. "Huh...I wonder what it looks like..." she murmured, more to herself than anything. "I think Leo talked about these types before, but...agh. I should've paid more attention."

She paused as she made it past a few sets of trees, looking out at a small creature, nibbling on a berry it had found. It was light blue with black on its lower half and tail. Bright yellow speckled it with color around the ears and ankles and the end of its tail. Ema frowned for a moment, considering it. Was this it? It wasn't that strong looking...but it was different from the others she had seen so far.

Reaching down for a Pokeball at her waist, she gave a nod to Tyr. "Okay then. Tyr, let's get to it. We have the jump on it. Go get it," she ordered. Tyr let out a loud cry as it rushed out. The Shinx looked up, startled, just in time to be bashed to the side by a Tackle from the small Pokemon. It hit the ground, but got to its feet readily, growling in response before letting out its own cry.

As his friend stalked ahead with Kick close behind her, Leo stayed patiently by Isaac's side. He scanned the area for other types of Pokemon, but didn't find any initially. He did stop to inspect the burnt section of the tree a little more closely, though. He came to the same conclusion as Isaac as he looked over. Shinx didn't have a large amount of firepower. Not at their level. The evolved forms could do some damage, but...to make this much of a lasting impression, it had to have been a battle. Which meant another Pokemon might be injured nearby.

He paused as the group moved ahead without him, glancing over at Terra. She was sniffing the air curiously, seeming to already pick up on what Leo was interested in. Bounding away, Leo slipped away after her, following her into the forest for the moment, under cover of the starting battle.

---

Kick stayed close to Ema, his orders clear. Though he tried to keep some distance. If the Shinx saw him first, it would almost certainly flee. He didn't want to make anybody upset. He'd probably never hear the end of it from the young girl. He'd try to stay hidden as much as he could. Well, about as hidden as a big red bird in a forest could be. He decided to stick close to a nearby tree, and stay close to the ground and watch from there. His instincts were telling him to fight, but he knew he needed to be patient.

Isaac instinctively looked behind him as he saw Leo and his Nidoran slip off into the forest. Great. Exactly what he needed. An inexperienced trainer running headfirst into who knows what. Especially this kid. A Hoppip could probably kick his ass. At least this wasn't Mt. Mortar. Even he still gets a little lost there. After a brief moment of consideration, Isaac followed after Leo. Kick could mostly take care of himself, and the girl too, if need be.

"Where the hell are you going?" Isaac hissed. You'll get lost out in those woods real fast." He looked over to see the Nidoran from before seemingly searching for something. Food? Battle? Isaac sighed as he regained his composure, motioning for Leo to continue following his pokemon. "Look, I don't mind if you do some exploring, but you've gotta tell me when you're going off the beaten path. A fledgling like you can get seriously hurt or lost out here, alright? What is it you're even looking for?"

Leo froze as he heard the older man's voice, turning to face him with a blank look for a second. Then, he shook his head. "I was...uh...there's another Pokemon here?" It was phrased as a question, worried it wouldn't be a good enough reason to the elite trainer. He wasn't blind. He could see the man was begrudgingly humoring them. He didn't want to be here. He would probably rather be facing down the best of the best that had already earned their badges. Instead, he got a girl who was eager to make a strong team and see the world along with a boy who couldn't keep up and really just wanted to observe every Pokemon they came across.

Thankfully, the response was saved as he heard Terra chirp up, bounding out from behind a tree. The concern forgotten and replaced with a new one, Leo turned back, watching her bound away again. "Ah, sorry," he muttered before following after her. She was sniffing at another figure, a small feathered one with drooped eyes. It let out a small, weak cry, one of the large eyes looking up to him weakly. It had some bruises, its brown feathers ruffled and singed from the electrical burns it suffered. He cursed quietly to himself as he crouched down beside the Hoothoot.

"Do I have any Potions on me?" he muttered to himself, pulling his bookbag around to start going through it. As he was, though, seeming to be of a similar line of thought, Terra had moved over, seeming to find something of interest on Leo's belt. Pulling away, she had one of his Pokeballs in her mouth. It grew to its normal size as she hit a mechanism and hopped back in surprise, chirping her irritation.

Leo glanced down and his eyes lit up. "Pokecenter. Right. That makes sense." He grabbed the ball and placed it in front of the Hoothoot. "Hey, little buddy. I can get you fixed up. Just need you to get in here for a little bit." Hoothoot looked at the trainer skeptically, clearly untrusting of this human, but not being able to move away.

Terra chimed in again, bounding around to his other side. She nudged the Pokeball a bit closer. The Hoothoot sagged a bit, but reached forward to tap the button on the center. Enveloped in red light, it let out another sad hoot before shifting away into the ball, the light going out almost immediately with no fight left in it.

---

Isaac let out a sigh once more as the situation came to an end, attempting to regain his composure. The kid certainly looked pretty spooked, and continuing to drill into him would probably just make things worse at this point. He'd need to play nice for now to try and defuse any leftover tension. His main priority right now was getting the group back together. With Emma's recklessness and Leo seemingly having all the bravery of a Sunkern, they were bound to get into some sort of trouble alone.

"Look, I'm glad you're trying to help the poor thing, but next time you've gotta tell me when you're going off like this. An that goes for you too." Isaac poked a finger towards the blue Nidoran. He hoped it at least somewhat understood the message. It was smart enough to grab a ball off of Leo's belt to grab the Hoothoot. Either way, he'd probably need to keep a closer eye on those two than originally anticipated.

He jerked his thumb behind him. "Let's head back for now. Kick is better at fighting than babysitting, and I get the feeling he's probably getting a little antsy. And if you're heading towards the Pokécenter, it shouldn't be too much farther. The trees are already starting to change color, so Cherrygrove is practically within spitting distance from the main path." Isaac turned towards the way he had came. "Let's go." As he walked towards the main path of Route 29, his face slowly began to sag into it's usual scowl. Today was going to be longer than he though. At least they were almost to town. Hopefully they'd wear themselves out there, and he could have a moment to himself.

Terra bristled a bit at the reprimand, bounding back around her Trainer. Leo simply gave a small nod, though he still seemed more focused on the Pokeball, not containing the injured Hoothoot that could rest. He reached over to scratch the back of the Nidoran's ear before standing up. "Okay. Let's head back." Terra gave another chirp, continuing after Leo as they moved back towards where Emilya had begun her battle.

Tyr was already beat up, but the Shinx wasn't doing much better. The first tackle had poisoned it and it was rapidly losing stamina, panting as it glared at the trainer and Pokemon. Ema smirked a bit as she watched it look for its way out. "Don't let it escape," she stated. The Nidoran charged forward just as the Shinx began to turn to bolt away. A quick tackle knocked it back down. This time, though, it was struggling to get up. Tyr was panting a bit, marks along its body from the electrical discharge, but still standing. Luckily, Shinx didn't have much to really rival Tyr. It was able to do some damage, but nothing that was overtly effective.

With her quarry on the ground, she brought out one of her Pokeballs, tossing it over to it. It impacted, the Shinx being enveloped in the red light as it was brought it. The ball jostled gently once...twice...three times...and then was still.

A wide smile spread across her face as she jogged over to pick it up. "Good job, Tyr. He's a fighter. He'll make a good addition." She picked up the ball, replacing it at her belt. "You did good too. Get some rest." Tyr let out a small sound as it relaxed a bit, but then bristled a bit, as if remembering its standoffish attitude that he had when first being captured. Still, he accepted being returned to his ball without a problem, earning himself his rest just as Leo and Isaac were returning.

---

Kick watched carefully as the Shinx and Nidoran battled to a standstill, eventually ending with Emma capturing the Shinx. Kick stepped out of his hiding spot by the trees towards the girl. He only wished he could've taken part. It had been quite some time since he last had a serious battle. Not many trainers managed to make it all the way to the champion's room, and given Isaac's track record, people began to get slightly discouraged, and the frequency of challengers fell even more. Even so, the Blaziken gave an affirming squawk to the young trainer, signaling a job well done.

It was about this time that Isaac stepped out of the brush and back to the rest of the group. Isaac eyed Emma, Pokéball in hand, and a mysterious lack of a Shinx. He gave a smug grin, and spread out his arms to his side "Ah, the conquering hero captures her first companion. Well done." He put his arms back down. "No, but really, that'll be useful later. Anyways..." He spun on one foot towards the pink trees in the distance. "Barring anymore interruptions, Cherrygrove is just a short distance away. You can tell by the trees." He pointed towards several of the pink cherry trees in the distance. He began walking ahead. "Let's get going."

Kick ran back to Isaac's side, attempting to get his attention to tell his of Emma's exploits, but was mostly brushed off. Isaac seemed to be more focused on the road ahead than his companions. Kick wondered if there was something on his mind that was making act this way. He was usually much more attentive when it was just the two of them. Isaac's posture began to slouch, and his eyes seemed very tired. Maybe all this forced socialization was beginning to take its toll on him. Kick decided he'd need to be extra perceptive to make up for his trainer's apparent fatigue.

At last, however, the landscape changed from green forest to pink cherry trees and paved walkways as the party approached the entrance to Cherrygrove City. The air was sweet, the sound of the ocean could be heard nearby, and the city ahead was covered in light colors and happy people with their Pokémon. Fortunately, as far as Isaac was concerned, none of the passers-by had seemed to have noticed him yet. Maybe he could stay incognito? Isaac turned to the two young trainers, a surprisingly nostalgic look on his face.

"Well, this is it. Welcome to Cherrygrove City. Though if you ask me it's more of a town than a city. It's got lots of old folks who like to retire here, mostly down by the beach area. Some even open up little shops to spend tneir last few years tending to it." Isaac turned his head toward the city, allowing a single chuckle to escape. "You know, back when I was a kid, there used to be a candy shop in the middle of town. They were the only place around here that sold cotton candy. I wonder if they're still open..." Isaac seemed to snap back to his usual self, his somewhat dour expression beginning to return as he turned his gaze back towards Leo and Emma.

"I'm going to assume you know how to identify Poké Centers and Marts, right? Centers have a red roof, while the Marts have blue ones. They use a standardized color determined by the Pokémon League, so once you learn to spot the color, they're easy enough to find." Isaac turned around towards the city entrance. "I'm headed towards the Center, if you want to make a stop there, it's just around the corner." Isaac pointed to a rectangular building with a curved roof colored a deep red. Otherwise, feel free to explore the city and entertain yourselves. I think I'm due for a sit-down. And if we do decide to split up, let's regroup back at the center here after a while, yeah?" Isaac gave a stretch of his arms before heading into the city.

The two listened quietly, Ema's eyes already wandering over the town she hadn't seen since she was little. Leo's eyes were fixed to Isaac, listening intently to his instructions. He glanced over towards the red roofed building at the end of the explanation, considering his options before turning towards Ema. "I think I'm going to the Pokecenter first. I found a Hoothoot that I think ran into your Shinx," he explained. "Want me to meet you somewhere?"

Ema grinned a bit as she gave a shrug. "I'll tag along. Shinx could use rest too," she said. She didn't state it clearly, but she was worried to leave him alone in a new city. Neither of them had left New Bark Town often, but she knew he had been more of a homebody than she was. Leaving him alone in a new place like this was worrying to her, even if it's only a small town. "Maybe we can get them healed up and take a look around? You've never been to the beach before, right?"

Leo returned her grin at that, nodding a bit. "I like that idea. Okay, let's go." The two made their way to the Pokecenter without much more discussion, taking in the sights as they went. It was a nicer view than either were used to...it was a wonder that it was just a day's walk from New Bark Town itself. Not long after, they were in the center, handing over their Pokeballs to the attendant at the desk. It only took a few minutes for them to run through the machine. Ema wasn't quite sure how it worked, but they came out right as rain afterwards. It was probably a mixture of some healing items that brought them back up to peak condition. It was a wonder they didn't need to pay for that, but it was probably fronted by the Pokemon League to make this possible.

With their friends back in hand, the two set off again to journey through the town, taking in the sights and enjoying the short break before they would be hitting the road again.

---

As Isaac and Kick stepped through the doors of the Pokécenter, the pink-haired nurse behind the counter immediately recognized him, greeting him with a smile. "Ah, champion Isaac! It's good to see you here. Here for business?" The nurse extended a tray to put the pokeballs in, as Isaac silently slipped the ball containing Anchor into it. Isaac glanced around the room, as several people seemed to have heard the nurse say "Champion Isaac" and were now looking in his direction, some taking pictures with their phones or whispering to each other while pointing in his direction. "...Yeah, something like that." He finally responded. The nurse handed back the ball containing Anchor and gave him a polite bow. "Until next time, champion Isaac."

Isaac tried not to pay attention to the various stares he got as he exited the building, now standing back on the street. It looked like those two kids were going to go off exploring on their own. This seemed like a good time to finally get some alone time. Or rather, alone and being followed by a big red bird-man. What to do, what to do...

There was always the mart, though he didn't know if they would honor the badges he had, given his current arrangement. He had enough healing items and a variety of Pokéballs to get him through the next few towns, though he'd probably end up having to share them with Emma and Leo. It would probably be a good idea to restock once they hit Violet City. The trek to Azalea Town would be a long one. He'd probably end up using quite a bit just fighting off the sheer number of Pokémon that like to hang out around Route 32. And then after all of that there was Union Cave they had to go through. Though from the little he knew about Leo, he'd probably be begging to go to the Ruins of Alph. There weren't too many Pokémon there, but the place always kind of creeped him out.

But that wouldn't be for a while, they still needed to traverse Routes 30 and 31 before they even got to Violet City. That, and Isaac wanted to make a stop at Dark Cave for a certain rare Pokémon. Isaac sat down on a nearby bench in the shade of a cherry blossom tree as he pondered his thoughts about what was next. There was a squawk from Kick as he grabbed and pulled on Isaac's wrist, seemingly wanting him to follow. "What now?" Isaac moaned. Kick gave another firm tug on Isaac's wrist and let out another squawk. Isaac sighed as he got up from the bench, his wrist still in Kick's talons.

Kick suddenly took off, pulling Isaac behind him. Isaac, not expecting this, could barely keep up with him, nearly tripping on multiple occasions as Kick guided him though various city streets. After a few moments of racing down the streets, Isaac finally recognized where they were headed. It was that old candy shop he had talked about at the entrance of town. He was surprised Kick still remembered where it was, given he was just a Torchic when Isaac was still going there. Kick slid to a halt as the two stood in front of where the old candy shop used to be. It wasn't a candy shop anymore. It was instead a bakery, specializing in fruit tarts. Though oddly enough the name was still the same.

Kick let out a sad "Blaaaze..." as his shoulders dropped. He seemed pretty saddened by the discovery. The owners were pretty ancient, even when Isaac was a kid, so it wasn't too surprising for him to find out, but even still, the reality of it still kind of hurt. Well, since they were here, he might as well check the place out.

Stepping inside, Isaac's senses were immediately assaulted by an extremely sweet fruity smell, and a blinding white interior. A pale, black-haired man stood behind the counter, seemingly writing something down from a nearby laptop. "Welcome to--" The man looked up from the paper, seeming to recognize Isaac and Kick almost immediately. "Y-You're... Champion Isaac! My grandparents used to talk about you visiting this place all the time! They had no idea they were serving a future champion. What can I get you?" Isaac seemed somewhat confused. "What do you mean they talked about me? I don't quite recognize this place. Didn't this place sell candy way back when?" The man behind the counter gave a knowing look. "My grandparents used to own this place. Unfortunately, they ended passing away about six years ago now. I used to work here when I was younger and ended up inheriting the place. I wasn't any good at making candy, but I had discovered I had a passion for baking, and, well, now we sell baked goods.

Isaac nodded in understanding, and gave Kick a slight nudge. "Hear that Kick, it's still the same place, just looks a little different." Kick seemed to brighten up a little upon hearing the words, but didn't seem entirely convinced either. Looked like there was only one way to remedy that. "Let me get two of those Mago cakes there." He pointed to a group of pink pastries in a display case. The man nodded. "Right away, sir!" One transaction later, and Isaac and Kick were both now the proud owners of two Mago cakes. Isaac waved goodbye to the new owner of the shop, before stepping outside and handing one of the pastries to Kick. His face lit up one more as he began to devour the small cake. But that was enough exploring for now, he had better head back to the Pokécenter and wait for the two greenhorn trainers.

The two greenhorns in question had taken to relaxing at the beach, not far from town. They had visited a few of the local stores, Leo taking the time to find something tasty for not just them but their Pokemon. He had found some pastries and snacks for them to enjoy while they relaxed. He was also the first to release his Pokemon out into the opening. Terra chirped happily as she was able to stretch and enjoy the outdoors. Hoothoot was...less excitable, hesitant as it looked over its new trainer and the Pokemon.

Leo plopped himself down in front of the two, smiling widely at his new friends. He laid out a cloth to place an assortment of berries in front of Terra. She chirped happily again, immediately digging in. In front of Hoothoot, he placed down two options. It was more berries that he had given Terra, but also small pieces of jerky he had bought. He was pretty sure he remembered Hoothoots largely being carnivores, eating small rodents as their main diet. Still, he didn't want to assume what this one would prefer. "Don't worry, buddy. You're safe. Enjoy the snack. Play with Terra for a bit," he said softly, trying to help relax his new friend.

Hoothoot cooed apprehensively, eyeing the food suspiciously. Terra seemed to pick up on this. Sidling closer to it, she looked over the options before timidly taking one of the berries. She made a muffled cry to the owl-like Pokemon before devouring the berry happily. The Hoothoot watched her for a moment before hopping forward. Lowering its head, it nipped at one of the piece of jerky. There was a pause as it took in the taste before it dug in, happily accepting the snack.

Ema had also released her Pokemon, though her bonding session was much different. The Shinx came out and immediately bristled in annoyance, letting out a growl. This elicited a warning chirp from Tyr. "Oh, relax, Tyr. He's gonna be our partner now," she stated confidently, striding forward. "You're with us now, Sparky. Time to get used to it." She stooped down to lift him up, a quick burst of electricity coursed out from the Shinx, causing Ema to let out a yelp as she let go.

Tyr was quick to pick up on this and immediately charged, tackling the Shinx with a war cry. It was the Shinx's turn to let out a yelp as it fell back. Getting back to its feet, he growled at Tyr and brought the two to a standstill. "Enough of this!" Ema strode forward again, grabbing Shinx and holding him up. Another burst of electricity burst forth, but this time, the girl grit her teeth and locked eyes with the Shinx. "I said, enough." The authority in her voice made the Shinx pause, shrinking back from the trainer for a moment.

A smile split across her face at that. "Good. Glad we understand one another. Now, get to know your new friend." She put the Shinx down and the response was one of confusion, looking up at the trainer and then at Tyr. Tyr continued to eye it suspiciously, waiting for it to step out of line. It seemed to have accepted the order of things, though, shrinking away slightly.

It wasn't long for Shinx to get along with Tyr. Well, get along was a strong word. He tolerated the Nidoran. They weren't fighting anymore and that was a plus.

This was the situation they found themselves in as they returned to the Pokecenter. Hoothoot sat atop Leo's shoulder, Terra having resumed its rest on his head, exhausted from playing the past few hours. Tyr and Shinx were bounding around Ema's legs, nipping at each other. It was hard to tell if they were playing or just annoying each other, but they were staying with their trainer now, at least.