▲

Light scratches and bruises marred the Petilil’s leaves, the remnants from her most recent battle as she picked around in the dirt for freshly dropped berries to heal her wounds. She didn’t think that Spearow would be that tough, even with a type advantage.

She gorged herself on all the ripe oran berries she could find littering the ground, feeling her stamina return a little more with every bite. It wasn’t until her fourth or fifth berry in a row that the Petilil noticed the faint white sheen that rubbed off whenever she rolled it between her stubby arms.

Wax! Of course! The waxy coatings on the berries protected them from the rain, the intense sun, even from bruising when they fell off the bush- if she could get some wax of her own, maybe it’d offer her a little more defense. An edge in battle. Her own bright green leaves lacked the sheer film, but she was determined to find some, enough to give herself a thick protective layering. Surely she could raid a Combee hive for some, sneak up on the buzzing bugs while their backs were turned and take a handful or two. They wouldn’t even notice.

There was just one problem- there were no Combee nearby. She’d only really ever seen them in swarms, here one day and gone the next. And she was pretty sure Cutiefly didn’t make any wax, just pollen puff balls.

That only left her with one option- and here they were, strolling down the dirt path with an umbrella covering their face. The Petilil hesitated, holding on to one last oran berry- she didn’t like the idea of asking anyone for anything, much less a human. The grass-type was brave! Tough! A fighter! Warrior queen of Petilils! … Or at least, she was going to be. Asking for help was a sign of weakness! … But at the rate she was progressing, she’d never reach her goal.

The human was nearly upon her when she at last made a decision. Begrudgingly, she hopped over to the person and peeked under the umbrella. <Hey. Do you have any...> Bright brown eyes widened when she spotted the ekans curled up on the woman’s shoulders and another blue pokemon she didn’t recognize sitting atop her head. <Ah! You’re a trainer!>

“... Uh. Yes?” Was all Akane could think of to say. She half expected the little grass type to run off, but instead her leaves seemed to be quivering with excitement.

<Great! This is great!> It was exactly what Petilil was looking for! Who cared about fighting other wild pokemon- everyone knew the fastest way to get stronger was to battle trainers! Her earlier mission quickly forgotten, she pointed an arm at Akane, dropping the oran berry. <Then I challenge you to a battle! Send out your best warriors. If you can best me, I will let you pass.> There was a distinct sneer in her voice as she qualified the statement. Akane narrowed her eyes at the pokemon, but she quickly continued. <I wouldn’t count on it, though. Prepare to be sent packing!>

With no warning, a faint green glow surrounded the Petilil. Power seemed to flow through her leaves and into her onion-shaped body as the growth lent her some strength.

<Chyaaaa!> With her best battle-cry, she launched herself at the trainer’s shins.

Akane stumbled backwards, dropping the umbrella as she tried to get away from whatever the Petilil was attempting. Monte curled tighter around her arm and tucked his head under one of his own coils to hide; Vector, startled by the sudden movement, took to the air once more. The woman was just able to spin out of the way of the attack, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process.

<You’re not supposed to go after the human during a battle!> Vector shouted in a cross tone that sounded an awful lot like a teacher scolding a child.

<Don’t complain unless you’re going to come down here and stop me yourself!> Petilil spat back.

“Vector, you got this?” No reply, but Akane noticed how the zubat’s ears angled and rotated, trying to pinpoint the wild pokemon’s exact location. She hovered in the air for a moment more, concentrating, before the Petilil shrieked.

<Ahhh!> She could feel her stamina draining away, absorbed by the unfamiliar pokemon. <Alright, you want to play it that way- let’s see how you like it!>

What little energy Vector had drained away from the Petilil was quickly reclaimed by the grass-type; she hissed between her fangs.

Akane didn’t need her PhD in computer science to realize the battle could easily loop on like this forever. “Try supersonic!” The trainer clamped her hands over her ears in preparation for the attack.

Vector opened her mouth wide, emitting a high-pitched screech that registered at the highest frequency Akane could hear, even with her ears covered. But the Petilil seemed unbothered. In fact, she was smiling, the leaves atop her head rippling with glee. <You think a little thing like that will stop me?> It was more annoying than anything.

Akane frowned. The sun was quickly setting now; if this dragged on for much longer they’d be caught out on route 1 at night. Time to take stock of her options. Sending Monte out there was off the table- the snake was still curled on top of himself in an effort to hide. And she didn’t want to risk hurting Pauli…

“Vector, dodge!” The trainer shouted, noticing the Petilil staring up at her beloved Zubat the same way as before. She obeyed, soaring through the air with wild, unpredictable flapping motions.

<Sit… Still!> Frustration replaced the usual arrogance in her voice as her absorb missed, and missed again. <Augh! Fine! If you won’t come to me...> The grass-type set her sights on the woman once more. <Then I’ll just go to you! See how you like this-!>

She charged once more, but the trainer was ready this time. Pokeball in hand, she pressed the button and chucked it firmly at the Petilil. Her teeth grit as it encapsulated the pokemon in a flash of bright light. The battle had been pretty evenly matched, considering they only had one damaging move between the two of them, and the Petilil had plenty of fight left in her. But as a trainer, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a pokemon eager to prove herself in battle… If she could convince her to listen.

The pokeball rocked. Once, twice...

▲

She watched the pokeball for a few more seconds after it shut with the usual distinct click. When she was sure the feisty Petilil wasn’t going to burst out and attack again, Akane stooped to pick it back up. She scooped up the umbrella as well, which miraculously survived the encounter unscathed. At first the woman lofted it over her head, but when she realized the sun was low enough in the sky it didn’t make a difference, she closed it once more.

<It’s over?>

“Yep. You did well.” The compliment was very matter-of-fact. Vector’s ears perked up. “Excellent dodging skills, though I think-”

<Egg?> Monte interrupted the two unceremoniously. He’d since unraveled, stretching his long thin body down Akane’s side to gum at the pokeball in her hand. The trainer gently shook him free, wiping the saliva off the pokeball with her leggings while scratching the snake under his chin. Temporarily dissuaded, the ekans tilted his head, yellow eyes watching with some confusion as Akane tucked the ball away and swapped it for a berry. He reached out when she held it up to him, gripping it firmly between his jaws but making little headway as he tried to chew on it.

“It’s getting late”. Later than she would have liked- their little battle with the Petilil set them back. “Let’s hurry on to Ara Village. There’s a few things I need to pick up there. And it’d be nice to sleep in an actual bed.” The trainer wasn’t totally against roughing it on a route, but the very first one? No thank you.

She thought the zubat would have landed on her by now, but the pokemon was flapping about contentedly. “Are you okay to fly there?”

<Yes.> Despite her efforts in battle, Vector seemed even more energetic than before, flying in lazy circles rather than hovering in one spot. Akane was having a hard time if it was just adrenaline flooding her system, if the battle had reinvigorated her, or both. But she trusted Vector’s judgement- if she said she wanted to fly, then fly she would.

“Okay, let’s get going then. It’s going to get dark soon and while you may not need light to see where you’re going, I’d rather not trip and fall on my face.”

<If it comes to that, I’ll guide you.> The words were innocent enough but followed by a quiet snicker of laughter that suggested otherwise. Akane snorted as she started forward.

▲

Akane did not make it very far along the route when something distinctly rustled behind her, in time with her footsteps. Hands balled up into fists preemptively (how safe was Inset? She didn’t know, she was more familiar with Hoenn), prepared to face whoever- or whatever- had decided to stalk her down route one. Her mind immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario.

She spun on her heel.

It was an oddish. The leaves on his head swishing as he casually loped along behind her, trying to match her stride for stride, and nearly collided into her leg as she came to a stop. Was it typical for pokemon on this route to just walk on up to you? Were they really all that tame?

Then Akane remembered the Petilil. Probably not.

“...Can I help you?” Her tone was not the manicured tone of a customer service agent but one that heavily implied an exasperated ‘why’.

<Nope. Just tagging along.>

“And for how long?”

The oddish blinked up at her, confused. <For good?>

Arceus. “Why?”

<’Cause you need me, of course!> The grass pokemon exclaimed. <I saw you with the Petilil. You’re obviously a trainer. And you have at least one grass pokemon, and a poison pokemon.> He gestured with a foot to the ekans, a species he knew lived along the route. <AND in case you haven’t noticed, I’m the best of both worlds. Look it up on that funky thing you guys like to carry if you don’t believe me. I’m perfect. I’m made for your team.>

Akane placed her hands on her hips. He put up a good argument, but that didn’t explain why he wanted to tag along… And she needed to get going down the road. And she was running out of space to keep all these pokeballs.

<Just ignore him.> Vector suggested after a momentary lapse, fluttering lower to the ground as if to ward off the oddish. With a shrug, Akane started down the path towards Ara Village once more.

Swish swish swish, in time with her steps once more. Figures it wouldn’t have been that easy. Akane stopped on a dime and the oddish crashed into the back of her calf, recoiling with an ‘oof’.

“Why.”

<Why what?>

“Why do you want to come with me?” She turned, dark eyes narrowed in a gaze half accusatory, half confused. “Don’t you like living out here? Doing whatever you want? Not stuck with some trainer, or with someone...” Someone like me, she started to say. Vector was quick to interrupt before Akane could obsess over that dark turn for long.

<What we mean is, what do you want from us?>

<Augh, you don’t get it!> The oddish stomped a foot. <You have a team. A good team. A team that could be even better with me on it!> His leaves shook as he emphasized the words, but his rapid blinking suggested he was more upset than angry. But was he going to let it slip that being on a team meant a chance at having real friends? Or at the very least, other pokemon who couldn't run away at the sound of his approach? Heck no.

She frowned in thought. The logical part of her couldn’t argue with his points. The emotional part of her doubted her own judgement, and was starting to creep towards a dark place that she didn’t care to revisit.

“How far is Ara Village-”

<Not far!> He perked up a bit, hopping down the path a little ways. <I’ll show you. But there is the question of...>

“You can tag along." He waited expectantly, eyeing her belt as she unclipped a pokeball. “But if you end up regretting it, that’s on you.” Don't blame me. I tried to warn you.

▲

The oddish was swept up into the pokeball in a brief flash of light, but he did not stay there long. It burst open immediately, releasing him onto the path before his newfound trainer. <Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. Now come on! It’s just down here.>

He skipped forward on stubby legs, all too happy to be leading the charge towards Ara Village. Akane followed a few paces back, thin brows furrowed, a slight frown creasing her face. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself. Who was she kidding? She was always ahead of herself; she lived ahead of herself. And now she had a full team of six. Did that make her an official trainer, or was she just in over her head?

The latter, definitely. And there was that sinking feeling in her chest again, the one she'd grown accustomed to masking from others.

Luckily, the oddish broke the silence. <So, you guys have like, names or something?>

<Vector,> Akane looked up when the zubat replied so quickly. Actually, she was pleasantly surprised that she’d taken to all the newest team members so quickly- especially when she was so given to clamping her wings around her to shut herself off to strangers. Perhaps pokemon were easier to relate to than humans. That much I get.

The zubat flew closer to Akane’s shoulder, swatting her with a wing. “Hey! I get it,” she protested. “I’m Akane. This here is Monte,” she stroked the top of the ekans’ head, who was peacefully dozing off once more. “Then we have Java, Pauli-”

<Okay okay cool, but what about my name? I mean if we all gotta have one what’s mine? For, uh, team bonding and all that yadda yadda, of course,> he quickly added.

“Hmm. I’ll get back to you on that.” It didn’t usually take her long to think up a suitable name, but she hadn’t started thinking about one yet. She reached for the first one that came to mind from her studies.

“What about Bohr? After a scientist who-”

<Bohr-ing.> He snickered at his own joke. <I can’t be named after someone. That’d be like, overshadowing me.>

She folded her arms. She should have suspected. “Fine. Kelvin, then. It’s a temperature.”

<Sounds like another person’s name. And like a better fit for a fire-type. Next!>

Though she could just make out the outermost buildings that comprised Ara Village, Akane could sense the last little bit of their walk would take the longest.

▲

She lay curled up, a neatly hidden bundle of fluff and fur tucked away under some long flattened grass. It was a shady spot to rest and, more importantly, keep a keen nose out for intruders. After all, this was the furthest edge of their territory; recently claimed if the fresh scent markers were anything to go by. They had to protect it from any other territorial pokemon and intruders.

Her nose twitched, ears swiveled to point down the trail. A mangle of scents were upwind, at least one of which was human. The poochyena snorted. Humans were so dull, so stupid. She bet this one would walk right over the line and into her territory. In preparation, she rolled off her side and flat onto her stomach, legs poised to pounce as they neared. The oddish skipping ahead didn’t interest her- her eyes were fixed on the trainer, idly following with a bored expression on her face. Just a little closer…

The oddish skipped on by, and the poochyena resisted the urge to lunge at him as he passed by the trap she’d laid- but another voice made her ears perk.

<Wait… Did you hear that?> The trainer stopped just short of the markers and looked up towards the zubat. She bared her teeth. <Someone’s there.>

No sense in keeping her presence hidden now. The canine pokemon stalked out of the grass, yellow eyes narrowed. <Well well,> she said in a low voice. <You owe a lot to your friend there. What was it that gave me away?> The zubat was silent. <...Fair enough. But I can’t let anyone get away with trespassing on our land, even if it is just an oddish.>

The grass-type sputtered. <What do you mean JUST an->

<But! I respect a pokemon with senses as keen as my own,> the poochyena continued over his loud protests. <So I’ll let you have the first move. Don’t keep me waiting long, or I might change my mind.>

“Is there any other way to Ara Village?”

The oddish shook his head. <Not a quick one, unless you want to stomp through the tall grass on the long way around. Don’t recommend that, by the way. All sorts unfriendly folks lurking around, and it’ll take us the rest of the evening.>

Akane chewed on the inside of her cheek before withdrawing a pokeball. With a click the ekans stretched across her shoulders was recalled. Satisfied that he wouldn’t get hurt, she tucked it back away and folded her arms across her chest. The poochyena lowered her head defensively. “Fine. We’ll do it your way then.” Her dark eyes focused on the oddish. “Go.”

He wasted no time in letting loose a flurry of leaves which ripped through the air. The poochyena pressed herself flat to the ground, avoiding most of the razor-edged leaves as they whipped past. Akane threw her arms in front of her face instinctively as the onslaught barreled toward her.

If someone had asked her what she’d expected from the little oddish, her answer would have been: not fucking that.

<A cheap shot!> Truth be told, she’d anticipated the attack from behind. Tactically she knew it was the smartest decision, and one she certainly would have taken advantage of. But that didn’t make it fair. The poochyena rounded on the oddish, claws scraping at the ground before flicking upwards to throw sand in his eyes. <See if you’ll do that again!> He stumbled backwards, temporarily blinded.

Akane uncovered her face, which was mostly unscathed save for a single cut above her left eyebrow. The same could not be said for her forearms. “Vector, get in there before she does some damage. Use supersonic.” The zubat obeyed, swooping in low over the poochyena with a loud screech.

The canine clamped her ears flat against her skull as the sound rocked her, stumbling back on unsteady paws. But the bat was closer now- this would be her one chance. She had to make it work.

With a leap she propelled herself into the air, jaws stretched wide. She caught the bat in her teeth by the wing. A violent jerk pulled the zubat to the ground. With the full force of her weight behind her shoulder,

“Vector!” Her voice tore at her throat. She looked so tiny, so frail, gasping weakly flapping at the wild pokemon that’d trapped her with a paw. “Get away from her!” Akane tore the pokeball from her waist and pressed the button. The zubat disappeared in a soft glow of light; the poochyena stumbled as she lost her footing.

Xerneas’ sake, what had she done.

Oddish charged forward and the poochyena braced herself to take a physical blow- but it never came. Instead a burst of thick, sickly sweet fumes washed over her, burning her sensitive nose. With a yelp she jumped back, pawing at her muzzle for relief and tears welling up in her eyes.

<That’s what you get for hurting! My! Team!> He yelled indignantly, stomping with each word for emphasis.

“Get in closer, use your first move again!” Akane instructed, clutching Vector’s pokeball close to her chest. He obeyed, leaning forward into the run.

<A head on attack like that won’t do-> The canine started a charge of her own, but scrambled and slipped as her legs gave out from underneath her. Now only a few steps away, the oddish slid to a stop and unleashed another wave of leaves. This time they met their mark. The poochyena winced and whined.

She scrambled to her feet, panting heavily. It would do her no good to collapse here and leave the rest of her pack unaware of the threat this trail posed. A tactical retreat then. <Don’t follow me, trainer,> she spat. With one last warning growl and yellow-eyed glare, she turned tail and ran; her small form easily hidden by the tall grass as she sprinted away.