11.22.15 -- We are approaching the holiday season very rapidly. I understand that things get busy around this time of year, just try and make sure that you don't forget about us! And, because winter is coming, things in Rakuen are about to change! Our winter event will be starting on December first so keep your eyes peeled for it and be sure to participate. You won't want to miss out. Enjoy the last little bits of your fall!
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In the distance, a small boat could be seen pulling away from the harbor on the shore, fading into the skyline. The woman sighed, that was the last ferry leaving the region for that week. She had missed her chance to turn back and give up, like her parents would even take her back. She had let them down and it was time to face the facts that there was no turning back. Roman turned her gaze forward to the beach that lay in front of her. There were two paths that were vaguely marked in the sand with a series of footprints. It was the first choice of her life in the new region and regardless of what choice she made, they had the same result. Or at least that is what a local from Yayli had told her.
With a shrug of her shoulders, the breeder turned left. It looked like a far more tropical path with the tide splashing further up on the shore and white sand lying still on the ground. Yayli must have acted as a wind break because looking to the left looked like the sea winds would whip up a tornado any second. So, Roman began walking. Every local she spoke to said it was a long walk to route one because of the cliff that had arisen during an earthquake and she wanted to get a head start. Her goal was to reach route one by nightfall or hopefully sooner so that she would be in Crystal City soon. From what she understood, Yayli was a hub and the city was where everything actually started. If she wanted to make it as a breeder she would have to get there soon to start the process of getting her name out there in the open. She thought about ways to get her name out there, offering promotions, fliers, free eggs, something. As she walked and as she thought, all of the ideas just seemed horrible and like something that every other breeder in the region would be trying.
With a sigh, the young woman paused for a second. She looked back to see how far she had come, only to be disappointed to see that Yayli was still clearly visible on the horizon while the end of the cliff face seemed to fade away with the curve of the earth. The Pokeball on her belt jiggled, almost as if her Blitzle, the last remaining things from her previous life, wanted to join her on the long walk. What was the harm in letting them out for a short while to make the journey a little more interesting? There wasn't really, well... If she let Mini out they would get nowhere for the zebra would only want to sit in the shade of the cliff and whine about not having any grass to graze on. Roman smiled at the thought of her lazy Pokemon. She lifted a Pokeball from her belt and released a majestic pony like creature. His stripes shone an even brighter white with the sand reflecting the sunshine on them. "Bli-blitz!" he neighed out as a thanks. "It's good to have you out as well, Toaster." The Blitzle reared his head, letting it bob up and down for a moment before he galloped forward a few steps, pausing only to make sure that his trainer was still following. The breeder laughed, knowing that the Pokemon wanted to burn off some extra energy and get a running start on the long beach. She watched him run forward again and stop so she followed after him with a light run, kicking up a trail of sand behind them.
After a few minutes, Roman stopped, leaning on her legs for support and panting. Keeping up with a horse was quite a hard task. Toaster, having not seen her stop, doubled back. He nudged his head into hers, trying to make sure that she was alright. She giggled and sat down on the sand. A glance back told her that the run did quite a bit of good; Yayli was finally a speck on the horizon but the end of the cliff face still had no end in sight. The woman threw herself back and sprawled out on the beach, she was admitting defeat to the endless beach. the Blitzle, concerned for his trainer, sat down beside her, resting his head on her stomach. A moment to breath wouldn't do them any harm at all.
It had only been an hour since she had visited the lab and received her starter, but Aveta felt as though she had grown so much since she arrived in the region. Already she had gotten a Pokemon to train, even though it would be quite the struggle in training it. The poor Starly was a devilish one which was why she had not gotten him out since the lab assistant had handed her the Pokeball. She knew that the moment would open itself up soon to where she would be able to release the bird without a fear of it wreaking havoc behind it.
The woman gave a sigh and stretched her arms out. She had just arrived on the beach but already she wanted to pause her journey. She had never been on an actual beach and the sand beneath her seemed so lulling. What was an hour of two splashing through the water and building sand castles. She shook her head silently to herself. No, she needed to get started on becoming a successful person just like the children were doing. She was five years behind all of the others that were her age and had quite some catching up to do. The thought sparked something within her, this would be a good time to release the Starly in order to keep her on track of getting to route one.
The trainer pulled out the small ball and held it in her hands. It was wiggling and had been wiggling since she got out of the lab. The Starly probably desperately wanted out and was shaking the entire ball to show his discontent. She bit her lip gently before clicking the button, causing a flash of red light before the Starly appeared before her. He stretched his wings and looked around for a moment, wondering where the lab assistant was that had ruined his fun.
"Alright," Aveta said as she crouched down to look at the Starly. "I am your trainer now so you have to listen to me. We are going to route one right now and then Crystal City. Got it?"
The Starly tilted his head as another wicked grin grew on his face, one very similar to what he had showed her when they first met in the lab. She breathed out the word no, but it was too late. "To route one we go!" The Starly shouted out before flapping his wings wildly and flying up the cliff face to where route one was going to be. The woman kicked into the sand before taking off in a dead sprint to try and get to route one before the Pokemon got her in trouble.
In her sprinting something absurd happened. She tripped, landing face first with a mouth full of sand. Aveta gripped her head as she rolled over, spitting out sand. Then she saw the girl that she had just tripped over and the Blitzle that was sitting there. "I'm so sorry," she whispered as she tried not to spit sand everywhere.
The sun was shining brightly as she relaxed in the sand. It was warming her skin. Roman knew she would probably get a sunburn because of it. If the sun was hot enough to be felt with water that close to her, surely there was going to be damage. She let out a small breath she had been holding in. It did not matter though, the beach was quite peaceful. As long as the woman did not fall asleep she would be perfectly fine. The only issue was to try and keep her from falling asleep. Toaster had already begun to doze off in the few minutes that they had been laying there. She raised her arm and stroked his head. He really was a great Pokemon. The two of them were so in-sync that with each other that it was shocking. It wasn't like they had spent a lot of time together, they just had matching personalities.
Roman breathed in deeply, trying to soak up the moment as much as she could before she knew she would have to stand up and continue walking. They were not about to get to route one by snoozing in the sand. Her hand fell still, causing Toaster to move his head under her hand more, trying to coax her into petting him again.
And that was when it happened. It felt as though someone had decided to kick the breeder straight in the side while also kicking a large amount of sand on top of her. After the immediate shock of the kick where she cried out in pain, she noticed a pair of thin and long legs sprawled over her body. While she propped herself up on her elbows, the legs turned themselves about so that the body they belonged to was sitting up. The person, who Roman's eyes had yet to look at considering her gaze was fixed upon the legs, spat out some sand before finally speaking. It was the voice of a girl, causing the woman to finally look at the face the legs belonged to. No, a girl was the wrong term, it was a young woman, probably right about her own age. Regardless, she was apologizing.
Roman let her eyes soften as she smiled gently, "It's completely fine, it was my fault after all. I should not have been lying in the sand like I was. It was hard to see me, I understand. Are you alright though, that was quite a face-plant." She shifted herself out from under the legs so that she was sitting up in the sand, looking at the stranger. Toaster on the other hand was not as pleased with the encounter. He let out a small whine at the fact his nap had been interrupted as well as that his trainer was moving away from him. He stood and circled the pairing for a good minute before realizing that the other trainer had probably injured himself. At which point, the Blitzle felt guilty for not immediately assisting her. He began to nudge the strangers back gently to make sure she was sitting up properly and able to stand. The Pokemon eventually nudged his head between the woman's arm and body, ready to help her stand whenever she needed it.
The woman that Aveta had tripped over had a gentle tone and a softened expression as she spoke. 'It's completely fine, it was my fault after all. I should not have been lying in the sand like I was. It was hard to see me, I understand. Are you alright though, that was quite a face-plant.' It was nice that she was taking the blame but the trainer knew that the fall was completely her fault. Regardless, her face turned a bright pink as the stranger mentioned the face-plant that had happened moments ago. She tugged at the loose ponytail behind her head before wiping her face to make sure there was no sand still remaining on it. "It wasn't much, just some sand in my mouth," Aveta muttered out.
She realized her legs were still sprawled over the body of the other woman, causing her to quickly pull her knees to her chest, giving the stranger some room to breath and move. The movement, paired with the movement of the other woman, seemed to stir the Blitzle that had been nearby. It got up and circled them before quickly coming to the aid of Aveta, making sure she was sitting up alright before nudging his head into her armpit in an attempt to help her stand. She giggled at the Pokemon before letting it assist her into the standing position. Once she was on her feet she scanned the sky to see if her Starly was going to return to her. She saw plenty of flying types, but most of them appeared to be sea-fairing Pokemon, not the black feathers of her bird.
"I love how friendly you have trained your Pokemon to be," Aveta smiled at the zebra-like Pokemon, stroking the back of his head gently. "I just received my starter from the lab and it seems to be a horrid Pokemon so far. It tried to eat a Scatterbug in the lab and as soon as I got on the beach it decided to race me to Route 1. The evil creature is probably causing mayhem over there."
The trainer stared at the ground, thinking about all of the horrible things her Starly could be doing on route 1. He could be eating various Pokemon that belonged to trainers or even stealing their possessions. Worse, he could have picked a fight with something much larger than he was. That would get him severely injured and surely ruin Aveta's goals of becoming the best trainer. How could she challenge the gyms and elite four with a broken Pokemon? She gently shook her head for a moment, attempting to wedge the thoughts loose in order to let them go.
She looked back at the stranger and placed a smile on her face. "I don't think we have introduced ourselves yet. Call me Kaze, I'm here to be one of the best trainers in the region." She smiled brighter, so bright in fact that her eyes were forced close to make room for the smile. Aveta put her hand out in front of her, hoping the stranger had forgiven her for being run over.
The other woman began to speak after the Blitzle had successfully helped her stand and was enjoying head strokes. She talked about how she had just received her own starter. Apparently the Pokemon had tried to eat another and ran away from her to the next route. What a horrible experience that must have been to have already lost your first Pokemon, it basically rendered her useless as a trainer without a Pokemon. Roman watched the trainer scan the sky in hopes of finding her lost Pokemon with no luck. Instead the strange stared at the ground, lost in thought.
Roman let her face soften in concern. "Hey, it'll be ok. We will find your lost Pokemon, don't worry. Toaster here could probably run all the way to route one and fetch it for you." The woman smiled, trying to get the trainer to lift her gaze to see the true concern that was held in the breeder's face. That was when the other trainer proceeded to introduce herself. She said her name was Kaze and that she was there to be the best Pokemon trainer around. Well, that goal had already flown out the window. Maybe after she got her starter back the poor girl would be able to become the best trainer in the region. Maybe.. She would need help containing her little trickster of a starter from what it sounded like.
Kaze offered Roman a hand in order to stand up. Toaster was quick to come and assist as well, ready to push on his trainers back as soon as she attempted to stand up. The breeder stared at the hand and smiled, looking up at its owner. Very few people had offered her a hand when she was down. Most people in her school ignored her, a few helped her. Granted they just wanted to see the Fox in action and rumor had it that to do that you only had to be kind to her. She lowered her eyes for a moment. Only strangers who wanted something from her offered her a hand up. The woman decided to take it, this stranger knew nothing about her and had never heard the rumors. She did not know that the poor person sitting on the sand was desperate to feel needed and desired, the only reason she became a breeder.
With a Blitzle pushing on her back and the strength of Kaze in front of her, Roman stood with ease. She smiled at the other woman before lowering her gaze to the sand, trying to think of something to talk about. Oh! Her name, she had never told the stranger who exactly she was. "My name is Roman, but most people just call me Fox." She grinned widely, "It was nice of you to compliment my Pokemon but sadly I did not raise him, Toaster here was a parting gift from my parents. They gave me two Pokemon to start my breeding career and a ferry ticket. It's just the default personality." She knelt down and rubbed the cheeks of her little zebra. In truth, her parents had only given her two Pokemon to get rid of her and some spare change for the ferry ticket so that they would never have to see their daughter ever again. She looked up at Kaze, a smile on her face once again, "So what about finding that lost Pokemon?"
Aveta watched the face of the woman before her soften as she spoke again, "Hey, it'll be ok. We will find your lost Pokemon, don't worry. Toaster here could probably run all the way to route one and fetch it for you." It was nice to see that someone had concern for her and was willing to help her. She had been so used to the one always helping people it was nice to be cared for again. It wasn't really like anyone had the chance to care for her either. She had always been the caretaker at the orphanage, the children were always to young to be of any use when it came to caring. The thought of a child trying to take care of her put a smile on her face.
That was when the stranger took her hand and the Bliztle helped her up. So Aveta had been forgiven, that was quite a load off of her shoulders. She would not have been able to live with herself if the first person she had run into in the new region hated her guts. Even with starting off on the wrong foot, the stranger and her Pokemon had put her on the right foot. What seemed like a bad encounter was turning into quite a pleasant experience, especially when the stranger spoke again. "My name is Roman, but most people just call me Fox. It was nice of you to compliment my Pokemon but sadly I did not raise him, Toaster here was a parting gift from my parents. They gave me two Pokemon to start my breeding career and a ferry ticket. It's just the default personality."
So the other woman, Roman, was a breeder? Didn't every trainer need a good breeder friend to get the best of Pokemon food as well as some good training? She remembered one of her children had said they were going to be a breeder to spread love and joy into the world. That child became wildly successful with helping the other children shape their Pokemon and it gave them all a place to put their spare Pokemon so that they were being taken care of. Perhaps, Roman and Aveta could be friends and the trainer would get the perks of having her Pokemon taken care of by someone so kind and helpful. Sadly, it sounded like Fox did not have much training in how to take care of Pokemon considering this was her first day on the adventure... Well, that would be alright. It would be a growing experience for the both of them.
Roman mentioned finding the lost Pokemon. Aveta nodded and turned to start walking towards route one. They had to get there soon in order to keep the Starly out of trouble. "Thank you, Fox. It means a lot to me to see a friendly face." Aveta looked over at her new companion and the Blitzle as a smile played its way onto her face. A friend was more than the trainer had ever wished for. She just wanted to be successful and not a burden on people, but this, this was something new. It was a warm feeling growing deep inside of her. A stronger bond than she had ever felt with her children. No, this was not just the feeling of caring for someone and watching them grow, this was the feeling of belonging. She truly belonged in life once again.
"It's a Starly, he doesn't have a name yet but if we watch the sky we might be able to see him and call him over here. Maybe once we get him in his pokeball again we can force Toaster to play with him and maybe some of that kindness from your Pokemon will rub off." Aveta laughed weakly as she kicked the sand before her as she walked, trying to keep her eyes on the sky but only wanting to stare downwards, disappointed in her failure as a trainer. It would be alright though, Roman would be her breeder and help her train. She would be strong soon.
Kaze thanked the woman, confiding in her that it was nice to see a friendly face. Roman blushed and glanced downwards to her Blitzle. Toaster licked her face, causing her to laugh. All she had been looking for were some friendly faces. After a few weeks with her parents the thought of someone else being friendly had been completely washed away. Of course the people on the ferry and the docks seemed to enjoy smiling and waving. It was different, pleasantries and genuine kindness. You can always when someone is just saying the pre-programmed dialogue rather than actually talking with a heart. She got the feeling that the first words from the trainer's mouth were genuine words and it had been that way ever since. People don't breath out apologies from a script.
The other woman began to talk about her Pokemon; claiming it was a nameless Starly and would probably do best in its Pokeball. Roman stared at the sky, trying to see the black feathers of the bird without any luck. She also mentioned the idea of a forced play-date in hopes the personality of Toaster would rub off on the Pokemon. The breeder giggled at the thought. She could see her Blitzle trying to help the Starly only to be pulled into horrible jokes or being tricked into doing something wrong and then becoming frustrated and annoyed. At least, that is what his owner would do. And since they had practically identical personalities, he probably would do it all the same. "Maybe after we get a little bit ahead and you get a chance to know your Starly some we can. After all, I have to learn how to breed and get good at training." Roman laughed again as Kaze started to walk, kicking the sand before her.
Roman smiled as they started to move. Finally she was getting back into her journey to become a well-known breeder after that almost nap and strange encounter. She thought about her words before and the thought she just had. She wanted to become a well-known breeder but only had the knowledge she gained through books and some classes that she barely paid attention to. The 'breeder' did not know what breeding was. How did she get her Pokemon to produce eggs or even get along? How did she battle with her Pokemon? These were all things both she and Kaze had never done before. They were things that they were just supposed to do. The stress of actually being on her own began to weigh down on her. She was on her own. She was supposed to provide for herself with what she made from breeding. A house, Pokemon food, people food, clothes and bills. Why did she even begin to think she could do it? Kaze was probably like all other trainers, they had grown up around Pokemon and Pokemon battles. She had probably had siblings or cousins that were trainers and knew all sorts of tips and tricks that were not covered in the books on how to raise Pokemon.
"So, Kaze," she started off slowly, wondering where exactly she was going with the question. "Where did you live before this? Like, did you have a brother that was a trainer or maybe your dad was a gym leader? Was there any reason that you got into Pokemon?" Roman looked over at her new friend, wondering if Kaze had more of an advantage than what she did. She would have to start observing every single trainer and what they did in order to learn everything.
The words that Roman said in response to Aveta's idea stung. She mentioned that they were both new and it would have to be later. Yeah, later after she had long forgotten the worthless trainer. The girl had guesses that making friends would be hard but she had never imagined it to be as hard as it was. The one person she felt like she was actually becoming friends with had just shot her down. She should have guess the journey would be long and difficult. Well, at least now they were making progress towards route one where her Pokemon was awaiting her.
Silence began to hang in the air as Roman seemed deep in thought. It gave Aveta a moment to scan the sky again. When she saw no sign of the black feathered bird she shoved her hands in her pockets, kicking the sand in anger again. The silence just proved that the other woman was not a fan of the orphan. Why else would she be walking along in dead silence? She was probably trying to find a way to get out of helping the lost cause of finding a mischievous Pokemon. That was when Roman spoke again, "Where did you live before this? Like, did you have a brother that was a trainer or maybe your dad was a gym leader? Was there any reason that you got into Pokemon?"
And those were the words to get out of a search. It took everything Aveta had to not sprint off and cry. She was right though, most people had a family member or a friend who pushed them to become a trainer. Or perhaps even just watching the tournaments long enough would be a reason. What was her reason? She never got her life together and wanted to actually be known for something; she wanted to leave her footprint on the world. She did not have any desire to be a lost name at the orphanage of some kid long ago that stuck around and helped out. No, she wanted to be something more than a forgotten soul. But how could she tell this kind person that she desired a friendship with that she was an orphan just wanting to be loved? Her brown eyes raised themselves to Roman who was staring straight back at her. Wasn't she supposed to be keeping the illiterate orphan side of her secret?
"My family had a lot of trainers in it. They always came back and told me stories of what they were doing so I left my mom and little siblings behind to see if I could do something great as well." She stopped for a moment, scanning the sky once again and wondering if her lie had been enough. "Plus, in a big family like mine, you really have to do something unique to be remembered. Dying my hair blue worked for a little while but eventually a few others went even crazier with the hair. I think being Champion will set me apart far enough."
Aveta smiled and looked back at Roman. What she had said was partially true. Everyone was forgotten at the orphanage. You really had to be something different to be remembered. The trainer just wanted to be remembered outside of the orphans as well. "What about you. What made you want to be a breeder? I mean most people just go with the trainer thing and raise some Pokemon even if they don't defeat all of the gyms or Elites."
While they were walking, Kaze recounted the tales of her family and how it was a large one where people were often forgotten. Roman could not imagine being in such a large family where her own parents or siblings forgot about her. That would have been a terrible life but at least it explained why her new friend had blue hair. She then explained that perhaps becoming Champion of a region would help everyone in the family remember her. It would also help an entire region remember her. The breeder stared at the ground as she thought about the endless fame of being a Champion. People would always be challenging you and trying to prove that they were the stronger than what you had become. Your name was always written in history and people would tell their children of the time they got coffee in the same shop as the Champion.
Roman knew she could never live that lifestyle but apart of her wanted to help Kaze reach her dream as much as possible. She wanted to get her name out there after all and be a known breeder. What a better way to do that than to get in good with someone who was aiming to become Champion? That was as long as they found the Starly that was trainer's starting Pokemon. Without that little bird there was very little hope for Kaze even challenging the first gym. The woman looked to the sky, scanning for those black feathers without any luck. Toaster was following her gaze, waiting for the command to run ahead and fetch the bird but never quite receiving it. Instead he just walked silently by their sides, patiently waiting.
Kaze then threw Roman off guard with a question, why was she becoming a breeder? Simple, she wanted to help people and care for Pokemon.. It was a good question though. Most people who loved and cared for Pokemon just became trainers and took care of them that way. Why was being a breeder so different? The woman returned the smile that her friend had flashed her, still trying to think of a good and steady answer. Maybe it was to fulfill the maternal instinct in her or perhaps even just to create life within the Pokemon... "Being a trainer wasn't enough. I really wanted to help people more than what a trainer can. If I'm a breeder I can help people get better Pokemon and train them more. I also can give them a place to store the extra Pokemon." Roman stared at the sky for a moment. Her desire to help people had always ruled her life. It started when she was little and people began to tease her for her parents being so elitist and cruel. She never wanted to be like them and a breeder, a helping hand even, was something that they would never be caught dead doing.
Roman looked back at Kaze, placing another smile on her face before she looked forward, staring at the horizon line that was always unattainable. "If we don't find your Starly soon I'll give you the first egg I manage to produce so that you at least have one Pokemon. It will be a Blitzle though. Sorry. I don't really have any other Pokemon to breed with." She laughed and thought about what she was saying. Even if they didn't find the starter Pokemon, at least Kaze would get to continue her dream of becoming the best trainer in the region by earning the title of Champion. She was helping, and that was a good thing.
The woman listened to the silence of the sand crunching beneath their feet. Roman seemed deep in thought about her response, probably as Aveta had seemed only a moment ago when the question had thrown her off guard. The breeder answered with what seemed like a beautiful answer. "Being a trainer wasn't enough. I really wanted to help people more than what a trainer can. If I'm a breeder I can help people get better Pokemon and train them more. I also can give them a place to store the extra Pokemon." She really just cared for other people. It wasn't just loving Pokemon and wanting to raise them, it was about helping the public grow and strengthen themselves.
Aveta's facial expression turned into one of awe and inspiration as she looked back at Roman who was smiling at her. This woman. She was so gentle and kind-hearted. The trainer had never seen anything like this. It was almost looking into a mirror except the reflection was so much more self-less and wonderful. Here she was only wanting to be remembered for some great accomplishment and Roman was content just helping anyone that she could. The words that came next took the woman by surprise. "If we don't find your Starly soon I'll give you the first egg I manage to produce so that you at least have one Pokemon. It will be a Blitzle though. Sorry. I don't really have any other Pokemon to breed with."
Roman gave a small laugh which Aveta returned. A Blitzle would be great. The Pokemon was fast and if it was anything like the father then it would be a much easier Pokemon to train and battle with. Maybe she would even be able to keep it out like how Toaster was. "Even if we do find my Starly, a Pokemon from you would be a blessing. Hopefully it would be just like the father, so sweet and helpful." The trainer gave a weak laugh. She couldn't imagine her new friend just giving her a Pokemon. After all, the breeder did have a job to do and needed to get money in order to survive and live.
"Perhaps I could buy an egg from you after you get one. What are the prices for them?" Aveta pulled her hands from her pockets and stretched her arms behind her head. Would she even have enough money by the time that egg came around to pay for it? After all she was extremely poor. She had been wearing the same basic three outfits since she stopped growing because she really could not afford to buy another. It was a miracle she saved enough for a ferry ticket to the region.
In her reminiscing, she spotted something strange in the sky. A small black dot was far off but looked smaller and a far different color than the wingulls that were overhead. It had to have been her Starly. What other creature was that small and that black in a flock of wingulls? Aveta jumped up and down, waving her arms in hopes of attracting her starter. "Fox, does that look like a Starly to you? Can you possibly send Toaster up there to see if it is him? If it is him then we just need to get out there quickly and put him in his place."
Kaze let out a laugh shortly after Roman did. That was a good sign. She then spoke about how a Pokemon would be a blessing regardless especially if it was like Toaster. Roman threw a glance down at her Pokemon. The thought of not knowing how to breed the two Pokemon she had scared her but the idea of having to raise one in the image of her favorite Pokemon was even worse. How did personalities translate through Pokemon? She was pretty sure that it was all randomly based on how they had been raised making wild Pokemon a sort of wild card when it came to personality. But what would a baby Pokemon be like? Would it just have a default or be impressionable and thus take after whatever it spent the most time around?
The question that Kaze asked surprised Roman. She still wanted a Pokemon egg and was even willing to pay for it. That meant that the girl needed to figure out prices... The breeder opened her mouth only to close it again. She did not have the slightest clue as to what a fair price was. "Don't worry about paying. It was great to meet you and I hope we can be great friends. The first egg I get will be free for you. Count it as on the house for making my first encounter in this region such a pleasant one." Roman laughed and looked towards the sky as her friend stretched. She could not believe that here she was giving away the first product of her work that she had yet to start. At least this way the job of raising it was off her shoulders and now on Kaze's. That way if the Pokemon turned out rotten, the blame could be placed on someone else and not ruin her name. It would also be written in her books saying that she gave Kaze her second Pokemon that would probably be apart of the team all the way to the Elite Four. Her name would forever be sewn onto the coat tails of the trainer. The perfect way for a breeder to go.
Roman was shocked when Kaze began to jump around and wave her arms. She tried looking out to see what the woman was freaking out about but did not have any luck. Then the trainer pointed it out, asking if a small black dot looked like a Starly. There was no real way to tell from that distance. Sure it looked different from all of the other birds that had been circling overhead all day but it could have been anything. The only way to really tell that the creature was a Starly was to get to it. But Kaze was one step ahead, suggesting that they send Toaster on ahead while they followed and put the creature in his place. The breeder looked down at her Pokemon who had been staring at her a while. She nodded her head to him and without a word he was off, sprinting at his full speed to catch the Starly. Roman gave a glance to the trainer before slapping a grin on her face and grabbing the hand of her companion. "Let's catch your starter!" And she started to run after the Blitzle with everything she had.
Roman seemed to just know what her Blitzle was thinking and vice versa. They did not have to exchange more than a nod before the zebra took off, kicking up a storm of sand behind him. He was going to see if the black dot truly was a Starly, but even if it was, Aveta would have to be there to confirm it was her starter. Just as she was about to start running as well in order to be there shortly after Toaster, Roman took her hand. "Let's catch your starter!" The breeder started to run with Aveta's hand in hers, pulling her along for a moment until the woman realized what was happening and ran along as well.
It felt like an eternity from the moment that the Blitzle stopped and started hopping around and the moment when Roman and Aveta pulled up to the Pokemon, out of breath with sand in their shoes. The trainer put her hands on her knees and panted, trying to gather the strength to examine the bird and see if it was hers. Thankfully she did not have to. The bird landed before her and sure enough it was a Starly with a wicked grin that was surely just up to something horrid. "What took you so long? We are right by route one," he chirped out in his own special language. Perhaps one day she would understand what he was saying. In the meantime though, the woman dropped into the sandy grass.
The sensation of grass and sand mixing together shocked her for a moment. Her eyes scanned the area to see that they were where the cliff and beach meant in a large sloping hill. Not far off was a path that was the start of route one on their side. Aveta laughed and threw her body down into a star-shaped position. "We finally made it route one." Her Starly hopped around in the sand for a moment before he started to flutter his wings, ready to take off. "No you do not," the trainer called out as she grabbed his Pokeball. A flash of red light ensnared the Pokemon, placing him back into his little home.
After a moment of laying on the ground where the beach ended, Aveta sat up. "I cannot thank you enough for helping me Roman. I never would have gotten here if it weren't for you." She shook the remaining sand from her hair and body before emptying her shoes. After the sand had been removed the woman stood, looking into the face of her friend. This woman had helped her so much. They even held hands. That was the closest thing to a best friend that Aveta had ever had, even if they had only known each other for less than an hour. When she was growing up in the orphanage she had children that she played with but none of them helped her, or knew anything about her, or even cared to listen. This woman, Roman, was her friend. She forever had to cherish the bond they had formed. She needed it to grow in order to belong in a region where she was no longer looking after another life.
"So," she started out, "when exactly was that play-date between our Pokemon going to be?" Aveta laughed and scratched at her head where some left over sand was residing. She hoped she was not being too blunt for the breeder. She just did not want it to die.
Together the pair ran until they caught up to the Blitzle. Roman immediately fell to the ground. She was not a good runner at all and probably should have spent her time working out. Her chest heaved out breathes as Kaze dealt with the Pokemon at hand. The woman closed her eyes as her Blitzle licked her face. He was trying to be a small comfort to his exhausted owner. At least he had been able to use his speed to assist them in their task at hand.
After a moment of standing around and watching Kaze praise the end of the beach in her silent movements, he sat down next to his owner. They were finally on their way to Crystal City which would only be a short hop, skip, and jump away from where they were now. It was then that the trainer sat up, startling Roman for a second. Her friend thanked her for all of the help she had offered that day. The breeder smiled and giggled, "It was no big deal. I was happy to help. If you ever need anything else from me just let me know." A thought crossed her mind a few moments after the words left her mouth. How did they plan to keep in contact? Oh wait, she had received a nice Pokedex when she entered the region that doubled as communication.
Roman turned to her bag that had fallen beside her when she fell into the sand. She reached her hand inside and fished around for a moment before finally pulling out her new Pokedex. "Here, add yourself and I'll send you a message soon so that you have my information as well." Roman gave another smile and she leaned back. Kaze stood up and asked when they were going to try having Toaster rub off on the Starly. The breeder laughed. She wanted to do it after she got the hang of breeding and taking care of Pokemon. She also wanted her friend to have an experience of the world as well so they would be able to share some of the information they had both learned. She had promised the trainer her first egg as well... After a moment of thinking with her hand on her chin, Roman finally spoke up. "I guess we will meet again after I get my first egg and perhaps after you've had a battle or two to really see the personality of your Starly. Who knows, he might be different than you think."
The breeder sat back in the sand, staring up at the sky where birds were still flying overhead. She was probably going to stay a while longer to rest before she headed to route one. It seemed that her friend was in a hurry to move though. "I'll see you around Kaze. It was amazing to meet you."
Roman was still being so kind to her. She handed Aveta her Pokedex saying, "Here, add yourself and I'll send you a message soon so that you have my information as well." The trainer stared at the device. She had one too but had no idea how to really use it. There were a lot of strange options and after she found where to add a contact, she did not know her own information. She input her name and occupation and suddenly the rest was filled in. The Pokedex must have had a massive system that could find league registered contacts for you or something. At least that took care of that. If she needed to send a message to Roman at any time all she had to do was look her up.
The breeder then went on to confirm their next meeting date. "I guess we will meet again after I get my first egg and perhaps after you've had a battle or two to really see the personality of your Starly. Who knows, he might be different than you think." Aveta nodded, it seemed like fair reasoning. She doubted that the personality would be too much different. He would probably still be just as cruel and try to play pranks on the wild Pokemon or something while disregarding everything his trainer said. She shrugged the thoughts off, at least she would be getting a free Pokemon from the experience. That and it would give her some time to look less like a new trainer and more like someone who knew what they were doing.
"I'll see you around Kaze. It was amazing to meet you." The last sentence is what got to Aveta as she turned to leave. Amazing. Roman thought that the experience was amazing. It had been a rocky start and a rocky middle all because of the Starly but Roman actually had some part of her that liked the trainer. The woman smiled as she adjusted the filled Pokeball on her belt. "I can't wait." With those final words she left, her goal was to reach Crystal City, get a little bit of training in before then and perhaps challenge the Gym Leader before the end of the night. She hoped that the first gym was fairly easy. After all, it had a lot of trainers stepping into its doors because of its location. There was some part of her that was constantly telling her it was going to be a lot harder than it sounded. Regardless, she was going to become Champion whether anyone liked it or not.
