Into the New World

"Shellos!" The Pokemon beamed, and his trainer glowered and grumbled disdainfully. "Don't even think about it, mate." Alice warned flatly, but she agreed to Laura's terms. "Okay, cool. Well, I'll see you downstairs in the morning. It was nice to meet you both, I hope you manage to sleep well."

With that, she left with Shellos in her arms to return to her bedroom. It was warm as the air conditioning was off, but it wasn't muggy like the Archipelago might be on a better day. She stripped off all but her panties, to the surprise and bewilderment of her poor Pokemon, hanging the uniform up over a railing, separate to the clothes she already had drying off. Alice allowed Shellos onto the bed, as he wasn't messy or even too heavy, and sat and chattered with him for a while. Eventually, the name Gael seemed to stick, and a while after that, Alice fell asleep.

Getting ready for seven in the morning wasn't fun, and she'd had to get up earlier than she might otherwise to finish drying off her bloody clothes. It worked, thankfully, and Alice was back into her tank top and dotty leggings. Her shoes were still a bit wet, though, and she actually just gave up and hung onto the nurse's slippers for the time being. Gael seemed to be in a cheerful mood, at least, almost seeming to sing a bit as he slid along beside her. The Pokemon was super small and super cute to match.

She headed down to the canteen, wondering if there would even be breakfast to serve. Supplies had been lacking the previous night, after all, and she didn't even know if the storm had cleared enough for stuff to arrive. Alice hoped so, though. Even she felt hunger now.

The provisions that awaited here were, thankfully, at least somewhat plentiful. Because it was early enough that the main crowd hadn't raided what was offered yet, there was plenty for her to choose from. Various fruits sat in bowls, mostly apples and bananas. There were small, personal boxes of cereal and plastic bowls to put them in, with a nearby cooler filled with bottles of milk and orange juice. There was a slight variety, though most of the cereals were more health-based than sugar packed. The latter must have already been claimed and eaten before they could restock. At the end of the table, away from the food meant for people, were packets of PokeFood, which did have a good variety due to the Center always keeping them on hand in large supply.

Alice was early enough that there was only one other person in the room, who was just shuffling out with a Raichu on his shoulder. Both were gnawing at apple slices and didn't give the girl much thought as they moved past, on their way out of the building. There weren't any signs of Laura yet.

Alice didn't mind the selection. She dodged the fruit, although she did like apples, putting some basic shredded wheat into a bowl and helping herself to some fresh, cold milk. The fattier stuff was actually healthier, and she hated soy, so Alice went for the former. Choosing the pokefood best for water types of Shellos' kind, Alice poured that into a bowl before making use of her milk for the cereal.

"Okay, dude. Help yourself." She told Gael, who was delighted to get more food into his stomach, beginning to wolf it down at an impressive rate. Alice laughed, taking a bit more time with her own breakfast, admiring the Raichu before it disappeared completely from sight. Hopefully Laura had only overslept. It would suck to have been abandoned after being filled with such hope. After all, this illusion hadn't faded yet...

Alice's hopes, at least, were slightly accurate. Looking clean and proper, Laura soon wandered into the room with wide, bright eyes ready for adventure. Her hair was washed, her clothes changed and clean. There were no dark shadows or groggy stumbling. It had taken a bit longer than she had thought, but she wasn't lying about being able to get ready in the morning. Scanning the room, she soon noticed Alice and came wandering over, grabbing a bottle of orange juice on her way.

Neatly resting in one of her arms hugged against her chest was Shellder, who's half-open eyes stared blankly and uninterested around. Occasionally closing before forcing themselves open again seconds later. Unlike his trainer, he didn't seem at-all rested or ready to go.

"Hey," Laura greeted with a nod, since both of her hands were full. Before fully stopping, she grabbed two packets of PokeFood and stashed one in her pocket. She walked back over and emptied the other in a clean pile on an empty table adjacent to Alice's, letting Shellder help himself once she set him down. "Sleep well?" She asked as a means of idle conversation while Alice ate. She didn't look to be getting any food herself, her appetite was apparently scarce.

"Yeah, kind of... I woke up and rolled about a few times. I think I'm overtired, though, I'm not exactly a morning person." Alice explained. Shellos seemed to be happier for having food, at least, and he had slept a lot better than she had. Perhaps he had a lot less to worry about. "Not eating yourself? We might have a long day ahead of us." She warned, continuing to scarf the food down. Alice liked cereal a lot, honestly.

"Ah, Shellder's not fond of mornings either," Laura giggled, glancing over to see the Pokemon making very swift progress on his food pile. She stretched and yawned, opening her orange juice and sipping at its contents. "Just like you and mornings, I'm not really a breakfast person... usually what goes on in my head at night is enough to make me not want to eat in the mornings. Come lunch, though, and nothing can stop me." The line reminded her of something she wanted to note, and she raised her free arm in almost an 'aha' gesture of remembrance. "I dreamed of the same thing as before, Golden Island. Two people... nothing new except that I think the two people weren't fighting each other, they were fighting... something or someone else. Couldn't really make it out. Still night time, and still not sure on the date. Guess a little more info is better than nothing, though." She worked on finishing her drink while waiting for Alice and their Pokemon to finish eating. There was still time to go out searching for Pokemon and check on the Venonat, but they couldn't linger long.

"Then I suppose we're not too late yet, even if it might happen tonight..." Alice noted, frowning at the thought as she finished up the cereal and began downing the milk. Perhaps it was rude, but it wasn't as if she had time to drain the bowl with her spoon. "How long does it take to get to Valencia Island? And from there to Golden Island?" She asked. If it was possible to make it that night, then perhaps they should. Professor Ivy was probably too busy to entertain them all day, and it was dangerous to spout her predicament to everyone in the world, anyway. Maybe Golden Island held answers for the both of them.

"Getting there in a day may be pushing it," Laura said with honesty, "we can try, of course, and if the boat schedule and no other distractions hit us, we could theoretically make it there a little past midnight. Depends on how things go, though, and we should probably plan around worst-case: getting there tomorrow instead. If you feel it best to get there as soon as possible, I may be able to pull a few strings," she smiled, "I worked out of Valencia for that relocation job I mentioned. I know most people on the docks, and I'm sure one of them would be crazy enough to do me a solid no matter the time." She seemed excited at the prospect, but nervous as well. Seeking out danger was a, well, dangerous activity after all. But if not them, then who?

"Guess first things first is going bug-hunting," Laura said, "I'll probably grab our ferry tickets if you want to head out for that. I can usually snag them for free if I catch the right worker, so I'll get that done while you go exploring. We can meet in..." she trailed off, looking toward a digital clock mounted on one of the far walls, "...about an hour. That's about when the ferries usually start loading passengers. Guess it'll also be my job to figure out which one is for Valencia," she chuckled, "I've been too privileged, getting non-public rides has torn my memory of boat schedules to shreds."

"Well, we can head there for tomorrow, then. Otherwise, we might be too shattered to fight evil by moonlight and all of that jazz." Alice replied easily, wondering if Laura would get the reference. Shellos looked confused on that note, but it wasn't like she'd expect a wild water snail to know what Sailor Moon was. When they were all done eating, Alice went and grabbed a bottle of juice to make sure she had something to drink and keep her stable, and she swept her adorable, shiny goo ball to head out. "See you soon!"

Honestly, the young woman didn't know where to start, and so she asked Gael to decide directions for them. He didn't know Murcott well, either, but as long as they kept away from the town, they were probably doing alright. "Okay, Gael. I think most Pineco hang out in trees, so we should use your mud sport to try and shoot bugs out of the trees." Alice suggested, and the Pokemon nodded. They went to position themselves at a good angle, and at her command, the little creature fired a solid stream of mud high into the air, hoping to strike a Pokemon or few from their hiding places.

No matter how much Gael tried, the trees only stirred to show nothing hanging from them as a result. It did occasionally cause a scattered assortment of Ledyba and Butterfree to flee from the treetops, but there was no indication of a Pineco in their midst. Nothing made an attempt to fight back against the sudden and startling mud, and nothing revealed the much-wanted Pineco.

However, there was a strikingly close noise that suddenly sounded behind the pair. In fact, it was a familiar one. "Venonat," it called out in its high-pitched echoing tone. Once the bug Pokemon gained Alice's attention, he'd turn and hop away, deeper into the forest. If he got too far, he would pause, looking back toward the human and Pokemon. It seemed he wanted them to follow.

"I suppose they're not common here... We might run out of time." Alice noted. It wasn't as if Pineco was her only favoured bug Pokemon, and it was cool to watch the Butterfree and Ledyba soar away. However, when Venonat appeared, she jumped, turning around. What did it want? At first, she wondered if it wanted to battle, and then questioned if it had just been saying 'goodbye'. It took Gael's prompting to actually follow the fuzzy thing, as the Shellos slid across the damper bits of mud to get around faster. "Oh... Okay!" Alice said hesitantly, carefully bumbling after them.

The Venonat hopped and jogged toward some sort of unknown destination, occasionally looking back toward his two followers. Finally, after quite the trek, the bug type stopped. "Venonat~" he hummed, satisfied. As a Pokemon that knew the island well, he was grateful for Alice and Gael for not leaving him weakened at the mercy of the storm. Even if they were the ones that put him in a vulnerable position in the first place, a wild Pokemon could have done the same with little regard for his safety. For the trainer and Pokemon to risk themselves to make sure he was okay meant a lot, and he was showing his gratitude.

He nodded his head toward the treetops above, where a few Pineco were nestled. The Venonat must have had some grip on human speech, being able to know what the two were looking for. They rested in a lush, green clearing surrounded by dense oak trees and covered in an array of natural flowers. Despite the onslaught of the storm, the clearing remained mostly unscathed due to the thick tree trunks protecting most of what rested inside the clearing from damage. It was a small paradise in the midst of a chaotic forest and likely wouldn't have been found in time by Alice or her Pokemon. In fact, it didn't seem like many came across it besides the wild Pokemon that called it home. Venonat waited nearby, likely knowing that they would need a guide to help them get back to civilization once they were done with their business in the woods. All that was left to do was get the attention of one of the resting Pineco.

Alice tried to keep up, but she wasn't the fittest nor an elegant runner, and rather resembled a flailing Piplup in pursuit. Shellos wasn't the fastest on dry land, either, and the young woman had decided to pick Gael up and carry him before they reached their destination.

"Shellos!" The shiny breathed, looking up, grabbing Alice's attention in the process. The trainer's expression brightened, and she let her partner down, excited blue eyes set on their guide, "Venonat, wow! Thank you so much-- you're such a star!" She insisted, and reached in her bag to ready a Heal Ball. Back in the Pokemon Centre, she'd dug three TMs out from the bottom of her endless bag, only able to identify what the moves were when she entered them into a new PC account. It was time to test Gael's new moves.

"Okay, Gael. Strike one of those Pineco with toxic, and then get it with an ice beam!" The order made, Alice watched as her water type gurgled, eyes fixated on the targets, before projecting a nasty ball of purple, fizzling goo upward. Alice got out of the way, lest she were sprayed by the substance, too. Getting badly poisoned didn't seem like a sensible move, to be honest.

Pokémon: Pineco
Gender: Male
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 6
Moveset: Tackle, Protect, Self-Destruct

---

  VS.
Shellos: 100% - No Status - No Stat Changes
Pineco: 92% - Badly Poisoned - No Stat Changes

The snoozing Pineco couldn't do much to avoid the rising cloud of purple, noxious smoke. It rose slowly and lacked focus, as Shellos hadn't properly yet learned the attack. The Pineco's closer companions seemed to be able to detect the incoming danger and rile themselves quick enough to close their rough shells around themselves in order to avoid the effects of the attack. One, however, was a much heavier sleeper than the rest, causing the attack to take effect. The grip of the poison was enough to wake him, and he looked down toward Shellos as the likely culprit. Releasing his grip on the tree above, he dive bombed toward Shellos from the air with a Tackle, crashing right through the inefficient beam of ice shot out toward him. Due to the momentum and the untrained attack, he was able to lessen much of the damage while he dove through it toward Gael. The poison was still a huge hindrance, though, and he was aware that he would need to fight quickly if he wanted to best his opponent.

"Oh shit-- Gael, move!" Alice cried out, and the Pokemon attempted, but he was still hit by the debris that flew up as a result of Pineco's incredible dive. Alice coughed, rubbing her eyes and face to try and remove the dust, and her Shellos prompted her for focus. "Okay-- it's okay, we've got this!" She had noticed that the ice beam had been relatively weak, so they would go for something else. "Use mud slap, and then harden!"

  VS.
Shellos: 92% - No Status - Defense +1
Pineco: 77% - Badly Poisoned - No Stat Changes

Although Gael wasn't necessarily a speedy Pokemon, the same could be said for the Pineco he was currently facing. The bug type didn't really have... limbs that allowed him to easily weave in and out of attacks, and because of this, he tried his best to try a lopsided roll away from the Mud-Slap, but wasn't able to get away from the ranged attack in time. To his luck, his defenses were good enough to not be too phased by the attack... that was, until the poison kicked in. The effects of the poison were starting to damage him, and after the strain of the Mud-Slap, worked to lower his health much more than the attack would have on its own, and it would only be getting worse the longer it was in effect. In a panic, Pineco knew he'd need to act fast before the poison could take its toll. Hopping toward Gael, he narrowed his eyes and suddenly jumped toward the Shellos with a Tackle attack.

"Just take it, Gael! Use harden again!" Alice ordered, and her Shellos quickly obeyed, toughening his squishy skin to nullify the damage from Pineco's damage. He could see the bug was already wearing down, and so it was only a matter of time before this ended in their favour, with Alice hopefully capturing a second party member. "Gael, try an ice beam again now that you're both close together!" The trainer tried. It didn't matter if it was weak, as they weren't trying to knock the enemy out. It'd hopefully just do more damage than some tackling, nothing obscene, while helping the creature master his new move.

  VS.
Shellos: 84% - No Status - Defense +2
Pineco: 57% - Badly Poisoned - No Stat Changes

After successfully crashing into Gael with a successful tackle, Pineco was too close to attempt at dodging the Ice Beam, even with the weakened state of the attack. Couple that with the poison, and the bug Pokemon didn't look like he was doing too well. He was visibly weaker, and almost to half his strengths. Still, he couldn't give up and he didn't want to sacrifice his own health by using Self-Destruct without good reason. This was an honest battle, and nothing he was willing to pay the ultimate price to win. Instead, he dove toward Gael with another Tackle, although the poison was was seeping at his strength more and more. It wouldn't be much longer until he'd be weak enough to catch with little chance of failure. It could be attempted now, but he was still healthy enough to have a chance at struggling his way out of the Heal Ball... although taking too long and the poison would off him regardless of Alice's intentions.

"Good boy, Gael! Harden again!" Alice said. It was a foolproof strategy, after all. Her Shellos was still perfectly healthy, even after enduring those tackle attacks, and with his hardened film, he could easily take a lot more if he had to. Besides, both of them knew that he wouldn't. "Be careful now! Use a tackle attack!" She encouraged, and the slippery slug dove back at the Pineco. Off to the side, Alice had plucked a Heal Ball from her empty selection, enlarging it in her small hand. Chances were, on the next turn, that would be the prime moment.

  VS.
Shellos: 76% - No Status - Defense +3
Pineco: 34% - Badly Poisoned - No Stat Changes

Pineco couldn't last much longer, especially after the increasing power of the poisoning only added to the damage he took from Shellos's attack. He was losing the energy to fight back, and didn't even bother trying for another. Both he and Shellos knew the victor, and one more Tackle wasn't about to suddenly turn the tides. Instead, Pineco smiled toward his opponent with admiration. He respected good battlers, as many wild Pokemon did. He'd either accept defeat or capture, unaware of the Heal Ball Alice had already chosen to retrieve. Pineco staggered from the sapping effects of the poison. Alice would need to act quick before he fainted from the effects.

Alice had noticed that Pineco's expression had changed, his eyes seeming to crinkle, but she couldn't tell if he genuinely looked pleased or perhaps strained from the pain. "Shellos!" Gael called, twisting his neck to look back and nod with meaning, ushering his trainer on for her capture.
"Ah! Okay, right!" The blonde hesitated momentarily, and then lifted her arm. Alice's aim wasn't the best for these things, so she did an overarm throw, the ball hopefully bonking the cone at its top or face. He did look weak, but she wasn't optimistic. This was all very surreal after all, and it was an adrenaline rush to be in the scene for herself, to be doing it. Hopefully it was a capture, and hopefully the Pokemon liked her. What if he resented being caught or was just very nasty?

The ball hit the cone Pokémon with an echoing pop! The Pineco, clearly disliking it, seemed to perceive the ball as a new opponent. A white light began to Envelop the Pineco, signalling the upcoming explosion. Luckily, the red beam shot from the Pokéball just in time, drawing the Pokémon into the floating ball. It dropped to the ground and wiggled as the Pokémon inside visibly struggled, the button glowing bright red. It wasn't long before the ball slowed and the light dimmed.

Pineco was successfully caught!
Shellos gained 3 experience.

Alice was ecstatic to see that the ball had captured her new Pineco, especially given how close the match had been. The fiery burst within the object had not gone unnoticed, after all, and the trainer went to collect her prize. He was all healed up in there, at least, with no evidence of the battle beforehand except for a warmth to the touch. "Welcome to the team! My first real capture. You did wonderfully, Gael." She complimented her little diva, petting his squishy head and tickling his slimy neck, "I'm gonna call this guy Farren." She nodded decisively. Then, the young woman looked up, blue eyes seeking out their other companion, "Oh! Venonat? Could you show us the way to the port? We need to catch a ship out of here, stat!"[/color]

"Venonat," the bug chimed in response, seemingly unfazed by the outcome of the battle or its own involvement leading up to the process. He considered the human's words and took a moment to process them. Although an intelligent Pokemon, he still wasn't well-versed in their language. Running the translation through his head, he hopped back and beckoned for Alice to follow.

He winded back through the woods with little mind for caution or consideration. He had no need to doubt his movements, nor did he feel it necessary to check and see if the trainer was following. She wasn't a threat to him anymore, especially due to her need of his guidance. Trekking across paths, dirt, and grass alike, he took a slightly altered route than before. It was more wild, winding, and confusing. There was more ducking under and avoiding stumps and sticks, but it was remarkably quicker to get through compared to the more tame option.

If Alice had managed to keep up, she'd find herself near the port as the trees dwindled in numbers. Laura would be waiting nearby the shipping docks with two ferry tickets in hand. Her Shellder was outside its Pokeball and balanced atop the girl's head. The two looked happy, and both were giggling as the redhead shuffled around and Shellder shifted its own weight in order to keep from falling. They were most likely doing silly things to kill time and wait for Alice to return.

Alice was worried when Venonat seemed to falter, but seconds later he began to move, and she hurried to scoop up Gael. Her Pokemon wasn't the slowest slug, but he was by no means quick when the forest was dry. She wasn't particularly fond of the route that the bug chose, her companion huffing and sighing as she squealed, whimpered, slid and tripped through the uneven terrain. Her lower legs were already dirty and her hair askew, and Alice was flailing for breath when they finally reached the docks. At least they got to the right place, and in one piece, too.

"Thank you so much, Venonat. I'm sorry we hurt you yesterday." The trainer said, and she crouched down, outstretching a hand. If Venonat accepted, she would pet him goodbye, but if not she would awkwardly straighten without, "We'd've gotten nowhere without you. Take care now, won't you? Sayonara!"

Waving, and feeling bittersweet for the first wild thing she had met, Alice dragged her tired feet to go and catch up with their travelling partner, energetically waving a hand, "Laura~~! We made it~~!"