Story Notes:
This story is effectively a serial, and will contain sex at various points.My last update was years ago. I hope I can get back into writing..
...To Viridian City
Half an hour out of Pallet Town, Matt decided to stop for a break.
'I might as well take my time' he thought. 'I've waited for three years, so a few extra minutes won't hurt.' Removing his trusty shoulder-bag and sitting down on a large round rock nearby, he reached down with both hands and removed the two tiny Poke Balls containing Dratini and Bulbasaur from the belt. Holding one in each hand, he pressed the tiny white buttons to enlarge them, and popped them open.
Two white streams of light flowed freely out of the balls, and the Pokemon appeared in front of him. Bulbasaur jumped up on the rock with Matt, who started stroking his partner's head. Dratini curled up on the ground nearby, sitting calmly. Eyes scanning the landscape, taking in the surroundings, Matt kept a particularly sharp eye out for movement. He wanted to catch one of every Pokemon species that came his way.
The area around the outside of Pallet was fairly open. Only a few trees dotted the green plains, and a clear gravel path marked the way through the small forest south of Viridian. The grass was long and waved softly in the cool wind. What annoyed Matt was the complete lack of activity. Were all the Pokemon in the distant woods? Or was the population here just sparse?
His thoughts were interrupted by Bulbasaur jumping off the rock. Deciding that a good a time as any to get up, Matt slipped slowly off himself. He put his bag back across his arm, and looked quickly around once more, seeing nothing. "Moving on, then?" The Pokemon nodded, and they together started towards the forest, Dratini occasionally rubbing her head against Matt's leg affectionately. Matt smiled down at her, and she smiled back.
Bulbasaur dashed ahead out of sight as they approached the edge of the forest. Matt looked carefully around at the foliage. It was hardly worthy of the title of 'forest': The trees were bushy, but they were rather short, and they were spread far and wide from each other, the sunlight easily making its way down to the smooth ground.
Looking about as they entered the line of trees, Dratini and Matt jumped as Bulbasaur gave a loud cry from the trees. Racing forward to see what he had discovered, they stopped dead in their tracks, staring at what was before them.
A large billowing dust cloud, easily a story high, whipped about through the air. The dark yellow sand was whirling about like a miniature cyclone, blocking all view of Bulbasaur, who was crying frantically from inside. Matt saw a small flock of Pidgey fly away as the cloud reached its highest, and grimaced. Bulbasaur had evidently fallen victim to a mass Sand Attack.
Dratini and Matt waited anxiously by the edge of the sandstorm for it to fade. After nearly ten seconds and no reduction in its size, Matt realised that that could take a long time...Too long. He took a deep breath, aimed himself at the cries from inside the cloud, and slammed his eyes shut, darting into the storm.
The inside of the cloud was chaos. Matt was suddenly and painfully aware of why it was so effective. The storm went above and beyond simply blinding him. The sand whipped at him like punches, cutting off all sound save for the horrible scratching across his ears, and the distorted distress calls of Bulbasaur. The cries sounded distant, like hollow, twisted echoes escaping from a long tunnel. Taking an educated guess at the Pokemon's location, he crouched and stretched out his arm. His hand felt something organic, and he quickly seized the squirming Bulbasaur, forcing himself to ignore the pleas and cries it exclaimed in confusion and defiance.
Going against his better judgement, he did a 180 turn and ran full speed back the way he came, Bulbasaur held tight to his chest. Just as he was starting to panic, worrying that he had lost himself inside the cloud, he was suddenly free from the tearing and scraping of the storm. The blows to his face stopped, the whipping faded, and he crouched down, panting heavily. He lowered Bulbasaur to the ground, and wiped his eyes, blinking around in mild shock.
Dratini was staring agape, apparently in disbelief of what her trainer had just done. Bulbasaur was gagging out mouthfuls, and lungfuls, of sand, blinded by the buildup of white sand on his eyelids. Shaking his head to remove the sand from himself, Matt slowly moved his hands across Bulbasaur's face, and carefully started wiping away the sand. Dratini snapped out of her amazement and came to try to help, singing low soothing notes that appeared to make some sense to Bulbasaur, for his scared shiverings immediately began to calm. Matt smiled uncomfortably, thinking of speaking but simply letting Dratini continue.
The sand wasn't coming off in a hurry. Matt took off his backpack to see if there was anything that could help. He pulled out a cloth and water bottle, and squirted water onto the cloth before carefully dabbing it on Bulbasaur's eyelids. "There we go, that's working better. Hang on, Bulbasaur, we'll have it off in a minute."
Dratini continued to sing as Matt wiped off all the sand from Bulbasaur's face. "That'll do it. Are you okay?" Bulbasaur slowly opened his eyes and blinked, nodding warily.
Matt sighed in relief. "That's good." He looked at the sandy cloth in his hand, and shoved it in a small plastic bag which he packed away. "In future, make sure you don't fight overwhelming odds."
Bulbasaur nodded, obviously just thinking the same thing. Matt started wiping the remaining sand off his own face. "It could have been worse, I suppose. It's a good thing they fled instead of attacking you."
Bulbasaur shuddered. Matt bit his lip as he thought about it. It made a bad mental image. "Shall we continue on as if nothing happened?"
His Pokemon nodded, Bulbasaur somewhat hesitantly, and they straightened, walking further into the forest.
A while later, Matt was starting to wonder if they were lost. The forest had never seemed this big in the maps. Maybe he should have travelled more in the past: All of his peers had probably gone to Viridian City many times before, yet he had never even seen it in person. The path was winding back and forth around trees awkwardly.
Bulbasaur had been looking about everywhere, jumping at the slightest noise. Matt fast became concerned about his behaviour, and began looking for a way to fix it. The perfect opportunity presented itself very neatly.
As they passed through a clearing, a Pidgey swooped from a tree to peck some nuts from the dusty ground. Matt looked it over quickly. About a foot tall, it had a small, sharp beak, stubby-looking wings and a wide tail with diverging feathers. Matt grinned, looked down at Bulbasaur enthusiastically, and pointed at the Pidgey. "Okay, Bulbasaur, get it!"
Bulbasaur didn't move from where he was standing. It was staring wide-eyed at the bird Pokemon, which was scratching around the clearing, ignoring them. Matt tried to think of some encouraging words.
"Come on, Bulbasaur! We need you to do this! Just weaken it enough for me to capture it! A flock of Pidgey besting you is expected, but if you let a lone bird scare you, you'll never be strong! Strong is what you're supposed to be! You beat Squirtle easily, a Pidgey should be a pushover!"
Bulbasaur started to step slowly forward, obviously still afraid. It didn't look it was going to be doing any fighting anytime soon. Matt sighed. Dratini looked anxiously around the clearing, unsure what to do. Matt thought out his words carefully, then spoke again.
"Bulbasaur, if you don't fight this Pidgey, it will indicate you're afraid. You'll be taken as a nothing, a weakling."
He had said the right thing this time. On the word 'weakling', Bulbasaur jolted, and glared with more determination than Matt had yet seen in him. With a bellowing cry, he charged, barreling towards the Pidgey. Despite being aware of their presence for as much as half a minute, the Pidgey declined to fly away, and Bulbasaur smashed directly into its side, sending it tumbling across the ground. It picked itself up painfully, tested its wings, then hovered above the ground, throwing up a sand cloud which quickly enloped its attacker. Bulbasaur began to cry out almost immediately.
Matt called out to Bulbasaur encouragingly. "Stay focused, Bulbasaur! Don't let it psyche you out!"
The cries stopped. There was a short pause, and Bulbasaur leapt high out of the cloud, colliding in midair with the startled Pidgey. Matt cheered loudly. Both Pokemon feel to the ground awkwardly, Bulbasaur rolling quickly to its feet. The Pidgey lay prone and weak.
Matt grinned and seized his opportunity. He reached to his belt and ripped away a fresh ball from its socket behind Bulbasaur's. Enlarging it, he hurled it with all his might at the injured bird. It struck it hard, and there was a bright flash as it was converted and sucked inside the ball.
The ball fell to the ground, wriggling slightly back and forth. Matt frowned, wondering if the injured bird would resist the capture. He breathed a sigh of relief as, after only a couple of seconds, the red light on the ball's front faded with a 'ping'. The Pidgey was caught.
Matt had no idea who cheered the loudest, himself or Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur was jumping and strutting around the clearing somewhat vainly, head held high. Dratini, after giving a short celebratory cry at Bulbasaur's success, slithered curiously to the ball resting on the ground, and put her head close to it as if sniffing it. Matt stepped forward and picked it up, reflecting on the capture. After a few short seconds, he put the ball away, and grinned widely as he turned to the proud Bulbasaur.
"Well, that went well. Nice job, to say the least."
Bulbasaur nodded and continued to parade. Matt started to move out of the clearing, Dratini at his heels. "No sense hanging around. Come on." Bulbasaur bounded after them enthusiastically. Matt sighed happily as he touched the newly-filled ball on his belt. Today was going very well indeed.
Back at Pallet Town, Leo waved goodbye to his parents as he walked slowly down the road. Squirtle was back in his Poke Ball, happy and healthy after a much-appreciated rest. It was just before lunchtime, but the small amount of food that Leo had forced himself to eat felt far too large in his stomach.
"Probably because the butterflies were already filling it," he thought out loud, swallowing a lump in his throat. Why was he so nervous? He was fine earlier, when he got his Pokemon from the lab. But after the battle with Matt and Bulbasaur, he had suddenly developed a decent dose of nervousness, which had persisted ever since.
Nevertheless, he had an adventure to begin, and Matt already had a whole morning's head-start on him. He had to get to Viridian City as soon as possible.
He began to feel better as he exited the town. The fluttering feeling in his stomach faded slowly, and he smiled, eyes set on the forest ahead. He had been to Viridian City many times before, and knew the path very well. This was bound to be no different, except for the Pokemon he would hopefully catch along the way. Easy as pie.
The sun was beginning to beat down on him as he reached the edge of the trees. Stopping in the shade, he realised that the afternoon sun might get very hot, very fast. He dug through his backpack, hoping he had a hat somewhere. He couldn't remember packing one.
Fortunately, his parents apparently had added a few things. Just below the few extra layers of clothing was a green legionary-style hat, not completely unlike the one he customarily wore to school. He put it on, and continued onwards with newfound confidence. The nervousness was behind him now, and Squirtle was ready to battle again after the embarrassing defeat he suffered earlier. Perhaps some training outside Viridian would help?
Leo smiled as he planned out his day. Get to Viridian, do some training, catch some Pokemon...Not in that order, of course. Too easy, really. He would catch up with his friend easily: If he knew Matt, he would probably arrive at Viridian after Leo did. Too easy...
On the other side of the forest, Matt frowned, trying to figure out a plan. The trio had nearly reached the edge of the forest, and Matt felt sure that Viridian City was just over the next hill. Unfortunately, the 'hill' in this case was a fast-flowing river.
They had done some extensive walking in the last hour or two, interrupted periodically by some battles with wild Pokemon. Most of them were Pidgeys, and Bulbasaur's confidence had reached its original level again, except without the recklessness. Dratini had shone in battle as well, leaping gracefully into the air and whipping opponents with her long body to defeat them. Both Pokemon looked like the effort had done them a lot of good.
Matt, with Bulbasaur's help, had succeeded in capturing a Rattata, which now sat comfortably inside its Poke Ball behind Dratini's. Now the fast-flowing water before them was just about all that stood between them and their destination.
Dratini had happily dived into the water when they approached, darting contently through the currents and watching her friends at the shore. Bulbasaur and Matt, however, didn't have the luxury of being able to swim across in the same way.
"Shall we pick a direction and try to find a bridge?" Matt asked his partner. Bulbasaur nodded, and they started marching upstream, Dratini following along in the water. "The path was somewhere up here, so there has to be a bridge close by. We'll get across nice and quick, probably."
He was telling it to himself as much as he was his Pokemon. He had no idea where to find a bridge across, and wasn't even sure if they were walking the right way.
Some time later, they still hadn't come across the path. There was a waterfall with a steep climb just up ahead. If they climbed up only to have to turn around again, there would be some annoyance among all three of them. Matt had to find a way of hunting down that bridge. Pidgey was probably too tired to do some reconnaissance. If only they had a-
"Of course!" Matt shouted, startling his Pokemon. He stopped, sitting on a fallen log, and started fishing through the side pocket of his shoulder-bag. Bulbasaur stopped and watched curiously, tilting his head as Matt pulled out a small book.
Matt grinned widely, holding up the book. "I forgot I had a map in here! We'll just use some landmarks to work out where we are!" Bulbasaur nodded his approval. Dratini slowly approached the shore to watch as well.
Matt flipped slowly through the front of the book. "Here's Viridian, and here's Pallet, so we're somewhere between the two. This is the only river between the two towns, so we must be along it somewhere." He looked up for any landmarks or turns in the river to base their location off, and chuckled at the obvious choice. He pointed upstream.
"That's the only waterfall marked on the map. That makes it easy." Matt smiled as he glanced at the map again. "Great! The bridge is right up there! We're nearly there!"
Bulbasaur and Dratini cheered, and Matt made plans for how to get around the cliff. "The cliff ends not too far from here. We'll simply go around it!"
Dratini jumped out of the water, and they approached the trees again, following the cliff face.
Sure enough, after about 15 minutes' casual walking alongside the rocks, the cliff finally flattened out. Jumping onto the top with grins covering their faces, they started back the way they came, walking happily up the easy slope.
The gravel path came back into view within minutes. Following it briefly, they grinned again as the bridge appeared before them. After crossing it with confident smiles, they passed through some more trees, until they reached the last lines of bushes before they were out of the forest. Matt turned back to look once more at the tiny forest. They pushed through the final ranks of the trees, and gaped at what appeared before them.
Viridian City stood before them in all its midday glory, a metropolis that stretched far into the distance. Matt's mouth dropped at the sheer size of the city. It was beyond the scope of anything he had previously imagined. Standing on the top of the hill they had emerged onto, Matt was forced to turn his head to each side in order to see the entire city.
Matt blinked slowly, and turned his head to his friends, who were staring down upon the buildings in similar fashion. He exhaled slowly, facing forward again and took a wary step down the slope. The Pokemon jumped slightly, and moved forward as well, still staring at the gigantic collection of buildings ahead. Matt bit his lip as the houses ahead slowly began to grow.
The next few minutes went surprisingly fast, and they reached the outer houses of the city. Matt shivered. There were too many streets to traverse. They would never find the Pokemon Centre if they just walked along. He took off his backpack, fishing again in the side pocket for his map. He flipped through to the map of Viridian City, and found the Centre easily; a large Poke Ball was drawn in the middle of the map. Looking up in the same direction, he sighed. "The Pokemon Centre is right in the middle of the city. It's a long way. Too far to walk."
Matt sighed again, realising his Pokemon wouldn't want to walk there even if they did know the way. Dratini and Bulbasaur were lying on the pavement next to him, looking extremely tired. Matt realised his own feet were sore as well. His fatigue had begun to catch up with him. He shifted, pulling out their respective Poke Balls. "Want to go back in?" Bulbasaur nodded immediately, and Dratini glanced around, nodding in similar fashion after a few seconds. Matt raised the balls, and identical red beams flew from them, striking the Pokemon, who flashed and faded back inside.
Matt tucked the map away and stood up, feeling somewhat alone. Somehow, he had to get to the Pokemon Centre.
A small building a few houses down caught his eye. It was black and blue, and had a sign that said 'Police' in solid white letters attached to the front. Matt smiled and lifted his bag wearily onto his shoulder, walking slowly up the street towards the building. He would be able to get some help from there, for sure.
Leo felt even more confident than before. The bridge across the river to Viridian City was just half an hour away, and he had caught both a Pidgey and a Rattata with little difficulty. He had seen more of each, but had ignored them. He had all he wanted, and wasn't interested in encountering more, especially considering how special the ones he had already acquired were...He gave a quick thought to where Matt was right now. Leo had probably already passed him without knowing.
"All too easy," he thought aloud, walking proudly through the trees. He jumped as the shadow of another bird passed overhead. At first he assumed it was another Pidgey, but following the path of the shadow he saw a different type of bird. Its beak was curved in a different fashion to a Pidgey's, and it had more of a predator look to it. Withdrawing his Pokedex, Leo pointed it at the Pokemon as it passed over the treetops.
"Spearow," announced the small device. "Unlike Pidgey, this Pokemon is very territorial and often violent. It is faster and stronger than its docile counterpart, and will sometimes attack humans as well as other Pokemon."
Leo grinned enthusiatically as he removed Squirtle's Poke Ball, jogging after the Spearow. "A good addition to the team, methinks! I've got to catch it!"
He ran in the direction the Spearow had flown in, and burst abruptly into a small clearing. Turning his head from side to side frantically, scanning the sky and ground, he spotted movement below one of the trees. He threw Squirtle's Poke Ball towards it, yelling a command to attack, and the turtle appeared in a flash of light, charging forward, using the momentum from its release.
Leo frowned as a darting grey streak through the grass revealed the Pokemon to be a Rattata, not the Spearow he had been chasing. He stomped his foot angrily and shouted "Damnit! We lost it!"
Squirtle, who had pulled up short when the Rattata darted away, grizzled in similar fashion. Leo slowly reached for Squirtle's Poke Ball, which he had already replaced in the belt. "Never mind, I suppose everyone has some bad luck now and again." Pulling the ball from his belt and enlarging it, he pointed it at Squirtle. A red beam shot out of it.
The beam didn't connect. A blur passed by Leo's eyes, and after it went past, Squirtle was no longer standing in front of the tree. The beam struck the tree behind where the Pokemon had been standing.
Leo gaped. Squirtle was lying flat on his stomach in the dirt several feet from the tree. The blur was still there, rising into the air. It slowed as it ascended, and was suddenly recognizable as what it really was: The Spearow.
Leo stared at the bird as it flapped hard to gain altitude. Now that his eyes had focused properly on it, it was no longer the blur it had previously been. Leo opened his mouth to shout some words of encouragement to Squirtle, but the turtle was already back up and facing its airborne opponent, fuming with anger at being attacked.
The Spearow dived again, releasing a loud, piercing cry as it plummeted downwards. Squirtle only just got out of the way in time, whirling around and clipping the Spearow's wing as it passed.
The knock unbalanced the bird Pokemon, and it fumbled in midair, landing imprecisely several feet away, nearly falling over. Squirtle seized its opportunity and charged without waiting for orders, headbutting its opponent hard in the back.
The Spearow's back bent away from the blow, and it collapsed, temporarily stunned. Leo called to Squirtle "Okay, stand back!" and hurled a Poke Ball at the still form. It collided forcefully, and the Pokemon's body glowed red before being sucked inside.
Leo and Squirtle watched in anticipation as the ball shook violently, the dial on its front glowing a deep red. Many tense seconds passed by, Leo's eyes frozen on the ball. Finally, the red faded, and a tiny 'ping' announced that the Pokemon had been contained.
Leo dashed forward, scooping the ball into his hands. He looked at it, shaking and exhaling nervously. Squirtle stepped up to him, then leapt back as his trainer bounced excited high into the air. Leo landed silently as a grin split his face, and he thrusted the ball straight up into the air, shouting at the top of his voice. "Yahoooo!"
A small shriek echoed from the trees at his shout, and he span in shock. Stepping warily towards the noise, he peered into the trees. He jolted as he saw the source of the noise. "You!? What're you doing here!?"
Matt stepped out of the Police outpost. According to the sole officer inside, whose name tag had said 'Jenny', there was public transport around the city, including buses and trains. After consulting some timetables in conjunction to his map book, he found there was a train going to the Pokemon Centre in a short while, from a station on the next street.
Finding his way to the train station with minimal difficulty, he obtained a ticket for a mere 13 Pokebucks, and went out to wait on the platform. He wondered why the tickets were so cheap. It struck him that there was next to nobody else around. The police officer was the only person he had seen so far. Even Pallet was normally more busy than this. He looked around curiously. Nobody in sight. Was there some special event occuring today, or was everyone at work? But it was Saturday, so there should be people around just the same...
Matt shrugged it off. He would find out soon enough if it was anything important. Finding a bench and sitting down, he sighed and waited for the train to arrive. His mind turned momentarily to Leo, and then to the third trainer, whose identity was still unknown to him. Though, considering they were taking the same path, they would most likely encounter each other eventually. No sense wondering about it too much.
Turning his head to look down the tracks, he sighed again. No sign of the train, but he would hear it before he saw it anyway. A vending machine caught his eye. He stood up and moved to it, looking at the items available. Most of it seemed fairly customary: The same items were available in similar machines in Pallet. There were snacks for both humans and Pokemon, and while Matt didn't like anything there, he was sure his Pokemon would appreciate some of it. As long as it was an occasional treat, why not get some junk food for the trip?
80 dollars and several handfuls of snacks later, Matt was back on the bench, the outside pocket compartment of his bag somewhat fuller than before. The train was still yet to arrive, though it had only been a few minutes. He considered letting his Pokemon out of their balls again, but decided to just leave them there until they reached the centre.
He had made good progress today. Bulbasaur was looking better for the battles he had with the wild Pokemon, and the newly-caught Pidgey and Rattata had definite potential. Though, capturing Pokemon had the tendency to be a trial for all involved, and the new Pokemon would probably have a bad disposition towards him for a while because of that. As for Dratini...Matt wasn't sure what he thought about her. Apart from greatly enjoying her company, he couldn't pin down any feelings for her. He knew she liked swimming, obviously, but that didn't count. And he couldn't work out how she felt about him, either.
Matt was woken from his thoughts by the sounds of the approaching train. There was no announcement on the loudspeaker to tell of its arrival. What was with the lack of people today?
The train pulled up in front of him, the electronic doors sliding open. Lifting his bag in front of him, he stepped slowly inside, looking about. The chairs were very clean, thought there was some rubbish on the floor. Placing his bag on a chair of its own, he sat down, frowning at the continuing lack of people.The rubbish indicated there were people here earlier, and there was obviously a driver at the head of the train...
Matt shook his head. It didn't matter. Just a parade or festival of some sort, obviously.
It was still weird, though.
The train arrived at its destination faster than Matt expected. Stepping out, he placed his bag on a bench identical to the one he had used earlier. This platform was nearly indistinguishable from the first, but for one thing: The Pokemon Centre.
In view of the platform, the centre took up so much of the sky it nearly blotted out the afternoon sun. A gigantic dome-shaped complex with the entrance shifted inwards, the front was a deep, inviting red, with white strips around the edge. It reminded Matt of a Poke Ball somehow, despite it not really looking anything like one.
After finding his way out of the station, he moved around to the large parking lot in front of the building. At least there were some cars here.
Moving slowly up to the sliding double-doors, he looked around at the lobby as they slid back. Mainly white on the inside, there was a large reception desk across the room. A red-haired nurse was sitting behind it, working on a computer. Matt approached, and the nurse looked up, smiling kindly. "Hi. What can I do for you?"
Matt hesitated, unsure what to say. "I'm from Pallet. I'm a new trainer. I was just wondering if you could heal my Pokemon." He mentally berated himself for sounding stupid, without moving his expression.
The nurse nodded, still smiling. "Of course. Are you going to be staying overnight?"
Matt looked back at the doors, as if expecting Leo to walk through. "I'm not sure, I might be. Does it cost anything?"
The nurse shook her head. "All our services are free, except for the canteen food."
Matt gave a small grin. "Oh, that's cool! Thanks a lot!" He reached down and plucked the four occupied Poke Balls from his belt, holding them forward in his palm. "Here they are. Take care, one of them's rather uncommon." That was an understatement. Though, it struck Matt that it was the first time he had ever heard from his own mouth that Dratini was rare. The nurse took them carefully, and Matt watched them just as carefully. "Thanks again. How long will it take?"
Pressing a small button near the computer, the nurse enlarged the balls and placed them on a tray with appropriately-sized holes. "It varies, but between twenty minutes and an hour is normal during non-busy times, unless the Pokemon are extremely large." A Chansey with a nurse's cap stepped up to the desk and took the tray with the balls, disappearing behind some doors with a 'Staff Only' sign.
Matt watched the doors close, shuddering at the feeling of loneliness. He returned his gaze to the nurse. "Okay. And I'm assuming I get told when they're ready to go?"
The nurse nodded again. "You can go to the canteen to wait, if you wish. There's some couches and books there."
"I think I will. Thanks a ton." Matt looked up to a sign that indicated the way to the canteen. He lifted his foot to go, but had a sudden thought, and turned back to the desk. "By the way, where is everyone? The city is deserted!"
The nurse continued to smile. "There's a special festival of sorts happening, lasting for ten days. More than a hundred Pokemon Contests take place. Today is the first day. Everyone is gathered around one of the city arenas to watch."
Matt blinked. "Just so we're on the same page, are you talking about the Beauty, Cool, et cetera, type of Pokemon Contest?"
Nodding, the nurse opened a drawer, holding up a miniaturized version of a poster advertising the event. "These are posted around the city. Seen any?"
Matt shook his head. He was having significant difficulty imagining what could be done to a Pokemon Contest to make it good enough to attract every citizen in the city. "Okay then. Thanks for the help!" He waved and started slowly towards the canteen.
The nurse waved after him. "There'll be people around tomorrow! Everyone always watches the first day!"
"Okay then. Thanks again!" The nurse gave a small thumbs-up and returned to her computer. Matt turned his head forward, walking through the sliding doors to the canteen. There were a couple of people here, at least. Matt sat down on an unoccupied couch, his feet suddenly feeling like stone. How in the world could it still be only mid-afternoon?
His mind began to wander, and he went along for the ride, reflecting on the tiny adventure he had just completed. He now had four Pokemon, quadruple the number of when he woke up this morning. Assuming, of course, that Dratini was 'his'. Pokemon were friends, they weren't things to be possessed. Though certain Ghosts might disagree...
Matt smiled at his own bad pun, a smile which became wider as he realised he had completed his first goal with flying colours: Viridian City was indeed his for the taking. Right after he had a well-deserved rest.
Matt touched the empty sockets on his belt, and he continued thinking; about his Pokemon friends, who were currently under expert care; about Leo and the third trainer, whoever it might be; whether Pidgey and Rattata may have indeed been healthy enough to be trained in the forest, and whether they would hate him for their rough treatment earlier...
At least one thing was certain: Not only was this the single biggest day of his life so far, there would be many more like it to come.
'I might as well take my time' he thought. 'I've waited for three years, so a few extra minutes won't hurt.' Removing his trusty shoulder-bag and sitting down on a large round rock nearby, he reached down with both hands and removed the two tiny Poke Balls containing Dratini and Bulbasaur from the belt. Holding one in each hand, he pressed the tiny white buttons to enlarge them, and popped them open.
Two white streams of light flowed freely out of the balls, and the Pokemon appeared in front of him. Bulbasaur jumped up on the rock with Matt, who started stroking his partner's head. Dratini curled up on the ground nearby, sitting calmly. Eyes scanning the landscape, taking in the surroundings, Matt kept a particularly sharp eye out for movement. He wanted to catch one of every Pokemon species that came his way.
The area around the outside of Pallet was fairly open. Only a few trees dotted the green plains, and a clear gravel path marked the way through the small forest south of Viridian. The grass was long and waved softly in the cool wind. What annoyed Matt was the complete lack of activity. Were all the Pokemon in the distant woods? Or was the population here just sparse?
His thoughts were interrupted by Bulbasaur jumping off the rock. Deciding that a good a time as any to get up, Matt slipped slowly off himself. He put his bag back across his arm, and looked quickly around once more, seeing nothing. "Moving on, then?" The Pokemon nodded, and they together started towards the forest, Dratini occasionally rubbing her head against Matt's leg affectionately. Matt smiled down at her, and she smiled back.
Bulbasaur dashed ahead out of sight as they approached the edge of the forest. Matt looked carefully around at the foliage. It was hardly worthy of the title of 'forest': The trees were bushy, but they were rather short, and they were spread far and wide from each other, the sunlight easily making its way down to the smooth ground.
Looking about as they entered the line of trees, Dratini and Matt jumped as Bulbasaur gave a loud cry from the trees. Racing forward to see what he had discovered, they stopped dead in their tracks, staring at what was before them.
A large billowing dust cloud, easily a story high, whipped about through the air. The dark yellow sand was whirling about like a miniature cyclone, blocking all view of Bulbasaur, who was crying frantically from inside. Matt saw a small flock of Pidgey fly away as the cloud reached its highest, and grimaced. Bulbasaur had evidently fallen victim to a mass Sand Attack.
Dratini and Matt waited anxiously by the edge of the sandstorm for it to fade. After nearly ten seconds and no reduction in its size, Matt realised that that could take a long time...Too long. He took a deep breath, aimed himself at the cries from inside the cloud, and slammed his eyes shut, darting into the storm.
The inside of the cloud was chaos. Matt was suddenly and painfully aware of why it was so effective. The storm went above and beyond simply blinding him. The sand whipped at him like punches, cutting off all sound save for the horrible scratching across his ears, and the distorted distress calls of Bulbasaur. The cries sounded distant, like hollow, twisted echoes escaping from a long tunnel. Taking an educated guess at the Pokemon's location, he crouched and stretched out his arm. His hand felt something organic, and he quickly seized the squirming Bulbasaur, forcing himself to ignore the pleas and cries it exclaimed in confusion and defiance.
Going against his better judgement, he did a 180 turn and ran full speed back the way he came, Bulbasaur held tight to his chest. Just as he was starting to panic, worrying that he had lost himself inside the cloud, he was suddenly free from the tearing and scraping of the storm. The blows to his face stopped, the whipping faded, and he crouched down, panting heavily. He lowered Bulbasaur to the ground, and wiped his eyes, blinking around in mild shock.
Dratini was staring agape, apparently in disbelief of what her trainer had just done. Bulbasaur was gagging out mouthfuls, and lungfuls, of sand, blinded by the buildup of white sand on his eyelids. Shaking his head to remove the sand from himself, Matt slowly moved his hands across Bulbasaur's face, and carefully started wiping away the sand. Dratini snapped out of her amazement and came to try to help, singing low soothing notes that appeared to make some sense to Bulbasaur, for his scared shiverings immediately began to calm. Matt smiled uncomfortably, thinking of speaking but simply letting Dratini continue.
The sand wasn't coming off in a hurry. Matt took off his backpack to see if there was anything that could help. He pulled out a cloth and water bottle, and squirted water onto the cloth before carefully dabbing it on Bulbasaur's eyelids. "There we go, that's working better. Hang on, Bulbasaur, we'll have it off in a minute."
Dratini continued to sing as Matt wiped off all the sand from Bulbasaur's face. "That'll do it. Are you okay?" Bulbasaur slowly opened his eyes and blinked, nodding warily.
Matt sighed in relief. "That's good." He looked at the sandy cloth in his hand, and shoved it in a small plastic bag which he packed away. "In future, make sure you don't fight overwhelming odds."
Bulbasaur nodded, obviously just thinking the same thing. Matt started wiping the remaining sand off his own face. "It could have been worse, I suppose. It's a good thing they fled instead of attacking you."
Bulbasaur shuddered. Matt bit his lip as he thought about it. It made a bad mental image. "Shall we continue on as if nothing happened?"
His Pokemon nodded, Bulbasaur somewhat hesitantly, and they straightened, walking further into the forest.
A while later, Matt was starting to wonder if they were lost. The forest had never seemed this big in the maps. Maybe he should have travelled more in the past: All of his peers had probably gone to Viridian City many times before, yet he had never even seen it in person. The path was winding back and forth around trees awkwardly.
Bulbasaur had been looking about everywhere, jumping at the slightest noise. Matt fast became concerned about his behaviour, and began looking for a way to fix it. The perfect opportunity presented itself very neatly.
As they passed through a clearing, a Pidgey swooped from a tree to peck some nuts from the dusty ground. Matt looked it over quickly. About a foot tall, it had a small, sharp beak, stubby-looking wings and a wide tail with diverging feathers. Matt grinned, looked down at Bulbasaur enthusiastically, and pointed at the Pidgey. "Okay, Bulbasaur, get it!"
Bulbasaur didn't move from where he was standing. It was staring wide-eyed at the bird Pokemon, which was scratching around the clearing, ignoring them. Matt tried to think of some encouraging words.
"Come on, Bulbasaur! We need you to do this! Just weaken it enough for me to capture it! A flock of Pidgey besting you is expected, but if you let a lone bird scare you, you'll never be strong! Strong is what you're supposed to be! You beat Squirtle easily, a Pidgey should be a pushover!"
Bulbasaur started to step slowly forward, obviously still afraid. It didn't look it was going to be doing any fighting anytime soon. Matt sighed. Dratini looked anxiously around the clearing, unsure what to do. Matt thought out his words carefully, then spoke again.
"Bulbasaur, if you don't fight this Pidgey, it will indicate you're afraid. You'll be taken as a nothing, a weakling."
He had said the right thing this time. On the word 'weakling', Bulbasaur jolted, and glared with more determination than Matt had yet seen in him. With a bellowing cry, he charged, barreling towards the Pidgey. Despite being aware of their presence for as much as half a minute, the Pidgey declined to fly away, and Bulbasaur smashed directly into its side, sending it tumbling across the ground. It picked itself up painfully, tested its wings, then hovered above the ground, throwing up a sand cloud which quickly enloped its attacker. Bulbasaur began to cry out almost immediately.
Matt called out to Bulbasaur encouragingly. "Stay focused, Bulbasaur! Don't let it psyche you out!"
The cries stopped. There was a short pause, and Bulbasaur leapt high out of the cloud, colliding in midair with the startled Pidgey. Matt cheered loudly. Both Pokemon feel to the ground awkwardly, Bulbasaur rolling quickly to its feet. The Pidgey lay prone and weak.
Matt grinned and seized his opportunity. He reached to his belt and ripped away a fresh ball from its socket behind Bulbasaur's. Enlarging it, he hurled it with all his might at the injured bird. It struck it hard, and there was a bright flash as it was converted and sucked inside the ball.
The ball fell to the ground, wriggling slightly back and forth. Matt frowned, wondering if the injured bird would resist the capture. He breathed a sigh of relief as, after only a couple of seconds, the red light on the ball's front faded with a 'ping'. The Pidgey was caught.
Matt had no idea who cheered the loudest, himself or Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur was jumping and strutting around the clearing somewhat vainly, head held high. Dratini, after giving a short celebratory cry at Bulbasaur's success, slithered curiously to the ball resting on the ground, and put her head close to it as if sniffing it. Matt stepped forward and picked it up, reflecting on the capture. After a few short seconds, he put the ball away, and grinned widely as he turned to the proud Bulbasaur.
"Well, that went well. Nice job, to say the least."
Bulbasaur nodded and continued to parade. Matt started to move out of the clearing, Dratini at his heels. "No sense hanging around. Come on." Bulbasaur bounded after them enthusiastically. Matt sighed happily as he touched the newly-filled ball on his belt. Today was going very well indeed.
Back at Pallet Town, Leo waved goodbye to his parents as he walked slowly down the road. Squirtle was back in his Poke Ball, happy and healthy after a much-appreciated rest. It was just before lunchtime, but the small amount of food that Leo had forced himself to eat felt far too large in his stomach.
"Probably because the butterflies were already filling it," he thought out loud, swallowing a lump in his throat. Why was he so nervous? He was fine earlier, when he got his Pokemon from the lab. But after the battle with Matt and Bulbasaur, he had suddenly developed a decent dose of nervousness, which had persisted ever since.
Nevertheless, he had an adventure to begin, and Matt already had a whole morning's head-start on him. He had to get to Viridian City as soon as possible.
He began to feel better as he exited the town. The fluttering feeling in his stomach faded slowly, and he smiled, eyes set on the forest ahead. He had been to Viridian City many times before, and knew the path very well. This was bound to be no different, except for the Pokemon he would hopefully catch along the way. Easy as pie.
The sun was beginning to beat down on him as he reached the edge of the trees. Stopping in the shade, he realised that the afternoon sun might get very hot, very fast. He dug through his backpack, hoping he had a hat somewhere. He couldn't remember packing one.
Fortunately, his parents apparently had added a few things. Just below the few extra layers of clothing was a green legionary-style hat, not completely unlike the one he customarily wore to school. He put it on, and continued onwards with newfound confidence. The nervousness was behind him now, and Squirtle was ready to battle again after the embarrassing defeat he suffered earlier. Perhaps some training outside Viridian would help?
Leo smiled as he planned out his day. Get to Viridian, do some training, catch some Pokemon...Not in that order, of course. Too easy, really. He would catch up with his friend easily: If he knew Matt, he would probably arrive at Viridian after Leo did. Too easy...
On the other side of the forest, Matt frowned, trying to figure out a plan. The trio had nearly reached the edge of the forest, and Matt felt sure that Viridian City was just over the next hill. Unfortunately, the 'hill' in this case was a fast-flowing river.
They had done some extensive walking in the last hour or two, interrupted periodically by some battles with wild Pokemon. Most of them were Pidgeys, and Bulbasaur's confidence had reached its original level again, except without the recklessness. Dratini had shone in battle as well, leaping gracefully into the air and whipping opponents with her long body to defeat them. Both Pokemon looked like the effort had done them a lot of good.
Matt, with Bulbasaur's help, had succeeded in capturing a Rattata, which now sat comfortably inside its Poke Ball behind Dratini's. Now the fast-flowing water before them was just about all that stood between them and their destination.
Dratini had happily dived into the water when they approached, darting contently through the currents and watching her friends at the shore. Bulbasaur and Matt, however, didn't have the luxury of being able to swim across in the same way.
"Shall we pick a direction and try to find a bridge?" Matt asked his partner. Bulbasaur nodded, and they started marching upstream, Dratini following along in the water. "The path was somewhere up here, so there has to be a bridge close by. We'll get across nice and quick, probably."
He was telling it to himself as much as he was his Pokemon. He had no idea where to find a bridge across, and wasn't even sure if they were walking the right way.
Some time later, they still hadn't come across the path. There was a waterfall with a steep climb just up ahead. If they climbed up only to have to turn around again, there would be some annoyance among all three of them. Matt had to find a way of hunting down that bridge. Pidgey was probably too tired to do some reconnaissance. If only they had a-
"Of course!" Matt shouted, startling his Pokemon. He stopped, sitting on a fallen log, and started fishing through the side pocket of his shoulder-bag. Bulbasaur stopped and watched curiously, tilting his head as Matt pulled out a small book.
Matt grinned widely, holding up the book. "I forgot I had a map in here! We'll just use some landmarks to work out where we are!" Bulbasaur nodded his approval. Dratini slowly approached the shore to watch as well.
Matt flipped slowly through the front of the book. "Here's Viridian, and here's Pallet, so we're somewhere between the two. This is the only river between the two towns, so we must be along it somewhere." He looked up for any landmarks or turns in the river to base their location off, and chuckled at the obvious choice. He pointed upstream.
"That's the only waterfall marked on the map. That makes it easy." Matt smiled as he glanced at the map again. "Great! The bridge is right up there! We're nearly there!"
Bulbasaur and Dratini cheered, and Matt made plans for how to get around the cliff. "The cliff ends not too far from here. We'll simply go around it!"
Dratini jumped out of the water, and they approached the trees again, following the cliff face.
Sure enough, after about 15 minutes' casual walking alongside the rocks, the cliff finally flattened out. Jumping onto the top with grins covering their faces, they started back the way they came, walking happily up the easy slope.
The gravel path came back into view within minutes. Following it briefly, they grinned again as the bridge appeared before them. After crossing it with confident smiles, they passed through some more trees, until they reached the last lines of bushes before they were out of the forest. Matt turned back to look once more at the tiny forest. They pushed through the final ranks of the trees, and gaped at what appeared before them.
Viridian City stood before them in all its midday glory, a metropolis that stretched far into the distance. Matt's mouth dropped at the sheer size of the city. It was beyond the scope of anything he had previously imagined. Standing on the top of the hill they had emerged onto, Matt was forced to turn his head to each side in order to see the entire city.
Matt blinked slowly, and turned his head to his friends, who were staring down upon the buildings in similar fashion. He exhaled slowly, facing forward again and took a wary step down the slope. The Pokemon jumped slightly, and moved forward as well, still staring at the gigantic collection of buildings ahead. Matt bit his lip as the houses ahead slowly began to grow.
The next few minutes went surprisingly fast, and they reached the outer houses of the city. Matt shivered. There were too many streets to traverse. They would never find the Pokemon Centre if they just walked along. He took off his backpack, fishing again in the side pocket for his map. He flipped through to the map of Viridian City, and found the Centre easily; a large Poke Ball was drawn in the middle of the map. Looking up in the same direction, he sighed. "The Pokemon Centre is right in the middle of the city. It's a long way. Too far to walk."
Matt sighed again, realising his Pokemon wouldn't want to walk there even if they did know the way. Dratini and Bulbasaur were lying on the pavement next to him, looking extremely tired. Matt realised his own feet were sore as well. His fatigue had begun to catch up with him. He shifted, pulling out their respective Poke Balls. "Want to go back in?" Bulbasaur nodded immediately, and Dratini glanced around, nodding in similar fashion after a few seconds. Matt raised the balls, and identical red beams flew from them, striking the Pokemon, who flashed and faded back inside.
Matt tucked the map away and stood up, feeling somewhat alone. Somehow, he had to get to the Pokemon Centre.
A small building a few houses down caught his eye. It was black and blue, and had a sign that said 'Police' in solid white letters attached to the front. Matt smiled and lifted his bag wearily onto his shoulder, walking slowly up the street towards the building. He would be able to get some help from there, for sure.
Leo felt even more confident than before. The bridge across the river to Viridian City was just half an hour away, and he had caught both a Pidgey and a Rattata with little difficulty. He had seen more of each, but had ignored them. He had all he wanted, and wasn't interested in encountering more, especially considering how special the ones he had already acquired were...He gave a quick thought to where Matt was right now. Leo had probably already passed him without knowing.
"All too easy," he thought aloud, walking proudly through the trees. He jumped as the shadow of another bird passed overhead. At first he assumed it was another Pidgey, but following the path of the shadow he saw a different type of bird. Its beak was curved in a different fashion to a Pidgey's, and it had more of a predator look to it. Withdrawing his Pokedex, Leo pointed it at the Pokemon as it passed over the treetops.
"Spearow," announced the small device. "Unlike Pidgey, this Pokemon is very territorial and often violent. It is faster and stronger than its docile counterpart, and will sometimes attack humans as well as other Pokemon."
Leo grinned enthusiatically as he removed Squirtle's Poke Ball, jogging after the Spearow. "A good addition to the team, methinks! I've got to catch it!"
He ran in the direction the Spearow had flown in, and burst abruptly into a small clearing. Turning his head from side to side frantically, scanning the sky and ground, he spotted movement below one of the trees. He threw Squirtle's Poke Ball towards it, yelling a command to attack, and the turtle appeared in a flash of light, charging forward, using the momentum from its release.
Leo frowned as a darting grey streak through the grass revealed the Pokemon to be a Rattata, not the Spearow he had been chasing. He stomped his foot angrily and shouted "Damnit! We lost it!"
Squirtle, who had pulled up short when the Rattata darted away, grizzled in similar fashion. Leo slowly reached for Squirtle's Poke Ball, which he had already replaced in the belt. "Never mind, I suppose everyone has some bad luck now and again." Pulling the ball from his belt and enlarging it, he pointed it at Squirtle. A red beam shot out of it.
The beam didn't connect. A blur passed by Leo's eyes, and after it went past, Squirtle was no longer standing in front of the tree. The beam struck the tree behind where the Pokemon had been standing.
Leo gaped. Squirtle was lying flat on his stomach in the dirt several feet from the tree. The blur was still there, rising into the air. It slowed as it ascended, and was suddenly recognizable as what it really was: The Spearow.
Leo stared at the bird as it flapped hard to gain altitude. Now that his eyes had focused properly on it, it was no longer the blur it had previously been. Leo opened his mouth to shout some words of encouragement to Squirtle, but the turtle was already back up and facing its airborne opponent, fuming with anger at being attacked.
The Spearow dived again, releasing a loud, piercing cry as it plummeted downwards. Squirtle only just got out of the way in time, whirling around and clipping the Spearow's wing as it passed.
The knock unbalanced the bird Pokemon, and it fumbled in midair, landing imprecisely several feet away, nearly falling over. Squirtle seized its opportunity and charged without waiting for orders, headbutting its opponent hard in the back.
The Spearow's back bent away from the blow, and it collapsed, temporarily stunned. Leo called to Squirtle "Okay, stand back!" and hurled a Poke Ball at the still form. It collided forcefully, and the Pokemon's body glowed red before being sucked inside.
Leo and Squirtle watched in anticipation as the ball shook violently, the dial on its front glowing a deep red. Many tense seconds passed by, Leo's eyes frozen on the ball. Finally, the red faded, and a tiny 'ping' announced that the Pokemon had been contained.
Leo dashed forward, scooping the ball into his hands. He looked at it, shaking and exhaling nervously. Squirtle stepped up to him, then leapt back as his trainer bounced excited high into the air. Leo landed silently as a grin split his face, and he thrusted the ball straight up into the air, shouting at the top of his voice. "Yahoooo!"
A small shriek echoed from the trees at his shout, and he span in shock. Stepping warily towards the noise, he peered into the trees. He jolted as he saw the source of the noise. "You!? What're you doing here!?"
Matt stepped out of the Police outpost. According to the sole officer inside, whose name tag had said 'Jenny', there was public transport around the city, including buses and trains. After consulting some timetables in conjunction to his map book, he found there was a train going to the Pokemon Centre in a short while, from a station on the next street.
Finding his way to the train station with minimal difficulty, he obtained a ticket for a mere 13 Pokebucks, and went out to wait on the platform. He wondered why the tickets were so cheap. It struck him that there was next to nobody else around. The police officer was the only person he had seen so far. Even Pallet was normally more busy than this. He looked around curiously. Nobody in sight. Was there some special event occuring today, or was everyone at work? But it was Saturday, so there should be people around just the same...
Matt shrugged it off. He would find out soon enough if it was anything important. Finding a bench and sitting down, he sighed and waited for the train to arrive. His mind turned momentarily to Leo, and then to the third trainer, whose identity was still unknown to him. Though, considering they were taking the same path, they would most likely encounter each other eventually. No sense wondering about it too much.
Turning his head to look down the tracks, he sighed again. No sign of the train, but he would hear it before he saw it anyway. A vending machine caught his eye. He stood up and moved to it, looking at the items available. Most of it seemed fairly customary: The same items were available in similar machines in Pallet. There were snacks for both humans and Pokemon, and while Matt didn't like anything there, he was sure his Pokemon would appreciate some of it. As long as it was an occasional treat, why not get some junk food for the trip?
80 dollars and several handfuls of snacks later, Matt was back on the bench, the outside pocket compartment of his bag somewhat fuller than before. The train was still yet to arrive, though it had only been a few minutes. He considered letting his Pokemon out of their balls again, but decided to just leave them there until they reached the centre.
He had made good progress today. Bulbasaur was looking better for the battles he had with the wild Pokemon, and the newly-caught Pidgey and Rattata had definite potential. Though, capturing Pokemon had the tendency to be a trial for all involved, and the new Pokemon would probably have a bad disposition towards him for a while because of that. As for Dratini...Matt wasn't sure what he thought about her. Apart from greatly enjoying her company, he couldn't pin down any feelings for her. He knew she liked swimming, obviously, but that didn't count. And he couldn't work out how she felt about him, either.
Matt was woken from his thoughts by the sounds of the approaching train. There was no announcement on the loudspeaker to tell of its arrival. What was with the lack of people today?
The train pulled up in front of him, the electronic doors sliding open. Lifting his bag in front of him, he stepped slowly inside, looking about. The chairs were very clean, thought there was some rubbish on the floor. Placing his bag on a chair of its own, he sat down, frowning at the continuing lack of people.The rubbish indicated there were people here earlier, and there was obviously a driver at the head of the train...
Matt shook his head. It didn't matter. Just a parade or festival of some sort, obviously.
It was still weird, though.
The train arrived at its destination faster than Matt expected. Stepping out, he placed his bag on a bench identical to the one he had used earlier. This platform was nearly indistinguishable from the first, but for one thing: The Pokemon Centre.
In view of the platform, the centre took up so much of the sky it nearly blotted out the afternoon sun. A gigantic dome-shaped complex with the entrance shifted inwards, the front was a deep, inviting red, with white strips around the edge. It reminded Matt of a Poke Ball somehow, despite it not really looking anything like one.
After finding his way out of the station, he moved around to the large parking lot in front of the building. At least there were some cars here.
Moving slowly up to the sliding double-doors, he looked around at the lobby as they slid back. Mainly white on the inside, there was a large reception desk across the room. A red-haired nurse was sitting behind it, working on a computer. Matt approached, and the nurse looked up, smiling kindly. "Hi. What can I do for you?"
Matt hesitated, unsure what to say. "I'm from Pallet. I'm a new trainer. I was just wondering if you could heal my Pokemon." He mentally berated himself for sounding stupid, without moving his expression.
The nurse nodded, still smiling. "Of course. Are you going to be staying overnight?"
Matt looked back at the doors, as if expecting Leo to walk through. "I'm not sure, I might be. Does it cost anything?"
The nurse shook her head. "All our services are free, except for the canteen food."
Matt gave a small grin. "Oh, that's cool! Thanks a lot!" He reached down and plucked the four occupied Poke Balls from his belt, holding them forward in his palm. "Here they are. Take care, one of them's rather uncommon." That was an understatement. Though, it struck Matt that it was the first time he had ever heard from his own mouth that Dratini was rare. The nurse took them carefully, and Matt watched them just as carefully. "Thanks again. How long will it take?"
Pressing a small button near the computer, the nurse enlarged the balls and placed them on a tray with appropriately-sized holes. "It varies, but between twenty minutes and an hour is normal during non-busy times, unless the Pokemon are extremely large." A Chansey with a nurse's cap stepped up to the desk and took the tray with the balls, disappearing behind some doors with a 'Staff Only' sign.
Matt watched the doors close, shuddering at the feeling of loneliness. He returned his gaze to the nurse. "Okay. And I'm assuming I get told when they're ready to go?"
The nurse nodded again. "You can go to the canteen to wait, if you wish. There's some couches and books there."
"I think I will. Thanks a ton." Matt looked up to a sign that indicated the way to the canteen. He lifted his foot to go, but had a sudden thought, and turned back to the desk. "By the way, where is everyone? The city is deserted!"
The nurse continued to smile. "There's a special festival of sorts happening, lasting for ten days. More than a hundred Pokemon Contests take place. Today is the first day. Everyone is gathered around one of the city arenas to watch."
Matt blinked. "Just so we're on the same page, are you talking about the Beauty, Cool, et cetera, type of Pokemon Contest?"
Nodding, the nurse opened a drawer, holding up a miniaturized version of a poster advertising the event. "These are posted around the city. Seen any?"
Matt shook his head. He was having significant difficulty imagining what could be done to a Pokemon Contest to make it good enough to attract every citizen in the city. "Okay then. Thanks for the help!" He waved and started slowly towards the canteen.
The nurse waved after him. "There'll be people around tomorrow! Everyone always watches the first day!"
"Okay then. Thanks again!" The nurse gave a small thumbs-up and returned to her computer. Matt turned his head forward, walking through the sliding doors to the canteen. There were a couple of people here, at least. Matt sat down on an unoccupied couch, his feet suddenly feeling like stone. How in the world could it still be only mid-afternoon?
His mind began to wander, and he went along for the ride, reflecting on the tiny adventure he had just completed. He now had four Pokemon, quadruple the number of when he woke up this morning. Assuming, of course, that Dratini was 'his'. Pokemon were friends, they weren't things to be possessed. Though certain Ghosts might disagree...
Matt smiled at his own bad pun, a smile which became wider as he realised he had completed his first goal with flying colours: Viridian City was indeed his for the taking. Right after he had a well-deserved rest.
Matt touched the empty sockets on his belt, and he continued thinking; about his Pokemon friends, who were currently under expert care; about Leo and the third trainer, whoever it might be; whether Pidgey and Rattata may have indeed been healthy enough to be trained in the forest, and whether they would hate him for their rough treatment earlier...
At least one thing was certain: Not only was this the single biggest day of his life so far, there would be many more like it to come.