To Catch Up To A Cousin

Drew awoke looking around the room weary eyed, he slowly got up walked over to his wardrobe and got out a fresh set of clothes before returning to his bed and getting changed once ready he left his room and walked down stairs seeing his Mum he said "Bye mum i'm off now cause I gotta go catch cousin Leo" his Mum looked over calling back "ok be safe..." before she could start pestering him he quickly exited the small Cottage walking over to the Professor's Cottage and knocking on the door to find out what exactly he needed to do to get started.

The door to the cottage opened wide and the professor stood there, peering down at Drew.
"Aha, Drew, good to see you," said the professor. "Come in, come in! How can I help you today?"

Drew entered with the Professor and asked "So, You might know my Cousin Leo Ryder and yeah well he left a little while ago so I sorta need to catch up with him anyway what do I do to get a pokemon?" unaware of the task in which he would have to go out and befriend one. Drew looked calmly to the Professor and awaited an answer.

"Well, to get a Pokemon you have to go out and befriend one," said the professor. "You may have heard of trainers from other regions getting a Pokemon from a professor, but that's not how it works around here. No, to get a Pokemon here you just have to go look for one and make friends with it. Will that be all?" said the professor in almost entirely one big breath.

Drew smiled "Sure sounds like fun" he then rose from the chair and said to the Professor "Thanks Professor I'll be off now ok but i'll be sure to call" exiting from the house and walking to the nearby forest which his cousin and him used to play in all the time so he wandered over to multiple berry bushes picking some berries from each and putting them all in one pouch as a variety pouch. He then climbed up a nearby tree and walked along a thick branch before sitting on the branch which could clearly take his weight. At that moment a _________ wandered/hopped along the branch towards him.

(Wandered/Hopped = Wandered if a land pokemon and hopped if it's a bird pokemon)

A female Ghalia, level 5!
https://pokemonworldrpg.forumotion.net/t670-ghalia-ghalisa-ghalitia
She stared up at Drew, blinking curiously at the sight of his face.

Drew smiled stroking Ghalia's head and handed it a berry but decided that Ghalia wasn't for him so he got up on the branch and continued to walked around Ghalia and further along the branch where he sat down once again, a _________ wandering/hopping along the branch towards him.

Oddly enough, it was a Houndour. It was male, level 5. He was whimpering and sliding along on his belly, looking very afraid of the ground far below and very out of place in a tree. He was sliding his front legs forward along the sides of the branch to grip it, then pulling himself forward to move.
The Houndour chanced a glimpse at the ground, then instantly seemed to regret it as he squeezed his eyes shut and froze up, shaking.

Drew saw the Houndour and how it was afraid most probably of heights so he edged towards it speaking calmly and softly "It's ok.... Just wait... I'm on my way.... I'll help you" smiling to reassure the pokemon. Drew then lowered himself down so that he'd hang from the branch moving along it one hand after another until he was directly below Houndour. Once below Houndour he began reaching up hanging on the branch by his legs and stroked Houndour on the side as another way to reassure it.

Drew then said "Calm down I'm going to lower you down ok" gently holding onto Houndour's paws and calmly taking it from the higher branch lowering it onto the next branch down once this was done he himself dropped down so now they were much closer to the ground Drew then leapt from the branch landing on the ground and called up "Jump down I'll catch you.... I Promise!" smiling to the Houndour and holding out his arms for it in the hopes it would jump down into them.

Houndour looked shaky and uncertain about the idea of jumping down. He sat where he was on the tree limb, frequently glancing over the edge to measure the distance and weigh his odds, then hiding his head in his paws again. But as he glanced over the edge to gauge the danger of the situation for the umpteenth time, he lost his balance and fell, howling out a "HOUNDOOOOOUUUUURRR" with the fright of falling. He fell down to where Drew was standing.

Drew dived over landing on the ground and Houndour landing on top of him he then smiled after catching his breath "there you go" he said. Drew then slowly sat up stroking Houndour on the head and giving him some berries.

Houndour was shaking too hard to even try to run away; all he could do was whimper. After a long time he noticed the berries and stopped shivering quite so much. Tentatively he pushed his muzzle forward and picked one up, chewing it slowly. The whole time his gaze stayed fixed on Drew's face.

Drew smiled the whole time to reassure Houndour that everything was alright saying "there's more where that came from" taking them from his pouch and placing them on his palm his hand out flat for Houndour. Drew then asked "So if you wouldn't mind... would you like to come along with me on my journey?" hoping that Houndour would as he removed a pokeball from his belt enlarging it and holding out on his other hand to give Houndour the choice.

Houndour continued to apprehensively eat the berries, but he didn't go anywhere near the Poke Ball. He was still unsure about Drew, even though he was feeding him berries. On the other hand, Houndour was in full control of his body by now and he hadn't run away. He seemed to still be on the fence about Drew.

Drew realized how Houndour was feeling rather quickly asking him something different "So instead how about rather than rushing into this we both just hang out around here for a while" slowly taking a couple more berries from his belt and a brush deciding a good way to help get to know a pokemon is to help the pokemon so he said "Hey I got a brush do you want your fur brushed?" trying to be friendly.

Houndour didn't like the looks of the brush, but he reluctantly allowed Drew to use it.

Drew then smiled gently beginning to brush Houndour's back so that Houndour would feel slightly more comfortable, stroking Houndour with his other hand whilst he did it.

((BUMP))

((Bump))

The Houndour had cheered up considerably. It still looked apprehensively at the Poké Ball, but if the trainer had more of these berries, what did it have to lose? It made its decision and touched the Poké Ball pointedly with its paw.

Drew smiled as the pokeball opened absorbing Houndour inside before wiggling once, twice, three times. With that a smile beamed across his face as, he knew that he had just befriended his first pokemon, he had just caught his partner, his first, and best, friend.

Drew was overwhelmed with excitement leaping into the air and yelling "Yahoo!" he then let, Houndour out of his pokeball, saying "Awesome, we're gonna be best friends, isn't that right buddy" Houndour nodding enthusiastically. Drew then said "You know what I think you look like a Shadow" referring to his nickname rather than appearance. Drew then turned around and walked back into town where he saw his sister happily running over to him, "Charlotte?" he asked, Charlotte nodding as she reached him saying "Hey there lil' bro and who's this" referring to Shadow, Drew calmly looked to Shadow remembering he was at his side, grinning happily, looking a little dopey aswell, with this he said "This sis is my new pokemon, and my Best Friend, Shadow". "Oh" Charlotte remarked before saying "So, seen as you already have a pokemon, should I keep these then?" holding out two pokeballs and a satchel, containing three Eggs (All from the Christmas Event). "No!" Drew exclaimed, Charlotte laughing and saying "Just kidding, here you go little bro, now good luck on your journey and don't forget to call us" Drew nodded "I won't and thanks sis", with that he hit the road heading towards his next destination on the journey to catch up to his cousin Leo, Aquais Island.

Once on the road, he and Shadow stopped to check out his two new teams mates, letting them both out of their pokeball's, the duo of Poliwag and Whismur appearing before him. Drew then smiled "That's like my sis always looking out for me" Houndour padding over to the two, and holding out his paw, as if to say hello. Whismur however was startled by this, having not expected it, so with that he began to cry, the loud noise that emanated from it, shaking the surrounding area. Poliwag quickly ran over to Whismur patting him on the back with his tail, this calming Whismur down, Drew then said "Thanks Poliwag, or should I say, Aqua" he then looked to Whismur and said "Oh and you have to be called Crescendo" the duo both happily jumping up and down, clapping, clearly happy with their new names as, Aqua climbed up onto Drew's right shoulder, and Crescendo onto his left. Drew smiled and with that the four of them continued down the road eventually finding a __________.