Introductions and Distractions

Vermilion City's harbor was packed with a small crowd, the steamboat's fog horn sounding off as its crew prepared to depart. The salty sea air wafted in land, carried on a cool breeze. Many said their goodbyes, as they departed on the ferry for the Sevii Islands. A lonely looking girl stood at the bank of the waters, hair white as snow and eyes a deep green like the Viridian Forest.

The wind blew again, rustling the short crop of hair and causing her to close her eyes. She could almost still smell the soot and ash of Cinnabar Island. Then again, that smell was almost imprinted into her very being after having grown up there her entire life. Her garb was rather different from most, looking like some sort of martial artist though it was unclear of what dojo or under which master she had trained.

Her name was Akane Blackwell, and she was an orphan. Not because her parents abandoned her at birth, but because the man she had called Father for all this time was now gone. Her feet shifted uneasily beneath her, only partially wrapped in fabric and bare otherwise. "This place...is so noisy..." She said softly, her stare into the waters being a very serious one.

She turned, walking through the city. It was very industrious, natural for a port town. They had a lot of traffic through the area, so it was only expected. Some Machoke were pounding some ground flat at the northern edge of town, preparing to put up a building. Akane merely wondered what this place could possibly hold for her. At this rate, she didn't think she was going to stay long before moving on.

The noises of the busy port town danced non-stop through Lisica's ears. The voices of the people hastily going about their day was like a crescendo of chaos through her mind, and if it weren't for a sturdy hand on her Gifarig's course fur, she would have been overwhelmed. Her eyes stared ahead, as if she had a destination, though it was the Pokemon who was truly leading.

The cool sea breeze whipped through the girl's black hair, a few strands remained in front of her icy blue eyes, but she did not push them away, she didn't need to. A loud horn caused her to jump and lose her balance. She slammed rather hard into the cold concrete sidewalk, and groaned, shakily getting back to her feet. "I hate unfamiliar places," she muttered, "they're death traps for people like me." She felt around the air with a couple of swipes before makig contact with her Pokemon's neck once again.

Her Gifarig turned and headed farther into town, the intoxicating smell of freshly cooked food luring both her and her trainer. The breeze brought the scent even closer, and the two wandered toward it, Lisica occasionally bumping into people, but ignoring their angry words, not in the mood to explain why she didn't look where she was going.

Aatu was eating a small meal at this point, watching the crowd from the not-so-crowded alleys of between a couple of buildings. He looked as though he was hiding from someone, though he was just in his own little bubble watching life fly by. "As long as I'm not interrupted, I couldn't really care less," he told himself, continuing to eat. He saw a girl on a pokemon walking by, which he found a bit strange, but said nothing about.

He looked aside to his umbreon, whom he had let out after a bit of time. "I'm not much for daylight. What about you," he asked, though the pokemon didn't seem to answer him. He had been trying to get a good response for a while, but his pokemon didn't seem to want to be nice about it.

"Well nevermind then. You don't need to answer," he said to his umbreon, turning his head and looking back out at the crowds. "Just like my master use to be. Would always ignore my questions and thoughts until he had something to say..."

Akane continued to walk along, watching the ground as she went. Lisica nearly trampled the frail looking Akane, the girl managing to sweep around in a twirling motion just before the moment of impact. She looked up sharply, before watching the girl fall to the ground and fumble to reach her Girafarig again. Blind... Akane thought, musing slightly over it before she too caught wind of the scent of food.

It was faint, but Akane's stomach growled to its song dancing on her senses regardless. She grimaced, if she had been back on the island she would have vegetables and fish to eat right now. Before she knew it, she had followed the girl near the Pokémon Center, where in an alley a strange boy and an Umbreon were eating a meal.

Akane stared at him silently for several moments. She debated knocking him out and taking his food right there. If his Umbreon is too strong it could prove bad for me, she decided, choosing against her violent path. Still, her stomach growled loudly again and she clenched her stomach in pain, wincing once more.

Just as Akane had, Lisica's Gifarig caught the mouth-watering scent of food coming from beside the Pokemon Center. The Pokemon shrugged out of her grip, and dashed toward the man. "Celelic, no!" Lisica commanded, but she was already stampeding forward, barreling strait into the source of the scent.

Sighing, Lisica felt around until she could feel the ruggedness of the cold brick wall across from the Pokemon Center. She took a few hesitant steps, using the wall as a guide, and made her way into the alley. "I'm sorry about my Pokemon," she said, looking toward where she thought she heard the Gifarig attempting to gulp down someone else's food. "We're just a bit parched."

Aatu looked at the pokemon, his umbreon laughing at him. He flicked her in the nose a single time, making the pokemon behave before he turned his head to Lisica. "Don't worry about it," he said to her, looking up at her pokemon. He had openly left the bowl out just a minute before it had stampeded, wanting something else to take the food so it wouldn't waste.

"Every pokemon gets hungry," he said to her, figuring she was blind because of how she was walking and navigating. He took a few extra dollars out of his pocket, taking a time to be kind before he put it in her hand. "That should buy you a bit of food," he said to her, returning to his umbreon and picking it up.

Akane was still fighting herself, and debating how she would go about getting some food when the Grafarig stampeded right past her. Herr eyes went wide a moment, feeling the breeze from movement brush against her face and causing her hair to rush around. She blinked, brushing a strand of her hair from her face, the serious look returning.

Sure Pokémon got hungry, but she doubted that food was really intended to be free for the taking. Once again, the disabled were getting handouts while everyone else had to fight for what they needed. She sneered, scrunching up her nose in a distasteful fashion. "Tell me, would you have done that for anyone who stumbled by saying they were hungry?" Akane queried with a not-so-friendly tone.

Her hands clenched into small fists, though not very noticeable in the darkened alley. It should have been obvious by now, but she wasn't fond of sharing pity. Or those who took it greedily either, for that matter. In fact, she was rather tempted to take the money from the blind girl at this point.

Lisica felt the familiar texture of the monetary bills in her hand, and a cold rage flooded through her. She opened her mouth to speak, but a sneering and hostile voice asked just what she was going to. She swindled her head toward the source, and blinked. "I don't like assumptions," she said to the source of the voice, who sounded female. "And I don't want any pity," she said icily to Aaku. "If your only being kind because I'm blind, then I don't want your money. It makes me all the more pathetic." In any other situation, she would have taken the money and held back her irritation, it was a common way for her to get a free meal, but something about the snide girl's voice sent her into an angry haze.

Her Gifarig was happily gorging herself on the remainder of the boy's food, unaware or uncaring of what was going on. She did flick her ear when she heard a slight rage build in Lisica's voice, but didn't look up to her master.

Aatu looked at Lisica. "You said you were hungry," he said to her calmly. "I was only trying to be of help. Just because I grew up with a bit of torture doesn't mean I want to see someone else tortured. Being hungry is torture if you are hungry enough," he said to her before turning towards the other girl. "If someone is hungry, and you are capable of helping them, why not? Isn't it considered the right thing to do to help others? What's that saying I heard from my master... 'Do unto others as you'd have them do to you?'"

"I do love how you danced around my question," Akane retorted sharply to the boy. The girl's words didn't bother her so much at this moment. She had earned a sliver of respect for declining the money, at least for now. Still it was true, the boy had only justified him giving the blind girl money, not in fact answering her question. "As for your golden rule, I tend to be the person to make sure the latter happens..." She spoke with confidence and rather intimidatingly.

"I'm hungry too," Akane said, holding out her hand tauntingly. "What, no money for me?" She figured at worst, she would taunt the boy into fighting her. She loved to fight, so that would be no skin off her teeth. At best, she got free money with which to buy some food.

Just by the sound of the confidence in the girl's voice, Lisica sensed some ulterior motive to her words. When the girl asked about the money, she smirked. Using a point to make some quick cash. Smart. she thought, somewhat disappointed she couldn't keep her own mouth shut and keep her easy money. Well, actions speak better than words, and those were some crazy actions.

Lisica whistled for her Girafarig, who rather grudgingly huffed and left her meal, walking back over to her trainer. She pressed her neck to her trainer's hand, and guided her closer to the other two people. "I am curious," Lisica said, "what are you doing in such a damp place like this anyway?"

Aatu turned his head, looking at the girl approach. "I'm not really here for much," he said to her. "I just prefer sitting in the shade as opposed to being in the open sun. Also, it's a good place to have a meal. It's quiet, and it is also convenient," he said to her before he turned towards the girl holding her hand out. He dug out a few dollars from his pocket, just as much as he had given Lisica, and set the money in her hand. "There. That should be enough to get you a meal that will last until you need to eat again," he said, being a bit hopeful.

Akane balled her hand into a fist around the money, feeling it crunch pleasantly. "Tsk," she said, more a habitual noise than purposely directed. What the hell is with this guy? Akane wondered, staring at him with her harsh green eyes. She might have been pretty if she didn't look so damned evil sometimes. "Well then I guess hat means I got a free meal," Akane said, sounding rather satisfied though a bit unnerved in reality.

She looked about ready to walk away, tossing her arms behind her head in an accomplished manner. Too bad there wasn't a fight... "There have to be at least a hundred places better to hide out in than this one. I heard there was a cave nearby, that seems way cooler than here." Akane paused for a moment, thinking it over. She shoved the money in her pack in a decided manner. "Actually that sounds like a good plan. I'm getting out of this hell-hole of a city...it's too noisy..." Akane walked off toward the local diner, planning to get a meal and head to Diglett Cave. Still, there was something about those two trainers that just didn't seem right.

Lisica heard the crinkling of the money come out of the boy's pocket and cringed slightly. Should have just taken it when I had the chance. I'll look desperate if I took it now. Well, at least one of us got a free meal. She ran her hand down her Pokemon's neck, the course fur was bristling, and the Gifarig seemed uneasy in the confined space.

"Too noisy," Lisica said out loud, in a soft sigh, "you can say that again." With the mention of the noise, the disorientating flood of the hundreds of voices in the city barreled into her ears, and she flinched, letting go of her Gifarig's neck, and using both hands to cover her ears. She dizzily fell against the cool wall behind her. After scrunching her eyes and gritting her teeth, she pushed them out once again, and focused on everything else. "It seems to have become a health hazard for me," she said breathlessly. "I'd rather be anywhere but here."

With a throbbing head and ears sore from such a change in the noise, she again felt around and laid a hand of her Pokemon. She was lead out of the alley, but before her final step back on the sidewalk, she turned toward where she had last heard the boy's voice. "Good luck with...whatever it is you were doing," she said, before walking away.

Aatu looked at Lisica as she turned to leave. When she was gone, he blinked a couple of times, feeling as though something had just passed he should've known about. "I, guess some people are strange," he said to himself, sitting back down in the alleyway with his pokemon. He wondered who exactly the other two trainers were, but he wasn't going to question it.

Akane stopped at the diner, ordering a meal to go. She waited, leaning up against the counter and watching out the window as people passed by. Her stare was pretty emotionless, chewing on a toothpick all the while. "Here is your to-go bag, miss," the waitress chimed in her perky voice. Akane threw the money on the table, taking the bag and leaving rather rudely with not a word more.

She exited the building in time to see the girl walking off with her Pokemon. Silently, she wondered if she had taken the money the second time around or not. No matter, right now her stomach was arguing for some of the morsels in the bag, the smell wafting from it. "Oh savory smelling food, the wonders I have yet to taste~" She mused to herself in a bit of a tune as she walked on toward Diglett Cave.

It didn't take her long to reach there, finding a nice cool and dry spot inside to eat her meal at. She laid it out in an organized fashion, a surprising amount she was able to get for the money she spent. She felt her mouth water a bit, blowing on some of the food before reaching for her Pokeballs. She released all three of her Pokemon, allowing them to dine with her. They weren't a very common site around most of Kanto really. A chillibear, fufumoony, and Eepress named Izo, Tarik, and Raja respectively. The three began to dine happily.

"Celilec, let's get out of this place," Lisica said, before hearing the steady clop of hooves against the pathway. She followed her Pokemon and her mind wandered in thought. Something was off about those two trainers. They were more weird than most people I've met...maybe they deserve some sort of second look. With curiosity getting the better of her, she took a deep breath, and communicated their destination through her Pokemon's mind. The feeling of cool rock and unusual darkness came from Lisica, and Celilec studied them before offering the image of a cave, making Lisica nod and break the connection. The two turned around, and started heading out of town and toward Diglett's Cave, where she had remembered the other girl was going.

It wasn't as long until they reached the cave, and Lisica heard not one, but four eating beings. She decided to just stay in the background and, for lack of a better term, ease drop. She wasn't sure why, but she was really curious about the trainers she had met.

Aatu wouldn't let his curiosity get the better of him. However, he was a bit interested in the other two trainers. Eventually he sighed, his pokemon hopping to his shoulder as if questioning what he was thinking about. He turned his head, looking at the pokemon before he stood up. "Well, I guess it's worth a shot to follow them just a little," he said to it. He started walking towards the cavern that the other girl had mentioned, though he didn't go inside. He did hear foru others, just like Lisica, all eating a meal. He knew that the meal was probably purchased with the money he had handed the girl before, and he sighed, remembering how she had reacted to him being slightly kind, though he got off of the subject quickly and just listened.

Tarik was munching happily on his meal when his large rabbit like ears perked up. He halted his feasting, ears turning from side to side as they collected data from nearby noise. "It's probably just some Diglett," Akane said, trying to comfort her partner and talk him down. However, he wouldn't let it rest as he stood on his hind legs, head high as he looked around his surroundings.

"Don't believe me?" Akane asked, removing a toothpick from her mouth. She sat up, crawling forward a bit trying to hear what her partner did. Tarik's head jerked toward the entrance, where he heard not only Lisica and her Pokémon, but Aatu as well. "Someone is there?" She asked, more taking note of it as her tone of voice changed, and she took to her feet. "Well they'd be STUPID to follow us any further," she said loudly, trying to get the point across to them.

Still, she secretly hoped whomever it was would follow her. That way she would have the opportunity to kick their ass for being a stalker. They had eaten most of the food, and Akane slung her pack back across her shoulder before walking deeper into the cave. Izo followed closely, Raja taking a few smooth steps before glancing back only momentarily. Tarik continued to stare into the direction for several moments before turning to catch up to Akane.

Lisica sighed, annoyed by the angry voiced girl's obvious threat. "And it would be STUPID," she said, "to think that you own the place and people are only here to pay attention to you." Well, the latter kinda was the case, but she wasn't about to say so. The slicing wind suddenly whipped past Lisica, bringing with it the savoring smell of the leftovers Akane and her Pokemon had not yet eaten.

She fumbled around her belt, and unclicked a Pokeball and tapped the cold metallic sphere to Celilec, returning her Girafarig. She took a couple cautious steps forward, and moved away from her shaded cover. Without any sort of pleasantries, she stumbled toward the food scent, and remained, mostly, unscathed from her short travel. "You going to eat the rest of that?" she asked.