Route 1, Viridian City, and Route 2

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

Yip was walking up Route One. "The Professor promised he would have a Pokemon ready at Viridian City. I hope I get there by nightfall." He said to himself, scanning the horizon for the sun, which was only an orange half-circle crawling beneath the trees. "In retrospect, leaving at 3 o'clock may not have been such a good idea." He scolded. He wasn't very used to physical exercise, making the supposedly short trip take several hours longer.

He looked around, seeing several Rattata scurrying from their homes, to likely gather nuts and other food. He wondered what exactly they ate. He hadn't really ever researched Rattata before. He shrugged off the thought and continued walking. He started seeing the outline of buildings off on the horizon. He considered making a dash, but he wasn't very good at keeping a running pace, so he just kept walking.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

It was dark, or getting to it, anyhow. The sky was a range of pastel colours, the golden sun casting vast shadows and a wealth of light over the horizon. Luckily for the future trainer, risking himself in the long grass, none of the wild Pokemon were pestering him. A lot of them were gathering the last of their food before hiding away in their nests, but then, a sudden noise interrupted the serenity.

"Catch that Pikachu!" It was a man in a lab coat, tall and lanky and out of breath, chasing after a young electric rat that raced through the brush. The scientist's face was red. He'd obviously been pursuing the cheeky thing for a while now, and she was running straight in Yip's direction.

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

The soon-to-be trainer jumped in surprise from the shout and the running rodent. The Pikachu seemed to be heading towards a formation of rocks, or in other words, a dead end. Yip quickly herded the Pikachu into the corner and when the Pikachu stopped in surprise, with nowhere to go, it stopped and started bawling. "Whoa... Calm down, buddy..." Yip said nervously, hoping the Pikachu didn't shock him or attack him. He quickly grabbed a bag of grapes his mom had packed him, and took a few out, offering them to the electric rodent by rolling them over to it. He shut his eyes, fearing the worse.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

Pikachu was in tears, of course, but whether that was a real thing or a farce remained to be seen. When Yip offered her food, she sniffed from her spot, edging cautiously closer with her rod of a tail on end and in the air. Inching close, she suddenly snatched the fruits into her mouth and darted high up onto the formation of rocks, less inclined to escape when she was fed and occupied.

"Wow, thanks! Pikachu are usually very fast, and she's no exception." The man panted, "I'm Ochiro, I'm an aide at Professor Oak's lab. This Pikachu loves leaving his garden and running all over the place, we've started nicknaming her Dangermouse." He laughed, producing a Poke Ball which presumably was to encase the Pokemon, "Thanks for your help."

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

Yip nodded sadly. He was hoping he could catch it somehow. He tried to mask his disappointment, and added in a "No problem." for good measure. He looked at the Pikachu, who was still eating the grapes feverishly, apparently unaware that she was about to be put back into her Pokeball. He needed a Pokemon, but he couldn't just steal this one, that would be wrong, not to mention it would be hard for a thief to become a trainer without getting caught. He shook his head, ridding himself of the thought. "You say you work at Oak's lab, uh, do you know where Oak is? I heard he was doing a bit of work in Viridian City." He asked the aide.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

"Oh, yeah, he is. He's been at a conference with different Pokemart keepers, talking about the products they sell, trainers and things like that. It's amazing on how different a professor's work can be." Ochiro remarked. He tried to return Pikachu, but the female seemed to have been expecting that all along, and she jumped away from the beam, landing right on Yip's head, "Hey, Pikachu! You can't just jump people like that!"
"Pika, pika~?" The rash mouse grinned almost sadistically, as if challenging the doctor on his statement. Given that she was on Yip's head, apparently she could!

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

As the Pikachu jumped on his head, Yip's hat pushed itself in front of his face. He tried to take a step but started bumbling around, finally hitting his head on a rock, and slumped to the ground. "Ow..." He groaned, still in a daze.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

"This is what I mean, Pikachu, you'll hurt someone!" The aide insisted, going forward to try and help, but the mouse sparked off almost dangerously. Pikachu was going to handle this one on her own, and apparently that involved waving the last of the grapes around in Yip's head as if taunting a donkey with a carrot, trying to prompt the human to his feet, "Chuu, Pikaachuu~"

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

Yip stumbled to his feet. He didn't dare try to pry the Pokemon off, he was scared of getting a Thundershock, so instead he just went along with the Pikachu, going where it wanted. He glanced over at the aide and mouthed 'Help!' but he could only hope he got his message. "Where are we going, Pikachu?" He asked nervously, hoping he wouldn't be ordered to go into a lake or something.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

"Pika, pikachu." The Pokemon replied, shifting slightly on the odd, living perch before indicating for Yip to go towards the next city. They were close to it, thankfully.
"That's right, we're going to see Professor Oak. So behave, Pikachu." The scientist requested. She had stopped crackling, and it was honestly intriguing for him to watch. She wasn't nasty at all, but more just a mischief. Nevertheless, Pikachu had a tendency to cause damage and then either cause more or flee the scene of the crime. This time, the Pokemon seemed inclined to play, although it was as if she had earned a human, not the other way round, unfortunately for Yip.

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

Yip kept his eyes looking up, trying to see the electric mouse. He kept going towards the city, but he didn't take his eyes off the Pikachu. The moment afforded him both great pride for finding a Pokemon who was willing to be with him, but also mortal terror, hoping that the Pikachu didn't find something that Yip did wrong and shock him for it. "So... you say this Pikachu is very mischievious?" He asked, still not taking his eyes off the Pokemon, who had just enslaved him.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

Pikachu occasionally made a sound or tapped the hat with a paw whenever she felt like Yip was straying off somewhere, but otherwise seemed to be mellowing out. "Yeah. She's not a bad egg, although when she was younger she could be a lot worse, so some people did worry about how she'd turn out." Ochiro explained as they went, still holding the Poke Ball in one of his hands, "And she's quick, so it's hard to catch her. Usually, a Poke Ball contains her, but she's started trying to break out when she gets bored. Pikachu's a bit like a child, though, she runs around everywhere and then crashes out asleep. No fear, either. I don't think anyone or anything could teach her the definition of that and have her comprehend it."

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

Yip nodded. "What does Oak plan to do with the Pikachu? Is he studying her, or is he saving her for something?" Yip asked, finally getting used to the Pikachu and walking normally. He took out his backpack again and pulled out some bread, and gave some to the mouse. He wanted the Pikachu to like him, that way, the chances of getting shocked will decrease significantly. "Hey, there's Viridian City!" He shouted, startling the Pikachu a little, pointing to a town about two football fields away.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

It was hard for Pikachu to both hold on and eat bread on Yip's head, so she merely had him hold his hands up with it for her to munch down. When he suddenly shouted out and pointed, Pikachu frowned, her heart racing from getting a shock of her own. "Yeah, we're close." Ochiro smiled, continuing on as the creature glowered at Yip resentfully, "He's studying her like all of the Pokemon in the lab, I don't think she's being saved for anything in particular. We just observe their behaviours and let them live naturally in the properties we have. There are all sorts of Pokemon there, a lot of them that trainers have sent back for safekeeping. Even a whole herd of Tauros!"

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

Yip nodded. "So I guess the Professor wants her back, then?" He asked, with his head down. He was pretty sure he knew the answer, but he just wanted to know. Maybe the Professor would give him the Pikachu? He hoped the Pokemon wanted to stay with him, or at least rather with him than the lab. He quickly made a break for the city, slowing down to a trot once he was inside the borders of the city.

"Where is the Professor staying?" He asked the aide.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

"Yeah. I wouldn't be chasing her if he didn't." The aide replied, raising a brow with apprehension. Was the boy that attached already? It would only cause heartbreak, or an act of crime, if this was the case. "Hey!" He had to rush to keep up, looking irritated at the stranger's eagerness to take off with a Pokemon that wasn't his, although Pikachu had little complaint. The bouncing was interesting. "He might still be at the Pokemart. Otherwise, he'll be at his hotel already."

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

Yip glanced back and nodded, jogging at a steady pace as to not get too tired. He found the Pokemart and dashed inside. He quickly scanned the aisles for his long time neighbor. "Professor?" He called, to see if Oak was there somewhere.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

The shop floor was empty, except for a few customers and the part-timer who was covering the desk. She smiled politely, toddling over in her uniform, brown hair pulled into a low ponytail, "The Professor's still upstairs with the other staff. I'll call them to let them know someone's looking for him." She said, greeting the aide as he entered the shop, too, still appearing peeved that Yip was leaving him behind. Pikachu sniffed about from the top of the boy's head, but soon jumped off, running down another aisle. She had smelled the food and treats, and was most intrigued.

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

"Aw, c'mon, Pikachu. We don't have time for food." He said, trying to reason with Pokemon. When he saw Pikachu's sad eyes though, he felt sorry for it. The poor thing probably hasn't eaten in days... She was probably desperate for some food...

In the end, the trainer gave in. He didn't want to spend any money, because he didn't have much to begin with, but he did grab some free-sample ketchup that you could grab for fries. He sighed. "Here you go, Pikachu." He mumbled, defeated, as he handed over the ketchup, in little plastic containers.

He walked back over to the desk. "Is he almost done?" He asked her impatiently. He just wanted to get this over with. He wasn't happy that he had to give Pikachu up, but he didn't really have a choice. And the Professor did said he would give him a Pokemon, so that's a plus. Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle - the basic starters you could choose from, as he heard - hard decision.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

The idea that Pikachu hadn't eaten in days was totally ridiculous, of course. All of the lab Pokemon were well taken care of, so it was a stupid assumption to make. And even if she had ran off for days - which she hadn't - she could have easily foraged and otherwise hunted for herself. If Yip hadn't noticed, she was swift and crafty. Regardless, she sniffed at the ketchup container, peering down at the little set in bewilderment. It smelled like there was something inside, but... How to get in? She tried using brick break, which only squashed them all and sent the ketchup all over the place. Pikachu was quite happy to just lap it up, though, as the aide groaned in frustration at the mess made.

"He'll... Be down in a few minutes." The shopkeeper said hesitantly. She was only the messenger, after all, and there was no point in Yip getting frustrated at her. It was nothing to do with the part-timer at the desk, but such was the problem with retail work: everyone took out things on them. Sure enough, the Professor soon came from an upstairs door labelled for staff only, smiling politely.
"Professor!" The aide greeted, "We got Pikachu! And this boy's here to talk about the starter Pokemon."
"Oh, yes! You must be Yip Amicitia. I'm sorry about the hold up, but I've had important business to attend to." He explained, looking at the Pikachu. She peered back at him, then promptly ignored the scientist for the ketchup.

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

Yip nodded enthusiastically. "So where are the starter Pokemon, Professor?" He asked, trying his best to not look at the Pikachu lapping up ketchup. He was going to miss her, but he didn't want to be caught crying over the loss, or worse, actually stealing her. The Professor seemed to be in a good mood, albeit clearly tired, for there were bags in his eyes. The meeting must have taken a lot out of him. His lab coat was rumpled and his hair was messier than usual. Still, the Professor seemed to have this energy about Pokemon that was hard to not notice.

Yip quickly glanced behind the Professor, trying to see a trace of any of the three typical starters.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

That was a silly thing for Yip to do, too. If he was in a meeting, it wasn't likely he'd have the Pokemon out of their Poke Balls. "Oh, I have them right here," He produced three spheres from his pocket. Through the clear shells, vague shapes of orange, blue and a combination of green and a different shade of blue could be seen, which formed out of red beams to reveal themselves as Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charmander.

Pikachu looked around, ears twitching and nose sniffing. She knew those scents, and therefore, she knew what this was. Curious, and a bit upset herself, she watched open-mouthed from a little way away. And then, when the aide once again tried to contain her, she snapped at him in her language and scurried off, leaping up to attach herself to Yip's face. Good luck making a choice when you can't see what's on offer, friend!

"Oh, my. That was quite unexpected. Hello, Pikachu. I heard you've had quite a trip today." Oak chuckled, "But you shouldn't attach yourself like that, you might constrict his breathing."
"Pi... Pika." She hadn't thought of that. Pikachu climbed further atop his head, but left part of her stomach obscuring his eyes, tail drooping down as she looked back at the Professor. Ochiro sighed. It obviously wasn't his day.
"There we go. That's better." Oak laughed, "What did you think of Pikachu, Yip? She's certainly quite the character, isn't she?"

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

"Yes... quite the character." He muttered. "Now, Pikachu, could you get off my face? I can't-" He was interrupted as he tripped, falling onto one of the shelves of the Pokemart. "See...!" He finished as he fell to the ground with a THUD!

"I'm seeing Staryus...." He muttered as he laid on the floor limply. He wasn't sure if Pikachu was still on his face or not, but it wouldn't have mattered because all he could see was a two-faced blur.

Posts : 1696 Location : England

Pikachu clung tighter, surprised when Yip tumbled. When he did, and it was clear that he wasn't too hurt, she chortled away, finding the whole thing hilarious and fun. It was like a fair ride! She lightly hit at his hair as if hitting a tiny fist on the floor with laughter, and the shop keeper went to help, but Oak stopped, going to help the boy up himself.

"Oh, my, I'm sorry about that. Pikachu, say sorry to Yip. That hurt him."
"Pika pika~" Pikachu said with boredom.
"Sincerely, please. That's not how you treat your friends, is it?" Oak persisted. Pikachu sighed, but if one examined her eyes closely enough, they might have found that she did feel sad to have caused upset.
"Pikachu, pika pikapi." She tugged at his leg, and then hugged it lovingly. Ochiro was surprised. That was easy.
"Very good. Now, we're all better, aren't we?" Oak said, the Pokemon looking on, docile. "But you know, she really seems to like you. Most people don't get the time of day, nevermind a sincere apology. Did you two bond on the way here?"

Posts : 48 Location : Shameville, NJ, Population: Me

Yip blinked as he got up and dusted himself off. "I... guess so." He admitted, only realizing it himself for the first time. "But she is still your Pokemon." He told the Professor sadly, as he hung his head, pulling his cap lower on his face.

"So I guess it's time to choose Pokemon then?" He asked, trying to sound more enthusiastic than he felt.

» Towards Viridian City [Training]
» Moving through Viridian
» Encounter Rate: Moonlight City/Route 2
» Passing Through Viridian[Open to all]
» Tsuki in Viridian! Divine319