Sparring Match in Sprout Tower!

Rei had spent the night in one of the smaller, more isolated rooms of the Pokemon Center. They didn't have many, as most were similar to the bedroom in an orphanage, allowing four or more trainers to sleep in the same room depending on the size of the Center. Still, Rei had been lucky to secure the room, partially because nobody else seemed to want to fight her over it. She didn't care either way, as long as she got her silent night, Dratini and Sneasel sleeping at the foot of the bed.

Half the night was spent lost in thought and plans, almost a form of meditation. That is, until Rei finally fell asleep. She dreamed of the Ice Cave incident, and training her powers. She awoke early in the morning, just before sunrise with her eyes jolting open suddenly. It was eerily silent, as she packed her belongings and got ready for the day ahead of her. The Pokemon Center was dimly lit, many trainers having slept in the waiting room after getting there once all the beds had been filled.

Rei found her way to the little nook where Trainers could eat from the Center's supply of food. It was mostly generic and inexpensive items. Hot cereal, rice, and the like. Still, Rei managed to find the fresh fruit, and helped herself to an apple for breakfast. She gave Dratini and Sneasel some of the PokeChow labeled "public". It might have been on the bland side, but it would hold them over better than nothing. She sat in the quiet little corner, biting into the crisp apple as it let out what seemed like an unnaturally loud CRUNCH as she ate.

Max had followed Jenny back to the pokemon center and stayed in the same room as her in the bunk bed next to hers. He had let Growlithe and Heracross sleep on the top bunk while Eevee wanted to snuggle next to him. He liked Eevee's babyish ways sometimes, but it did often get in the way of her battling. He realized she'd need some decent training like Jenny's Paprika if she was going to be a formidable opponent to other trainers.

Max drifted off to sleep after about an hour of thinking about what his final team would be, how he was going to approch his next gym battle and what it would be like to compete in the pokemon leauge. When he awoke it was much earlier than we he usually woke up. The light outside the window was still an orange colour, and everyone else in the room was still sleeping. He decided to go for a walk to clear his head, without his pokemon. He knew they'd sleep for a while and if they woke up they'd know not kick up a fuss. He slipped his shoes on and silently exited the room.

He walked through the dining hall of the pokemon center, hoping to get something to drink. The selection wasn't flash but he couldn't be bothered going anywhere else in the city to buy a drink so he settled on a hot chocolate. While it was a bit on the watery side he didn't mind as he walked through the dining hall to get to the exit. He noticed Rei and her pokemon in the corner but didn't stop to talk to her. If she was there when he got back then maybe he would but right now he needed to get some air.

As Max stepped into the hot glowing sun and a gentle breeze, he decided to walk as far as the pokemart so he could get some supplies for his upcoming trip. Then he'll go back to the center, get some breakfast for his pokemon and himself. Help Jenny capture a pokemon. Watch her gym battle. Then from there either Goldenrod or Ecruteak City. He always found himself planning out his day in his head. But usually, his days would be completely different to what his original plans were.

Before Max knew it he had reached the pokemart. He knew he should be quick so he could get back to his pokemon, but he wanted to be sure he got enough supplies to last him a trip from Violet to whichever City was next. He looked at the time.7.10am. He'd only been gone about fifteen minutes but he knew his pokemon could wake up at anytime. He'd have to be quick in here.

The beds at the Pokemon Center felt nice after a long day, but they were never quite as comfortable as one's own bed back home. Jenny probably would've slept all morning, had it not been for the unfamiliar surroundings. It didn't really matter, though, she was used to waking up quite early, living on a ranch all her life.

Paprika was the first one up, listening to the noises she heard out in the hall. The Eevee sniffed the air a bit and yipped happily, hurrying out the door and over to the breakfast nook where Rei was sitting. Paprika didn't say anything to disturb the Trainer, but she sat right behind the girl and watched her eat.

Jenny took a few minutes in the bathroom to wash up and brush her hair. She wasn't entirely sure if every Trainer was so conscious of their hygiene, but she simply cleaned up out of habit. She thought it impolite to go out with a bed-head and wrinkled clothes.

After carefully placing her hat on her head and taking one last glance in the mirror, Jenny headed back into the rest area only to realize that Paprika was no longer there. A knot tied up in her stomach as she frantically began searching for the Eevee.

"Rika? Rika, where are you?" she whispered, trying not to wake any of the other guests in the center.

Thankfully, it didn't take long to locate the curious little Pokemon, who sat near the breakfast area, watching Rei. A sigh escaped Jenny as she walked over to the Eevee. "There you are. You should know better than to go running off without me, Rika. Don't ever do that again!" She waved her finger in a scolding manner.

Paprika's ears fell, then she quickly scurried up to her Trainer's shoulders where she could nuzzle Jenny's face affectionately. It was never too hard to cheer Jenny up.

Rei paid no real attention to Max, as he rummaged the cupboards and found his drink. Rei found the thought of a warm drink disgusting- drinks were meant to be cold. Ice cold was preferred, even. Then again, one might say she was a bit biased in such a subject. Still, she continued to eat her apple as she watched from her dark corner as he left. 

It wasn't much longer, before another 'disturbance' arose. However, this one was a bit more pleasant. It was Paprika, Jenny's Eevee. Somehow, though she wasn't quite sure exactly how, Rei could tell the difference between hers and Max's Pokémon rather easily. Then again, she was sure the trainers could do this as well, being their Pokémon.

Rei looked down at the creature from the corner of her eye. She was watching her, what a strange Pokémon. Rei tilted her head, about to offer Paprika food when she heard footsteps. In a blur, Jenny was there, Paprika back on her rightful perch. Oh well, now Jenny could get the Pokémon some food anyway.

Rei looked up to Jenny, then nodded toward the kitchen. "Food is that way. If you're going to do any battling today, then I highly suggest keeping her well fed. Might be a good idea to eat yourself, too..." Rei said, doing her best to not sound friendly in the least.

Max was heading back to the center after buying some pokeballs for himself and Jenny if she needed them. It wasn't the longest walk in the world but Max was getting a bit thirsty as he approached the front door of the pokemon center.

He saw Jenny and Rei talking in the corner, but decided he should get his pokemon first and then get himself a drink. He walked quickly back to his room where all of his pokemon were still sleeping peacefully. He returned Heracross and then Growlithe to their pokeballs as quietly as he could, but the noise had woken up Eevee who immediately realized she was about to be returned also and jumped towards Max, landing on his shoulder. She hung on tight to his jacket and made a happy bark to show she wanted to stay. Max knew there was no point trying to return her now, she could be pretty stubborn once she'd made up her mind.

Max stripped the beds he and his pokemon had slept on of their sheets and threw them in the laundry basket, replacing them with fresh ones from the cubboard. He then made the beds as a common courtesy and left the room just the way he'd found it. While he wasn't required to do this he felt like it was only right after the center had given him free accommodation for the night. But by this point, his thirst had increased and he desperately needed some water.

As Max poured himself a glass of water in the dining hall, he decided he better talk to Jenny about her plans for the day. If she was still keen to catch a pokemon Max would be happy to help, or if she wanted to go straight for Falkner, Max would be happy to watch. Either way Max was happy. But he knew Rei would probably say something discouraging the second he opened his mouth.

'Hey guys how'd you sleep?' Max asked as he reached the two girls.

Jenny glanced over in the direction Rei had gestured to, then she dipped her head respectfully, saying a quick "Thank you" before heading into the kitchen.

She never ate much, but she knew she'd need plenty of energy for the long day ahead of her. She fixed herself some cereal, cutting up bits of fruit to put in it for extra nutrition, then she took a handful of PokeChow to feed to Paprika. The Eevee sniffed the food and turned her nose up to it, refusing to even taste the stuff... That is, until Jenny poured a glass of milk over it. Paprika then lapped up the milk and swallowed the soggy food like cereal.

Jenny returned to the nook and took a seat a short distance away from Rei, not too close as to invade the other girl's space, but close enough to carry out a conversation with her-- not that Rei would be willing to talk much.

When Max approached the two girls, Paprika quickly alerted them to his presence by yipping happily and twirling in circles, as if celebrating his arrival. Strange as it was, the Eevee loved having this little trio together. She ran around a bit, circling Max once, then running past Rei before taking her place by Jenny once more. She also barked out a greeting to Max's Eevee.

Jenny smiled towards him. "I slept rather well, thank you. How about you?"

Rei continued crunching into her apple, remaining otherwise rather silent. Not surprising, being her. She watched the picky Paprika, letting out a quiet "Hmph," as she stuck her nose up to the offered food. Rei tossed the half eaten apple into the air, Sneasel snatching it and slicing it in half with his claws. He handed half to Dratini, who gladly accepted and ate the crunchy treat. Sneasel then began to eat the other half, content.

"I slept..." was all Rei said in response to Max, before standing and walking past them to the kitchen. She got a glass of milk for protein, returning to her little nook as she sipped at it. "So do you plan to challenge Falkner today, then?" Rei asked, glancing over to Jenny.

'I slept great' Max said as he stretched out his his arms. He watched Rei throw her apple up in the air for her pokemon to share. Max was amused by the way Sneasel cut it in half and then shared it with Dratini. Her pokemon seemed so playful and nice but Rei was the opposite. She barely spoke and when she did it was either short, emotionless sentences or a dig at Max. Max wanted to like her but she made it next to impossible. As she left for the kitchen, Max pulled out the 5 pokeballs he had bought earlier and placed them on the table.

'I don't know how many you have' Max said. 'But a few more never hurt so have these as back up' Max knew she would have some pokeballs on her, but he felt obliged to help her as she had never caught a pokemon before. As Rei from the kitchen and asked if Jenny was going to challenge the gym, Max thought about butting in, but decided to let Jenny speak for herself.

Jenny couldn't help but grin as Sneasel skillfully sliced the apple in two for he and Dratini to share. She quite liked watching the Dark type swing his claws about, though it was intimidating, it was all part of the Pokemon's charm... if "charm" was the proper word for it.

Max then set out the new Pokeballs, each one shiny and ready for use. Jenny looked up at him and nodded. "I do have my own. That was very nice of you to pick these up for me." She picked up one of the Pokeballs and gazed at it, wondering what it would be like to use one to catch a wild Pokemon.

"Yes, I certainly am." Jenny said in response to Rei's question. "Whether we win or lose today, we're going to give it our best shot. Right, Rika?"

Paprika let out a happy, muffled yip as she continued to greedily eat the last of the PokeChow that had been set out for her.

Jenny giggled and then switched her gaze between the other two Trainers. "So, do you have any ideas on where to start looking for a new addition to our team?" she asked, hoping at least one of them was more familiar with the area than she was.

Rei watched as the red and white capsules glinted in the dim light. So that's how it was, she simply nodded. "So you plan to catch another team member first. Very well," Rei said before standing and stretching her arms behind her back. She lowered them back to her waist once she felt a satisfying pop around her neck and shoulder blades.

"As far as a team member, it really depends on what you're looking for. A rock type like Geodude could help take down Falkner, but so could an electric type like Mareep," The icy girl began to explain as she knelt down. Dratini slithered up her arm, wrapping around her neck like a boa. "They're both known to dwell in the surrounding areas, though not in the same area. Which would you rather look for?"

Max knew about most of the surrounding pokemon. Mareep would be the obvious choice. Strong and capable of good electric attacks. While a geodude had great defenses and decent attack, it was slow and wouldn't learn any decent attacks until you trained it up a bit. The choice was hers but Max felt he should give her some more advice.

'I'd recommend Mareep myself' Max added to what Rei was saying. 'Electric attacks are fast and accurate, best way to take Falkner out in my opinion. But Geodude is also good, its defense could really be an advantage against Pidgeotto.' Max had a good feeling about a Mareep for Jenny. It would be a great addition to any team.

As the other two Trainers explained the best choices for facing Falkner, Jenny listened intently and carefully considered her options. She knew a Geodude was a strong type of Pokemon, and it would certainly come in handy in future battles, too. It would definitely make a nice addition to her team.

Of course, Mareep would come in handy, too. Jenny certainly liked the idea of having an Electric type on her team, not to mention that she'd helped to raise one before back on her family's ranch, so she knew the Pokemon well enough. Besides, they were just cuter than Geodude anyway.

Decision made, Jennifer nodded at Max's suggestion. "Mareep sounds good to me. I'd love to raise one myself, and it'd probably make a good friend for Rika." she said.

The Eevee barked excitedly at the thought. It would love to be able to play with more Pokemon, just like back home. She didn't feel as homesick though, with Max's and Rei's Pokemon hanging about, but she rather liked the idea of having more playmates around.

Jenny grabbed her bag and made sure it was secure around her shoulders before she looked at Rei and Max. "Alright then, shall we be going?"

Rei lifted her satchel from the booth she'd been sitting in. She clipped it around her waist, counting the pokeballs before nodding. She looked to Sneasel, motioning with her hand. He quickly gathered up the small bowl he'd eaten out of, and followed Rei to the kitchen as she took care of her glass.

"Alright then, if you've decided," Rei said as she returned to the room. They'd been there for a while now, and with the sun rising the other trainers were now waking too. "We'd best move quickly, lest we be caught in the morning traffic," Rei noted, nodding to other trainers who were waking up and heading to do their morning routines.

'Sounds good.' Max said happily. 'Maybe me and Rei could catch a new pokemon ourselves.' Max put the pokeballs back in his backpack and placed the straps it over his shoulders. He, like Rei, noticed that the other trainers were getting to it as well, all eager to start their day. Probably after a gym badge themselves, Max thought. Max knew the route back towards the Union Cave was Jenny's best bet to find Mareep, so he led the way knowingly.

'Mareep are pretty common in the mornings' Max said, trying to remember a few things he learnt from trainer school a few years back. He'd left pretty early after he'd got Growlithe but he knew a lot about pokemon from his entire family being trainers. He thought he might be able to catch a new pokemon if he was lucky to help him with his next gym challenge. The question was, which pokemon would be his next team member. He kept thinking about all the different pokemon to choose as he walked alongside Rei and Jenny.

In response to the other Trainers, Jenny simply nodded in full agreement before following close behind them. She could hear the other guests begin their hustle and bustle, and she was rather happy to be leaving the crowd behind before it got too busy.

When the trio stepped outside, Jenny had to pause and take a moment to breathe in the fresh morning air. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day already, and she was anxious to track down a new Pokemon now.

Her mind began to wander as she walked with Rei and Max. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of having a Mareep. "Did you know that a Mareep can actually store electricity in its coat? It can grow to almost twice its usual size when charged up! I'm sure releasing all of that stored-up electricity is how they frighten off predators and other threats. They don't seem much for fighting, but it's a great defense technique." She rambled for a bit before clamping her hand over her mouth, mumbling a bit of an apology. She was sure Max and Rei were probably quite aware of such simple facts and didn't enjoy being told about them.

Paprika barked in response to her Trainer, though the little Eevee never quite understood what Jenny would ramble on about. She still listened, though, and chimed in whenever she got the chance.

Rei wanted to speak up and lash at Max. She didn't know why, she just did. Something about him just ticked her off. It was complicated. Still, he acted like he was the professional who shhould lead them when clearly Rei too knew where the Mareep were based on her previous statements. Still, she bit her tongue and let him have his moment. Maybe it would make him more tolerable to let him think he was somewhat useful, not that she believed he was in the slightest.

At least the adventure would give Rei the chance to search for an addition to her team, or perhaps simply train the ones she had. After all, she'd proved herself to be a terrifying force against Falkner already. She doubted Bugsy's bug-types would fare much better. Still, she knew better than to pit her Pokemon against a foe unprepared. She would let fate decide which would happen, as they walked alone the route, river to their left and Union Cave just a little further south. A slight smirk met the corner of her lips, looking to Dratini who'd dozed off on her shoulders. After all, that's where they'd met even if she had been searching for an ice type at the time.

Jenny's voice broke Rei's trance, causing her to look up as her facial expression returned to normal. She looked to the girl, nodding as she spoke about Mareep's natural abilities. "The wool itself can generate enough static electricity to burn a berry, even without Mareep's electrical attacks, so I'm not surprised..." Rei added, not wanting to hurt the fragile girl by being as much of a witch as she had been to Max.

Max listened to Jenny's facts about Mareep, surprised she knew so much. Then he heard Rei talk and while what she said was basically the same kind of thing Jenny had just said, it still annoyed Max. And it wasn't what she said that annoyed him, it was how she said it. In a manner that makes it seem like she knows everything and everyone else knows nothing. Max shook his head to dismiss these thoughts as he wanted to focus on the task at hand.

'Here we are Route 32' Max announced as they reached the edge of town and became surrounded by grass. 'There's sure to be a Mareep in there with yor name on it Jenny' Max was excited for Jenny. Not only did he love catching pokemon himself, he also got some joy out of seeing others catch pokemon and succeed. He darted his eyes across the grass in hopes of seeing a Mareep already. But no such luck.

'Well we better get to it!' Max said excitably.

Jenny was slightly startled when Rei spoke up, obviously in response to the girl's rambling. It wasn't often others actually listened and commented on Jenny's random spurts of knowledge, though it felt rather nice being acknowledged.

"Oh, I know! I found that out the hard way, the first time I approached a Mareep..." She smiled to herself, allowing her words to trail off before she ran off at the mouth once more.

When Max declared that they'd all arrived, Jenny nearly squealed with excitement. She refrained from rushing into the grass to start searching for the little sheep Pokemon, though Paprika wasn't so disciplined. The Eevee anxiously ran ahead, bounding towards the tall grass.

Jenny was quick to follow, grabbing the excited Pokemon in mid-jump. "Rika, don't do that! There could be lots of wild Pokemon hiding in there!" she scolded.

Paprika's ears fell for a moment, then she barked happily in an effort to cheer up the Trainer. Jenny set the Eevee down and carefully began stepping into the tall grass, glancing around to be sure she wasn't going to startle any wild Pokemon-- and so they wouldn't startle her.

A few splashes could be heard, as fish leaped out of the water, splashing back in it uselessly. "Woopah, woopah," a chant was heard, as a small blue creature popped its head out, looking at Rika. Interesting, surely. Still, not the Pokemon they were searching for. It sure was cute though, but upon inspection of a PokeDex it could be learned that Wooper can secret a toxin through their skin that would cause shooting pains. Rei merely hung back, watching with mild disinterest and waiting for something to come along.

(Silver, mind modding for Max? Rei'll just hang back for a bit I s'pose so that I can move y'all along.)

Max felt like it had been months since he'd seen a wild pokemon. His first instinct was to reach for a pokeball on his belt and try and catch the small water and ground pokemon. But he remembered quickly this was Jenny's catch if she wanted it. She needed a new pokemon a lot more than he did.

'Hey a Wooper' Max said. 'They're a pretty solid pokemon. Not as good against Falkner as Mareep but still good.' Max had a weird feeling Rei would poke some hole in what he just said. It had become expected now and he wasn't too concerned. Or maybe she'd finally stopped taking little digs at him after they'd hanged out for a while.

((I can certainly mod for him whenever I post here, yes.))

The little blue Pokemon caught Jenny's attention quickly, and she found herself watching as it splashed about. It did have a certain charm about it, plus Jennifer knew its typing was rather unique. Still, it wasn't quite what she was looking for to go up against Falkner.

She looked over at Max and gave a slight shrug. "I think I'll just focus on finding a Mareep for now. Maybe I'll catch a Wooper in the near future, after I've beaten Falkner." she said, smiling in the direction of the Water/Ground type.

Paprika stared at the odd blue Pokemon and let out a few yips before spinning in circles. The Eevee seemed to wish she could play with Wooper, but she knew her Trainer wouldn't like her getting all wet. She chose to follow close behind Jenny as they continued their search.

Rei was sitting off a distance, just barely within earshot of the group and their conversation. She didn't care though, as she sat down and closed her eyes gently. She tuned in to nature, entering an almost meditative state as she waited for them to be finished, or for something worthwhile to come her way.

The wooper tilted its head, watching as Jenny and Paprika walked away. It then turned to Max, tilting its head the other way. "Woopah?" It said, almost inquisitively. Then again, most of the time they sounded that way. Might not have been a question, but still...quite cute. He seemed to continue on his way, walking back to the water's edge to splash back in.

A small pink Pokemon, along with a blue one were barely visible beneath a nearby bush. The pink one had a large looking horn, whereas the blue-ish one had more of a nub. The purple one did look a little more sturdy, but in reality they were simply two genders to the species (though many considered the opposite genders completely different species). The pink one could be identified as a Nidoran Male, and the blue-ish purple one (naturally) was a Nidoran Female.