The Journey Begins

Rue thought for a moment they seemed expensive even if the clerk was offering to make a deal it was still bound to be abit expensive, they could always get more money by battling trainers. Rue sighed and looked at thunder-lily who was glancing at the stone and gave rue a pleading look. Rue smiled and nodded "alright I'd like to hear the deal" rue said kindly. Thunder-lily grinned "pi pichu!".

The clerk nodded lightly as he stood upright continuing to hold the thunder stone. "I need a package delivered to elsewhere. If you make the delivery, I'll give you the stone; however, the package isn't going to be easy to deliver."

Rue nodded "alright may I ask why it wont be easy?" He asked politely, he need to know the threat in order to prepare properly he didnt want to put his friends in danger. Thunder-lily listened quietly she wanted to know to she couldn't help her curiosity.

The clerk cleared his throat. "Well, it's a very rare package," he began, "and I very likely shouldn't be trusting a random stranger, but you don't seem like a thief." He, after looking around to ensure nobody else was listening, continued. "It's a volatile package; it's a once-in-a-lifetime find... And of course, that means everybody is going to want it..." He set the thunder stone back on the shelf. "Including yourself; it's an odd object."

Rue nodded "I see and I just have to deliver it safely to its destination" rue said he guessed that the hard part was to keep it safe from thieves, rue thought for a moment longer before nodding "alright I'll accept the deal" rue said with a kind smile. Thunder-lily jumped for joy she couldn't wait to evolve to her strongest form.

"Are you entirely sure," the clerk questioned Rue. "Are you of strong will? You're going to need it if you want to succeed in transporting it. People have complained about it and the essence it emits." After a few moments, he shook his head and began leading Rue towards the back of the small marketplace.

Rue gulped having second thoughts but then he remebered marks words, he took a few deep breaths to calm himself before following the clerk. Thunder-lily had grown worried for rue, but once rue began to follow the clerk she relaxed abit but thw clerks words had made thunder-lily uneasy and worried for rues safety.

The clerk led Rue into a small building and down a staircase, leading him to a storage room before he came to a halt and waited for the trainer to catch up. Picking up a small box that was locked, he turned around and looked to Rue, observing his response before he handed over the box. As if an out-of-body experience, the surroundings, including the clerk and even his own pokemon, would disappear in Rue's vision, an apparition of a young man appearing before the trainer with his hands held together. "Who's there," he asked, though his mouth didn't move. "Another petty trader?"

Rue was taken aback by the sudden experience and yelped as soon as he saw the young man, "h-hello?" He said as he tryed ro calm himself down. He really wasn't expecting something like this to happen "who are you?" He asked once he was sure he wwouldn't have a heart attack right there and then.

[Surprise~ o3o]

The apparition turned his head towards Rue, opening his eyes and looking directly at him. His eyes were silver, his hair black and cut short. "I'm the inhabitant of the artifact in the case you've been handed... Now answer me; are you a petty trader?"

(Oma XD)

Rue took a deep breath and gathered his courage and confidence, rue shook his head "no" he said honestly. He didnt know why the young man was asking him this, but he guessed that it had to do with what the clerk was warning him about.

The strange apparition, upon hearing Rue's answer, observed him thoroughly before responding. "Then let me out of the case," he spoke. The way he sounded seemed depressing; how long, exactly, had he been locked in the artifact in a darker box? "If you're not a trader, let me free!" "Hello," the clerk spoke to Rue, waving his hand in front of the trainer. He didn't know he couldn't see him at the moment.

Rue frowned hearing the young mans depressed tone "who put you n here in the first place?" Rue asked he didnt like to see others suffer but he didnt want to open the box if the spirit in it tricled him and he released something that couldnt be controlled. Rue took a step forward to the young man unaware that the clerk was trying to get his attention. Thunder-lily was also waving her paw in front of rues face.

"Talk to the woman and her darn delphox," the apparition mouthed. He didn't reveal any specifics to the trainer, but still gave him an answer to his question. The apparition stepped away from Rue when he approached, refusing to let him near. "Evil psychic types... They're the reason te world is how it is!" His remark was revolting, but could he be blamed after having been stuck in some artifact?

Rue was abit taken aback by the apparitions out burst but rue didnt blame him after all he was stuck in a dark box "alright and where can I find them?" Rue asked kindly he stepped back giving the apparition some space, he didnt want to anger him more then he was already.

"I doubt you even could," the apparition complained to Rue. "Why should I even trust you to do such a thing regardless?" He turned his head away, turning his back to Rue as well while the clerk looked to his pokemon. "I think he's lost it a bit," he told her.

Rue frowned "your right you have no reason to trust me, but who knows I might be able to help" rue said he couldn't promise anything but he could try. Thunder-lily perked up when she heard the clerk say that, she blinked then her eyes got teary and began to sniffle.

"You want to help," the apparition questioned. "Then let me out of the box." He then stopped talking, Rue's surroundings reappearing around him. "Hello," the clerk questioned, waving his hand in front of Rue's face again. "Answer me!"

Rue blinked his eyes and looked at the clerk "um" he simply said not sure if he should tell the clerk what he had seen. Thunder-lily hugged rues face happy that her trainer had snapped out of it. Rue patted his pichu "what happened?" He asked the clerk.

The clerk shrugged. "You tell me," he spoke a bit sarcastically. "I handed you the box and it just seemed like you fell asleep with your eyes open." The box shook very slightly in Rue's hands as though reminding him of what he had been told. "Well... You shoudl get to the delivery... Unless you'd rather not," the clerk spoke.

Rue held the box and looked down before looking back up at the clerk, he would have told the clerk what he wsaw but then he would be labeled as crazy, however he still wanted to know what was in the box "where do I have to deliver it?" He asked. Thunder-lily climbed back onto rues head and sat down ready to go.

[Since we're on a thunder theme~]

"The package is for Surge, a gym leader in Vermilion," the clerk spoke to Rue. "You've heard of Surge, correct?" He wrapped his arms awaiting a response from Rue.

Rues eyes widened "you mean surge the electric type gym leader, of course I've herd of him" rue said, rue looked up to surge. When rue and thunder-lily were small they would sit in front of the tv for hours watching him beat challengers with his electric type pokemon. Thats were on of rues mother got the idea that rue should strive to be a gym leader but ries isn't to sure about that. "I'll deliver it" he said with a nod. Thunder-lily let out a gasp and cheered.

(Gots to be careful with that post-writing late at night; you were tired ;p)

"You're going to have to sign a release," the clerk spoke to Rue. "It'll let me keep my job if you, per chance, end up breaking the contents of the package or lose it..." The clerk left momentarily before he returned, a clipboard in hand. He had Rue set the box down, holding the board and a pen to the trainer. "Make sure it's delivered on time. Surge is expecting it as soon as possible! And don't open it."

Rue nodded "ok dont worry I'll get it there on time" he said as he signed the paper, he still wandered what was in the box. Once rue finished he gave the board and pen back to the clerk "when is it due?" He asked, he wanted ro make sure he arrived on time after all he barly started his journey.

(Ah sorry I was more alseep the awake XD)