Lane Leaves Oldoak Town.

[teamplasma]

It was hard waiting for something that was so close. Which he had done for about 10 years of his life. And taxing another week to the wait was terrible. Lane had waited so long just to obtain his first Pokemon, and today was the day. It was a week past his 15th birthday. He was promised to get a Pokemon for his 15th birthday, but the cards didn't seem to play out quite right. The town's professor was out a for 2 weeks finding some pokemon or something out of the region, and he got back in town yesterday night. So waiting that extra week was one of the worst weeks in his life.

Lane got up that day earlier than usual, just 30 minutes before the Lab opened for people to visit. That would give him time to bathe and get ready and then leave the house as soon as he could. He got ready, found his favorite outfit, drank some chocolate milk, and was out the door. Lane didn't hesitate to leave, he didn't even check if his mom was awake before he left. He just walked out into the familiar town that he called home.

[Gamernamerjj]

When Lane stepped out of the house, a fierce breeze met him. The sun was shining and it would have been a warm day if not for the biting cold of the wind. Lane's house was situated a little ways from the lab, which was visible from his doorstep, maybe half a dozen houses down the street. It would not take him too long to get there, but he would have to walk right into the wind.

Lane started towards the lab and saw his next door neighbour outside, a young girl. At the sight of the boy, she called out to him, though her words were lost in the wind.

[teamplasma]

Lane didn't notice the girl from the words, but from movement. Vanessa moved her hands to her mouth to amplify the sound. And that is what caught his eye. Lane had a had time seeing her, because the wind forced his eyes to squint for protection. He walked over to her. "Hey, Vanessa, what are you going?" I might have been odd in his mind that Vanessa would call him over out of the blue. But he also wanted to make this conversation quick, for this was his big day.

[Gamernamerjj]

"I just wanted to wish you good luck," she said. "I hope you have fun on your trip!" She handed him a picture of the two them and all their friends. "So you don't forget home." She smiled weakly. "No one else wanted to get up early, so I did."
"Also," she continued, her grin turning sheepish, "I misplaced my sketch book again. If you see it anywhere, can you let me know? I just hope it didn't get blown away." She bit her lip nervously. Her sketch book was very important to her.
"Anyways," she said, hugging him quickly. "Bye!"

[teamplasma]

Lane got a little sad seeing the picture, it was of almost all the scool kids, being that Oldoak Town had a small school. When she hugged him, he hugged her back. This was actually sad, and he felt ashamed wanting to get the talk over with. "Thank you so much, Vanessa. This is amazing! Bye now." He said holding the photo. He walked away folding it up and putting it in his pocket. With that he noticed that he had left his bag at home. He always had a little string-bag that he took his little things in. Lane advanced towards the Lab, and soon enough, he was there. He arrived at the familiar metal doors, waiting for them to open.

[Gamernamerjj]

The doors opened without a hitch, gliding open with a wooshing sound. Inside the lab was a whimsical kind of place. All around were shiny, complicated-looking machines and high-tech devices whose functions could barely be guessed at. The room was simply amazing to look at.

Standing at a cart filled with gleaming orbs was young looking man in a lab coat who seemed to be concentrating very intently on the device he was holding in his hand. The slight sound of the doors shutting did not distract him from his work.

[teamplasma]

Lane combed his fingers through his hair, fixing the muddled mess that the wind was the culprit of. Lane took a few steps toward the man. He had only seen the professor a few times before, not many people see him out of the lab, for this is his workplace and home. He took another anxious step. "Hello, I am Lane. I believe that I might have told you, or you have heard that I am starting an adventure today. I am here for supplies." He spilled out. He thought that maybe he was starting off a little too strong. But atleast he was to the point.

[Gamernamerjj]

The professor jumped a little bit when Lane spoke, but he quickly composed himself. Recognition in his face, Storax smiled at the boy.
"Oh yes, Lane Sommers, right? I hear a lot about you. I've heard you're very eager to go on an adventure. If that's the case, then you've come to the right place!" Professor Storax said excitedly. He seemed to be full of youthful energy. "I bet you're very eager to get going on your adventure, so I'll try not to slow you down," he continued. "Here are 18 of my precious Pokémon. I will entrust one to you if you will be good to it. Do you promise to do so?" He looked at the gleaming Pokéballs with fondness in his eyes, then back at Lane, waiting for his reply.

[teamplasma]

Lane smiled adolescently. "Sir, you could trust me that I would take care of any Pokemon. Especially one that I train! Yes, you can." Lane has always dreamt of this day, and he couldn't believe how swell it was going. He was practically just rolling through this without any trouble.

[Gamernamerjj]

Professor Storax studied Lane for a moment before coming to the conclusion that the boy was trustworthy. Then he smiled again and gestured to the Pokéballs.
"Then pick any one of these 18 Pokémon, Lane. While you're deciding, I'm going to grab a few things you might need on your journey... You kind of caught me off guard, popping out of nowhere!" Storax exclaimed.

As he walked across the room, he added, "Oh, go ahead and let them out if you'd like. Just not all at once!" He laughed at his own joke, then continued on his mission, leaving Lane a little privacy.

[teamplasma]

Lane studied the identical balls. Which one should I pick? He thought to himself. This was a hard desition, but with no way of knowing what Pokemon they held. So just to find out, he let two random ones out, towards the center. One was a blue turtle, and it was fairly happy. It had a quacky voice but an admirable appearance. The other PokeBall contained a small bird. It also was appealing, with a chirping, choral voice. Lane was amazing just being so close to the two Pokemon. It was unusual for him, and they were so friendly. Lane knew right away that these two were ones that he really liked. Lane watched both of th Poemon seeing which one would suit him. He had an odd thought process in which he determined it, but he could just see the Squirtle was the one he wanted. "Sir, I wish to train this Squirtle."

[Gamernamerjj]

Professor Storax returned in time to see Lane finally decide on the Squirtle. By the set look of his face, the Professor knew what the boy had chosen and he wasn't surprised to hear the declaration that came out of Lane's mouth.

"Very well then, Lane," Storax said. "An excellent choice." He smiled and fumbled with his pockets.
"Not that there are really any bad ones," he added as he pulled a few items out. He held out one of the Pokéballs he had retrieved.
"Here," he said. "I have five Pokéballs for you. You can use them to catch wild Pokémon." He handed them over, then pulled another item out.
"And this," he continued, "Is a potion. They can be used to heal your Pokémon. I will give you two."
As he handed them over, Professor Storax inquired, "Do you have any questions?"

[teamplasma]

Lane stared at his new Squirtle, but returned it so it wouldn't allow it to be influenced by what could happen. So he returned Squirtle to his PokeBall, which is something alien to him, but felt effortless. he took the 2 Potions from the professor. He had seen some of these before, but not to directly. "Yes actually, do you have any warnings or such about... What is outside of this town? Especially the next route. What should I do when I leave here?"

[Gamernamerjj]

The Professor's cheerful demeanor was lost for a moment. He looked nervous.
"Well," he began hesitantly, "There have been a few reports of some strange people running around. No major problems, but keep your eyes open for suspicious people, I suppose." The Professor looked unhappy for a moment longer before he perked up.

"I suppose a good place to go next is Pandora city. Most new trainers go there first. The route there is pretty straightforward. Well, it actually is literally straight forward. It's the straightest route there is, pretty much. It is a pretty long trek though, it'll take you at least a few hours to get there. There are some pretty weak wild Pokémon along the way, mostly in the forest on either side of the path. Nothing too interesting about it I guess, but the seeing the city for the first time makes up for it, I suppose. It's a lot different than a small town like this one." Storax paused. "Have I bored you to death with information yet?" He laughed.

[teamplasma]

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" Lane asked in a manner that made is obvious that it was rhetorical. "And not at all. I am just curious about what it is suggest a young trainer should do. Thank you." He smiled at the Professor. Lane wasn't sure if he should go or if he still had information waiting. So he waited it out and took a small step toward the door.

[Gamernamerjj]

"Oh, Lane?" the Professor said. "Did you want to name your Squirtle? Some kids like to do that and I'm always interested to hear what they choose. You don't have to though."

[teamplasma]

Lane thought for a little. To think of it, he didn't really like nicknames. He liked the naturalness of the species name. "I.. I don't think I will." He smiled at his PokeBall. Then he thought aloud, "What is my pokemon like?

[Gamernamerjj]

The Professor looked at Lane quizzically.
"Do you mean personality-wise?" he inquired. "I suppose that answer is self-evident, you'll have to find out on your own. As for otherwise, I can help you with that!" Storax lead Lane over to one of the machines. "May I have your Squirtle for a moment, please?" he asked.

[teamplasma]

Lane was really confused. That is not what he meant at all. "That is not what I meant at all. I meant like its moves. What if someone attacks me? I need to know that stuff.. I thought maybe being a professor of Pokemon you might have a way of finding out." Though Lane had heard littl about Professor Storax, he had heard that he could determine a Pokemon information and stats with a machine.

[Gamernamerjj]

"Sorry if I wasn't clear enough," Storax apologized, "That's exactly what I meant. This wondrous machine in front of us will tell us all sorts of important information about your Squirtle, most importantly its moves and stats." The Professor smiled in an apologetic fashion before a genuine smile came through. "If you'll just give me your Squirtle a moment, I can have everything all figured out in a jiffy!" he exclaimed.

[teamplasma]

"Oh... okay! Yeah sure." He handed the PokeBall containing his pokemon to Professor Storax. He was really confused, but was starting to understand what he was saying. He thought that for some reason he was going to tell him his attitude, which seemed a bit pointless.

[Gamernamerjj]

Taking the shiny red and white ball in his hands, the Professor released the Squirtle that was inside it on to a scanning surface. He patted the Squirtle kindly and asked it to stay there, then he pushed a few buttons. A faint buzzing noise could be heard.
"Now," said Professor Storax, "this will take a little while..." He was cut off by a dinging noise. "Oh!" Storax exclaimed in surprise. "I suppose my tinkering with it really did make it work faster. Now," he continued as he pulled out a long piece of paper, "let me just find the relevant results..." He mumbled to himself for a few moments, talking about things surely no one but him could understand.
"So, your Squirtle's moves are tackle and tail whip.

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip

"Here, you can keep this printout if you'd like," the Professor offered.

[teamplasma]

Lane took it from his hands and stared at it, memorized it, then folded it up and put it in his pocket. He shoved it deep in his pocket, making sure he didn't damage the picture when he did. "Thanks." Lane said. "Thanks fo everything. I think I should leave now... If I have no more business here." He smiled at the professor, showing that he wasn't rushing, but finding if he had permission to leave. That reminded him that he still needed to retrieve his bag from the house.

[Gamernamerjj]

The Professor looked thoughtful for a moment.
"No, Lane, I believe that's everything. Have fun on your journey then, and be safe!" he said, giving the boy an appraising look. He nodded to himself. "I think you'll do well. Good luck, and goodbye for now!"

[teamplasma]

Lane smiled and nodded his head with him. He turned to the door, thinking about his journey, and the unpredictable factors mathmathically allocated into it. He clicked his heels on the metal floor as he went to the door, he knew that he would miss this place, thought he was not her for a long time, but it was a special place now, one that he couldn't forget. He went to the door, allowing it to automatically open, displaying the outerworld again.

[Gamernamerjj]

The wind outside had not died down at all. No one was to be seen as they were unlikely to want to brave the wind's onslaught. The sky was still relatively clear, though a few lazy clouds currently blocked the sun. A very wide path to Lane's left had a sign that said it lead to Paradora City and straight ahead of Lane was the path that would lead him through the town again.

[teamplasma]

Lane looked at the all-too familiar surroundings. Yet it always seemed that the outside of the town was busier than this. But, again, Lane almost forgot to go to his house where he was going to get his bag. Lane walked to the nearby house, passing Vanessa's on the way. When he passed it it didn't appear that she was outside still, but he didn't pay much attention to it. He continued until he was at his house, opening his door inside.

(Could you possibly add the time?)

[Gamernamerjj]

Closing the door on the early afternoon sun that had broken through the clouds, Lane found that his house was the same as it had been this morning when he'd left. His mother came around to see who was at the door and when she saw him she smiled.
"I figured you'd be back for this," she said, holding his backpack in her hands. "I know you may want to pack some other things, but I threw together some snacks for you. They're in the smallest pocket... So I'm guessing you saw Professor Storax? What did you choose?!" His mother looked very excited for him, despite the fact that she didn't really want him to leave.

[teamplasma]

Lane already knew that she had a different few on Pokemon, and a big indication was when she said "what", when Lane would have had used "who". Pokemon were supposed to e caught to help each other, gain trust, and accomplish things together, but she didn't understand that. "I choose to trainer a Squirtle!" Lane said holding out the same Pokeball.

[Gamernamerjj]

Oblivious to her slight misstep, Lane's mother smothered him in a big hug.
"What a wonderful choice! Can I see it? Did you name it?" she asked excitedly. She was just as excited as any child would be.

[teamplasma]

Lane was neither excited nor annoyed by the question. He tol her yes, for he wasn't going to deprive her of it. He released him from the containment ball, showing off the Squirtle. "No, I haven't named him, I just dont think I like nicknames. I will call him Squirtle." He said, ending with a little laugh.

[Gamernamerjj]

Lane's mother bent down to pet the little Pokémon a little roughly.
"Oh, a Squirtle!" she cooed. "How sweet! It it male or female?"

[teamplasma]

Lane just looked at Squirtle, he still could believe that this was his. That the day he had been waiting for had come and he still felt like there was a build up of anxiety in his system. "Yeah, Squirtle is a boy." He said in a happy tone, but quickly continued, "So where is dad?" Lane didn't really want to leave without seeing him.

[Gamernamerjj]

"Oh, your father's upstairs," Lane's mother replied. "I think he was just finishing up some work when I came down here. Why don't you go find him while I make us some lunch?" she said almost pleadingly. She was evidently not ready for Lane to leave yet.

[teamplasma]

Lane hustled upstairs on cue. His bedroom lie close to the entrance, which is closer than where he father should be. So just to get it off his list, he went into his bedroom to grab his bag. He went over to his bed where it was lying. He looked at his old things lying on the top of the dressers and headboard. Those are just a few of the things that he would miss; the small things from his past.

Lane then went over to his dad's office. He opened the door a peak, just to make surehe didn't disturb his dad.

[Gamernamerjj]

Inside Lane's father's office was a simple desk covered with neat stacks of paper, a filing cabinet and the chair that Lane's dad was sitting in. He put down a few papers on their appropriate stacks and rose. He looked down at a picture of him, his wife and Lane together and smiled. Then he turned to go to the door and hardly looked surprised when he saw Lane standing there.

"Hey there, Lane! Come back for your bag?" he asked in his low voice. "Are you staying for lunch?"

[teamplasma]

Lane wandered closer to the desk. He didn't really think of that, but his mom did say that she was going to make it for him. "Um, yeah, I think I am. But afterwards I am going to leave, so I just came to make sure I saw you before I left." Lane said. "Well I am going to go down now, see you there." Lane exited the office and went bac down to see what his mother had conjured up.

[Gamernamerjj]

Downstairs, the air was thick with many different scents. Lane's mother seemed determined to feed him well if he was indeed going to leave. On the stove a few pots were bubbling and the oven seemed to be on. When his mother saw him, she engulfed him in a big hug.
"I hope you're hungry! We're having soup, garlic toast, a few surprises, and cookies for dessert!" she exclaimed. She sure had gone overboard. "It's just about ready, come sit down. Is your father almost done his work?" she asked.

[teamplasma]

"Umm, I think he is." Lane replied. He wat down at the dining table. Lane was still stuck with so any emotions that he couldn't think one thought to utter. He sat at the table looking through his almost empty bag. He put his new acquired materials, along with the picture inside his it. "Is there anything I a forgetting to pack?" Lane asked openly.

[Gamernamerjj]

At Lane's question his mother paused her cooking to think. Twirling her spoon as she spoke, she asked,
"Did you pack your toothbrush and toothpaste? Clean underwear? Those are the most important!" As she returned to her supper, Lane's father came into the kitchen. He sat down at the table across from Lane.
"Did you want to bring one of my books on Pokémon?" he inquired. "You could have one, if you like." At that moment, Lane's mother brought lunch to the table. Chicken noodle soup and tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, some garlic toast; it was quite a feast to behold. A bit of a hodge-podge, but it still smelt very enticing.
"Well, shall we eat?" Lane's mother asked.

[teamplasma]

"Of course!" Lane said. He brushed back his hair a little and dived into the plethora of food. "Yeah, I would love to. Which one should I take?" He knew ha his dad wrote a lot of book, i was his failing attempt o become a Pokemon Professor. His dad talked about being one a lot when Lane was younger, but that seemed to fade away and he just started to write and sell books. As Lane nommed on he bread he remembered something, "Dad where is you Pokemon? I want to make sure I say goodbye o him before I leave."

(You may make it up)

[Gamernamerjj]

"Hoothoot? Oh, he should be back soon enough. I let him out to go fly for a bit last night. After you're done eating, why don't you go check?" Lane's father replied.
"As for a book..." His father thought a moment, stroking his chin. "What about Where to Find Pokémon or What Type Beats What? or maybe Basic Pokémon Care For Young and Old? They should all be in the bookcase in the living room."

[teamplasma]

Lane nodded, "I will be sure to do that! All of those books sound marvelous, but it will be hard to choose." Lane sort of thought for a minute, conjuring ideas. "Dad, what would you think if my Squirtle and Hoothoot had a battle? A friendly practice battle, you know, so we will be prepared." He was proud of he idea, which would go well.

[Gamernamerjj]

"I don't know," his father replied. "I guess we could battle... Hoothoot isn't too strong yet." Though he was an expert on Pokémon, Lane's father's work kept him from battling much on his own time.
"Think you can take me on?" he challenged his son. He stood. "Let's go see if we find Hoothoot!"
Lane's mother spoke up with encouragement for both:
"I'm sure it'll be a close match! I'll clean up while you two get ready. I can't wait to watch!" His mother's enthusiasm seemed a little false; she still didn't want her little boy to get all grown up, but she still wanted him to have fun.

[teamplasma]

At his time Lane didn't detect the fake tone this time, he was too consumed by ideas about the battle he was about to have. He released Squirtle into the kitchen. He jumped with joy, loving to have new scenery. "Okay, you and I are going to battle for the first time. This can prepare us, but this isn't too serious of a battle, so you wont be hurt too bad. Dont be scared." Lane wasn't much for encouraging words, but was rather pleased with how that cane out. He looked over to his dad, "Lets do this outside on the Dirt Road." As he said that he went outside to wait for them; Allowing his dad and mom to do what they said.

[Gamernamerjj]

When Lane opened the door, the fierce wind tore at him again. It simply would not die. The sun had temporarily disappeared behind a lone, lazy cloud making it's way across the sky. No one was out and about, perhaps hiding away from the chilling bite of the breeze. A brown Pokémon was flying towards their house with slight difficulty, but it managed to get out of the wind once it got around the corner of the house. The Hoothoot peeked out from its shelter.

"There you are, Hoothoot!" Lane's father, who had followed Lane outside, called out. "Hm, perhaps he's got the right idea," he said to Lane. "Do you want to go around the corner where there's less room, or stay here?" he asked. At that moment, Lane's mother stepped out with a lawn chair in tow.
"Brr, it's cold outside!" she exclaimed. "Well, I'm all ready for the show. Where are you going to battle?" she asked.

[teamplasma]

Without hesitation he answered, "Lets go to the side, the wind will be less harsh." Land went over to the other side of their house. He motioned for Squirtle to follow him. Squirte with his raspy voice answered cheerfully. Lane observed that his Pokemon was a little immature and empty minded, which isn't something that he would hold again someone, but something to improve on.

[Gamernamerjj]

Lane's mother arranged her lawn chair and sat down in it, carefully positioned in the most sheltered place away from the battle space. She smiled at Lane encouragingly.

"Ready?" his father asked. "You can have the first attack, if you'd like," he said, gesturing to Lane with his hand.

[teamplasma]

Lane, "Fine." He pushed his little Squirtle towards the field. "Time to battle now, Bud."
Squirtle stepped up to the battlefield. "Okay, lets start off strong with a Tackle!" Lane wasn't sure what attacks he was able to preform, but guess the most basic anyways.

[Gamernamerjj]

Hoothoot was ready for Squirtle's attack. He braced himself and took the blow. Then, in retaliation, Lane's father cried, "Use tackle as well!" Hoothoot threw his whole body directly at Squirtle, using his full weight to knock the water Pokémon off balance. Squirtle quickly rose again and stood, ready for Lane's next instructions.
"Not bad, son," Lane's father said. "It's good to attack swiftly sometimes, you might catch 'em off guard! Not Hoothoot though, he's got a pretty keen eye," he praised his Pokémon.

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip
HP: 19/22


Hoothoot
Male - Insomnia - Level 8
Tackle - Foresight - Growl - Hypnosis
HP:23/25

[teamplasma]

"Thanks." He said with a warm feeling of acceptance. "Now Squirtle, you are doing awesome, keep it up! Try another tackle with more force!" The thoughts of conducting a pokemon in battle didn't come naturally to Lane. HE had spent so much time thinking about other things that he would do with his pokemon that he hadn't thought about how to battle and how he was going to beat the gym league. Now he and his pokemon both had something to work on.

[Gamernamerjj]

Squirtle heard Lane's directions and followed them to the letter. Running at full force at Hoothoot, Squirtle leaped up and hit Hoothoot square in the lower body, causing both to fall to the ground in a pile. After Squirtle got off of him, Hoothoot shook himself off and prepared himself to do Lane's father's orders.
"Hoothoot, use hypnosis," he called. Hoothoot stood very still and both Lane and Squirtle were puzzled. There was an unpleasant feeling of apprehension in the pit of Squirtle's stomach. Something strange was about to happen. Hoothoot aimed and made a strange movement. Squirtle and Lane waited for something to happen, but nothing changed. Hoothoot looked disappointed.
"Darn!" Lane's father cried. "I knew I shouldn't have risked it. Hoothoot doesn't have great aim with that one. Oh well, sometimes you have to take chances, Lane."

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip
HP: 19/22

Hoothoot
Male - Insomnia - Level 8
Tackle - Foresight - Growl - Hypnosis
HP:20/25

[teamplasma]

"Great Squirtle! Now is the time for a Tail-Whip!" Lane wanted to try something new, it all wasn't about winning, this battle was exploring Squirtle's abilities. Lane couldn't help thinking that maybe it wasn't the aim, but it was his mental strength. And that maybe it was either Squirtle's emptymindedness or his mental determination. Either way it was an advantage for Lane. He avoided the thought of it being neither, and just waiting for the next even to take place.

[Gamernamerjj]

Squirtle whipped his tail at Hoothoot, but nothing appeared to happen. Both Pokémon looked bewildered and turned to their trainers. Lane's father took no time to explain and shouted his command: "Hoothoot, use growl!"
Hoothoot turned back to Squirtle and made the most frightening, most menacing sound imaginable. An involuntary shiver went down even Lane's neck at the sound. Squirtle looked quite intimidated.

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip
HP: 19/22

Hoothoot
Male - Insomnia - Level 8
Tackle - Foresight - Growl - Hypnosis
HP:20/25

[teamplasma]

"It is okay! Don't be frightened." Lane tried to sound caring and concerned so it would maybe help Squirtle a little. "Hey, if an attack is really coming at you and you are frightened, you could defend yourself in your shell." He was just pointing out a good defense strategy to his Pokemon. Lane wanted to prove to both of his parents that he was apt for his journey. "Use another tackle!"

[Gamernamerjj]

Squirtle looked mildly reassured by Lane's kind words, but he still seemed unsure. He leaped at Hoothoot with less assurance than before and the attack didn't seem as powerful. Lane's father look at his son with pride at his instinctive trainer qualities and ordered Hoothoot to use tackle as well.

Hoothoot leaped at Squirtle, who did as Lane instructed and pulled himself into his shell. Hoothoot still crashed into Squirtle's shell with enough force to hurt him a little, but not very much.

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip
HP: 17/22

Hoothoot
Male - Insomnia - Level 8
Tackle - Foresight - Growl - Hypnosis
HP:18/25

[teamplasma]

Squirtle popped out of his shell, and smiled a little. "That was really good, bud." Lane looked over to his father. "You had enough?" Lane asked. He both asked it jokingly and honestly, but it all really depended on how he answered. If he answered like it was a joke then he would probably keep battling, but if it was serious then thy would stop. Lane crouched to pet his friend again.

[Gamernamerjj]

"Why, are you giving up so soon?" his father teased in reply. He examined Hoothoot for a second. "I think we can go a few more turns, what do you think?"

[teamplasma]

He Smirked. "Squirtle, remember what I said, but attack with tackle!" Lane was unsure about having just tackles. Maybe they should try to do something new later. He had more ideas of what to do with him now that he had battled with him.

[Gamernamerjj]

Squirtle perked up at Lane's instructions and jumped at Hoothoot immediately, taking the latter by surprise. The attack hit with good impact, knocking Hoothoot back. Lane's father was also taken aback, but he soon smiled ruefully.
"Should've expected that, I suppose. Well then," he said thoughtfully. "Hoothoot, use tackle as well!" Hoothoot sprang into action jumped at Squirtle, determined to get him back. Squirtle, rememebering Lane's previous adivce, curled up into his shell again. The attack was not as effective, in fact, Squirtle was barely harmed by Hoothoot's body crashing into his shell.

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip
HP: 15/22

Hoothoot
Male - Insomnia - Level 8
Tackle - Foresight - Growl - Hypnosis
HP:15/25

Hoothoot was frustrated and hooted in anger and embarrassment.
"Relax," Lane's father said in an easy going manner. "How're you letting a little baby Pokémon get the better of you?" he teased playfully. Hoothoot jumped up at him and pretended to peck him. After Lane's father convinced Hoothoot to stop, he looked over at Lane.
"Good job son. I say we call it quits for now, what do ya think?" his father asked. "Did you learn some stuff at least? I think I did!" he exclaimed.

[teamplasma]

What a great accomplishment, Lane though. "Great, Bud!" He was really proud of his friend. His father question was exremely easy to answer. "Absolutely! I learned more than I thought!" He went and picked up his pokemon. Lane wasn't one for prolong departures, he actually wished he could just abscond to the next place. It wasn't apparent to him why though, it was just something he hated. "Do you think I should stay one last night? Or leave soon?" He asked his mom. Though he didn't want to stay he didn't want to make the wrong decision.

[Gamernamerjj]

"Oh, well, I don't know, Lane," his mother replied. She looked very uncertain. Thankfully, Lane's father stepped in to help her.
"It's only mid-afternoon, Lane. I think you can walk there, if not all the way, then most of it. Depending on how slow you are," he teased. "I think it's about time you got going."
Lane's mother started to tear up a little, but she restrained herself as she hugged him.
"Have fun and b-be safe," she said in a tight voice. She swallowed hard. "Call us often!"
Lane's father patted him on the back.
"Got everything?" he asked. "Here, I'll go grab you one of those books. Wait a second and I'll be back." Lane's father disappeared to find the book.
"Here, take Where to Find Pokémon," he insisted, giving Lane the small book. "I figured the others would be too heavy to carry around comfortably." He smiled. "Well, I guess this is it. Unless, is there anything else you need?" he asked warmly. Lane's mother stood around nervously, watching Lane and fixing his hair and clothes occasionally.

[teamplasma]

Lane laughed at the whole occasion of it. It was quite a silly thing to see his family like this. "Thanks, guys." He was still avoiding making the goodbye too long. He took the book from him and stuffed it in his bag. His bad was only a small string sports bag, so not many things would fit in it. "I will have to get a new bag soon. Haha. Yeah I think I have everything." He went threw a mental checklist of all of the things he wanted; he didn't want to have a load of things heavier than him, though. "So this is goodbye, for now." He said, walking a little toward the lab, which was right by the route to the next city. He turned his back and was full-on walking to his future.
The town looks almost the same as it did before when he was there before. The same setting, the same everything. But the route to the city was something he wasn't familiar with. He arrived there and just looked in awe, taking in all that is there to see.

[Gamernamerjj]

The route that lay ahead of Lane was quite a sight for one not used to such size. It was at least twice as wide as the paths of the town, and the straighteness of it was astounding. As it was mid-afternoon, many people walked along it, some travelling, but most just enjoying a walk or run. Some had Pokémon, some did not; some travelled in groups and others alone. It was quite a mixture of people. To each side of the route was a bright green forest that was alive with mysterious rustling sounds coming from along the edge. all in all, it was a pretty impressive sight to see. A sign near Lane read "Paradora City". This was the beginning of his journey.

[teamplasma]

It was absolutely amazing, all of the various things happening and all the sounds were riveting. Though it was a great sight, Lane's adventurous side kicked in. He started to run into the route, wanting to be surrounded by it all. Being closer to all the action made it easier to make a decision on what to do now.

A shimmering red beam came from the PokeBall as he released his pokemon. He wanted a little help on this. "Squ-rtl" His Pokemon said when it came out. "Amazing, isn't it? I want to know what you wanted to do? We definitely need to practice battle with pokemon, but we also need to become acquainted with new people". Squirtle seemed to understand all that he said, and in reply he pointed to the green forest to the left of them. "Squ-qurr" He said excitedly.

Lane picked up his pokemon in his arms and started to walk. With Lane, it was mostly just decisions, that is how he lived life, weighing decisions. Like an Ice Breaker Boat, he pushed a path open and started to walk into the forest. He tried hard to dodge branched and mid-air objects as he walked. Also, he tried to keep a general sense of direction, so he didn't get lost.

[Gamernamerjj]

It took a long time before Lane found anything of interest. For the longest time it was only the sound of him and Squirtle in the unusually still forest. Eventually though, a fierce brown Pokémon with zigzagging fur jumped out at Lane and Squirtle and growled at the two. It looked ready for a fight.

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip
HP: 22/22

Zigzagoon
Female - Pickup - Level 5
Growl - Tackle -Tail Whip
HP: 21/21

[teamplasma]

Lane got a little startled by the sudden appearance of this Pokemon. Being the adventurous one back home, he wouldn't have been thought of to be scared by that, he got kind of embarrassed. "Alright, Squirtle! Now we have our first real battle!" Lane set his Pokemon down and suddenly the silence of the forest was gone. Between the voices, echos, and crunching of the leaves there was still the unsudden noise that was just radiated from the presence of the pokemon. "Lets try a tackle! Go!" He was extremely confident that he would do really good against this wild pokemon. The training with his dad had given him high hopes and expectations, " I know you can do good!"

[Gamernamerjj]

The Zigzagoon growled fiercely at Squirtle, spooking him a little. He quickly shook his head and focused on making his attack really good so that Lane would be proud of him. With a few quick steps and a small leap, Squirtle flew through the air and made contact with the Zigzagoon. A dull thud could be heard as they collided, but Squirtle didn't seem injured at all. He was already getting stronger.

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip
HP: 22/22

Zigzagoon
Female - Pickup - Level 5
Growl - Tackle -Tail Whip
HP: 18/21

[teamplasma]

"Good job, Squirtle! Dont be influence by that, you will be okay." Lane didn't know if words could help his pokemon shake off the attacks. He wasn't even sure if he should do anything other than tackle, but hopefully he would find something more effective. "Okay, try another tackle! And don't let him out smart you!?" Another one of his concerns was that the pokemon would fake out Squirtle and leave him vulnerable.

[Gamernamerjj]

Lane's encouraging words were soothing for Squirtle to hear. He was now even more focused on the task at hand. Squirtle prepared himself to attack, but before he could do so, the Zigzagoon jumped up quickly and tackled him too. Squirtle was a bit surprised and so he wasn't as prepared go retaliate, but he still gave it a good shot. His leap connected the same as before and only slightly weaker.

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip
HP: 20/22

Zigzagoon
Female - Pickup - Level 5
Growl - Tackle -Tail Whip
HP: 16/21

[teamplasma]

"Remember, bud, this is a really fast Pokemon, you must be ready no matter what she does to you. Now try another one of them!" Lane wasn't happy with this wild Pokemon. His feelings were mostly generated by the outwiting of his own pokemon. He tried not to aloow the slight anger show in his voice because he knew Squirtle would loose confidence.

[Gamernamerjj]

The Zigzagoon seemed distracted by Lane's conversation with Squirtle, she didn't really understand what was going on. Noticing her confusion, Squirtle lunged into his attack, hitting the Zigzagoon full force. The two travelled back together and landed with a thump on the ground. Squirrel seemed very pleased with himself and ran back over to where Lane was standing. The Zigzagoon watched with an odd expression on her face, one that was unreadable but could be guessed at. Slowly, the Zigzagoon rose and growled at Squirtle in a restricting crescendo. A deep, throaty sound filled the forest, which seemed to carry on te sound long after the Zigzagoon had terminated it. Squirtle shivered vigourously. It was a truly horrible sound to come out of a cute little Pokémon and it spooked him considerably more than the first time. His spirits were dampened from his recent success and Squirtle looked at his opponent with apprehension.

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip
HP: 20/22

Zigzagoon
Female - Pickup - Level 5
Growl - Tackle -Tail Whip
HP: 11/21

[teamplasma]

Lane, just like his pokemon, was really pleased. "Wow! Great!" He was feeling really good at this point. And he didn't want to completely damage this pokemon, so he probably was only going to do one more attack before he moved on. "Squirtle, how about we try our last Tackle of the day." Lane said it pretty calmly, now that he saw that they were improving he didn't want to strain his new friends too much.

[Gamernamerjj]

Squirtle was a little wary of the Zigzagoon now, but he complied with Lane's request with little hesitation. Launching himself one more time, he clattered into the Zigzagoon with the greatest of ease. The Zigzagoon, a little frustrated, jumped at Squirtle before he could do much else. The attack knocked him to the ground, but it didn't injure him all that much.

Squirtle
Male - Torrent - Level 5
Tackle - Tail Whip
HP: 18/22

Zigzagoon
Female - Pickup - Level 5
Growl - Tackle -Tail Whip
HP: 7/21

[teamplasma]

Lane now was satisfied with the battle, he was happy with what was done and felt like it was about time to hike onto Paradora City. He bent over and tried to pet the Pokemon, to show that he was done with the fight. "Come on, Squirtle, it is time to go." He returned his pokemon to his ball. He waved at the small pokemon and tried to leave the forrest. We walked with the idea of the general direction, but was pretty sure it was not exactly the right way.

[Gamernamerjj]

The Zigzagoon growled at Lane as he tried to pet her, then dove into some nearby bushes. As Lane walked, the forest seemed to get darker very quickly, though not much time had passed. The trees grew closer together, and the brush was hard to get through. A small path seemed to form, though it was a not a well-travelled one. It was unclear whether the path lead deeper into the forest or back out of it.

[teamplasma]

"This would be the time I wish I had a fire type." He said as he walked the dark and scary path. He could only meander in a random direction of the road for so long before he got somewhere, right? He couldn't really see much of anything, or anyone if there was someone. And the forest was still in the darkness. All of this amounted to some bad situation you might see in a movie. "HELLLO!" Lane called. He was rather anxious with all this happening. All he wanted was someone to talk to, but as it seemed there wasn't.

[Gamernamerjj]

Just as Lane thought that, a surprised man popped out of the forest with a flashlight in hand. He looked at Lane incredulously.
"What are you doing all the way in here?" he asked, obviously baffled.

[teamplasma]

The light was pointing right at his face so he couldn't see anything at all, not even a silhouette. "I was just training my Squirtle and then I got lost. Who are you?" Lane didn't really want to go any further without knowing this man's identity. But by the voice he had to be over 18.

[Gamernamerjj]

The man came closer and shone the flashlight on the ground to make sure he didn't trip over anything. His face came into view as the beam moved from Lane's face. The man was older than Lane's father judging by his grey beard that grew past his chin. The man, despite his age, looked very fit and able. A small pair of glasses were perched on his nose.

"Me? I'm Stan. I come hiking in the forest everyday to stay fit and to search for rare Pokémon!" he said, lowering his voice at the last part. "Who are you?" he asked. "A new trainer, I presume?"

[teamplasma]

He could now see his face, and he expected someone else, but he wasn't really sure who. "Yeah I am a new trainer, but I am lost. I dont usually hike or anything to know. But it now makes sense that this would be a hiking trail. Could you possibly help me find my way? I either want to go to the nearest route or to Paradora city." Lane was very unsure about trusting this man but it was his only hope. He knew that he was off track because he hadn't crossed the path on his way inside the forest.

[Gamernamerjj]

The Stan pushed his glasses up his nose.
"Not the first time I've found a lost trainer in the woods here," he said in his nasally voice. "And it certainly won't be the last either. Well, I can walk you back to the path. Just follow me!" he turned around and started down the little path, his flashlight lighting his way, but leaving Lane to stumble around in the dark. There were many roots and trees on the make-shift path, making it hard enough to walk through in good lighting.

"So, you have a Squirtle?" the man asked, making conversation.

[teamplasma]

For a second he forgot that he had told him that he had a Squirtle. "Yeah, I actually got it today. He was from Professor Storax." Lane wasn't really wanting to talk. He just wanted to be on the path. He decided that even if it was dark that he would try to walk the rest of the way and then find a PokeCenter to sleep at. "So where do you live? Are you from around here?"

[Gamernamerjj]

"I live in a cabin out here in the woods most of the time. I have another house in Paradora city, but you'll rarely find me there. I prefer being out in good ol' mother nature" Stan replied. The forest was becoming brighter and he pointed up ahead.
"We're almost back to the path, you really weren't too far away," he said. "You'll need to go to your right," he instructed. "Paradora is only another hour and a bit from here."

[teamplasma]

Lane looked up at the sky and it was pretty dark, but if it was only one more hour he could probably deal with it and move on. "Okay thanks Stan!" He was really grateful that Stan was there to help him. "I will probably see you later in life. See you in another day, brother." Without another word we walked to his right into the path he has already traveled, a road he had already seen before.

[Gamernamerjj]

"Goodbye!" Stan called to Lane as the boy continued on his journey.

The sun was getting low in the sky, which was a multitude of beautiful colours. There were few people out, though it wasn't even eight o'clock. In the distance, lights from the city could just barely be seen. Looks were deceiving though, there was still at least an hour walk to go.

[teamplasma]

Staying true to his words he took the beaten dirt road to the noctilucent city. It was dark so he didn't dare talk to the people that may or may not surround him, he could tell who they were, he just thought happy thoughts and kept on going to the large city. Stan was really nice. He thought to himself along with many other random things as he tried to entertain himself the slightest bit as he walked on. Paradora seemed so amazing from here, but how something appears from night and day was something totally different and new things can be revealed at different angles. He walked on.

[Gamernamerjj]

The lights of the city came closer and closer as Lane continued walking. Soon enough, he entered into the city through a building. Once on the other side, he could see the splendour of the city, even as it was winding down for the night. People still scurried around on the street, most heading for home at this hour. The buildings of the city were new and much different from his hometown. The building here had smooth, sleek designs and fancy illuminated signs. Most houses in Oldoak were small, and pretty generic. The ones here were very big and had a wide variety of styles. The sky above was very dark, though the lights below made it seem like day. Still, it was obviously very late, and Lane would have to find somewhere to spend the night quickly, or sleep outside. A sign for the city's Poké centre pointed to the right.

I suppose you can make a new thread now, too.