Time to begin

[Ghost]

With her Spheal safely in it's pokeball, Keisha looked around for the correct way to go. She had travelled Sinnoh without a problem. Snowpoint City had been her home, and her parents had drilled it into her to know the layout of the area just in case she ever got lost in a snowstorm. Thsi had led to her learning about the rest of Sinnoh, Hoenn, Kanto and Jhoto. Nahra never crossed her mind.

Sitting on a rock she sighed dejectedly. She could travel back down the path she came, but that ran the risk of running into Kione, somethign which both excited and scared her. A brisk breeze blew past and she smiled, enjoying the coolness of the wind. She longed to put her white robe back on, but in the heat it would be suicide.

Bouncing her Spheal's pokeball in one hand, she pondered where to get more. She thought the professor gave each new trainer a starter pack, cursing outloud she realised that she bolted from the lab as soon as she grabbed her pokeball.

Drawing a deep breath she stood up and began to follow the path back towards the lab.



Kione whistled as he walked, his Ralts beside him content to walk next to him. Two packs were slung across his back. The first was the purple and white bag which matched his outfit, edges with silver, it sparkled in just the right light. He had purchsed the bag from a young man in Hearthome City a few years back during his travels. The bag was skillfully made and Kione had only needed to repair it once, when a Rhydon charged over it.

His favourite aspect to the bag was the amount of pockets it had. On the outside, it looked like a normal sized back pack with a flap on the top, and pockets on the side. Inside was several different sections, all with a hidden pocket somewhere wtihin.

The second bag was smaller. It was a dusty grey in colour and Kione had only just accepted ti from Professor Pine. He had taken it to carry Keisha's items with, since the young girl had grabbed her pokemon and run.

Lost in his own little world, he realised something was wrong when Pretty Lady started hugging his leg. Looking down at the small psychic pokemon he bent down and took her carefully into his arms, soothing her with pointless words.

Looking down the road he saw the sourse of his pokemon's distress. He had heard whispers that Ralts picked up on the emotions of people around them. Now he knew that was true.

Standing a little way down the road was Keisha, looking like a stantler caught in the headlights. Kione smiled and told Pretty Lady not to worry, that Keisha wouldn't hurt either of them.

Turning his attention to the young lady he flashed her an award winning smile.

"Hello there Beautiful. I have here a gift for you. You took off so fast that the professor couldn't give you your starter pack." He told her, holding out the grey bag to her.

Keisha shifted on her feet nervously. She had never been called beautiful by anyone except for Kione, and wonderered if there was a hidden motive to it all. Gingerly she accepted the bag.

Pretty Lady watched Keisha carefully, unsure what to make of the timid girl.

"Um, thanks." Keisha murmured, looking around.

Kione smiled encouragingly. "Since we're here together anyway, what say we travel to Aura town together. Now before you protest, I will say you don't have too. I'll have Pretty Lady out the whole time, and unless you start one, I won't drag you into any silly conversations."

Keisha eyed Kione and slowly nodded. "Ok."

Kione smiled at her once again, and she noticed a twinkle in his dark green eyes. "Excellent. Then let us start with proper introductions. I am Kione, and this is Pretty Lady." He told her, motioning to the Ralts who was now more comfortable with Keisha. "And you, and Beautiful."

Keisha shook her head. "No, I am Keisha." She told him, swinging the back pack onto her back and motioning for him to lead the way.

Kione chuckled and began to walk towards Aura town. "You'll find, Keisha, that I am rarely wrong in the names I give people."

[Et Cetera]

Because travelers rarely pass through this area, the commotion and conversation drew attention of surrounding Pokemon. Several bird Pokemon, startled by the appearance of the humans, flew swiftly to the treetops. Even a frightened Stantler darted across their path, disappearing into a cluster of trees; a Butterfree, too, kept its distance. However, two Pokemon, perhaps travel companions, cautiously approached the trainers from a nearby bush. On the left, an Oddish, and on the right, a Bellsprout. They stared at one another, then shifted their gaze to the two humans, and then back to one another. Though curious, they managed to keep their distance.

[Ghost]

It was Pretty Lady who first noticed their audience. She had been trying hard to get a good reading on Keisha, since she didn't trust the human as much as her trainer did. But the effort tired her, Keisha's emotions kept changing far to often, and Pretty Lady was still young.

So instead she threw her awareness out into the forest, lightly touching on the emotions of the other pokemon. Most held the basic flight instinct, although a breif encounter with a wild Spearow had her tense for a few moments, unsure if it should chase the new people out of it's territory or not.

Sensing the curiosity of the two pokemon caught her unaware. She hadn't know any wild pokemon to be curious, especially not the flighty oddish. The combined curiosity of the two pokemon increased Pretty Lady's, and she began to make her way towards them.

Keisha noticed them second. She had turned all her attention to the small pokemon, wondering just what the pokemon could do, and if it would evolve into a Gardevoir or Gallade. She supposed since Kione had named it Pretty Lady, it would be Gardevoir, in which case Kione had chosen an apt name for her.

When Pretty Lady stopped Keisha involunterily stopped as well. Kione walked right into her, looking at her oddly. Following Pretty Lady's line of vision, she noticed the two grass type pokemon partially hidden. Chewing her bottom lip she reached into her coat and pulled out her Spheal's pokeball.

"Go Nilas" She called, throwing the ball in the air.

Nilas appeared in a red flash, rolling onto the ground like a ball.

"Spheal!" He called

Keisha smiled as the ball shaped pokemon rolled over to her feet and nuzzled her.

"We might have a battle here Nilas." She told the ice pokemon who nodded and rolled next to Pretty Lady, greeting the psychic type.

Finally, with Nilas rolling next to Pretty Lady, and Keisha's comment on a battle, Kione realised what they were all looking at. With a goofy grin he shook his head.

"This is what happens when I'm surrounded by beauty. I forget what I'm here to do." He said with a chuckle. "Are you set Pretty Lady?"

Her curiosity broken when Kione spoke, Pretty Lady nodded and looked at the two grass type pokemon, prepared to attack which ever her beloved trainer told her too.