A Bit Too Shy [F]

[Tyger]

The weight of the egg her family had given her was heavy, but no where close to the hesitancy that weighed her down as she stood in front of the laboratory. She'd already knocked, which was the hardest part, but what if she'd made this entire journey for nothing? What if nothing was going to come of this, and she would be stuck in New Bark Town forever, as a Pokemon-less loser that didn't know what she was doing? How horrid would -that- be, eh? The agnonizing few minutes that it took for someone to answer the door proved to be the time Sam needed to talk her into this. The only part she was nervous about was dealing with the people as she kept going. The Pokemon, which is what she was here for, was the 'good' thing. She was excited for them. Everyone else? Not so much.

But, she was a trainer now, and she wasn't about to back out. The little bit of life she held in her hands needed her, and whatever she chose in the Lab would need her too. And, in the entire hurricane of thoughts, the doors opened to reveal an assistant. Relieved, Sam stepped inside and wiped her shoes off. She'd been standing in the frost for a bit, so the bottom of her sneakers were a bit wet. "Uh, thanks for letting me in. I'm here for a Pokemon?" She squeaked, and the assistant nodded, glancing at her egg for a moment. "You know, you can set your egg down if you want. It looks pretty close to hatching, i'd hate for you to drop it or something." The woman gestured to a table, and Sam scowled when she turned her back. Not gonna drop my Pokemon egg, thanks. Just because i'm nervous doesn't mean i'm going to do something stupid. She hissed internally, when the assistant came back. 

Apparently there was an issue, and they were waiting on a fresh restock of Pokemon. All of the standard Pokemon had been taken, leaving Sam with a choice. She could take something that wasn't custom, or she could wait a day or so for the newest shipment of Pokemon to come in. "I'll take whatever needs a home." She smiled, and the assistant nodded, handing her a bag full of supplies with a Pokeball attached to a belt. Taking the time to place her egg down, she snapped the belt on and put on the bag before picking her egg back up. "Thanks!" She gave a little headnod before rushing out of the door and back into the frigid air. Cold and wet outside beats inside with person she didn't know anyday. 

As if on cue, once Sam had relaxed from being inside the building, the egg in her hands began to shine. Unsure of what to do, Sam just continued to hold the egg until the light grew into a Pokemon she was very familiar with. Her eyes welled up as the Pokemon materialized into a Slakoth. The tug of the Pokemon's weight pulled at her arms, so she placed the Pokemon on her shoulder, letting it drape lazily. She'd carried feed sacks heavier than this guy, so this wouldn't be an issue. "Hey there little guy!" She giggled, wiping a tear. These were her favorite Pokemon, and she just knew her parents had given him to her for a reason. "Howsabout I name you Garrus, eh?" She suggested, rubbing noses with the lazy Pokemon. Garrus agreed with a yawn as they walked. Curious of what other Pokemon she had with her, Sam would wait until her first battle to unveil her second friend. 

[The REAL Joey]

Her curiosity would soon be sated. No sooner than Sam and her newly hatched Pokemon began setting off with their first steps of their journey had an aggressive voice sounded off in the distance, clearly aimed at them. "Stop right there!" A sudden rustle from the bushes from the side of the research lab, it appeared that a teenager had been spying on them for sometime, peering in through the window as if eyeing up the contents of the facility. Stepping out and immediately bearing a striking appearance, it was hard not to be drawn to his maroon coloured hair and silver coloured eyes.

Tilting his head cockily to the side, this moody looking teenager didn't appear warm in the slightest, if anything, akin to the miserable weather they were experiencing. His hand casually slipped into one of his pockets and the other left hanging by his side, the youth called out and didn't appear to be in the mindset of making friends with Samantha. "Hmph. I saw what just happened. That Pokemon. It hatched." A genuine master of observation, he leered his unsettling eyes as he began to make clear his demands. "Hand it over. A Pokemon like that is far more deserving of a trainer like me unlike..." Toying with his words, he eventually came up with an insult to rile up Samantha. "Some country bumpkin like you." Now sporting a vindictive smile, he took his hand out of his pocket and made aware he had a Pokemon of his own. Tossing it forward, it revealed a deeply nervous looking fire mouse. The reason for its nerves would soon be made obvious. "Stupid fire rat, of all the Pokemon I could have stolen and it just happened to be your sorry hide." His voice full of resentment and venom, he shifted his creepy eyes to Samantha and growled. "Well? Hand it over." Given how threatening he was being, it was clear he had no idea that Sam wasn't travelling alone with just an infant as her protection. Considering she was looking for an opportunity to try out the newly bequeathed Pokemon, perhaps this would be ideal timing.



Silver Encounter

---

??? jumps you out of nowhere!


He sends forth Cyndaquil (Level 7), who nervously twitches!
Please select a Pokemon for battle.

[Tyger]

Before Sam's journey (technically it had begun, but it hadn't felt like it yet) could begin with Wild Pokemon and training, someone had interrupted. The sounds of feet crunching against leaves and frost made Sam immediately turn her head, startled. The boy couldn't have been older than her, considering she'd started this a bit later than most people. Late bloomer, but oh well. Generally people were still relatively welcoming, whenever one wanted to become a trainer. But if this was the welcome committee? I kinda want a do-over... she thought to herself, watching the red-head approach her. His silver eyes were interesting, and they were a direct contrast to his hair. She hadn't met anybody that looked like that, so at least she'd remember him if she saw him in a crowd. 

He had told her to stop, so she did, curious about what he wanted to talk to her for. Garrus clung to her neck lazily, probably about to fall asleep where he clung. His interest focused in on the Pokemon that had just hatched. Garrus? He wanted Garrus? Sam instinctively shook her head, placing a hand on the creature clinging to her. "How long did it take you to come to that conclusion? You've got quite the gift for observation." What, what, what had just come out of her mouth? This was NO time to be a smart-ass! This guy could have a gun, or a much stronger Pokemon than her, which was practically the same thing. The boy demanded she hand Garrus over, to which she shook her head once more. "No, i'm good. Country Bumpkin keeps her Pokemon, thanks."

As if to back up his gesture, the boy threw out a Pokemon. The timid Cyndaquil emerged from the bright light, and Sam smiled. Such a cute Pokemon! She always liked the fire types, especially if they weren't heavy to carry. To be fair, 'heavy to carry' wasn't the same standard to Sam, hauling feed sacs and baby cattle and what-have you. The gesture drove it's point though. "You want to battle me for my Slakoth?" The thought almost baffled her. What happens if she lost? No, she couldn't lose. Even if she did lose, she'd just pound this loser into the ground. She may be small, but she was fierce. Sam didn't figure he'd put together 'country bumpkin' and 'heavy feed sacs' and 'general knowledge of hand to hand tussling' when you had siblings on a farm. She'd play it cool for now.

"I'm not going to battle you for my Pokemon. I'm going to battle you so that you'll get the hell outta here and quit preying on new trainers. Howsabout that?" Oh great, more smart remarks. Garrus yawned lazily at Sam, and she ruffled the tuft of fur on his head. "Don't worry, i'll use you last if I need you. We've got one more, remember?" Digging into her pocket, her cold fingers found the capsule of the Pokemon she'd taken instead of a conventional starter. Releasing it into the battle was a risk; what if it was weak to fire? That Cyndaquil didn't look old enough to spout flames yet. So, she had that going for her. 

Tossing the Pokeball out, the electric sugar-glider appeared. The Emolga immediately turned to face it's trainer before grinning and hopping onto her free shoulder. Thankfully it didn't way as much as Garrus did... "Hi there, Icarus!" The name just sorta... spewed out. She felt that it fit, though. Just don't get too close to Cyndaquil's fire... "Let's go ahead and kick this runt into the dirt, shall we? Garrus and I are behind you 100%." Apparently pleased with it's new trainer, Emolga - no, Icarus - hopped down off of her shoulder and onto the field, crossing it's little arms and growling at Silver and Cyndaqui. "Uh, let's start with a Thundershock." She just hoped the little Pokemon knew that move...

[The REAL Joey]

~~ VS. ??? ~~

Responding to what she had said about battling for the infant Slakoth, the male simply shot her a smug look of despondence. "Hmph. Fine. Just remember you're the one who bought up the idea." Folding his arms as he shot her a smirk, it became quite clear he had a way with semantics. "All I said was that you should just give me the little runt." Despite willing to go ahead with the terms, the male looked down at his Cyndaquil and realised this may not be all that easy given how docile and deathly shy his Pokemon was. "Oh cram it! You truly are worthless if you can't follow my lead and intimidate this newbie." As he was distracted by his Pokemon, his attention was stolen back as Sam made clear she wouldn't be battling over who would claim ownership of Garrus. "Tch, I doubt a baby is going to make me get out of here. Face it, that Slakoth is as good as mine." So cocksure of his prospects, the youth was about to take a knock to his certainty.

Glaring with his silver toned eyes, he watched as Sam took out a Pokeball from her holster and called upon the help of the newly acquired Pokemon from the lab, there was a definite twang of hesitation about him. His face scrunching up as he forgot he had seen her pick up a Pokeball in the lab from peering in from the building's window, he quickly shifted his attention to whatever would be coming out of the Pokeball. Given how nervous Samantha seemed as well, it was clear she had no real clue what would be coming out. It would an utter surprise for them both. As the Emolga made itself known, the male could be heard cursing. "Oh great... I see you're too chicken to face one on one." Changing his tune to suit himself, it was all too obvious he would happily gang up on a person if he had the chance. "And whatever the hell is that supposed to be? It looks like some sort of flying Pikachu." Despite his insult, he was somewhat correct in relating it to the electric mouse Pokemon. For this Pokemon could rely on its affinity with electricity to electrify its opponents.

As Sam took a gamble and called out for it to use Thundershock, the gliding mammal leapt up into the air and with a spark of its cheeks, let its body course with an electrical energy before it jolted a respectable line of electricity towards the Cyndaquil. "Don't just sit there, look alive!" Moaned the boy as he had to coach his Pokemon almost every step of the way to do something. However, it would not be enough. Distracted by the voice of its angry trainer, the Cyndaquil dropped its guard and with that the jolt of electricity shocked the Pokemon's entire body, causing it to convulse involuntarily. Thankfully for the little fire mouse, it was bit a small lick and didn't cause any lasting damage. Shaking its head to try and reorientate itself, the fact this Pokemon wasn't much of a battler became painfully clear. Much to the ire of this abusive trainer.

"For the love of... Are you going to just let it beat you about?! Strike back. Claw it. Bite it. Kick it. ANYTHING. Argh. Tackle it!" Understanding but one of the commands the youth had ordered, the Cyndaquil hesitantly turned to the Emolga but was cut short from doing anything. "Worthless!" Booting the Cyndaquil up the rear, the Pokemon went flying through the air. As it did, it curled itself into a ball and made for an impromptu tackle. Striking directly at Icarus, the Emolga was sent flying backwards as it bore the brunt of the impact. Falling to the ground with a squeak, the male didn't appear the least bit concerned for his Pokemon's well being. "Shut it." He mumbled, starting to somewhat rue the fact he had been so hasty to challenge this girl.



Trainer Battle

---

???'s Cyndaquil | Level 7 |
Health : 58% (14/24 HP)
Status : Normal
Someone just take me back to the lab ._.

Icarus | ♂ | Level 10 |
Health : 88% (30/34 HP)
Status : Normal
Zapping to the extreme

---

Weather status: Normal

---

[Tyger]

Realizing she'd assumed the boy wanted to battle for her Pokemon, Sam gritted her teeth. Of course he would be manipulative. He already seemed like a real class act, why not just add a few more things she hated into the mix, hmm? "I'd be more comfortable taking you one on one, honestly. At least I know i'd win..." She murmured, adjusting her hat from where Garrus had placed his paw on it. The weight of holding his arm up had been too much, so he just let it flop back to his side lazily. It made her hat crooked though, which was a bit of a pet-peeve of hers. 

The way the boy spoke to his Pokemon started to twinge on Sam's nerves. It was abrasive and just plain out abusive. Depending on where this went, this 'country bumpkin' was about to lay a farming smackdown on his pasty red-headed ass. She couldn't say too much though, she was pasty and red-headed as well. Just not as much. Being out in the sun turned her into a strawberry blonde, but that wasn't the big conundrum at hand. She was already in her first battle with an aggressive trainer that wanted to steal her Pokemon and make it his own. That wasn't going to fly.

"He's an Emolga." She said simply, letting him know what Icarus was. They were known as a Flying Squirrel, but she preferred to think of them like Sugar Gliders. It was a close enough match, right? His guess of a flying Pikachu was close enough. "He is electric like a Pikachu, though. Shocking, isn't it?" She managed to add into her statement. She didn't like this guy, but he was helping her get used to dealing with jerks. She assumed she'd meet quite a few sore losers in the trainer world. Icarus did his attack perfectly, although she wanted to apologize to the Cyndaquil. "I'm sorry, little Cyndaquil." She murmured, watching as the Cyndaquil was shocked. 

What happened next floored Sam. 

In order to intimidate his Pokemon to attack with a tackle, the boy proceeded to kick his Pokemon towards Icarus to make it attack. Fire burned in her chest and she snarled. The Cyndaquil barreled at Icarus and hit him with an impromptu tackle, and she looked at Icarus to check and see if he was okay. The little creature stood up and crossed his arms in defiance. So he was doing well then. "You little piece of trash! How dare you attack your Pokemon like that!" She growled, looking at Icarus. "Thundershock the Cyndaquil again." She told him, and then glared over at the boy. Beginning her determined stride, she set Garrus on the ground safely away from the battle or the strange boy's grabby hands. Then, as soon as she was free from Garrus, she walked over to the red-head while Icarus kept Cyndaquil busy. Without much warning, the farmgirl swung her fist at the man's face with anger. Considering she was heaving around Garrus easily, if Silver wasn't able to back up his talk, it would hurt.

[The REAL Joey]

~~ VS. Silver ~~

Displaying his cocky arrogance even further, the miserable teenager didn't appear the least bit afraid of striking a person of the opposite sex. "Oh please. You would not stand a chance if you tried to fight me." Glaring his silver coloured eyes, he once again bought up the fact she had a newly born infant in her arms. "That would mean you'd have to drop your precious little baby there. That's not very caring like. What if something were to... Happen?" Vague in his threat, he left it ambiguous as he attempted to goad Sam further. There was no real way of telling what sort of upbringing or back story this youth had but no amount of nurturing could result in a person so naturally vile and bitter. Given the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, his parents must have certainly been a rotten bunch.

As their battle round became delayed with the argument heating up, it seemed as if the boy's transgressions from the previous rounds had sorely angered Sam, incurring the ire of her wrath. As she yelled out, scolding his abusive ways, the boy made a nonchalant shrug. "Hmph. Get lost. How I train my Pokemon is my own business. The tougher you are on your Pokemon, the tougher they will become. Maybe you ought to keep that in mind whilst you bring up that little runt. I wouldn't expect some greenhorn to know that... Hm? Abandoning him already?" Noticing Sam was putting Garrus aside and having ordered a move, the male yelled out one of his own. "You idiot, don't just sob there. Go and Tackle that Emolga again." Unfortunately for him, that had meant he was now left entirely open. Taking his eyes off the battle, he was faintly aware of the sudden built of static in the air as another shocking jolt was prescribed to the fire mouse, causing it to convulse once more. This time however, the jolt was enough to gear the Pokemon into action. Tumbling forwards with a stumble of a jog, the Pokemon rolled into a ball and made a weak tackle into the Emolga.

With Icarus and Cyndaquil now going in for another round, the teenager watched scornfully as he noted Sam striding over, anger building up in every step. "Hmph, what are... Hey...! What the?!" Launching her arm out and taking a swing, he was too slow to react and took the brunt of the blow on his lower face. Rising off the ground slightly, he fell backwards and tumbled down onto the ground ungracefully. Staring up at her with dagger like eyes full of malice, it appeared he was unable to respond fully as he had nothing been on the receiving end like that. Having grown up being treated like a prince, nobody had dared touch him let alone speak back to him. Now he was on his own, he was beginning to find his lineage had little sway in this real world. Raising a hand to his mouth, he wiped off some blood that had began trickling from his lip and stared further with absolute loathing in his silver tinted eyes.

Eventually, having come over the shock of being struck, the moody youth would burst out with his anger. "HOW DARE YOU! Do you have any idea? ANY idea at all who you just struck?!" Clearly not obvious enough, he continued on as if rehearsing a well mimicked display of someone close to him. "I am Silver, the greatest Pokemon trainer that will ever be. For you to show such disrespect, I will never forgive you. Once I get together a team of better Pokemon, I will come looking for you and I will tear everything you love away from you and laugh in your stupid face as you recoil in horror." His adrenaline now pumping, he slowly got to his feet, his posture taking on a decidedly violent stance. "By the time i'm through with you, you'll be a footnote in my rise to glory." About to take a swing of his own, his weakened Cyndaquil came crawling over. Pitting itself between Sam and the youth now known as Silver, the Pokemon appeared to want all hostilities to cease and for them to just get on. It had always seen other Pokemon taken off on journeys when it lived in the lab and could sense all the love and friendship between groups of trainers. Why were these two fighting with one another?

Letting out a meek cry, the Cyndaquil blocked any further attempt of assault between the two trainers. "You stupid rat... I could take her. We'll just finish this and i'll show you." Backing down from trying to hit her back, it appeared the punch Sam had performed had done wonders in knocking some sense into the teenager's head.


Trainer Battle

---

Silver's Cyndaquil | Level 7 |
Health : 16% (4/24 HP)
Status : Normal
Times like these I could just curl up and die

Icarus | ♂ | Level 10 |
Health : 76% (26/34 HP)
Status : Normal
How about we aim at the trainer instead?

---

Weather status: Normal

---

[Tyger]

Sam's eyes narrowed. The more this boy spoke, the angrier she got. Honestly, she'd been nervous about striking out on some grand, new adventure with a Pokemon. There'd be trainers she didn't get along with. There'd be Pokemon to battle. There'd be situations where she'd be uncomfortable, but she'd get over that. Starting out, right off the bat, with a trainer? That made her stomach practically flop at the beginning. However, being that it was a trainer like this guy here? She found herself remembering the bullies back home. Sure, they made her mad and upset, but she couldn't do anything about it. They were young, and didn't know any better. This kid here though, a teenager at least, knew exactly what he was doing, and was doing it in such a manner that it pressed all the buttons just magnificently on Sam's motherboard. Things were going down.

So, that's why she punched him. His remarks earlier suggested that he wouldn't have had any issue striking her (which was another thing entirely) so why the hell not? Besides, all the rage that had bubbled up inside her had to come out somehow. And, unlike the cocky kid, she wouldn't take it out on her Pokemon. After punching Silver, Cyndaquil had stepped in the way. Had the two Pokemon already traded blows? In the heat and excitement of the moment, Sam hadn't even noticed. However, the little creature had put itself between Sam and the cocky kid. Her eyes softened, and she gave a little nod to the Cyndaquil, respecting it's wishes. As much as she wanted to beat this piece of trash into a pulp, she'd return to her side and act like a civilized human being. Besides, if she made too much ruckus, someone from the lab would come out and see her wailing on a teenager. Wouldn't that be something to write home about? They'd probably expect it. 

"Silver's yer name, eh? Guess you'll always be stuck gunning for second place, coming after Gold like that." Completely at ease in the battle, Sam had relaxed into something that was a better depiction of herself. Now that she wasn't having to deal with ridiculous small talk, or umcomfortable topics like the local sports team or the weather, she was free to be herself; an aggressive battler with a taste for vigilante justice. Okay, maybe not that last part, but either way. "I'm nobody's footnote." She stated simply, watching Icarus prep up for his next attack. Silver did the same, but eventually stopped his own punch. Sam had been ready for it, and wanted it, but wouldn't disrespect the creature any more than it's trainer. 

"Alright, Cyndaquil. I'll back off." She murmured, retreating to her side to pick up her baby Pokemon. Garrus pawed at her when she arrived, and she placed him back on her shoulder like a feed sack. The Pokemon clearly relaxed and nuzzled her face sleepily. Icarus had stood vigilant despite the commotion, executing his attack with pinpoint accuracy and damage. Before she could mention another attack though, the boy began to monologue. He spoke as if he were someone high and mighty. Perhaps he was. Sam didn't care. That didn't give him a free ride to talk to others like that, or to treat Pokemon like he did without consequence. He wouldn't last a minute on her farm. 

Having watched all of the commotion unfold, Garrus had enough. Crawling to stand up on top of Sam's shoulders, the Slakoth took it upon itself to enact his own vigilante justice. Steadying itself on the top of her shoulder, the Slakoth glanced to the side at her hat before plucking a small feather out of it. Before Sam could catch the baby Pokemon, the Slakoth jumped from her shoulder in a fit of energy that should not have been possible. Slakoth's arm seemed to gain energy around it before it barreled at the Cyndaquil below for a baby hammer arm. "Garrus, No! What are you doing?" The shock and alarm was clear enough in her voice to let Silver know she hadn't commanded this at all. Let him ridicule it, but Sam was more concerned about the baby Pokemon's safety.

[The REAL Joey]

~~ VS. Silver ~~

Gawking senselessly as Sam came out with the witty quip, Silver mouthed some words before finally showing his distaste over her joke. "You did not just say that..." Steam almost coming out of his ears with how seething he was in his anger, he moodily brushed it off. "Hmph, well, Silver is a far better colour than gold anyway. Gold is for losers." Unbeknownst to him, the teenager had bought up an age old war which had gone on for generations Which generation was better? Gold or Silver? It was safe to assume which camp he was in. At this point, Silver was quite keen to escape the battle. The entire ambush had been bungled, attacking a trainer who had been lucky enough to have been gifted such strong team of Pokemon already and not to mention the fact he had been thoroughly shown up. Never having faced such humiliating disrespect growing up, part of Silver longed to be back in the care of his parents but no sooner than he had thought of that scenario, he shook his head vehemently and remembered why he had run away in the first place. He didn't need crook parents like that. Weaklings the lot of them.

Realising he'd have to drop the offensive act and follow a more devious strategy, the boy smiled smugly. "Battling isn't just about brute force. A true Pokemon master knows this. Cyndaquil! Cover the field in a Smokescreen!" It was a commendable strategy. He was outgunned with the sheer training and strength of Icarus the Emolga and by tipping the scales in his favour by enshrouding the battlefield in a murky, smokescreen that only he could see through, it meant the battle had now taken an turn in his favour. At least, it would have done had it not been for the plucky actions of Garrus. Given he was now facing a much weaker opponent, the best option would have been to carry on the offensive measures. As the smoke began filling the battleground, Silver peered through the smoke cloud and noticed Garrus approaching. "NO! You stupid baby! You have no business getting involved at this point. Damn you, this is all because you can't keep control over your stupid Pokemon."

Clutching the muscle wing and powering up through its special transference of strength imbued in the feather, Silver reverted back to his original plan. "TACKLE IT! Tackle that damned runt!" Feeling apprehensive about doing so, Cyndaquil nervously peered through the smoke however there would be no chance for him to attack holding back. Giving the Pokemon another boot from the rear, the fire mouse rolled up into a ball and went volleying into Garrus' direction. Hitting him smack dab in the middle of his face, the Slakoth was clearly hurt. Amazingly, perhaps thanks to the battle hardened genes of his parents, the Pokemon miraculously hung in there. And boy was it pissed. It may have just been an infantile newborn but it was informed enough to know Silver was a despicable person. Raising his arm up in the air, the Pokemon made it come hurtling down in slow motion as it hammered the Cyndaquil without a sign of remorse. The Cyndaquil may have been an unwilling participant in all this but it was the only means in getting back at Silver.



Trainer Battle

---

Silver's Cyndaquil | Level 7 |
Health : 0% (0/24 HP)
Status : KO'd
...

Garrus | ♂ | Level 1 |
Health : 8% (1/12 HP)
Status : Normal; Attack +1, Speed -1, Accuracy -1
Tryin'a sleep...

---

Weather status: Normal

---

Victory!

---

Your Slakoth fought courageously and has levelled up!
Garrus gained 3 levels and is now Level 4!


Your Emolga fought courageously and has levelled up!
Icarus gained 1 level for their participation and is now Level 11!

---

As his arm was raised, it became quite clear from the dispersing smokescreen that Silver's Pokemon had bit the dust. "Grrrr...!!" Angrily growling, Silver recalled his Pokemon just as Garrus seemed to roll over and... Laze about? "You got lucky today. That was it. A combination of luck and being that bad a trainer you couldn't keep a reign in on your little runt. After all this, you can keep him. A Pokemon that acts without approval of its trainer is worthless in my book." Placing his Pokeball in his pocket, he stuffed it in hurriedly as something else seemed to fall out. Giving her one last nasty glare, Silver began stepping backwards, still facing her. "This is far from over... Just you wait! I'll get you! Every step of the way you take, you had best keep one eye on your rear and one eye open in front. I'll even the odds and crush you!" Turning on the spot, he ran off at full speed, not wanting to be in her presence a moment longer after that humiliating defeat.

---

Rival Silver was defeated!
In his hasty escape, he drops £300!

[Tyger]

Knuckles pulsing from the residual aftereffects of the punch, Sam watched with distress as Garrus disappeared into the smokescreen. Icarus was just as shocked - and confused- as the trainer was, and wandered into the smoke in an attempt to help the baby Pokemon find it's way back to Sam's side, instead of on the battlefield. Both the trainer and the Emolga knew that the baby Pokemon would be fighting eventually, but it was going to be a slow and babied process. Nothing like what Garrus was getting himself into. Whether it was the deep-rooted genes of the Pokemon that had already seen battles - Sam was told that the father of whatever Pokemon was in the egg was quite powerful - or the sheer stubborn nature of the Slakoth itself, Garrus was well on his way to getting himself into quite a bit of trouble.

While Silver stewed over Sam's witty remark (she was quite proud of it, too) Sam screened the smoke in an attempt to find both of her Pokemon. At times like this she could really appreciate the power all Pokemon as a whole possessed. She couldn't see a single thing, and she doubted that Silver could either. Not that the boy would ever show he had any weakness... His call for a Smokescreen had certainly been out of character, but his retraction for a tackle as Garrus approached made her stomach drop. Cyndaquil was super strong, even if it was timid. Garrus could maybe take one hit, but Cyndaquil would be right on his heels afterwards. It never occured to Sam that Garrus could actually knock out the fire mouse. Maybe it should have. 

Cyndaquil's hesitation - which Sam noticed and felt bad for - earned it another kick in the rear, causing it to roll towards the Slakoth. Being that Garrus was on Silver's side of the field now, Sam chalked the accuracy of the hit up to sheer luck and Cynadquil's own accuracy. Even though the Pokemon seemed reluctant to fight, Sam understood the position the Pokemon was in. Travelling with Silver was bad enough, and the poor thing was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Garrus survived the frontal assault, and continued to crawl towards Cyndaquil until he released the Hammer Arm. 

Sam's mouth stood agape for a few seconds as the smoke cleared and Garrus stirred. Cyndaquil didn't. Frustrated and angry growls erupted from Silver, and to add insult to injury, Garrus rolled over to rub his stomach lazily. Icarus ran to the lazy baby's side, as if daring Silver to come over and do something about it. Sam took a few steps forward to join her Pokemon as Silver returned his fainted vassal. "You know good and well I would have never sent Garrus in there. But don't be pissed you got beat by a baby. That's your own undoing. Icarus was gonna do you in on the next turn if Garrus hadn't stepped in and prolonged your inevitable defeat." Such big words from a nervous girl. Silver began to step back, taunting her the entire way. He'd be watching her, waiting for the chance to strike. One eye to the rear and one eye up front, eh? "Get lost." Sam spat, watching as the money fell from his pocket in his hasty retreat. Sam picked it up, and returned to Garrus. 

The Pokemon had been battered, but all in all, the baby was fine. Thank GOODNESS. "Garrus! Why did you go off and do that? You couldn't have been seriously hurt!" Sam whined, picking up the Pokemon as it grinned cheekily at her. For a few seconds, Sam just stared at Garrus. The Slakoth scratched it's stomach before slipping out of her arms to retake it's perch on her shoulder. Sam allowed it, snickering all the while. Icarus crawled up her pants leg and onto her other shoulder, sniffing her as he went. Now that the battle was over, they could meet for the first-ish time. "You did great out there! I hope you like your name. You're living up to it pretty well, and even more so! You didn't melt one bit near that Cyndaquil." The silly praise didn't fall on deaf ears as Icarus nuzzled her cheek and let out a little static 'pop' of happiness. Well, now what? That'd been exciting, but now it was time to truly start. Silver was long gone to lick his wounds, which gave Sam just enough time before nightfall to wander the route on her way to Cherrygrove.

[Tarlar]

As Samantha continued her journey, the only thing moving was from the cold wind, which still blew over the short route, sending the few clouds running over the sky. Now Silver was gone, there was nothing to threaten to seperate the newly started trainer, from her hatchling and suger glider.
Though, even if everyhting was peaceful Samantha couldn't quite shake off the feeling of being watched, but everytime she looked around there was nothing else than waving leaves.
They got pretty far down the route without getting any chance of finding something to train against. There was a purple tail disappearing there, a glimps of a brown wing between the branches of a treecrown, and the feeling of getting followed never stopped.

Then suddenly a young boy bursted out of a bush and ran straight towards Samantah, while waving frantically, a huge grin on his face.
"Wait! Wait!" He shouted as he did his best to catch up with the young woman. A rattata was running at his heel and a pidgey soon came swooping down from somewhere near.
"That was so AWESOME!" He more or less shouted to Samantha's face and throwing out his arms in amazement, almost looking like he was going to hug her..
Instead he clasped his hands together. 
"The way you just Pow, when he was so rude, that was.. that.." He seemed like he didn't knew how to express his excitement. "He went straight down! I'm sure he wont dare to show his ugly face here again!"
"And then your slakoth beat that stupid fire mouse WITH ONE SMACK!" He let his fist hit the palm of the other hand. "Even through the smoke and all that, that was just so coooool!"
"You're just so lucky with so strong pokemon! And what you said to him was just golden!" The boy laughed from his own clever play on words and hoped Samantha would praise him for it. 
The Pidgey on the other hand, looked a bit offended by how much its trainer was awed by the other trainers pokemon, and it felt a bit neglected and forgotten.
"Pii-iidgey!" It called to get his attention but he didn't noticed anything and just continued his ramblings.
"I saw you came with a pokemon egg, and I just had to see it hatch!" He finally started to explain himself, ignoring any attempt of interruption if tried. He would just follow Samantha, should she try to just walk away.
"But then that stupid boy came, and I hid so he didn't spot me, and you gave him what he deserved!" He hit the air like he was fighting an invisible enemy. "And I needed to be sure he was really gone, before calling to you. Mom always says I should stay away from Bad Guys!"

Pidgey had had enough. "Gey!" It cried out and slapped the boy with it's wings.
"Hey?! Ouch! Stop it Picky, what is it?" The boy exclaimed as he covered his heads with his wings.
"Pidgey!" It called out again and faced Samanta's pokemon with a determined stare.
"you.. you wanna battle them?" The youngster said astounded and didn't sound like he thought that was a good idea. He looked sceptically at Samantha as he finally had shut up, but quickly lighted up again.
"I'm Mikey and I'm challanging you to a pokemon battle!" He then said confidently with agreed exclamations from his pokemon. 
"you will accept to battle us, right? Pretty pleease? I promise we will do our very best and we will be so honered and all that stuff! Pleasepleaseplease!" He then started to beg her, holding his hands to his chest while doing his best poppy-eye expression.

Encounter

---

Youngster Mikey Is begging to battle with you.


He asks Picky the Pidgey |Level 5| to battle for him.
Please select a Pokemon for battle.

[Tyger]

Sam hadn't really thought much more about what she'd done, but when she heard a rustling behind her from a nearby bush, she wondered if Silver had played a trick and was coming back for round 2. Her anxiety played it out nicely: He'd come with fully evolved Pokemon, and would be ready to crush her into the ground like a bug, like he'd promised. Thankfully, it wasn't that though. A young boy, probably just on the cusp of being a trainer in the first place, burst forth with excitement rippling through him. He called the situation earlier awesome, and Sam merely stood awkwardly, listening to the child. I thought this route was full of Pokemon... She thought to herself, wondering where they were right about now. Instead, she was stuck with somewhat of an admirer. At least he liked the punch she gave him. The throbbing had only just begun to stop, but it was a good hit either way. Realizing it was probably best to respond to the boy, Sam put on her best smile and nodded. 

"Thanks! That guy needed a good hit." She stated simply, hoping she didn't look too strange with her Pokemon draping off of her. Since he had been interested in seeing the egg hatch, Sam figured the boy didn't mind and didn't pick up on her anxiety. Kids usually didn't. Much like Pokemon, the more you chided and tried to get them to come to you, sometimes they did and sometimes they didn't. But, at a party, if you wanted nothing to do with them, they gravitated towards you like a moon in orbit. "Well, his name is Garrus. And i'm glad you mom taught you to stay away from bad guys. It's good that you have a Pokemon to help protect you." She was going to say something about always remembering that you could run from a bad situation, but she stopped. 

The boy's Pidgey seemed pretty interested in a battle, so Sam shrugged. "I guess so!" Already overexposed to people today (and snotty ones at that) she didn't mind it too much. "I'll start with Icarus then. Go in for a Quick Attack!" She ordered, and Icarus bounced from her shoulder onto the ground, waving at the Pidgey with a smile before the battle began. "I'm sure you'll do your best. That's all you gotta do."

[Morrigan]

Youngster Mikey
__________________________________

"YES!!" The youngster cried out with a surprising amount of energy as Sam accepted his invitation to battle. Jumping into the air and punching upward playfully, the boy seemed genuinely happy whilst the Pidgey merely puffed out it's chest, thinking that it stood a chance. It didn't matter if she had just defeated some red headed punk, this avian was on a different scale altogether so it was confident that it would do well. Rolling it's eyes as Mikey continued to jump up and down on the spot, the bird fluttered forward with it's wings and turned it's beak up when Icarus shot it a friendly smile. "Okay, let's make our efforts even more than usual, Picky! We gotta show off our strength, too!" Fluffing up it's body of feathers, fighting hard was exactly what the Pidgey intended to do and didn't need to be told, "Heheh, let's do this!"

Looking over to Sam as she made her choice, he appeared a little disappointed that she hadn't chosen the sloth looking creature but soon perked up as he realised how friendly Icarus seemed. He wouldn't admit that he was absolutely adorable though, Mikey was a tough boy. "Garrus and Icarus, huh?" Mikey repeated upon learning their names. Grinning childishly, he patted a hand against his chest, "When I grow up, I wanna be a Pokemon Trainer too. Then, I will get my own Slakoth and stop horrible, bad guys like him!" Laughing out loud, he had only just decided this upon seeing the way Sam had handled Silver but no doubt due to his age, his aspirations would change again within a week. "I hope I can get a Slakoth one day!" Still needing to learn that Pokemon were friends with feelings and emotions and not just something you got just because of strength, he could atleast dream about getting one for now.

"I kinda forgot to warn you but I am the toughest trainer along this route! Yeah, I hid from that guy but it's only because he was clearly bad. For other trainers, I usually win. I am much better than that other kid. Joooey." Rubbing a finger under his wrinkled nose, the boy shrugged his shoulders, "But enough chatting, I'll just show you!" Raising a hand, he pointed a finger forward passionately as he gave his order to his Pidgey, "Okay, Picky! Let's show them your Tackle attack!" Cooing loudly, the Pidgey flapped it's wings into a low hover, finally receiving it's order. About to swoop in and attack the Emolga, they didn't quite anticipate the speed of their opponent. Moving into a frantic blur, Icarus' black and yellow body shot straight past the Pidgey, knocking it to the ground harshly just as it had taken flight. "H-HUH?! PICKY?! WOW! That attack was STRONG!" Floating in the air, Icarus watched uncomfortably as the Pidgey managed to stand back up, sending a threatening glare his way.

Cooing again, the Pidgey shot right for Icarus and with a firm slam, tackled right into the body of the creature. Only... It didn't hurt as much as even Icarus thought it would. Rubbing a hand across the spot where he had been hit, it seemed Mikey was bigging himself up to be better than he really was.

Picky: | Level 5 |
Health: 35% (7/20 HP)
Status: Normal
Pidgey used Tackle

VS

Icarus: | Level 11 |
Health: 83% (30/36 HP)
Status: Normal
Icarus used Quick Attack!

[Tyger]

The boy's enthusiasm was almost contagious, as Sam found herself smiling at the boy. He seemed nice enough, and was super enthusiastic about the entire thing, even if he might have a slightly inflated sense of confidence. To be fair, it was something that Sam lacked herself, so she could respect the child for what he did have. Using it to his own personal advantage was smart. Even if he lost the battle, he'd still be in a good state of mind by the end of it due to the way he held himself. Granted, these were all first impressions, and Sam, being the social creature that she was (or wasn't) her reading could be way off. 

Icarus was excited though, pulling energy from the enthusiastic child. Sam could almost pick up a slight bit of disappointment when the boy saw Icarus instead of Garrus. The Slakoth picked up on this, and pawed at Sam's face with lazy claws. "Well, let's see how Icarus does, and then we might switch you out. For a baby, you're rip, roaring and ready to go, aren't you?" She chuckled, giving the little sloth a scratch under the chin. Mikey seemed to share the same affinity for Slakoth, or at least, share the same affinity for the Pokemon that had defeated Silver. Had it been something different, like a Slugma or a Miltank, Sam figured he'd be on board to get whatever it was. Either way, couldn't have too many Slakoth fans on the planet. "Definitely looks like you've got a fan." She smiled at Garrus, who merely closed his eyes with content.

The battle began, and Icarus shot forward quicker than she'd expected, landing a solid hit on the bird. Even Mikey seemed surprised, considering he was the top authority in battling on the route. That inflated sense of confidence seemed to be coming out further and further. "That was super quick, Icarus, i'm impressed!" The trainer's praise went a long way, considering Icarus had to withstand the horrid glare coming from the Pidgey. The bird wasn't happy at all, and was about to take it out on Icarus. However, the attack practically bounced off, and Icarus beamed over his shoulder at Sam. "That was great, Icarus! I think Garrus wants a turn now." The Slakoth kept pawing at Sam's face, so she'd allow it. Icarus nodded and jumped up, gliding over to Sam. When he got close to her, he latched onto her pants leg and climbed up onto her shoulder while Garrus was placed on the ground in front of her. "I think Garrus wants to fight, so we'll see how this goes! Try one of those Hammer Arm's." Sam's suggestion would go well with the tiny feather hidden in the Pokemon's paw... Just where did Sam get that hat?!

[Morrigan]

Youngster Mikey
__________________________________

The boy was certainly enthusiastic, particularly when it came to Pokemon. He may have been young, inexperienced and somewhat gullible, even easy to convince but the glint in his eyes proved that one day, he would definitely have something to do with Pokemon. Whether it be a trainer, breeder or even head of the Slakoth fan club, both he and most humans in the world, adored Pokemon. "Hehehe! Yeah! It's gonna be great!" His pearly white grin still stretched strongly across his rosy cheeks, the boy appeared to be in his own little dream world for a few moments, whilst his Pidgey rolled it's eyes in amusement. Mikey would always get excited when new trainers would pass through the route. Living in the very first city of Johto meant that the boy had come across and battled numerous trainers but many would leave and never return. He was still dreaming of the day when his mother would allow him to travel but some kids were just too mischievous for their own good or unaware of their surroundings. Mikey was one of those kids who just wouldn't manage on a journey, just yet.

Deciding that Garrus would be able to enter the battle now, Sam placed the sloth to the ground and recalled Icarus which brought a look of amazement to the boys face. "WOOOOAH! Garrus gets to fight!" Mikey called out excitedly, "Icarus was fast like, PEW PEW! But now we get to fight Garrus TOO!" Jabbing his fist victoriously by his side, Picky looked over it's wing expectantly as despite it being a swap, they still had the chance to attack. "Ooh. OH! Okay, Picky! Head in there with a Tackle attack!" As Garrus got used to the tickling texture of the ground, Picky was not going to hold back. Both him and Mikey's second Pokemon had always been praised and although Mikey could often be an idiot, seeing him place all his attention on an opponents Pokemon made the Pidgey feel... Jealous? Whatever the feeling was, the Pidgey didn't like it and the only way to get this irritation off of it's chest was to attack Garrus directly.

Zipping straight in, the Pidgey bashed it's entire body against the still Slakoth, who merely recoiled slowly. The pain struck it's body but it was nothing to suddenly cower about. Rolling his head around lazily, the Pidgey squinted it's eyes. What was it that it's young trainer could see in this Pokemon? Shrugging it's wings, it soon moved back into action as Mikey appeared to be on the ball this time. "Sorry Garrus but a fights a fight! Use Tackle again!" As the Pidgey lifted itself for another tackle, this time, Garrus was ready for it. A special item hidden under his paw which oozed a strange strength, he began to lift an arm into the air as Picky approached. The bird crashed against the side of Garrus but rolling his body with the impact, the Slakoth made an almost slow motion turn and with incredible accuracy, smashed his entire arm into the body of the Pidgey. A pain squawk was followed by the Pidgey being slammed into the ground.

Picky: | Level 5 |
Health: 0% (0/20 HP)
Status: Normal
Pidgey used Tackle!
Pidgey used Tackle!

VS

Garrus: | Level 4 |
Health: 30% (6/20 HP)
Status: +1 Atk (Muscle Wing Activated)
Icarus switched with Garrus!
Garrus used Hammer Arm!

---

Garrus gained 3 levels and grew to Level 7!
Garrus learnt the move Encore!


Icarus gained 1 level for participating and grew to Level 12!

---

Blinking his eyes, Mikey was shocked that Pidgey had been fainted. But after a blow such as that, along with watching it being done previously against Silver, what did he expect? His shock turning into amazement, he grinned despite being on the losing end, "That was awesome! A single BASSSSSHHHHHH and we were down!" Grabbing a Pokeball, he turned to his fainted partner, "Great job, Picky! Come back and have a rest!" Withdrawing his partner, he was quick to pull out a second Pokemon, "But this isn't over yet, I got one more! HYAH!" Throwing the other ball forward, it opened to reveal a single Rattata. A bit more fercious than Picky, it nattered it's jaws hungrily, "This is Ratoo the Rattata! Let's see who wins this time!"

Youngster Mikey is now sending out Ratoo the Rattata (Level 5) to battle!
Switch Pokemon or continue?

[Tyger]

If asked how Sam thought her first day as a Pokemon trainer would go, this would have been 'oh-so-very-far' from her actual ideas. Maybe a trainer battle, maybe a few Pokemon encounters. Never would she think she'd trounce a snotty kid, and then become somewhat of an idol - or her Pokemon at least - to yet another trainer. Sam notched this one up to the boy's age. When young children saw something cool or an incredible display of strength, it filled their attention for the short term. Any normal person probably would have enjoyed it. Sam was ready to finish the battle and soak up some solitude on the route. 

Garrus, her energetic baby Slakoth, seemed to be doing just fine in the realm of Pokemon battling. It made her nervous, using such a small Pokemon, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Pokemon were Pokemon. They knew what they wanted to do the moment they were born. Sam let her mind wander, as Garrus trounced the remains of the Pidgey, to the Ponyta foal she'd helped hatch and raise. A wily little thing, but it knew what to do the moment it was born. It took a little while to learn to walk, but by golly it had. It knew exactly which Rapidash were it's parents, and knew exactly how to fit in with their mini-herd. Training it was difficult, though. Sam hadn't gotten to that yet before she'd left. She wondered if anyone had managed it back home...?

Brought back to the reality of Icarus tugging at her hat, Sam saw the beaten Pidgey switched out for a rather vicious looking Ratatta. The little rats held a nasty bite, that was for sure. "Good job Garrus! You're sure making a few fans, aren't you?" Pleased with itself, Garrus rolled over onto his stomach and began to scratch it lazily. Icarus watched the situation for a few moments before jumping down, opening his paws to glide down to the Slakoth to take it's place. "Good idea. Garrus looks like he could use a good rest." So, Icarus would fight the rat then. 

"Alright Icarus. We're down to the last one. Mind finishing this up for me? We've got a long way to go if we're gonna be a good team." Icarus nodded his little head and shot a bit of static from his cheeks. "Awesome. Thundershock time!"