Pokémon Crossing: Fly Me to the Moon

Fast Times in Petalburg City

Petalburg City: Let's mingle with nature!
By Hoennian standards, Petalburg City is rather small. Large enough to have school up to high school level, but small enough that college students usually head to Slateport University. Thanks to its influence of Johtonian immigrants, the architecture is more traditional and stands out compared to modern amenities of other Hoennian cities. Like anywhere else, Petalburg has its basics; several neighborhoods for residents, a Pokémon district, and its main attraction, the gym.

A wooden sign dangled from the gym's door, reading "Petalburg City Pokemon Gym-- Leader: Butch Reid. Father knows best, ROOOOOWF'"

A white and brown puppy happily played outside of the Pokemon Center. She wore a purple short-sleeved play dress, black bike shorts, purple flats and two yellow bows clipped to her ears. The girl scribbled a crude rendition of a Skitty in the sand, the comically oversized stick in her paws shaking with each stroke. The puppy hummed to herself as she had fun with her art.
"Oh, there you are, Dolly"

The puppy looked up. She saw her father towering over her-- a black and brown Rottweiler dog with narrowed brown eyebrows. He wore a blue argyle print shirt, a light blue tank top underneath, black sweatpants with a white stripe on the left side, and grey geta sandals. A yellow and white badge was pinned to his left sleeve. Several Ultra Balls were neatly clipped to his waist. The bigger dog effortlessly picked Dolly up.

"Papa!"
Dolly yipped as she kicked her feet, holding on to dear old dad.
"Are you done battling yet?!"

"Not yet, kiddo" he assured her, as he held two fingers to her face
"Just two more Gym Battles today, okay?"

"Aw, okayyy" Dolly pouted and crossed her arms. "Can you put me down? I wanna draw more Pokemon!"

The pair of pups turned around; a trio of Pokemon trainers ran into city limits, followed by each of the Hoenn starters. Weren't Mudkip usually blue, Butch noted to himself. Whoever owned that Pokemon had to be one lucky guy!

"See? I TOLD y'all the gym leader was here, so save the fightin' for then!" Benedict yelled to the other two boys before waving hello to the dog duo. "Howdy there! I'm here for a battle!"

"Excuse me?" the larger dog raised an eyebrow. Well, this isn't the most impulsive kid he had to deal with in all his years of being a Gym Leader, but did he really have to barrel into town barking up the wrong tree. Or, well, clucking up the wrong tree. "Who ARE you exactly?"

Benedict tensed up in his spot; oh, right, he didn't introduce himself to this guy yet! He pointed at himself as he introduced himself to the gym leader. "The name's Benedict Sussex!" he held his wing out to the dog. "An' I'm here to challenge y'all for a Gym Badge!"

Torchic eagerly chirped as he hopped up and down in his spot. Together, he and Ralts could wreck this guy in battle!

"Is that so?" the dog deadpanned. "Well there, Benedict, my name's Butch Reid. Yes, indeed, I'm Petalburg City's Gym Leader. While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I only take challenges from trainers with four badges"

Benedict jumped up in his spot, his body turning white in shock. "I thought y'all Gym Leaders were supposed to battle anyone that challenges you for a gym badge!"

"Technically, yes," Butch explained. "But I don't like battling rookies. Any trainer with four badges? Now that's a battle worth having! Of course, I'm sure a Unovan like you would understand the value of a good battle"

Benedict squinted slightly, some strands of hair falling in his eyes. "Now wait just a darn second there, Butch!" He yelled as he crossed his arms. "How'd y'all know I was from Unova?"

Butch shrugged his shoulders. "For your information, I'm from Unova too. I can spot an accent like that a mile away. Castelia City, right?"

Benedict gasped slightly. Sweet Arceus, this guy was clever. "Heh, yeah. What 'bout y'all?"

"Nacrene City," Butch shrugged his shoulders. "Of course, I went to Nimbasa City quite a bit. Heck, that's where I went to meet up with my good friend Mornay!"

"Mornay?" Benedict tilted his head before stepping backwards. "Hol up, y'all were friends with my dad?!"

"I sure was! We had such a blast getting on the Battle Subway!" Butch flashed a cheeky smile, as he reminisced on good times-- weekend nights spent jumping on different trains, both trainers flung about different subway cars as several Pokemon brawled like their lives depended on it.
"Last I heard of him, he ran off to Galar to challenge its Pokemon League. So what happened there? How'd you end up in Hoenn instead?"

Benedict sighed, his arms still crossed. "Well, I was gonna go off with him to Galar, maybe even battle 'im for the Champion Cup, but he said no, so I went off with my ma instead. I do like Hoenn though, Professor Nook gave me this here Torchic,"
He kneeled down to pick up Torchic, hugging the chick Pokemon as he showed him off.

Dolly yawned as she wriggled in her father's arms "Daaaaaad, I'm bored! Can we go home now?!"

Butch chuckled as he looked down at his impatient daughter.
"Just a minute, kiddo" Butch blinked twice and shook his head. "Well, I'm sorry, Benedict, but my little girl comes first AND I have several battles to do today. I'll see you when you earn those badges"

"I'll see ya then!" Benedict yelled as he waved goodbye to the dog duo. Something about knowing another Unovan made him feel more at home in Hoenn. Once the pair left, he looked around at his surroundings, then sprinted towards the Pokemon Center.

Meanwhile, inside the Pokemon Center...

"Thank you, hope to see you again!" Nurse Shizue chirped to the trainer at the counter: a white tiger wearing an unzipped blue down jacket over a black tank top and matching pants.
"Yes, ma'am," the tiger said as he took his Poke Balls for himself, scurrying out of the Pokemon Center.

Currently, Tank was at the Pokemon Center's internet cafe, typing away at a large desktop computer. Treecko sat on a black swivel chair, kicking his legs in the air as he spun around in his spot. Poochyena napped on Tank's lap, pawing the air as he snorted in his sleep.

Tom Nook picked up the call, smiling as he waved from his desk. "Hello hello!" he greeted. "I see you're already made it to Petalburg City, hm?" Wurmple crawled up his left arm, rubbing its red horns against the stiff fabric of his coat. "Easy there, little friend."

"Yep, we did!" Tank explained. "Benedict said he was gonna challenge the Gym Leader, while Kidd went off to the Poke Mart"

"Already?" Tom Nook frowned as he scolded him. "You boys shouldn't rush through the Hoenn region so quickly! It's a journey, not a bucket list where you check off everything in a week!"

Tank tilted his head. "Really? I thought you wanted me to catch as many Pokemon for research as possible!"

"I did, yes," Nook stayed calm, despite being on the edge of an outburst. "If you rush through everything, you'll miss out on amazing opportunities, wonderful trainers to meet, even Pokemon that can change your life. I rushed through my own journey because I didn't know better" His eyes went dark. "I made some terrible decisions and associated with some not-so-savory trainers, all because I didn't appreciate the region for what it is. Don't make the same mistakes I did, please?"

Tank's fur bristled in his spot. "I promise, Professor Nook," he said as he placed a hoof on his chest. "I did want to ask: I caught several Pokemon today, would you like to see them in the lab?"

Nook picked up Wurmple in both arms, gently stroking its prickly back. "I would, yes"

"Let's see," Tank recounted. "A Poochyena, a Zigzagoon, a Surskit, a Seedot and a Lotad. I was hoping to catch a Ralts, but Benedict caught one before me"

"That's alright, there'll be more opportunities to learn about the Ralts line," Tom Nook skimmed through several files on his laptop. Several days ago, an acquaintance from Wedgehurst asked him about Hoennian Zigzagoon and if it's more docile than its Galarian counterpart. Another colleague, this one from Melemele Island in Alola, inquired about comparing Surskit to a Dewpider. He looked through his notes on Grass-type Pokemon: huh, there wasn't quite enough information on either Seedot or Lotad. Hm, that's strange.

"So," Tank asked as he tapped his hooves against the table. "Which Pokemon do you want at the lab, Professor Nook?"

"Please, call me Tom," Nook waved him off. "No need to be formal, hmm. But anyways, I would like to see them all except for Treecko and Poochyena"

"Yeah, that's fine with me," Tank nodded as he looked to the right: oh this was interesting, each computer had a tray attached for Pokemon transfer. He gathered up four Poke Balls and set them on the tray, staying still as the tray faintly glowed. The computer dinged once the Poke Balls were sent to Professor Nook's lab.

Professor Nook reached to the right and pressed a button. He looked at the four Poke Balls: yep, these were the ones. "Yes yes, this is perfect!" A knock on the door caught him off guard. "Oh, this must be the package I ordered last night" he noted to himself. "I should get going, Tank. Feel free to text me about anything!"

"Of course!" Tank flashed a smile and waved goodbye, before the call ended on Nook's end. Tank nudged Poochyena awake, holding the dog Pokemon to his chest as he stood up. Huh, was Poochyena's fur always this warm to the touch?

Treecko hopped off the chair and waved to his trainer, pointing at another Pokemon in the lobby.

"Is there something I should check out?" Tank asked.

Treecko squeaked before running through the lobby, leaving his trainer in the dust.

A black and white Zigzagoon rolled around on the ground, standing on his hind legs to wave hello to Treecko. The two Pokemon crashed into each other, laughing as they stood back up.

"Ziggy! Ziggy Stardust!" another trainer yelled, as the doors automatically opened. "Where'd you go?!" The trainer, a fuzzy brown bear with thick eyebrows, looked around the building. He tugged on his shirt collar before running into the lobby.

"Ziggy!" he gasped before stopping at the pair of Pokemon. "Why'd you run off without me?!"

"Zigza?" the Zigzagoon tilted his head, grunting as his trainer picked him up.
The bear looked away. "I hope he wasn't giving you any trouble,"

"Not at all!" Tank assured him as he held an arm out to his Pokemon. Treecko wagged his tail before climbing up his trainer and sitting atop his shoulder. "I'm Tank Pepper," he introduced himself.

The bear shook hands with him. "Teddy Crescendo. Hey, I haven't seen you at Petalburg High, are you new here?"

Tank shook his head. "No, I'm out on a Pokemon journey with a few friends–"

Before he could say another word, Benedict stormed into the Pokemon Center. "Hey, Tank!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Y'all are not gonna believe this!"

"Yeah, what's going on, Benedict?" Tank asked before looking back at Teddy. "Oh, that's one of my friends"

Benedict marched over to the duo, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Who's this guy?" he asked as he pointed at the other animal.

Teddy gulped as he started blushing. Wow, these two were pretty close, he thought to himself. "Oh, um, I'm Teddy," he said as he rubbed a hand on the back of his head. "I'm a Petalburg local."

"Teddy, huh?" Benedict noted to himself, before looking down at the other animal's Pokemon. "Huh, is that a shiny Zigzagoon?"

Teddy looked back down at his Zigzagoon. "Shiny? Huh, no, he's just the Galarian variant"

"Galarian variant, huh?" Benedict noted. "I'm surprised I'm seein' one right here in Hoenn"

"Benedict, aren't you half-Galarian?" Tank pointed out.

"Yeah, but," Benedict rolled his eyes before whispering. "I haven't been to Galar, y'all gotta remember I was born an' raised in Unova!"

Teddy's ears pricked up. "Unova? Hey, just like the Gym Leader here!"

The Pokemon Center door opened again. Kidd strolled into the building, holding several blue and white paper bags stuffed with goodies. Mudkip trailed behind him, chewing on a black scrunchie she found outside.

Tank looked unimpressed. "Kidd, did you really need to run off to the Poke Mart?" he asked.

Kidd scoffed as he walked to the duo, holding up his bags. "What? You took my Potions so I had to get more!"

"Yeah, right," Tank snarked as he rummaged through the paper bags. Sheesh, talk about a total priss: large bottles of strawberry shampoo and conditioner, citrus cologne, lavender body wash, face wash, heavy mousse.

Kidd pulled the bags close to his chest. "Stop looking through my stuff!" he snapped as he stomped a foot on the ground.

"Come on, Kidd," Tank pointed out. "You don't need all this stuff right away!"

Kidd huffed as he stuffed the bags in his messenger bag. "Yes, I do!" he explained. "I didn't have time to grab any of this stuff from my mom's house, and the last thing I need is for you to tell me what I can and can't buy!"

Teddy snuck away from the group, whispering to his Zigzagoon as he left the Pokemon Center. "Sorry, Stardust. I didn't want this to get ugly"

"I'm not saying any of that!" Tank argued back. "I'm just saying, you could've waited until Rustboro City to splurge on anything you wanted!"

Kidd flipped his hair. "Well there was nothing else to do in this city!" he complained. "The last thing I wanted to do was to be dragged into another route with violent wild Pokemon and axe-crazy trainers!"

Benedict facepalmed from the sheer ridiculousness of the duo. "Sheesh, talk about actin' crazy," he whispered to the three Pokemon.
"So, can we get goin' already or what?"

Kidd and Tank stopped arguing for a minute, furiously blushing at each other. Mudkip chirped as she nuzzled her cheek against Kidd's boots, while Treecko tapped his foot on the ground.
"Yeah, I guess we can get going," Tank said. "If we go now, we can make it to Petalburg Woods by sundown!"

"Oh joy," Kidd deadpanned as he shoved his Poke Mart bags into his messenger bag, pushing several items out of the way.

"Well, come on, let's go!"
Benedict pointed at the door before leading the way.

The boys ran out of the Pokemon Center, running out of the city like a pack of wild Rapidash in a meadow. Soon, Petalburg City was nothing more than a blur of buildings on the horizon.

Route 104: A path enriched with colorful plant life and crystal clear water. Thanks to the newly installed port on the beach, more trainers than ever can access Dewford Town. While Petalburg Woods stops some trainers in their path, others enjoy the woodsy aesthetic.

Something rustled in the grass. Tank's ears pricked up as he grabbed Benedict's arm, effortlessly dragging him through the thick foliage.

Kidd shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head at the idea of carelessly running around the grass. He wandered over to the beach, pleasantly surprised at the sand's softness. Just watching the water ebb back and forth was enough to clear up his mind. He watched as a sleek white motorboat zipped across the horizon.

While he regretted several things in his life, there was one thing he didn't regret: the letter of contempt he taped to his mother's bedroom door, along with blocking her phone number and locking his bank account so she couldn't access it. Besides, who needed her in the first place, when there were others in Hoenn that gave him a chance. While Benedict and Tank were both pushy and impulsive, at least they bothered to care about him, which was more than he could say about Marie.

"Mudkip-mud!"

Kidd jumped up as he tightly grabbed his scarf. He looked back down at the sparkling sand.

Mudkip smiled as she walked in front of her trainer, sand covering her entire body. She stepped forward and dropped an item from her mouth: an iridescent scale carved in the shape of a heart.

"What's this?" Kidd asked as he gingerly picked up the scale. He gently held it in his hooves, slowly rotating it as he watched the Hoennian sunset shine upon him. Maybe being a Water-type specialist could be his calling. A fantasy played out in his mind: it was him, wrapped up in elaborate clothing, standing on a statue as countless water Pokemon leaped in the air. Light waterfalls trailed from the porcelain statue, as a captive audience cheered their hearts out.

"Mudkip?" he said as he kneeled down to his Pokemon's eye level. "Thank you,"

"Mudkiiiip!!" Mudkip squeed. Yes, her trainer is starting to like her!!

Kidd pulled some blue tissue paper out of his pocket, delicately wrapped the scale, and zipped it away in his messenger bag pocket. "What do you say we get going?" he asked her.

Mudkip jumped up and down in her spot, wagging her tail in delight. Trainer and Pokemon left the beach, sand falling onto the ground as they caught up to their friends. They stopped just feet away from Petalburg Woods, noticing something peculiar at a large clearing.

Benedict and Tank stood on one end of the battlefield, their eyes gleaming with a dark determination. Torchic and Treecko glared with the same determination as their trainers, respectively clawing at both sky and land. A small dust cloud billowed behind both Pokemon.

Their opponent, a yellow frog with a suave black mustache, smirked at his challengers. He readjusted his captain's hat, then smoothed down his sea captain's uniform. A pair of Pokemon stood before him: a white seagull Pokemon and a blue eel Pokemon with long blue whiskers.
"So ya lads think you're tough enough to make it through Petalburg Woods?" The frog taunted the duo as he cracked his knuckles. "Peeko-chan, use Quick Attack!"

"Wingullll!" Peeko-chan trilled. Her body glowed blue as she zigzagged through the air, a white bolt of energy streaking behind her.

Tank pointed ahead. "Quick! Treecko, use Pound!"

Treecko jumped in his spot and leaped high in the air. He flipped through the air before smacking Peeko's face with his tail.
The seagull Pokemon squawked as she crashed into the ground, a large dust cloud flying above her.

"Peeko-chan, get up!" the frog commanded. "Dojoko, ambush him with Mud Slap!"

"Bar-boach!" Dojoko barked as she slithered through the air, swirling her tail in a circle. She slithered behind both Pokemon, using her tail to fling a small brown ball of mud.

Benedict snapped his fingers, "Torchic, use Ember!"

"Torrrrr-" Torchic growled as he jumped up in the air, spewing small fireballs from his beak. "CHIIIIIIIIIC!"
Most of the flames exploded against the ground like meteors, flickering embers surrounding both Pokemon.
The remaining fiery clusters flew through the air, smothering the mud ball. Dry clumps of dirt fell to the ground, exploding into small dust clouds.

"Peeko-chan," the frog commanded as he adjusted a pin on his sleeve. "Use Gust!"

Peeko squawked as she threw her wings back, forming small tornadoes beneath her wings. She threw her wings forward, blasting ravaging whirlwinds at her opponents.

"Treecko, slap it away with Pound!"
Treecko darted across the battlefield, dirt trailing behind him as he flipped again in the air. This time, he used his tail to throw the gusts of wind back into Peeko's face.

Peeko yelped as she flew backwards, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud.

The frog's mustache twitched in surprise. He stepped backwards as he returned Peeko to her Poke Ball. His face went dark as he pointed ahead, "Dojoko! Use Water Gun!"
Dojoko's whiskers twitched as she blasted a stream of water from her mouth.

"Torchic, use Scratch!"
Torchic ducked and rolled below the water blast, jumping up to ambush Dojoko with a quick scratch to the tail.
The loach Pokemon turned around immediately, yelping in surprise.

"Treecko, finish it off with Absorb!"
"Kimooooo," Treecko chirped as he leaped over the two Pokemon. His hands glowed red as he grabbed Dojoko's back fin. Dojoko tried to wriggle herself free, but went limp as Treecko absorbed the last energy she needed to fight.

Dojoko groaned as she fell to the ground, unable to battle.

The frog gently smiled as he returned Dojoko to her Poke Ball. "Well color me impressed, lads" he said.

Treecko and Torchic ran back to their trainers, chirping in joy from their victory. Tank picked up Treecko and spun around with him, while Benedict pet Torchic on the head.

Kidd walked up to the group, his arms crossed in front of him. "So, what'd I miss?" he asked.

Tank stopped spinning, setting Treecko back down on the ground. "We just battled this guy so we could go through Petalburg Woods"

"This guy?!" The frog gasped from the audacity. "I am NOT just 'this guy', oui oui" He tipped the brim of his hat. "I am Cousteau Grenounille, and I've been sailing the Hoenn seas long before any of you were even born."

Kidd looked at him with a flat face. "So, why were you three having a Pokemon battle?"

"It was Benedict's idea," Tank said.

Benedict winked as he pointed at himself. "Well, Torchic an' I gotta get strong for our first gym match, an' Cousteau here looked like a strong guy to fight 'gainst"

Cousteau chuckled to himself, quite flattered. "It made me realize I should be out battling more." He looked at the watch on his right wrist; it was getting too late to just goof around Route 104. "I'm sorry boys, but I need to get going," he told them. "Good luck on getting to Rustboro City" he waved as he headed back home.

"See you later!" Tank called out as he waved goodbye.

The boys followed the dirt trail into the woods.

Petalburg Woods: The dense forest of abundant trees. Due to its thick canopies, many trainers dread traveling through here. Rumor has it that children go missing in these woods, many of which don't turn up alive.

The last shreds of daylight faded away into infinite darkness.
A colony of stubby mushroom Pokemon waddled under the bushes, gathering together to sleep for the night. Several beige sloth Pokemon swayed from the trees, already deep in slumber. White and purple cocoon Pokemon dangled from the highest branches, swaying from their silk like pendulums.

The boys tiptoed through the forest, careful not to make a sound. Slowly, but steadily, the temperature dropped to the point that it could rival an average Sinnoh day.

Kidd stopped in his tracks, his face pale and fur bristling. Mudkip tugged at his boots, urging him to keep going.

Tank stopped. "What's wrong, Kidd?" he asked. "Is there something behind you?"

Kidd nodded in complete silence, his eyes wide in horror.

The boys turned around before screaming at the top of their lungs. Several bird Pokemon flew out of the forest, jolted by the rude awakening. Kidd scrambled to pick up Mudkip before stumbling backwards. Benedict leaped into Tank's arms, while Treecko and Torchic hid behind Kidd's legs.

A black ghost Pokemon hovered inches before them, its single red eye vibrantly glowing between its eye sockets. The wild Pokemon hissed as it held out its limbs, blinding purple energy glowing from its fingertips.

The boys ran for their lives, panting as they sprinted across spongy moss. Thick mud splattered across their clothing, joined by falling leaves and silk strings tangling around their bodies.

"Over here!" Kidd whispered as he pointed to the left.

Benedict and Tank squinted: what in the world was he pointing at? Was it some sort of pile of rocks, or trash, or a dead body?

"In the bushes, you two!" Kidd huffed before he led the other two boys into the foliage. Razor-sharp leaves scratched against exposed feathers and fur.

Benedict shivered as he sunk deeper into the shrubs. "There is no way we're dyin' in here"

Tank facepalmed. "Don't be ridiculous, Benedict! We're not gonna die in the woods"

"Yeah, but do we really have to push through the rest of Petalburg Woods?" Kidd complained. The other two boys looked at him.
"What? I did not sign up for sleeping in a bush!"

Tank peeked out of the bush. Phew, that wild Pokemon already disappeared. "We'll be fine, trust me"

A loud crack echoed through the forest, joined by pained hissing and hushed murmurs. Heavy footsteps pounded through the ground, followed by the sizzle of a lighter.

"Get the fuck away from the Pokémon, you bastard!"

The boys peeked out of the bushes, watching the scene unfold.

A towering green hawk, with glassy grey eyes and furrowed maroon eyebrows, lashed out at another trainer. A lit cigarette dangled from his beak, wispy smoke hovering between him and his enemies. His outfit, while very stylish, was quite a spectacle to view: a navy blue kimono, tight sarashi across his chest, beige pants and stiff black leather boots.

A trio of large red spider Pokemon stood behind him, a large bump forming on the smallest Pokemon's head.

Tank pulled up his Rotom Dex and set it on silent mode. He read the text that popped up:
"Ariados: the Long Leg Pokemon. A bug and poison type. Its' feet are tipped with tiny hooked claws that enable it to scuttle on ceilings and vertical walls. The most aggressive Ariados are the mothers with baby Spinarak on their back"

"Seriously, just get out of the way!" the other trainer warned him, pointing a wooden club at his face.
Tank shuddered as he got a better look at the trainer: a brown deer with short fluffy hair and large beige antlers. While he looked completely normal, it was the clothing that made him stand out: a white button-up shirt, beige pants, dark brown knee-high boots, and a grey waistcoat with a brown mushroom insignia on the chest.

"Up yours!" the eagle lashed out. He inhaled again from this cigarette, this time, blowing the smoke in the other animal's face.

The deer coughed and sputtered as he waved the smoke away from his face. "What in tarnation do you think you're doing?!"

"Let's see here," the eagle counted off reasons. "Having a smoke, running around the Hoenn region, and wasting a perfectly good night dealing with assholes like you trying to hurt Pokemon. Do you have any more stupid questions?"

"Hurt? No, that Ariados was just struggling!" The deer tried to reason himself, holding up his hooves in defense. "And my boss asked me to acquire Ariados silk in the first place!"

"Then explain the wooden plank!" the eagle pointed with his cigarette. "Oh, no wait, you can't!"

The deer tisked in disapproval. There was only one way to shut this birdbrain up. He unclipped a green camouflage Poke Ball and tossed it in the air, releasing a large blue Pokemon with a large red flower adorning its head.

The eagle stepped backwards as he released his own Pokemon: a metallic grey bird Pokemon with razor-sharp wings.

"Vileplume, use Petal Blizzard!" The deer commanded.
Vileplume lowered its head, firing a cannon of green and pink petals from its pistil.

"Skarmory, Drill Peck!"
Skarmory darted through the petal cannons, its beak glowing white as it did a barrel roll. The armor bird Pokemon jabbed Vileplume in the flower, throwing it through the forest.

Vileplume's eyes went white as it slammed against a large tree, knocking several Wurmple from the trees. The trio of Ariados scuttled away from the battle, one of them stopping to clutch several eggs under its body.
The deer groaned as he face planted into both hooves. His face went flat as he returned Vileplume to its Safari Ball. Keep it together, Erik, he reminded himself, as he ran out of the woods.

The eagle shook his head as he whistled to his Skarmory. The bird Pokemon flew to his trainer, politely bowing before returning himself to his Ultra Ball. Now that more Pokemon were saved from the wrath of those pesky deer, it was time to head back to Rustboro City. One of the bushes faintly rustled, catching his attention.
Who the hell is in there?!

He turned around and walked up to the bush, faintly hearing some whispering.
"Is he gone yet?"
"Keep your voice down, he might hear us!"
"You think you know everything, don't you, Tank?"
"Can both of y'all cut it out? He's gonna come here an' kill us!"

"Fucking calm down already," The eagle tisked as he pulled out a box of cigarettes and a zippo lighter with a green carnation carved in the side. He finished his current cigarette before lighting up a new one. The smooth taste of nicotine immediately put him at ease.

The boys crawled out of the bush, frozen in their place just from looking at the mysterious stranger. He had to be at least six feet tall, and could easily pummel them all to death if he wanted to.

"Um, who are you?" Tank asked as he picked a twig out of his hair.

The eagle took another drag from his cigarette, slowly blowing smoke from his beak. His feathers bristled with the cool late-night wind. "Depends on whose asking," he said. The last thing he needed tonight was to babysit a bunch of little kids. "Where the hell are you all headed to?"

"We're goin' to Rustboro City!" Benedict yelled. "Well, I'm goin' to get my first gym badge there so I can take on the champ! What about y'all?"

The eagle almost dropped his cigarette. "The champion, huh? Hey, I'm related to that guy," he noted as he looked around the rest of the woods. "Damnit, I didn't introduce myself. Frank Hawkwind, and that's all I'm letting you kids know about me" he stopped to take another drag of nicotine. "I might regret this, but you boys should come with me."

Kidd leaned in and whispered, "This guy's not going to kidnap us, is he? I mean, look at him!"

Tank rolled his eyes. "Kidd, knock it off! Besides, there's no way he can carry all three of us!"

"Actually, I can," Frank pointed out. "I just prefer not to."

Benedict shrugged him off; geez that guy had great hearing. "So what was goin' on with that guy beatin' up those Pokemon?"

Frank tapped his cigarette against a portable ashtray, quiet as the ashes fell into the box. "The deer? Yeah, he's just a Team Cottage member."

Tank's fur bristled once he heard those last few words. "Ugh, not Team Cottage" he shuddered as bad memories flooded his mind.

A murky green wolf and a pair of brown deer, sneaking into city limits and climbing up the ladders. A dozen beige deer followed them, marching like soldiers before raiding town hall. Black robes engulfed each animal, faces made up in favorite disguises. Brown mushroom insignia lined their right wrists. A green horse with long brown hair, a camouflage-covered crocodile, a purple chicken, all running into a house before the deer could attack them.

"What did they do?" Kidd asked as he looked at his friend.