Opal & Topaz

S1 Ep1: Humble Beginnings

"Have a nice day!"
He'd try. Hank took his groceries off the counter, promptly leaving the store. It was a nice day, albeit a little bright.

Walking further down the dusty road... "road"... It was more of a path, as nobody ever drove here. Regardless, as he moved further from the main area of the town he could hear the forest chocking the path come alive with the sounds of Pokémon. He didn't particularly know what ones, he didn't particularly care. All he knew was that it was calming, it made him feel less alone.

Sparks, his Luxray, gently bumped against the side of his leg as they walked down the path. He looked down at them as they stared right back up.

"What."
They looked at the grocery bag, then back at Hank. So, he also looked, curious as to what piqued their interest. Upon realising, he couldn't help rolling his eyes.

"You want to hold this one, don't you?"
He held up the bag that contained the ingredients for his pokepuffs. Sparks let out a sort of purr, as a familiar excitement entered their expression while they looked at Hank, almost pleadingly.

"Fine."
Upon giving it to them, they apparently got a new spring in their step, as they'd constantly run ahead, only to circle back and push at the back of Hank's legs in an attempt to hurry him up. Each time, he'd complain, unable to stop smiling under his mask.

This strange waltz continued as the town behind them disappeared behind the horizon of a hill in the path, as they got closer to home. Meanwhile, two strangers approached from the horizon ahead of them. It was only once they started shouting over to him that he realised they were there.

"Hey! I think we're a little lost... Can you give us some directions?"
Before replying, he decided to look them over, trying to decide if they were going to mug him.

The first, the one that initially spoke, was large, and under their shirt he could make out a wall of muscle. Usually he'd be worried, though they seemed fairly docile, a little shy, even. The second was much more lean, he couldn't pick up on any ill intent, however they seemed like they'd be scrappy. Still, it wasn't too concerning, as he'd probably be able to take them in a fight.

Sensing no immediate danger, he stopped, though he couldn't say the same of Sparks, who apparently hadn't realised yet.

"Where are you trying to go?"
Hank wouldn't be surprised if they'd ended up on the complete wrong side of the region. It definitely wouldn't have been the first time, as a lot of tourists seemed to wander into the town by accident. The larger one sighed in relief, as they too began slowing down.

"We're trying to find Littleroot town, I'm not sure if we took a wrong turn somewhere."
Surprisingly, they actually ended up where they needed to go. He felt Sparks rubbing against his leg, so he moved his hand to gently stroke their mane in response.

"You're in the right place." He turned, pointing to the raised path, "it's just behind that hill."

"See? I told you, we're fine!"
The smaller one chimed in, now holding an annoyingly smug smile. The former gently nudged them, knocking them a little off balance, before returning their attention to Hank, giving him a polite smile.

"Thanks."
With that, the duo continued up the path, leaving Hank to finish the journey home. It wasn't much, a cabin just off a long-forgotten trail, but it was peaceful. Sometimes, he swore the wild Pokémon recognised him as part of their community, as they sometimes left berries at his doorstep, to which he'd leave some treats on his porch for them to find.