let's go on a JOURNEY! (POKEMON ORAS)

11. LODGE

A pitch-black sky was their backdrop for the night. Not a star was in sight. She stopped and considered building a fire. But they were in the middle of nowhere, and she had no idea where to even gather wood. Their only option for now was to pitch a tent, light a lantern, and brave the darkness.

But just like a scary story gone wrong, a glowing light in the distance caught her attention. She wondered if it was another trainer. Or, could it be a house? A spooky, ominous house that's all lit up in the middle of nowhere seemed too good to be true. You wouldn't know until you found out though. And so, she armed herself with a flashlight and ventured on.

Sure enough, a little tiny cabin was right ahead. Dim candlelight spilled out from the windows, casting orange halos on the stucco exterior. May hesitated in knocking on the door. She was afraid of who or what might be in there. Bravery overcame her fear, and she rapped her fist against the wooden door.

A tiny old woman answered. "Ah, you must be a traveler," she said. She seemed very confident in her assumption. "Come in, come in. You must be weary."

May was seated in front of a fireplace and beside the old lady. The cabin was small and cozy. Thick rugs covered the hardwood floor, and the furniture came in varying wooden finishes. Warm cups of tea had been poured for the two to share. Meanwhile, May's pokémon were content with their food bowls.

"Tell me, young girl, what do you do? Are you a trainer?" the old woman asked, cupping her ceramic mug in her hands. "Or are you one of those contest superstars? You look like one that I saw on TV just the other week..."

"Oh, no, I'm a trainer," May quickly replied, not wanting to be reminded of the horrors of contests. "My team and I are traveling around Hoenn and earning badges."

"Ah, I once traveled the world, earning badges from all over the place." The elder gazed at the fire, a reminiscent look on her face. Her mind was flooded with so many old, but wonderful memories. If only she were young again...

"Really? Where did you travel to?"

They spent the evening telling stories about their travels. The woman had earned a grand total of forty-eight badges, having traveled to six different regions. Her pokémon lived good, long lives, but they have since passed.

May's heart sunk at this. She couldn't imagine losing any of her pokémon, even much further down the road. That night, however, she went to bed feeling encouraged. She aspired to be half the woman that her new friend was.

When the morning came, she and her team said their goodbye's. The woman sent them off, waving out the door as they went back into the wilderness. If May ever wanted to earn forty-eight badges, then she would have a lot of traveling to catch up on.