Pokémon: A Tale Of Time (Volume One: Zephyr)

Chapter Six - The Road to Cherrygrove

As Raido and his new partner Nidoran walked along Route 29, the sun beamed down upon them, casting a warm glow over the lush landscape. The grass swayed gently in the breeze, and in the distance, the majestic peaks of the mountains loomed, adding to the serene beauty of the surroundings. Raido couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration as he embarked on his journey alongside his new partner.

The air was alive with the gentle buzz of Bug-type Pokemon and the melodious trills of flying Pokemon soaring overhead. It was a symphony of nature's harmony, a backdrop to Raido's excitement and anticipation.

With each step, he chattered away to Nidoran, asking all sorts of questions about her, her life as a Pokemon, her life before their meeting, and other topics in order to understand her better. He wondered what adventures she had experienced, what challenges she faced, and what dreams she held in her heart. Nidoran listened intently, her ears twitching as she absorbed Raido's words, nodding or shaking in response.

As they continued their journey, his curiosity about Nidoran's past grew stronger. He began to probe with questions about her life at the Pokemon breeder's house, curious about her siblings and the experiences she had before they met. With each question, Nidoran seemed more and more puzzled, her expressions clouding with confusion.

She tilted her head to the side sceptically, her large eyes searching Raido's face as if trying to understand what he was asking. But she didn't have a response to his questions, leaving Raido feeling perplexed. It was as if she didn't have many memories of her time at the breeder's house, or perhaps, she just didn't want to talk about it. Raido wondered if there was more to her origin story than it seemed.

As they continued to walk along the grassy trail, their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the loud growling of Nidoran's belly. Raido chuckled at the sound, realising his partner needed some food.

"You hungry, girl?" Raido asked with a grun, hearing the Pokemon's grumbles. Nidoran nodded eagerly, as her stomach continued to gargle with sounds. Scanning the area for potential food sources, Nidoran's ears perked up with excitement as they spotted a large bush nearby, adorned with juicy green leaves and vibrant red berries. Nidoran looked up at Raido for encouragement, Raido smiled, "Go for it!"

Nidoran wasted no time, she ran straight over to the bush, nestle within a small grove of trees and shrubbery, and sampled the foliage. She sniffed the bush with delight, confirming that both the leaves and berries were indeed edible. Raido watched fondly as Nidoran tucked into a leaf, crunching away happily with her strong teeth. She deftly plucked a berry from it's stem with her horn, flicking it into the air and catching it in her mouth, savoring the succulent juices.

As Raido sat back, thinking fondly about his relatively easy and enjoyable start to their Pokemon journey, Nidoran's curiosity led her to a larger, brighter green leaf poking out from the bush. With a gleam in her eye, she opened her mouth wide and sank her sharp teeth into the leaf. But to both of their horror, the leaf pulled and tg harshly out of Nidoran's mouth, shrieking loudly and angrily.

Raido and Nidoran both jumped back in startled fright, realising that the "leaf", was actually part of a Pokemon. The insect-like creature emerged furiously from the bush, its body lurching in an aggressive stance as it faced Nidoran with hostility.

The Pokemon's angry black eyes, nestled upon its round yellow head, glared angrily towards the two. The leaf-like appendage Nidoran had tried to engorge on, stood to attention across the shoulders of the creature, and twitched with anger.

Raido's heart raced with shock and intimidation as he fumbled to activate his PokeGear's built-in Pokedex. With trembling hands, he pointed it in the direction of the angry insect, activating the scanner. As the Pokedex analysed the creature, it's robotic voice began to speak.