Trainer James

Run Away Divergence

The next few days went by in a blur. James spent hours in the mansion library, pouring over books about wilderness survival, wild Pokemon, cooking, and other relevant topics. If he was going to run away effectively, he needed to ensure he could last on his own. When he wasn't going over books, making notes, and creating his survival guidebook with the notes, he was going over a detailed map of Kanto. More than anything else, he needed to ensure his route to Cerulean and its port was mapped out accurately.

The mansion was situated a little way out from the Mt. Moon Mountain range. If he went south, he could go along Route 16 to Celadon and from there, along the main Routes to Cerulean. The problem he was quickly identified, however, was that once his parents learned of his escape they would call every city along those main Routes and have the police keep an eye out for him. Given the time it would take for him to get to Cerulean via this method, it would be his backup plan.

However, with Growlie by his side, he could risk other paths. Namely, going north through the forest pathway. It would be full of wild Pokemon, but so long as he stuck to the path he should be able to get through the forest and onto Route 4 in only two or three days of walking without much issue. Much better than if he went the long way through Celadon and Saffron. From Route 4, he could get to Cerulean in only a few hours and buy a ticket to Hoenn from there. He was rather pleased with himself for devising such a good plan.

The map was tucked away in a large hiking backpack that the gardener had provided him. It had belonged to the gardener back when he was a lad and went on a cross-region hike from Kanto to Johto. It was old and slightly beat up looking, but it was in good shape otherwise. He was extremely thankful for it, he didn't own any backpack big enough to accommodate the supplies he would need otherwise.

Alongside the map were various clothes. Some were from his wardrobe, but most were provided by staff members who owned clothes better suited for hiking and camping and could afford to give to him. Those who didn't provide him with random assortments of clothes instead provided him with various bits of other useful equipment. From ropes to an entire tent, the staff had completely blown away his expectations. The gardener had even opted to stay a few hours extra every day and teach James how best to pack his new backpack. He would never have guessed how challenging it would be, but it was a skill he had immediately recognized as being essential for his plan.

When most of the staff learned of James' official engagement, they were quick to support his choice to run away. The female staff was especially ardent in their support, with the younger ones thinking it to be quite exciting and romantic, straight out of a storybook some had said. He couldn't disagree with that, it did kind of sound like it had come straight out of a storybook. Whatever their reasons though, their unwavering support had moved him deeply. He never realized how well he had been liked by the staff until now. He hated to leave them all, but he knew they would be just fine without him.

James planned on leaving the upcoming Saturday, two days from now when his parents planned to go out to Pewter to attend a Gala on Sunday. His parents were important supporters of Pewter Sciences who helped fund the universities and museums of the city, which meant they were invited to every Gala and party in the city. It was the perfect time to put his plans into motion, and as the date drew closer, he couldn't help but feel nervous excitement build within him.

Friday however, would have him receive quite possibly the most useful tool he would ever receive. He was on his way back to his room following his final trip to the library. His survival guidebook was in his hand, a repurposed leather journal when he was stopped in the hallway by a young maid with purple hair. One of Sebastian's assistants whom had never talked before, at least not in front of him.

"Your name is Brianna, yes?" James asked, wondering why she had sought him out.

The girl had a slight blush on her face and she held out a rectangular wrapped package above the size of a small brick but far lighter. Curious, he took the package and unwrapped it. His jaw dropped in shock. In his hand was a brand new unopened stack of Pokemon Info Cards. Not only that but the cards comprised all Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. Pokemon Information Cards were developed due to a huge initiative pushed by the legendary Professor Oak, to have an official encyclopedia of Pokemon created. So far, these cards were what that initiative had produced, and were considered to be extremely valuable. He wasn't even aware that a Hoenn edition had been released. He checked the packaging and saw that this edition had been produced this very same year, only a few months prior.