Lucki

o

It wasn't long before Lucki was out of the hilly area and on flat ground again. She waded through the tall grass, Flare bounding along a bit clumsily next to her. Peering ahead she saw that not far off the tall grass ended and the sandy tan path began, just before the edge of Meteor Lake. Over that lay the deep russet bridge, stretching out of sight, toward the distant opposite side.

Lucki made her way through the end of the grass and to the shore, where the clear blue waves lapped inches from her white shoes. They lapped over the edges of the bridge as well, so that the wood was soaked although not submerged. Up ahead she could see fishermen struggling to land goldeen and magikarp, causing water to surge up in huge waves where they were standing to swamp the surrounding area.

"I'd better recall you," Lucki mentioned to Flare. He nodded, eying the way before them nervously, and she took out his pokeball and recalled him.

Lucki began making her way across the wooden planks, moving careful to try not to splash water into her shoes as she went through the wetter areas. She narrowly avoided being directly splashed a few times when a fisherman suddenly hooked a pokemon, but the mist sprayed into the area left her somewhat damp by the time she made it to the other side.

She continued on along the now dark reddish ground, passing small ponds that dotted the area. Rather than grass there was some low-lying plant with round leaves and white flowers, and some petite, graceful trees with branches laden with greenery in clumps.

Lucki came upon an older, neatly dressed in dark gray man sitting on a bench by the side of the brown trail. A poochyena with white-flecked fur lay beside him, eyes closed and head resting in its paws. Its ears twitched at her approach and the dark type raised its head and roared, then lay its head back down without even opening its eyes. Lucki looked at the bite pokemon, not sure what to make of it.

"Oh, don't mind him," the man explained, standing. "He just likes using the move." He reached down and scratched the thick salt-and-pepper colored fur on his pokemon's neck. "My name is Ian Jennings. What's yours?

"I'm Lucki Middling."

"Are you heading to Fallarbor?"

Lucki nodded. "Is it close?" she requested.

"You're nearly there," he responded. "Just a bit ahead. Could you do me a favor, though? You see, I've been trying to catch a nuzleaf, but they're quite shy and my poochyena can't stay quiet for any length of time, and as he's my only pokemon..." Punctuating this statement, the poochyena roared again.

Lucki nodded again. She could see how that would be a problem. "I've only just started, so my pokemon aren't that strong," she told him. "But I do have a fire type. I'm sure he'd be able to handle a nuzleaf."

"Really? Do you think I could borrow him? It shouldn't take too long, as I know where to find them."

"Okay, let me just explain to him." Lucki released Flare and told him what was going on.

"You'll be staying at the pokecenter today, won't you?" Jennings asked. "I'll drop him off there, all right?"

"Sure," Lucki replied, "No problem." She waved goodbye as they headed off under the trees. As she started to go, the poochyena jumped up and began to trot along with her like a small but very noisy escort.