Pokemon: Jade

I carried the five free pokeballs in my bag as we were probably miles away from New Bark town.

"You sure you didn't want to get a starting pokemon?" Nathan questioned.

"Nope! Haru and I were ready for this!"

"You sure?" Nathan stated, "Jared got his back in kanto even though he had his electabuzz."

I stopped to look back at him, "Really? I thought he left it at that."

Nathan chuckled, "No, he got himself a bulbasaur."

I couldn't imagine Nathan with a grass type pokemon. Then again he really is attached to his electabuzz. Anyone is attached to their first pokemon, right?

I shrugged to myself as I felt Haru nudge my ankle. I looked down and smiled, kneeling down and offered if he wanted a lift. Delighted, he climbed into my arms.

"Oh well, there's more pokemon out there to see and catch." I smiled at Nathan, who nodded at my statement.

I stopped in my tracks and listened to....people.

"I think we're here!" I chirped happily as my legs sprinted off. I could hear Nathan calling for a "wait up" but I was too excited I had to see it. Just as the road was about to close. I stopped as stared at the city before me with Haru wearing the same big smile.

"Nathan! We're here!"

"I...can...tell..." he breathed in heavily.

Welcome to Cherrygrove City

There was excitement building up in the pit of my stomach. It's been long since I've been out of town. Well we never been out if our hometown numerous times but this....it's like I just realized that I am gonna travel the whole region!

I tried to think back when I've been here in Cherrygrove City with my mother.

Nathan couldn't help but smile at my happiness. It was like walking a child to the park for the first time.

"Oh my god! I remember there's a beach here!" I gasped in amazement.

Haru twitched as his fur stood at the mention of the word "beach". Where there's beach, there's water. Where there's water, there's a terrified fire-type pokemon.

"There is?" Nathan never took his face away from the pokegear I got.

"Of course there is! You didn't know?"

Nathan cleared his throat, "I haven't been here in Johto since I was ten."

"Oh right." I chuckled as I grabbed his sleeve, "Let's go! I'll show you!" I took off running with him dragging along.

"Wait Jade! What about Haru?!"

-=-

{Cyndaquil Vision}

The warm sand filled in between Haru's paws. His snout twitched at the smell of the sand mixed with the salty...water. Haru shivered at the ocean breeze. His fur was already becoming damp due to the humidity.

Haru observed his trainer removing her shoes and socks, "Drat, if only I had a change of shorts..." she muttered leaving her shoes besides Haru, "Then I would probably go knee deep into the water." she lifted her cargo capri pants a bit before stepping in.

Haru's head went to the side as he crawled a bit forward and imitated his trainer. He lifted one of his forelimbs and began to splash at the water. Before Haru could look up, a small wave crash landed on the shore where he was at. This caused Haru to tense up as he felt the water splashed onto him. Haru ran back to where he was previously at shook himself dry.

Jade giggled from afar as she watched her pokemon tremble, "Haru, why not just learn how to swim?"

"A fire-type swimming?" Nathan questioned.

She shrugged, "You may never know." she walked out of the water and knelled down to where Haru was at, "The only reason why Haru is afraid of water is cause....well he nearly drowned once when he tried to beat a poliwag."

A croconaw appeared in front of them with it's evil glare. Startled, Haru growled at it and tried to combust his flame on his back but out came smoke.

The sound of a girl laughing caught Nathan's attention as he wondered who's croconaw was it.

"A fire-type trying to beat a water-type pokemon?" the mocking tone made Jade frown as she eyed the girl, who looked older than her, standing behind the crocdilian pokemon. She was a tall brunette wearing summer clothing, along with a summer hat and sunglasses, "Obviously, that'll never work! Who does that anyways?"

"Wanna bet?" Jade challenged.

"No, no, no!" the girl giggled, "I'm not trying to pick a fight, especially when your cyndaquil has his flamed burned out." She removed her shades and with a smile, she introduced herself, "I'm Ace! Ace Garnet!"

Jade's mind became a blank at the sudden friendliness, "Uh...I'm Jade.", for a second there she felt like if they were gonna battle, "And that's Nathan." Jade pointed at her friend who now walked up to them. They looked about the same age and Jade noticed the badges pinned onto her bag. There were three.

"Wow..." Jade was at a loss, to think she can take on this experienced trainer.

Ace laughed, "Don't worry, I haven't been challenging gyms since...ever!"

"How come?" Nathan gave her a confused look and Jade wondering the same.

It took her awhile to respond as croconaw bore the same face expression as he looked at his trainer, "Well, I'm merely taking a nice long vacation!" she laughed whole-heartedly as croconaw did the same.

Jade and Nathan looked at each other awkwardly as she grabbed both by their wrists, "Come quick! Before the sun goes out! We must camp!"

Haru stared at the woman in front of his two friends weirdly still trying to produce some heat but the cold breeze didn't help. As Ace dragged the two trainers, croconaw went ahead and helped Haru along. Haru couldn't fight the water-type pokemon's grasp and he wondered what they were gonna do to him and Jade.

-=-

My mother told me not to call people names but....

"This woman is crazy!"

"I kinda like her." Nathan smirked, "She has a water-type..."

"Oh get over yourself!"

Ace stopped in her tracks which made Nathan stopped right behind and made me slammed up against Nathan's back, "oof!" I stumbled backwards to see where we are at....did she..? I think she took us in the outskirts of the city?

"Where...are we?"

Ace replied with her compass out, "Just about a route away from the city..." she chuckled nervously, "Sorry, I can't help but spend the night outside." she eyed me and Nathan.

"I take it you guys are barely starting your journey?" as I was about to answer she kept on going, "Well...I know you," she pointed at Nathan, "You seem to already know what you're doing and you," she, then, pointed at me, "Don't be offended but you look like a beginner!" she chirped with a smile.

My shoulders slumped as I gave up....I don't know whether or not to take this girl seriously anymore!

"Don't worry, Jade." She continued to smile, "I'm pretty sure if you stick with Nathan, you'll be just fine!" she held her two fingers out with a wink.

"Thanks...I guess?" I scratched the back of my head and suddenly heard an exhausted Haru walking on his two hind legs, slouched over. Croconaw skipped right behind him wearing a toothy grin.

I picked up Haru, "So, he worn you out as well?" Haru gave me a sarcastic look as he blew out smoke from his nostrils.

"By the way, Nathan, how many badges do you have?" Ace asked as she pushed a branched aside.

"Uh...seven Kanto badges."

"No way!" Ace gasped, "That's so cool!"

"Tell me about it." I replied as Nathan gave me a nudge.

"If you don't mind me asking," Ace paused, trying to form the sentence in her head, "Why are you here in Johto?"

Nathan chuckled, "Well...I kinda lost to the eighth gym leader." he shifted his weight, "It's kinda a long story why I came back home."

"Oh, I see." Ace stood right next to us, "Well, we can start grabbing some firewood." she looked up at Nathan, "Do you mind?" he nodded at the request.

"Jade, do you want to see something cool?" she asked me.

"Uhh..." before I responded she grabbed my wrist again, "Follow me!" I guess I don't have much of a choice.

She led me pass some mossy trees and I could hear some water splashing. She lifted up a branch for me to pass. As I ducked forward, my eyes brighten at the sight of a pond with a small waterfall and with the moon almost out, it sorta made the scenery glow.

"I took my totodile here when we first started our journey." she stated, "We stayed here for a while to train for Violet City." she stepped into the light with her croconaw, "And I captured my first pokemon here," she pulled out a pokeball and threw it above the water. The ball flashed open and the pokemon splashed into the water. I peered over to see a seadra swimming up to the surface, "Draa.." it's long snout moved.

"Well...back then he was a horsea." she laughed, "But you get my drift." her eyes shifted to my pokemon, "I brought you here because I knew how you wanted to train your cyndaquil to overcome water-types...not saying it's impossible."

My lip twitched to a smile, "Thank you." I looked down to Haru, expecting a frightful look. I was surprised to see determination. Haru hopped off from my head and landed on all fours.

"You up for it?" I asked him and I didn't need a reply, feeling that he was getting pumped.

"Great!" Ace exclaimed, "My seadra will help reel in any wild water pokemon." she clapped both of her hands together, "Seadra go!"

I watched with amazement as the seahorse pokemon began to start a small whirlpool. From the water, I could see a shadow appear and splashed out a....

"A poliwag!" it looked angry. I could feel Haru shudder a bit but he stepped up to the plate. Ace told her seadra to step back, "The field is yours."

"Well then..." I stated with a smirk, "Let's get started."