Chapter Two
"Hoshi's Journey Begins."
"Hey Pidgeot, what do you say we have some fun on the way to Pallet Town?" Hoshi asked the Pidgeot.
"Pidgeot," it said in agreement.
"Alright, let's go! Yee ha! Ride 'em, cowgirl!" Hoshi shouted out in excitement.
The Pidgeot slightly turned its head and gave Hoshi a look that seemed to say. "What do you think I am? I'm a Pidgeot, not a Ponyta,"
Hoshi laughed in amusement.
The Pidgeot spread its wings and went in a steep ascent from a lazy flight.
"Hey! I didn't say to take us up higher!" Hoshi exclaimed.
"Pidgeot," the Pidgeot said.
"Go back down a bit," Hoshi said.
The Pidgeot descended quite a bit.
"Whoa! I didn't mean for you to start flying at tree level!" Hoshi exclaimed to the Pidgeot as they flew past a bunch of trees, startling a flock of Pidgeys that flew out of the trees.
They flew through the flock of Pidgeys.
"Take us back up," she told the Pidgeot.
The Pidgeot flew back up.
"Oh a wise guy, eh?" Hoshi exclaimed as she sighed.
"Pidgeot," it replied.
"Ok, let's see how fast you can go. Do it, Pidgeot!" Hoshi exclaimed.
"Pidgeot," it said in agreement.
The Pidgeot stretched its wings and sped up, glad for the chance to fly.
"Yahoo! This is fun!" Hoshi yelled.
Meanwhile, Ericka was getting a very bumpy ride from the Rhyhorn that she had stolen.
"Ugh! Do you have to run like that?! I'm getting saddle sore!" she screamed at the Rhyhorn as she was bounced up and down.
"Rhyhorn," it said.
"I don't think I like this at all," Ericka complained as she was jolted by the movement of the Rhyhorn.
"Rhyhorn," it said as it kept on running. The Rhyhorn ran over a dip in the path and half stumbled, almost causing Ericka to fall off.
"Watch out where you're going! I almost fell off!" Ericka yelled at the Rhyhorn.
"Rhyhorn," it said.
"Can't you run any faster?!" she screamed at the Rhyhorn.
"Rhyhorn," it said.
"Get moving, pokey!" she yelled at the Rhyhorn.
The Rhyhorn came to a stop and tipped her off. Ericka landed in the grass and started screaming about falling off of the Rhyhorn.
The Rhyhorn turned its head and made a soft noise like it was laughing.
Ericka heard the noise and got mad.
"Are you laughing at me?! Are you laughing at me?!" she screeched at the Rhyhorn.
The Rhyhorn turned to look at her.
"Rhyhorn," it said.
"Don't laugh at me! This isn't funny!" she yelled at the Rhyhorn.
"Rhyhorn," it replied.
Ericka got up off of the grass and looked at her clothes.
"Urgh! Look at me! Now I've got grass stains on my clothes! Not only that, but now I have dirt on my clothes, too!" Ericka yelled as she brushed the dirt off her clothes.
"Rhyhorn," it said.
Do you know how hard it is to get grass stains removed from clothes?!" she shouted at the Rhyhorn.
"Rhyhorn," it said again.
"Of course not! You're just a pokemon!" Ericka told the Rhyhorn.
"Rhyhorn," it replied.
"Well, I don't have all day to stand here. Let's get going," she told the Rhyhorn as she got back on and took off again.
"Rhyhorn," it said.
"I just know that I'm going to regret this bumpy ride, later," Ericka said aloud.
About ninety minutes later.
"We're almost there! That must be Pallet Town right down there!" Hoshi shouted excitedly.
The Pidgeot just squawked.
"Prepare to descend!" Hoshi called out to the Pidgeot.
The Pidgeot started to rapidly descend in response to the command.
"Whoa! I think I left my stomache up there!" Hoshi exclaimed as they descended. "This must be what it's like to free fall!" she said as they headed downward.
"Pidgeot," it said.
Within minutes the Pidgeot was preparing to land. They landed safely on the ground not to far away from the outskirts of Pallet Town and Hoshi got off of the Pidgeot. She hesitated, unsure of what to expect and not quite ready to let go of the last link to her old life. She felt herself getting nervous.
'I'm not so sure if I want to do this. I don't really know what to expect,' she thought to herself.
She could always get back on the Pidgeot and return to Vermillion City. But then, she made up her mind.
'No, I've come this far. There's no turning back now. What ever happens, I'm prepared for it,' Hoshi thought to herself.
"Well Pidgeot, I guess this is goodbye. I know that you must be anxious to return to Vermillion City," Hoshi told the Pidgeot.
"Pidgeot," it said as it looked at her.
The Pidgeot spread its wings and rose into the air. Hoshi watched the Pidgeot leave as it became a tiny speck in the sky and then finally disappeared. As she turned to head for Pallet Town, she heard a soft pop and felt something go squish under her feet. Hoshi looked down and groaned. There, under her left foot, was the sack containing her breakfast of two bran muffins that her mom had given her before she had left Vermillion City since she had been to anxious to eat much of her bowl of granola earlier. Unknown to her, the sack of muffins had fallen out of her jacket pocket when she got off of the Pidgeot. She stepped back to see how much damage had been done to the muffins. The muffins had been squashed flat. As she turned the sack over with her foot, crumbs fell out of the hole in the bottom of the sack where the sack had popped when she'd accidently stepped on it.
'Ugh! There went my breakfast! I can't eat that now!' Hoshi thought to herself in disgust as she groaned again. She continued toward Pallet Town, leaving the mess behind.
On the way to Pallet Town she saw a girl about her age who was sitting under a tree with her head bent talking to a pink creature.
Hoshi must have made some movement that alerted the creature to her presence because it hopped out of the girl's arms and looked in her direction.
The girl looked up. Her eyes were wide with surprise. "Eek! You startled me!" the girl exclaimed as she got up from her spot where she was sitting under a tree with the creature in her arms.
"Oops. I didn't mean to surprise you," Hoshi told the girl.
"It's ok. I didn't expect to see anyone out here," the girl said.
"Um excuse me, but what kind of a creature is that?" Hoshi asked the girl.
"It's a Jigglypuff," the girl replied.
"Jigglypuff!" the creature exclaimed.
"I've never seen one of those before." Hoshi said.
"Of course not. Not too many people have seen a Jigglypuff. They're hard to find and are found only in a few places," the girl told Hoshi.
"I think it looks kind of cute," Hoshi told the girl.
"Thanks. Jigglypuffs are my favorite pokemon," the girl told Hoshi.
Suddenly the Jigglypuff started fidgeting in the girl's arms.
"Jigglypuff! Jigglypuff!" it exclaimed.
"What is it, Jigglypuff? What's wrong?" the girl asked her Jigglypuff.
"Jigglypuff! Jigglypuff!" it exclaimed again.
"Oops! I have to go. Jigglypuff here just reminded me that I'm running behind schedule. It's been nice talking to you," the girl said as she and her Jigglypuff hurried off.
"Wait! I didn't get your name," Hoshi called after them but they were already out of sight. Hoshi continued on toward Pallet Town. 'I wonder who that girl was? She seemed really nice. I wonder if I'll meet her again before I leave Pallet Town?' Hoshi thought to herself.
Soon she had reached the edge of Pallet Town. She took in the sights of Pallet Town, noticing how different it was compared to Vermillion City.
'Wow. It's really peaceful and quiet here.' Hoshi thought to herself. She found herself thinking about Professor Oak. She was lost in her thoughts about Professor Oak as she walked along. Suddenly, she was jolted back to reality. In front of her was the man that she'd just walked in to. "Sorry. I didn't mean to walk into you like that," Hoshi told the man.
"It's ok. I guess it was part my fault, too." the man told her. "I should have been more careful when I came out of that door," he continued, referring to the building behind him.
A woman came out the door behind them.
"Well, hello. Who are you?" the woman asked.
"I'm Hoshi," she said.
"Nice to meet you, Hoshi. I'm Mr. Ketchum." he said. And this is my wife, Mrs. Ketchum." he continued, gesturing toward the woman.
"Nice to meet both of you, too," Hoshi said.
"Say, you look kind of hungry. Didn't you eat breakfast today?" Mrs. Ketchum asked.
"Well, not really. I was too nervous to eat much before I came here," Hoshi said.
"Why don't you join us for breakfast," Mr. Ketchum said.
"I really don't want to be a bother," Hoshi said.
"It's the least that I could do after running into you like that. Besides, you can't go see Professor Oak with an empty stomache," Mr. Ketchum said.
Hoshi had a suprised look on her face. "How did why know that's why I was in town?" she asked.
"It's simple. We get alot of people your age coming here to see Professor Oak and since we haven't seen you around here before we thought that you might be another pokemon trainer, just like our son Ash is," Mr. Ketchum replied.
"You got the pokemon trainer part right," Hoshi told them.
"We have a nice cafe here in town," Mrs. Ketchum told her. "It's just down the street," she continued.
"They make really good Belgium Waffles there," Mr. Ketchum said.
"Actually, I am kind of hungry," Hoshi said.
"Then it's settled. We'll all have breakfast at the lovely cafe here in town," Mrs. Ketchum said.
"Ok," Hoshi replied as she agreed to join them for breakfast.
Some time later.
"That was a good breakfast but now I must be on my way," Hoshi told them.
"Have a good journey, Hoshi," Mr. Ketchum told her.
"Thanks, Mr. Ketchum," Hoshi replied.
Mrs. Ketchum gave her directions to Professor Oak's place.
After a fulfilling breafast of Belgium Waffles with whipped cream and blueberries and chocolate milk Hoshi resumed her journey to Professor Oak's, with the directions from Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum.
In a few minutes, she had reached Professor Oak's place.
She knocked on his door.
An old man answered the door.
"Hello. Why have you come here?" he asked.
"I am here to see Professor Oak," Hoshi said.
"Well, come in. Don't just stand there on the doorstep," the man said. "I am Professor Oak. And you are..?" Professor Oak asked.
"I am Hoshi," she replied.
"Come on in, Hoshi," Professor Oak said.
Hoshi went inside.
Professor Oak shut the door behind her.
"Ah. Another young pokemon trainer." Professor Oak. "I see so many young people with shining faces who come to me for their first pokemon," he continued.
"I have three pokemon so far," Hoshi told him.
That's fine but you'll need a beginning pokemon. Follow me," Professor Oak told Hoshi.
They went into the next room.
They heard a door open and close in the back.
"Hello? Are you here Professor Oak?" a voice asked.
"Yes, I'm here," Professor Oak replied.
"I know that voice," Hoshi thought to herself.
A young girl came out of the back room with a Jigglypuff.
"Hey, I know you! You're the girl that I met outside of Pallet Town earlier today!" Hoshi exclaimed to the girl.
"So, we meet again," the girl said. "I'm May," the girl continued.
"My name is Hoshi," she told May.
"Hi May," Hoshi said.
"Jigglypuff," the Jigglypuff said.
"Do you two know each other? Who's your new friend, May?" the Professor asked.
"We met earlier today, grandpa," May replied.
"Professor Oak is your grandfather?" Hoshi exclaimed in surprise.
"He sure is my grandfather," May confirmed.
"Since you seem to be my age May, why aren't you out training to be a pokemon trainer?" Hoshi asked May.
"Not everybody is interested in being a pokemon trainer. I'm satisified with staying here in Pallet Town and visiting my grandfather," May told Hoshi.
"May's a good kid. She likes to visit me, unlike Gary Oak," the Professor said.
"Who's Gary Oak?" Hoshi asked.
May rolled her eyes and said, "Gary Oak is my little brother. He's not very nice. He used to be friends with Ash Ketchum, but then Gary turned mean and competitive and that ended their friendship. Both Ash and Gary have already left on their own pokemon journey,"
"Is that anyway to talk about your brother, May?" Professor Oak reprimanded her.
"No, I guess not. Sorry, grandpa," May replied.
"Ash Ketchum? I meet his parents earlier today," Hoshi said.
The Ketchums are very nice people," May commented.
"They sure are," Hoshi said.
"It's time to choose your starting pokemon, Hoshi," Professor Oak said as he broke in on their conversation.
"First, you'll need a PokeDex." Professor Oak said.
Professor Oak pressed a button and three pokeballs rose out of their resting spots from a nearby table and came to rest on the surface of the table.
The Jigglypuff was watching the scene before it with interest.
"Here are you choices. You can have one pokemon. Choose wisely," Professor Oak told Hoshi.
Hoshi went over to the table and looked at the three pokeballs. Before each pokeball was the name of the pokemon inside. The names were Bulbasuar, Charmander, and Squirtle.
"May, can you get a PokeDex and six pokeballs from the back room?" Professor Oak asked his granddaughter.
"Sure thing," May replied as she went into the back room and returned a short time later with what Professor Oak wanted.
Hoshi thought to herself. 'Hmm. Which pokemon should I pick? Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle are all good choices,'
After some more thinking, Hoshi decided to choose the pokeball containing Bulbasaur.
Professor Oak took the PokeDex and pokeballs that May handed him.
"Bulbasaur is a good choice for a beginning pokeman. Here are your PokeDex and pokeballs. Your PokeDex has already been programed with all the necessary information needed to start you on your journey," Professor Oak said, giving them to Hoshi.
"Thanks," Hoshi said as she accepted the PokeDex and pokeballs from Professor Oak.
Hoshi put the PokeDex and the pokeballs into her backpack before leaving on her journey.
May and Professor Oak had the same smile in their eyes as they and the Jigglypuff watched Hoshi leave.
"Jigglypuff," it said as it waved bye to Hoshi.
"There goes another young pokemon trainer off to fulfill their dreams," Professor Oak said to May.
"Look at that, grandpa," May said gesturing toward Hoshi walking down the path.
They looked on as Hoshi took her pokeballs out of her backpack, called all of her pokemon out, and played with them in happiness as she went down the path toward her next destination.
"She sure does look happy," May said with a smile as Hoshi and her pokemon went over the horizon and disappeared from their sight.
"Indeed she does, May," Professor Oak said to May as he put his hand on May's shoulder.
To Be Continued