The Kalos Connection (X/Y spoilers ahoy!)

[EmeraldSky]

I did use their in game natures to create their personalities, yes.

I also felt Trevor and Tierno didn't get very much character development in the game, so I plan on giving them backstories (but not yet)

There's also going to be some new things that aren't actually in the game, particularly when we get to Lumiose (although Serena will make a jab about the save glitch)

[FedoraChar]

Oh, neato! ^^ I'm really curious to see how your team ends up then :)

And that's awesome that you're doing that with those guys! We had Bianca and Cheren in the last games go through so much development, but IDK--I haven't finished the games yet, but it seems to me that the story in XY pales slightly in comparison to Black and White. But then again... IDK xD We'll see how it goes.

Hmm, really? Coolio ^^ (and lol, that'll be awesome xD That also makes me curious to see how Serena will react to her first encounter with the FABULOUS Team Flare xD)

[EmeraldSky]

Saturday we should arrive in Santalune City and meet Rinka (the girl that gives you the rollerblades)

[EmeraldSky]

Episode 4: Meetings on the Forest Path

After breaking camp the next morning, we met the boys on the main path. "Good morning, all-did everyone sleep well?" Callum smiled.

"It was a bit weird sleeping in a tent..." Trevor yawned. "Didn't help that Tierno danced himself to sleep..."

"So? Sometimes I enjoy a good groove before bed!" Tierno protested.

"Everyone, please!" Callum quickly diffused the impending argument. "Do you want to go with us, Shauna, or stay with Serena?"

"I'll stay with Serena--you guys missed a cool story last night!" Shauna grinned. "It was about this boy who befriended a wizard, received magic power, fought a Noivern, and saved a princess!"

"Sounds pretty exciting--I would've loved to hear it." Trevor smiled.

"You always did have a knack for campfire stories, neighbor." Callum grinned at me before he turned to leave. "We're going on ahead--we should find our way out of here before sunset."

"Take care!" I called as I waved goodbye.

I noticed Shauna digging in the grass. "What's the matter?"

"Sometimes if you get lucky, you'll find stuff that people dropped." Shauna explained before offering me a Paralyze Heal. "Someone just left this Paralyze Heal--do you want it? I have plenty already..."

"Sure!" I replied as I stashed the Paralyze Heal in my bag. "Thank you!"

[What does that stuff do?] Lita asked, piqued in the bottle of pale yellow liquid.

"This is medicine to cure paralysis." I explained. "So if a bug uses Stun Spore, this will loosen up your paralyzed arms and legs."

[I see...] Lita replied.

"Hey!" A familiar young boy darted up to us, a Scatterbug and a Fletchling not far behind him. "What do you think of my Fletchling? He's in the top ten percent of all Fletchlings!"

"Oh, so we've given up on Ratattas and moved on to Fletchlings, Joey?" Shauna grinned at the boy.

"Rattatas are so last year--now, I'm all about Fletchlings!" Joey proclaimed before running off.

I stifled a giggle as Joey hurried off to challenge a Scatterbug--for a long time he had a beloved Rattata that he would tell anyone and everyone that would listen that it was "in the top ten percent of all Rattata" He didn't just tell this to people's faces--anyone unfortunate enough to give him their phone number would get near daily calls reminding them of this fact.

"What do you think became of Joey's Rattata?" I asked Shauna as I waded through some brush.

"I'd like to think it's at his house, doing...whatever it is Rattatas do for fun.". Shauna replied.

As we rounded a corner, I noticed a Pikachu wearing a blue ribbon trying to get some Oran Berries on a high branch. But no matter how much she tried ramming the tree, shocking it, or shaking it, none of the Berries would drop.

Kitsune took it upon herself to help the Pikachu and her master, a young girl, out. [Need some help?]

The Pikachu heaved a relieved sigh, grateful someone had come to help. [Yeah...my master wants to pick some of the Berries, but they're too high up for me to reach!]

[We can help!] Rouge flitted to the branches with Berries and flapped up a Gust, which made them fall into a basket Kitsune carried down below. She would occasionally dart one way or another to catch a Berry that didn't fall straight down, but what Berries didn't land in the basket, Lita would dash to pick up.

The Pikachu's owner was ecstatic to see Kitsune's basket. "Wow! You and your Pokemon make a great team!"

[Yes, thank you!] the Pikachu agreed as her master spread out a picnic blanket on the grass.

"Would you like to join us for lunch?" the girl asked. "As thanks for helping us out?"

"I'd love to, miss..." I started, before it dawned on me we hadn't introduced ourselves.

"Anna." the girl smiled. "and this is Kiiro." she added, gesturing to the Pikachu.

[Nice to meet you!] Kitune replied.

"I'm Serena, and this is my friend Shauna." I replied. "We're on our way to Santalune City..."

"Really? I heard Viola's famous for her pictures..." Anna mused.

[Pictures? Like pictures you draw?] Rouge was intrigued.

"No--the kind you take with a camera." I explained. I would've gone into detail about how a camera worked, but that would've been too hard for all the Pokemon to understand.

"What kind of pictures does Viola take?" Shauna was intrigued.

"Everything! Pokemon, cityscapes, flowery fields, landmarks, other people--you name it!" Anna replied. "In fact, some of her pictures are on display in the Lumoise Art Museum's photography wing..."

Shauna sighed with nostalgia. "I remember end of the year field trips to Lumiose...used up entire rolls of film in one day."

I grinned. "Maybe Prof. Sycamore will give us tickets to the theater to see a play."

"Ooh, a play!" That got Anna excited. "They say to have a play premiere in Lumiose is a great honor."

[What's a play?] Lita asked.

[Essentially, humans dress up in costumes and act out a story.] Kitsune explained as we started cleaning up our picnic area.

[Sounds fun!] Rouge smiled.

[I hear that in some plays, the humans sing songs and dance too.] Kiiro grinned.

[I really, really hope we go see a play when we get to Lumiose...] Kitsune smiled, scenes of actors in elegant costumes dancing in her mind.

After bidding Anna and Kiiro goodbye, the rest of our trek through the forest was uneventful. When we got to the forest edge, Callum and the boys were waiting for us. "Bout time...we were worried you lost your groove in the forest!" Tierno noted.

"We're fine, Tierno...we just stopped to help a little girl, and she invited us to lunch as thanks." I explained.

"That was very nice of you..." Tierno mused.

"Now...I have something for all of you..." Callum then proceeded to give us each handmade books. "These are filled with some rules of the road I felt we should all remember on our travels."

"Thanks, man!" Tierno wasted no time in thumbing through his book. "You put a lot of effort into this!"

"Professional quality!" Trevor agreed as he admired a picture on one page of his.

Piqued, I opened my book and read a little bit of Callum's wisdom:

Whether you're only going to the next town over, or on a grand adventure across the region, there are certain things a traveler should do. Whether it's for safety, common courtesy, or just for a good deed, following these will fill your journey with memories that last a lifetime.

I then read the beginning of the first page of tips a little farther down:

--Always help someone in need--you never know who that trainer on the side on the road may be!

--If you're asked to have a battle, always accept--not only is it proper trainer's etiquette, both sides' Pokemon get experience, even if they lose.

--Treat your Pokemon well, and they'll treat you well in return...

Just like Mom said... I smiled as I looked at the drawing of a male trainer cuddling with an Eevee.

--Even if you can't play an instrument to save your life and your voice is not Kalosian Idol material, make an effort to learn the words to a few campfire songs and learn a few stories to tell around the campfire.

--Take more supplies than you think you'll need--it may save your life!

--Always take advantage of the Pokemon Center--not only do they care for Pokemon, there's lodging and amenities for the trainer too.

--Take the time to see the sights in each place you visit, no matter how lame or overpriced they may be.

Point duly noted. I grinned as I skimmed through the book. Callum had thought of everything: first aid, emergency procedures, campfire friendly recipes, both well known, and not so well known sights in Kalos, and something personalized for each person--in Tierno's, he had included a section on ethnic dances of Kalos. Trevor's had a section on where to see rare Pokemon, and mine had the text of several folktales he figured I would like, plus the lyrics and chords to some songs--some from Kalos, and some from other regions I had never heard before.

"Thanks, Callum! I'm gonna cherish this forever!" Shauna smiled as she flipped through her book's personalized section--Kalosian theater and fashion.

"Yes, thank you..." I agreed. "I can't wait to learn some of these songs and play them!"

[Zenith Avalon]

I loved these interludes and chapter! That story with the Noivern was fantastic! It felt like a real folklore story. You have so much creativity, Sky! I also like that you're going to give more of a backstory on Tierno and Trevor. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

[EmeraldSky]

Thank you--I didn't want this story to become a trainer parade like the game, so most of the trainers you would fight in the game, Serena will befriend or help.

Callum's Adventure Rules are essentially a tutorial in game, so I modified that to include real Pokeworld traveling advice, and a little big of a travel guide as well.

[FedoraChar]

LoL! I'm glad that someone else caught the fact that Youngster Joey made a return in X and Y! When I saw that, I was laughing my head off! Still, I think his Rattata is a higher percentage than anything else. It's not like other Rattata.

I know we still got more city scenes ahead of us, but I'm really curious to see what Serena's next Pokemon is going to be :O

[EmeraldSky]

You'll find out after Serena receives her first badge

[EmeraldSky]

Episode 5: The Sights of Santalune


"So, what does everyone want to do when we get to Santalune City?" Callum asked us as we walked down the path.

Tierno sweatdropped. "Um...Trevor n' me are not going directly there..."

"Yeah, we wanna see what other Pokemon we can find." Trevor agreed before following Tierno down the path.

"I want to check out the shops there--what's a trip without souvenirs?" Shauna grinned.

"What about you, Callum?" I asked. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna challenge Viola, the Gym Leader." he replied as the dirt path turned into cobblestones, heralding the city entrance.

"I may do that too, after seeing the sights." I explained. "But before I do ANYTHING, I'm going to head for the Pokemon Center."

With that, I located the familiar red roofed building sandwiched in between two clothing shops in the heart of the shopping district. The one on the left sold T-shirts and other trinkets for tourists, and the other appeared to be a nicer boutique

"Good morning!" Nurse Joy smiled as I made my way inside.

After recalling my three Pokemon into their balls, I strolled up to the counter. "I need these three healed, please...."

"All right--just have a seat over there, and Muna will bring your Pokemon out to you shortly." Nurse Joy explained, pointing out some couches by the left windows. Some trainers were dozing on them, some were playing with young Pokemon (particularly one young boy with a Pichu romping on the floor), and still others were reading or using some of the phones to call friends or family.

Inspired, I decided to call Mom and update her on my progress. There was one vacant phone by an employee entrance, so I inserted a coin and dialed home.

"Hello?" Mom's face blipped on the screen.

"Hi, Mom--just wanting to let you know we made it to Santalune City." I began. "Right now, I'm healing my Pokemon, but as soon as that's done, I'm gonna meet Shauna and do a little shopping before we battle for our first badge."

"Viola uses bug Pokemon, so you and Kitsune should be just fine." Mom assured me.

"If Kitsune falls, I have a Fletchling and a Pikachu as backup." I added.

We visited for another few minutes, but a Chansey arrived with my three Pokemon on a gurney just as I said goodbye. [Here you are, good as new!]

[Oh, it feels so good to stretch my wings!] Rouge smiled as she stretched her wings and flapped them a little before flitting on my shoulder.

"Thank you." I told the Chansey as I shepherded Kitsune and Lita to my side.

Just then, Tierno arrived in the Pokemon Center. He grinned when he found me. "Well! Fancy seeing you here! Our Pokemon hunt didn't go so well..." he sighed as he handed over his Poke Balls to Nurse Joy.

"I'm gonna go do some window shopping with Shauna." I smiled as I departed. Tierno just sighed as he plopped onto a vacant couch--shopping was one of those girly things he didn't understand.

Shauna met me at the boutique next to the Pokemon Center. "This place sells hats and accessories! You need a hat befitting a strong trainer, Ruby-san!"

I looked up at my red hat and white sunglasses--while I didn't see anything wrong with my current hat, there was also nothing wrong with looking. Besides, if I found a really special hat, I could just send my current hat home via PC.

"Okay, Shauna..." I smiled as we entered the boutique. "I'll try on some hats, and you tell me how you like them. The one that gets the best reaction, I'll buy."

"That works!" Shauna grinned.

The first hat I tried was a blue beret. "I don't think so..." Shauna sighed.

Next came a tan bucket hat. "Definitely not." Shauna told me, so back in the fitting room I went.

"Mmm...nah..." was her reaction to a grey porkpie hat

"That's a little better..." She seemed to like me in a newsboy cap.

"Ew!" she winced when she saw me a droopy sun hat with black polka dots.

I next emerged in a red fedora with a Fletchling feather for trim. "YEAH!" Shauna cheered. "Perfect!"

[Serena Dragonswift and the Temple of Secrets!] Kitsune sighed dreamily as she pictured me as a brave explorer in an old timey movie serial.

"Okay, I'll buy this one." I told Kitsune.

So 2600 credits later (2100 for the hat, and 500 for the feather), I was the hat's proud owner. But 2600 credits was pocket change compared to the initial 100,000 I started with.

Shauna wanted to buy a postcard for her family, so we bought one depicting the Roselia fountain in the town square. Then we watched the students of the trainer's school play on the playground while Shauna filled in all we had done so far.

As Shauna was working, a black haired girl skated up to us. "I haven't seen you guys around before...where you headed?"

"Oh, we were just exploring town and needed a break." I replied. "I'm Serena..."

"I'm Rinka." the skater grinned. "What brings you here to Santalune? The Trainer's School?"

"We mainly came to take on Viola..." I explained.

"Okay...you probably know she's famous for her pictures." Rinka explained. "But she has an equally famous sister--Alexa, the drama and novel critic for the Lumiose Times. If your play or novel impresses her, it has to be good."

"Cool!" Shauna smiled as she wrote the last sentence on her postcard.

Rinka then remembered a third pair of rollerblades she carried. "I've been looking to give these skates a home...so if one of your Pokemon can beat one of mine, I'll give them to you and I'll buy you coffee. Lose, and you have to buy me coffee."

"Fair by me." I grinned. "What flavor should I get, if I lose?"

"I like the Minty Frozen Mocha." Rinka showed me the picture of a frozen mocha with whipped cream, chocolate syrup on top, and mint leaves for garnish on a menuboard.

"Then I will try one for you if I win." I smiled.

---------

"Representing the Red side, brave explorer Serena!" Shauna announced as I took my place on the square with Rouge. "And representing the Blue side, blader Rinka!" Rinka skated into position with a Zigzagoon romping behind her.

Intrigued in the charming raccoon-like Pokemon, I looked at its Pokedex entry:

"Zigzagoon, the tinyraccoon Pokemon. It restlessly wanders everywhere at all times. This Pokemon does this because it is very curious, interested in anything it happens to see."

Sure enough, the Zigzagoon was looking around at the trees, the fountain, Kitsune and Lita, and my shoes. "Focus, Meeko." Rinka assured it, snapping it to attention.

"Red side ready?" Shauna announced. Rouge sang a confident little melody in reply. "Blue side ready?" Meeko yipped in reply, intrigued at the Fletchling before it.

"And three...two...one..." With that, Shauna blew a whistle to start the battle.

Rouge was caught off guard by the Zigzagoon rushing to headbutt it, and went flying a few inches backwards at impact. After regaining her bearings, she fired an Ember at her opponent, but it only singed the Zigzagoon's fur as it ran out of the way.

"You okay, Rouge?" I asked--she had taken a hard hit.

[I think so...] she groaned as she rubbed her head.

I held up three fingers. "How many fingers do you see?"

[Three...] Rouge replied. That was a relief--at least she had no serious head injury.

"Okay...use a Gust attack to pick your opponent up!" I ordered.

"Dodge and Tackle!" came Rinka's command.

Try as the Zigzagoon might to dodge, the Gust picked it up and dropped it, just as it had done to Kitsune. But the Zigzagoon still had a little strength left after ramming into Rouge again, and fired a blast of cold air--an Icy Wind! Granted, Rouge was part Fire, but the attack would still do major damage if Rouge didn't dodge.

Thankfully, Rouge flew out of the way, making me shiver a bit. "What? I thought that Icy Wind would seal the deal!" Rinka gasped.

[Heads up!] Rouge dove into the Zigzagoon, making it collapse on the pavement with a plop.

Yet Rinka didn't seem angry when Shauna blew the whistle and declared me the winner. "Wow! Most bird users aren't expecting Icy Wind, and fall like Venonats. Rouge is one brave birdie."

"And Meeko did well too." I agreed as we shook hands.

After healing Meeko at the Pokemon Center, Rinka made good on her promise. "I hope you'll take good care of these, and think of me when you skate in them..." she smiled as she presented me with a pair of red rollerblades. "You've earned them!"

"I promise I'll take care of them." I assured Rinka as we went inside the coffee shop to discuss our battle over Minty Frozen Mochas....

[Zenith Avalon]

LoL! I'm glad that someone else caught the fact that Youngster Joey made a return in X and Y! When I saw that, I was laughing my head off! Still, I think his Rattata is a higher percentage than anything else. It's not like other Rattata.

I know we still got more city scenes ahead of us, but I'm really curious to see what Serena's next Pokemon is going to be :O

OMG, yes!! I just got my copy of Y yesterday, and when Youngster Joey appeared, my jaw hit the floor. I laughed SO hard! I couldn't believe he made a comeback in X/Y. So awesome!