Uptown Gal

May clicked her tongue with each squelching step she took. Fallarbor Town wasn’t exactly known for their swamps, but after a good rare rain, the water and ash mixed to make just that. May kind of like how the ground sucked at her feet, but it wasn’t the greatest for stealth. She had a feeling she was scaring away any pokemon in the area. A shame that. Shroomish were shy enough as it was. She had come all this way to because she had heard Shroomish that lived in ash tended to be a different color and they usually came out after a good rain. She had also heard that they were difficult to find and the young woman had a feeling she knew why now.

May rushed up a hill close to Fallarbor’s famous hot springs, ignoring how the mud splattered onto her legs. Up here, she might get a better idea of where things were. “Well, this is promising…” she said as she looked around and could only see mud and bushes for miles. She blew a raspberry at her predicament. Maybe she would have to give up on this one.

Then, there was a rustling in the bushes nearby. Oh, this might be it. May slowly took out a pokeball, rolling it in her hand. She threw it in the mess of bushes only to be met by a groan that was distinctly human.

Oh, well, catching Pokemon will make me happy again! Professor Elm will be sooo happy if I catch Pokemon we can't find in Johto! That was true, and that was also the biggest excuse for her to come on this journey. It... wasn't even her intention. But Lyra knew that she would anyway, so, no big deal. Right?

By the time she'd reached the outskirts, Lyra had mud splattered on her socks--her white socks. Trying not to stifle a groan, and trying to stay positive, the teen began searching for Pokemon; tip-toeing around as if none would notice her that way. Haha, as if that were true. She was a naturally loud person, unintentionally. Hey, I think I heard something! Excitement returning, Lyra scanned around looking for the source of the sound, when something hit her on the back of heard head.

"Oh--! Ouchie.." The girl yelped, rubbing at the back of her head. "What the heck was that?" Shifting her head around, Lyra spotted a Pokeball beside her. It couldn't have been one of hers. Was it just.... thrown at her?

Suddenly, another girl revealed herself in the opening, clearly in shock. Lyra immediately came to the conclusion that she'd thrown the Pokeball--thinking there was a Pokemon back here. Admittingly, Lyra had made that mistake quite often. Which was sad, because again, it happened often. 

Skipping past the town sign, a wide grin plastered her face now that Lyra had finally made it here. And it was very pretty. You were supposed to be able to catch a glimpse of the water sparkling here; and that it was always fun to just stare at. Lyra figured a moment of not moving was a good idea. She was energetic and moved constantly. Now to head over to watch the water!

Passing the side of one house, when Lyra got to the front--she merely just stood there. She could see the water from in front of the house that lie right smack-dab in the middle of town. "Whoa, so pre-----"

Goldenrod City, Johto, was a place Avery had never ventured, had never seen himself visiting. But it was summer now, and a customer had dialed his PokeNav inquiring about if he had those things from Johto that help with contests? The Breeder scratched his head, pausing for a moment until the young trainer progressed further with the explanation. They’re like.. acorns..wait, no Apricorns! He knew jobs requested by those in Hoenn usually consisted of PokeBlocks, but perhaps they were going out of style. He was trusted with the duty of familiarizing himself with the unique item, as well as getting a shipment to those in Hoenn as soon as possible.

But no job seemed too much for Avery. The Breeder now found himself outside a large dome, walking in circles across the tiled perimeter. The first step was done—find the Apricorns. There was a woman selling them at her booth, mixing the best ApriJuice you ever tasted! Avery had asked her about the fruits, where he could find them and if there was anyone he could talk to for more information. That’s when she shoved a map against the pocket of his overalls, instructing him to go to Azalea Town and talk to a man whose name he’s already forgotten. But for a visitor, someone who couldn’t read, those instructions weren’t clear enough.

'N' how do I get to Azalea Town, miss?

The woman rushed to fill cups with the sample of her juice blend. It’s just right down that way. Can’t you see I’m kind of busy? Goodbye now. 

Clutching the useless map, Avery let out a defeated sigh. And he began his umpteenth circle around the dome. That was, until a gentle tap on his shoulder caught his attention.

You look kinda lost…the young girl had no trouble speaking to a stranger. Especially one that was an apparent foreigner. Avery eyed her Ampharos, the condition in which she kept it. It’s positive health was evident. Ooh! I can help, if you want.

Her thoughts were broken when he finally spoke up--it actually wasn't very long, but Lyra's pretty impatient sometimes. So it turned out he was looking for Azalea Town. It wasn't exactly that far away but there was the Ilex Forest to consider. The brunette would make sure to warn him of that.

"You came to the right person!" She chirped happily. Though, in reality, it had been the other way around in the first place. Lyra pointed south. "Y'know Goldenrod City? You go through there and--Oh, I almost forgot! You'll have to go through Ilex Forest to get there also! It's full of bug types--"

To keep herself from rambling on, Lyra immediately stopped talking for a moment. She was supposed to be helping him out--not starting a conversation! She laughed.

"Oopsie. Sorry about that," She apologized, dipping her head. "But, yeah, just go straight from Goldenrod... then Ilex Forest...."

She made it seem easier than it was. Forests are always a pain to travel in. That actually caused her to stop talking completely this time, worrying that the boy would get lost in the forest. The teen didn't exactly want a foreigner to have a bad experience in Johto. Lyra knew what she was going to do.