#jttr

. . .

Downstairs, Brandon let out a chuckle as he heard Eevee and Aeryn. He looked down to see his evolved Eevee, Leafeon, the Verdant Pokémon walking up to him.

“Leafeon,”

“Reminds me of you waking me up on our journey, doesn’t it?” Brandon asked kneeling to the ground and petting her.

“Eon,” Leafeon said rubbing against Brandon.

“Eevee, I told you a million times to NOT WAKE ME UP WITH TACKLE!” he heard Aeryn yell.

Brandon chuckled and stood up, “Aeryn, you need to get moving now! You’ll have to have Charizard fly you to the airport!”

“AH! I HAVE ONLY 20 MINUTES TO GET THERE! WHY DIDN’T YOU WAKE ME UP SOONER BRANDON?!?!?!” Aeryn yelled.

A minute later, Aeryn’s Eevee came hopping down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“Eevee!”

Brandon just smiled and gave Eevee a bowl of Pokémon food, “Eat up. Aeryn should be down here in three, two...”

Before he got to one, Aeryn came running down the stairs, pulling her pale blonde hair into a ponytail and trying to get her jeans tucked into her boots. Thankfully, Eevee had finished a good portion of her food before being scooped up by Aeryn.

Eevee climbed onto Aeryn’s shoulder as her trainer pulled on her red-and-black backpack (which was packed last night by both her and Brandon, though she wasn’t aware of the latter). “Gotta go! I’ll call when I get to Kanto! Charizard, let’s go!” she yelled running through the back door before Brandon could say anything.

Brandon and Leafeon walked to the back door to see Aeryn hop onto his Charizard’s back.

“Your plane ticket is in your backpack!” Brandon shouted as Charizard began to flap his wings. “Along with your Pokédex from Professor Sycamore and your Trainer’s Card!”

“OK, thanks, Brandon!” Aeryn said waving to Brandon and Leafeon.

“Eevee!” Eevee called waving her paw.

“There’s also something else for you in your backpack! Look at it on the plane!” Brandon called as Charizard took to the air.

“Alright, bye!”

. . .

Over at the Lumiose City Airport, a young girl was waiting for Aeryn. This girl was Bailey Ketchum, the daughter of Ash and Serena Ketchum. Though she didn’t look like she was Ash’s daughter, since she got her looks from her mother, she did have her father’s fighting spirit.

Ooh Aeryn, where are you? Bailey thought.

“Bailey, I’m here!” Bailey turned to her left to see her best friend running over with Eevee hanging onto her shoulder.

“Aeryn! You almost didn’t make it!” Bailey said as her friend reached her.

Aeryn looked up at Bailey after catching her breath. “Blame Brandon. He didn’t wake me up!”

“Eevee, Eevee, vee!” Eevee said.

“I did not oversleep!” Aeryn cried looking at Eevee but the Evolution Pokémon gave her trainer a deadpan look.

“Vee,”

“Be quiet Eevee,” Aeryn muttered. “Let’s go,”

Bailey rolled her eyes as the two handed their plane tickets in and walked down the ramp to the plane.

“So, where’s your Pokémon?” Aeryn asked as they stopped and waited behind some adults.

“Remember last year, when Zachary and I went to see Grandma Delia when Mom and Dad had to go out of town and Grandma Grace couldn’t watch us because she was out of town for a Rhyhorn Race thing?”

“Oh yeah,” Aeryn said as they got to their seats and began to take their backpacks off and place them under their seats. “I remember that,”

It was back when they were about seven, a year before Dallas had gone missing. Thankfully, it was summer vacation so Bailey wasn’t missing any school, but she and Aeryn weren’t able to see each other for about three months.

“Anyway, I met my Ralts there. He was very scared and timid but being the Feeling Pokémon and all, he could sense me I guess. We became friends and played every day. But when it was time for me to go home, he didn’t want me to go. He sort of expressed to me that he wanted to come with. Gary thought I was too young, he and Mia argued about it but Mom and Dad said yes, as it would be a good thing for me.”

“Oh wow,”

“Yeah, oh here. Ralts, come on out,” Bailey held a Pokéball in her hand and coming out of the red and white ball was the Feeling Pokémon, but to Aeryn’s shock, it was an unusual color! And plus, sparkles appeared when the Feeling Pokémon came out of the Pokéball.

“Ralts!” The Feeling Pokémon cried out with its arms in the air.

“Eevee!”  Eevee waved to Ralts who waved back.

Aeryn dug into her backpack and pulled out her Pokédex (1). Appearing on the screen was the normal green coloring of the Feeling Pokémon and then a female voice spoke.

“Ralts, the Feeling Pokémon. It can use the horns on its head to read human emotions. Ralts rarely shows itself to humans, but may occasionally approach when it senses positive or happy feelings.”

“Wow,” Aeryn said. “Yours is an unusual color, but I like it,” she said as she and Bailey watched the Pokémon play at their feet. “Oh! I almost forgot Brandon, said he packed something for me,”

Reaching down, Aeryn pulled her backpack up once more and dug around. After two minutes, she pulled something out. It was a dark blue object (2). “Huh”

“Hey, that’s a Pokégear. Dad said Brock got one during his Sinnoh journey from Khoury’s father.” Bailey said.

Aeryn opened the Pokégear and saw a message written on a sticky note. “Good luck with your journey. My number is already in the Pokégear. Call if you need anything. Brandon,” Aeryn read with a smile forming.

Bailey giggled. “I get your brother is overprotective, but I think, in this case, it’s a good thing.”

“Yeah...” Aeryn trailed off looking through the window to see them still at the airport. “He dropped everything for me...”

As she watched Eevee play with Ralts, Aeryn thought back to when she and Eevee first met.

[Flashback; 5 years ago]

Eight-year-old Aeryn was coming home after playing with Bailey all day. Serena had driven her home since it was getting dark and neither Serena or Ash wanted the eight-year-old to walk home by herself, especially considering that the Ketchum family lived far from the central city. Brandon was off his Pokémon Journey but did call every time he reached a Pokémon Center. Last, she heard, Charmeleon had evolved into Charizard during the battle with Blaine, the Kanto Region’s Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island. And Brandon’s girlfriend, Dana, had evolved her Alolan Ninetales.

“Daddy, I’m home!” Aeryn called into the house closing the front door after waving goodbye to Serena.

“Kitchen!” Dallas Farren called and Aeryn skipped into the kitchen to see her father standing by the stove.

Dallas Farren was a tall slightly muscular man with light blonde hair and light pale blue eyes, traits that both Brandon and Aeryn inherited–which Dallas was thankful for. Though now, his blonde hair was just a little bit darker due to his age. Despite being in his late thirties, people thought he was in his late twenties.

“Hey sweetie, have fun at Bailey’s?” Dallas asked kneeling to catch his young daughter as she jumped into his arms.

“Uh huh! We got to play with her Daddy’s Pokémon! Serena was nearby to watch us,” the eight-year-old said as Dallas stood up.

“That’s fantastic,” Dallas looked over Aeryn’s head to see something brown peeking in on them. Dallas smiled, “Aeryn, I have something for you,”

Aeryn looked up at her father with confusion in her eyes as he placed her back on the ground. She saw Dallas make a “come here” motion with his hand to something behind her.

Turning, Aeryn’s light blue eyes widen. “It’s an Eevee!”

“Eevee!” the Evolution Pokémon cried.

Aeryn looked up at her father.

“I found Eevee after I finished a mission. She started following me. I was going to take her someplace safe but figured it’d be better if you have her. It took a while for me to capture her, but I did. She’s yours now,” Dallas pulled a Pokéball from his jacket pocket and placed it in Aeryn’s hand.

“But...” Aeryn trailed off, not even sure what to ask.

Dallas just smiled. “You are young, yes, but I think having you take care of a Pokémon young will help you on your Pokémon journey,”

“Eevee!” Eevee jumped into Aeryn’s arms, surprising the young girl.

Aeryn looked at Eevee and then to her father. A smiled formed on her face. “I promise to take care of Eevee!”

“I know you will,” Dallas said with a smile.

[End Flashback]

Aeryn shook herself out of her flashback. But she couldn’t help but think of her father. His job as a Pokémon Hunter was dangerous since he’d be constantly chased by the Police. He did get caught once, but once he explained why he was doing it, the Police decided to have him continue working but undercover. He was working undercover with some Hunters when he went missing.

Looking over, she saw that Bailey and Ralts were asleep. It would take a few hours to get to Kanto, so getting sleep was a good thing. Wrapping her arms around the sleeping Eevee, Aeryn followed suit. I’ll find you Dad...wherever you are... she thought before falling asleep herself.

. . .

“Excuse me, children, we’re here.” Aeryn heard a female voice. Yawning, she slowly opened her eyes to find herself looking at one of the flight attendants.

“Huh?”

“We’ve arrived in Viridian City,” she said.

Aeryn blinked. “Oh! Oh! Thank you,” she said shaking Eevee awake who in turn shook Ralts awake.

The woman nodded and walked away.

“Bailey, wake up!” Aeryn shook the sleeping girl, which was hard, since Bailey gained her father’s sleeping habits.

When Bailey made no sign to wake up, Aeryn looked at Ralts.

“Ralts?” the Feeling Pokémon asked tilting its head to the side.

Aeryn pulled her Pokédex out and typed something hoping to find Ralts’ move set. After a few seconds of tapping, she found it. “Ralts knows the following moves: Psychic, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt.”

“Huh, you know Thunderbolt...that gives me an idea,” Aeryn pocketed her Pokédex. “Hey Ralts, can you give Bailey a small Thunderbolt to wake her up?”

The Feeling Pokémon nodded. It placed its arm on Bailey’s hand. “Ralts!” it cried yellow electricity surrounding its body and then surrounding Bailey.

“AAAAHHHHH!”

. . .

Bailey glared at Aeryn as they walked through the airport. “You had to use Ralts’ Thunderbolt,”

Aeryn shrugged. “Not my fault you got your dad’s sleeping patterns. Plus, it was the only thing I could think of. Be happy you have Thunderbolt to wake you. I have Eevee using Tackle on me full force!”

Bailey stared at Aeryn. “Full Tackle Attack?”

“Ralts?” Ralts leaned its head to the right, surprised at what Aeryn said.

“Vee,” Eevee said with an nod of her head as she hung onto Aeryn’s shoulder.

Aeryn sighed and lightly smacked Eevee, causing the Evolution Pokémon to glare at her trainer.

“Don’t ever wake me up like that again Eevee. Or you are going in your Pokéball for an afternoon,” Aeryn said surprising Bailey.

“Vee,” Eevee said with a pout, which only got Aeryn to roll her eyes.

. . .

“We’ve arrived at Viridian City,” Aeryn said to Brandon.

Bailey and Aeryn arrived at the Viridian City Pokémon Center just about twenty minutes after arriving. Bailey was talking to her parents.

“That’s good,” Brandon said. “What’s your plan for tonight?” the older Farren sibling asked, as he leaned against the couch. The Video Phone was equipped with their T.V. something their father had installed before he disappeared

“We plan to make it as far as we can on Route 2 towards Pewter City. Since it’s already noon, we don’t have much time. We’ll make it to Pewter by tomorrow no matter what,”

Brandon gave a nod. “Alrighty. Just be careful. You will run into Wild Pokémon, but you can catch them. The Pewter City Gym is a Rock-type Gym so having Pokémon like Water and Grass types would be good. But also, Pokémon that can use Fighting, Ground, Steel, Water, Grass and Ice-type moves.”

Aeryn nodded and pulled something out of her backpack. It was a Kalos Town Map, something Bailey’s mother used during her travels, but unlike Serena’s, Aeryn’s was a dark gray color.

“Hmm looks like Kanto Route 2 has a lot of Normal and Flying-types and some Bug and Poison types. Not many can work, but then again, I can make it work,” Aeryn said closing her Town Map.

“Good call,” Brandon said. “Listen, I have to go, I’m meeting Dana in town,”

Aeryn smiled at hearing Dana’s name. She was glad her brother had Dana. She was able to help him when their father first went missing. Aeryn had Bailey to help but Brandon didn’t really have anyone until Aeryn finally met Dana. Thanks to her, Brandon didn’t stay down a dark path.

“OK, bye Brandon. I’ll call when I get to Pewter City.” Brandon nodded and Aeryn ended the call.

“Ready to hit Route 2?” Bailey asked as Aeryn turned in her seat.

“You know it,”

. . .

Later, on Route 2...

Aeryn stared at the Pokémon front of it. It was black and light blue. It looked like a Pokémon she saw in one of her books back home.

“Hey, it’s a Shinx,” Bailey said coming up behind Aeryn, surprising the light-haired blonde.

After arriving on Route 2, Bailey had run off seeing a Bug-type she wanted to catch. She and Aeryn decided to meet each other later, on Route and the two went their separate ways. Aeryn guessed that either Bailey caught the Pokémon or she didn’t. Aeryn would find out later.

Aeryn dug into her pocket and pulled out her Pokédex and held it up. “Shinx, the Flash Pokémon. When Shinx flexes its muscles, it generates electricity. When sensing danger, its fur glistens.”

“I remember now,” Aeryn murmured placing her Pokédex back in her pocket, “Shinx are native to Sinnoh. But that doesn’t matter. I’m going to catch it, having at least one Pokémon when we get to Pewter City will work for me. Let’s go Eevee!”

“Vee!” Eevee jumped off Aeryn’s shoulder and stood across from the Flash Pokémon ready to help Aeryn catch it.

Will Aeryn catch Shinx? Stay tuned to find out!

Current Pokémon

Aeryn: Eevee [F]

Bailey: Ralts [M]

(1): The one used in the start of the Kalos season.