Chapter 8: Santalune Forest 2/2

With Iris and Tierno turning in for the night, all that's left is me and Trevor sitting across from each other by the fire. The night is peaceful, with the only sound being the crackle of the fire to keep us company with both of our pokemon resting beside us, but I can tell from the twitch of Pikachu's ears that they are listening out for any sounds that could give away a hostile pokemon.

"You know, I think this is the first time that I've been out of a city this long or even slept in the woods." Trevor strikes up a conversation perhaps wanting to kill the time or maybe calm his nerves. "I've always been in Lumiose studying about various pokemon to hopefully one day help out Professor Sycamore and maybe even complete a pokedex on my own, although I had no idea what a goal like that really meant until I actually had to step out of a city."

I listen quietly while he speaks not wanting to interrupt him in his story. I could tell already, but he seemed very uncomfortable the longer we spent traveling, and I could tell he really was outside his element. From what I can tell now, he's never left his comfort zone up until now, and it must be a bit of a shock at how different everything is compared to his home city.

"Everyday I spent hours upon hours cramped up in a room reading books or articles online on various subjects that I thought would help me with filling out my pokedex, but I never knew what it'd be like out here. Every day, all I saw were the same four walls of my house or library and the same familiar walls that surround Lumiose, not once considering the potential dangers that could lie outside them. Maybe I was way too naive in thinking that my goal would be easy."

It's true. If I had to compare him with anyone, his situation isn't so dissimilar to mine or Iris's. Both of us have a hard time adapting to city life because we've only known our small village, so we can't feel at peace in the larger cities and end up feeling alienated. But Trevor has only known the city since his birth, so he is experiencing the exact opposite, where he can't rest outside of them.

"Seeing how calm you and Iris were while we were traveling today i realized just how sheltered i am. I don't have the same type of endurance or knowledge about survival skills that you two do. Heck, I wouldn't even be able to tell what sticks to gather or what berries to pick in order to give them to my Pokemon or me to eat. Yet you two managed to take charge and make this whole jaunt into the forest so far so easy that it almost makes my anxiety up until now seem silly."

With his head tipped up watching the embers rise into the air from the fire i can see the troubled expression worn on his face clearly. He's been so caught up in his mind comparing himself to us that he has become disillusioned with his dreams. If he keeps going down this self-depreciating path, he might feel like he has to prove himself and take unnecessary risks in the future.

"i don't think you should compare yourself to both of us. The village where we came from was surrounded by mountains, and we spent a lot of time in the forests that surrounded it. it wasn't a big place but it was large enough where everyone felt like family and helped one another when they needed it. Truth be told, just as you struggle with being out here, me and Iris struggle with being in large cities. I can speak from personal experience; my first time in a large city surrounded by people and vehicles was actually Jubilife in Sinnoh. At that time, I found the dull grays and pollution in the air to be a far cry from the vivid colors and air of the village. It made me feel like I was some foreign creature in an unknown land." I remember how shocked I was to see such a place. While it was a spectacle, I felt like nobody took the time to actually look at the people around them; they merely moved mechanically about, not caring about what went on around them.

"I had to learn this lesson pretty recently, but don't envy someone just because they seem to have a different experience than you. Sometimes the people who seem to be the most carefree and smile the most are actually the ones hurting the most on the inside. I may seem strong, but that's merely because these are experiences that I'm familiar with, but in an environment that I'm not used to, like Lumiose, I find myself feeling enclosed, like I've been locked away in a box, and wishing to be released."

With my conversation with Iris the night before still fresh in my mind, I can only give him my honest advice, as to an extent, it's exactly how I felt. I'm still not completely comfortable with cities, and I'm sure Iris still doesn't like them too much, but I'm sure that we'll be able to work through our problems if we keep working at them one day at a time. All we need is the resolve to take the first step and tackle things outside our comfort zone.

"Let me give you a little piece of advice. Enduring won't make you strong, and breaking down won't make you weak. Everyone handles their problems differently, and some deal with stressful situations better than others, but nobody is invincible. We all have our moments of weakness and should be allowed to express those moments freely without fear of retribution, so just rely on your friends, okay? We'll help you with whatever you can't carry by yourself." After finishing my spiel, I give him a radiant smile that I hope reassures him that he doesn't need to bear his problems all on his own.

It seems to have had the intended effect, as he looks back at me with widened eyes before giving a soft smile in turn, looking as though a huge worry had been lifted.

"Thanks Saya." he takes a moment to consider my words. "I know I'm not the strongest, and I probably won't be, but I won't give up without having given it my best shot and done all I can to make my dream succeed, so just watch me!"

With renewed vigor, Trevor offers his own declaration with his newfound resolve, making me beam that he found himself again without the need for a major incident to happen. After a few more hours of talking, with the only incident to note being a Spinarak that scuttled a little too close to the perimeter of our camp, it was time to wake up the other two in order to take over the watch before we turned in for the night.

Just like that, the next day and a half passed without any major incident; in fact, it was peaceful, with the only thing to note being that me and Iris noticed what we thought to be a Combee in the distance of the forest but quickly shook off the idea as it would have been in hiding if there was a horde of Beedrill roaming around.

Finally, after a few hours, we reach the edge of the forest, if the bright light at the entrance between the trees is any indicator. looking at my travel companions i can't help but grin as i break into a sprint for the exit causing the three of them to have to run after me or risk being left behind. What awaits us when we make it out is a breathtaking view. a stone town that doesn't seem too cold build next to a river with a bridge that allows passage over it. From within the water, we can see various Water types, from vaulting Magikarp to floating Goldeen to even a Surskit skating across the surface of the water, painting a tranquil scene.

Crossing the bridge and making our way into the town the first thing that greets our sight is a fountain centered in the middle of a plaza filled with various stores and to the north there's a set of stairs leading to different outdoor cafes and even an Inn on the left side along with a pokemon center that looks smaller than the ones i'm familiar with in Lumiose and Santalune. Making our way into the center, we head to the reception desk.

"Welcome to Aquacorde's Pokemon Center. Is this your first time here perhaps?" The Nurse Joy in charge of the desk asks as we check in our Pokemon to have them checked up.

"Yes, we came here from Lumiose on a request from Professor Sycamore in order to bring some Pokemon to some new trainers in Vaniville. Do you happen to know who they are or maybe where we can expect to find them?" Tierno informs the nurse, as he has been the one carrying the parcel of starters the entire time. An interesting thing about pokeballs is that while inside, each pokemon has an environment that is virtually generated for them so that they can rest and, in doing so, only need to be let out to eat as they don't expend any energy from within them.

Hmm, I think I may know which ones you are talking about; one of them just moved in two days ago with her mom from Kanto, and the other two have lived here for quite some time. If you want, I can have a messenger pokemon get them while your group rests at one of the cafes next door." She offers, and seeing how our Pokemon's checkup will take a while, we decide to take her up on her offer.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you very much." i reply in acceptance to her suggestion letting my pokemon know that i'll be back to get them who both wave us goodbye along with Axew. Perhaps taking a bit after Tusk Dragon the past couple days, Gible has been wanting to stay outside of her pokeball a bit more and has even had some light spars in the forest. Of course, nothing too taxing, as we still needed to be able to respond to any sudden threats, and tiring yourself out before that would be foolish.

Finding a table with eight seats available, we let the waitress standing by know that we'd like to order and that we are expecting about three more occupants to be on their way and to let them know we would be here before she walks off.

After about a half hour, the waitress comes back and informs us that the three new trainers we're supposed to meet have just arrived. Right behind her, we see two girls and a boy with rather varied expressions. the boy who is wearing a blue jacket black pants and shoes and hat has a rather schooled expression but you can see hints of anticipation that lies within his eyes. The taller girl, who has blonde hair and is wearing a black sleeveless blouse and red skirt with black thigh-high socks and shoes, has a rather confused expression and honestly seems a bit lost as to what's going on. While the shorter girl is easily the most excited among the group, she is wearing a pink short-sleeve shirt with black ribbons, shorts with black ruffles, and pink lace-up sandals with verdant green eyes that show her energetic personality.

Seeing how everyone is accounted for, I offer for them all to sit down and order something so that we can relax before we get to the introductions.