As I head through New Bark Town towards Route 29, I talk
to my Cyndaquil briefly. It tells me that its name is Firebrand. It seems happy
to go with me, and we both agree to look forward to having many happy
adventures together. The journey to Mr. Pokémon's house can't be far, and the Pokémon
inhabiting Route 29 can't be that difficult to fight.
Route 29, like most routes in Johto, is fairly narrow,
with thick trees surrounding it on all sides. Ledges restrict one's movement,
while patches of tall grass all around hide wild Pokémon within. We watch our
step as we progress, for Pokémon could attack at any moment.
It's not long before we reach a spot where the only way
forwards is through the tall grass. Without any choice, we set foot inside it
and are immediately set upon by a wild Pidgey. I'm not daunted. "Firebrand,
use Tackle!" I say. Firebrand Tackles the Pidgey away from me, and it
responds with a Growl. Two more Tackles and the Pidgey is down, with Firebrand
barely scratched. It seems as though my companion will definitely come in handy
on my journey, although I'm sure that won't be the last of them.
A dozen steps later and we're attacked by a Rattata. This
time Firebrand takes it down without taking a single hit, and we escape the
first patch of grass. Progressing up a nearby ledge, we wind our way along the
path and into another patch of grass. This time we pass through without
incident, though when we reach a third patch of grass a short distance away,
another Rattata appears. This one's refuses to go down without a fight,
responding to Firebrand's first Tackle with one of its own, but Firebrand still
prevails, and appears to have gotten a little stronger from the encounter.
On a ledge above us to our right, I can see an Oran Berry
tree with a ripe Oran Berry hanging down from its branches. Its healing
properties might come in handy if Firebrand takes any more damage, so I climb
up, pick it, and take it with me. As I climb down, I can see Cherrygrove City
in the distance. Firebrand and I press on, and make it there without further
incident.
On the outskirts of the city, I'm approached by an old
man, who seems to have noticed Firebrand at my side. "You're a rookie
trainer, aren't you?" he asks. "I can tell!"
"Oh, I'm not a trainer," I reply. "I'm
just carrying out a mission for a friend: this Pokémon is my protection."
The old man doesn't seem to get it. "It's
okay," he says. "Everyone is a rookie at some point! If you'd like, I
can teach you a few things to help you out on your journey. How about it?"
I figure that it might be worth knowing a few things,
just in case there are any complications while I'm on this journey. Besides, he
probably won't take no for an answer. "Sure," I say. "Why not?"
"Okay then!" says the old man. "Follow
me!" Turning around, he heads off into Cherrygrove itself, and Firebrand
and I follow behind him. It's not long before we arrive at a building with a
bright red roof and a Poké Ball logo on the front. "This is a Pokémon Centre,"
the man explains. "They'll heal your Pokémon for you in no time at all,
and it's all free, too! You'll be relying on them a lot, so look out for
them." I nod. A place like this will definitely come in handy if Firebrand
gets seriously hurt.
The old man continues on his way, and a little further
down the street we arrive at a building with a bright blue roof. "This is
a Poké Mart," says the man. "They sell Poké Balls for catching wild Pokémon,
Potions for healing your Pokémon, and a whole host of other useful items."
I don't have much money, but if I do get some, then a few Poké Balls and
Potions will come in handy. That way I can get a few other Pokémon for extra
protection, and I can heal them without having to traipse all the way back to
the nearest town.
A little way further on, the man points down a path
leading north. "Route 30 is out that way," he says. I take note of
it, since this is where I'm headed, but the man continues: "There are a
few other trainers out there, battling their prized Pokémon. If you don't want
to battle, you'll have to stay clear of them."
As we keep heading west, soon I can smell the salty sea
air. I recognize the smell from my hometown, which isn't too far from the coast
either. Soon we're walking right beside the coastline. "This is the sea,
obviously," says the old man. "Some Pokémon are found only in water,
so you might want to try fishing sometime."
We circle back round, heading east again and into the
residential area of the city. It doesn't seem like a large city, so I'm not too
worried about losing my way and not being able to find the entrance to Route 30
again. Eventually, we arrive at a small terraced cottage. "And this here… is
my house!" says the old man. "Thanks for your company. Let me give
you a little something to help you on your way."
Reaching into his pocket, the man pulls out what looks
like an SD card and hands it to me. "This is a Map Card for your Pokégear,"
he explains. "You have a Pokégear, right?" I nod. "Then you'll
be wanting to get more Cards for it. The more Cards you get, the more useful it
is. Here: slide it in that slot, and you'll be able to view a map of the whole
region, with your current location marked on it. Isn't that handy?"
I don't have the heart to tell the old man that my Pokégear
already has all the Cards installed, including the Map Card, so instead I just
smile and nod. "Thank you, sir," I tell him.
"I wish you good luck on your journey," says
the old man, before waving goodbye. I wave goodbye back, and the man turns and
heads into his house.
With the encounter over, I set about preparing for the
next leg of my journey, across Route 30 to Mr. Pokémon's house. I start by
heading to the Pokémon Centre to heal Firebrand, and to acquaint myself with
the place. If I'm going to be relying on it as much as the old man had
suggested, I should know what to expect when I go inside.
Inside the Pokémon Centre, it's fairly warm and inviting,
with a pink tiled floor and several comfrtable-looking seats to sit in while
you wait. There's a computer in the corner as well, for organizing your Pokémon.
At the front desk is a woman in a nurse's outfit, complete with hat, and who
smiles broadly at me as I approach. "Good morning," she says.
"Welcome to our Pokémon Centre. We can heal your Pokémon back to perfect
health. Would you like us to heal your Pokémon?"
"Yes, please," I say, sending Firebrand back
into his Poké Ball.
"Okay then," says the woman. I hand over my Poké
Ball to her, and watch as she heads over to a healing machine like the one
Professor Elm had at his laboratory. "One moment, please…" She places
the ball onto the machine and switches it on. There is a gently pulse of light
and a mild humming sounds as the machine words, followed a few moments later by
a whirr and a beep as it completes its job.
The woman takes the Poké Ball back out of the machine and
hands it to me, smiling. "Thank you for waiting," she says.
"Your Pokémon is all healed up. Stay safe!"
"I will," I say. "Thank you." With
Firebrand healed up, I head out of the Pokémon Centre and back towards the
entrance to Route 30. I don't bother entering the Poké Mart, as like I said
before, I don't have a lot of money.
Route 30 is much the same as Route 29. Once again, the
moment I enter a patch of tall grass, I'm attacked by a Pokémon, this time
Poliwag. Its Water-type attacks might give Firebrand trouble, so instead of
trying to fight it, I flee the patch of grass and progress onward. The Poliwag,
fortunately, does not follow.
As I head north, I spy another Oran Berry tree, and
gladly accept its produce. I also find a plastic spray bottle lying near
another patch of grass. I pick it up and examine it out of curiosity. It turns
out to be an Antidote, used for curing poisons. I put it in my backpack, as it
may come in handy if Firebrand is ever poisoned, but in doing so I let my guard
down and am accosted by a wild Pidgey. Firebrand comes to my aid as ever,
Tackling it away although not without sustaining a couple of hits.
Quickly moving on, I see a sign that indicates I'm
heading in the right direction: "Mr. Pokémon's House Dead Ahead!" Sure
enough, a few steps later and we can see the house in the distance; however, it
lies beyond a rather large patch of grass. Undeterred, we press on, with
Firebrand easily taking out the Pokémon that try to ambush us. The continued
attacks are starting to weaken him, but I feed him one of the Oran Berries I'd
picked and he quickly perks up. Finally, we find ourselves outside Mr. Pokémon's
house, and I swiftly knock on the door, eager to see what his revolutionary
discovery is.
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