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Only One (Ren Olvry & Gilen Brooks)

Ren Olvry

Ren Olvry

Supernova
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
Most kids got their first pokemon around when they were ten or so; that much was common knowledge. An early, sometimes too early start on a journey, an adventure to reach the top, however one decided to do it. Some, on the other hand, didn't. Whether through being blocked by a parent, or whatever else, they either had to wait until it was already too late, or just not have a pokemon to adventure with.

The father had not been one of those people, but his daughter? Well, circumstances, that being her mother's arguing, had prevented it. Now, however, the girl was turning 18; old enough to be considered an adult and make her own decisions. If she was going to have a partner at all, and her father was certain she probably wanted one, now would probably be the time to get one. Never mind that it would be a rather late start.

Thus came the day of her birthday, but rather than a direct approach, something a bit more... subtle seemed fitting. So the pokeball, left in its small size, was wrapped up, placed in a belt that only had the one slot for it, and then boxed and further wrapped before it was left just outside the girl's door for her to find when she woke up and came out. He thought it would be perfect; a Riolu, not a pokemon particularly commonly seen, and better yet a fighting-type. If there was any sort of pokemon that could stand alone to defend someone, that was probably it... though there was still some worry of aggression early on.

Ah well... he just hoped his daughter enjoyed her main birthday present.
 
Light poured in through the blinds as the sun rose up, illuminating the room and hitting its sole occupant who was sleeping peacefully, at least until the light managed to hit her and effectively woke her up, shielding her face with her arm as she sat up and yawned. The ebony-haired young woman closed the blinds with one hand while the other rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, obviously hinting that she was not a morning person since it took her a few minutes before she even got herself out of her bed, running her hand through her messy dark locks as she fixed her bed before finally making her way out of her room for breakfast.

It seemed that she was too disoriented at the moment to even remember her own birthday, but that all changed once she opened the door and almost tripped on the decorated box sitting innocently at the foot of her door. "Huh? What's this for...?" She asked no one in particular, still too groggy to realize that it was in fact her 18th birthday until she found some words written on the wrapping paper "Happy 18th Birthday, sweetie. I hope you like your present. Love, Dad" It read, her chocolate brown eyes widening to the size of dinner plates as realization set in.

Cradling the package gently in her hands, she immediately made her way back inside her bedroom and closed the door, excitement practically pouring out of every pore inside her body as she jumped onto her bed. Once she was seated, she started to carefully unwrap her present, making only the most minimal of tears as she got rid off of all the wrapping paper until all that was left was the box. With an audible gulp, she carefully opened the box as if afraid that something was going to jump out of it. Forcing herself not to look inside the box since she wanted to keep it a surprise a bit longer, she thrust in her hand and pulled out the item before finally letting herself gaze at it. Alexis could barely believe her eyes as she gazed at the Pokeball placed on the slot of a belt, having to take deep breaths in order to calm herself as she took the Pokeball and cradled it gently in her hands, "My first ever Pokemon...." She whispered, a serene and happy smile on her face as she opened her eyes, holding out her arm and pressing the button of the Pokeball and finally...throwing it in the air to release her Pokemon, waiting with baited breath on what it could be.
 
With a flash of light, out came the pokemon as the pokeball was tossed up. The white shape was rather indeterminate at first, but quickly molded itself into something almost humanoid, if somewhere on the small end. The creature was quickly shown to just be a good 2'5" or so, with blue fur that turned to black on its chest and legs, along with a black 'mask' around its eyes. Hardly a very common sight, but there was little doubt that most people would recognize a Riolu the instant they saw one, and this was precisely it standing before the girl.

His first action now he'd finally been released from the pokeball? A wide, somewhat extended yawn, a set of small but definitely sharp teeth shown off a little in the process. And he didn't seem to be processing much at the moment, least of all Alexis or even his surroundings in general. Instead, the pokemon followed with a good, leisurely stretch as he worked a bit of stiffness out of a body that hadn't seen movement for a good few days that he'd been sealed and trapped inside that pokeball. That, alone, was his only real interest at first, before he seemed to start slowly taking in his surroundings. So far as he could tell, he was in someone's room, and... there. His eyes soon came to pause on the pokeball the girl nearby had, and then the girl herself.

Almost seeming to size her up, the little Riolu's eyes wandered slowly over Alexis's form... before the pokemon gave a small scoff in apparent annoyance. She didn't look very strong to him. Still, it seemed he was probably stuck with her, so perhaps he could give her a small benefit of the doubt, see what she might do. A little curious on that point, the fighting-type hopped easily up onto the bed a little ways from the girl, slightly glaring over at her as he waited for her to do... well, something. Probably wrap him in a hug or something silly like that, if his assumptions on teenage human girl behavior were correct... not that he'd had any real direct experience on that matter when he'd only ever observed from afar on occasion.
 
Her mouth formed an 'O' shape as she gazed at her first Pokemon, internally thanking her father for such a great 18th birthday gift. She will surely take care of her new partner if that's the last thing she does! The dark-haired female bit back a squeal as her little Riolu yawned, finding the action to be quite adorable and more than worthy of a few hugs, but she'd read about Riolu before in a book and knew that his species valued strength so to do something as to squeal and engulf the creature in a hug....didn't seem like a good first impression to her. Alexis watched as her new partner stretched and looked around her room, not even noticing her at first and she didn't make an effort to make her presence known and opting to just observe him for the moment. Once he seemed to be finished scanning her room and his sights set on her, she finally made a move after the both of them eyed each other for a few moments as if sizing each other up.

"Hello there, Riolu. I'm Alexis and I'll be your partner starting from today onwards. I hope that the both of us grow in strength and spirit throughout our journey" The way she greeted him was rather formal especially since she wasn't exactly speaking to a human but a Pokemon, still she gave him the proper amount of respect one would give to a high-ranking person. Bowing slightly, she grinned and held her hand out towards the small Pokemon to shake like one would do when meeting someone new, specifically a new person and not a Pokemon. The ebony-haired young woman was just unique like that, then again who wouldn't be if they spent most of their life indoors while reading books? That was something the new trainer wanted to change and now that she had her very own Pokemon, there was little to stop her pm embarking on her own journey.
 
'Alexis', then; something to take some relative note of, the Riolu was certain. That greeting, though, he couldn't help but blink in some surprise and curiosity at. He'd expected... well, he wasn't sure what he might have ever expected from the human that eventually became his 'trainer' after he'd been caught, but he was fairly certain that this wasn't it. Tilting his head a little to the side in curiosity and perhaps mild interest, the pokemon seemed to closely watch what the girl was doing, his eyes finally coming to rest on her hand outstretched toward him.

Very clearly not sure what do actually do about that, the Riolu shot the girl an odd look before finally settling on granting a slight bow of his own, his eyes somewhat warily never leaving hers. Failing having an idea what to do with that hand of hers, nor certain he wanted to let her get too close yet, he opted to do nothing with that in the end. Instead, he quickly thought up a little... test, of sorts. Glancing momentarily to the nearest window before turning his eyes back for a few moments further to Alexis, the Riolu wandered over in that direction. Though he struggled a little, he managed to open up the window all the same, before quickly hopping out. If he was going to run, though, he was doing a rather poor job of it; on the contrary, he remained right where he'd lightly landed, his eyes turning back to lock on the window and wondering how far the girl might follow if he led. She was a bit odd, maybe slightly interesting, but he didn't intend to put much faith in yet; let her show whatever 'strength and spirit' she might have yet first.
 
She should have guessed that her dear Pokemon wouldn't know what a handshake was, especially a newly caught one so she opted to just pull her hand back, resisting the urge to squeal when he copied her actions and bowed as well. That went a lot better than she expected, it seems she was luckier than a lot of other trainers who were met with resistance when faced with their first Pokemon, at least in the Pokemon's end of course since who really wanted a weak trainer in the first place? She was snapped out of her musings however when she heard the distinct sound of thje window being opened, snapping her eyes towards where her Riolu had just went and actually opened the window, "Riolu, what are you--" She wasn't even able to finish her sentence as the fighting-type jumped out of the door, making her eyes widen and freezing her in place for a few moments before snapping out of her reverie and following him.

Without a care that she was still in her pajamas, she held onto the window frame before jumping out as well, luckily her room was at the ground floor or else she'd be nursing some broken bones or a sprain on her legs or feet, "Riolu, what are you doing?" She asked her Pokemon with furrowed eyebrows and a curious look, wondering what was going on inside his head to make him suddenly jump out of her room like that. Do things like this normally happens when you get your first Pokemon or was hers just a special case? Either way, she wasn't willing to let him escape her now that she had him since the both of them were going through her Pokemon journey together.
 
Hm. So she followed so far, did she? That was a start, but that was just it: a start. He was a little surprised she'd do it just in that, he presumed, sleep wear of hers, but he was hardly unaware of the likely reason why. Worry, perhaps, that he was running away or something of that sort, and that she'd have to move quickly. The Riolu actually had to give her some credit for the likely bravery in doing that, but with the way his eyes wandered a little now he was outside, taking in the various surroundings in this little town, it was likely clear enough that this wasn't over. At least, not yet.

If he actually had a way to communicate properly with her, perhaps this would be a little easier on him, but... for now, it was fine. Let her wonder, so long as she still followed.

So the pokemon glanced momentarily back to Alexis before soon enough setting off again, running at an easy enough pace that he was certain even she might be able to keep up with. His beeline path took him straight toward the nearest tree he'd managed to find, and one with the lowest branches a bit further up even than the girl was tall; all the better still. What he did next, he certainly didn't expect her to be able to copy, leaping up with the naturally strong legs of a more humanoid fighting-type like him and only otherwise requiring a single paw grasping as best he could onto a branch to give him that last tug he needed. Up he went like that, alighting easily on the branch with just one foot before gazing down to wherever that girl was at that time. How long, or how far, would she manage to follow, especially just in that sleep wear? Or would she just recall him like he knew she'd be able to with that pokeball he was inevitably attached to? He certainly hoped not, but he knew well enough that it was a potential option.

But then, he was certain that it would be obvious that he wasn't moving as fast as he could, nor anywhere near as far. Moving up to here then waiting, just as he'd done with the leap out the window.
 
If anything, the dark-haired female wasn't shy about letting everyone see her in her pajamas since it was just your typical sleepwear anyway which was one reason why she fearlessly jumped out of the window to follow her Riolu, the other being that he was HER Pokemon that her father had given to her so the responsibility of taking care of it was on her and goddamn it, she was going to get Riolu back home safe and sound with her whether he liked it or not! With determination fueling her, she ran as fast as she could, following him even if she was starting to get tired since she wasn't the most athletic person out there. Once Riolu stopped running, she mentally thanked Arceus for giving her a short moment to rest, placing her hands on her knees as she tried to regulate her breathing pattern again after running so much.

When Alexis looked back up, she almost swore as she watched Riolu leap up the tree without an effort, asking Arceus and all the other Gods she could think up of for making her go through something like this when most new trainers didn't have to. Well, there wasn't really anything she could do about it now so after getting enough rest, she gave her Pokemon sitting atop one of the branch a determined look, one that showed her unwavering determination as she started to to climb up, albeit unsuccessfully the first few times. Once her arms finally got a good grip on the tree, she started to climb up slowly and carefully, paying no heed as to how her pajamas were starting to become dirty or how some of the branches were making tears on her clothes until she finally reached the branch where her Riolu was.

"You're a really slippery one.....aren't you?" The new trainer huffed and puffed when she reached him, once again trying to regulate her breathing patterns since she wasn't used to running around and climbing trees so much, especially in her pajamas too!
 
She was... that tired already. Hrm. Not very strong indeed, in his eyes, but... credit for at least trying, perhaps. He was certain she'd still have to do better than that if they were to actually go places together, but this was at least a start. Even if the Riolu's eyes were narrowed a little in some degree of disapproval as he looked down from above, before Alexis finally moved to start climbing. Perhaps, he figured, he should stop now, go a little easy on her... or perhaps not. Hm... no. Just a little bit more, at least; see how she took to being pushed a little.

So, with barely any seeming effort, the Riolu hopped and climbed a bit further up after giving the girl a few more moments of idle rest. Three, four more branches up, up to about the midway point of the tree as far as the branches went. And especially with him being certain that it would probably take the girl a little while again, the pokemon made relatively short work of a few branches just above him. His attention remained on that for a short time before idly tossing those branches off to the side, making sure they at least wouldn't fall anywhere that Alexis was going. With that done quickly enough, he once again waited, his eyes turning down to fixate on the girl that was, apparently, his trainer.

And waiting for her as well was a little... reward, of sorts, if she made it that far. Specifically for the fact that he'd removed the branches in such a way that it provided a gap in the leaves, leading to a view straight out above the town and onward. Showing at least a little mercy as well, he offered his paw down only when she was fairly close, letting her use that if she wished to make it the last step of the way.
 
It wasn't really her fault that she wasn't that physically fit. If anything, it was mostly her mother's fault for being so overprotective that she's mostly cooped up at home with barely any exercise and only books for ccompany. At least her rather mediocre physical prowess was covered by her unbending will and determination. Besides, this was her Pokemon and if she didn't get any respect from him then would they even be able to go on their journey together if trainer and Pokemon didn't work together? This was what she wanted, to go on a journey with her first Pokemon and it was already in reach!

Alexis was thankful that Riolu had at leaat let her rest for a few moments what with all that running and climbing she did. It took a lot on her body, not that she was unhealthy or anything but she truly just wasn't used to moving around so much. Seeing as her Pokemon made his way up the branches again, all she could do was sigh before going back to climbing up the tree and holding on for dear life whenever she held a branch, not really wanting to end up slipping and killing herself on her birthday of all times. The pajama-clad girl raised an eyebrow when Riolu cut up some of the branches and threw them to the side, wondering what that was all about before shaking her head and continuing onwards.

As tired as she was, giving up was the last thing on her mind even as her body screamed at her to rest and her brain to get down from there already. Small beads of sweat dripped down the side of her face as she climbed, determined expression molding into an inquisitive one when her rebellious Pokemon offered a paw to her when she almost reached him. Not one to refuse help, she took the Riolu's paw and let him heave her up the branch he was on. Alexis heaved a sigh of relief once she finally caught up to him, "You gave me some real trouble there, you know? My legs and arms are killing me" Even as she said that however a smile was on her lips, only getting bigger when she noticed the view of town, "Wow..." She mumbled softly, staring out towards the wonderful view
 
He had to give her one thing, she was fairly light, especially by the standards of his natural-born physical strength; that definitely made things easier. There might still be the worry of getting back down, and he doubted especially at this point that the girl would handle that all that well, but... never mind that for now. He could worry about that in a little while; for now, even he was slightly exhausted after his first actual workout in however long now. Even before he'd been trapped in that pokeball, he'd not had all that much space to move around. Now, though? Now he basically had the whole world. And someone to ease up his pace a little so she'd be able to keep up, granted.

Well... oh well, then. She'd managed this far; that was definitely something. He'd have to work on her actual physical strength and endurance, he didn't doubt, but there'd be time for that. Letting the girl at least have something beyond just the view, the Riolu sat himself sideways on the branch that was but one of two reasonably thick ones merely two inches or so from each other. His eyes glancing off to the side at that view, he leaned back a little, just enough that his back and head were leaning slightly against her; certainly, he felt, it would be rather more comfortable than leaning back against the tree one way or another. He vaguely registered a bit of shouting starting from below, from a woman that had just come out of the house, but for the most part, he paid it no mind. It was just some silly human things, so far as he was concerned... and the less time they spent here before going off wherever Alexis might want to, the better, he felt.

To that end, the Riolu made a little, inquiring sound; nothing anything but other pokemon would likely be able to make out, but with the way his eyes glanced back to the girl before going back out to the view between the leaves, his question was probably clear enough: 'when are we going?'
 
She'd never been this high up before, her mother had never really let her do anything remotely dangerous and climbing up a tree by herself was counted. At the moment though, she found that she really couldn't care, because right now she felt as if she was on top of the world as the gentle wind caressed her face and made her long and thick ebony locks dance. Right now, there wasn't anyone else in the world other than her and Riolu. "I...I want to see other views like this too..." She mumbled softly as her goal finally materialized inside of her body, "If the town looks this beautiful from here then what about all the other places in the world? I want to see all of them" Alexis was practically shining with happiness at the realization of what she wanted to do on her journey.

Too entranced by the view and her mind clouded up with her own thoughts, she barely noticed her Riolu leaning against and when she did, the only thing she chose to do was smile and somewhat hesitantly and carefully pet his head before pulling her hand back. She knew how Riolus and Lucarios in general weren't as affectionate as other Pokemon, but nonetheless loyal however, which was why she was somewhat hesitant in touching her Riolu since she could feel that he didn't fully trust her yet. Hearing a voice from down below, she took the gamble of looking down only to see her parents with her mother doing the shouting while her father tried to calm the woman down. Sighing softly since her moment of peace and serenity with Riolu was ruined, she ran a hand through her hair in exasperation before turning to the fighting-type next to her to tell him that they needed to go down now.

Hearing the small sound he made, she laughed softly and beamed at him, "If everything goes right then we can leave later today or tomorrow at the latest. Mom surely can't keep us here any longer now that we have each other!" Taking one last good look at the scenic view of the town, she reluctantly made her way down from the tree, not worried about her Riolu since she knew that he could easily get down and much faster than her as well. As soon as Alexis made her way down from the tree, her mother engulfed her in a tight embrace and smothered her until her father finally intervened and suggested they all just go back inside to have her small but nonetheless special 18th birthday party.
 
She wanted to see more, did she? Well, after what painfully little he'd ever seen of the world in general, the Riolu could hardly argue with that. Something like wanderlust was a rather terrible thing especially when he was stuck inside that little ball so long, and rather expected he would continue to be after now. When he felt the girl's hand come upon his head starting to pet him a little, though, the Riolu glared slightly and grumbled a little in some indignation, but nonetheless didn't bother pulling back at all. If she wanted just that much, especially since the contact didn't last very long, then... very well. Considering he'd been the one to put her through this, and she'd gone so far as to follow when she could have recalled him to that pokeball any time she wanted to, he could at least give her that.

When she spoke next, the pokemon seemed to consider it for a moment before finally giving a small nod. Feeling he likely owed her at least some care for this, he got up shortly after Alexis did, making something of a point of hopping easily down to each branch that the girl took, just in case she might possibly need any help... help he didn't plan to give unless she really needed, such as starting to fall or anything of that sort. Luckily, it seemed, it wasn't needed, and just as she made it down, he landed easily back on the ground shortly after. Casting a slight glare of his own at the woman embracing Alexis and glaring at him as soon as she now, actually spotted him, he went ahead with moving on ahead of them, taking that window right back into the girl's room and quickly catching a decent whiff of the food that had, apparently, since been prepared and brought out.

He doubted, somehow, that any of it would really be for him, but his lightly rumbling stomach, to his annoyance, would easily give away the fact that he was hungry just as well. Bah... he had his pride, he'd not give into something like that. Not much. Only as far as hopping up to stand on a chair shortly before Alexis and her parents arrived, his crimson eyes wandering curiously over the food that had been set out that was all new and odd to him, though smelled quite enticing all the same. As soon as they came in, though, he nearly fell off the chair in his relative haste to get off and away lest they accuse him of anything, quickly turning his attention instead to a book laid out on the coffee table a little ways away. All gibberish to him, but surely there was nothing wrong with just idly looking.
 
After some righteous scolding from her mother, she was ushered inside of their home with her wondering why Riolu went through her room instead of just going with them towards the living room. Her father in the meantime shook his head and sighed softly, sometimes his wife was a bit too overprotective of their daughter which is why he got her a Pokemon in the first place and a Riolu at that. The man knew how loyal and strong they were so he was assured of their daughter's safety but even now his wife still had many doubts and by the looks of it, blamed Riolu for leading their daughter out of the house and climbing up the tree in only her pajamas. Alexis herself was unaware as to what was going on between her mother and Pokemon, oblivious to the animosity which was mostly from her mother.

When the family of three arrived at the kitchen/dining room, Riolu had already just gotten off the chair, albeit clumsily which in turn made the dark-haired girl giggle softly to herself, not wanting him to see her amusement. As soon as she took her seat however, she turned to her Pokemon who was gazing at book on the coffee table and called out to him, "Riolu? Why don't you sit here? We're about to eat" She patted the seat next to her and sent him an inviting smile. Since her parents sat the the chairs opposite hers, there was always one extra seat beside her and finally it was going to be filled, "We're not going to start unless you join us" Alexis made an effort to befriend her Pokemon with every opportunity that showed itself to her and this was one of them.

Her chocolate brown eyes gazed somewhat pleadingly into the fighting-type's own crimson ones as she politely urged him to join them. Riolu was going to be her partner from now on which was all the more reason for her to befriend him. An array of different dishes was spread out on the table, their delicious smelling scents wafting up into the air and urging anyone to take eat. Riolu probably hadn't eaten yet, she thought to herself since he'd probably was in that Pokeball for some time now and the last thing she wanted was a malnourished partner.
 
Eat? And... not without him? Well, if she... said so. Her mother, he could easily tell, didn't quite seem to approve, but... hm. Seeming to hesitate and grumble slightly to himself, never mind the returning light grumbling of his stomach, the Riolu finally gave in with a slow nod. Glancing back to the curious... to him, gibberish on the coffee table for just a moment, he wandered over and hopped back up onto the seat next to Alexis herself. Standing, no less, considering that with as short as he was, he wasn't otherwise going to get very far if he chose to sit down. Ultimately, it was that or nothing.

"So... when are you two planning on leaving? Better yet, where to?" Alexis's father conversationally asked, ignoring the glare and protesting scoff from his wife that he'd very well come to expect. She'd not even known about the Riolu before now, as evidenced by a glare cast occasionally in his direction; though that could just as well have been disapproval at getting something like that for her precious daughter. That with a relative lack of table manners.

Even if he wasn't using (and wouldn't be able to easily use in the first place) any utensils, though, the Riolu was little if not fairly clean in his eating habits. Much as it was tempting even for him to just dive into his first actual meal in a few days, he instead took relatively small bites (albeit bites scooped up carefully by a single paw), kept his mouth closed while he chewed, didn't really make any noise in particular; the works. His eyes did, however, occasionally wander to the girl next to him, more so to the little tears and bits of dirt in her pajamas. He was hardly unaware that it was effectively his doing in basically ruining them, but even he couldn't help but feel just a little bad about it; for all he knew, she might have cared a lot about that set in particular. Not that he'd clearly let himself care too much, not now, and thus his attention remained mostly on himself and his food, largely phasing out much of anything else that was going on for this apparent 'birthday' of hers.
 
A genuine smile made its way to her face once her Pokemon took his place right next to her, finally turning her attention to the birthday cake in front of her as her parents started singing the birthday song. "....Happy Birthday....To you!!!" As they finished the last word, she blew out the candles and grinned as her parents clapped, "Why don't we go and cut up the cake now?" Her mother tried to put on a cheerful front as she cut several slices of the cake, obviously not that happy at the moment. And why would she be unhappy? Well her only child was about to go on her journey ALONE and with only that Riolu to protect her! Any mother would be fearful for their child's safety.

"Well...I was hoping that Riolu and I can leave sometime today and as for where....our first stop would be at Sandgem Town since it's the closest here at Twinleaf" As she spoke, she took the plate of food being handed to her by her mother and instead gave it to Riolu, sending the fighting-type a soft look that urged him to partake of the food she'd given him, knowing that he was probably quite hungry after being stuck in that Pokeball for some time. "I want to see the world, dad. I want to explore and see all the beautiful places that the world has to offer" She stated in a wistful tone as she gazed rather dreamily into the distance.

"And I know....with Riolu by my side we can achieve just that! The both of us will get stronger on our journey too and we'll make many new friends along the way as well!" Alexis was like an excited child as she spoke, one that was just about to see the world outside and all its wonders. She knew that there may be dangers lurking around every corner of this world, but as long as she had Riolu she had little to fear. Although she knew to herself that she can't always rely on him for everything so she made a pact with herself that she will become stronger for the both of them and become the kind of trainer that any Pokemon would feel lucky to have.
 
The world, indeed... he still wasn't completely sold on his trainer, perhaps, but the Riolu wanted little else than to get out of here soon enough. Dealing with that ever-aggressive glare and not being in a place to do anything about it in this instance was getting a bit tiresome, and after being stuck to small spaces for so long... well, anyone would want to just get out and run. To go just... wherever, really. Somewhere, anywhere. It didn't even matter much to him at this point, he just wanted to head out and see what he could find.

For now, though, there was still some food to finish, and the Riolu definitely needed it. Making fairly short work of it all with his sharp teeth while remaining perfectly polite in his eating habits (besides the lack of using actual utensils), he hopped calmly down from the chair as soon as he was done, before starting to run off at an easy enough pace. Never mind the fact that Alexis, his trainer, was here, the fact still remained that he was somewhat sensitive to others' emotions, and it was just too... tense for him here, especially with that mother of hers. He just needed to get out, at least for a bit, though not quite alone. Snatching up that book on the coffee table, whatever it really was, with his clean paw, the pokemon ran off with that back to Alexis's room, and from there out the still open window. Even after he hopped back up into that very same tree from before, on the lowest branch, he wouldn't be particularly difficult to find, rummaging curiously and carefully through that book he'd taken. Never mind that he couldn't make any slight sense of it yet, he could at least look, perhaps keep some of it in his head for reference.

Though slung around his shoulder was also that belt that Alexis had gotten that he'd snatched up on the way, even if it didn't have his pokeball in it at the moment. If that wasn't a fairly clear indication he wanted to leave soon, he doubted very much would be.
 
She kept up the conversation with her father a while more until Riolu made his way off his chair and snatched her book which she'd left on the coffee table the night before, making her raise an eyebrow and wonder what made him leave so quickly when he just ate. Giving her father a look, she only received an understanding nod in return as she quickly went to finishing her meal before running to her room to shower and get changed, all the things she needed for her journey had already been packed earlier by her father when she was out running after Riolu. Nevermind how her mother protested as she ran towards her room about it being too soon for her to leave. It was quite the opposite actually since it was already VERY late for her to start her journey, but it was better late than never is what she always said.

Alexis was like a blur as she dressed herself for her journey, a loose shirt topped by a jacket since it was a bit chilly this season, along with a pair of jeans that were easy to move in, something that would be crucial especially if she does a lot of running on her journey which she probably will, and finally a pair of running shoes which she'd saved up for and bought merely a few months prior to her birthday. When she was fully dressed, she picked up the backpack sitting right next to her dresser, a small note from her father about how he'd taken the effort to pack her things for her himself. A small grin wound its way to her face as she ran towards the kitchen, full dressed and ready to leave, sharing a short farewell with her father and her mother who was crying profusely. Sure, it was hard to leave her family like this, but she had to leave and go on her own journey some time and if not now then when? Her mother's arms were practically glued around her until the older woman finally extracted a call from her daughter about calling often.

As she took her first step out of the door, Alexis took a long whiff of the natural and clean air before starting to walk, every step taking her farther and farther away from her home and her family until she was already ways away. Turning around, she took one last look at the place she called home for 18 years along with the people who'd cared and raised her, giving one last wave before going back to walking. Unlike just moments ago, every step she took now only seemed to send a rush of energy through her veins and before she knew it, she was already running to find her Riolu and go on her journey with him. Reaching the same place where she had to chase her Pokemon to, she looked up and spotted the fighting-type lounging on the lowest tree branch, grinning as she called out to him, "Riolu? We can go on our journey now!" She exclaimed, pure happiness lacing her tone.
 
The Riolu might have only been faintly paying attention to anything else at the moment, but he was paying attention all the same, and didn't fail to catch when Alexis had come out... fully dressed in something that wasn't those now damaged pajamas of hers, no less. Idly he glanced between her and the book he'd swiped and was now open in his lap before she got to him, at which point he finally closed the book. It wasn't as though it was doing him much good anyway to even be looking at it, but... one never knew, really. Perhaps having a little such knowledge of just what the little shapes and such looked like would be something.

Well, never mind it for now; there were things to see, things to do. There was this little town to get out of so he actually could start seeing new things, more so. Wasting little time, the pokemon hopped easily down from the tree, in the process tossing that belt lightly to Alexis. A belt that, he'd observed with some pride, seemed to have only the one space for any pokeball at all. He hadn't a clue why, nor did he particularly care, but it was still, to him, a minor point of interest. That, and his intention to take the lead as they went, the little Riolu soon stepping forward to walk a little ahead of his trainer. The little ears atop his head, as well, were already perked up a little, remaining alert for anything that might dare and come along to challenge something like him.

Even if he was quite well aware that there would be plenty of pokemon out there that were a fair bit stronger than he was now.

As he started to eye a few wild pokemon around, though -- a Bidoof off over there, a Starly perched quietly up in a tree there occupying itself with a few berries off the tree's branches -- the Riolu paused for now, his crimson eyes plainly settling on some of them for a few moments at a time before turning back to glance inquisitively at Alexis. None of them appeared aggressive, at least at the moment; rather, the little blue pokemon was just seeing how the girl might react, perhaps even what she wanted to do. What kind of 'trainer' would she be; that was foremost in his mind, and he wanted to find out sooner rather than later.
 
Seeing the belt being tossed to her, she quickly caught it and gave a small nod of thanks towards her Pokemon before putting it on, placing Riolu's Pokeball in the only slot her belt had. "There, now that's better" She patted the Pokeball as before starting to walk and following her Riolu's lead, "You know...this is my first time ever seeing wild Pokemon as close as this. Mom always said that they were dangerous, but I don't think so..." Not really one to keep quiet for long periods of time and wanting to bond with her Pokemon even little by little, she opted to just talk to him as they walked through the path towards Sandgem Town.

For the most of their journey, she just stopped every now and then to gaze at all the new Pokemon she could see, pointing them out and telling Riolu about what she knew of their species from all the books she'd read at home. "Did you know that the book you took from the coffee table at home was mine? You looked like you were interested in it, but it's mostly filled with words and only has little pictures so you probably don't understand what it's about" Now that she thought about it, it was kind of sad to know that Riolu wasn't able to read when he seemed so interested in the book. Then again all Pokemon didn't know how to read or at the very least most didn't.

Thinking about Riolu not being able to read gave her an ingenious idea, "Say....Do you want to learn how to read? I can teach you and heck, why don't I teach you how to talk too? It'll be so awesome! We'll be able to communicate with each other more easily too if I taught you how to read. Would you like that?" She didn't notice how she started rambling since the prospect of being able to teach him human speech was just that exciting of a thing for her.
 
Dangerous? The Riolu could hardly help but think that he was probably more dangerous than these things when it came to it, but... a thought to keep to himself, anyway. Not that he had any way to communicate it to the girl in the first place, so that particular point was rather moot. What he was a bit more interested in, though, was the distinct lack of aggression. From what relatively little he'd heard of trainers, they rarely shied away from a battle, rarely missed an opportunity to sic their pokemon on wild pokemon in the area, or to challenge other trainers. Almost like wild animals, it felt like to him... but perhaps it was because they were younger than his own new trainer, at least starting out? He wasn't sure, nor did he intend to let his thoughts linger on that too long. Contrary to what one might possibly think, he was fine with taking a peaceful route through here, at least for now. Let his first day really out in the world not be too tiresome.

So instead, the pokemon opted just to listen in mild interest, his eyes occasionally wandering a little as Alexis pointed out one thing or another. Then when she referred to the book he still held at his side, he glanced down momentarily to it, before casting his gaze back to her for a bit. She was certainly right on that point; he couldn't even begin to understand even a little bit of it. Not that that was any secret, really; not when it was inevitably the first time he'd even seen something like it. Even more so, at her offer, the Riolu seemed to consider it for a few, long moments as he stared ahead, along the path and clearly toward the next town not too far over. Finally, he consented with a slow nod... but at the same time, he wasn't going to make it that easy.

She wanted to teach him something that most pokemon would likely never know? Then he, somewhat aggressive as he still was, would give her something back... sort of. He didn't doubt that it would take some time before she'd really be able to keep up, so he kept his pace still easy, something of a jog by his standards. A little smirk seemed to cross his face as he started off toward that next town in sight, glancing back to Alexis and holding the book up a little. His message this time by his expression and general body language, he was certain, was clear enough: win, and you get this back and get your way. He was a pokemon that liked a bit of a challenge, after all, and even had his (perhaps youthful) pride; that was just the way of it for him.
 
"Great! I can start teaching you as soon as we reach Sandgem Town, alright?" She was in high spirits now as her Pokemon agreed to be taught how to read and speak, it will let them communicate with each other all the more easier. The new trainer hummed softly in her happiness only to stop when she noticed Riolu's pace becoming faster before outright challenging her to run after him....again, but this time the stakes were her book and his cooperation in being taught how to speak. Heaving a small sigh. she molded her face into a determined one before nodding and starting to run after him, "Sometimes I wonder if all trainers have to deal with this kind of thing with their Pokemon or if I'm just that special..." She mumbled under her breath as she ran towards her Riolu, apparently her first day of being a trainer wasn't going to be that easy.

Alexis wondered if she could survive her own Pokemon journey with a Pokemon like this, but she quickly shook that thought away, not willing to even think about giving up so early just because Riolu seemed to have fun running away from her and making her follow him. At least thjey'd be able to get to Sandgem Town easier though with the pace they were going now compared to the leisurely stroll they were going with earlier. The ebony-haired young woman tried to keep her spirits up even as she ran after her Pokemon for the second time that day, she had just went on her own Pokemon journey and there was no way she was going to give up and go home already. Not when she still had so many sights to see and places to go to, but to do those things she needed Riolu to be by her side and have her back.

Chocolate-brown eyes were slightly narrowed and her eyebrows were furrowed as she followed him with the intention to win and possibly gain even more respect from the fighting-type, knowing to herself that he probably barely had any respect to her because even she knew that she wasn't the strongest or most awe-inspiring trainer out there. Even though she her legs were screaming at her to stop and rest, she simply didn't listen and just continued to move. Alexis knew that after this she was going to need a lot of water and rest to replenish her energy, but if it meant getting Riolu's approval, cooperation, and her book then she was going to do it!
 
Would she make it? Well, he wasn't certain, but as long as she at least tried, and it appeared she was, that was still something. Credit where credit was due, or... something like that. Especially after what he'd seen before, he already knew he could leave her far behind in the dust if he really wanted to, go his own way, do his own thing and be free. Free of any pokeballs, of any ties and bonds, of the annoying confinement he'd dealt with up to now.

But what fun would that be, when he could instead keep someone chasing after him and see how things went from there? That most assuredly seemed a rather more enticing prospect, and project.

Thus, credit where credit was due, as one would say; as long as Alexis could keep running at least to the point of reaching the border of the next town, the Riolu would graciously let her win... if just by a step or two. Couldn't have her thinking things might ever be too easy or that she could afford to just stay behind or something like that, after all. Besides that, who knew what would stand in their way later? Forests, caves, cliffs, walks and climbs of all different sorts, he was certain. One way or another, he knew full well that she'd have to be able to keep up with at least that much... and how far? He was a bit interested to know that much.

Still, that wasn't to say he was going to not continue to take the lead. Slowing into a much calmer walk now that they were in the town itself, and rather ignoring the various stares toward a rarer pokemon like him standing right out in the open, rather than staying in a pokeball, the pokemon returned the book to his side before leading the way to what appeared to be the Pokemon Center, judging by what little he'd heard of them. Or at least... he'd thought it was, before it turned out it was the local Mart instead. One of many things he'd no doubt have to get used to, but there was still seats to be had all the same. One of them he quickly took, setting the book on his lap for now and waiting for Alexis with his eyes presently fixed on her even as the salesfolk very plainly tried to push sales of these pokeballs of theirs for 'the journey ahead' and that sort of thing. Them, though, he at least wasn't paying any attention to.
 
As soon as they finally arrived at Sandgem Town, she heaved a sigh of relief as she wiped the sweat off her brow and took a few moments to let her breathing go back to normal now that she was able to walk again at a normal pace, "If you keep running me ragged like that all the time I'll probably have abs in no time" She joked, laughing lightly and once again making light of the situation as she followed the small fighting-type towards the PokeMart. "Do you know what this place is? It's called a PokeMart and this is where we can buy the essential things that Pokemon Trainers need on their journey" She pointed out some of the items for sale and gave a brief description of them like the Antidote or Paralyz Heal and other such essential items.

While Riolu took a seat, she opted to browse the shelves and see if there's anything important she could get that would be beneficial for their journey. In a few minutes, she purchased one Escape Rope and Repel, paying the cashier and placing the items inside bag. "Riolu? Do you want to go and eat something? I can teach you a bit on how to read while we eat" The trip to Sandgem Town had taken them an hour at least on foot, it would have taken a bit longer though if they kept up their leisurely pace the whole time, "And after that we can train too, maybe even have a battle with some trainers" As much as she wanted to just go sight-seeing and relaxing, she knew that fighting-types weren't really the kind that just wanted to relax all day and wanted to keep up their training regimen so this was the least she could for now.

"We can train at the outskirts of the Town and battle with some of the wild Pokemon there and when we're tired we'll rest at the Pokemon Center. Does that sound good to you?" Alexis wanted to show Riolu that she wasn't just going to relax and take it easy the whole time, that she could also become serious when she wanted and show him that she could become a trainer he could be proud of. Some would say that going so far just to gain your own Pokemon's respect was quite ridiculous, but she thought otherwise and knew to herself that earning respect from your Pokemon was a crucial thing to your bond with them.
 
Hm. Well. It may have been the wrong place from what he was thinking, but at least it was... useful? Bah... he didn't really care all that much, ultimately. Alexis could buy whatever she wanted in the end, but as far as he was concerned, he could handle anything that came as he got stronger. If he ever got hurt along the way, then that was just the way it went... and he'd fight through it anyway. That was really all there was to it in his head... though he took some satisfaction in the fact that she didn't buy a single pokeball. That was at least something.

At her offer, though, the Riolu gave a quick little nod, soon hopping out of the seat he'd taken. A chance to fight and test his strength against at least the locals, something he'd consented to not do on the way here... no way he was going to pass that up now that they were here. Nor, even, was he going to pass up the chance to learn more; something most pokemon, he was certain, didn't really get much of a chance to do. Not least of all while they were trapped in their pokeballs, something he'd have as little to do with as possible if it were up to him.

So he went about the little routine of sorts, operating mostly independently on his way. Reading and speaking was... not something that was going to come easily, as the particularly annoying struggle the Riolu was put through for it very clearly evidenced, but he tried, and most assuredly didn't give up on it even when he was getting rather annoyed. An annoyance he, perhaps, took out a little on some of the wild pokemon they went out to find, but no matter; they'd recover. As would he, for the few little injuries he took in the process. Not strong enough yet to beat these other pokemon as cleanly as he wanted yet, but it would get there, in time. And he even then didn't stop, not at least until night fell and the little Riolu clearly couldn't really go on much longer. And flopped back against a tree, perfectly content to stay there at least for a little while.

(can feel free to skip ahead a town or two, even, and have them run into something there if you like)
 
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