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Description

Chapter One: The Sunset Forest

Stepping through the boundaries between worlds felt... odd. It wasn't strong enough of a feeling to call it dizzying or disorienting, but it was just enough to make her stomach flip, a tickle running up her spine as goosebumps trailed over her arms. It was over in a second, though, and Haven found herself standing back in the spot where her memories began. The forest, if one could call it that, seemed no different from the first time she saw it. Graying, leafless trees were scattered across a field of short, dry grass. The sky overhead was a smoky purple tinged with orange at the horizon, a few thin clouds and stars dotting the atmosphere. Everything was quiet. Lifeless. The only change was to Haven herself, who was now dressed in clothes given to her by the kind people of the Block, with a small bag of supplies slung over her shoulder. She couldn't help but think that her own presence was too bright for such a solemn place. It felt wrong somehow.

She reached down to her bag, snagging the small, round devices she had clipped to the shoulder strap. Pokeballs. Fascinating little things that felt oddly familiar, though she had no memories of seeing or using them before now. Maybe, in another world, another time, she had.

"Dahlia, Hugo, we're here," she said softly, pressing the release buttons on the Pokeballs. In a flash of white light, her two new companions appeared.

Dahlia the Bulbasaur hit the grass with a soft thud, shaking herself a bit. She was a sturdy, toad-like creature with big peach-colored eyes and a black bulb growing upon her back; from what she was told, Bulbasaurs were normally green, but Dahlia was a little different. The gentle-natured beast blinked up at her, tilting her head, then turned to gaze around at the forest, her ears slowly tilting down as she took in the state of the plants all around. She scuffed one foot on the ground, sniffing the withering grass, and snorted harshly through her nose, apparently not smelling anything pleasant.

Beside her was Hugo, a perfectly average little Pichu, though he wore a blue ribbon Haven had gotten for him to set him apart. He fluffed out his fur and perked up his ears, also curiously gazing about for a moment, only to be put off by the somewhat eerie atmosphere of the dying forest. His large ears flopped back down, and he dropped onto all fours to hesitantly step closer to Haven, glancing over his shoulder a few more times before looking back to her and giving a little hop to climb up her leg. She reached down to help him, scooping a hand under his belly and tucking him to her chest, giving him a reassuring cuddle.

"It's alright," she reassured them. "This is... my home, I guess."

Dahlia made a soft grunting noise, looking up at her with concern clear on her face.

Haven nodded to her. "I know. But I think this place used to be beautiful... and we can help it be so again. Look at these trees. They probably had leaves and fruit once." She helped Hugo up onto her shoulder, then started to walk, the dry grass crunching under her boots. "There might have been ferns and bushes on the ground, and pretty flowers everywhere."

Dahlia followed behind her, still hesitant. She kept scratching at the ground with her claws, sniffing at the grass and the roots of the trees, seeming to be deeply bothered by what she was seeing. Perhaps, as a Grass-type Pokemon, she was more in tune with the plants around them, and it upset her to see they were all so sick.

"Do you know what happened?" Haven asked after a moment, "Can you tell why they're dying?"

The Bulbasaur responded with a high-pitched sound somewhere between a chirp and a hum, scraping at the ground again with one foot. She churned up the soil, then nodded her head towards the clumps she had dug up, making that sound again.

Crouching down, Haven scooped up a handful of the dirt, inspecting it more closely. It didn't look strange, and it felt soft and a little moist, so a drought wasn't the problem. She glanced back to Dahlia, who met her eyes before sniffing at the ground, her nostrils flaring. Haven mimicked her, lifting her fistful of earth closer to her face so she could smell it, and Hugo scrambled down her arm so he could sniff it, too. While it did smell like rich earth, it also... had a strange scent to it. One that was metallic, almost chemical, and made her nostrils burn as she gave a slight cough. Shaking her head, she dusted it off of her palm. "The earth has been poisoned, hasn't it?"

Dahlia nodded, giving another high-pitched hum as she blew out harshly through her nose, as if to clear out the bad smell. It made sense that she would be so quick to catch on, given she was not only a Grass type, but a Poison type as well.

"I think, with your powers, we could do something about this... but I don't know how it works," Haven admitted, reaching one hand out to gently stroke Dahlia's scaly head. "I just know that I need to meet Pokemon with different elemental abilities so I can repair this world. Do you... know how your powers work? Have you ever used your Grass abilities?"

Pausing for a moment, Dahlia shook her head no, then seemed to wilt slightly.

"No! It's okay," Haven quickly reassured her, "I guess we'll just have to learn together, right?"

The Bulbasaur perked up at that, nodding again. She then braced her little legs and started to march about the forest once more, continuing her investigation.

Haven smiled, standing straight as well. "That's the spirit. Let's keep exploring." She reached up to scratch Hugo's cheek with one finger, and he gave a little spark as he squeaked in delight. "What about you, Hugo? Can you sense anything?"

He tilted his head, then simply looked up at the clouds spattering the sky. "Piii." He pointed at them with one paw.

"Is it going to rain soon?" Haven looked up at the sky as well. There weren't a lot of clouds, but there was no telling how quickly the weather could change here.

"Piii!"

"Maybe some rain will help us get this forest back to life. Plants do need water," Haven mused, but then glance down at herself in her little dress. "I um, don't have a raincoat or umbrella, though... we should keep an eye out for some shelter while we're exploring. I don't want to return to the Block again so soon."

Hugo nodded vigorously, then climbed atop her head to keep a lookout. His ears twitched constantly, eyes narrowed in determination, taking his new mission seriously.

Haven and Dahlia continued to walk through the skeletal forest, which stretched on for miles. Dead trees lay scattered across the landscape, the brittle remains of shrubs and bushes slowly decaying into dust alongside them. Some small rock formations poked up from the patchy grass, but none that led to caves that could be used for shelter just yet. While they did manage to find some water in the form of a small stream, Hugo bristled at the mere sight of it, letting Haven know that it was definitely not safe. It was likely just as contaminated as the earth, if not more so. She was careful not to let any of them touch it, heaving the rather stocky Dahlia into her arms and lugging her over the stream, hopping from one stepping-stone to the next, flapping her wings to help keep her balance. She tottered away from the water's edge before she bent to put her toad friend back on her own four feet.

Dahlia grunted as she was set down, clearly not used to being picked up and carried, nevermind by someone who hardly had the arm length to hold her securely. She shook herself and stretched her back legs, blinking up at Haven in appreciation before continuing to hop along.

Hugo, at least, hardly weighed anything, still sitting up on her head as he gazed all around them, swiveling his head this way and that. He suddenly straightened, pointing again with his paw. "Pii!"

"What?" Haven turned to look where he was pointing, little Dahlia craning her neck to try to see as well.

"Pii!" Hugo insisted, his little finger following the tiny shapes of two flying creatures in the sky. It was difficult to make them out at first, given how high up they were, but they seemed to be just as intrigued of the adventurers as they were of them, as they began to circle closer. Haven could make out the shape of their wings, the brown feathers on their bodies, and little eyebrow-like crests on their heads. Pidgey, some of the most common bird Pokemon out there.

"There are still Pokemon living here...?" She murmured in amazement, eyes wide as she watched them circle curiously overhead. How could they have survived in such a barren wasteland?

As the Pidgeys landed on one of the nearby trees, it became clear that 'surviving' was all they were doing. The tiny birds were gaunt, their feathers looking thin and dry rather than soft and glossy. Their tired, sunken eyes observed Haven closely, and she could practically feel the desperation radiating off of them like a bad aura. They were hungry and exhausted, if not sick as well from the toxins slowly killing their home.

Her heart sank, and she reached into her bag again without thinking. She had brought some basic rations to provide for her and her friends during their outing, but looking at these poor Pokemon, it was obvious who needed the snacks more. Dahlia and Hugo both looked to her, then nodded, agreeing with her decision as she withdrew a packet of trail mix from her bag. The nuts, seeds, and dried berries in it would be perfect for the little forest dwellers to get some of their strength back.

Ripping open the package, Haven poured some of it into her palm, then held her hand out towards the weary birds. "Here... it's food. Good food, that won't make you sick."

The Pidgeys hesitated for only a moment before they both fluttered over. All fear melted away in the presence of food they desperately needed; one of them perched on her wrist while the other awkwardly landed on her fingers, its tiny, clawed toes gripping her thumb tightly for balance. They immediately began to gulp down what was offered, and Haven quickly poured more of the trail mix into her palm for them. They even gobbled down the candy pieces in the trail mix, despite likely not knowing what they were, since they were a human food. Though candy was bad in large portions, in this scenario, it would hopefully give them a boost of energy since it was rich in both sugar and calories.

Dahlia sympathetically frowned at the starving birds, watching them eat, while Hugo murmured something to them in little squeaks. He then pointed back to the bag. "Pii."

Haven crumpled up the empty trail mix package and stuffed it into her pocket, then fetched a water bottle from the bag. "They need some of this, too, huh?"

Hugo nodded, and Haven glanced up at the birds still perched on her hand, then angled the top of the bottle towards Hugo. "Can you get the cap?"

He nodded again, grabbing hold of the cap with both paws and straining to turn it, his cheeks puffing out with effort. "Eeee-!" After a moment of struggle, he was able to twist it free, victoriously holding it up over his head. "Pii!"

"Good job," Haven chuckled, reaching out to pour a bit of water into the palm of her hand, now that the trail mix was long gone. "Here you go, little ones."

The Pidgeys dipped their heads to gratefully lap up the water, careful not to jab her with their beaks as they did so. When they were done, they shuffled up her arm to perch more comfortably, seeming to have no desire to leave her side just yet.

"It's okay," she reassured them. "You can rest for a while. We're just looking around this forest... we want to help."

She wasn't sure if they understood, but the tiny birds tilted their heads as she spoke, blinking their dark eyes. Then they fluffed out their feathers and settled to rest for a while, letting her carry them on her arm as she tucked the water bottle back into her bag -- after Hugo helped put the lid back on -- and began their search for shelter once more. It was going to be dark soon, and then it would be all but impossible to find a safe place to spend the night.

Dahlia was quiet, appearing deep in thought as she trotted beside Haven, while Hugo was calm but eager. He returned to his position on her head, holding one paw up to shield his eyes as he scanned their surroundings. More grass, more trees, more rocks. No more birds, though, or even an insect. Life was rare here.

It was Haven who spotted a decent location to set up camp, though it wasn't a cave like she had been thinking; it was the husk of a massive tree. The branches were all gone, leaving just a portion of the rotted trunk and the large, gnarled roots as big around as Haven's waist. It was split up the middle, showing a hollow inside that had plenty of room for one small girl and her cluster of companions to take shelter.

Haven didn't have camping supplies... something she would really have to invest in, now that she was getting an idea of how inhospitable this world could be... so she simply began to gather some dry brush to lay at the bottom of the tree-cave to act as a bed. The Pokemon were all eager to help, even the Pidgeys, who gathered small twigs that didn't make much of a difference, but it did seem to make them feel helpful, so Haven just smiled and thanked them as they happily chirped and wove their twigs into the "nest." Eventually, they had a decently comfortable setup, and Haven plopped down to sit, surprised by how tired she was once she was actually off her feet. They had been walking for longer than she thought.

"Ouch..." Haven pulled off her boots, then rubbed at her sore legs.

Hugo saw what she was doing and hopped over to nuzzle his soft face against her ankle, trying to help in his own way. She giggled, then affectionately rubbed his head. "Thanks, Hugo. Where'd Dahlia go?"

The Pichu straightened, then looked around. Both Pidgeys had nestled into the nest to get some sleep, but Dahlia was not in the tree with them. He trotted over to the entrance of the crevasse, then pointed out. "Chu-pii-chu!"

Leaning forward, Haven gazed out at the forest, which was now gloomy with shadows. The sky was dark and awash with stars, the last rays of the sun dipping beneath the distant horizon. Dahlia stood only a few feet away from the shelter, staring down at the ground with a contemplative, frustrated expression. She pawed at the dirt with both of her forelegs, uprooting the dead, dry grass and huffing to herself. At first, it looked like she was just letting off some steam after a tough day, but as she looked closer, Haven could see a tiny glimmer of green light around the bulb on her back. Two tiny nubs poked out from the tightly wrapped leaves, bright green against the deep black. Then, after another moment, they stretched out into vines, arcing through the air before jabbing into the dirt in front of Dahlia, scraping some dead forest debris aside.

There, between her feet, was the tiniest, frailest sprout of a baby tree, struggling to even find the strength to break through the dead leaves on the ground.

Dahlia gazed down at it with sadness, not even realizing that she had just developed the ability to use her first Grass-type move. Her newly-sprouted vines gently curled around the sprout like hands, cupping it protectively while fragments of pale green light continued to drift off of her like fireflies.

Hugo's mouth gaped open, and he drew in a breath like he was about to speak, but Haven quickly shushed him, snatching him up and hugging him to her chest. The two just watched Dahlia with amazement as she unknowingly awakened a fraction of the powers that resided within all Pokemon, and pushed that strength into the sickly sprout, prompting it to stretch a little taller, a single green leaf curling out from the end of one twig.

"Piii!" Hugo finally squeaked out in excitement, startling Dahlia out of her thoughts. The Bulbasaur blinked, turning to gaze at her friends in confusion, only to finally notice the vines sprouting from her back. She jolted, staring up at them as she experimentally moved them about, then looked back to Haven with an expression that seemed to ask, What am I doing and how am I doing it?

Haven couldn't help a laugh at that bewildered look. "You've learned Vine Whip!"

"Bah?" Dahlia asked, stretching her vines out in front of her like a child trying to discover how far their arms could reach. Then she smiled, showing her sharp little fangs as she curled the vines into loops, then withdrew them back into her bulb. She gave a little hop, then scurried into the shelter to snuggle into Haven's lap.

Haven hugged her, giggling more as the oversized toad tried to fit on her lap. "You did so good! I'm proud of you. You have a little more hope now, huh?"

The Bulbasaur nodded, nuzzling her face against Haven's stomach.

Hugo joined in the cuddle, flopping on his much bigger friend's head to do his best to hug her. "Chuuu!"

Shaking her head, Haven petted them both, whlie Dahlia grinned as she went nearly crossed-eye from trying to peer up at Hugo. "Let's try to get some rest now that it's getting dark. Hopefully the rain will come soon and help us breathe life back into this place, huh? I'm sure our new friends would be really happy to see their home restored..." She glanced over to the Pidgeys, who were both sound asleep, roosting together in a far corner.

Her Pokemon companions nodded, and Dahlia plodded further into the makeshift nest, then flopped down on her belly. She drew one vine out again to scoop Hugo off of her head, tucking him against her side instead, which he didn't seem to mind. He stretched his arms up, yawning, then slumped against Dahlia and closed his eyes.

Haven had a bit of a harder time getting comfortable, awkwardly shuffling away from the entrance and curling up on her side, her wings folding against her back. She was careful not to accidentally kick the Pidgeys, tucking one arm underneath her head like a pillow as the other draped around Dahlia and Hugo. Though it was a far cry from her room back in the Pokemon Center, she felt cozy and safe with them by her side, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh as she settled down to sleep.

They are outside in this entire bit, so random encounters can be rolled!

Haven also interacts with wild Pokemon (Pidgeys) as an Explorer, so she gets extra TXP.

Dahlia's EXP:

- Partial Body Colored (6) + Location Background (6) = 12 EXP

- Word Count: 3,265 / 20 = 163 EXP!

- Total: 12 + 163 = 175 EXP!

- Learns Vine Whip!

Hugo's EXP:

- Word Count: 3,265 / 20 = 163 EXP!

Haven's TXP:

- Word Count: 3,265 --> Base 3 TXP + (3,265 - 500 = 2765 / 500 = 5 TXP) = 8 TXP! She goes from Newcomer to Rookie!

- PKMN-Block: Haven Trainer Card

- PKMN-Block: Dahlia the Bulbasaur

- PKMN-Block: Hugo the Pichu

- Tracker: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

Description

Chapter One: The Sunset Forest

Stepping through the boundaries between worlds felt... odd. It wasn't strong enough of a feeling to call it dizzying or disorienting, but it was just enough to make her stomach flip, a tickle running up her spine as goosebumps trailed over her arms. It was over in a second, though, and Haven found herself standing back in the spot where her memories began. The forest, if one could call it that, seemed no different from the first time she saw it. Graying, leafless trees were scattered across a field of short, dry grass. The sky overhead was a smoky purple tinged with orange at the horizon, a few thin clouds and stars dotting the atmosphere. Everything was quiet. Lifeless. The only change was to Haven herself, who was now dressed in clothes given to her by the kind people of the Block, with a small bag of supplies slung over her shoulder. She couldn't help but think that her own presence was too bright for such a solemn place. It felt wrong somehow.

She reached down to her bag, snagging the small, round devices she had clipped to the shoulder strap. Pokeballs. Fascinating little things that felt oddly familiar, though she had no memories of seeing or using them before now. Maybe, in another world, another time, she had.

"Dahlia, Hugo, we're here," she said softly, pressing the release buttons on the Pokeballs. In a flash of white light, her two new companions appeared.

Dahlia the Bulbasaur hit the grass with a soft thud, shaking herself a bit. She was a sturdy, toad-like creature with big peach-colored eyes and a black bulb growing upon her back; from what she was told, Bulbasaurs were normally green, but Dahlia was a little different. The gentle-natured beast blinked up at her, tilting her head, then turned to gaze around at the forest, her ears slowly tilting down as she took in the state of the plants all around. She scuffed one foot on the ground, sniffing the withering grass, and snorted harshly through her nose, apparently not smelling anything pleasant.

Beside her was Hugo, a perfectly average little Pichu, though he wore a blue ribbon Haven had gotten for him to set him apart. He fluffed out his fur and perked up his ears, also curiously gazing about for a moment, only to be put off by the somewhat eerie atmosphere of the dying forest. His large ears flopped back down, and he dropped onto all fours to hesitantly step closer to Haven, glancing over his shoulder a few more times before looking back to her and giving a little hop to climb up her leg. She reached down to help him, scooping a hand under his belly and tucking him to her chest, giving him a reassuring cuddle.

"It's alright," she reassured them. "This is... my home, I guess."

Dahlia made a soft grunting noise, looking up at her with concern clear on her face.

Haven nodded to her. "I know. But I think this place used to be beautiful... and we can help it be so again. Look at these trees. They probably had leaves and fruit once." She helped Hugo up onto her shoulder, then started to walk, the dry grass crunching under her boots. "There might have been ferns and bushes on the ground, and pretty flowers everywhere."

Dahlia followed behind her, still hesitant. She kept scratching at the ground with her claws, sniffing at the grass and the roots of the trees, seeming to be deeply bothered by what she was seeing. Perhaps, as a Grass-type Pokemon, she was more in tune with the plants around them, and it upset her to see they were all so sick.

"Do you know what happened?" Haven asked after a moment, "Can you tell why they're dying?"

The Bulbasaur responded with a high-pitched sound somewhere between a chirp and a hum, scraping at the ground again with one foot. She churned up the soil, then nodded her head towards the clumps she had dug up, making that sound again.

Crouching down, Haven scooped up a handful of the dirt, inspecting it more closely. It didn't look strange, and it felt soft and a little moist, so a drought wasn't the problem. She glanced back to Dahlia, who met her eyes before sniffing at the ground, her nostrils flaring. Haven mimicked her, lifting her fistful of earth closer to her face so she could smell it, and Hugo scrambled down her arm so he could sniff it, too. While it did smell like rich earth, it also... had a strange scent to it. One that was metallic, almost chemical, and made her nostrils burn as she gave a slight cough. Shaking her head, she dusted it off of her palm. "The earth has been poisoned, hasn't it?"

Dahlia nodded, giving another high-pitched hum as she blew out harshly through her nose, as if to clear out the bad smell. It made sense that she would be so quick to catch on, given she was not only a Grass type, but a Poison type as well.

"I think, with your powers, we could do something about this... but I don't know how it works," Haven admitted, reaching one hand out to gently stroke Dahlia's scaly head. "I just know that I need to meet Pokemon with different elemental abilities so I can repair this world. Do you... know how your powers work? Have you ever used your Grass abilities?"

Pausing for a moment, Dahlia shook her head no, then seemed to wilt slightly.

"No! It's okay," Haven quickly reassured her, "I guess we'll just have to learn together, right?"

The Bulbasaur perked up at that, nodding again. She then braced her little legs and started to march about the forest once more, continuing her investigation.

Haven smiled, standing straight as well. "That's the spirit. Let's keep exploring." She reached up to scratch Hugo's cheek with one finger, and he gave a little spark as he squeaked in delight. "What about you, Hugo? Can you sense anything?"

He tilted his head, then simply looked up at the clouds spattering the sky. "Piii." He pointed at them with one paw.

"Is it going to rain soon?" Haven looked up at the sky as well. There weren't a lot of clouds, but there was no telling how quickly the weather could change here.

"Piii!"

"Maybe some rain will help us get this forest back to life. Plants do need water," Haven mused, but then glance down at herself in her little dress. "I um, don't have a raincoat or umbrella, though... we should keep an eye out for some shelter while we're exploring. I don't want to return to the Block again so soon."

Hugo nodded vigorously, then climbed atop her head to keep a lookout. His ears twitched constantly, eyes narrowed in determination, taking his new mission seriously.

Haven and Dahlia continued to walk through the skeletal forest, which stretched on for miles. Dead trees lay scattered across the landscape, the brittle remains of shrubs and bushes slowly decaying into dust alongside them. Some small rock formations poked up from the patchy grass, but none that led to caves that could be used for shelter just yet. While they did manage to find some water in the form of a small stream, Hugo bristled at the mere sight of it, letting Haven know that it was definitely not safe. It was likely just as contaminated as the earth, if not more so. She was careful not to let any of them touch it, heaving the rather stocky Dahlia into her arms and lugging her over the stream, hopping from one stepping-stone to the next, flapping her wings to help keep her balance. She tottered away from the water's edge before she bent to put her toad friend back on her own four feet.

Dahlia grunted as she was set down, clearly not used to being picked up and carried, nevermind by someone who hardly had the arm length to hold her securely. She shook herself and stretched her back legs, blinking up at Haven in appreciation before continuing to hop along.

Hugo, at least, hardly weighed anything, still sitting up on her head as he gazed all around them, swiveling his head this way and that. He suddenly straightened, pointing again with his paw. "Pii!"

"What?" Haven turned to look where he was pointing, little Dahlia craning her neck to try to see as well.

"Pii!" Hugo insisted, his little finger following the tiny shapes of two flying creatures in the sky. It was difficult to make them out at first, given how high up they were, but they seemed to be just as intrigued of the adventurers as they were of them, as they began to circle closer. Haven could make out the shape of their wings, the brown feathers on their bodies, and little eyebrow-like crests on their heads. Pidgey, some of the most common bird Pokemon out there.

"There are still Pokemon living here...?" She murmured in amazement, eyes wide as she watched them circle curiously overhead. How could they have survived in such a barren wasteland?

As the Pidgeys landed on one of the nearby trees, it became clear that 'surviving' was all they were doing. The tiny birds were gaunt, their feathers looking thin and dry rather than soft and glossy. Their tired, sunken eyes observed Haven closely, and she could practically feel the desperation radiating off of them like a bad aura. They were hungry and exhausted, if not sick as well from the toxins slowly killing their home.

Her heart sank, and she reached into her bag again without thinking. She had brought some basic rations to provide for her and her friends during their outing, but looking at these poor Pokemon, it was obvious who needed the snacks more. Dahlia and Hugo both looked to her, then nodded, agreeing with her decision as she withdrew a packet of trail mix from her bag. The nuts, seeds, and dried berries in it would be perfect for the little forest dwellers to get some of their strength back.

Ripping open the package, Haven poured some of it into her palm, then held her hand out towards the weary birds. "Here... it's food. Good food, that won't make you sick."

The Pidgeys hesitated for only a moment before they both fluttered over. All fear melted away in the presence of food they desperately needed; one of them perched on her wrist while the other awkwardly landed on her fingers, its tiny, clawed toes gripping her thumb tightly for balance. They immediately began to gulp down what was offered, and Haven quickly poured more of the trail mix into her palm for them. They even gobbled down the candy pieces in the trail mix, despite likely not knowing what they were, since they were a human food. Though candy was bad in large portions, in this scenario, it would hopefully give them a boost of energy since it was rich in both sugar and calories.

Dahlia sympathetically frowned at the starving birds, watching them eat, while Hugo murmured something to them in little squeaks. He then pointed back to the bag. "Pii."

Haven crumpled up the empty trail mix package and stuffed it into her pocket, then fetched a water bottle from the bag. "They need some of this, too, huh?"

Hugo nodded, and Haven glanced up at the birds still perched on her hand, then angled the top of the bottle towards Hugo. "Can you get the cap?"

He nodded again, grabbing hold of the cap with both paws and straining to turn it, his cheeks puffing out with effort. "Eeee-!" After a moment of struggle, he was able to twist it free, victoriously holding it up over his head. "Pii!"

"Good job," Haven chuckled, reaching out to pour a bit of water into the palm of her hand, now that the trail mix was long gone. "Here you go, little ones."

The Pidgeys dipped their heads to gratefully lap up the water, careful not to jab her with their beaks as they did so. When they were done, they shuffled up her arm to perch more comfortably, seeming to have no desire to leave her side just yet.

"It's okay," she reassured them. "You can rest for a while. We're just looking around this forest... we want to help."

She wasn't sure if they understood, but the tiny birds tilted their heads as she spoke, blinking their dark eyes. Then they fluffed out their feathers and settled to rest for a while, letting her carry them on her arm as she tucked the water bottle back into her bag -- after Hugo helped put the lid back on -- and began their search for shelter once more. It was going to be dark soon, and then it would be all but impossible to find a safe place to spend the night.

Dahlia was quiet, appearing deep in thought as she trotted beside Haven, while Hugo was calm but eager. He returned to his position on her head, holding one paw up to shield his eyes as he scanned their surroundings. More grass, more trees, more rocks. No more birds, though, or even an insect. Life was rare here.

It was Haven who spotted a decent location to set up camp, though it wasn't a cave like she had been thinking; it was the husk of a massive tree. The branches were all gone, leaving just a portion of the rotted trunk and the large, gnarled roots as big around as Haven's waist. It was split up the middle, showing a hollow inside that had plenty of room for one small girl and her cluster of companions to take shelter.

Haven didn't have camping supplies... something she would really have to invest in, now that she was getting an idea of how inhospitable this world could be... so she simply began to gather some dry brush to lay at the bottom of the tree-cave to act as a bed. The Pokemon were all eager to help, even the Pidgeys, who gathered small twigs that didn't make much of a difference, but it did seem to make them feel helpful, so Haven just smiled and thanked them as they happily chirped and wove their twigs into the "nest." Eventually, they had a decently comfortable setup, and Haven plopped down to sit, surprised by how tired she was once she was actually off her feet. They had been walking for longer than she thought.

"Ouch..." Haven pulled off her boots, then rubbed at her sore legs.

Hugo saw what she was doing and hopped over to nuzzle his soft face against her ankle, trying to help in his own way. She giggled, then affectionately rubbed his head. "Thanks, Hugo. Where'd Dahlia go?"

The Pichu straightened, then looked around. Both Pidgeys had nestled into the nest to get some sleep, but Dahlia was not in the tree with them. He trotted over to the entrance of the crevasse, then pointed out. "Chu-pii-chu!"

Leaning forward, Haven gazed out at the forest, which was now gloomy with shadows. The sky was dark and awash with stars, the last rays of the sun dipping beneath the distant horizon. Dahlia stood only a few feet away from the shelter, staring down at the ground with a contemplative, frustrated expression. She pawed at the dirt with both of her forelegs, uprooting the dead, dry grass and huffing to herself. At first, it looked like she was just letting off some steam after a tough day, but as she looked closer, Haven could see a tiny glimmer of green light around the bulb on her back. Two tiny nubs poked out from the tightly wrapped leaves, bright green against the deep black. Then, after another moment, they stretched out into vines, arcing through the air before jabbing into the dirt in front of Dahlia, scraping some dead forest debris aside.

There, between her feet, was the tiniest, frailest sprout of a baby tree, struggling to even find the strength to break through the dead leaves on the ground.

Dahlia gazed down at it with sadness, not even realizing that she had just developed the ability to use her first Grass-type move. Her newly-sprouted vines gently curled around the sprout like hands, cupping it protectively while fragments of pale green light continued to drift off of her like fireflies.

Hugo's mouth gaped open, and he drew in a breath like he was about to speak, but Haven quickly shushed him, snatching him up and hugging him to her chest. The two just watched Dahlia with amazement as she unknowingly awakened a fraction of the powers that resided within all Pokemon, and pushed that strength into the sickly sprout, prompting it to stretch a little taller, a single green leaf curling out from the end of one twig.

"Piii!" Hugo finally squeaked out in excitement, startling Dahlia out of her thoughts. The Bulbasaur blinked, turning to gaze at her friends in confusion, only to finally notice the vines sprouting from her back. She jolted, staring up at them as she experimentally moved them about, then looked back to Haven with an expression that seemed to ask, What am I doing and how am I doing it?

Haven couldn't help a laugh at that bewildered look. "You've learned Vine Whip!"

"Bah?" Dahlia asked, stretching her vines out in front of her like a child trying to discover how far their arms could reach. Then she smiled, showing her sharp little fangs as she curled the vines into loops, then withdrew them back into her bulb. She gave a little hop, then scurried into the shelter to snuggle into Haven's lap.

Haven hugged her, giggling more as the oversized toad tried to fit on her lap. "You did so good! I'm proud of you. You have a little more hope now, huh?"

The Bulbasaur nodded, nuzzling her face against Haven's stomach.

Hugo joined in the cuddle, flopping on his much bigger friend's head to do his best to hug her. "Chuuu!"

Shaking her head, Haven petted them both, whlie Dahlia grinned as she went nearly crossed-eye from trying to peer up at Hugo. "Let's try to get some rest now that it's getting dark. Hopefully the rain will come soon and help us breathe life back into this place, huh? I'm sure our new friends would be really happy to see their home restored..." She glanced over to the Pidgeys, who were both sound asleep, roosting together in a far corner.

Her Pokemon companions nodded, and Dahlia plodded further into the makeshift nest, then flopped down on her belly. She drew one vine out again to scoop Hugo off of her head, tucking him against her side instead, which he didn't seem to mind. He stretched his arms up, yawning, then slumped against Dahlia and closed his eyes.

Haven had a bit of a harder time getting comfortable, awkwardly shuffling away from the entrance and curling up on her side, her wings folding against her back. She was careful not to accidentally kick the Pidgeys, tucking one arm underneath her head like a pillow as the other draped around Dahlia and Hugo. Though it was a far cry from her room back in the Pokemon Center, she felt cozy and safe with them by her side, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh as she settled down to sleep.

They are outside in this entire bit, so random encounters can be rolled!

Haven also interacts with wild Pokemon (Pidgeys) as an Explorer, so she gets extra TXP.

Dahlia's EXP:

- Partial Body Colored (6) + Location Background (6) = 12 EXP

- Word Count: 3,265 / 20 = 163 EXP!

- Total: 12 + 163 = 175 EXP!

- Learns Vine Whip!

Hugo's EXP:

- Word Count: 3,265 / 20 = 163 EXP!

Haven's TXP:

- Word Count: 3,265 --> Base 3 TXP + (3,265 - 500 = 2765 / 500 = 5 TXP) = 8 TXP! She goes from Newcomer to Rookie!

- PKMN-Block: Haven Trainer Card

- PKMN-Block: Dahlia the Bulbasaur

- PKMN-Block: Hugo the Pichu

- Tracker: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…