Ah....Perfect.

[Dreamer]

Dreamer sat comfortably beneath one of the sprawling trees. Leaning against the thick trunk, a content smile appeared on her face. For some reson, she felt at peace with the giant wooded plants towering all around her,though she couldn't understand why. It was best not to question it, and simply take some time out to enjoy the feelings of happiness and calm that seemed to inhabit this place.

"The forest's nice." Dreamer wispered to no one in paticular. "I think we should stay here for awhile."

Her backpack lay at her side, now looking consiterably less full. A few yards away from the strange girl was her Meowth, Ghost. He was perched on a stump and was looking about like a king surveying his domain. For once, the not-so-human creature was right; this was a nice place. Glancing at the nearby tent and the sleeping growlith inside, he considered that maybe Dreamer really did want to stay for more time than it would take to cross to forest. The feline yawned and seemed to melt onto the stump, tailtip twitching. That would be fine with him......

Even Dreamer's newly evovled Croconaw, Riptide, seemed to feel the effects of the forest. She had rested her large, tooth-filled head on her trainer's lap, and for once she wasn't trying to bite anything. She was, however, drooling a bit, though the strange girl didn't seem to notice. She simply stroaked her pokemon's scaly head, half asleep herself.

[Daisuke]

"There you are," Daisuke hailed, tudging towards Dreamer. He couldn't understand for a second why she looked so content; the place gave him the willies. And then he caught sight of the tent.

"Are... are you staying here? Are we staying here? For a while?" He gulped nervously.

Dizzy, carrying both Lucky and Will on her back, trudged over to the tent; the three of them did look rather tired (though Daisuke couldn't comprehend why Will looked tired; he never did anything). There was just the whole food situation to worry about.
Lucky dismounted, Will clutched tightly in his hands, and Dizzy entered to the tent, curling up peacefully beside her Growlithe playmate. Lucky rested Will against the Numel, and then curled up against them himself. It appeared that they were asleep in seconds.

"How long do you think we'll be here?" He queried again, without giving the other trainer time to respond.

{Lucky: 13, 3/3 - Level up!}
{Will: 12, 3/3 - Level up!}
{Dizzy: 13, 1/3}
{Travel: 1/5}

[Dreamer]

The trainer opened her eyes and stared at Dai, annoyed. Why on earth did he sound so nervous; the forest was such a wonderfull, calm place.....

"Not exactly sure about that." The trainer said, tailtip twitching. Riptide yawned and removed her head from the strange girl's lap, struggling to her feet. She stared at the newcomer with eyes still half-clouded with sleep. "I was thinking....4, 5 days. We could train our pokemon a bit in preperation for the gym. Besides, I'm not to egaer to re-enter a world of smog and muggers."

The voices had also brought Ghost back to the real world; he gazed at the boy angrily, flexing his claws. Who did he think he was, disrupting the "good vibe" the forest seemed to produce from every tree and bush? The Meowth gave the trainer a hate-filled glare; maybe he would leave if he felt like he wasn't wanted.

Within the tent, Kindle slept on, undisturbed by the crowd that semed to have materilized from thin air. His leg began to move as if running, front paws smacking Lucky in the head. You had to wonder what he was chacing in that dream-world of his....

[Daisuke]

Dai gulped. "4 or 5 days?" He fidgeted. Dreamer's desciption of cities was perhaps apt enough, but it was all he ever knew, and this much nature was getting to him. "I don't know if I've got enough supplies to last that long."

To his surprise (and perhaps charign), Lucky, awakened from his half-doze by the repetitive bonks on the head, sighed with some exasperation. He climbed to his feet - careful not to tear the canvas of the tent - and darted to a nearby tree. From it he gathered some sort of fruit; a deep red in color with a fleshy skin, and incredibly sweet juice.

"Oh..."

Another look around showed Dai that food was everywhere. If he needed meat at all, he had no doubt the two Totodile could catch it.

But, wait - where was...

"Riptide!" Dai yelped, having just realized the Totodile's evolved form. "Congratulations!"

As Lucky settled back in to his sleep (this time on the other side of Dizzy), Dai's fears began to ebb. But only slightly.

{Lucky: 14, 1/3)
{Travel: 2/5}

[Dreamer]

"Naw!" Riptide said in response, showing off her new, sharper teeth. Dreamer, now (Reluctantly.) on her feet, scratched her pokemon behind the three red spines on her head. The Croconaw's tail wagged slowly back and forth in pleasure.

"I can see your not to happy about staying here for more than a few minutes." Dreamer said, a smile forming on her lips. "So how about this; we have a friendly pokemon battle. If I win, we stay. If you win, I'll pack up the tent and we can take off right away. Whadda say?" In truth, Dreamer just wanted a chance to test Riptide out in battle, and would firmly refuse to leave even if Dai did win. But he wasn't to know that....atleast, not yet.

Upon hearing this, Ghost gave a yowl of protest and lept off the stump, trotting over to Dreamer's backpack and worming his way inside. The Meowth would take no part in such a foolish event!

[Daisuke]

If anything, the thought of a battle - particularly against her evolved pokémon - made Dai even more nervous than the prospect of staying. He was about to back down, but something niggled in the back of his mind; some long-forgotten piece of adviice his father had given him when he was younger. Although the words were lost, the sense was still there, and Dai decided to see what would come of it. He trusted that Dreamer wouldn't badly injure his pokémon, so really, there was no better way to get battling experience in.

"Sounds good to me," He replied. "Since Will doesn't battle - and I promise, I won't use him as a prop this time - would you like to go 1 on 1, or 2 on 2?"

Will - not nearly as worn out as the other pokémon - seemed to like the idea of watching a battle, though his bland statement ("Metapod.") regarded his dislike at being thrown before. He sincerely hoped it would not happen again. Perhaps he wasn't lazy; perhaps he was just a pacifist.

{Will: lv. 13, 1/3}
{Travel: 3/5}

[Dreamer]

"2 on 2." Dreamer said, giving a very dog-like bark. Kindle awoke and came dashing out the tent, skidding to a stop at his trainer's side. Riptide tensed, eyes shining in anticipation of a battle.

Relising that we would not be called upon to fight, Ghost emerged from the backpack and once again pearched himself atop the stump. Watching the fools bash themselves apart over such a trivial manner would be extreamly entertaining.

"We'll each be using a fire pokemon and a water type." The strange girl said, grinning. "This should be interesting. Make your move."

[Daisuke]

Dai called to Lucky, who immediately caught the drift and awoke Dizzy. She lumbered out with Lucky close behind, and Will toppled to his side and sighed slightly. He couldn't really see from this vantage, and he had rather hoped to watch. Could he trust the Meowth to perhaps carry somewhere? More importantly - was it worth the effort?

Apparently he decided not, for he said nothing.

"Alright then." Dai nodded. He was worried for Dizzy's sake; Dreamer was very obviously a solid trainer, and his Numel was in a very unfortunate position. Lucky wouldn't be hurt be either fire nor water attacks - at least not greatly - and although Dizzy's Ground type would keep her relatively safe from anything Kindle threw at her, she was doubly affected by water attacks.

Dai backed far enough away from Dreamer to provide some sort of makeshift field on which to battle, despite the trees everywhere. Lucky and Dizzy took their positions in front of him.

"Ready when you are!"

{Lucky: 14, 2/3}
{Will: 13, 2/3}
{Dizzy: 13, 2/3}
{Travel: 4/5}

[Dreamer]

"All right," Dreamer said, tailtip twitching. "Let's begin." In a firm, commanding voice, she issued orders to her pokemon. Though she was strating to like this Dai character, a battle was a battle. Neither she or her pokemon would show any mercy.

"Riptide, use Water gun on Dizzy, full force! Kindle, attack lucky with Bite, but be ready to dodge; he'll probally try and counter with a water attack!"

As soon as the words left their trainer's mouth, the two pokemon sprung into action. Kindle snarled loudly and sprung at the Totodile, jaws open wide. Meanwhile, Riptide took a few seconds to aim at her target, then unleashed a jet of water from her mouth.

Ghost watched all this with an interested look on his face. Prehaps these "companions" of his had a use after all!

[Daisuke]

As soon as Will caught the sounds of battle, his decision to remain placidly unmoved changed.

"Pod, metapod." Although there was absolutely no intonation in his voice, he was apparently asking the Meowth if he could move him somewhere else, so he could see; or rather, he was informing him of the fact that he should do so.

Thrills jetted their way up Dai's back; his first real battle, and not against wild pokémon! He almost didn't know what to do. Surely he would have been entirely lost if it weren't for watching his father battle.

Dizzy was a lost cause before Dai could get the word out to watch out; her reflexes were simply too slow. He made a mental note of that, telling himself to work on her defense to compensate. She weathered the attack as best she could, though, and he had barked the "Tackle!" command before the jet of water had even finished leaving the Croconaw's mouth. Dizzy - though sodden, bruised, and unhappy - pushed her way though the powerful jet, and was close enough to stand a chance of landing a decent tackle of her own on the Croconaw.

Lucky - much faster than Dizzy, but not as fast as Kindle - managed to position himself in a decent retalitory stance. Kindle's attack hit full on, but Lucky was firm-footed and well-balanced. As a result, his "Scratch!" - as commanded by Daisuke, of course - had a good amount of power behind it.


{Lucky: 14, 3/3 - Level up!; 1/3} [b: 1]
{Will: 13, 3/3 - Level up!}
{Dizzy: 13 3/3 - Level up!; 1/3} [b: 1]
{Travel: 5/5}

[Dreamer]

Lucky's Scratch hit Kindle full in the stomac. Flying backwards with a yelp of pain, he somehow managed to land on his feet; though wounded, he was far from defeated. "Roar!" Commaned Dreamer, and the growlith let out a terrifying sound, doing his best to frighten Dai's pokemon.

The Croconaw cut off her Water gun and tried to dodge the Tackle, but only partily suceeded; though it wasn't a direct hit, it still did some damage. Now angry, Riptide didn't even wait for an order; she simply unleashed another Water Gun at the numel.

Annoyed by Will's request, Ghost gave the Metapod a good smack with his tail and proceeded to block his veiw even further. How dare that green creature ask him to move! After all, he had been there first.

[Daisuke]

Though Ghost's response may have offended, shocked, or even outraged any other pokémon, Will said nothing. Did nothing. Well, nothing other than stare. He stared at Ghost's back as though he could see through him, as though Ghost were actually the creature he was named for, and Will could watch the battle without hindrance.

Lucky was not so dense as to be completely unaffected by the Growlithe's roar - he had been rather pampered in the labs, after all - though the chunk missing from poor Kindle's tail made the Growlithe something of a comic sight.

"Lucky, Rage!" Dai commanded. "But aim it at Riptide!"

For a moment Daisuke was afraid Lucky's affinity for the fellow ex-Totodile might prevent his Rage from working, but apparently Lucky was as serious in battle as he was childish outside of it. His eyes frosted over with a red haze, and he leapt at the Croconaw with a violent thrash. Dai hoped the change in tactics would give his poor Numel a respite; she was very obviously on her last legs.

"Dizzy, hit Kindle with your Tackle!" The trainer commanded. He knew better than to use Ember, though it was currently Dizzy's most powerful move; it wouldn't be very effective against the offending fire-type. As soon as Dizzy was able to escape the battering of Riptide's water gun, she ran - or rather, lumbered - towards Kindle, turning to the side at the last second in an effort to hit the Growlithe with her entire body.


{Lucky: 15, 2/3; 3/3 - Level up!} [b: 2]
{Will: 14, 1/3}
{Dizzy: 14, 2/3; 3/3 - Level up!} [b: 2]

[Dreamer]

Dreamer raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised at this sudden change in Dai's stratagy. Still, it wasn't anything she and her pokemon couldn't handle, the strange girl thought with a smirk. They would just have to adapt aswell.

Lucky's attack was enough to send the Croconaw staggering backward, though it also angered her even further. "Let's show him a REAL Rage attack!" Dreamer cried, and Riptide prombtly lept at the smaller pokemon, determined to tear him apart.

Lucky was once again sent sprawling, though this time he didn't land on his paws. The growlith struggled to his feet, side burning. When his trainer gave the order to "Bite!" he elpt at the numel, though not with the same force as the attack he had used on Lucky.

Ghost, shocked and insulted at the Metapod's indifference, rounded on the pokemon and scratched him soundly on what he beleived to be his nose. With a satisfied "Mrow.", he turned and continued to watch the show, which was getting more interesting by the minute.

[Daisuke]

If Will felt the scratch - and it was very possible that he didn't, considering his thick "shell" - it didn't show. He didn't so much as blink. Just kept staring.

Daisuke watched the two enRaged aquatics dueling it out, and he felt almost naseauted. Even though it was in good spirit, to see such friends almost literally tearing eachother apart did not sit well on his conscience. This is why I wanted to be a breeder, a tiny voice in the back of his mind insisted. He ignored it, at least for now. When the battle was over, he would have time to sort out his feelings (Daisuke was cursed sentimental, after all) - but not now.

"Keep it up, Lucky! You're doing well!" It wasn't entirely true; Lucky was faltering. The marks from his earlier battle with the wild Dizzy had cracked open and were bleeding again, and he'd since obtained a good number more. His scaled sides heaved as he gasped for breath, but he threw himself into his attack with reckles abandon. Claws, tail, teeth, and tiny Totodile body flew everywhere as he slammed himself against the attacking Croconaw, oblivious to anything but his Rage.

As for Dizzy, she had taken considerably less damage from Kindle's bite attack than she had from Riptide's Water Gun, but even still, Dai could tell it wouldn't take much more to finish the poor girl.

"Dizzy, go ahead and Ember him anyway! Maybe we'll get lucky and Burn him!" Dai ordered. Dizzy did as she was told with reflexes she lacked outside of battle; her attack was not instantaneous, but it was rather quick. Toungues of fire spewed from the Numel, licking the Growlithe's fur.

If she doesn't turn this around quick, Dizzy's gonna have to drop out; I don't really want to push her to fainting point... Dai thought bleakly.

{Lucky: 16, 1/3; 2/3} [b: 3]
{Will: 14, 2/3}
{Dizzy: 15, 1/3; 2/3} [b: 3]

[Dreamer]

The ember was a direct hit...but it still didn't do much more than give Kindle a start. He growled, waiting for Dreamer's orders. The odd girl, notcing both her foe's pokemon were close to fainting, decided that it was time to wrap things up.

"Let's finsih this!" She yelled, enjoying herself. Ah, the thrill of a good fight! "Riptide and Kindle, use Bite!"

Kindle barked in response and lunged, aiming for the numel's neck. He put as much force behind the attack as he could, wanting desperatly to please his trainer by winning. Riptide simply snarled louder and dug her fangs into the bit of Lucky closest to her mouth; his leg.

Ghost decided not to torment Will any further; it was clearly a lost cause. He was content to watch the battle which, suprisingly, seemed to be going in his trainer's favor.

[Daisuke]

It couldn't be certain if Will was in the least affected by anything Ghost did or did not do, but there had to be some motive to his ways.
"Pod, Metapod." He stated; something about a hideously mutated pokémon obscuring his view.

"Dizzy, return," Dai commanded softly, realizing that Dizzy could not hope to weather Kindle's attack. It had hit, but he had returned his pokémon before she fainted entirely; he was happy to concede victory to Dreamer, but he didn't want Dizzy to be entirely unconscious. He hoped Dreamer would understand.

Lucky, on the other hand, was down to the last dregs of energy, but absolutely refusing to give in.

"Dai di DILE" He yelled, even as Riptide's (bigger!) fangs dug deeply into his thigh; Dai got the distinct impression that he was being told NOT to recall his pokémon, that Lucky wanted to tough this one out 'til the end. Though it went against Daisuke's very core, he decided to give Lucky the benefit of the doubt.

"DILE!!!" Lucky yelled. He pulled his leg out of Riptide's mouth (with the unfortunate effect of deepening the gash), and, heedless for now of the dripping wound, threw himself at the Croconaw's neck, claws extended, mouth open.

{Lucky: 16, 3/3 - Level up!; 1/3} [b: 4]
{Will: 3/3 - Level up!}
{Dizzy: 15, 3/3 - Level up!; 1/3} [b: 4]

[Dreamer]

The attack caught Riptide off guard; it was only thanks to her thick scales that she wasn't severaly wounded. Following Dreamer's order of "scratch", she kncoked the Totodile off her neck with a blow to his side. The smaller pokemon's teeth left small holes in her neck, which had begun to bled a bit.

"Finish him off!" Dreamer screamed, totally oblivious to everything but the scean before her on the battlefeild. Once she started battling, she refused to let up untill the oppnent's pokemon were totally defeated. She wasn't really brutal or bloodthristy; she just had a deaply competative nature and had to make sure that their would be no question of her victory later.

"Kindle, bite attack on Lucky!" Though a bit unsure of his trainer's orders, the growlith obeyed. Loyalty came before compassion for enemy pokemon after all.

With a loud screach Ghost pounce on Will, furiously scratching and biting the Metapod. Hideously mutated? He'd teach him to make remarks like that!

[Daisuke]

Will seemed perversely thankful that the Meowth had finally moved from his point of view. He completely disregarded the onslaught, well-guarded against any serious attacks, and watched the battle around Ghost's attacks. That was a little more like it, anyway.

Lucky tumbled to the ground when Riptide batted him away, unable to put weight on his injured leg. With a two-on-one battle, he knew his chances.

"Water gun!" Daisuke called. "On Kindle!" Although every part of him was telling him to recall your pokémon, dammit!, he knew Lucky would only get mad at him if he did so. Lucky wanted to tough this one out 'til the end, and so be it. He should at least take advantage of what resources he had.

For the time being, he released Dizzy from her pokéball. She was battered, bruised, and bleeding, but content enough to rest and watch her brother from the sidelines. She even ventured to cheer him on her deep, raspy, somewhat dimwitted voice.

{Lucky: 17, 2/3; 3/3 - Level up!} [b: 5]
{Will: 15, 1/3}
{Dizzy: 16, 2/3}

[Dreamer]

The water gun hit the Growlith in midair, kncoking him to the grund. He struggled to stand and finally made it to his paws, though it was clear that he didn't have more than a few HP left. With a whistle Dreamer called him to her side; the battle was now between Riptide and Lucky, Croconaw and Totodile.

"One more Bite should do it." Dreamer growled, ears pressed flat in anticipation. She would win this battle;it was only a matter of time, a few more attacks. Riptide gave a growl of acknowledgement and lunged, snatching Lucky up in her powerfull jaws.

Will's indifference only made the Meowth more furious; he doubbled the power behind his attacks, now yowling at the top of his lungs. It was a wonder that the battlers didn't stop their fighting and investigate the source of the noise, but they seemed far to preocupied with their own business.

[Daisuke]

It was only the Meowth's yowling that seemed to aggravate the otherwise calm Metapod; not even the gashes that were beginning to appear on his hardened skin seemed to elict any response from him.
"Meta. Metapod." He said blandly, sounding almost bored. "You're rather annoying," He seemed to say. Dizzy, on the other hand, had caught the spat-fit of the cat, and made her lumbersome way over (limping and wincing as she did so).
"Noo MAHL?" She queried deeply in the Meowth's ear.

Lucky was panting, held firmly in the jaws of the Croconaw, exhausted from his last exertion. It was clear that he had nothing left. Daisuke opted to end this now, before Lucky was reduced to unconciousness. At least the Totodile had managed to even the odds a little more.

"Return!" He ordered, though Lucky remained placid as the neon light recalled him. He had earned the respite. Daisuke stepped forward, at once dismayed that he had lost and yet incredibly proud at the first effort of his pokémon. Dreamer was an ambitious, confident, talented trainer and an excellent opponent; Daisuke was still unsure that he wanted to be a trainer. He had done well, all things considered.

"Good match," He offered, a quirky grin on his face to hide his disappointment, hand held respectively out. "And now a few days' rest here doesn't seem like such a bad idea anyway."

{Lucky: 18, 1/3; 2/3} [b: 6]
{Will: 15, 2/3}
{Dizzy: 16, 3/3 - Level up!}

[Dreamer]

Once again, Dreamer ignored the offered hand, instead focusing her gaze on her mewoth and ther troubble he was causing.

"Ghost, I'm taking a quick trip into town." She said, motioning to the backpack. "Do you want to come?" The pokemon stared at his owner for a moment then, deciding that the metapod had learned his lesson, trotted over and slipped inside the backpack, which Dreamer promptly zipped up and slung over one shoulder.

The odd girl began walking in the general direction of Lunar town, growelith and croconaw following. "Gotta go pick some stuff up real quick and heal my team." She said, without pausing or looking back. "You should come along; Lucky and Dizzy dosn't look so good. We'll come back after, of course. Or do you want to stay here, all alone, in the dark forest......"

[Daisuke]

It was the last phrase that made up Daisuke's mind; no, he did not want to stay here alone. It might be nice to come back and camp, though, he had to admit.

"Coming!" He responded nervously. He recalled Dizzy to her pokéball - she really didn't look too good - and scooped Will up in to his arms. It would be nice to see civilization again, that was for sure...