Zephyr sat up in bed, brimming with energy. For months- no, years- she had waited for this moment, biding her time until she could finally begin. She was tired of her home, of her parents that were never around. She was tired of seeing all her friends leave on journeys of their own. Not that she was leaving particularly late, though- there were plenty of kids with parents so stern they forbade them from departing until they had finished high school.

Zephyr had always achieved academically, and after she took extra courses, her parents had no choice but to let her go. Sure, she didn't have a college degree. But by working her fingers off typing essay after essay, she was able to finally surpass her parents' expectations and get a partial high-school degree. Plus, wouldn't she learn much more journeying across the world?

The rocks that lined firelight town were stained a glowing red by the sun inching over their crest. Trembling, Zephyr swung her legs out of bed and closed herself into her closet to get dressed. After she was done (Clad in a bright yellow tee-shirt she got from summer camp and a pair of jeans), she reluctantly ambled into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She did so, then took the little bag that held her toothbrush and paste (among other sanitary items) and headed downstairs. At the foot of the stairs was a duffel, already packed partway with clothes. She tossed the bag into its midst and walked into the kitchen.

Her mother was there, preparing fried eggs. She was smiling, but her eyes brimmed with tears as she handed Zephyr her meal. Backing up, she managed to murmur, "P-promise to w-write, dear?" Zephyr finished her mouthful and told her,

"I will, mom. I will."

Cleaning her plate, she cleared it to the sink and grabbed her bag. She walked to the door and looked back.

"Promise not to cry too much when I'm gone?" She asked her mother. The woman nodded, continuing to force a smile, and waved.

"Goodbye, Zephyr."

You leave your home and head through the town. On the other side would be Kiti Woods. On your way, you watch the familiar buzz of the town, with all the familiar faces and people.

Then, you catch sight of an old man sitting outside a small store. A Ninetales is sitting at his side, and he is stroking its silky cream-colored fur.

Zephyr smiled as she saw the old man and his Ninetales. He must be a very experienced trainer, she realized. Ninetales are clever and particularly vengeful if aggravated, but this creature is allowing him to stroke it. That's some bond. She smiled and waved good-naturedly to the man before pushing open the door of a convenience store.

She glanced around the room. On special order, she was getting her Pokemon and official trainer certificate from a legal representative of team Thunderflame. Her father had ties to the group which he never fully illustrated to Zephyr, but they weren't important or relevant to her in any way. He had just used whatever authority he had to obtain a slightly discounted trainer registration for his daughter. The agent she was supposed to meet was to come here at approximately this time.

((I hope this isn't powerplaying. She doesn't get extra money, her parents do. And they don't exactly count.))

A tall man wearing a black jacket over a fire-colored shirt looked up as Zephyr entered the store. His hair was dark brown, and his eyes slightly lighter. He approached Zephyr, and his Quilava stepped forward with him. The Quilava stood on its hind legs, looking up at Zephyr.

"Are you Zephyr Lightbreeze?" the man asked, looking down at his Quilava.

Zephyr laughed internally at the way he didn't make eye contact and instead asked the question of his Quilava. She found she was smiling in spite of herself, and she forced a straight face. This was a serious occasion.

"Yes sir. I'm here for my first Pokemon. I believe you know my father, Mr. Lightbreeze? He's taken care of my papers." She looked at the Quilava, then at the man.

Thunderflame, eh? Her family was officially members of that alliance, but the only thing they ever did was that her father went to monthly meetings. He had also once taken them to a Thunderflame-hosted tournament that was quite interesting to watch. Besides that, the group was quite secretive. She had only talked to a handful of its members, excluding her family and friends. They were fleeting in their conversations and always seemed to be doing something else.

The man nodded. "Ah, yes, he arranged everything for you." He looked like he was about to say something else, then stopped.

"Anyway, I have your Pokemon in the back," he said. "Wait here, and I'll retrieve it for you." The man looked at his Quilava and turned away. He opened a door to another room labeled "STAFF ONLY".

The man's Quilava rested its front paws on Zephyr's jeans, staring up at her. "Quilavaa!" it purred, smiling. It lifted one paw, then put it back. "Lava?" it said, almost as if it were asking Zephyr a question.

Quilava's owner came back, holding a shiny, white and red Pokeball, and some papers. "Here you are, miss Lightbreeze," he said, handing the papers and Pokeball to her. "Those are your receipts of purchase and your trainer's license," he informed. "Be careful not to lose them. The Pokeball contains a Minun, level 5, with 20 hit points. You're free to give him a nickname."

Quilava placed its front paws on the ground again, studing the light, barely visible scorch marks in the shape of pawprints that had been left on Zephyr's jeans. "Lava," it said in apology, before scampering onto the shoulder of its owner.

((Omg, I am so getting a Cyndaquil when I start my roleplay. Quilava is just too cute! <3))

Zephyr smiled at the retreating man and his Quilava. Those Pokemon were amazingly cute when they set their mind to it. She waved and uttered a cheerful "thanks" before turning her attention to the Pokeball in her hand.

All Pokeballs, due to the fact that they contained a living creature inside, were slightly warm. This one was gently rocking back and forth, seeming to be enjoying itself. It seemed a shame to send it out. Zeohyr did, though, pressing the button on front to cause the ball to pop open. The red energy contained within leapt out and formed a figure on the floor. The Pokemon standing there now opened its eyes, blinking up at its trainer. It was a little thing, about a foot and a half tall at most. Large, flaglike ears stood erect above its head. It was covered in fine, skin-colored fur. Its tail was mostly flat and in the form of a minus shape.

Minun. Zephyr's father had arranged well- it was one of her favourite Pokemon. She smiled and knelt down so she was more or lss at eye level with the creature, not too close but not too far.

"Hey there. I'm Zephyr and I'll be your trainer from now on." She smiled kindly and watched the little creature. Possibly it had come for a breedery and was therefore mostly docile, but there was also the chance it had been caught wild and wouldn't take training well. She watched it closely for any reaction.

The little Minun glanced around, somewhat fearfully. "Minun...?" it called, turning around. It saw Zephyr, and backed away slowly, then recognized the kindness in her eyes.

Cautiously, Minun approached Zephyr. The Pokemon almost smiled at her, but then it seemed to remember something, and jumped. "Nun! Minun!" it said urgently. It ran past Zephyr, turning back at the door to see her still kneeling there. Minun ran over and tugged on Zephyr's shirt, then stumbled back to the door. "Minun," it repeated.

She remembered that Minuns had vivid personalities, but this particular one seemed to need her for something. She got to her feet and walked over to the door it indicated with a flailing paw. She pushed it open, unsure about what the creature was trying to say.

"We... should we go?" Zephyr wished for possibly the hundredth time that she could understand what Pokemon said. "Is there something outside?" She looked curiously out at the square beyond the slightly ajar door.

Minun looked up at its trainer with wide eyes. "Mi-nuun!" it called. It pushed the door open the rest of the way and hopped out onto the road. There, it planted its feet firmly onto the ground. "Miiinuuun!" it shrieked. It fell silent, listening for a reply. Hearing nothing, it called out again, as if it was looking for someone.

It stood there, completely still, hoping to hear an answer. As only the normal sounds of the town reached it, it fell back onto the ground, its ears drooping. "Mi..." it said sadly.

Zephyr cast her gaze around. "What is it? Are you looking for someone?" Did it have a previous trainer? she wondered silently. Stooping down, she laid a comforting hand on top of its head. The poor creature looked so crestfallen and unhappy. Zephyr's heart twitched- had it been taken away from someone it loved just so it could come to her?

"Look, it's okay. Whoever you're looking for..." She paused, searching for the right words to say. "They probably miss you too. But now I think it's time to turn over a new leaf. I'm your new trainer now, 'kay?" Her hand never left his head.

Minun sat on the ground, absentmindedly playing with his tail. He felt Zephyr's hand on his head, and he turned his head to look at her. His wide eyes stared into hers, listening to her words. "Minun-mi..." he said quietly.

Then, Minun slowly stood up, Zephyr's hand still on his head. A small smile appeared on his face. "Mi, nun, nun," he squeaked. Then he dashed off to a tree, scurrying up the bark. He perched on a branch in full view of Zephyr and watched her. "Mi-i-i!" he giggled. He placed his front paws on the bark, clearly waiting for her to try and get to him.

Zephyr laughed at her Minun's spontaneous antics and scrambled after him. For having such short legs, the little rodent moved fast! Not to mention he had mood swings, going straight from being disheartened to playing around and running up and down trees. She clambered after him, but had difficulty doing so. The tree branch was about five feet off of the ground, and tree-climbing wasn't her thing. After scrabbling at the rough bark and twisting her body into ways she thought wasn't humanly possible, she ended up on top. She was in an awkward position with one leg looped around the branch and the other one hanging free. Her arms hugged the branch for dear life, and she was more or less at eye level with the Minun.

She chuckled. "Have you got a name? 'Cause the way you defy all logical explanations inclines me to name you Paradox." His playful spirit was contagious and she found herself grinning despite the predicament.

Minun smiled at her, his troubles forgotten for now. "Minun!" he screeched with delight. He nodded his approval of the name, and glanced around the tree. A pear grew not too far from where they were sitting, and Paradox carefully crawled out onto a thin branch to reach it. Within a moment, he was sitting on top of the pear, trying to figure out how to bring it back.

Zephyr reached out for the pear with the arm that was supporting her. Oops.

She immediately felt her weight shift as she let go of the branch. Flailing her arm desperately to try and grab the limb again, she slipped despite that and swung down. She managed to fasten her grip quickly enough so she didn't come crashing to the ground, though. She ended up in a peculiar position: hanging from the tree upside-down with both her arms and legs. Her position looked like nothing more than a Slakoth, except she wasn't being lazy. Reluctantly she released her legs and dropped to the ground, shaking her head to regain her bearings before looking up in the tree again at Paradox.

"You'll have to figure it out for yourself." She said with a sideways grin. "That tree's got it in for me." Instead of climbing up again, she merely leaned against the trunk and observed her athletic Minun.

Paradox looked down at her. "Mii!" he laughed. Flicking his tail at her, he squeaked something in Minun language that was probably something like, "You silly." Smiling, he glanced at Zephyr and leaped back onto the twig above the pear. He dug his teeth into the stem of the pear, carefully severing it from the branch.

Looking up, or rather down, from his work, he smiled at Zephyr before he sawed away the last strand of the stem. He hoped Zephyr would react fast enough to catch it.

Zephyr reached out her arms, ready to grab the pear when it dropped. Athletic she was not, but she still had some fast reflexes. So when the fruit finally fell she lunged for it, fumbling a little and nearly dropping it before finally closing her hands around it. She smiled.

"Since you found it, do you want to eat it? I bet it'd be delicious." She waved it cheerfully. "Feels just ripe too." It was amazing that even though the tree had been standing in the park for so long, nobody had come along and harvested its pears. She hoped it was okay for Paradox to eat. Absently she rubbed it on her shirt.

Paradox came down and waited till Zephyr deemed the pear safe to eat. The pear given to him, he took a large bite out of the fruit and chewed with a satisfied smile on his face. "Mi-mii!" it said, obviously happy. It quickly scampered up the tree again to cut off another one.

Zephyr readied herself for the next pear. The nagging thought that they were doing something they weren't supposed to was back, though- worriedly she cast her gaze around in search of anyone that might tell them off. No matter what the predicament, it seemed nothing would put Paradox off his pears. Readily he knawed at the stem of another one.

While Zephyr waited, she pondered. At this stage of development, Paradox wasn't physically capable of generating enough electricity to harm, although he might be able to numb. Neither was he substantially strong enough to attack with his body in a tackle- any foe would just brush him off. Perhaps his teeth might prove to be a useful weapon.

(( Um, yeah. Minun's first offensive attack is at level 7 and his first electric attack is at level 15. Can I improvise with techniques? ))

(( Er, I don't think it's necessary to actually set levels for stats. That'll get too confusing. xD; But improvising is fine, and if you want, Minun's attacks can do less damage at this "stage of development". =3 ))

The pear fell just as Zephyr was pondering, and unfortunately, it fell to the ground. Paradox let out a small cry of disappointment, and began to gnaw at another pear, thinking the previous one would be ruined.

He was almost done with the next pear when both human and Pokemon heard footsteps behind them. A middle-aged man with a Growlithe came forward and asked, "Just who are you two? Thieves?"

A boy of about Zephyr's age, perhaps a little younger, stood by his father. "Busted!" he said with a scowl.

The man turned to the boy with a disapproving look. "Hush, Nick," he said. "Don't be so rude."

Zephyr wordlessly raised her arm to the branch, beckoning for Paradox to climb onto it. Oh no, she was right- the pears were off-limits. She could always blame her Minun, though, right?

"Oh, s-sorry, officer." The man had a growlithe and was accusing her of breaking the law, and it was better to address him politely. "I-I didn't know I wasn't supposed to pick these. M-my Minun just jumped up there, a-and... I was worrying that that might be the case. Sorry. We'll stop." She shot a glare at the kid flanking the man, hoping his father wouldn't notice. If he was a trainer, she'd beat him senseless in a Pokemon battle for his rudeness.

The man sighed. "Alright, whatever - you don't seem to be the 'bad' type I've seen around this park lately... like that group of kids who totally terrorized this place last week. They didn't only steal from the trees, they ruined a lot-- Wait, why am I telling you this? Anyways, just leave before you do anything else."

As he listened to his father's words to Zephyr, Nick's face seemed to darken for a split second. But he quickly recovered his composture and scowled at Zephyr again.

"Let's go, Nick," the man said, giving his son a pat on the shoulder.

As his father walked away, Nick stayed for a few moments to say, "I hope you're not going to come back ever again, because what you see won't be pretty."

With that, he walked away as well. Paradox watched confusedly.

Now unafraid of being heard by his father, Zephyr retorted to the boy's taunting. "You say that like you're so confident." Fiercely she glared at him before reaching down and picking up Paradox. Holding him in her arms, she strode regally out of the park. She kept constantly flicking her eyes towards the rude boy to see whether he would follow her.

She needed to battle with Paradox. The Minun was probably itching for some action, and so was she. She looked around for potential trainers to battle.

The boy did not follow Zephyr for his father called him, but as Zephyr walked out of the park, a group of kids came by.

Spotting Zephyr, they formed a circle to stop her from going any further. The biggest kid, likely the leader of the group, stepped forward, a nasty-looking Jolteon at his heels. "Hey there, lil' girl," the kid said. "We saw what happened. Looks like you got in trouble with that dimwit police guy."

A smaller kid standing behind the leader gave out a retarded laugh.

"Retard." Zephyr hissed through her teeth. "Let me go, jerk. No need to get yourself into more trouble than you're already in." Good, she thought. Let them think thet I know their secrets. In a way, she did- chances were these were the kids the police had ben talking about. They seemed to blame her for something, plus they were calling the police unintelligent. All she needed to do was to go the police station and report them. Carefully she studied the features of the leader, as well as his Jolteon. Of course, she'd have to escape before she could tell anyone.

Paradox clambered to her shoulders and stood there, clutching her hair and growling at the boys surrounding her.

The leader kid didn't seem to be affected by Zephyr's knowledge of their trouble. He just smirked and said, "Psh, don't be stupid. The police force in this town sucks. We've gotten away with so many thinks without anyone even thinking it's us."

Jolteon growled in agreement.

Another kid came up and flicked a small rock at Paradox. Paradox shrunk back and moved to Zephyr's other shoulder.

"We're here for all your money plus your Pokemon," the leader said.

"They will know it's you once I report you. Attempted robbery, defilement of public property... they'll have it in for you." Zephyr was merely talking to keep them occupied, although it was really only getting her in deeper trouble. "And there's no way you're taking my Minun, nor my money."

Quietly, she muttered commands almost too quiet for her to hear out of the corner of her mouth. Minun had those huge ears, though- surely he'd be able to hear her. "Thunderwave them. Aim for their hands first but try for their feet. You don't want them to grab you."

Hopefully the police wouldn't arrest her for physical assault via Pokemon, as it was purely in self-defense. But paralyzing them would certainly give her the upper hand. The Jolteon might prove a problem, as it was immune to Paradox's electricity. She'd have to fight it herself, using her legs to defend, or simply run. That might prove problematic, because Jolteon were extremely fast.

Paradox heard Zephyr's words and as the leader kid got ready to say something else, he unleashed jolts of electricity at the boys' hands. It hit a few of them, but missed two. Jolteon, of course, was unaffected.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" the boss kid shouted as his hands became numb. "I--I can't move my fingers!"

Furious, he launched himself at Zephyr and Paradox, knocking both of them over. Three of the other boys had ran home because of their injured hands, the unaffected ones crowding around their leader. Jolteon growled and beared its sharp teeth.

"I'm doing exactly what I meant to!" Zephyr cried. She lashed out with her foot, swinging her leg in a wide arc, aiming for the back of the boys' knees. It was a sensitive area, and she knew if their legs buckled they would have difficulty getting back up again. She wrapped her arms around Paradox, ready to get up as soon as the boys collapsed.

The Jolteon... she had learned that in order to defend against canine attacks, a hard strike to the nose would do fine. If that thing leapt for her, she'd either kick it or punch it there. Not to maim, just to stun. The paralysis that Paradox inflicted wouldn't last for long, she thought, since the Minun wasn't exactly strong. Still, it should last long enough for her to get away.

Zephyr's kicks managed to get the boy off of her, and he was still a bit dazed from the paralysis. Shaking, he stood up, and eyes burning with anger, shouted, "Jolteon, hurry up and use Thundershock!"

Jolteon obeyed, gathering energy and unleashing a wave of electricity. By now Zephyr had stood up, but Paradox leaped out of Zephyr's arms to defend his companion against the Thundershock. He absorbed most of it, but still receive a bit of damage. Hurt, he collapsed on the ground, trying to stand up.

"Not too shabby, eh?" the boy asked. He seemed to regain his old confidence. The kids around him grinned nastily.

"Paradox!" Zephyr cried out, alarmed. If he was hurt, her best chance of escape would be eliminated. As it was, the Jolteon's thundershock had damaged him a lot. Must be awfully powerful, Zephyr thought.

"You jerks." She hissed through her teeth, narrowing her eyes. She scooped up her slightly injured Minun and muttered to him. "Can you try more thunderwaves? Aim for their legs so they won't be able to stand." She winced as she spoke, for she had been dealt a blow to the jaw when she was tackled that wasn't hurting any less. She'd have to run for it once there was a gap in the circle, and mabe this strike would do it.

Paradox was too weak to fire a good Thunderwave, but his devotion and concern to Zephyr gave him enough strength. Even so, it wasn't as strong as the last, but the electricity managed to cause several kids to flinch. Some of them collapsed when the Thunderwave hit their legs. Unfortunately, the leader and two other kids weren't injured.

As soon as there was a break in the circle, Paradox gave a cry to run.

It was now or never. Gathering her bearings, Zephyr flexed her legs and leapt, sailing over the bent over boys and taking off at a full sprint to the Police station. The boys would chase her, to be sure, but as long as they didn't have her cornered she could run.

Alas, running wasn't one of Zephyr's strengths, but she had the element of surprise on her side. All she had to do was find a crowded area and attract the attention of bystanders who might intervene to help as well as serve as witnesses. Holding tight to Paradox, she ran for all she was worth along the street, away from the boys that she was sure were chasing her.

((Seeing as she's lived in the town for all these years, does she know where the police station is?))

(( Sure - it's your character. ^^ ))

Nearing the town's local police station, Zephyr noticed several streetwalkers gathering around. A couple of them murmured in surprise, and watched as she bolted through the glass sliding doors.

A policeman was standing behind a counter, writing on some papers. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Zephyr. "Whoa, calm down, girl," he said. "Is there a problem?"

"S-sir!" She managed to hiss through deep breaths. "I was previously ambushed and I think I'm being chased by a- a group of boys. Aged around fiften to nineteen. They also claim to be t-the vandals in the park." Without waiting to be told so, she collapsed in a cushion. She still held Paradox in her arms. The Minun was still hurt from the Jolteon's thundershock and was just as tired as she.

"Paradox paralyzed their hands under my order," she said once her breath was back in control. "it was in self-defense, though. They would have stolen him otherwise." She stopped talking for a little and merely relaxed on the chair. The bruise below her right eye that she had gotten when they struck her was blooming now, looking like a cursed flower as it edged her eye.

The policeman looked at Zephyr for a second. "Oh, I see," he said bluntly. "We'll get you some medical care in a moment. And for that Plusle, too. Those kids aren't here right now are they?"

He picked up a phone sitting beside him and called someone. "Mhm...yes, please, thank you, bye." He set down the phone and returned to his paperwork. Then, as if he just remembered Zephyr was still there, he said indifferently, "Oh um, just sit there for a moment."

He turned back to his writing.

Zephyr muttered "He's a minun" under her breath, not intending to be heard. When asked the question, she replied to the best of her ability. "As far as I know, they followed me from the place where they ambushed me, the west side of the park. The leader has a Jolteon," she explained. "It was very willing to help its owners in attacking me."

She leaned back on the couch and sighed with exhaustion, hoping the policeman wouldn't ask her anything else. All she wanted to do was be able to rest.

The policeman looked up from his papers as Zephyr explained, then nodded. "Don't you worry about it, it's all under control." He turned back to his papers, writing with a black ball-point pen. He shuffled the papers, putting some of them off to one side.

Paradox weakly squirmed in her arms. "Mii!" he squeaked. Just after this, the gang of boys appeared outside the door to the police station. Seeing her in there, the leader scowled. He barked rapid orders to his comrades, and the gang split up. They were no longer visible from the door, but something made it seem like they weren't gone.

The policeman, still writing on the papers, noticed nothing.

Zephyr started, her heart beating heavily. "The boys! They're right there, outside the police station! I saw them! They've realized I told on them..." Panting, she stared out the window, scouring for any sign of the wayward criminals.

Unfortunately, there were none. The policeman turned up from his papers and sighed. "Girl, I don't see anything," he said. "Are you sure you aren't overeacting? I already have a group of policeman going to the park to check on things. There's nothing to worry about."

He turned back to his papers, and looked up briefly, "Oh yes, be sure your Plusle doesn't do anything stupid in this building - we've had bad Pokemon before."