Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better [1x1]

[mdf2711]

Finnian Breckenridge waved goodbye to his mother and father and ran back to hug his mum another time. His father looked stonyfaced for a moment but smiled and hugged his son again. Finn was worried he would fail to make them proud, his father would probably be the hardest to please, but he was still a bit hopeful. And most importantly, he was determined. The excited redhead rubbed his eyes quickly, facing away from his father pointedly as he did so, and then bade a final farewell to his parents. He grabbed his backpack, strapping it over his shoulders and running off. Finnian darted down the road that wound away from the Pallet Town Inn and Suites which they were staying at so he could get to the lab easier today, the day he'd always been waiting for. He was nervous as he skipped the sidewalks and opted for the curb to try and get there faster somehow. With little to no sense of direction but just a sense of purpose, Finn wound up in front Oak's Pokemon Laboratory. It wasn't exactly surprising, he knew the location very well already, had walked this path last night three times after their plane arrived, just to be sure he'd get here on time. But then again, everything was passing by in such a blur.

The last few days had been a rush, a scramble to pack and unpack last minute things. His mother had packed for him several nights before and his backpack was so full of crumpled love notes and sandwiches and extra pairs of underpants that he barely had room for the essentials. Trying to keep everything truly necessary but lighten his load and pack a few more things (while leaving a bit of room for any goods he might obtain throughout his journey), Finn had hidden everything he decided not to take just before taking off in the bottom of his closet back at home, where his mother would probably not go. Despite her snooping nature, she would have no reason to check the closet of her son's empty room for a few months, right? Finn didn't want to disappoint his mum at least, he was slightly worried she would be upset merely because she was trying so hard to let go of her baby boy (and failing so miserably) and only wanted to help him.

Of course Finn was appreciative for her help, he always was despite knowing his father would say it was only his weak will that let him put up with his mother's babying and fussing, that he should just man up already and tell her to shove off or something awful like that. Finnian shrugged and realized he'd been standing in front of the lab for an extra long amount of time. What was he even waiting for? He rubbed his neck out of habit, feeling a bit more sunscreen than he would have liked on his hand and rubbed it back into his arms before heading on toward the laboratory. Finn tentatively approached, excited, knowing full well that Professors Oak and Elm awaited his arrival inside, that his starter Pokemon awaited his arrival inside, that his new journey into research as an assistant due to his academic success at the Soulheart Preparatory Academy outside of Violet City, Johto was just a few feet away now. And then, suddenly, Finn felt a shove before he could get to the door and he tumbled backward onto the ground with a painful thud and closed his eyes as he fell - what??

[dracoon]

"Delelewhoop."

Oh no.

"Delelewhoop?"

The Kricketune jumped down from his perch, going through the sheets before giving a final, loud shout of 'DELELELEWHOOP!' into it- the girl nearly touched the ceiling as she jumped out of bed, falling off it as the Kricketune flew away, chuckling melodically. "When I get my hands on you..." she muttered, balling her hands into fists before pushing herself off the ground and checking herself for injuries. She checked the clock on the wall: while she wasn't late yet, she wasn't exactly going to be early either. Sitting back on the bed once more, she pulled at the Velcro straps that made up the leg frames she had already grown accustomed to, strapping them on quickly and fluidly before shuffling over tiredly to brush her teeth.

Breakfast was pancakes and egg, and Yoonhee picked at them for a few moments before her mother came to sit with her. "Still brooding about having to send that bird back?" she asked with a smile, and Yoonhee nodded stiffly, "He was just a rental Pokémon after all. Besides, you'd be getting your own Pokémon either way! I'm sure Goo would miss you when you're gone- that Kricketune might be mischievous, but he's been the family alarm clock since you were born, and he really wanted to follow you." Yoonhee opened her mouth to insist she didn't need a Pokémon of her own, that she had held her own perfectly fine with the rentals she had gotten at the Pokemon School but her mother's stare silenced her. After reading the papers and kissing her parents goodbye, she threw her satchel onto her bicycle and began to cycle from her house in Viridian City to the Pokémon Laboratory that was almost her second home by now.

After all, for everything Yoonhee was the perfect student, and one of the most formidable Trainers at the Trainer House (again, with rentals, she didn't want the responsibility of caring for another living being). Not just that, she even had a column to rate all the teams she had used while battling there, talking about strengths and weaknesses as well as places they could be found. What could possibly happen? Giving a wide turn to park her bicycle at the racks, she began walking quickly, seeing that she was almost late: and of course, a boy was just standing there, in her way. "'scuse me," she stated plainly, with little remorse as she reached her left hand out (the muscular arm had a bow protector almost permanently strapped over it, something she touted with pride as an archer) to shove the boy aside, assuming him to just be a fledgling Trainer that had come too early, "Opening hours is like, 8 to 8, so take a queue number if you like, need your Pokémon." With that and a point to the sign on the door, she smugly reported to the two professors, barely even bothering to look back.

[mdf2711]

Finn toppled to the ground as an older, taller girl pushed past in a hurry to get by him. "Ah now, to be sure! Are ya after trying to kill me?" he exclaimed as he motioned to get up off the ground. He wasn't exactly hoping to confront the girl but that was besides the point. Finn entered the lab tentatively, brushing himself off. The girl was tapping her foot impatiently and apparently awaiting the Professors just like he was. He nervously slunk in and took a seat, looking away from her pointedly, not sure he wanted to engage with the other person in the room considering she had just rudely pushed him to the ground.

After a few minutes, Professor Oak entered the room from an office, followed closely by Professor Elm. Professor Oak spoke first. "Welcome Mr Breckinridge and Ms Jo. Have you acquainted yourselves while you've been waiting?" Finnian gave a noncocmmital shrug and didn't bother to look at the girl. "Well, I'll take that to mean not properly. You should momentarily though, but first we have some important business to attend to. You're both here today for a very important reason. You're getting your first Pokemon first and foremost, aren't you? Excited?" Professor Elm presented two boxes. "These contain some research kits and supplies you'll need. And most importantly right now, they contain Pokebals containing your firsst Pokemon. They were carefully chosen for you specifically based on your profiles and aptitude testing. Both of these Pokemon are not commonly found anywhere in the greater Kanjohto continent nor anywhere in the surrounding islands except when imported, so I think you'll be excited to be working with Pokemon you may have never encountered before in real life." Oak smiled calmly, "Now I think it's time for you to meet your partners before you continue to talk about your placement and missions, don't you agree kids?"

Finn swallowed and nodded. Finnian was kinda glad there was no decision to make, it had already been chosen for him apparently. Whatever was in his box was a complete mystery to him and all he knew so far was that it was rare? How exciting but nervewracking. What if it was a scary Pokemon and he was taken aback by its ferocity or danger. He knew he would be expected to handle danger as a research assistant and he might soon be caring for a wide variety of unfamiliar Pokemon so there was no better time to get over his nervousness than the present He reached into the box and felt the Pokeball, pulled it out, stared at it for a long time. Ultimately deciding to try and be bold and have some faith in himself, he smiled and pushed the small white button on the front of the Pokeball. The familiar and audible click of a Pokeball just like the ones at the Academy caused his tiny heart to stop for a second as a flash of brilliant white light erupted from the shiny red and white object and then solidified. As the light died down, his starter Pokemon was revealed, it was...a Sandshrew?

The rodent Pokemon smiled happily and cocked his head. Standing on all its two back legs upright, the odd Pokemon resembled the yellow desert mouse he was very familiar with from the area near his home but it was a light blue color with a cream colored belly and it was stockier and heavier, with a rounder and thicker head. Could this Sandshrew even roll up in a ball like he as used to? It seemed unlikely by its rounder shape. Finn smiled and waved down at the Pokemon and then crouched to be closer in height. The redhead fumbled as he reached back into his bag to retrieve his Pokedex his parents had bought him.

Opening the new device with a curious confusion, Finn figured out a bit of the control instinctively but knew he'd need to work on operating the machine more thoroughly later. For now, the scanning button would be enough for his purposes. The encyclopedic machine appeared to analyse Finn's starter for a moment and then a jubilant voice announced, "Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokemon. Alolan Variety, Ice and Steel type. In adapting to the cold climate of Alola's mountains, its body became larger and heavier with a shell of ice covering its hide. The steel-like covering grants it extra defense, but it is unable to curl into a ball like its desert counterpart. Alolan Sandshrew's claws allow it to move without slipping on icy surfaces, but it slides on its stomach when it needs to move quickly. It lives on snowy mountains. An ancient tradition of Alolan festivals from its homeland, still carried on to this day, is a competition to slide Sandshrew across ice as far as one can." The Pokedex also displayed a few bits of information on its small screen for Finn, such as the fact that his Pokemon was apparently a male and some of his height and weight facts and basic species information and basic care and habits. Finn mused to himself that the device was quite handy.

Looking back at his new Pokemon friend, Finn smiled and the Sandshrew smiled back in turn. "I think I'm going to call you Marshall, little guy. Is that alright?" he asked timidly. The unusual Sandshrew nodded and took a few steps forward, nudging his forehead softly against Finn's knee. "I'll take that as a yes so," the boy started. "It's very nice to meet you, Marshall. My name is Finnian."

[dracoon]

Yoonhee nodded and shook her head as required, before she was handed the box that contained her supposed-first Pokémon. She raised an eyebrow at the boy already playing with his new Sandshrew, muttering how 'fat' it was and whether if it could even survive the climate of the outdoors. Taking the ball with a few pleasantries (these were her bosses after all, whether she liked it or not), Yoonhee released the Pokémon inside, watching the shape take form into a small, shaggy-haired hyena dog. "Rrr?" the dog whimpered, lowering its ears as it sat before her obediently, tail wagging as Yoonhee too pulled out her Pokédex. It had been a gift from her editor as thanks for the wildly popular Pokémon article, and she broke it in by scanning what she recognised as a Poochyena, but knew nothing beyond of.

Poochyena, the Bite Pokémon- Dark type, the Pokédex explained to her, and she nodded while it provided her with more information, At first sight, Poochyena takes a bite at anything that moves. This Pokémon chases after prey until the victim becomes exhausted. However, it may turn tail if the prey strikes back. A distinguishing feature is how large its fangs are compared to its body. This Pokémon tries to intimidate its foes by making the hair on its tail bristle out. It savagely threatens foes with bared fangs, and it chases its chosen prey until the prey becomes exhausted. Poochyena is an omnivore - it will eat anything. "So you're a dumpster diver," joked Yoonhee, reaching out to pet the hyena- but Poochyena lunged, its fangs sinking into her arm guard instead. "Feisty, eh? I like that, yeah!" she gave a shout, feeling pumped up at the pep of her new Pokémon and forgetting that she had been so insistent that she didn't want or need one.

"Alright, let's like, think of your name," Yoonhee stated, as the Poochyena released her arm guard and took a step back, seemingly annoyed at the taste of leather and lacquer, "You're a hyena, or a wolf. Neugdae- yeah, that'll like, be your name. You're a neugdae." The dog Pokémon gave a slight tilt of his head- Yoonhee now corrected herself, her new Poochyena was a male, and with a nod, she turned back to the two Professors, whom now briefed her and the other boy about what they were due to do. "I'd have to like, travel with...that?" she repeated, jerking her thumb at this with an air of incredulity, "You have like, got to be kidding me. This isn't like, some sort of daycare, I'm not like, gonna be like, cleaning after some kid."

Professor Oak frowned at her sass, before giving them each several translucent, light blue balls. "These balls have been developed by Silph Co., for researchers like you two. They're special balls called Holding Balls. Balls like these are for research! If you find an injured or lost Pokémon, you can just use the Holding Ball to safely transport them to the nearest Pokémon Center- that way, you don't waste your own balls and the Pokémon wouldn't be accidentally tagged with your Trainer ID," explained Professor Oak, and Yoonhee gratefully accepted the balls before squinting at them- they were given 6 each, enough for a full team. After some general protocol, explaining about the native species and survival tips, the Professors soon urged them to know each other better, and left them to their devices.

"Hey, Neugdae," she beckoned again, the Poochyena now trotting to her instead and wagging his tail attentively, "Let's like, get you acquainted with the best snacks for Pokémon, mhm." She pulled out a Ziploc bag filled with star shaped cookies- special Pokémon food gifted to her by a Breeder she had defeated at the Trainer House, pouring a few into her hand before extending it to her companion. Neugdae sniffed it for a few moments, before eagerly chowing down on the snacks, shaking his fur out after he was done and insisting he wanted more. "Yo, Buckyridge," she added as an afterthought, butchering the boy's surname in a heartbeat, "You want some for your igloo over there?" The aroma of the cookies was more than enough, though, but she waited.

[mdf2711]

Finnian gritted his teeth as the girl rudely mocked him and insinuated she was better. He opened his mouth to speak and shout something back at her but a look from the Professors made him stop. Finn didn't want to get into even bigger trouble for not being able to hold his temper and he didn't want to cause problems. He meekly decided they could handle it later, although he was unhappy that the girl was being a huge jerk against him and there was obviously no reason for it.

He watched as the girl, apparently she was called Yoonhee, introduced herself to her new Pokemon, a Poochyena. He was a little surprised. Obviously, the Professors had spoken the truth, it was a rare Pokemon in their regions but it was a rather common Pokemon as far as the more backwater Hoenn region was concerned. From his own knowledge in school, he was pretty certain it was about as common as a Sentret or a Pidgey in its home region. He might be incorrect though. Besides that, it wasn't especially special as far as Poochyena were concerned, not like his Ice and Steel Alolan variant Sandshrew. Marshall was special, and Finn liked it that way.

Yoonhee rudely butchered his surname and mocked his partner as she offered him some food for Marshall. He was torn. They were supposedly going to be coworkers, research assistant partners. He needed to work together with her ultimately. But she was so insufferable, so incredulously curt and innappropriate, so rude, so oblivious, so...Finn stopped himself. No, he mustn't think like that if he were going to be partnered with Yoonhee, he'd be the bigger person and get over her enormous ego if that were possible. He swallowed his pride and accepted some Pokemon food for his new friend.

Marshall didn't seem to particularly mind Yoonhee or the Poochyena which she had nicknamed Neugdae at any rate. So maybe they could get along. He could only hope. Finn smiled and pet his new Sandshrew friend as he looked over the Holding Balls. The clear temporary Pokeballs were made of some kind of strange material that was a halfway cross between like a hard toy plastic and like the kind of ballooned up beachball plastic that might pop at any moment. Given that it was a Silph Co quality Pokeball special made for laboratory researchers, he assumed it would not pop but it did seem fragile regardless.

"Hey, it's Yoonhee, isn't it?" Finn smiled. "Want to have a battle - you and me, Marshall and Neugdae - our first real battle as researchers with our first real Pokemon? How about it? It'll be great practice." Maybe the battle would allow them to get out some of their aggression and he could vent his frustration into a competitive sportsmanlike match against his new partner about whom he was still uncertain.

[dracoon]

"Sure," Yoonhee took the other up, "I think I'll probably win, but like, we never know. Maybe you're like, some sort of hidden gem that's like, in need of some like, polishing." After sealing the Ziploc bag and putting it away, she watched as Neugdae tried to follow behind, sticking his head into the bag before she lifted it out of his reach. The Poochyena whined, before she directed him outside and got up (exceptionally slowly), giving herself a mighty stretch to mask how difficult it was for her to realign herself after bending down.

Of course, the battle was as expected- a straightforward 1-on-1 match. She searched the Pokédex, noticing the Egg move amongst Neugdae's moves and giving a slight smile. "This'll be fun," she observed, scanning the Sandshrew: it was definitely an Ice-type in some way, and she gave a lazy point at the opposing Marshall, "Fire Fang, let's go!" Neugdae moved first, his mouth bursting into flames as he ran at the Sandshrew, before clamping down on the igloo-like Pokémon. Marshall gave a whimper, falling onto the ground, and Yoonhee was about to celebrate before she saw the unnatural glow around the Sandshrew's body. Marshall looked up, throwing himself at Neugdae with sudden force, and a burst of smoke erupted through the arena.

When the smoke cleared, both Marshall and Neugdae were down. Yoonhee scratched her head with a sigh, recalling her Pokémon and giving a shrug. "Totally a fluke. I like, never lose," she began, trying to play it cool but actually seething from having underestimated her opponent, "It's a draw anyway. Wanna get healed up first?"

[mdf2711]

Finn didn't like Yoonhee's cocky attitude or her carelessly superior showoffiness. But he wasn't about to fight over it. He'd much rather show her up in battle. Besides, it wasn't like either of them had an immediate type advantage over the other. He checked through his opponent's regular stats quickly and then began checking his own. He was pleased to note he had the legal certifications to use like a half dozen egg moves, as verified by his Pokedex from Marshall's data. He began equipping moves for the upcoming battle, trying to plan ahead in his mind. He wasn't usually great at planning for battle, it was more about gut instinct with Finn. It worked sometimes. But his trust in his Pokemon's abilities worked far better in his opinion.

He bent down to pet Marshall and whispered a little pep talk. He encouraged him to do well and not be scared no matter what, even though Finn himself was usually quite afraid, he wanted his Pokemon to know he was dependable and he could be counted on to care for anything the battle might throw at them. He also went through the moves they'd equipped for this battle and advised that Marshall counter anything that hits him physically with Counter and otherwise to listen up for his further instructions. Both Pokemon were relatively low level so he assumed it would a quick battle.

Yoonhee threw him a curveball though, he definitely didn't anticipate Fire Fang. But it was a legal egg move and he should have guessed with Marshall's pedigree as his starter choice from the Professors that Yoonhee's Poochyena must have some hidden talents as well. Unfortunately, the hot Fire type move stung Marshall really badly but he managed to muster all the strength he had left to listen to his new trainer's advice and he Countered as best as he could, using up all his strength and falling to the ground in a heap. The smoke cleared and both Pokemon were clearly knocked out. Finnian recalled Marshall and agreed to heal him immediately, he was a little worried about how tired his new friend must be after a quick but clearly taxing match. 

[dracoon]

After returning to the Lab and having Neugdae healed, Yoonhee was pulled aside by Professor Oak, who proceeded to give her a letter. She viewed it, chewing her lip before she found the 'allowance' attached. "Your editor spoke to us both. We felt that since you already ran a similar column, why not continue?" suggested Professor Oak in friendly tones, and Yoonhee protested: she would need Wifi, it was difficult to turn things in on the field, it was opening up avenues to get things stolen...but Oak's gaze silenced her and she sagged, unable to put up any further struggle. After all, she was taking someone else's money...it was a little difficult to say no.

On that note, she was briefed with Finnian again for their very first mission- to transport a parcel to the Fossil experts at Cinnabar Island, as well as take notes on the strange activity in the Pokémon Mansion. "You might be rewarded with a revived Fossil, another type of Pokémon we'd need to study," added Professor Oak cheerfully, "Perhaps even an Egg for your efforts. Who knows? A new Pokémon we need data of would be useful for all of you." Yoonhee gave a stiff nod, before rubbing her arm and beginning to walk, waiting for Finn at the door. There was much less pep in her, as if she had been punched, but she tried to keep her spirits up as she bought herself an e-ticket to the next ferry to Cinnabar.

"Do you need a ticket? I'm making bookings now," she added, recalling her companion and turning around, "You can pay me back when you get on, like, it's no sweat cuz I'm loaded now apparently."

[mdf2711]

As Marshall was healing, Finnian spoke with Professor Elm who gave him a few maps and some advice on leaving town. He also advised not to capture too many Pokemon too quickly. Finn agreed, he didn't want to care for too many creatures he was ill equipped to manage just yet and Pokemon sometimes scared him, besides Elm had a point that Pokemon researchers should be held to a higher standard when capturing Pokemon permanently, in order to not disrupt the environment, natural or synthetically aided migratory efforts of population dispersion, and the like. Finn knew that's what the Holding Balls could be used for if necessary. He imagined his Pokeballs would go largely unused. He could always train to fight if he wanted but what was the use? It wasn't as if he was anticipating taking on a league challenge or anything.

As he was briefed with his new partner Yoonhee about their mission to Cinnabar, he checked over the maps to plot a quick route to the island which as it turned out was just south beyond Route 21, by land and sea. He imagined the boat ride there would be rather short, maybe a half day's journey? But if it was important work, it was worth the effort. And maybe the trip there would give him and Yoonhee time to work on their issues as new partners. Maybe?

"Yeah, I'd appreciate a ticket. I'll get you back tonight, promise," Finn nodded quickly, slightly surprised Yoonhee was acting nice. "So, we're heading down that way," Finn pointed, beginning to lead the way, appreciating that the girl seemed to be actually listening to his directions finally. Listening to each other was a start he supposed. They stumbled past a shortcut down toward the docks, just a small patch of trees and grass that they could go around. Marshall was playing ahead, jumping about as if interested in the new places he was seeing. He was quite excitable and silly. Suddenly, a Pokemon duo darted past on the grass in a blur, knocking the icy blue Mouse Pokemon on his back and he flailed to get up. The wild Pokemon seemed to snicker but seemed busy in their own argument. Finn helped Marshall to his feet and recognized a Pidgey and a female Nidoran were the wild Pokemon responsible for knocking over his buddy...

[dracoon]

Yoonhee tapped on her Gear, securing the tickets and turning on the ball of her heel. While the Velcro and metal leg frames were visible, it was actually difficult to connect the two together. She followed behind Finn, watching cautiously as she reached for the recurve bow she had tucked in the sleeve of her large sweater- but she was interrupted by Neugdae yapping, seemingly excited by Marshall's eagerness to explore and running ahead. Just as quickly as he had raced, Marshall was knocked onto his back by the Nidoran and Pidgey. Neugdae quickly backed up to push Marshall back up, but since Finn handled that, he proceeded to start barking aggressively at the two Pokémon instead.

"Alright, Neugdae. Let's like, catch us a friend~" she commanded, sending her puppy out. Neugdae barked at them, and Yoonhee equipped some neutral moves for catching- but the Nidoran and Pidgey, angered by the noise, began attacking the Poochyena instead. "No!" she cried out, as Marshall used Icicle Crash to separate the Pidgey from her Pokemon. The ensuing scuffle saw Marshall viciously attack and fight back against the two Wild Pokémon despite being outnumbered, coming up on top. As Yoonhee straddled over the downed Nidoran, she expanded a Great Ball and gave a slight lob, striking the tiny Poison Rabbit and absorbing it. The ball shook once, the click signifying a successful catch, and Yoonhee once again dashed back to heal both her Pokémon.

She was pleasantly surprised to retrieve the Water Gem from the Nidoran, and released the Pokémon once again. "Tokki," she stated quietly, the feisty Nidoran watching the girl before her, "A rabbit." 

[mdf2711]

Finn sprayed his Pokemon with some medicine to make sure he could regain some of his strength and hugged him for his valiant effort in battle. He looked on concernedly at Neugdae and Yoonhee and their new Pokemon friend, the addition which the girl had just nicknamed Tokki. As she was taking care of her own, Finn congratulated Marshall on holding his own in battle again and how he had done a great job avenging their new partner's Pokemon after his immediate fainting from being the target of a huge ganging up by the wild Pokemon. He was glad everyone was okay though and it had been a great battle experience overall regardless. Plus Yoonhee had gained a teammate, which was always a plus, a new friend.

The small redheaded boy dug around his backpack for a moment and found what he was looking for after a bit. He pulled out a clear plastic Pokeball and tapped the wild Pidget on the forehead. In a flash of red light, it was absorbed without any struggle. He could heal it later at the Pokemon Center before they departed for Cinnabar Island, and given that neither he nor Yoonhee wanted to capture the Pokemon, they could release it back to its home, apparently one less wild enemy as they were taking Tokki away with them on their new adventure.

He pocketed the Holding Ball and advised Marshall to be safer if he was going to stay out and explore. The icy blue Sandshrew smiled and made a gurgling noise that appeared to be agreement, apparently. He toddled off excitedly again and Finn approached Yoonhee. "I've got the Pidgey caught temporarily right now, we can drop him off at the Pokemon Center and then we can head to the boat again. Luckily, there's another Pokemon Center right down that way," he pointed, "which leads us to the market and the port right after that to the southeast. That sound good to you, Yoonhee?"

[dracoon]

"I've got the Pidgey caught temporarily right now, we can drop him off at the Pokemon Center and then we can head to the boat again. Luckily, there's another Pokemon Center right down that way, which leads us to the market and the port right after that to the southeast. That sound good to you, Yoonhee?" came Finn's voice when she was done with the healing, and she turned back. "A market, yeah, we could like, use that. You think they might like, sell some microwave meals? I think we might like, need them when we're like, on the go and out of the way of Pokémon Center, like, you feel?" she added as an afterthought, figuring that it was better than nothing.

Either way, they continued on to the market, where Yoonhee bought some supplies and medicine for their travels. She figured that Finn was going to visit the Pokémon Center anyway, and hence settled her own matters while at it. As she did, she catalogued her current team so that she wouldn't end up mixing them up with the Pokémon she might inevitably end up holding:

- level 5
- level 8 

After that had been said and done, she turned, wondering if Finn was coming- the loud foghorn in the distance was telling her that she couldn't dawdle, and if she wanted to catch the ferry, she would do it if it meant leaving the other behind.

[mdf2711]

Finn meanwhile was healing Marshall and his temporarily captured Pidgey at the local center. After having picked up enough groceries for their travels that could barely fit into his bag now, he had gone to visit the local Joy who was currently soothing Marshall as she gave him a check up. He seemed absent and silly as ever as it happened, obeying the nurse's instructions. Finnian smiled and handed off the Holding Ball to another pink haired nurse, this one a very tall dark skinned man, who released the Pokemon and handed back the special Pokeball to the red headed boy.

Finnian stored the ball in his bag and watched the bird Pokemon as it hopped around cooing quieter than before, it seemed bruised and ruffled, but it was mostly getting better by now. The male Nurse Joy brushed the snowflakes off the feathery coat of the wild Pidgey and then promised he would tend to the rest of the Pokemon's care before releasing it into the wild safely, leaving the boy to continue on his way now.

The boy hurried as he heard the ferry alerting its final calls. He raced to the boat, carrying Marshall to ensure they would make it. He nearly ran into Yoonhee getting to the boat too. But at least for now he was on. Just barely. Lucky him. He smiled at his new partner and her Pokemon nervously, still unsure this was going to work and not really knowing what was going to happen as they continued on their way to Cinnabar Island.

[dracoon]

It wasn't long before Yoonhee and Finn got onto the boat, getting to their seats. Yoonhee had secured the cargo above them, but before she could get comfortable, the duo were challenged by a pair of native Trainers that were starting out.

Yoonhee recognised the Pokémon easily- a Slowpoke and Ledyba, and using her knowledge on type advantages, she struck the Slowpoke with Thunder Fang- but it did virtually nothing. Meanwhile, the Ledyba had already confused Marshall, who wobbled and proceeded to punch himself in the face. The Slowpoke's Yawn also put Marshall to sleep, and while the duo now ganged up on the sleeping Sandshrew, Yoonhee found herself in a similar situation where Neugdae was confused and drowsy, switching him out to Tokki before he could fall asleep. It was obvious that after knocking out the Ledyba, the Slowpoke was just stalling them out, which frustrated the more seasoned Trainer to no end. Her persistent attacks were met with resistance from her new Pokémon, until the Slowpoke finally fought back with a Super-effective Zen Headbutt. To her surprise, Tokki took it and retaliated with a few more flailing Scratches. Furthermore, the Slowpoke looked to be in terrible shape as well- it appeared he had been Poisoned by Tokki's ability. Finally, Neugdae cleaned up the match, and Yoonhee and Marshall healed their Pokemon before being challenged by 2 Tubers at the healing machine booth.

The duo sent out a pair of Pokemon- the first Yoonhee recognised as Mudkip, a starter Pokémon from Hoenn. The other was a Pokemon she had never seen before, and at a whim, Yoonhee suggested Neugdae open with Poison Fang while she scanned it with her Pokedex. Popplio, the Sea Lion Pokémon. This Pokémon can control water bubbles. It practices diligently so it can learn to make big bubbles. They snort body fluids from its nose, blowing balloons to smash into its foes. It's famous for being a hard worker. explained the Pokédex, and Yoonhee was relieved to see that Popplio had been poisoned by Neugdae's move. Marshall however stood solid, before unleashing all his energy over the Mudkip, instantly knocking it out. Popplio struggled with poison for a few more moments, before easily losing to Neugdae's Thunder Fang.

At the snack bar where Yoonhee relaxed, another pair challenged them to a third battle. "This like, better be the last," she grumbled, but Marshall, emboldened by the previous 1HKO attempt, easily took down the opposing Paras with Icicle Crash. Neugdae's Poison Fang once again poisoned the opposing Charmander, but unwilling to be cowed, the Charmander cloaked itself in flames and ran at the Sandshrew, causing a fiery explosion...that ended up both parties fainting. Yoonhee recalled her Poochyena once more, checking on their levels and updating her diary:

- level 9
- level 10

Then once again, she turned to Finn. "So how's your only Pokemon doing?" she ventured, trying to be friendly.

[mdf2711]

"Marshall's doin' alrigh', he is. Levelin' up quick now an' such, yeh," Finn smiled. Finn enjoyed the energy and thrill of all these battles. Although at first, Marshall's numerous status effects from being ganged up on from the start made it difficult for them to show off much against the stronger opponents, as the battles went on and they faced enemies more their speed as new trainers, it got easier to keep up and Marshall was definitely getting more and more confident about battling. Finnian liked that. Although he was still nervous around some of the bigger Pokemon on the boat around him, he tried to relax and pet his friend, sharing a burger together.

Finn was thinking about how much easier it was for Yoonhee to battle when she had two Pokemon. Of course, she couldn't cover every type advantage and disadvantage yet and her team was weak too, and although Marshall was getting more battle time and experience from going at it all the time, he noticed that it was helpful to have another Pokemon to rely on, just in case. Even if they fought valiantly and failed, he was down for the count once Marshall fainted in battle, which made him the less useful member fo their little impromptu and tense team. He should probably try to find a friend for Marshall at some point soon. The pale redheaded boy was applying yet another layer of sunscreen and still felt that he might be getting a bit too red. How annoying and inconvenient. At least he'd packed aloe.

"Woop woop woopwoop-oop woop woop woopwoopwoop!" a Pokemon called out, getting faster and faster with its strange call. Marshall pulled away and looked forward with a confused expression splayed across his face. Finn smiled and recognized the wild Pokemon, scanning it with his Pokedex anyway. "Wooper, the Water Fish Pokemon. This dual Water and Ground type  lives in cold water most of the time. When sleeping, it partially buries itself in the mud at the bottom. It will occasionally leave the water when the air cools in the evening to search for food along the shore. While walking on land, Wooper coats its body with a slimy, toxic film that keeps its skin from dehydrating and insulates against the cold. The film causes a shooting pain if touched barehanded." Finn smiled and waved at the Pokemon.

The Wooper shot a spray of water at the boy in a silly, playful manner, and then ran about, slipping and sliding around. Then the wild Pokemon nuzzled up to Finn's hand, causing him a shooting, immediate pain. The boy crumpled to the ground in momentary agony, and Marshall growled loudly and went to check on his trainer. The Water Fish creature ran away, jumped over the railing, and slid back into the water quickly. Finn's pain was subsiding but laying on the ground, rocking with the boat, watching the water without being able to move much, he was suddenly getting seasick and his face turned green. He tried stumbling to stand up but lost his balance again. Marshall looked concerned. "Shrew?" "I think...I think I'll be 'kay, buddy," Finn managed. His pain was now fully gone but he needed a bag to help him breathe or something.