William walked along the meadow path beyond the city limits, the sound of his boots brushing through tall grass. Eevee perched on his shoulder, her tail swaying with each step, while Ralts trailed behind, arms clasped shyly in front of its body.
For a while, it was peaceful until the silence broke.
From the treeline ahead came a low, trembling growl. The kind that carried more pain than anger. William stopped. Eevee's ears twitched, and Ralts took a step closer to him, its eyes glowing faintly. Then came the sound of rocks shifting with a heavy thud, then another.
Something emerged from the underbrush.
A Pokémon which is small, quadrupedal, its scales gleaming in an unusual sheen of light blue cyan rather than the usual purple.
A shiny male Nidorina.
His eyes burned a sickly crimson, and scars crossed his shoulders. His breathing was uneven, body trembling between exhaustion and fury. The air around him carried the smell of dried blood and dirt, and more than that, the heavy tension of heartbreak.
Eevee's fur stood up instantly. "Vee!"
William raised a hand gently, not moving closer. "Easy now…"
Nidorina bared his fangs and let out a guttural snarl, scraping his claws against the ground. His horn flickered faintly with a traces of poison energy still seeping out.
From the way his movements staggered, he had been through a fight. Several, maybe. Across the clearing, faint traces of footprints which is larger, rounder. It suggested other Nidoran and Nidorino had been here. The rest of his kin. They were gone now.
He had been left behind.
When William took a single step forward, Nidorina flinched back, growling. His eyes flickered between fear and defiance, unable to decide whether to attack or flee.
William didn't raise a Poké Ball to catch him yet. He simply crouched and examine him.
"Hey," he said quietly. "You're hurt."
No reaction. It's just a tense silence. Ralts tilted its head, sensing the turmoil, and extended a soft pulse of psychic light which is a tiny shimmer that carried no aggression, only calm.
For a moment, the shiny Nidorina froze, confused by the gentle warmth. Then his eyes widened in panic, and with a roar, he charged.
Eevee jumped down at once, darting between them. "Vee!"
"Nidorina, wait!" William moved to the side, avoiding a direct hit as the Poison Pokémon's claws tore through the dirt where he'd been standing. Nidorina skidded, panting heavily, poison droplets seeping from his horn.
William could've ordered Ralts to restrain him with Psychic easily but he didn't. Instead, he simply stood there.
"If fighting helps you feel less alone," he said softly, "then go ahead."
The words meant nothing to a wild Pokémon. But his tone is very steady, unafraid and carried weight. Ralts didn't move. Eevee crouched low, eyes following Nidorina's trembling form.
For a long moment, Nidorina simply stared as if confused by the lack of retaliation. Then his legs buckled. The fight drained from him, replaced by sheer fatigue. He stumbled once, twice, then fell to his knees.
William walked over slowly, step by step. The Pokémon didn't move this time, it is just shivered, watching him warily. He knelt beside it, reaching into his coat for a Potion and a Pecha Berry.
"Here," he said simply. "This'll help with your injuries."
When the mist of the Potion touched Nidorina's wounds, the Pokémon flinched but didn't lash out. He just watched, breathing hard, while William applied the spray carefully, the bitter scent of healing medicine filling the air. Then, wordlessly, William held out the Berry.
Nidorina hesitated. Sniffed. And finally took it, teeth sinking into the fruit. His trembling slowed.
"Good," William said quietly. "You're not alone anymore."
For the first time, the Pokémon didn't growl. His eyes softened a faint glimmer of doubt, maybe even curiosity. When William lifted a Poké Ball, Nidorina tensed again, but didn't move away. The ball clicked open with a red beam of light, and within seconds, the creature was drawn inside. It shook once. Twice. Then stilled.
A soft chime echoed through the field.
Caught.
William exhaled slowly, closing his fingers around the ball. "Welcome to the family."
The sky above was turning orange now. As they made camp by the river that evening, Eevee curled up beside the fire, Ralts sitting near the new Poké Ball, watching it with quiet interest. The ball twitched once, faintly. Inside, Nidorina stirred not afraid, just restless.
William placed it gently on a smooth rock beside the fire. "You'll see soon," he murmured, "this isn't a place where you're abandoned."
The night deepened, stars glittering across the water's surface. The flames flickered softly as if something new, something fragile, had just begun.
By the next morning, the river mist had cleared, and the road south shimmered under the sun. William walked with Ralts and Eevee beside him and Electabuzz and Sharpedo's Poké Balls hanging on his belt, and Nidorina's ball clipped carefully near his chest. The path curved toward the next route, leading toward Vermilion, and for a while, the morning air was crisp and quiet.
Until he heard it which is the crackle of flame.
A flash of orange streaked past the roadside brush. A Fire-type attack. It's not wild but controlled.
Then a voice: "C'mon, Quilava! Dodge left and control your flame a bit! We don't want to start the forest fire."
William turned just in time to see a young Trainer, maybe around his age, standing a few meters ahead. Dark brown hair, light blue jacket, a confident stance but the focus in his eyes said he was more than just a casual battler. His Quilava darted around a training dummy which is some wood log, fire bursting from its back, tail flicking elegantly through the air.
The boy noticed him then, smirking slightly. "You a traveler too?"
William nodded. "Just passing through traveler. You train your team out here?"
"Yes! I heard Lt.Surge is difficult for new trainers. So, I am training here." The boy crossed his arms, proud. "Name's Kai from Violet City, Johto Region. I'm heading for the Indigo League."
"William," came the reply. "Sinnoh."
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