Pokemon SilkWhite: Journey through Johu

Chapter 2: Rednag Town.

Brandon and Charlie were talking dramatically in the front, and Kyle was lurking in the back, supposedly caught up in scanning the Pokedex app he had installed on his phone for data on his Mareep. This was a common occurrence.

"So, it evolves at level 15 into something. Nice!" He did a fist pump. "I'll have a strong Pokemon in no time!" Charlie smiled, glad to hear anything from Kyle that wasn't a whine, but Brandon had heard Kyle talking about how cool Mareep was for the past half-hour.

"We get it dude," he said, rolling his eyes. His shoe hooked in under a tree root and he stumbled. "Dammit. My bad, should have been paying attention." He grinned sheepishly, fully aware he wasn't going to get away that easily.

Charlie stopped in her tracks. "Why are you being such an ass, Bran?" She wasn't mad, exactly, but Brandon could tell he needed to tread carefully. "You're normally a decent person, but you won't let Kyle say anything," she said, kneeling down to tie up her shoelaces.

Brandon shrugged. "Sorry, Kyle. Just on edge, I guess."

Charlie grinned. "That's what happens when you're sheltered from society for 5 years. Thanks a lot for that, by the way. My parents were terrified to let me go anywhere," she sighed.

"So, that doesn't classify as being an ass, but my comment does?" He replied, probably a little bit too sharply. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Charlie wasn't too pissed. "Sorry. My bad," he told her as a Pokemon leaped from the grass.

"Ooh!" Kyle grinned. It was a small, frog-like Pokemon with a plant bulb on it's back. "I know that Pokemon! It's Bulbasaur!"

Brandon nodded. "Rare in the Kanto region, not so much here. Still cool, though. I'll pass. You want it, Char?" Charlie nodded.

"Hey, so do I!" Kyle protested. "Let's battle for it!"

Charlie shrugged. "I need practice, so why not. Trapinch, let's do this!" Her Trapinch bared its jaws at Kyle's Mareep, who retreated behind Kyle.

"This doesn't seem fair, but whatever. Let's go! Mareep, tackle!" The sheep rammed itself into Trapinch, who seemed unfazed. Charlie instructed Trapinch to use Bite, and Mareep was already looking like it had lost.

"Trapinch, bite, again!" Mareep fell as Trapinch knocked it out. "Nice try, Kyle. You were at a disadvantage, so you made it closer than I thought. Charlie looked over at the Bulbasaur, who was sitting calmly in wait. She tossed a Pokeball, and it entered with a soft click.

"Nice!" Brandon grinned. "We'll have to work hard to catch up now that you're the first to get two-"

"Shh," Kyle whispered. "You guys hear that? Sounds like somebody talking."

Sure enough, a faint girl's voice was audible through the bushes.

"Come on, Totodile. We have to do it. Bosses orders. I know it's wrong. I don't have a choice. Do you think I would do this otherwise?"

Kyle gasped loudly.

"Did you hear that, Totodile?" The voice called out. "Who is it?" The voice asked sharply, with none of the kind tone from the previous conversation audible.

"Uhh.." Kyle stuttered.

"Screw this. Who are you?" Brandon called out, walking out from the bushes to see a tall girl with pink hair, probably just slightly older than him. She had an annoyed look on her face, and was clearly not planning on an interruption.

"Sofie," the girl replied curtly, as if the conversation was not worth the time. "I'm under strict orders from Team Razor to keep all idiots like you out of the woods. Looks like my grunts failed. I won't."

"Grunts?" Kyle asked. "We just walked through here."

Charlie stepped forward. "Could we please pass? We won't tell anyone you're in here. We just want to go battle the Penrith Gym." She smiled.

"Nope. Not happening." Sofie's face was stone cold.

"Could we please pass?" Charlie asked again. "I won't be so nice next time."

"Again. Not happening. I won't be so nice next time, either."

"Nice?" Brandon chuckled. "Damn, I wouldn't want to piss you off. You must be a real asshole."

"Nice work, Einstein. That won't piss her off," Kyle groaned.

"To hell with this." Brandon took a few steps past Sofie and was knocked back by Totodile.

"I wasn't joking," Sofie spoke calmly, but her eyes betrayed her- she was not expecting this much of a hassle.

Charlie's Bulbasaur sent vines at Totodile as Marill tackled it down.

"Nice try, Totodile.." she sighed. "Whatever. Get the hell out of here. Please don't come back."

"We don't plan on it," Brandon said through clenched teeth.

"Seriously, Brandon, can you just try being nice to people for once?"