Graisey woke up well rested, this time with Cyndaquil lying next to her. She watched her partner Pokémon fast asleep, then gently poked its nose. “Wakey wakey, Cyndaquil,” she whispered, “our adventure is about to start.” They both yawned, stretching their limbs. And like clockwork, they both sprang to life!

Cyndaquil watched closely as Graisey packed her final things. The water damaged clothes in the PokéCenter baggie would find their way to thrash. What was she thinking of starting off so unprepared?

I really do have my head in the clouds sometimes.

She put on her Cyndaquil-shirt, much to her Pokémon's joy, then donned her hoodie and cargo pants with a Pokébelt. Her boots were downstairs, so she ran with her socks on to Kaiy’s room. Instead of his room, she found him brushing his teeth. He looked sleepy; Kaiy was clearly not a morning person.

“Ready to embark?” Graisey made no effort to hide her energy, prompting Kaiy to make a ‘calm down please, it’s still early’ gesture. She laughed and ran downstairs, where Grandma had set breakfast and some lunch packages.

Graisey was on her second bread roll when Kaiy came down the stairs, yawning as usual. He grabbed one of the lunch packs and filled his bottle at the tap.

Grandpa was leaning on the windowsill when he asked the pair if they were ready to go. Kaiy and Graisey looked at each other, confident, eager, but curious at the same time. They nodded and smiled.

“I’m going to say goodbye to the farm, then we’re off, okay?” Kaiy was already out the door.

The gate stood open as Graisey awaited Kaiy's return from the farm. Grandma and Grandpa joined her, even Persian, who was not sleeping in the sun for a change. Then Kaiy came to the gate, but he was not alone. Sitting on Venusaur and with all the other Pokémon in their wake, he yelled, “Say goodbye to Graisey, gang!” In a stampede, the numerous Bulbasaur sprinted to Graisey. Grandpa laughed as several Bulbasaur used their vines to pick up the young Trainer. Venusaur arrived, and Kaiy slid her over her head. He hugged her, high-fived some vines, and then exclaimed loudly, “Bye-bye, Big Roo!” A puff of black smoke from the chimney followed, Carkol said goodbye.

“Thank you, Grandma, thank you, Grandpa.” Kaiy hugged them as well. “If we leave Johto, I'll give you a call.”

“Stay safe, and keep each other safe as well.” Grandma hated goodbyes. She would miss the smiling faces at her table, the vibrant atmosphere of youth in her house, and the extra food she loved to cook.

“If you need anything…” Grandpa held Kaiy by his shoulder, the younger one smiling. “Well then,” Grandpa sniffed loudly, “What are you waiting for! We’re not getting any younger! Go already.” The pair laughed and waved the farm goodbye, unable to determine which Bulbasaur chanted the loudest.

They headed north to Route 30, leaving Cherrygrove City behind for now. Armed with the warmth of the spring sun and their Pokémon partners, Kaiy and Graisey hiked toward opportunity. The path was flanked by lush trees and vibrant bushes, with occasional passerby Pokémon darting between the foliage. A flock of Pidgey took flight as they approached, and the rustling leaves revealed a Sentret scurrying away. The sound of a distant stream added to the tranquil ambiance.

“If we keep this pace, we could make it to the Dark Cave before dark. It has a great clearing to set up camp for the night.” Kaiy used his RangerGear to show a holographic map of the region. Graisey gazed into the distance, where the wealth of trees and plant growth remained unchanged. They better not stray from the path; it all looked the same.

With a determined pull, Graisey adjusted her new backpack and jumped up and down in her walking boots; she still needed to break them in.

During the hike, Kaiy told Graisey about Pokémon-type advantages and the Starter-Pokémon triangle of Grass-Fire-Water. Graisey knew about all the Pokémon types before, but all these strengths and weaknesses seemed confusing after a while.

“So Fairy-type Pokémon win against Steel-type Pokémon?” she asked.

“No, it’s the other way around. Steel-type moves are super effective on Fairy-type Pokémon. Your Pokémon doesn’t need to be a Steel-type to have the advantage.” Graisey tried to make a mental map of all this information.

“But it’s not always the type that determines the outcome.”

“Then why did I need to learn all this? I thought I had to capture Pokémon from all different types now!” Her arms flailing in frustration, she let out a huge sigh.

“Shhhh! Did you hear that?” Kaiy and Graisey focused on a nearby tree. At first, Graisey only saw the glistening bark of it.

Is that honey?

Suddenly, a Pokémon flew directly toward the sweet-scented bark. Happily, it shuckled on the sugary substance, ignoring everything within its vicinity.

Graisey saw an opportunity, took her backpack quietly, and found what she needed. A fresh PokéBall. With a flick of her wrist, she threw the ball, a direct hit! The ball fell on the ground between Graisey and the tree. It shook once, twice, a third time, and blink! The knob on the PokéBall turned green. She did it!

“My first capture! Yaaaaaaaay!” She celebrated loudly, jumping in circles, hardly containing her excitement.

“And how are you going to handle those?” Kaiy indicated the three other Pokémon that had become agitated from her shouting.

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Did the honey on the tree turn sour? What was that smell? Graisey quickly took her Pokédex and examined the Pokémon.

> Ledyba, the Five Star Pokémon. A Bug and Flying type. Ledyba is very sensitive to cold and can gather in large groups to keep each other warm. They communicate with each other using a fluid that they secrete from their feet. It is often seen in large groups, especially when it’s warm outside.

Graisey's heart raced as the three Ledyba turned their attention toward her. The sunlight filtering through the trees cast dappled shadows on the ground, and the tension in the air was palpable. She took a deep breath and summoned her courage.

“Cyndaquil, I choose you!” Her pose was strong and confident. Cyndaquil cried out enthusiastically when he entered the battlefield, flames flickering on its back.

“Use Ember, Cyndaquil!” The flames on its back sprang to life, followed by a row of tiny flames that shot toward the nearest Ledyba. The Ember-attack hit its mark, and the Ledyba cried out, wings buzzing frantically as it fled into the trees.

Two Ledyba remained, their eyes gleaming with determination. One of them darted forward with a Tackle, but Cyndaquil agilely jumped aside, the attack missing by a hair.

“Good job, Cyndaquil. Smokescreen now!” Graisey commanded. Instantly, black smoke billowed from Cyndaquil's mouth, shrouding the area in a thick, obscuring fog.

The Ledyba on the right, undeterred, launched a Swift attack. Five golden stars emerged from its body, slicing through the smoke and homing in on Cyndaquil. The stars exploded on impact, causing Cyndaquil to stagger, but the little Fire-type quickly shook it off.

“What was that?” Graisey asked, confused.

“Swift. It bypasses the Smokescreen. Keep your focus!” Kaiy remarked in the background, his voice calm and encouraging.

The smoke began to clear, revealing the battlefield once more. The two remaining Ledyba exchanged glances, then, with a unified screech, they launched a synchronized attack. One of them aimed another Swift at Cyndaquil, while the other began to radiate, creating a bubble of light —Safeguard. Kaiy nodded, impressed but kept to the background, his gaze back to Graisey.

“Cyndaquil, counter with Ember!” Graisey shouted, her voice steady despite the tension. Cyndaquil’s flames flared up again, sending a burst of fiery projectiles toward the approaching Swift. The embers collided with the stars, causing small explosions in mid-air.

The second Ledyba, taking advantage of the distraction, launched itself at Cyndaquil with another Tackle. Cyndaquil, still recovering from the countered Swift-attack, was hit but managed to stay on its feet.

“Hang in there, Cyndaquil! Use Tackle!” Graisey’s voice was filled with determination. Cyndaquil charged forward, ramming into the Ledyba that had tackled it. The force of the impact sent the Ledyba tumbling back.

The remaining Ledyba, seeing its companion in trouble, let out a Supersonic cry. The move was not aimed at its opponent, but it did create a distraction. Both Ledyba managed to escape, disappearing into the dense foliage.

The battle was over.

The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, the sounds of nature gradually returning to normal. Graisey and Cyndaquil stood victorious but not unscathed.

“Tend to your friend, Graisey. Cyndaquil took a hit.” Kaiy gently handed her a Potion. She sprayed it over Cyndaquil, and the Pokémon let out a sigh.

Graisey then picked up the PokéBall containing her captured Ledyba.

Kaiy smiled approvingly. “Well done, Graisey. You handled that battle with skill and courage.”

A sense of pride swelled within her as she held it up. “I’m going to name it Stars. Welcome to the team!”

“And then the second Swift attack came in, but then I was prepared! And BAM!” Graisey's raised fists punched the air. “The stars exploded when Cyndaquil's Ember connected!”

“It was a brilliant idea! Did you see the Safeguard from that one Ledyba? I didn't expect such an advanced move from a wild Pokémon.” Kaiy's eyes were dreamy as he talked, clearly reliving the excitement.

“Do you mind?” Graisey asked, holding out her PokéBall. Kaiy shook his head, smiling. She happily tossed the PokéBall into the air, where Stars sprang out in a white glow. Wings flapping and a content smile on its face, the Ledyba hovered just a few meters above them.

“Hi there, Stars!” Graisey waved, beaming with happiness. “I’m on a journey to become a Pokémon Master, and I want you to help me. Are you up for it?” The Bug-type Pokémon looked confused at first but, seeing Graisey's determined expression, it gave a confirming shriek.

Kaiy took it all in: the hike, the enthusiastic Trainer and her new Pokémon, and the wild Pokémon creating ambient noises along the forest path. This was the perfect start to a new chapter of his story.

Graisey kept Ledyba out as she recounted her experiences so far. Ledyba seemed to listen with great intent, now flying between the pair. Suddenly, Stars flew ahead, antennae twitching with alertness.

“What did you see?” Graisey asked, quickening her pace. The casual walk turned into a jog as they followed Ledyba, curiosity piqued.

Stars led them to a small clearing where a small house stood, a crowd of Trainers gathered in front. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement and speculation.

“What’s going on here?” Kaiy wondered aloud as they joined the crowd.