Natu looks at Shane with an untelling gaze.

“Natu”, it says.

Shane has no idea what to make of it.

Lizz gave Natu's pokeball to Shane, waved them off to give them time for some bonding before getting into technicals, and Shane feels perplexed to say the least. Now they are standing here, outside the gym door.

“So, what can you do?” Shane asked.

Natu jumps into the air and flies a small circle around him. After landing in front of him again, Natu’s eyes started glowing a faint purple, and a small pebble started floating next to it. Then it fell to the ground with a thud.

“Huh, that’s pretty cool. How do you do it?” Shane asked with a bit of bewilderment, yet feeling cautious. Were the people of Osmer perhaps right about pokemon having evil powers?

Natu shrugs, with its tiny wings.

"Oh... So I guess you can’t teach me?”

Natu shrugs again.

{Uncertainty}

Shane twitches as he feels the feeling of uncertainty. It’s like he’s feeling it himself, yet it’s not… himself?

“Okay, right… that’s kinda freaky, if you are the one doing that. You know that?”

{Affirmation}

Shane takes a minute to think about it.

“But I have to agree that it’s a really nice trick. Can you use it for words too?”

{Uncertainty}

“Maybe you could work on it?”

Natu nods, and chirps happily.

“Is there any way for you to convey why you seemed so eager to meet me in the middle of the night?”

Natu gets nervous, shuffling around his feet and looking into the ground for a bit.

{Fear}

“Are you… afraid? Of what?”

{Uncertainty, fear}.

“Is it me?”

Natu shakes his head.

“Has someone been bad to you?”

Again, Natu shakes his head.

“Is it something that would be good for me to know quickly?”

Natu shrugs. “Natu, na natu”.

“Sorry… I have no idea what that means. I have no idea about much here. Are people usually able to speak with their pokemon?”

Natu closes his eyes, and Shane is taken by the feeling of being far out in the wilderness. He looks around him, but everything is the same, the town of Dewford still around him. Yet, the people he sees in the street feel very distant.

He looks at Natu, who points at a closeby person, and draws a couple of lines in the sand.

Then Natu jumps a few steps away, draws another few lines, then stretches out his wings and says “Natu!” with affirmation.

Shanes feelings return to normal, with the townspeople feeling less distant again.

“Ah, you were living far out in the forest and haven’t met many people?”

“Natu” the bird says, and nods.

“Ah okay. I feel like we’re understanding each other really quickly here. I appreciate that. Can you talk normally with other pokemon?”

Natu nods with a smile, nods and chirps.

Shane smiles, but behind his smile something is stirred.

He was abruptly taken from his home and flung into this completely foreign world. It’s like he got hit by a large cart while crossing the road, and suddenly woke up in another world.

And now he can hear the thoughts of a creature who can lift rocks with its mind?

Is this normal around here?

Isn’t this some sort of breach of privacy?

If Natu can hear the thoughts of others, is that maybe illegal or frowned upon somehow?

Shane starts sweating and has to swallow the lump that appeared in his throat, yet it feels like he’s not succeeding with it.

“Natu?” Natu says and looks at Shane with a tilted head.

Shane looks back at the bird creature, unsure of what to say. He’s afraid, and this time he’s sure it’s his own fear he’s feeling.

{Concern}

“I’m just… it’s very much to think about, is all.

{Care}

Natu tilts his head again while looking at Shane with thoughtful eyes, and after a few seconds jumps up to Shane’s leg and cuddles it.

“I shouldn’t really worry too much about you, should i?” Shane says.

“Natu” the bird says, shaking his head and smiling, however he is doing that with a beak.

“How about tagging along on some sightseeing? Can’t imagine they are in a hurry to have us back at the gym, and I still haven’t seen much of the island.

Natu nods.

Setting off from the gym, Shane and Natu begin their sightseeing journey around Dewford Town. The island town is quaint and charming, yet having a bustling feeling that wasn’t as present in his previous life. It was a sunny day, with a light breeze coming from the sea, and the scent of the ocean was a refreshing change from yesterday where he spent much time resting and reading up in the pokemon center.

Their first stop is the town square, where the locals gather to chat and barter. There's a rustic charm to the square that's instantly inviting.

Shane sees vendors selling a variety of items, from fruits to pottery to what appears to be handmade Pokemon toys.

Next, they venture towards the beach, where the sapphire blue sea laps at the sandy shore. Natu seems to be in his element here, flying off and soaring above the water.

Shane watches as Natu performs loops and dives, a sight that brings a smile to his face.

From the beach, they trek up a rocky path to the highest point of the island. There, a lighthouse stands tall, overlooking the vast sea.

Shane can't help but feel small as he gazes at the distant large landmass of Hoenn. He realizes how much of this world he has yet to see, yet to understand.

During their sightseeing journey, Shane and Natu encounter several Pokemon. Natu chirps happily, chatting away with the local Pokemon.

It makes Shane realize that while he can't understand their language, they communicate perfectly fine among themselves. It’s a reassuring thought.

As the sun starts to close in on the horizon, they find themselves at the town's port, where boats of varying sizes are docked, although some of them are enormous compared to the ones he is used to working on.

Shane watches as the sky turns a beautiful mix of orange and red. Natu sits on his shoulder, seemingly mesmerized by the beautiful scene as well.

{Thankful}

“What, for this sightseeing?” Shane asks.

Natu shakes his head.

“For me?” Shane surprisedly asks.

Natu nods with a smile.

“Well, I'm thankful for you too buddy. I never imagined making a new friend would go this well when coming here.

{Curiosity}

“You mean where I came from?”

Natu nods.

“I came from Osmer, it’s an island group somewhere that way, i think,” Shane points south, to the other part of the island. “A big wave came and… Yeah, I ended up here, simply…”.

Shane has a hard time keeping his tears back.

Natu jumps closer and leans into Shane’s side.

{Care}

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“Thanks… I guess I'll explain more another day.”

An affirming chirp emanates from the little bird, still warmly cuddled into Shane’s side.

Shane decides that it may be time to go back to the gym.

As they arrive, he asks for Lizz.

“Sure, she’s in the arena for some training, it’s this door to the right for the main floor" the receptionist responds.

“Thanks”, Shane says as he slides onward through the door.

Inside the arena, Shane is impressed by how big it is. It has rows of benches above a wall on one of the long sides, and the major part of the arena consists of a leveled dirt field.

Lizz is commanding an orange bug-like pokemon. It has a big head with sharp jaws, and black eyes with an iris that looks like a white star.

“Trapinch, use sand attack, then charge with a bite!” She commands.

“Machop, dodge sideways and go for a low kick!” the other trainer counters.

Trapinch runs towards the small human-like pokemon with its jaws opened, and the opponent quickly jumps to the side, and kicks with a sweeping movement, hitting Trapinch in the front legs and causing it to tumble forward, and into the wall.

The orange pokemon quickly regains its stance, but doesn’t seem completely unphased. Rather, it seems a bit dizzy.

“Now Machop, charge with a karate chop!”

Machop runs fast, much faster than Shane would anticipate for a creature of its stature, and hits Trapinch in the head with a cutting movement of the hand.

A small dust cloud appears from the shock when Trapinch hits the ground under him. When the dust scatters, Trapinch is shown to be unconscious.

“Seems like i won, Lizz”, the other trainer proudly exclaims. “Maybe try to expand his move set a bit in the future, he’ll be too easy to beat for the new trainers otherwise”.

“That’s probably a good idea. Something for more mobility or a ranged attack might be wise,” Lizz responds.

Shane watches as she takes out a small object, which suddenly enlarges into a red and white ball, about the perfect size to fit in her hand.

She points it at Trapinch, and says “You did well trapinch, now rest”, and a red light beam appears from the ball which seems to… make the pokemon turn into the same red light and vanish into the ball?

What in the world was that?!!

Is she a sorcerer?

Just as she turns around, she takes notice of Shane standing close to the doorway with a gaping mouth.

“Presto, he has disappeared!” she jokingly exclaims, and takes a bow..

Shane shuts his mouth and says nothing, but his eyes are screaming.

“I figured you’re not from these parts from when I met you this morning. Never seen a pokeball, right?”

“No, I haven't.”

“It’s old technology, really. They used to make these things from acorns earlier, but nowadays they are metal and produced in factories. Nothing magical about them”.

“So… how do they work? Is he still made of light inside it, or is he just small and rattling around in the ball?” Shane asks.

“I… have no idea really,” Lizz confusedly replies. “They just work, and I'm not that much for technical stuff anyway,” She smiles at him.

A man steps into the arena, from a bench close to the door in the middle of the long wall, under the seating section.

“They contain a set of adaptive mirrors that adjust to the frequency at which the energy can stably resonate, depending on the weight of the pokemon contained”, he says.

“Oh, hi Brawly! Yeah, that sounds like something I've heard in trainer school,” Lizz says, seeming a bit startled by the man who suddenly appeared. He has spiky blue hair, and seems muscular, yet nimble in stature.

“Lizz, you should really remember those things. You are supposed to be an inspiration for new generations of trainers” he continues with a smile.

“Hi, I’m Brawly, leader of the Dewford gym,” he introduces himself to Shane.

“Hi, I’m Shane, pleased to meet you”, Shane replies, suddenly feeling confident.

“I heard that Lizz gave you the Natu we found the other day. Everything's been alright with you two today?”, he continues with a gentle smile towards Shane, with a following equally long look at Natu.

“Yeah, I guess… We’ve mostly been sightseeing, but we’re getting along well”.

“No fault in that, each one to his own. No battle training then?”

“No, I'm not really… I don't really know much about battles. Most experience I have of them is hearing radio broadcast matches back at home. This is one of the first few days I've even seen a real pokemon.”

The man furrows his eyebrow ever so slightly.

“Oh really? How come?”

Shane is unsure how to respond, but he knows that he really doesn't want to talk about that again.

“I… lived very far away and just moved here”, he hesitates.

Brawly seems to be thinking for a few seconds about how to reply.

“I see. Well, I hope you’re enjoying your stay here in Hoenn then,” Brawly smiles. “Well, I do have some free time, and I heard that a new trainer was coming today. So why don’t we chat for a bit to see what page you are on?”.

Shane agrees, and Brawly leads him and Natu into the door at the middle of the long arena side wall, into something that might resemble a combination of an office and a gym, and they sit down in each armchair.

“So, you’ve decided?” Brawly asks.

“For what?” Shane confusedly asks back.

“If you want to keep Natu of course” Brawly chuckles. “I heard from Lizz that he seemed very eager to meet you in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, and since you’ve had a good day together, it seems natural that he could be your first companion. Of course, we have others to assign if you want, so…”

“No, of course!” Shane interrupts. “I mean, yes, I'd gladly have Natu with me! Sorry for interrupting you.”

“No problem,” Brawly smiles at Shane. “A word of caution though, psychic pokemon are very rarely handed to new trainers, and there may be some daunting… experiences involved in that”.

“You don’t say?” Shane grins at Brawly with an oblong smile.

Brawly chuckles lightly at Shane’s response.

“I see. Seems like Natu has already shown you a glimpse of what's to come. Psychic pokemon have a close connection with their trainer’s emotions and thoughts. It can be overwhelming initially, but as you grow and learn together, you might find it an advantage. On the other hand, it's not always easy to keep your thoughts private when sharing such a bond.”

Shane tenses slightly at Brawly’s last statement. “Yeah, I’ve… noticed some of that, but we'll work on it.”

“Good to hear,” Brawly leans back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Now, about battling. You said you didn’t have much experience, right? It's one of the main aspects of being a trainer, but there's a lot more to it. Like forming a bond with your pokemon, helping them grow, and teaching them new moves. You'll learn a lot on your journey, that I can assure you.”

“I think I have a lot to learn,” Shane admits, rubbing the back of his head. “I mean, today I saw my first real battle, and it was... intense.”

“It can be,” Brawly nods understandingly, “But it can also be an excellent way to deepen your bond with your Pokemon and show your true potential as a trainer. Also, battles are often a way to solve conflicts and challenges you may encounter on your journey.”

A sudden chirp from Natu brings the attention of the two humans back to the small bird pokemon. Natu's eyes glow faintly, and Shane feels a gentle tug on his emotions

{Eagerness}

“Seems like Natu is eager to get started,” Shane smiles at the small Pokemon, who chirps in affirmation. “Maybe we could try a small battle tomorrow, under your supervision, Brawly?”

Brawly grins broadly, “Sounds like a plan! We’ll take it slow and easy, starting from the basics.”

They continue to discuss the basics around how battles are conveyed, the system surrounding the gym circuit and how you need to beat 8 gyms to qualify for the Ever Grande Conference, and just general pokemon stuff.

“By the way, you might want to visit the local shop and pick up some potions and pokeballs. They'll come in handy.”

“Pokeballs?” Shane echoes, remembering the object Lizz had used earlier.

Brawly chuckles, “You'll need them to catch more Pokemon. After all, a trainer usually has more than one Pokemon. But don't worry, we'll get to that tomorrow. For now, enjoy the evening with Natu. Get to know each other better.”

With a final nod, Brawly stands and walks Shane to the door.

As Shane steps outside, he can't help but feel a sense of excitement mixed with anxiety.

His journey as a Pokemon trainer is really just beginning, and he's not sure what's in store. But as he looks at Natu flying around his head, he knows he's not alone. And somehow, that makes him feel ready to face whatever challenges come their way.