Chapter Two: Obligatory Nonsense
The following morning (and of course I told my mom. I got a package to deliver to Barry for my troubles)…
"So Allison, you've never seen the rest of Sandgem Town?" Lucas asked. I could swear his face was a little pinker than normal.

"Only in pictures," I admitted. Mine, by contrast, was most definitely Cheri Berry-red.

Lucas grinned. "Well, then follow me~!" He messed around a little on his phone, and a really catchy tune started playing (no, it was not a Rickroll). "This building with the red roof is the Pokémon Center. They're practically everywhere, as is the Poké Mart. That's the one over here with the blue roof. As a rookie trainer, you won't be able to buy much. Don't worry about it."

He went back to the lab, and I detoured to Route 219 and Sandgem Beach, where I found an Antidote. At the Mart, I spent more than half my money (1800 out of 3000 Poké) on basic supplies. The rules said that backtracking was a valid way to catch something, so Charlie and I detoured to Route 201.

"Hey there!" A Starly flew out of the grass. "I think I met you yesterday! You're a trainer, right?"

I nodded. "Charlie, get him!" He leaped in and scratched Starly across the face. The bird hit him in the chest in retaliation. "A critical hit!" my Pokédex beeped.

"Oww…I'm OK, I'll get him again!" Charlie assured me. I exhaled sharply as Charlie's fingers made contact. "Not cool, gas-butt," Starly chirruped—its Growl. Charlie tensed.

"Awesome job. Poké Ball, go!" No struggle whatsoever. "WOO-HOO! My first capture!" Charlie did a little victory dance, holding the Poké Ball up to the Pokédex's camera lens.

"*beep* Starly, the Starling Pokémon," the machine informed me. "Usually with a large flock, it is barely noticeable when alone. Its cries are very strident. Give Starly a nickname?"

I beat a two-finger drumroll against one of my temples in thought. "Hm…Falkner's been done to death…Winona's a girl…Ooo! Tobias," I decided. "That's a good name." [a/n: Tobias, for the uninformed, is a character in the Animorphs book series who's stuck as a red-tailed hawk (long story, trust me).] The three of us headed back to Sandgem Town to heal and get on to Jubilife City (Barry's mom had said that was where he probably was).

Lucas was already on Route 202, winding down a capturing tutorial. "And it gets easier if you put the target to sleep or something," he said to a small girl. "Oh, hi, Allison. Professor Rowan said I have to give you these…" I got five extra Poké Balls. "And I'm off!"

First non-Starly encounter—a Bidoof. Everyone's favorite Butt Monkey. "Hi there, stranger," he smiled. "My name's Brendan, yup yup." Tobias Tackled him a few times, but Brendan's Tackle packed more of a punch. I switched out to Charlie so that if, Arceus forbid, the catch failed, Tobias wouldn't die. Rest assured, I got the bugger in the end.

The rest of the trip to Jubilife was pretty boring. You know, battles with even bigger noobs than I, regular backtracking to Sandgem Town (in the interest of preventing a death, I swear), stuff like that. Tobias learned Quick Attack, I used up all my Potions, and most of the team (such as it was) grew a level. Oh, and I caught a Shinx, too (Mufasa).

After I healed, I dropped in on the Jubilife City Trainer's School. Barry was there, staring at the blackboard. "Hey, Allison! Did you come to study, too?"

I facepalmed. "Barry, you're talking to the girl who single-handedly started the Alakazam Club (of which I am vice-president), won the Hawthorne Essay Contest three years in a row, and got the Professor Rowan Award for Excellence in Pokémonology. So no, I didn't. I came to deliver this package for you from your mom."

The instant the brown paper touched Barry's hands, he was ripping it open like a Christmas present. "Score! A Town Map! …Oh look, Mom packed an extra just for you!" I carefully placed mine in the Key Items Pocket. Barry unfolded his, turned it around a few times, and studied that, too.

"All right, first Gym is in Oreburgh City. Here I go!" He dashed out. I fought two trainers in a side room. I did pretty well; they both had a level six Abra with Hidden Power, and both of them nearly killed Mufasa and KO'd Charlie. Well, actually, only the boy's Abra KO'd Charlie; the girl's just came really, really close.

"Whew! You're good!" the boy (also named Charlie) said after I'd beaten his friend. "Here, this is our Technical Machine. You can use it better than we!" And do you know what that little boy gave me? TM10, Hidden Power.

On the way to the north exit of the city, a jolly-looking man in a nice suit intercepted me. "Hello there, young lady! I am the president of the Pokémon Watch, or Pokétch, Company!"

"And you're spearheading a promotional campaign right now, I know," I grinned. "I've only seen your advertisements like a million times on the tube."

The man's smile matched my own. "Splendid! Go find the three clowns around Jubilife City, then me. If you succeed, you get your own Pokétch! Good luck!"

The first clown was blocking the entrance to the TV station. "Hi! I'm a campaign clown! Answer my question right, and you get a Pokétch Coupon! Here we go…!

"Can a Pokémon hold an item?" Suffice to say that the other two had similarly inane questions, and I did indeed get a Pokétch. Not that I needed one—I do have an iPhone 3GS, after all. I spent the rest of my evening exploring Jubilife City. I got a Quick Claw, a doubly-static-charged hug from a Pikachu and Pachirisu, and an Old Rod in the gatehouse leading to Route 218. Of course, being an impatient fool, I just HAD to go try it out and find but KO a level six Magikarp (after three tries when nothing bit). Meh.

I found Barry again on Route 203, and he challenged me to a battle. His Starly got a critical hit on its first turn with Quick Attack, and nearly killed Brendan! "Dude, watch it!" Brendan shouted.

"Brendan, get behind me. Tobias, time to rock!" "Hooray, more mindless blow-trading," Barry's Starly quipped.

"Trade this, moron," Tobias squawked, launching a pretty dang good Quick Attack. Starly growled again. Actually, both that one and fighting his Piplup was pretty mindless. I did win, though.

"What? I lost?! Dang it! I thought I was good!" Barry griped, handing me 900 Poké. "You better remember this night, 'cause that's the last time you'll ever hear me say that! Off I go to train for Oreburgh Gym!" I bought some more Potions and two Heal Balls, then spent the night in the Pokémon Center (thank God their rooms are free).