((It's okay Shen. I'm still sick, so it's been hard for me to post as well. I'm going to the doctor's today I hope that I can figure out what's wrong with me and get it fixed.))

Nazo frowned and said, "Damn birds. Always flying away. Can't stay and fight like a true pokemon." He walked slowly up to Kuro and pulled out another treat. "You did a great job in your first battle Kuro." He picked Kuro up and held the treat in his hand for her to munch on.

Nazo turned over to Sandy and said, "Well that's more or less how battling works. Kuro and I were destroying that Pidgey. I wish it had stayed though. It wasn't a very exciting ending." He smiled sheepishly as he finished his statement. "I guess when we get to the first gym I can show you a real fight, Sandy."

((*pets Koragg*))

"That could be the reason it fled," Sandy said. "Maybe it didn't want to be caught or be hurt any more." She smiled as Kuro nibbled the treat from Nazo's hand. "As for battling, I'd like to practice some out here before we hit up Pewter's Gym. I don't want to do something stupid... like be completely out of sync with Stomp." With that, she ran her hand along the horse's back.

(( >.> -purrs- XD ))

Nazo smiled and said, "Don't worry Sandy we'll be doing lots of training before we go to the Pewter Gym. We can't run in there with no training under our belts. We need more than one pokemon too most likely." He chuckled and began walking again. "Well we have a lot of daylight left still. Let's keep moving Sandy."

Stomp nuzzled Sandy's hand after she ran in down his back. He wanted to battle too but he was just happy to have such a caring trainer taking care of him.

"Sure!" chirped the younger of the pair. "And maybe next round, I give it a shot, yeah?" She started after him, flicking a few stray strands of hair back over her shoulder. Once she became level with him, it was obvious she was thrilled about seeing a real live Tamer-vs-Wild Pokemon battle, even though the Pidgey had fled. Kuro strolled alongside her Trainer, content to continue stretching her legs.

((Fuck me on shit post! You didn't exactly give much to go off of this round, so I'm not feeling very inventive. I've fluffed it out as best as I could.))

((It's okay Shen. I was very tired when I wrote that. I'll do better.))

Nazo nodded at Sandy's statement and replied, "Sure next time you can battle I will give you tips if you want during the battle." As the group continued walking Nazo pulled out a book and began flipping through it. "This book is something my dad gave me to plan out my journey. It contains information about the type of pokemon in each region, so I know where I need to look to catch dark-types. It'll tell us what stuff we can expect to run into, though it doesn't know everything, the book is rather old."

Stomp thought about what Sandy said. It wanted to battle and show off his skills to her. He walked alongside her eagerly awaiting the next battle they would get into. It looked quickly at Kuro, rather impressed with her skills in battle, and needed to show her that he could do the same.

((It's okay. I just didn't do as well as I wanted to.))

"That'd be awesome! And maybe I could look at the book some time? I know there are plenty of small basic Pokemon around here, like Pidgey and Ratatta, but it's not unheard of that some non-native wild Pokemon show up as they're moving through."

Kuro dropped back slightly and came around to stroll next to Stomp before jumping nimbly up on his back. She had gotten bored with walking and now felt that she needed to persuade the pony Pokemon to carry her. She looked rather regal on his back and hoped he would be willing to let her remain there as she didn't exactly ask to jump up in the first place. However, she mewled her request to him as soon as she was settled there.

Stomp looked back at Kuro jumping onto his back. He didn't mind at all really. He closed his eyes as if making a happy face and nodded. He continued walking enjoying his new friend.

Nazo watched the scene and chuckled. "Seems our pokemon get along rather well. Kuro must've been a bit worn out after her battle. It's good to see them getting along." He turned to Sandy and said, "Of course you can look through the book if you want Sandy. I wouldn't leave my traveling partner out of the loop considering this book could help us figure out where we want to go to catch pokemon we like." He smiled at her and continued walking. His mind was still on his battle though, figuring out exactly how he was going to train Kuro. Her speed was good but he needed to work on the power of her attacks. A stronger scratch would've declared him a victor pretty quickly.

Kuro took pleasure in the fact that she had been allowed to stay. She knew she could have gotten Nazo to carry her and that was her second option, but she thought this was a far better arrangement. The Ponyta, being a fire type, was far warmer than Nazo's arms would be.

Sandy watched the two in amusement. "They're so cute," she commented in reply to Nazo's observation. "So, what will we do once we get to Viridian? Stay there the night at the Pokemon Center?"

Nazo nodded and said, "Yeah we can definitely stay the night there. I'm sure we can reach Viridian City by nightfall if we keep moving. I have all my camping equipment just in case but getting to the Pokemon Center would be perfect." He was still heavily thinking about his battle and how he could improve. He definitely knew he would be able to figure it out with Kuro easily. She seemed quite warmed up to the idea of working with him.

Stomp walked in between the two trainers keeping a lookout up ahead. He wanted to be in a battle the next time something happened so he made sure to stay focused on what was coming in case that happened.

Sandy finally noticed Nazo's pensive expression. "What are you thinking so hard about?" she asked, hoping he didn't mind. "How Kuro did?" she guessed. She wondered if they would see any other Pokemon on the trail. While Pidgey wasn't that big, it was a tough little fighter... and would likely do better against the Rock-type gym in Pewter but not by much. While she was more than thrilled with her Stomp, she knew that it would be a very tough fight at the first two gyms.

Kuro looked around lazily, looking for Pokemon as well. She wanted to fight again, but knew it would be unfair if she hogged all the battles. Her easy relationship with Stomp might end if the Purrloin got every challenge.

Nazo's train of thought was interrupted as he turned to look at Sandy. "Actually yeah I was thinking about the battle. I'm very proud of Kuro. She's extremely quick. I think I'm gonna focus on her power more than her speed. She's already extremely fast, but what if she had more power behind her attacks?" He was a little excited about the battle still. He wanted more but it didn't seem like any pokemon wanted to show up really.

Stomp listened to Nazo and wondered how it would do in a battle. Was it strong enough for Sandy? Was it fast enough? He questioned his strength, but he figured once he got into a battle he could show Sandy his strength. He watched vigilantly for wild pokemon, turning his head at every rustling of leaves, even if it was just the wind.

"Perhaps, but I think speed is just as important. If you have a lot of speed and can run for a long time, you can keep from being injured, right? I think if you focused more on endurance rather than power, it'd be better. Play to Kuro's strengths," she offered to Nazo. "When Stomp does his first battle, it'll be easier to formulate a better game-plan then. If he's really strong, play that up as well as his defense. If he's quick, play up the speed, evasion, and endurance. Add in some techniques that can reduce the other Pokemon's strength at that point, and it'd be better. It kinda depends at what he'll do best at..."

She hoped she was making sense. To her it did. But to someone that learned about Pokemon differently than she did or theorized differently, it'd be strange. Most people would rather a well-balanced Pokemon, but she felt that if there were certain talents that could be used, then one should make those traits stronger.

Sandy glanced up, catching glimpses of the sky through the canopy of leaves and noticed the sun just past its zenith. "Ah... it's noon. Well, near noon."

Nazo smiled at Sandy and said, "While it is good to play to the strengths of your pokemon's natural talent, it's also good to consider their weaknesses as well." As they continued walking, he elaborated. "For example, Kuro's speed is very high, but what happens if I go up against a pokemon with a strong defense. She would attack very fast but her attacks would not do much damage and eventually she would get tired out. However, imagine if Kuro was able to use that speed and convert it into power. She would move slower, but her attacks would be stronger. You would not only throw your opponent and their pokemon off-guard, but you could surprise them with suddenly devastating attacks and change the beat of the battle in an instant."

He put his hand on Sandy's shoulder and said, "We all have to battle to the beat of our own drums. Your strategy will be different from mine. I would prefer Kuro to be balanced as a pokemon. She'll still be incredibly fast compared to other pokemon, but I want her to be able to succeed in a variety of situations and in all environments." He moved over to Stomp and scratched the back of Kuro's ears. "I want Kuro to be the best she can be. I want her to win no matter what pokemon she's facing. I'm going to do my best to train her to do just that."

He noticed the sun and found a huge tree next to a lake to their right. He looked at Sandy and said, "Shall we break for lunch? That tree to our right sems to be a great place to eat something and rest a while."

Sandy blushed in embarrassment before nodding. She had thought about playing up strengths as well as covering weaknesses. It was only the right thing to do. But at the same time she recognized that she had failed to communicate that to him.

"Sure," she said in response to the suggestion of lunch. She looked to Stomp. "I hope you understood some of what I was saying. Play up the strengths while ensuring the weaknesses got covered," she murmured in his ear while stroking his creme nose. "So, what do you want for lunch?" she continued as Kuro purred from Nazo's administrations.

The Purrloin slid out from under his hand and proceeded to jump up at him to climb on his shoulder. The higher elevation at that moment seemed more appealing. Sharp claws hooked fabric though she was very careful not to actually scratch him and risk being thrown down in shock and surprise. Once balanced, she wrapped her tail around his neck like a furry collar and inspected the surrounding area with the air of a queen.

Nazo chuckled as Kuro hopped on his shoulder and looked around. "This is rather comfortable actually, Kuro. Have fun scouting around." He turned to Sandy and said, "Whatever you have that we can eat is fine with me. I'm not a picky eater at all." He reached around through his pack and pulled out a couple of bowls. He filled each one with pokemon food and set them down on the ground close to the tree. "Time to eat you two." He said to the pokemon while gently picking Kuro up and setting her next to her food bowl.

Stomp nuzzled Sandy's hand and blew out his nose, signifying he understood what she meant. He moved slowly over to his bowl of food and leaned down to begin eating. Moving through the forest was tiresome when you weren't in a pokeball. He continued eating quietly, enjoying his meal.

Nazo leaned against the tree and switched his iPod to quieter music before looking up into the sky. He thought to himself 'Wow I can't believe I'm finally on my journey. I will make you proud, Dad. With Kuro I'm unstoppable!'

"I have easy to keep stuff... like..." She rummaged through her pack and pulled out a few small cans of food and a manual can opener. "Canned vegetables and canned meat," she offered weakly, showing the label of a can of corn and another of green beans. "I have more of this sort of thing, but... it's not exactly huge fancy rations. I have a couple packets of ramen as well, but I forgot the collapsible pail and a small pot at home. I have power bars, too, but they aren't the best if you want a real meal." She felt like a huge dork for having forgotten that part of her supplies. "Do you mind eating like a no-income scrape-it-together college student?"

She watched Stomp eat and noticed Kuro leaping down from Nazo's shoulder after her inspection of the surroundings. The feline landed gracefully with a small thud from impacting the ground with her creme paws before walking over to the bowl offered. She sniffed at it before eating herself, enjoying the flavor. She, too, was hungry.

Nazo looked at Sandy and said, "I told you I'm not a picky eater. I've eaten like that before especially when I get carried away with my music. I can just forget to eat at some points." He reached into his bag and pulled out a pot and a pail and handed them to Sandy. "Ramen sounds pretty good. It's a light meal so we won't feel terrible once we start moving again. We need to make it to Viridian City by nightfall of course."

Stomp happily ate his meal as he savored the taste. He was glad that he could eat such delicious food at all times. He would have to thank Nazo for the food, and thank Sandy for traveling with him. He grabbed his last bite and chewed it slowly before picking his head up and trotting around slowly, feeling his energy return to him.

Alessandra smiled as she took the pan but not the pail. "Could you get water while I work on starting a fire?" she asked of him as she settled her bag and the pot on the ground to go get firewood. Someone had been there before, leaving behind a ring of stones. She would use them as her fire pit. Finding branches wasn't a big deal. She got enough rather quickly as the Pokemon finished eating their meals. Putting the few branches in the pit, she looked to Stomp. "Hey, Stomp? Do you have Ember, yet?" She knew it was a technique that was the first Fire type move a Pokemon learned, but she was unsure if the pony already knew it. If not, she did manage to remember her flint and tender box that was far better to use than matches or a lighter.

Nazo nodded and walked over to the lake before taking his pot and scooping up a generous amount of water. He brought it back over to Sandy and set it on the ground next to her before leaning back against the tree. He picked up Kuro and put her in his lap, petting her gently and smiling. "We're gonna be a hell of a team, Kuro. We'll take the pokemon world by storm." he said quietly to her.

Stomp thought for a moment before nodding slightly and turning towards the lake. He neighed loudly before shooting some fire out of it's mouth over the lake, which steamed up when it hit the water. He hoped Sandy would be proud of his attack.

Sandy smiled at Stomp. "Excellent!" she exclaimed, simultaneously praising him for his apparent special attack strength and for her luck. "Sorry to use you like a lighter right off the bat, but could you use Ember on these sticks? That way we can cook some ramen up."

She really was excited. It seemed Stomp was about a Level 10 or perhaps even a quick learner. That was much stronger than many starter Pokemon, she knew. And with the strength of the Ember he portrayed, he could very well be strongest in those sorts of attacks. The downside is if his Special Attack was very high, then his Special Defense might not be as high and that was bad when it came to his weakness for water, earth, and rock attacks.

Kuro settled herself down in Nazo's lap, purring and kneading his thigh. She was pleased he thought so well of her. She only deserved the best trainer and it seemed she had gotten that very person. And he seemed like the type to keep her well fed and well groomed, as she should be kept.

Stomp seemed to smile before blowing some fire on the sticks to light them. He then moved towards the fire and stood next to it. He enjoyed the warmth but also kept a lookout for any wild pokemon that might be roaming through.

Nazo chuckled as he watched Ponyta light the fire and said, "Well that's one way to start the fire I guess." He was glad Kuro was so accepting of him as he scratched behind her ears. He wondered how strong Kuro was at first glance. She was very apt in her battle with the Pidgey, but what else could she know besides that? Does she know any moves that he might not know she does. He decided it would be best to have a battle sometime just to figure out what she knows.

Sandy flashed Nazo a smile before praising Stomp for his ability. "That was very good!" she told him. "It will make things far easier on our travels if you're able to use fire so early on. Not to mention, many Pokemon will not be expecting it!"

She quickly poured some water into the pot and began heating it. "Unfortunately, it'll take a while to heat the water up enough so that it'll cook the noodles," she told Nazo.

((I never really could figure out... are there regular animals in the Pokemon world that people eat? Is everyone vegetarian? Or do they eat Pokemon?))

((Pretty sure they don't eat Pokemon, there must be other animals too somehow. I'm sure that's a huge plot hole. XD ))

Nazo smirked and said, "It's okay, we don't have to eat immediately. It is such a beautiful day I would like to enjoy it as much as possible. We don't have to rush ourselves. We have plenty of time to get to Viridian City." He leaned his head against the tree, still petting Kuro gently. He realized how lucky he was to have such an awesome pokemon as his friends and partner. The fact his other traveling companion was cute didn't bother him much either as he watched Sandy heat up the water for the noodles.

((I'm so sorry about leaving this for so long. And I'm fairly certain on the people being omnivores... I've seen cooking meat before. *snorts* Unless they do eat Pokemon, and I don't see why they would as the Pokemon are said to be intelligent.))

It felt like it took a long time to get the water near boiling. It was bubbling and steaming, however, when she finally felt it was close enough to do what it needed to do. Pouring the hot liquid over the two cups she had prepared, steam drifted upwards, obscuring her vision for a slight moment before dissipating. Covering the cups back, she let them sit for a while as she settled the pot back on the fire. It wouldn't hurt to remain on the grate she had set up over the merry flames.

She sometimes got hungrier than was normal and required more to eat. And sometimes a cup of noodles wasn't enough. Granted, she could always eat some vegetables, but she didn't know how much Nazo would eat. He was a guy and guys typically ate more than women to begin with... at least, growing teenagers did. She was unsure about fully grown adults, though her father always seemed to have a greater appetite than most.

After a while, with the noodles still cooking in the hot container, she brought one over to Nazo with a camp set to eat. "Wait a bit more, unless you like the noodles crunchy," she said to him before returning to the fire to get her own cup before settling next to him in the shade of the tree.

((Sorry about not posting. Busy weekend))

Nazo took the cup of noodles from Sandy and sat for a few minutes before eating them. He wasn't a fan of crunchy noodles so he was going to make sure they were soft. He began to eat the noodles slowly, wanting to see how they tasted. They were salty as usual but still delicious to him. He liked food like this and he certainly wasn't very picky.

He enjoyed his meal as Kuro sat in his lap. He was very careful not to spill any onto her and finished his meal rather fast considering he was savoring the taste. He smiled at Sandy and said, "Wow this was really good. I'm glad we stopped to have a meal I was so hungry."

((Totally understandable. *smiles*))

She didn't mind crunchy noodles, unlike Nazo it seemed, and she dug in eagerly after just a few minutes and the noodles were three-quarters softened up. As it was habit for her, after having eaten quickly for so many years, she was done within fifteen minutes, hot seasoned water and all. When Nazo spoke, she looked over to him. "Yeah. I know. We probably should eat a bit more, though... these little noodle cups won't last us very long." She dug around in her pack and found granola bars. "These are peanut butter and chocolate," she offered, holding one out to him.

Her eyes wandered past him, watching the scenery with an absent gaze. She wasn't really observing anything, but rather watching the sunlight play through the leaves and to the ground. It was cool looking over there. Sandy brought her mind back to Nazo and smiled. She really had to get her wandering mind under control. Hopefully Stomp didn't mind a hair-brained trainer that had her thoughts derailed often.