First Meeting

This chapter is pretty long! Reika's head turned out a little big, but I still like it a lot! These two will be traveling together from now on, so instead of drawing a specific scene from this chapter, I simply depicted Reika harassing Hisaki.

Background (once again) is from the Pokemon anime!
Pokemon and all related copyrights are (c) Satoshi Tajiri and Nintendo. Reika and Hisaki are my original creations.

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CHAPTER 3: FIRST MEETING!
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"Thank you, Joy-san! I'll trust these guys to you!"
"I'll let you know when they're 100% again!" A smile from that woman was just as reassuring as her mother's; it was hard not to trust her, no matter how concerned she was with her Pokémon's state. Reika calmed down enough to take a seat in the lobby in one of the many comfortable couches; just behind her, in another couch, she didn't like what she heard. A boy, only a little bit older than herself, holding back tears. Both concern and curiosity took over her features, and she leaned over to peek. He didn't notice her at all until she said something.
"Hey, why are you crying?"
After nearly choking on his surprise, the flustered fellow struggled to dry his face as quick as possible. "W-who's crying?!"
"You were!" Reika stared plainly. He returned the stare, but it was quite a nasty one.
"Annoying little girls shouldn't stick their nose where it doesn't belong!!" he lashed out, covering his nose with a sleeve. And then, a big sniffle. More staring. And he ran off, angry and upset, leaving Reika quite confused.
"Geez, I was just asking..."
"Reika-chan, was it? Your Pokémon are all healed up!" Nurse Joy approached with her Pokéballs, but Reika had other concerns at the moment and she could see that. "Is something wrong?"
"Y-yes, that guy...he was crying just now, then he got mad and ran off when I tried to talk to him!" Reika pointed in the boy's direction with a small pout.
"Ah, that boy..." Joy's expression slipped from that warm smile to a more painful one. "His Pokémon came in in horrible condition, so I can understand why he would be upset. He probably just needs some space..."
Reika gained a gloomy expression herself after hearing what had happened. Joy encouraged her with another smile, however. "Don't worry. We're doing everything in our power to ensure his Pokémon will be in tip-top shape again. I have to get back to the front desk now, but do stop by again any time you need us!" After bowing, she returned to her station. Reika smiled, but she still felt a sense of melancholy within. Space? What's space? Reika exited in the same direction the boy did, attempting to be subtle, like she was only intending to leave and go on about her business...
"Hey, you!" she shouted, padding over to him. He didn't appear very happy about it.
"You again! What the hell do you want?!" he hissed. Reika was intimidated, but she didn't back down.
"You shouldn't brush off people's concern, you know!" she huffed a sigh. For once, she even lowered her voice. "About your Pokémon, I'm sorry..."
"W-...what the hell do you know?!" he groaned, slumping against the adjacent wall while palming his face. "I told you not to get involved..."
"I don't care!" Reika stubbornly stood her ground, frowning. "When someone is sad, they talk about it! If you're someone who loves Pokémon, then you're a good person, right?! So...I guess I'm saying...I can't see such a sad face and not do anything about it!"
The boy was simply overwhelmed, and clutched his head as if to rid of a migraine. "You really aren't a smart one, are you?"
"Ah, I--...I guess so!" Reika gave a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of her head, not really aware of how to respond any better.
"...for someone like me to say they love Pokémon...it's not right. I...I don't know my own limits. Dammit!" He suddenly collapsed, punching the ground below him in frustration. Reika quickly kneeled down to comfort him with a hand on his shoulder.
"H-hey, what are you saying?"
"You...you're really not gonna leave me alone, are you?" he sighed, defeated.
"Nope!" Reika had no shame at all about her butting in, but she felt it was the right thing to do.
"Then I'll tell you." He sat up, attempting to regain his calm. "I failed as a trainer..."

It was at Viridian City's gym just down the street that this boy's tragedy occurred. He went in to face a gym leader, but what he found instead was a monster. A young man, not too much older than himself, who came off as friendly but had an undeniable aura of pure destruction. And that was indeed what he brought; without any effort at all, the boy controlled the power of the great legendary Flame Pokémon, Moltres. Even the challenger's strongest Pokémon, a Charizard, was utterly destroyed by the demon in the disguise of a man. Charizard was beaten so badly that his tailflame was almost completely extinguished, causing the very despair that this boy felt until now.
"That's what happened...I should have stopped. I should have turned around and left, but my pride...! I thought about my pride before my Pokémon, dammit!" His head fell into his hands, devastated.
"Legendary...Pokémon?" It was the first time Reika had heard about one, but her lack of experience didn't stop her from understanding just how horrible the situation was. After noticing the awkward silence that had emerged after his explanation, Reika did her best to give a big smile. "Don't worry, Nurse Joy is doing everything she can to get your Pokémon back into tip-top shape~!"
He twitched. "Is that what she told you, too...?"
Reika huffed. "Hey, listen to me! You can't dwell on the past; you gotta keep looking forward! Weaknesses are only there to be overcome! So once your Charizard is all better again...keep going and become stronger together!"
The boy could only stare. "How...can you be so stupidly optimistic?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Reika grinned. "Everything works out in the end!"
As if on perfect cue, Nurse Joy exited the Pokémon Center and looked around before finding the two to the right. "Ah! Hisaki-kun, your Pokémon..."
He immediately rose to his feet, eyes wide.
"...they're all healed up!" It was the kindest smile of all that Reika had seen from Nurse Joy. If only there were more women like her in the world! "Come on in and get them!" She led the way with a wave. Hisaki was overcome with relief, and showed it by running a hand through his bangs, releasing a deep breath that he must have been holding in for a long time.
"Thank goodness..."
"It's just like I said, everything works out in the end!" Reika rose to her feet as well, grinning widely.
"Y-you..." Hisaki's brow twitched. After a pause, a stare and the slightest blush in his cheeks, he blurted it out: "...thank you!" before running back into the Pokémon Center. Letting out a quiet giggle, Reika was quite satisfied with her good deed and went on about her business - for real this time. But that only lasted a few seconds before she heard a scream from within the Pokémon Center.
"Joy-san!" she exclaimed, dashing inside. "What is it?!"
Her question was quickly answered; chaos everywhere! Two strange Pokémon attacking trainers, and two strange-looking people reciting a speech of some kind.
"To prevent the destruction of the world!" a woman with long, magenta-colored hair shouted.
"To protect the peace of the world!" a man with violet hair shouted alike, in perfect rhythm with the woman.
"To carry out the evils of truth and love!"
"The lovely, charming villains!"
"Musashi!"
"Kojirou!"
"The pair fr--"
Reika cut them off. "Ahhh, what ugly outfits!"
"THEY'RE NOT UGLY!!" Both the man and the woman shouted at her in unison, doubly offended by the fact that their motto was interrupted by such a rude statement! A Meowth toddled over to Reika's feet; their eyes met, locked for a few moments, and the Meowth made a move, scratching her across the nose.
"Kyaaah! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!" Reika clutched her face as Meowth smugly returned to his trainer duo, but Hisaki was quick to step in.
"Team Rocket? What the hell are you doing here?!" His gaze hardened into a fierce glare, releasing his Charizard from a Pokéball. "I won't forgive you!"
"This brat, he's talking to us?" Musashi questioned.
"It seems he is..." Kojirou confirmed.
"Hey, you! We didn't do anything to you! Not yet. We'll let you go if you hand over that Charizard!" the woman smiled, certainly not a sincere one.
"Or we could take it from you by force! How's that?!" The uniform-clad duo both extended their fingers to command an attack, but only before a certain protagonist reappeared, rolling around and clutching at her face.
"It hurts, it hurts, it huuurts!" Reika cried, tripping Musashi, Kojirou, and even Meowth up with her rolling form. Hisaki was left to stare in disbelief.
"She's using Rollout...?" he questioned.
Reika at last recovered from the pain of the scratches on her face, rising to her feet. "What's the big idea?!"
"Don't ruin the mood of the scenario at hand!!" Musashi regained her footing, Kojirou soon following.
"What a humiliating way to be caught off guard!" he whined.
"Hey, girl, be careful! These guys are Pokémon thieves!" Hisaki warned her from across the room, standing strong with Charizard.
"Pokémon thieves?!" Reika reiterated, quickly throwing a Pokéball of her own. "Squirtle, let's show these guys who they're messing with!"
"Charizard, chase them off with a Flamethrower!" Hisaki ordered.
"Not so fast!" Kojirou shouted. "Koffing, Smog!"
The strange purple poison Pokémon let out a large cloud of dark smoke, engulfing the whole area and obstructing the distressed trainers' views.
"Shit!" Hisaki grumbled, blocking his lungs with a sleeve. "I can't see!"
"Squirtle, where'd you go?!" Reika panicked, but quickly came up with a solution, gasping triumphantly. She flashed back to the brief battle with Pidgey and how he kicked up sand with his wings, and from there...
"Pidgey, I'm counting on you!" The tossing of a Pokéball let out the small bird Pokémon, who was immediately lost in the smog. However, Reika's voice was loud and clear. "Blow away the smoke with your wings!"
Pidgey did as instructed, flapping his wings rapidly until the smoke was cleared. However, Team Rocket had disappeared!
"Ekans, Poison Sting!" Reika heard from behind her, and was soon faced with several poisonous needles coming her way. Without any time to react, Reika could only guard herself and her Pokémon with her arms.
"Girl, duck!" Reika heard Hisaki's voice and quickly dropped to a crouched position. "Charizard, Flamethrower!" A thick stream of fire shot directly above Reika to blast the needles away, singing the tip of her hair in the process. Despite her hair's destruction, Reika gave a wave to the boy.
"Thanks!"
"Don't let your guard down around these bastards!" Hisaki barked. "They won't show mercy on anyone!"
"Then...I won't either!" Reika quickly recovered, checking her Pokédex to examine Squirtle and Pidgey's moves. With a snap shut, Reika pointed towards the dastardly duo and their Pokémon.
"Pidgey, use Gust! Squirtle, Bubble!"
Both Pokémon, of course, complied; Pidgey creating a heavy gust of wind with his wings and Squirtle sending out an array of hard-hitting bubbles. Hisaki assisted.
"Charizard, Fire Spin!"
"Time for a tactical retreat!" Musashi screeched, attempting to outrun the attacks.
"What's the tactic in this?!" Kojirou whined, catching up with her as their Pokémon rushed behind.
"Escaping with our lives-nya!" Meowth answered, hustling with all of his might. However, the ranged attacks were too fast, and hit them in their tails, sending them flying through a window into the distance. Reika could hear them scream something along the lines of "this feels bad!" as they were blown away... While in mid-air, the trio discussed their next plan for attacking the Viridian City Pokémon Center, such as not being humiliated by the newbie protagonist.

"Really, thanks to you two, our Pokémon Center is safe again! Thank you very much!" Nurse Joy bowed to Reika and Hisaki once more; while Reika grinned, Hisaki just scowled and rubbed his neck bashfully.
"It was nothing, you save Pokémon every day...it's the least we could do!" Hisaki huffed. Reika pulled on his cheek invasively, causing him to groan in objection.
"What he means to say is 'you're welcome!,' right?"
"I-I said what I said! Don't touch me!"
Nurse Joy chuckled, returning to the desk to leave the two quarreling.
"Your Pokémon are fine, what are you so gloomy about, Hisaki?!"
"How do you know my name?!" he flailed until she released him, which she only did to think back on how she learned it.
"...uhm-- that's what Nurse Joy called you, right? 'Hisaki'?"
"That's right. I'm Hisaki. From Cinnabar Island." He grunted, holding his cheek protectively. Reika beamed in response.
"I'm Reika, from the Orange Archipelago! I'm just starting off as a trainer!"
"You say that as if it's not obvious..." he sighed. "Well, come on then, let's go."
"...let's?" Reika repeated, blinking.
"You heard me! No one in their right mind would let an idiot like you go out on their own! You need someone like me to keep you out of trouble..." That scowl returned, as did the subtle pink shade in his cheeks. "So let's go already!"
Reika only stared at him for a moment before smiling widely once more, nodding. She dashed to catch up with him as he had already began walking off to the north. "Right! Let's go!"
For these two, it was only the beginning! To the oblivion of the both of them, a glorious golden bird with feathers of the rainbow crossed over the skies...