Sleepless N i g h t s [Steven Stone] #1

“so, Matilda.” The professor started, looking at the long haired girl in front of him.
“from what I’ve heard from your mother, you don’t have your own pokemon yet.” He stated.
Matt nodded, a little ashamed.
“by the way you battled earlier, you will have no trouble at all when it comes to being a pokemon trainer.” He commented, making Matt smile proudly.
“And as thanks for saving me earlier, I’d like you to have the pokemon you battled with.” The professor said, holding out the poke ball. Matt looked at him, then the poke ball.
“don’t be shy, take it!” he encouraged. Matt took the ball gentle, and held it in her hands carefully. She pressed the button, releasing Treeko from its poke ball. It called it’s name, then jumped onto Matt’s shoulder.
“see? You pokemon already likes you.” Professor birch pointed out. Matt smiled and nodded.
“hmm…If your going to be a trainer, you’ll need one of these, too.” Professor birch said, pulling out a flat, rectangular device.
“it’s a PokeDex. Use it to identify different pokemon you meet.” He explained to Matt, who took the device.
“wow, this is fantastic! Thank you, professor!” Matt exclaimed thankfully. The professor smiled.
“uh…I better leave though…there’s something I need to get in the next town…” Matt said nervously. The professor laughed.
“go on. Ah ,and if you see Brendan, tell him to head back here now.” Professor birch instructed Matt, who nodded.
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to tell him!” Matt said as she ran out of the door, Treeko clinging to her shoulder.
Matt was determined to get to the next town before the PokeMart may close.
As she was running, another dog like pokemon appeared. Pulling out her new PokeDex, she fumbled with it for a bit, before finally working it out.
“Poochyena, the Bite pokemon. It savagely threatens foes with bared fangs. It chases after fleeing targets tenaciously. It turns tail and runs, however, if the foes strikes back.”
Matt blinked at the PokeDex.
“right. Treeko, use pound!” Matt commanded, her voice quiet. Treeko jumped forward, and brung its tail down hard on the Poochyena. The pokemon swayed a little, then launched forward at the Treeko, who took the blow. Regaining himself, Treeko waited for his next order.
“Treeko, use pound again.” Matt instructed gently. Treeko once again leapt into the air, and brung its curled green tail onto the small, gray dog like pokemon. It fell to the ground with a thud, while the gecko pokemon landed a few feet away.
Matt blinked as a white light outlined to pokemon, and it seemed to grow, though it was barely noticeable. Her PokeDex beep from inside her pouch. She pulled it out, and flipped it open. A page containing Treeko’s information. A message flashed on the screen.
“Treeko has gain a level…Is now at level 6...Learned the move ‘Absorb’…” Matt read out, Her Treeko looking at her in interest.
“well then, my little green friend,” Matt started, “it would appear you have gotten stronger.”
The little Treeko nodded, and climbed back onto Matt’s shoulder.
She laughed.
“don’t you like your poke ball?” She teased, pulling out the red and white sphere. The Treeko shook his head, jumping to the shoulder farthest away from it. Matt laughed once again. She stopped.
“what we’re we doing again? Oh crap!” she swore, running at full speed once again.
As she was running, a sign post flashed passed her. She slowed down considerable, to read it.
“Odale Town…” She whispered, looking around eagerly. She spotted the familiar sign of a poke mart. But the lights were flickering out. She ran as fast as she could towards the blue roofed building. Someone was at the window, and was about to flip the sign over. As Matt ran, she lifted her arms into the air and waved them about.
“Wait!” She shouted. “don’t close yet!”
The clerk standing at the window looked at her, and shook his head, flipping the sign over.
Matt ran to the window. She banged against the glass panel, but the clerk paid no heed. He walked away, becoming one with the shadows inside the mart. Metaphorically, of course.
Matt slumped down, downhearted. Another 24 hours of no sleep…it was going to be hard.
Sighing, Matt made her way towards the Pokemon Center. If she couldn’t go to sleep, she could at least get a head start on her journey.
Walking towards the red roofed building, Matt held her head. She could feel a headache forming in the pits of her brain. The last resort of getting her to sleep. This had happened once before to Matt, when she was left with a baby sitter, a neglecting one at that. She didn’t give the poor girl her meds the entire week. Each day, the headache she had got more painful, until the point she could no longer stand it.
Matt his her head against the wall, until she was unconscious.
Since then, matt was given her meds, and took them accordingly.
So, without Matt’s Medication, she was screwed.
Entering the Pokemon center, she walked up to the kind faced nurse joy, and waited.
“can I help you?” Nurse joy offered politely. Matt smiled.
“yes, can you please heal my pokemon?” She asked, placing Treeko down on the counter. Nurse joy nodded.
“of course. It wont take to long, so, just relax into eh waiting area for a bit, ok?” Nurse joy instructed Matt gently, who nodded.
“thanks.” Matt thanked, plopping down onto a couch. She closed her eyes, and leaned back, sighing.
Opening her eyes, she glanced at the coffee table in front of her, which was covered in magazines. She picked up “Pokemon Trainer monthly” and flipped through it, skimming over articles half heartedly.
However, when she turned to one page, she was a bit surprised to find it missing, along with a page after it.
Doing the smart thing, Matt flicked back to the contents section, and searched for the missing page number.
Finding it, Matt looked at the article description.
“Steven Stone; Hoenn’s Hottest trainer…right…” Matt said, reading over the description again, unsure as to which “hot” they were referring to.
“He’s probably some big snob, with fan girls kissing the ground he walked on…Pathetic.” She sighed, dropping the magazine harsh onto the table.
Seeing as the Pokemon center was empty at this time, nurse joy walked over to Matt, and handed her Treeko.
“here’s your Treeko. He’s all healed up and ready to go!” She told Matt, who smiled.
“excellent, thank you nurse joy!” Matt thanked, standing up and letting the little green lizard crawl up her arm and onto her shoulder.
Nurse joy laughed.
“I’ve only ever seen one other trainer let their pokemon travel with them.” Nurse joy said, looking into the distance.
“Really? Who we’re they?” Matt asked, curious.
“Ash Ketchum. He’s a great trainer, reaching the various pokemon leagues. He passed through here not long ago…” Nurse joy sighed.
“ah, ok.” Matt replied, stretching.
“well, I better go. The sooner I get to the next town, the better.” Matt yawned.
“thank you nurse joy, for all the help.” Matt replied, sending the good nurse a warm smile. She returned it.
“its my duty.” She told Matt, before returning to her post at the counter. Matt waved at Nurse joy, and exited the Pokemon center, Treeko looking around alert on her shoulder.
She decided to head up the north direction first. Walking across the small settlement, Matt entered another stretch of forest. Tall grass stood in font of her, trying to block her way. Sighing, Matt pushed past them, her eyes half closed from the lack of sleep.
A worm like pokemon stopped in front of Matt, rearing its short, plump body backwards. Matt raised her eyebrow lazily, pulling out her PokeDex.
It explained the worm pokemon in its very computer like voice. Matt sighed and out away the small device.
“Treeko, try using absorb.” Matt instructed quietly, curious to see the new attack at work. A green light shot from Treeko to Wurmple, connecting them together. Lighter green bubble traveled up the beam, from Wurmple into Treeko. However, it didn’t seem to effect it much.
However, the Wurmple was still not pleased by this attack. Rearing backwards once again, it released a sticky, white substance all over Treeko, slowing it down immensely.
“what was that?” Matt questioned, concerned. After closer inspection, she found it was in fact, a web.
“hmmm…Treeko, use pound…” Matt said, unsure if it would work. Treeko fumbled around a little, jumping into the air awkwardly, before falling roughly on the wurmple. Treeko shook it’s small green head, and got up. The wurmple below it seemed to have been knocked out. Matt chuckled.
“good going.” She congratulated, kneeling down next to her pokemon. She pulled the web off of Treeko, all of it coming off after a little struggling.
“Well, Treeko, lets keep on moving.” Matt suggested, running forward once again.