Marill strutted in front of Franklin, tail raised high into the air.

“This is weird, Franklin. Marill is really calm. Even after being caught. It’s like she doesn’t know or just doesn’t care.” Franklin heard everything Tyler was saying, yet, he couldn’t take his eyes off his new friend.

Vanessa sat outside with Raichu, watching the sun rise. Raichu locked eyes with Marill and sparked her cheeks and clutched her fist. The electric surge crawled up and around the cabin, rising Franklin’s hair on his arm. Marill cowered and curled her body into a ball before the frightening Raichu.

Franklin ran in front of the ready electric mouse, “Stop, Raichu! Marill is with me!” Vanessa rested her hand on her sparking companion’s shoulder and she halted her electric stream.

Franklin watched Vanessa’s palm lift from Raichu, clean and unchanged. Vanessa walked over to the turtle Marill and brushed her fur. Marill jumped from her cocoon and brushed against her hand.

“Franklin!”

“Franklin, wake up!”

Franklin rose slowly, the window was edged open, “Common, Franklin, lets do some early hunting,” Tyler said with eager in his eyes.

The sun followed Tyler as he walked into the forest, far ahead of Franklin. Bushes and trees rustled along the walking path.

“Tyler, where are we going?”

“Going to catch a Pokemon today, today feels good!”

Tyler stepped lightly through bushes and around trees. He held a Greg in his hand, awaiting a feral Pokemon.

Franklin watched Tyler, emulating his movements, trying not to scare away anything.

The bush, it rustled adjacent to Franklin. His head bolted, waiting for another sign of life. It shook again. Blue highlighted ears flung above the bush and a round tail emerged around the other side.

Tyler turned and made eye contact with Franklin, and saw the bush move a third time. Tyler nodded at Franklin vigorously and pointed at the bush. Franklin reached for a Pokeball and dropped it on the Pokemon’s head. Large red light took Franklin’s eyes for a shock and swallowed the mysterious one.

Tyler rushed over and peered into the bush, watching the Pokeball shake until the middle ring halted and turned white. Tyler picked it up,

“You caught it, Franklin, must have taken it by surprise. Lets see what it is!”

Franklin picked up the ball, and released it.

“Franklin, that’s a Marill!” Marill had round blue ears, and a round blue body with a white belly and a jagged tail with a sphere blue ball at the end. Marill looked around confused and tired.

The crowd stormed from the stadium and into the empty streets. Shops closed sign reflected the centered moon above. Tyler and Daisy talked about the matches as they lead Vanessa and Franklin into the street. Martin was still absent from the crowd. Daisy mentioned she didn’t even notice him leave. She swore he was still there until the final attack.

“Ponyta was so amazing! She was fast and Wooper never had a chance!” Tyler nodded at everything Daisy said about the match. Every detail down the micro, Daisy retold as if she were the one in the battle visualizing each left and right turn.

The forest was quiet tonight. No Pokemon traveled across bushes or above the trees. Daisy and Tyler sped up from Vanessa and Franklin, racing to the end. Vanessa never took her eyes off the road, no waiver, or look of question.

Franklin watched Vanessa from the corner of his eye. She never said a word, just kept her arms to her side and continued into the forest until arriving at the cabin,

“Good job, Franklin.” She vanished into the house with Daisy and Tyler. Franklin watched the clouds bury the moon and shrouding the forest below. The hoots came out. Slowly as the moon emerged from its momentary slumber, the hoots vanished right along with it.