Eleyna smiled in glee as the course was set. North, into the very heart of the island. It would be an easy trek after a difficult day.<span style="color: blue">Ok! Let's go!</span><br/><br/>Eleyna folded up the map and stuck it in her pack. They began north beyond Saisho, Eleyna checking her Pokedex. The time read 2:22. Plenty of daylight ahead of them, then. The fields immediately beyond Saisho were spotted with dirt and trampled grass where the fields of younger trainers had been not long ago, battling in a trainer's paradise. They were empty now. As they crossed the battlegrounds, Eleyna wondered how many trainers were still out there in the island and knew nothing about the attack. She supposed that they may very well come across those adventuring trainers.<br/><br/>It wasn't long before the trampled grass became less and less, and gave way to a wash of green with narrow little trails cut in it where trainers had come and gone, going to and from the wilderness beyond. A dirt road snaked back toward Saisho that connected it to the rice patties and tiny farmer's hamlets along the hillsides.<br/><br/><span style="color: blue">Hey, uhm...</span>Eleyna said as they walked, approaching the pink haired girl.<span style="color: blue">I just wanted to say... you know that was pretty cool back there, what you said. </span>She smiled at Aisha's Charmander.<span style="color: blue">That's so cool that you have a Charmander... your really lucky. You know... 'cause they're pretty rare.</span><br/><br/>They had been traveling up a gradually steepening incline that rose up to the horizon. The smell of grass was heavy on the air, and with it the faint scent of sweet pollen. The taller stalks brushed across Eleyna's legs as they hiked, the crest of the hill nearing, while the town grew ever smaller behind them. Eleyna made a few meek attempts at small talk, though it was something she was woefully bad at. She had never been the greatest at making friends, and talking with people had always made her a little nervous and often made her seem awkward and confident. It didn't deter her, though, not today. Nothing could, not the events of earlier, not the thoughts of home or any of it. today was her first day as a trainer, as a<i>real</i>trainer.<br/><br/>They neared the top of the hill and as Eleyna was about to come to its peak, she stopped and looked back at the town of Saisho, now suddenly feeling very far away. This was it, she realized. One more step, and she couldn't go back. One more step and the only direction was forward. She was on the verge of a new world. She closed her eyes, turned around and put one foot in front of the other until she came at last to the top of that last hill and could see it stretching out before her.<i>Yugen</i>.<br/><br/>The valley stretched out, miles wide, ahead of them. The plains and fields were a sea of greens and golden grass, tall and fluttering, waving in great unison like a ribbons of motion as a light wind came down out of the mountains to the east and danced through the fields. Little thickets and tall trees dotted the land, providing spots of shade as the warm sun cast down over them. To the west, the land began to rise and fall as the country became hilly. The eastern valley edge, where the earth began its steady rise to the slopes of the mountains just beyond, lay great forests of deep green and auburn that gave way to the grey cliff faces miles beyond, like distant monoliths that rose as a wall of mountainous stone cut from the earth eons ago, worn and weathered by time.<br/><br/>Eleyna felt a cool breeze drift across them as they stood, seeing their course ahead of them. Her thick, un-tamable mane of black hair jostled while her swept bangs which stuck out from under her hat tickled her face. She ran her fingers across her temple, drawing her hair back behind her ear, which in, repugnant defiance,  immediately flopped free again.<br/><br/>A flock of birds crossed the sky, too far to know their species. Grazing among the short grass a mile ahead was a small heard of young Blitzles, following the two or three elder Zebstrikas. Far ahead, many miles away glistened a sapphire jewel among the grass. The lake, which was only a blot splotch on the map, was like a thousand glittering stars under the early afternoon sun. It was at least a full days travel away.<br/><br/><span style="color: blue">This is it...</span>She took a deep breath and started forward. It wouldn't be long before they would be nearing the tall grass that smaller Pokemon hid among.<br/><br/><span style="color: blue">So... hey.</span>She walked over beside Jake, trying to be friendly again.<span style="color: blue">Sorry for you know... back at the Arcanine battle... running off. I uhm... </span>She tugged on her pack's strap nervously.<span style="color: blue">See I don't have a Pokemon yet - oh no, that's not true at all Ley.</span>She scolded herself.<span style="color: blue">Well, see I do! But he doesn't do anything I tell him to which is really frustrating even though I've been nice to him and tried to get him to do things but he just won't but I think its because I didn't catch him my mom did...</span>she rambled speedily.<span style="color: blue">But even then I don't know if he was even nice to her since he was still in her pack from when she was a trainer 'cause she released all her Pokemon when she retired except for him so maybe she never used him or had only recently caught him or... uhm... </span>She looked at Jake, realizing what she was doing. She nervously took a few steps away and began nibbling on her thumbnail in embarrassment.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>