Ethan appreciated the sense of conviction that Emma gave off because it encouraged him to pursue his goals too. He always worked better when he was with someone motivated like her, so teaming up appeared to have more benefits than just an extra set of eyes watching their surroundings. He could tell she was hesitant to depart at first but soon enough, they were both on the road and starting off their adventure. Ethan made sure to keep his eyes open as they looked through the tall grass and continued down the path until the woman pointed out someone in the distance. He nodded in agreement and walked towards the NPC, grinning when Emma let her Squirtle out of its ball for the first time. He figured he would do the same with his Pokemon, and so his Mudkip Skippy was soon joining the Squirtle in frolicking through the tall grass.<br/><br/>After their bizarre conversation with the Townie, there was a look of worry on Ethan’s face when he turned back to look at Emma. “You heard what she said, right? Nearly all the Pokemon are dead?” he said grimly, frowning at the sentiment. That’s when he remembered something from his childhood: these routes were usually brimming with Pokemon in the early game, throwing themselves at your feet to earn a place on your team. “I remember when I was a kid, there would be Pokemon all over the place when you leave the beginning town. Something must have changed,” he muttered as he watched their Pokemon play with each other for a moment. “I think we should keep moving. If we find any Pokemon along the way, maybe it’s a good idea if you use that ball to catch it,” he said as he pointed to the ball that the NPC handed it to her, glad that he had managed to snag one too.<br/>