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Kasiya squeezed an eye open at the sound of the horn, and shifted a little as she felt Keegan nudging her arm. "Okay..." she murmured, sitting up and looking around. She smiled at the sight of her hometown creeping up on them, and she stood up and wandered towards the railing. "Vermilion always looks so welcoming to me," she said somewhat dreamily, stifling a yawn as she turned to look back at Keegan. "Looks like you made it through okay. The tough part of this trip is over," she smiled. She thought of calling him over as the ferry pulled in to dock at the harbor, but she changed her mind, knowing that Keegan wouldn't really move until the boarding ramp was securely in place. She peered over the railing, catching sight of several Magikarp and Goldeen swimming along beneath them, peacefully minding their own business.

She made a mental note to stop at home before they started to head north to Saffron City to pick up a few things, namely get some clean clothes and whatnot, plus she thought it would be a good idea to tell her mother that she was heading off to Hoenn for a while, and probably wouldn't come back to Kanto for some time. The ferry finally came to a stop, and sounded its loud foghorn once again. The crew went about preparing the boat for passengers to depart, and when they were finished, Kasiya made sure she and Keegan were the first ones to greet dry land with their feet. "All better now," she said cutely, patting his arm gently as they wandered through the harbor area towards the city.

Strangely, Ky paused for a moment before opening the kitchen door that led outside. His hand hovered over the doorknob and to his surprise, it was shaking. Why did he feel so nervous? He had been so happy to know that he'd been left with the Totodile, but there was one thought that just occurred to him: what if Rex didn't want a new trainer? If Rex didn't want to go with Ky, what would he do? Ky couldn't just forcefully catch him; Rex would run away for sure... Dwelling on these thoughts, Ky lowered his head in defeat. He was just some random trainer; what made him so special that he deserved Rex's trust and companionship?

Then, at the peak of Ky's uneasiness, he soon found a bony, yet firm grip clutching his shoulder. Looking to the side, Ky was glad to see the tall, old man staring straight at the door, a confident smile on his face. "Young man, I know what you're thinking and I'm glad you're thinking it," he started vaguely. "That Pokemon out there has been through trying times throughout his life. It breaks my heart to know what he's been through, but even more so, it breaks my heart to see that he loves this place more than he's loved any place in his life. It's not healthy for a Pokemon to stay cooped up, whether they want to or not, and in a small way, I believe Rex knows that too." The old man then turned Ky around and placed his other hand on Ky's other shoulder, speaking to him face to face. "Ky, the fact that you stood thinking at the doorway clearly shows you care, and for a Pokemon that you don't even know! If anything, that is exactly the type of trainer this Pokemon needs, that any Pokemon needs. Please, go out there and remember; Rex is looking for a new trainer, and more importantly, he's looking for you." And having said that, the old man finished with a smile, patting Ky confidently before letting go of his shoulders and walking back towards the living room. "Honey?! Have you seen my schedule?" he called out as he left through the door.

Obviously stated, the old man's words were just what Ky needed, if even more so. Sting, having been extremely bored during the man's speech, hovered impatiently with his arms crossed near the doorway. Ky laughed a little. "Come on buddy, let's go meet our new pal." And with that, Ky opened the door to the side yard, welcoming the morning air with confidence. Off to the side, he could see Crenu practicing with his Pokemon, rigorously as expected, but what really caught Ky's eye was just how large this yard was. It was gigantic. Aside from the small wooden patio, the entire fenced-in area was covered with grass, including some small hills and a decently-sized pond in the back. Even in Violet City, this could easily be labeled as a small park.

Knowing that Rex was a Water-type, it was easy to guess the Pokemon would be somewhere near the pond in the back, so that's where Ky headed. Sting in the meanwhile, decided to face-off vengefully against his infamous opponent, the Oxygen-Pokemon, while he flew. Jabbing left and right, with both hooks and uppercuts, Sting continued until he felt his sore muscles loosen. He wanted to see this 'pal' Ky spoke of; maybe they'd have a friendly spar.

Having been resting with his head just above the shallows' surface of the pond, Rex noticed Ky approaching much earlier than Ky could spot him. Nevertheless, he surfaced to let himself be seen. He knew this trainer was quite friendly, to the extent that he called off that retched bird's attacks. Still, it struck him as odd as to why he was approaching him in such a cheery matter. Cutely, the Totodile sent a little squirt of water towards Ky's face, and having been aimed perfectly, Ky could only raise his hand up to shield the blast. Catching on to Rex's playfulness, Ky laughed as he dried his hands with his shirt, taking a non-threatening seat nearby. "Hey Sting, go practice your Fury Attacks over that hill over there. I'm gunna talk with this little guy for a bit," Ky suggested. Not in the mood to be bored again, Sting easily complied, setting off towards his epic duel with O2.

As soon as Sting was off, Ky gave off a hefty sigh. This was it. "So, it's Rex, right?" Ky started.

"Thank the gods," Keegan murmured as he felt his feet touch the sturdy, solid ground of the harbor's floor. He resisted the urge to drop to his knees and kiss it however, but mostly just for the sake of his dignity. "Vermilion never looked so good," he said, smiling down at the lovely blonde girl walking along beside him. He looked around as they made their way into the city, not really sure which route would start to lead them north. "I'm not as Kanto-savvy as you are, Kas, so you'd best lead the way. Any stops to be made before we head to Saffron?" he asked, wondering if he needed to pick up anything at the local Pokemon Mart while they were there. He remembered that the harshest part of heading home was the trek past Mauville, and if they were subject to any battles along the way, he'd want to have some healing items with him since there would be no Pokemon Center in their sights until they were back at Lavaridge.

The Eevee was visibly tired now, nearly resting on its belly as it awaited its trainer's next command. It was breathing heavily, eying Torchic with a mixture of anger and respect. It was funny how some Pokemon admired and respected each other's strengths, while others were envious and even went out of their way to outdo and rival one another. Torchic also seemed to admire the Eevee's spirit, and she clawed the ground in eager anticipation.

"Tackle attack! Hang in there, Eevee!" Marietta yelled, raising a clenched fist into the air. The little brown Pokemon got back up to its feet, and grit its teeth before charging forward, a growl escaping from its throat as its feet hit the ground. Torchic braced herself for the impact, grunting a little as the Eevee rammed into her.

"Quickly Torchic! Counter with Ember!" Jaeshan shouted. The fiery little chick let out an angry growl of her own and spat out a mouthful of flames onto her opponent's back. The Eevee let out a howl and crumpled to the ground, trembling from the attack.

"Oh, Eevee!" Marietta cried, dashing forward and scooping the tired little Pokemon into her arms. "Not bad, Young Master," she grinned, gently kissing the Eevee's forehead before returning it into its Pokeball. "But now comes round two. Do you think you can handle this?" It was more of a statement than a question as she hurled her second Pokeball, from with erupted a creature that made Jaeshan take an involuntary step back. Its long, black, sleek body was covered in yellow diamond-shaped patterns, and two long, dangerously sharp fangs protruded from its gaping mouth. "Okay Seviper! Time for action! Wrap attack!"

Jaeshan could only watch as the Fang Snake Pokemon shot forward, hissing viciously as it prepared to ensnare the smaller Pokemon within its coils.

Kasiya was perfectly fine with going back to Lavaridge's famous therapeutic hot springs after Keegan beat Flannery, and she bit her lip a little from responding with 'but what if you don't defeat her?' She shook the thought from her head though; she believed in Keegan, especially now that he had Althena on his side. It was then she remembered seeing the battle on TV he'd had with that reporter lady and the weird pink-haired girl, and she frowned, digging around in her pockets for a few moments. "No, FYI I did not lose my key," she said haughtily, putting her hands on her hips and turning to cast a glare at him. "I don't actually have a key." She pursed her lips, looking around for a moment before she smiled. "I do, however, know a thing or two." She lifted up several of her mother's flower pots before she found what she was looking for: a panel of the porch that slid away, revealing a small compartment just big enough for something small and metallic. "See?" She stuck out her tongue at him and fit it in the lock. After hearing the click, she turned the handle and went inside. "Are you coming?"

It was odd to be at home without her mother there, and she sighed a little. So much for saying goodbye before she left for Hoenn, but opted to leave a note instead. As she reached for the notepad however, she found a note in her mother's handwriting. Despite being quickly written, it was still almost unbearably neat. "This wasn't for me," she murmured, wondering who she'd left it for. It said something about meeting at the usual place, and something about luggage. Kasiya shrugged and forgot all about it, writing a note of her own and signing it. "Make yourself comfortable," she told Keegan before dashing up the stairs to repack her clothing for the trip to Hoenn.

"I should buy a scarf." Mike said to himself randomly while peering over at the territorial rain in hopes of it clearing up. "What a surprise, it's still pouring." He grumbled, leaning back onto the grass, his arms behind his head. There was nothing to do. If this kept up, he'd just say to hell with it and walk through, rain or shine. "Wait a minute." Mike sat up abruptly as he was practically electrocuted with an idea. "Wait. I'm a bloody Pokemon trainer, why don't I just practice to kill time?"

Nitro could practically strangle the boy right now. He really could.

Mike shot up, then stumbled back a bit due to all the blood rushing to his head. Once he had regained control, the boy reached for a Pokeball, only to be interrupted mid swing.

"Oh!" A soft voice called out from behind him. Turning to see who it was, Mike was met eye to eye with a cute girl, wielding a parasol. She was dressed in all pink and had an air of sophistication about her. What someone like her was doing in the rain is beyond me. He then noticed a Pokemon beside her, a Wigglytuff, who was ringing out its ears. The brown haired boy waved friendlily at her. "Hello there, what brings you over to the sunny side of things?"

"My name is Lisa, and I was just out for my usual stroll with my Pokemon." She smiled, her pale but pretty complexion standing out from the dark green of the grass and trees. She looked over at Nitro, and threw him a friendly look. "Hello!"

The Charizard straightened up, brushing off the dirt on his stomach. Mike always taught him to be respectful of those who are polite.

"Sounds like...fun!" He replied, amazed at the strength of her seemingly dinky and paper thin umbrella. "I was about to head that way myself, but the rain wasn't looking too friendly and I just dried these clothes." He let out a short and awkward laugh.

Lisa smiled once again. She seemed like a very upbeat and cheery individual. "How about a deal then? If you can defeat me in a battle, I'll go with you in the rain and you can use my extra umbrella."

"And if I lose?" The boy inquired.

Lisa smirked. "Then you have to buy me a TM I want at the Lilycove Department Store."

"You're on."

The National Park was nothing short of beautiful. It was obviously well-kept, and Miharu secretly wondered how much of Goldenrod City's budget went towards care of the place. She rode slowly onward, amazed at how many trainers were already out practicing with their Pokemon at such an early hour. The few she'd seen on the road were nothing compared to how many people were here. They were of all ages too, ranging from kids in strollers out with their parents to the elderly. An older couple was wandering about hand-in-hand as though they were still young lovers. As she passed by them, they said a cheerful good morning, and Miharu politely returned their greeting, making her way along the bike path. She was careful to avoid running into anyone, and she eyed the fountain that served as a lovely centerpiece for the park. She pulled up to it and dismounted her bike, deciding to have a seat. A young boy was sitting nearby, letting a small, blue Pokemon have a swim in the fountain's shallow waters - a Horsea. Taking inspiration from him, Miharu withdrew Starrie's Pokeball from her belt and released the Staryu. The five-pointed Pokemon appeared in a flash of light, but seemed a bit contented to find itself partially submerged in water. The Staryu let itself fall backwards, lying on the floor of the fountain. Miharu marveled at how beautifully its red, jeweled center twinkled in the bright morning sun.

Miharu watched her Pokemon for a few moments before she took another Pokeball from her belt. "Sparkle, you are in definite need of training," she told the sphere, thinking about wild Thundershocks that it had thrown at Aska when she'd made the capture the other day. "But I don't really want to battle with anyone just yet... hmm..." Perhaps I can train Sparkle with a Pokemon that's resistant to electric attacks. Starrie and Aska are out of that one for sure... She didn't even really consider Tingle; as much as she loved the strange Metang, she didn't quite trust it to train against such a young Pokemon. "Maybe Lily? Yeah, grass types aren't heavily damaged by electricity!" Grinning, she took a second Pokeball in her hand, and flung both of them in front of her. Sparkle erupted from her Pokeball before the thing even hit the ground, and Lily appeared in a flurry of lovely pink blossoms, as usual. Both Pokemon squinted in the bright sunlight, and looked up to their trainer expectantly. "Good morning, ladies," Miharu said brightly. "Are you ready for some training?"