Arashi awoke early the next morning to the sound of his alarm. He had set the time for six in the morning. This would give him plenty of time to shower and pack. He sighed lightly as he slid out of bed, glancing over at Petilil who was still sound asleep. He smiled faintly at his new friend. He made his way into the bathroom and closed the door. Today was the day he set out on the journey of a lifetime. He had no idea what to expect. This was new to him and he was unsure of how it would turn out. He turned the hot water on after stripping down and stepped in the shower, closing the glass door. 

"It's been a long day, without you my friend...and I'll tell you all about it when I see you again..." Arashi sang as he showered, his harmonious voice echoing off the walls as he went on. 

This was how he dealt with stress. It helped him relax and think things through. Music always did this for him. Anxiety was never fun to deal with and there were times when he felt it, but that was rare. After about fifteen minutes, and a few more songs, he stepped outb of the shower and made his way back into his room. He quickly got dressed, dawning a grey hooded jacket with a black tank top beneath. He wore a pair of olive green cargo pants and the same converses he wore the previous day. He didn't bother too much with his hair since it seemed to always end up the same way each day anyway. He slipped on his headphones and turned up the music as he began to pack. 

After about an hour, he was ready to go. He didn't pack too much. He mostly packed a few snacks for the road and a few pairs of clothes to change into. He needed to be prepared. Arashi glanced down at his X-Transceiver and saw he had some messages from Anna. It appeared as though she had made it to Cherrygrove before stopping for the night. She was planning on facing Falkner in the morning. Arashi chuckled at this. While his day was just starting, hers was ending. The time difference was just funny like that. He decided to message her in return before getting ready to go. Petilil was up by now and scuttling out of the room.

"Pet?" She chirped, gaining Arashi's attention.

"Ready to go girl?" Arashi smiled.

"Lil!" She chimed happily, bounding over to Arashi, hopping on his shoulder as he knelt down. 

"Alright, let's get going. Bianca is waiting for us most likely."

And with that, Arashi stepped out of his apartment, locking the door behind him. Making sure he had his recordings with him. He wouldn't be able to carry his guitar with him since it was a bit much to have to carry all the time. He would have to make do with his computer. Sliding his headphones around his neck, he made his way to the Pokémon Center with Petilil on his left shoulder. 

============================

"Good to see you again Arashi!" Bianca chirped excitedly.

Arashi yawned slightly and gave a wave to her.

"Sorry, I am still waking up."

"It's fine. So, shall we go?" Bianca inquired, reaching for Gardevoir's ball and releasing her. 

"Yep, I'm ready." Arashi returned Petilil to her ball and clipped it to his belt. 

"Alright, take my hand and don't let go. This will feel kinda strange at first..."

Arashi did as instructed and took her hand. Gardevoir began to channel psychic energy through her frame, the aura surrounding both Bianca and Arashi for a brief moment before they warped out. About two seconds later, they reappeared in Juniper's lab who seemed to be expecting them. Arashi felt really dizzy afterwards and had to hold onto Bianca for support so he wouldn't fall over. 

"You know...you were right, that did feel odd," Arashi mumbled, his head raising at the sound of an unfamiliar giggle.

"You must be Arashi. Pleased to finally meet you," Juniper smiled.

Arashi looked up at the young woman who wore the typical lab coat with the exception of a green skirt and a white shirt beneath. Bright blue eyes stared back at him as he observed her. 

"Yeah, that's me. Good to meet you too Professor."

"Oh please, call me Juniper." 

"Okay, Juniper. So, Bianca said you needed to talk with me?" Arashi inquired curiously.

"Yes, I did. You see, in her haste to get to you, she forgot to give you some pokéballs to start you off. I also wanted to meet you in person and exchange contact information. This way, we can keep in touch. I would have done that the other night but I was too tired. So now that you are here, may I see your X-Transceiver?"

Arashi nodded, taking out his device and handing it to her. She added her information and then handed it back to Arashi. He took it back and placed it back in his pocket.

"Well, now that we have that done, here are your pokéballs. There are five here for you so you can fill up your party at any point. The rest will be sent here with me and you can receive them any time you ask. Now you have the tools you need to take that first step. I hope you have a wonderful time and catch as many Pokémon as you are able. This will help me greatly with my research. Once again, thank you for accepting the task."

Arashi simply nodded and took the balls and hitched them to his belt.

"Thank you Juniper, I will do my best, I assure you. Well...I guess this is it..." Arashi smiled as he turned to exit.

"Oh, before I go...where is the nearest gym?" Arashi inquired.

"Why right here! But you may want to get another Pokémon before doing so. Also, you may want to train. Our Cheren is pretty tough. He's not been here too long, but he has proven more than a challenge, even for trainers just starting. Be prepared for a fight once you meet him," Juniper smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks. Well, see you later."

Arashi stepped out of the lab and into the fresh air. It was nine in the morning which meant his sister would be getting ready for bed. Deciding to give her a quick call, he pulled out his X-Transceiver and dialed her number.

"Hey bro bro," Anna said sleepily.

"Did I wake you sis?" Arashi asked nervously.

"No, I was actually just getting ready for bed when you called. What's up?"

"Nothing much. Just getting ready to head out on my journey. I'be got my pokéballs and am about to take my first step out into the world of the trainer."

"Just so you know little bro, I got a new Pokémon about an hour after you went to sleep," Anna grinned. 

"Oh really? What did you get?" Arashi wondered.  

"It's a little Hoothoot! He's a resourceful little guy. We didn't hit the gym yet though. These little guys need some training."

"Awesome, I honestly have no clue what I want to catch over here. Hell, I don't even know what all is over here, save for what I saw in that one battle at Elesa's gym."

"You mean your crush?" Anna teased.

"Can it sis. I do not have a crush on her. I just met her for Arceus sake. I swear you do this with every girl I meet and become friends with," Arashi grumbled at his twin.

"Whatever you say little bro," Anna grinned.

"You are only older by a minute!" Arashi shot back.

"I still popped out first! Therefore you are the little bro," Anna said in a singsong manner.

Arashi rolled his eyes at his sister who simply stuck out her tongue.

"So. When are you going to introduce her to me?" Anna asked seriously.

"Probably when I get back to Nimbasa...which could be a few weeks or so. Anyway, you ought ton get some rest. I know how you are when you don't have enough sleep," Arashi sniggered. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get on that. Just make sure not to fall too far behind little bro," Anna smirked.

"Whatever sis. Anyway, love you. Rest up," Arashi smiled.

"Love you too bro bro. Good night..." Anna replied before winking out.

Sighing, Arashi put the X-Transceiver back in his pocket and began to head out when he noticed a young girl standing outside with her mother with her X-Transceiver out.

"I swear...that boy," the woman sighed, shaking her head as she looked down at the little girl. 

"Big brother is always in such a hurry. Why couldn't he have just waited until I gave him the map chip for his Pokédex?" The little girl groaned.

"Hugh is just really impatient, that's all Melody. I'm sure I'll get ahold of him eventually," her mother replied reassuringly. 

Arashi slowly made his way by them only to stop as they noticed him.

"Well hello young man. I don't think I have seen you here before. Are you new in town?" The woman inquired.

"Sorta...I was actually brought here from Nimbasa City by Bianca. I assume you all know the assistant to Juniper," Arashi stated with a faint smile. 

"Indeed we do. She's a sweet girl. A bit clumsy though, but very helpful. So, who might you be?" 

"Oh, I'm Arashi. I'm originally from Johto so you know..."

"Oh! Johto. I hear it's lovely over there!" The woman beamed.

"I'm Olivia, by the way, and this is my daughter, Melody."

"A pleasure to meet you both," Arashi smiled.

"Say, Arashi? Could you do us a favor? We have a son around your age and he ran off and forgot his map chip. Could you deliver it to him? Oh! We have two, so if you need one, go ahead," Olivia smiled. 

"That's very kind of you," Arashi said as he took the chip. He quickly loaded the data into his Pokédex and then placed it in his back pocket. 

"So, what's your son look like?" Arashi queried, watching as Olivia took out her wallet and revealed a photo of a boy about his age, maybe a year or two less, with spiky blue hair and black eyes. 

"That's Hugh. He headed out of the city not too long ago. By now he would be near Flocessy Town...considering it's not too terribly far. If you could bring this to him, that would be fantastic," Olivia smiled.

"Will do. I'll check the map and head in that direction," Arashi replied.

'Thank you so much. Have a good journey, though I am sure we will see you again since you will have to face Cheren eventually," Olivia grinned. 

"Don't worry, I know. And once again, thank you for the help. I'll see you maybe in a few days..." Arashi smiled in return as he headed out.

He took a deep breath and looked out at the seemingly long trail ahead of him. Exhaling, he took that first step out of Asperita City. The journey had finally begun.