Stop waiting for exceptional things to just happen, Constance. You need to move, to do. Exceptions don't keep their exclusive statuses for long, so you got to keep mining and growing.

That's why you must cut through Viridian Forest. It's the only way through to Pewter City and later, Mt. Moon. Sure, there's always the scrawny tree blocking your path just on the outskirts of Viridian, but staring at it won't help you move.

Oh, quit whining! Magi defeated a Snorlax and a Muk, so why fret? Why underestimate him and think him any weaker than the Pokémon infesting the forest? You're afraid of the Pikachu? That makes sense, I won't blame you. Though, you can always keep Magi in his tub and remember, never tear your gaze away from the undergrowth so you don't meet any trainer's eyes.

And so Constance did exactly that, not without a particular fear bugging her as she took her first step into Viridian Forest, her hands clutching the strap of Magi's tub, as though the moment she let go, she would not be able to hold onto Magi anymore. A cautious scan ought to set her into some ease, but the results were not very pleasant. Amidst the harsh rustles dedicated to bristle the hair on her arms, a couple pairs of eyes would glide across the greenery to check out the new human in their territory. If only Constance had been younger! Then she wouldn't have to deal with unnecessary attention.

A Bug Catcher had come up to her with sparkling eyes, trying to get her to "gimme a lookie-lookie, ahjumma!" while finding a hiding spot. Constance was sure he would be the first to be caught given his talent at giving away his whereabouts after failing to learn the dark arts of echolocation from the Zubat line. She chuckled when he was dragged away by a youngster who was too engrossed in his easy find to be bothered with the likes of her. Even Magi indulged in a similar vein of humour, banishing tiny bubbles to the surface with his light chortle.

Judging from the encounter, her walk through Viridian Forest would no doubt be eventful. For one, nature had a strange duality that Constance often appreciated, of how it healed her yet also sapped her of energy the more her feet clashed against green leaves and brown soil. When she was younger, she would travel the world to bathe in the forests of various regions, let the waves of comfort drench her skin alongside the occasional petrichor and snow. Her breaths grew raspy from brisk-walking and dodging curious glances which delighted in a swift and decisive victory against a Magikarp. Though, it would be interesting to see how Magi fared against Kakuna and Metapod...

A mezzo soprano voice traversed over her head, succeeded by a crash as the youngster from before fell to the earth.

"Seems like the seeker is a brutal role to play," she mumbled as she craned her neck to look to the right of a tree whose gnarled bark was home to a teeny weeny Metapod. She frowned. Then, her eyes bulged at the delirious clenching of teeth.

Constance shook her head and adjusted her imaginary spectacles. This wasn't a fantasy. A radge girl with raven-black hair glared at her while the youngster fled.

"What ya looking at?"

Constance flinched. This girl was a whole new ball game compared to the Snorlax and the Muk. She wouldn't be surprised if the girl was a Pokémon in disguise, given her feral appearance.

Alas, she regained her composure and blurted, "What do you think you're doing?"

The girl crossed her arms as she advanced towards the old woman. Constance forced her legs to the ground, feigning bravery. The girl stopped short in her tracks and flicked her finger on the tub, scaring the wits out of Magi whose barbels became tangled.

"Mind your own business," she snapped at Constance before scanning the forest. "Though... What is a granny like you doing here? There are better places for your afternoon strolls, ya know?"

Constance refused to back down. Not today, she thought, as she produced a stellar retort. "And what is a girl like you doing here? There are better places for judo, ya know?"

"What if that's not judo?" The girl returned the favour, as Constance expected. "He tagged me out of nowhere, our eyes met, and I crushed 'im in a battle."

"I don't see your Pokémon anywhere," Constance deadpanned. "How do I know you're not lying?"

The girl let loose a smug smile and pointed skyward. Hovering in circles is an Emolga with a shiny black camera swinging around zir neck, and on zir back is a Murkrow pulling at the camera strap. Crackles and caws echoed throughout the forest. All the Bug Catchers and youngsters who were playing hide and seek scurried over to witness the legendary battle. Would the Emolga be murdered or would the Murkrow be stir-fried? Everyone wanted to know.

"Icarus! Show 'em what ya got!" The girl's eyes glinted as the Pokémon fought.

The Murkrow did a back flip, sending the Emolga spinning and shrieking. In zir defense, the Electric-type released a couple of sparks from zir cheek pouches. However, zir attack wasn't powerfully charged and seemed to do naught but a scratch on the Murkrow who soon retaliated with a beak to the back.

"Come on!" The girl balled up her fists and placed them at her heart. Seeing this, Constance mirrored her, hoping to encourage whichever Pokémon Icarus was. Everyone else held their breaths, but no one deigned to give the poor, curious woman a hint.

Realising their attacks were too weak for their likings, the two Pokémon began to slam into each other, in hopes of getting the camera, seeming like two children fighting over a trophy neither deserved. Wings flapped and hit the camera continuously, releasing a parade of white flashes and clicks into the sky. Resigned, the Emolga hugged the camera and dove, swooping past Constance with an intense velocity her fringe swayed sideways. The Murkrow followed suit and another gust hit Constance in the face.

Both Pokémon then fell onto the ground. With the camera in Emolga's wings, zie was automatically declared the victor of the match. A thunderous applause broke through and the girl bludgeoned her way through the crowd with hisses for accompaniment till she reached the yin-yang circle the two Pokémon formed as they lay on the forest floor.

"Icarus! How dare ya lose!"

At once, it was obvious the Murkrow was the girl's Pokémon. It made perfect sense, with how malicious both the Murkrow and the girl were, a perfect match preordained by the humble and precise hands of fate. The crowd dispersed, bored with the epilogue. Magi clapped his fins and barbels together as he stared wide-eyed at the scene before him, the tub separating him from such a reality it was as though he was watching a movie all this while. No, a forum theatre, for he could dip in and disrupt the stage at times.

Constance approached the girl who showed such a harsh gentleness as she picked up her camera, thankfully saved by the Emolga's belly, and glanced through the photos. Perhaps this wild whippersnapper wasn't so terrible after all. Yet, the constant distortion of her face told another story.

The Murkrow picked zirself off the earth and flew away. The girl didn't hesitate to chase after the Pokémon. What a cold-hearted ingrate, that when her Pokémon fought for her, there was no ounce of gratitude displayed. And now, thanks to her disgusting discouragement, zie decided to be rid of her! This must be karma.

The Emolga, sensing zir foe's fading presence, got up with a lopsided smile. Behind that cheerfulness was definitely a Pokémon awash with sadness, for zie had lost against a trainer's Pokémon.

Constance bent over to steal a glimpse at the photos taken. Just what made this girl care so much about the photos than her Pokémon?

"That one's pretty," she commented over the girl's shoulder, earning a hard look. "You don't agree?"

"No, I don't!" The girl bit her lower lip. "That's a picture of you and I don't need a hag like you to contaminate my album!"

"You're afraid of aging," Constance said.

"Am not!" The girl went through all her photos and caught a glimpse of either a blur that tried too hard at being artistic or clear photos of the two Pokémon's body parts, zoomed in at times, zoomed out other times, or the awestruck expression of an old woman sometimes obstructed by wings, other times seeming hazy, and some other times seeming too clear for its own good. "Ya see? Ya wrecked my album!"

"I didn't touch your camera, girl. Sorry that you don't like my beauty."

"I don't have a thing for grannies, got it?" She deleted the nonsensical pictures against the backdrop of Constance's protest. "It's all your fault, granny!"

Constance was taken aback at her absurdity. "Take a chill pill! You will be a great photographer one day!"

"Shuddup! Ya don't know me! I wanted to capture every part of my soul-searching journey and ya gotta mess shit up!" The girl rained her fists onto Constance's shoulder while Constance joined her in sitting on the forest floor, the crunch of leaves beneath their shifting weights.

The woman's silence was invitation enough to continue without end. Instead, Constance flashed her a warm smile. The scene carried on till the girl grew exhausted and her sweat stuck to Constance's clothes. Constance's gaze leapt to the Emolga snuggling against the girl's leg, suggesting that this was her Pokémon, not the Murkrow. How could it have been the Murkrow after all, right? What an impossible thought!

It was only now, after reconciling with the girl's likely situation, the woman spoke, and when she did, her words had a decided tenderness like water over stone, reassuring the cracks that they indeed had a fine purpose of creating a path for water to flow through, that these faults were necessary to smoothen the stone.

"If all journeys were smooth, there's a problem. It's the turbulent sea that really hones a sailor's spirit. Even wayfarers have to take breaks in between. You can't go far without breaks, be it a breakdown or a break from action and routine."

The girl's hands slid down into Constance's lap. Then, she fixed her eyes on the woman qualified to be her great-grandfather, maybe, and returned the smile, albeit forced.

"Ya wise," the girl mumbled and hung her head. Within seconds, she scooped her head back up, her hair parting to reveal spunky eyes. "Teach me."

Constance blinked. The girl blinked. Constance blinked twice. The girl blinked twice, then shaped her mouth into an 'O'.

"I'm a Prentiss," she said. "Addy Prentiss."

"Constance."

"So teach me."

The woman glanced at Magi whose barbels were bent outward to mirror the shrug of shoulders.

"I don't know... What can I even teach you?"

"The art of soul-searching," Addy said. "Ya going on a journey too, right? I'll come with. I protect ya."

Constance cocked her head sideways in deep thought. She had hardly taught anyone anything, much less something so abstract as "the art of soul-searching". Could she truly afford the presence of a wild child in her search of the Dragon's Gate? Would it do herself any good? Would it do Addy any good? She shook her head to clear her thoughts. This wasn't the right frame of mind.

The more Constance convinced herself Addy was more trouble than the woman could handle, the more Constance was convinced the girl would be more trouble to herself if left alone without guidance.

Constance agreed, though she rebutted one of the girl's statements. "Don't underestimate an old lady. Magi and I are strong. No one can defeat us."

Addy giggled. "You can't travel with a Magikarp! Ya nasty, you need Arceus!"

"No, I need Magi."

"Oh, Arceus damnit!" Addy slapped her forehead.

"That's why. The more superior the Pokémon, the more likely it appears in a string of expletives."

At this, the girl growled and glared at Magi. "Is that so? Splashing Magikarp!"

Constance's smile broadened. "That's a compliment, actually."

Addy punched the earth, sending a few leaves flying midair before falling again. "Ugh! Blasted Moltres meat!"

"Do you really grill it like poultry? Or... Teppanyaki?"

"Ugh! Just... Never mind, ya Mew-dawg!"

Constance shook her head. "You keep proving my point like this."

Both adolescent and elder dusted off their clothes and got up, their eyes locked onto each other. To Addy, Constance was an annoying granny whose wisdom must make her a walking library. To Constance, Addy was the stray Meowth in a box she had to take in after passing her by on the highway.

Thus, Addy Prentiss had joined the team!

The duo seemed to click in a peculiar manner. As they navigated their path through Viridian Forest, headed for Pewter City, they took their first step to a new journey none of them expected to have begun. Though, they still have a long way to go in understanding each other as well as themselves.