[center][h3][color=39b54a]- Peggy Atkinson -[/color][/h3][/center]

The walk from Cherrygrove to New Bark hadn't been long but it hadn't been comfortable either.

Peggy's mother had insisted that a someone, a veteran trainer, go with her, in order to keep her safe from the wild Pokemon that roaming around. It wasn't an unreasonable suggestion, quite the opposite, really, given how Pokemon had been acting for the last decade or so, but Peggy hadn't been pleased by it as she never knew how to react around strangers. She knew she should get used to it, considering that she'd be journeying with a whole group of people from now on, but at least they were people around her own age.

This trainer was a woman in her early thirties, with a youthful face and blonde hair that had been tied into a tight ponytail. She was friendly enough, perhaps a little too friendly, and that just made Peggy feel worse as, every time the woman attempted to make conversation, Peggy could only stammered out a short and vague reply, stopping the interaction before it ever truly began. She didn't mean to, she [i]wanted[/i] to talk, but every time she tried to think of a more involved answer, it just sounded stupid.

By the time they reached New Bark, the older trainer didn't seem as friendly anymore, both her and Peggy suppressing sighs of relief of not having to be in each other's company anymore. 

"There it is," the woman said, pointing her finger towards a building to a large building to their left. 

Peggy turned her head slightly in that direction, pulling her green hat back slightly to get a better look. [color=39b54a]"That the lab?"[/color] she asked, her voice quiet and somewhat strained.

The woman nodded. "Yup," she said. Professor Elm's lab was old but strong, bearing the same green roof as all the other houses in New Bark, but was marked thanks to its twin chimneys.

Peggy turned to the woman and forced herself to stare into the trainer's eyes. They were wide, once again adding to the woman's youthful appearance, coloured a light blue... and full of weariness. [color=39b54a]"Thank you,"[/color] Peggy muttered, giving a low nod of her head, almost like a bow.

The woman smiled back, and thankfully it only looked half-forced. She waved away the gratitude. "Don't mention it," she said. "I wish you luck on your journey." She then turned away and started back towards the direction they had come from.

[color=39b54a]"Er, thanks!"[/color] Peggy called awkwardly, her voice becoming high and strained. The woman didn't turn back and Peggy gave a loud sigh, staring down at her feet, before lifting her head and turning her gaze back towards Elm's lab. She took a step towards it, only to be interrupted by a shrill ringing round coming from her pocket.

Peggy rolled her eyes as she dug her phone out of her pocket and held it up to her ear, pressing the 'Accept' button. She already knew who this was.

[color=39b54a]"Hello, Mum,"[/color] Peggy grumbled.

"Peggy!" a relieved gasp emitted from the speaker. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

[color=39b54a]"I'm [i]fine[/i],"[/color] Peggy assured. [color=39b54a]"I just got to New Bark."[/color]

Another relieved gasp. "Thank goodness," Erica Atkinson said. "Is the nice lady still there?"

[color=39b54a]"She just left."[/color]

"Did you thank her?" Erica pressed.

[color=39b54a]"Yes, Mum,"[/color] Peggy said automatically.

Erica gave a happy sigh. "Oh, it's so good to hear your voice," she said. "I missed it so much."

[color=39b54a]"Mum, you spoke to me only five minutes ago,"[/color] Peggy said.

A pause. "I did?"

[color=39b54a]"Yes,"[/color] Peggy said. [color=39b54a]"You were calling me every few minutes throughout the whole trip, remember?"[/color] That had been another element that had added to the awkwardness of the trip, as after the third call, the woman who had led Peggy through had started to get irritated. She hadn't said anything outright, but Peggy at one point thought she'd heard her grumble something about not being seen as 'competent' and how she felt 'disrespected'.

"Oh, yes, well," Peggy's mother spoke again after another pause. "I'm just making sure you're alright."

[color=39b54a]"Mum, I'll be fine,"[/color] Peggy insisted. [color=39b54a]"Honestly, you can't call me every five minutes throughout my journey, you know. It's [i]embarrassing![/i]"[/color]

Another moment of silence passed, but this time, Peggy could swear she heard a little sob. "I'm sorry, Peggy," Erica said quietly, and Peggy instantly felt guilty. "I'm such a mess, aren't I?"

[color=39b54a]"No, mum,"[/color] Peggy said quickly.

"I'm a rubbish parent."

[color=39b54a]"No!"[/color] Peggy insisted.

"A failure."

[color=39b54a]"No, you're not!"[/color] Peggy said again. [color=39b54a]"Please don't say things like that! How will I be able to cope, knowing that you're like this while I'm out travelling?"[/color]

Erica gave a loud sniff. "I know, I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry, Peggy."

[color=39b54a]"It's alright,"[/color] Peggy replied softly. [color=39b54a]"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'll call you every day so you know that I'm fine, I promise, maybe even twice if I have something important to tell you, but you've got to have some faith in me. I'm not a child anymore."[/color]

Erica gave another sniff and a sob. "I know," she said. "I know." After a moment, she stopped sobbing. "You're such a good girl, Peggy."

Peggy didn't say anything, but she found a small smile forming on her face.

"Be careful," her mother continued. She paused again. "You know I love you, right?"

[color=39b54a]"Yes, mum,"[/color] Peggy said. [color=39b54a]"I love you too. And I promise I'll be careful."[/color] She glanced back at Elm's lab. [color=39b54a]"I got to go now. Talk to you later, okay?"[/color]

"Bye, Peggy."

[color=39b54a]"Bye, Mum."[/color] Peggy hung up and slipped her phone back into her pocket. As she stood there for a moment, she worried that she might burst into tears, but forced herself not to.

[color=39b54a]'I'm not a child!'[/color] she thought to herself. [color=39b54a]'I'm not a crybaby! I can do this!'[/color] Adjusting her hat and steeling herself for a moment, she made her way towards the lab's door.