[b][u][color=f49ac2][h3][center]~Melody Hemlock~[/center][/h3][/color][/u][/b]

Somewhere, in a small town in the Johto region that was [i]probably[/i] New Bark Town, a rather small teenaged girl with long pink hair was heading towards her Destiny.

Not that most people would notice: she kind of faded into the background, to be honest. It wasn’t that she was plain-looking. In fact, most people tended to think she was kind of cute. Cuddly, like a plush toy or something. But despite her color-coordinated clothes and immaculately applied make-up, she didn't seem to have much of a presence. 

This was normal. Her name was Melody, and fading into the background was simply a fact of her existence.

Also, there was a switchblade in her pocket. For "cooking and self-defense". 

Yeah. [s]Bullshit.[/s]

If you thought about it for more than ten seconds, it really wasn't surprising that Melody was lost. For one thing, she had a terrible sense of direction. For another, she had no idea how to read her map.

It wasn't like she could just consult the GPS function on her phone, either: she had one of those old, dinky models, the ones with practically no functions that were basically indestructible. Even if she did have a GPS function on her phone, she wouldn't have been able to use it, anyway-- Melody was absolutely terrible with electronics. Almost as bad as she was with directions.

If you thought about it for more than fifteen seconds, the surprise really wasn't the fact that Melody was lost. Nope: the surprise was that she had made it to New Bark Town in the first place.

Wait... [i]was[/i] this New Bark Town?

Melody looked down at the map in her hands and frowned. Was she holding it upside down? What was wrong with it? She rotated it exactly 67.4 degrees to the left. Had that helped?

New Bark Town was supposed to be small, but... she was definitely lost. In fact, she was pretty sure that she'd been walking around in circles for a while now. Where was the lab? What did a lab even [i]look[/i] like?

Just then, the wind picked up, blowing what appeared to be a page of a tabloid article directly into her face. She yelped in shock, and peeled it off, holding it up to read it.

[center]---[/center]

[center][i][b]Jacob Rogers Publically Harasses Fellow Politician Carmen Young?[/b]

Yes, it’s true! Last Wednesday, Jacob Rogers was spotted arguing fiercely with Carmen Young over the hotly debated question of just how old a person should be before they are allowed to apply for a license. Young’s efforts campaigning have paid off in the increase of minimum trainer age to sixteen, and a drastic reduction in wild Pokemon related deaths in minors, but it’s clear that Rogers has still not conceded defeat.

Eyewitnesses claim that Rogers cornered Young in the grocery store, and refused to back down even when Young politely asked him to stop. Jacob Rogers, an aspiring politician and known anti-Pokemon regulation advocate, has long had deep-seated rivalry with Young over Johto’s wild Pokemon situation--[/i][/center]

[center]---[/center]

Just some stupid politician drama. Melody scowled, and crumpled it up into a ball, sticking it into her pocket.

What? Littering's bad, okay?

Still, she perked up quickly after a few seconds. After all, Melody was on her way to meet her Best Friend Forever! Nothing could get her down, not even being completely and utterly lost.

And so she set out to find herself someone to give her directions, and-- well, [i]there[/i] was someone who looked like they knew what they were doing. She, too, was holding a map… but assertively!

The girl had long purple hair and bright green eyes. [i]Pretty[/i], thought Melody briefly, and then blushed as pink as her hair. Nope, nope, stop. Nooooot happening.

Could she be a trainer? Could they be heading in the same direction? If they were, then surely... could this be? Could this girl be… her [i]Destiny[/i]?

With that thought in mind, Melody hurried after her, jogging up behind the other girl with her heart in her throat. Should she— was she brave enough to talk to this rather pretty girl? Was she brave enough to ask that fateful question? The question that made so many quake in their boots?

[i]Which way is the Pokemon lab?[/i]

Why yes, yes she was.

[color=f49ac2]“Excuse me!”[/color] she called out, slowing until she had fallen into step with the other girl. [color=f49ac2]“Um… My name’s Melody. Would you mind giving me directions to the Pokemon lab? I’ve been lost for hours!”[/color]