[b][u][color=f49ac2][h3][center]~Melody Hemlock~[/center][/h3][/color][/u][/b]
Oh— so they were going to Cherrygrove, then? Or, at least… Professor Elm wanted them to go to Cherrygrove?

Melody hummed. Well, that seemed like a pretty logical first destination! She wondered if she’d be able to find a Pidgey on Route 29. Okay, so maybe they were kind of common, but… they were cute, okay?

She’d always liked cute Pokemon. And she already had a name picked out! If her Pidgey was a boy, she’d name him... uh… [s]Bird Jesus?[/s] [s]Private Brian?[/s] Stanley! Stanley-Joe! 

And if it was a girl… well, Stanley-Joe was a pretty name for a girl, too! Right?

She’d chosen the name after… well, after nothing, actually. She’d just made it up. Call it divine inspiration? She [i]had[/i] bumped into a few of those weird Helix cultists on the way to the lab.

So she’d just introduced herself to the two who’d come over to help out Peggy, but—wait. Was Abigail [i]leaving[/i]?

Uh-oh. She was getting left behind! And Melody definitely couldn’t let her best friend wander off alone! For one thing, they were supposed to all stay together, right?

For another… well, Melody had just found her best friend! She didn’t want to get separated [i]already[/i]!

She shot an apologetic smile at Peggy and the two boys. [color=f49ac2]“Sorry, gotta go!”[/color] she blurted out in a rush. [color=f49ac2]“Peggy, the repel on the floor is for you. I’m going to go catch up to Abigail. You guys hurry, okay? Bye!”[/color]

Melody hurried over to the professor’s assistant, took her card, and then jogged after Abigail. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t jogging… Melody’s parents had raised her to be a proper young lady (sort of), after all! 

She walked briskly after Abigail, managing to catch her just before she exited the door. Mareep was starting to feel kind of heavy, but Melody had always been pretty strong: she could deal with it! And she rather liked having Mareep out.

[color=f49ac2]“Abigail, wait up!”[/color] she said, smiling. [color=f49ac2]“Aren’t you excited? Our Pokemon journeys are starting, and you’re on your way to being the best trainer in the region, huh? I’m going to challenge the gyms too. I mean, I probably won’t be as good as you, but I’ll do my best.”[/color]

After all, she had to, didn’t she? To prove to Abigail that she was worthy of her?

Mareep made a snuffling sound in his sleep, and Melody giggled. [color=f49ac2]“Mareep’s gonna help me, too. We’re going to be an awesome team, just you wait!”
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