"Is that everything for you sir?" The bored looking teenager behind the counter drawled as Matthew stuffed the last of his new supplies into his new rucksack. The Poke Mart was cooler than the particularly warm day outside, so Matthew had taken his time wandering around the aisles and picking out everything he was going to need for his adventure. As he picked up things, such as a basic camping set and bountiful Pokemon supplies, he started to wonder why he didn't think to grab this stuff before. He had seen pictures of trainers camping under the stars with their Pokemon and always knew that that was how he wanted to live. Matthew had craved the adventure since he was a child, desperate for something different from the pampered life he had lived before. Part of him knew the reason, but his natural arrogance refused to admit that he was simply scared. It was up to him now, there was no-one else he could rely on. He was a lone wolf, taking on nature with just his wits and his Pokemon.

"Sir? Is that everything you want?" The teenager coughed, pulling Matthew from his daydream.
"Yeah, uh that's Everyth..." Matthew began to mumble when something flickered in the back of his mind "Actually, throw in an extra potion." He shrugged. The cashier rolled his eyes, obviously used to customers changing their mind at the last minute and hating the twenty extra seconds of work that entailed.
"That'll be..." The cashier grumbled. Matthew took a deep breath and plunged into his pockets, handing over the required amount. It was a lot, a little more than most newbie trainers would be able to afford. Matthew had managed to steal a fair amount of money from his parents before he made his great escape, but this little shopping spree had practically devoured what funds he had. From now on, he was actually on his own, with this purchase, he severed the last tie to his parents he could think of.

Whirlygig and Hope were waiting outside the store, not permitted to go inside unless contained in their Pokeballs, and seeing as Whirlygig didn't technically have a Pokeball, Matthew simply decided to leave both Pokemon outside rather than just one.
"Hey guys. I've got everything we're going to need." He grinned as he hefted the rucksack onto his back. It was heavy, the straps dug into his shoulders somewhat, but he gritted his teeth and marched on. [i]You'll get used to it[/i] he thought as he walked. Matthew wasn't the tallest for his age, a little shorter than average height, which meant he looked rather ridiculous with a backpack this size balanced on his back, especially given that Whirlygig took the opportunity to land on top and hitch a ride. Everything he had just bought was crammed inside, everything except the potion he owed Rose, which he was carrying in his hoodie pocket. He felt he was ready to go to the Gym and at least meet the Gym Leader, maybe ask a couple of the trainers inside for a battle first, but he had something he needed to do before he could even think about that.

With a whole city to search for Rose, Matthew decided to first check the bench where he had met her, but when she wasn't there, he decided to check the Pokemon Center. As he approached the Pokemon Center, he noticed her instantly and his face lit up. He was more excited to see her again than he had expected to be, maybe it was because he had previously resigned to giving up and never seeing her again. She was still a stranger, but she was a stranger who listened to him when he needed someone to talk to. He started to make his way over when he noticed a red head guy standing with her. Matthew wasn't particularly good at social situations, but even he could see that Rose was looking uncomfortable around him. The guy looked like a real piece of work too, somewhat tough looking and Matthew could see Pokeballs on his waist so he was obviously a Pokemon trainer.

Before Matthew really knew what he was doing, he sauntered over to Rose, doing his best to ignore the other guy there but still ever aware of him looming nearby. Matthew was not normally the sort of person to help others in need, he would normally much rather walk away. But, right now, Matthew desperately wanted to give Rose the potion he had in his pocket, so much so that he was willing to step between Rose and the stranger and smile at her.
"Hey R-Rose" He stammered, aware of the guy glaring at him "I owe you this, right?" He pulled out the potion from his pocket and held it out to her. He waited for her to take it, trying his hardest not to acknowledge the other guy in any way. If he had learned anything from his family it was how to ignore a problem until someone else dealt with it. But, even if he walked away, he couldn't help think about Rose being stuck here with the creep. "A-also, Hope and I were going to go challenge the Gym, you wanna come along?" The words escaped his mouth without him even realizing he was speaking, but once they were said there was no way to take them back."