[indent] [/indent][h3][hr][color=palevioletred]Eryn Montero[/color][/h3][hr][sup][i]Pureplain City  ||  Kalmia’s Lab  || Morning[/i][/sup][indent] [/indent]
[color=palevioletred]“Morning, Professor Kalmia!”[/color] Eryn’s smile couldn’t grow brighter as she stepped into the lab, her eyes bright as they flicked around the room, eagerly taking in the workspace of a true Pokemon expert before they came to rest on Kalmia herself. Peppy and eccentric, the professor’s soaked hair only seemed to add to her approachability, and Eryn instantly pinned her as someone she could trust.

Movement from a doorway to Eryn’s right drew her eyes, and she glanced over to see a Slowpoke walking carefully—or just normally, really—towards the professor. A scuffle from above alerted her just in time to spot a Poliwag dropping down from a server box, running over and nudging her leg with a happy exclamation. 

[color=palevioletred]“Oh, hey there!”[/color] Dropping to a crouch, Eryn beamed at the Poliwag, holding a hand out to the Pokemon. At home, the only Pokemon she regularly interacted was the family Zigzagoon, Goonie, who’d gotten his name when “Zigzagoon” was shortened to “Goon.” Though it was sad leaving him behind, he had always been more attached to Harper, and taking along the pampered, excitable ball of fur and home that he was just didn’t feel right when becoming a Pokemon trainer meant starting on a new journey. However, despite not being brought along, Goonie remained with Eryn in her interactions with Pokemon: sniffing her hand was something he’d done religiously, as if he could relive her day through smell. Realizing that the same concept probably didn’t apply to the Poliwag, Eryn laughed a little before petting the Poliwag gently, wondering if it liked being pet. 

[color=palevioletred]“Does it have a name?”[/color] The Poliwag seemed used to meeting strangers, which made sense considering that it lived with a Pokemon professor. After another moment of petting and marvelling over the first of many Pokemon meetings she’d likely be having, Eryn gave the Pokemon a gentle pat and stood. [color=palevioletred]“Nice meeting you, Poli. You’re absolutely adorable, if I do say so myself.”[/color]

Rejoining Kalmia, Eryn received her Pokedex and subsequent lecture detailing all its functions and uses. [color=palevioletred]“No questions,”[/color] she said, turning the device over in her hands and admiring its shiny finish. Her attention snapped back up when Kalmia moved towards a nearby PC, retrieving a Pokeball and plopping it into Eryn’s hands unceremoniously. In her other hand, her new Pokedex lit up, flashing the image of an orange Pokemon.

[color=palevioletred]“Arceus, a Charmander?”[/color] Eryn’s voice rose in pitch as she spoke, her eyes darting up to the professor’s for confirmation. A grin lit her face, wiping away what previous wonder and surprise might have been visible earlier. [color=palevioletred]“I’m—Arceus—wow. Can I—can I let him out in here?”[/color]

After glancing at the professor for real confirmation this time, Eryn pressed the button on the Pokeball, watching in amazement as a beam of red light shot out and hit the ground, a Charmander materializing at her feet. The Pokemon glanced around before looking up and meeting her eyes, his tail flicking as he registered her.

[color=palevioletred]“Dei,”[/color] Eryn said with a grin. [color=palevioletred]“I’m going to call you Dei.”[/color]

“Char.” The Charmander grinned, his pointy teeth glinting under the lights as he flicked his tail again, the flame at its end glowing warmly.

Her wonder kept her quiet for another few seconds, but once that was past, Eryn was full of questions. What should she feed her Pokemon to guarantee that he had all the nutrients he needed to grow? How would she know when he was ready for his first battle? Was there an “aha” moment she should wait for, or would she just instinctively know? These questions—and more—were fueled more by excitement than anything, and once they were all answered, Eryn was rearing to get on her way.

[color=palevioletred]“Route 1 and 2 are the closest routes, right? Do you have any recommendations for either?”[/color] Eryn asked. Having read up on the two prior, Eryn knew the gist of the picture: Route 1 was a better bet than 2, but 2 was the way to go if she wanted to see more kinds of Pokemon. [color=palevioletred]“Could I, say, head along Route 1 a bit to train, then double back to head to Route 2?”[/color] It was an ambitious move, and she knew it, but living with a bit of reckless gusto was the only way that made sense. How else was she to improve but constantly push her boundaries? If anything, reining herself in was the real challenge, but she figured that a task for another day.

[color=palevioletred]“What do you say, Dei? You up for a challenge?”[/color] Eryn asked, glancing at the Charmander despite knowing full well what his answer would be. The fire in his eyes matched her own, and she knew that she’d found a kindred spirit in her starting Pokemon.

"Char." A glint of his teeth and a flick of his tail answered her, and she grinned.

[indent] [/indent][hr][hider=Pokemon][u][b][color=palevioletred]     Pokemon Party:          [/color][/b][/u]
[hider=Dei — Charmander][h3]Dei[/h3][hr][img]https://www.smogon.com/dex/media/sprites/xy/charmander.gif[/img]
[hr][sup][color=silver]Charmander  [color=palevioletred]◼[/color]   ♂  [color=palevioletred]◼[/color]   Serious / Proud  [color=palevioletred]◼[/color]   Blaze[/color][/sup]
[indent]Proud to the point of arrogance, Dei’s a fire-type with a personality that’s equal parts loyal and stubborn, both unafraid to challenge Eryn and able to be trusted when the going gets tough. 
[indent][list][*]Physical — Scratch
[*]Status — Growl
[*]Special — N/A
[/list][/indent][/indent][h3] [/h3][/hider]
[h3] [/h3][/hider]
[hider=Inventory][u][b][color=palevioletred]     Inventory:          [/color][/b][/u]
Pokédollars — 500
[list][*]Potion — 1
[/list][h3] [/h3][/hider]
[@PlatinumSkink]