Let’s Play Journal of Alpha-Sapphire
Entry 1: My First Day In Hoenn!
“Welcome to the world of Pokémon!” said the 32-bit figure on the screen of my PokéNav Plus. “Are you a boy? Or are you a girl?” it asked with the two options selectable. I chose boy. “Will you give me your name, too?” A keyboard appeared on the screen so I typed in Sapphire.
I was passing the time by playing a handheld battle simulation game while on my way to my new home in the Hoenn region. The screen of my PokéNav also served as the only light source in the back of the moving van. The reason I was stuck in the back was because there were only two seats in the cab of the van, for the driver and for my mom. I was originally from Olivine City, Johto, but my dad just got a new job as a Gym Leader in Hoenn so he moved to a place called Littleroot Town last week to start his job with Mom and me coming a bit later. At first I was confused as to why he moved there and not Petalburg City where his Gym was, but apparently a good friend of his lived in Littleroot plus housing was absurdly cheap there.
I was given two gifts on my last birthday in commemoration of the move. My PokéNav Plus which had an app called AreaNav which contained a detailed map of Hoenn along with some other neat features. The only other app was the game I was currently playing. My second gift was this very notebook. Of course the notebook was blue because apparently my parents are fixated on sapphires. >> My parents thought it would be a neat idea if I kept a journal about my new life in Hoenn though I really didn’t see a point in it until 1:30 this afternoon. I’ll get there later.
After a bumpy ride, the back doors finally opened flooding the van with bright sunlight. I closed my PokéNav, stuffed it in my pocket, and jumped out of the van. I looked around at my new surroundings taking in the sights. It was a quaint town with a few houses scattered about but there was only two nearby where I was standing. Obviously I have a neighbor. The town was mostly lush green grass surrounded by trees. The air certainly had a more earthy smell to it than the salty air I was used to from Olivine. I looked up at the clear blue sky and saw some sort of streak rising up above the clouds to the east. I wonder what that was! I kept staring at it trying to figure out what it was and where it came from.
“Sapphire!” my mom called breaking me from my trance. “I’m sorry you had to ride in the back of the moving truck all this way.”
“No, it was fine. I had my game to keep me busy.” I told her. Well, that and the fact I might have taken a nap.
“Really? It wasn’t too bumpy back there or too uncomfortable?” she asked.
“It was fine. I’m not even bruised!” I reassured.
“Well that’s good! Why not come inside to look at our new house? The mover’s Pokémon will take care of all of our stuff so you don’t have to worry about that!” Mom invited.
I followed her inside where two large humanoid Pokémon with grey skin, bulging muscles, and reptilian faces wearing black speedos and large golden belts were hard at work carrying all of our boxes and carefully setting them down. Since Dad would be at work most of the day and was the type to live off the bare necessities anyway, he didn’t bring much when he came down. Luckily we had these Machokes to help us carry the heavy stuff and help us unpack.
“Pretty cool.” I commented watching the Machokes go about their business while Mom directed them on wear to put things. It made me wish that I had my own Pokémon to help out too. With a Gym Leader for a father I knew it would only be a matter of time before he would take me out to catch my own. From watching him and playing the simulators I already had a good grasp on how battling worked. Of course I also knew actually doing was a lot harder than watching or playing. ^^;
“Well everything is pretty much put away now. Why not go upstairs and check out your new room Sapphire?” Mom suggested. As she spoke one of the Machoke came up behind her.
“Gwah! Gwah!” it spoke. Mom looked startled from the sudden outburst but turned around with her usual warm smile.
“Yes, thank you for all of your hard work. We really appreciate it. You were amazing!” she thanked.
“Graoh! Graoh!” grunted the other Machoke. The two Pokémon then left to go about their business.
“Oh right! When you go to your room Sapphire, make sure you set your clock back an hour. Hoenn is in a different time zone than Johto.” Mom informed.
“Got it!” I said before going upstairs. Our new house was two stories. The first floor had a common room where we entered from, a dining room to the left, a kitchen in the back, and a stair case in front of the entrance. The second floor was just the bedrooms. My parents were in the far right corner while I was the first door to the left of the stairs.
The first thing I noticed in my room when I walked in was that there was a large map of Hoenn on my wall that I’d never seen before. I wonder if Dad got it for me so I’d have a better idea of the region. I already had the AreaNav, but I guess this was ok too. I checked the clock, which was next to the poster, and turned back the hour as Mom suggested making it 11:23am. After that I took a tour of the rest of my room. The Machoke did a pretty good job of setting things up. In the corner nearest my clock was my desk with all of my books and trinkets arranged neatly on the shelf and in the drawers. Sitting on the desk was this very notebook. I won’t be claiming it just yet. Across from my desk was my bed sitting under the window and on the opposite side of the room were my TV, Wii-U, and big Snorlax doll. Everything was arranged perfectly! ^_^
“Sapphire! Come down here quickly!” I heard Mom call. I ran downstairs to find her watching TV. She turned to me and waved me over urgently. “Petalburg Gym is on TV! We might be able to see your dad!” I ran over and took a seat next to her. All I saw were two anchors sitting at their table.
“Thank you Gaby and Ty for that interview brought to you live from in front of the Petalburg Gym.” one of the anchors said.
“Next up, a special look at the long awaited Litleonid Meteor Shower in the next star show, only six months away!” said the other one.
“Darn! Looks like we just missed him!” said Mom in disappointment. “Ah but the Litleonid Meteor Shower…” she swooned.
“Um…” I stammered wondering if I should be here.
“Huh? Oh! Right!” she realized, quickly regaining her composure. Parents can be so embarrassing. “Hey I’ve got an idea Sapphire! Why not go next door and introduce yourself to the Birches? Prof. Birch is a really good friend of Dad’s.”
“Sure, but what about you? If they’re our friends why not come over too?” I asked.
“I’m going to finish rearranging things here. I appreciate the Machokes unpacking and cleaning up for us, but I like to do things my way.” she declared getting that devious housewife look of hers. Yup. Good time to get out of the house.
It wasn’t hard to figure out which house Prof. Birch lived in since it was the only other house in the general area. This was going to be so weird. I mean what was I supposed to say? ‘Hi! I’m Sapphire! I just moved in next door! You know my parents but not me!’ Pff Yeah right. I walked up to the door and knocked. Here goes nothing. Answering the door was a woman about the same age as my mom. This must be Ms. Birch.
“Can I help you?” she asked me looking me over.
“Yeah, hi. I’m Sapphire. I just mo--”
“Oh my gracious! Sapphire! Look how big you’ve gotten!” Ms. Birch said suddenly giving me a huge hug that practically smothered me. I take it back. Introducing myself wasn’t weird. This is weird!
“Uh… Miss… Birch…” I choked out. She released me giving me the chance to breathe and apologized.
“Sorry about that. I got excited there for a moment. It’s just been 11 years since I last saw you. Of course you were just a baby so you probably don’t remember. My husband even changed your diaper!” she explained jovially. I really regret leaving home alone now. :|
“Well… I just want to come over and say hi, so… I guess I should go back home and finish unpacking.” I said with uncertainty.
“No, no. Stay for a bit. We’ve got a daughter the same age as you. She’s been looking forward to meeting a new friend since she heard you were moving in. Besides, I just got cookies out of the oven.” Ms. Birch bribed.
“What kind of cookies?” I asked suddenly feeling interested. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast so I was pretty hungry.
“Lava cookies. They’re a Hoenn special that I doubt you’ve tried before.”
“Well, alright.” I conceded. She had me at cookies, though I was also curious about this daughter. Ms. Birch led me inside and I swear the first floor was an exact mirror image of my new house! Not just the layout of the rooms, but the furniture too! Maybe I’m seeing things. I mean, I wasn’t really home long enough to memorize where everything was after all. Still, freaky!
“May is upstairs in her room. Why don’t you go up and tell her the cookies are ready? I’ll put them on a plate.” suggested Ms. Birch.
“Wait. You’re sending a boy you just met to your daughter’s bedroom and you don’t see a problem there?” I questioned.
“Nope! You’re still young so as far as I’m concerned you’re still innocent!” she said with a smile. I rolled my eyes and did as I was told. All day it’s the same thing. Do this. Do that. It’s like some invisible force is dictating what I should be doing and I have no choice but to comply. Upstairs was just like downstairs, a mirror of my house. No prize for guessing which room I needed to go to. I walked up the door, took a deep breath, and knocked.
“Come in.” said the most angelic voice I had ever heard. Well if she insists~
I opened the door only to find myself temporarily blinded by the radiance of the cutest girl I ever did see! ♥ I think my heart even skipped a beat. She was tightening the bow in her hair and adjusting the pouch around her waist when I walked in. I wasn’t sure if she had just finished getting dressed or not, but I didn’t care. I think I’ve fallen in love at first sight!~ ♥
“I guess you came up to tell me the cookies are—Huh!?” the girl started before turning towards me and apparently realizing that I was not her mom. “Who are you and what are you doing in my room?” she questioned in a panic.
“I… I… uh…” I stammered trying to find the right words. Why am I freaking out so much!? Dammit! She probably thinks I’m some kind of weirdo now! “Sapphire!” I finally spit out. “M-my name is Sapphire. I… um… j-just moved in next door. Y-your mom said it was ok to come up.” I explained nervously. At least I didn’t say something stupid like ‘I like shorts! They’re comfy and easy to wear!’ I would probably die of embarrassment if that happened.
“Oh so you’re the new neighbor! I’m May! When I heard from my dad- I mean, Prof. Birch- that you were moving in, I was hoping we could be friends.” she introduced blushing slightly. Awwww ♥
“Of course! I would love to be friends with you!” I agreed immediately. Then maybe one day we could be more than friends~
“Great!” she said happily with a cute smile. Then she made a worried look like she just remembered something. “Oh no! I was supposed to help my dad with some research! Um… we can hang out later right Sapphire?”
“Sure. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.” I told her.
“Alright! I’ll see you later!” she said rushing out of her room leaving me up here. Seriously people! I’m a 12-year-old boy and you think it’s ok to leave me in a girl’s room unattended? Luckily, I have no intention of doing anything in here that would make May hate me.
One disturbing thing I did notice was that her room was also a mirror image of mine. I could tell just by looking around that our beds, desks, and TVs were in the exact same spots just on opposite sides. She even had a Hoenn map on her wall by the door and Wii-U like me though hers was white while mine was black. The color scheme of the room was also girlier while mine was more boyish. The only change I noticed was that she had pillows in front of the TV instead of a giant Snorlax doll.
When I got downstairs Ms. Birch ran right up to me looking like she wanted something.
“Sapphire! I’d hate to be a burden to you, but May forgot the cookies. Lave cookies are my husband’s favorites so could you bring a few to him in his lab?” she requested.
“Sure! No problem at all!” I agreed. Maybe while I’m there, I can help the Professor with his research too and hang out with May some more!~
“Thanks Sapphire! As your reward, you can have the first cookie!” offered Ms. Birch. She took me to the kitchen where there was a plate full of orange and brown cookies. I took one and put it in my mouth. WOW! The taste was like nothing I’d ever, well, tasted! It was indescribably good! I can see why these were the Professor’s favorites now!
“These are incredible Ms. Birch!” I complemented.
“I’m glad you like them. You’re welcome to more when you get back.” she said putting three in a small bag and handing it to me.
“Count on it!” I promised.
With the directions Ms. Birch gave to me, I went to the south side of town where the lab was located. While the town was already small and rural, Prof. Birch’s Lab was in the most isolated part of the town. I had heard from my dad that Prof. Birch was a Pokémon ecologist and liked studying Pokémon in their natural habitat so it made sense that his lab would be closer to nature. I walked inside but no one seemed to be around.
“Hello? Prof. Birch? May?” I called looking around. There was a lot of equipment that I had no clue what any of it did. In the corner were a bunch of empty cardboard boxes.
“Can I help you?” asked an older man wearing a lab coat.
“Yeah, is Prof. Birch here?” I asked. I had only heard of him, never seen him before, but I did know he and my dad met in college so it couldn’t be this guy.
“No, afraid not. He’s off doing a field study on Route 101.” the aide informed.
“Thanks!” I said heading out of the lab. Well that was a bust. I guess I could have left the cookies with the aide, but then I wouldn’t get to see the look on May’s face when she sees me being cool!
I knew Route 101 was near my house so that’s where I went next. When I got to the edge of town, I saw a little kid running around in circles in a panic.
“Is everything ok?” I asked him.
“No! Someone is being attacked on Route 101 by a Wild Pokémon. Someone has to do something! But I don’t know what to do or who to tell!” he cried freaking out badly. He didn’t need to tell me twice! I don’t know how, but if May was in danger I would save her! I ran up the road to see a man about my dad’s age with a beard dressed in a blue T-shirt, brown cargo shorts, sandals, and a white lab coat running from a small canine covered in thick grey fur that had huge teeth in its mouth.
“Ya-you there! Help me!” he called noticing me.
“How?” I shouted back as he climbed up a short tree with the canine putting its paws up trying to bite him.
“My bag is over there!” he called pointing to a brown bag lying in the grass. “I have three Pokémon in it! Use one of them to fight!”
“Alright!” I called running for the bag. I opened it up to find three Pokéballs; spheres with white bottoms and transparent red tops. Inside the balls were a tall green gecko, a small orange chicken, and a bulky looking blue amphibian. The blue one definitely looked like the strongest of the three so that was the one I chose.
I threw the Pokéball causing the creature inside to materialize in a white light allowing me to get a better look at it. It was a four legged, aqua blue creature with a long fin on its head, a light blue belly, a wide fin-like tail the same color as its belly, and three orange spikes on its cheeks. The appearance of the Pokémon drew the attention of the canine away from the tree. It gave a bark before charging at us.
“That’s Mudkip, the Mudfish Pokémon! His moves are Tackle, Growl, and Water Gun!” yelled the man.
“Alright Mudkip! Use Tackle!” I called. Mudkip did as told, slamming his body hard into the Wild Pokémon knocking it off balance. The canine got up and Tackled Mudkip as well though it wasn’t nearly as strong as Mudkip. “Again! One more Tackle should do it!” I called. The Mudfish Pokémon once again rammed into his foe. This time the canine looked to be fainted.
“You did it!” the man praised getting out of the tree. “I was out here doing a survey of the native Pokémon when that Poochyena jumped me. I thought I was a goner! Thanks a lot for saving my hide out there kid.”
“So you’re Prof. Birch then!” I surmised.
“Yes I am. But you are you?” he inquired.
“I’m Sapphire, Norman’s son.” I introduced.
“Oh wow! I didn’t even recognize you! You’ve grown up so much since I last saw you!” he said excitedly. “Come back to my lab so we can get Mudkip healed up. We can catch up there.” he invited.
Prof. Birch picked up his bag before leading me back to town. When we got back to the lab, Prof. Birch had me give Mudkip to his aide for a quick healing. The technology is so great that Pokémon can be healed instantaneously so long as they have no serious injuries. Once Mudkip was fully healed, the aide gave him back to me for some reason.
“Your old man has told me a lot about you including the fact that you don’t have your own Pokémon yet.” said Prof. Birch.
“Yeah, Dad said he’d take me out to catch one when he got some time off from the Gym.” I explained.
“Why wait? You helped me out of a real jam earlier so why don’t I let you keep that Mudkip as a thank you?” he offered generously.
“Are you serious!? You’re giving me a Pokémon!?” I asked barely able to contain my excitement.
“Yup! The way you battled out there was incredible! It was like you’ve been doing it all your life! You probably get it from your old man!” Prof. Birch complemented. “So, would you like to give Mudkip a nickname?”
“I’ve heard some Trainers do that, but I’m really bad at thinking up names.” I admit sheepishly. I sent out my new Pokémon and crouched down to look him over. “You’re my first Pokémon so at the very least you should be the one to have a name.”
“Oh that one’s the alpha male!” noticed the Professor.
“Alpha male?” I asked looking up to Prof. Birch.
“Yup. I bred two Swampert and kept the eggs to study. When they hatched he was the largest Mudkip of his brood which makes him the alpha male of his colony. I was doing research on the colony to study their social structures. As befitting of his status, this Mudkip is brave and likes to fight.” he explained.
“Alright, I’ve got a name for you then. From now on, your name is Alpha.” I told my Mudkip. After hearing all of that there was no way I couldn’t go with that name. Alpha made joyous cries at his new name. If he was a brave fighter like Prof. Birch said, then he was probably also excited to have a Trainer rather than to be stuck in a lab all day with his cohorts.
“Alpha is a fine name! It suits him to be honest.” praised the Professor. “Now that you’re a Trainer Sapphire, why not go up to Route 103? I sent my daughter May there to survey the native Pokémon. Even though you’re good enough to fend off Wild Pokémon, she can teach you what it really means to be a real Trainer.” he suggested.
“I’d love too!” I cheered with a bit more excitement than I should have.
“Great! I love that level of enthusiasm!” said Prof. Birch happily. Glad he thought the excitement was for being a Trainer and not because I love his daughter. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to be a Trainer, but May~ ♥
“So how do I get to Route 103 anyway?” I asked.
“Just keep going north. You have a PokéNav Plus right?”
“Yeah.”
“Use the AreaNav. It’s got a built in GPS which will tell you exactly where you are. It should only take you about half an hour to get to her.”
“Alright, I’ll see you when I get back!” I declared as I returned Alpha to his Pokéball and headed out.
On our way up Route 101, I got jumped by a red and white caterpillar Pokémon called Wurmple. Alpha defeated it easily. The Route was pretty short and since Wurmple was the only Pokémon I ran into, it took me no time at all to reach Oldale Town, the next town over.
“Potions! Get your free Potions!” I heard someone shouting near the center of town. “You there!” he called pointing right at me. Great. I don’t have time for this. “I just became the manager of this town’s local Pokémon Mart so, to drum up business, I’m giving away free samples. Can I interest you in a 10-pack of Potions?” he asked me.
“Sure.” I agreed. Even though I was a new Trainer, I still knew the proper care of Pokémon from watching my dad. The Manager gave me the 10-pack which I had to get stored in an Item Ball (a grey sphere similar in use to Pokéballs but obviously for items) since I didn’t have my backpack with me. I will have to remember to pick that up when I get home. I went to put the Item Ball in my pocket only to feel the bag of Lava Cookies still in there. Yet another thing I’ll have to remember! >>
As I walked around, I saw a man kneeling at the edge of town with a sketch pad in hand drawing something. There was a sign behind his head that said ‘<-Route 10-’ but I couldn’t see the last number with his head in the way. I walked closer only for the guy to turn around and block my path.
“No! No one is allowed to pass here! I’m drawing the footprints of a rare Pokémon!” he declared. I looked over his shoulder to see that the sign read ‘<-Route 102’. Not where I wanted to go anyway. But those footprints looked like shoeprints…
I took out my PokéNav and looked at the map of Hoenn. I zoomed in on Oldale Town to make sure I was still going the right way. Luckily this was a small town so I was able to find my way to the entrance to Route 103 easily. The route was also pretty short. I didn’t even run into a single Wild Pokémon before I saw May sitting by a small pond looking at her PokéNav Plus.
“Let’s see, on Route 103 we can find Poochyena, Zigzagoon, and Wingull.” she said to herself taking notes on her PokéNav.
“Hi May!” I called to her waving. I really hope I didn’t look like a huge dork doing that. >> May looked up at me in surprise.
“Huh? Sapphire? What are you doing up here? I mean, how did you get here?” she questioned in disbelief.
“I got a Pokémon from your dad for helping him out of a tight spot earlier.” I explained.
“Oh that’s neat!” she said with a big smile. “Well I guess now that you have a Pokémon, I should teach you what it means to be a Trainer huh?” May challenged confidently. She even took a battle pose with her right arm out with her hand balled into a fist and her left fist at her hip.
“Your dad said the same thing!” I said getting out Alpha’s Pokéball and sending him out.
“You got Mudkip huh? Let’s see how he fares against my Treecko Emi!” she called reaching behind her pouch to take out a Pokéball. Emerging from it was the same tall green gecko I saw in Prof. Birch’s bag. Getting a better look at it, I could see that it stood on two legs, had a light green body, a thick dark green tail, a red belly, and had large yellow eyes.
“Alright Emi! Attack with Pound!” commanded May. Emi ran towards Alpha faster than he could react and slapped him in the face.
“Get her back with Tackle Alpha!” I called. My Mudkip jumped into Emi hitting her hard in the torso.
“Use Pound again Emi!” May called.
“Another Tackle Alpha!” I countered. Our Pokémon both attacked each other. They were beginning to look worn out.
“One more Pound should do it Emi!” May called victoriously. Emi slapped Alpha, but he managed to hang in there easily. “What?” cried May in shock.
“Now Alpha! Finish her with Tackle!” I commanded. Alpha struck the Treecko knocking her out.
“Wow! You’re a really good battler Sapphire!” May complemented.
“Thanks. You’re pretty good too.” I praised in return. “Still, I want to ask you something.” I requested more seriously.
“What’s that?” she inquired.
“Your Treecko is a Grass-type right? Mudkip are Water-type so why didn’t you have Emi use any Grass-type moves on Alpha. You could have won easily that way.” I pointed out. May put her hand behind her head and giggled.
“So you noticed. Just what I would expect from a Gym Leader’s son.” she said lightheartedly. “I didn’t tell Emi to use Absorb because it wouldn’t have been fair. Alpha is your only Pokémon and I wanted this battle to be fun.” she explained. “But if we battle again with more Pokémon, watch out!” she warned taking her battle pose again. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’ll be happy to battle you any time any place.” I accepted. “But first I guess we should get these two healed.”
“I’ll take care of that!” May offered taking out a purple Potion bottle for Alpha and a white crystal called a Revive for Emi.
“You don’t have to, I’ve got Potions.” I declined.
“I lost the battle so consider it my treat. You can return the favor when you lose to me.” she taunted with a grin.
“You mean if I lose.” I retorted.
After healing our Pokémon, May and I traveled back to Littleroot Town together. ♥
“Welcome back you two!” greeted Prof. Birch when we arrived back to the lab. “So how did the battle go?”
“Hi Daddy! Sapphire beat me.” May told him.
“Did he now?” he asked looking at me.
“It was a pretty close fight.” I explained humbly.
“Still, May has been helping me with my research since she was small so she’s been a Trainer for a few years. Even with Norman as your old man, it’s impressive you beat her on your first try within an hour of becoming a Trainer.” he complemented while rubbing his chin.
“Thanks Professor.” I said modestly.
“Daddy, I think Sapphire would be a good candidate for the you-know-what.” May suggested. I tilted my head in confusion. I-don’t-know-what.
“Great idea May! I was thinking the same thing.” Prof. Birch said before going to his desk and shuffling things around. “Aha! Here it is!” He came back to me with a red device with a screen in the middle, a camera on the left side, and a few buttons on the right. “This is a Pokédex I ordered from a colleague in Kanto to use for my research, but I think it would be in better hands if you took it with you. I know you just moved to Hoenn, but I feel like you’ve got potential as a Trainer. How would you like to take this and document all of the Pokémon found here in Hoenn while exploring this vast region? You’ll get to meet all kinds of Pokémon and Trainers while traveling through all of the unique environments Hoenn has to offer.”
“I got a Pokédex too for my birthday last week. I was waiting to meet my new neighbors before heading out on my journey though.” May informed.
I took the Pokédex and looked it over. With this I could learn about all the Pokémon found in Hoenn and with my PokéNav I could learn all about Hoenn itself. My mind was made up.
“You got it Professor! I won’t let you down!” I promised before stuffing the Pokédex in my pocket where I felt the cookies again. “Oh! I forgot to give these to you earlier!” I apologized. “Your wife asked me to deliver them to you.”
“*Gasp* Lava cookies! I love my wife! ♥” he cheered happily taking the bag from me.
“Well, I guess I should tell my mom I’m heading out.” I declared.
“I should get home and pack up too.” May decided. We both left the lab before splitting off to our respective houses.
“Sapphire! Where have you been? I went next door but Ms. Birch said you weren’t there.” Mom scolded as soon as I walked in the door.
“Sorry Mom. I went to see Prof. Birch and well…” I sent out Alpha and explained the situation to her.
“I should have seen this coming. You are your father’s son after all.” she accepted immediately. “Just be careful out there.”
“I will. I still need to get some lunch first and pack for my journey.” I told her. I went to the kitchen where I noticed Mom’s Azurill doll sitting on the shelf. So that’s where she decided to put it.
After eating I pillaged the kitchen for extra food and went upstairs to gather supplies and put them in my Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtle backpack. Don’t judge. << I gathered up all of my clothes and put them and the food in Item Balls. I think that is… no that isn’t everything! I went to my desk and picked up this very notebook. Before I didn’t know what to write in it, but now I do. I want to keep a journal of my adventure through Hoenn. I got a sharpie out of my drawer and thought about what to write on the cover.
“Sapphire’s Hoenn Adventure!” No, that’s lame. I looked down at Alpha who was staring back at me. That’s right! This wasn’t just my journey! It was his too! “Sapphire and Alpha’s Journey! No. Journal of Alpha-Sapphire.” I thought about it for a second before smiling. “Yes! Journal of Alpha-Sapphire!” I sat down at my desk and looked up at the clock.
‘May 7, 3014
Our journey begins at 1:30pm.’
Entry 1: My First Day In Hoenn!
“Welcome to the world of Pokémon!” said the 32-bit figure on the screen of my PokéNav Plus. “Are you a boy? Or are you a girl?” it asked with the two options selectable. I chose boy. “Will you give me your name, too?” A keyboard appeared on the screen so I typed in Sapphire.
I was passing the time by playing a handheld battle simulation game while on my way to my new home in the Hoenn region. The screen of my PokéNav also served as the only light source in the back of the moving van. The reason I was stuck in the back was because there were only two seats in the cab of the van, for the driver and for my mom. I was originally from Olivine City, Johto, but my dad just got a new job as a Gym Leader in Hoenn so he moved to a place called Littleroot Town last week to start his job with Mom and me coming a bit later. At first I was confused as to why he moved there and not Petalburg City where his Gym was, but apparently a good friend of his lived in Littleroot plus housing was absurdly cheap there.
I was given two gifts on my last birthday in commemoration of the move. My PokéNav Plus which had an app called AreaNav which contained a detailed map of Hoenn along with some other neat features. The only other app was the game I was currently playing. My second gift was this very notebook. Of course the notebook was blue because apparently my parents are fixated on sapphires. >> My parents thought it would be a neat idea if I kept a journal about my new life in Hoenn though I really didn’t see a point in it until 1:30 this afternoon. I’ll get there later.
After a bumpy ride, the back doors finally opened flooding the van with bright sunlight. I closed my PokéNav, stuffed it in my pocket, and jumped out of the van. I looked around at my new surroundings taking in the sights. It was a quaint town with a few houses scattered about but there was only two nearby where I was standing. Obviously I have a neighbor. The town was mostly lush green grass surrounded by trees. The air certainly had a more earthy smell to it than the salty air I was used to from Olivine. I looked up at the clear blue sky and saw some sort of streak rising up above the clouds to the east. I wonder what that was! I kept staring at it trying to figure out what it was and where it came from.
“Sapphire!” my mom called breaking me from my trance. “I’m sorry you had to ride in the back of the moving truck all this way.”
“No, it was fine. I had my game to keep me busy.” I told her. Well, that and the fact I might have taken a nap.
“Really? It wasn’t too bumpy back there or too uncomfortable?” she asked.
“It was fine. I’m not even bruised!” I reassured.
“Well that’s good! Why not come inside to look at our new house? The mover’s Pokémon will take care of all of our stuff so you don’t have to worry about that!” Mom invited.
I followed her inside where two large humanoid Pokémon with grey skin, bulging muscles, and reptilian faces wearing black speedos and large golden belts were hard at work carrying all of our boxes and carefully setting them down. Since Dad would be at work most of the day and was the type to live off the bare necessities anyway, he didn’t bring much when he came down. Luckily we had these Machokes to help us carry the heavy stuff and help us unpack.
“Pretty cool.” I commented watching the Machokes go about their business while Mom directed them on wear to put things. It made me wish that I had my own Pokémon to help out too. With a Gym Leader for a father I knew it would only be a matter of time before he would take me out to catch my own. From watching him and playing the simulators I already had a good grasp on how battling worked. Of course I also knew actually doing was a lot harder than watching or playing. ^^;
“Well everything is pretty much put away now. Why not go upstairs and check out your new room Sapphire?” Mom suggested. As she spoke one of the Machoke came up behind her.
“Gwah! Gwah!” it spoke. Mom looked startled from the sudden outburst but turned around with her usual warm smile.
“Yes, thank you for all of your hard work. We really appreciate it. You were amazing!” she thanked.
“Graoh! Graoh!” grunted the other Machoke. The two Pokémon then left to go about their business.
“Oh right! When you go to your room Sapphire, make sure you set your clock back an hour. Hoenn is in a different time zone than Johto.” Mom informed.
“Got it!” I said before going upstairs. Our new house was two stories. The first floor had a common room where we entered from, a dining room to the left, a kitchen in the back, and a stair case in front of the entrance. The second floor was just the bedrooms. My parents were in the far right corner while I was the first door to the left of the stairs.
The first thing I noticed in my room when I walked in was that there was a large map of Hoenn on my wall that I’d never seen before. I wonder if Dad got it for me so I’d have a better idea of the region. I already had the AreaNav, but I guess this was ok too. I checked the clock, which was next to the poster, and turned back the hour as Mom suggested making it 11:23am. After that I took a tour of the rest of my room. The Machoke did a pretty good job of setting things up. In the corner nearest my clock was my desk with all of my books and trinkets arranged neatly on the shelf and in the drawers. Sitting on the desk was this very notebook. I won’t be claiming it just yet. Across from my desk was my bed sitting under the window and on the opposite side of the room were my TV, Wii-U, and big Snorlax doll. Everything was arranged perfectly! ^_^
“Sapphire! Come down here quickly!” I heard Mom call. I ran downstairs to find her watching TV. She turned to me and waved me over urgently. “Petalburg Gym is on TV! We might be able to see your dad!” I ran over and took a seat next to her. All I saw were two anchors sitting at their table.
“Thank you Gaby and Ty for that interview brought to you live from in front of the Petalburg Gym.” one of the anchors said.
“Next up, a special look at the long awaited Litleonid Meteor Shower in the next star show, only six months away!” said the other one.
“Darn! Looks like we just missed him!” said Mom in disappointment. “Ah but the Litleonid Meteor Shower…” she swooned.
“Um…” I stammered wondering if I should be here.
“Huh? Oh! Right!” she realized, quickly regaining her composure. Parents can be so embarrassing. “Hey I’ve got an idea Sapphire! Why not go next door and introduce yourself to the Birches? Prof. Birch is a really good friend of Dad’s.”
“Sure, but what about you? If they’re our friends why not come over too?” I asked.
“I’m going to finish rearranging things here. I appreciate the Machokes unpacking and cleaning up for us, but I like to do things my way.” she declared getting that devious housewife look of hers. Yup. Good time to get out of the house.
It wasn’t hard to figure out which house Prof. Birch lived in since it was the only other house in the general area. This was going to be so weird. I mean what was I supposed to say? ‘Hi! I’m Sapphire! I just moved in next door! You know my parents but not me!
’ Pff Yeah right. I walked up to the door and knocked. Here goes nothing. Answering the door was a woman about the same age as my mom. This must be Ms. Birch.“Can I help you?” she asked me looking me over.
“Yeah, hi. I’m Sapphire. I just mo--”
“Oh my gracious! Sapphire! Look how big you’ve gotten!” Ms. Birch said suddenly giving me a huge hug that practically smothered me. I take it back. Introducing myself wasn’t weird. This is weird!
“Uh… Miss… Birch…” I choked out. She released me giving me the chance to breathe and apologized.
“Sorry about that. I got excited there for a moment. It’s just been 11 years since I last saw you. Of course you were just a baby so you probably don’t remember. My husband even changed your diaper!” she explained jovially. I really regret leaving home alone now. :|
“Well… I just want to come over and say hi, so… I guess I should go back home and finish unpacking.” I said with uncertainty.
“No, no. Stay for a bit. We’ve got a daughter the same age as you. She’s been looking forward to meeting a new friend since she heard you were moving in. Besides, I just got cookies out of the oven.” Ms. Birch bribed.
“What kind of cookies?” I asked suddenly feeling interested. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast so I was pretty hungry.
“Lava cookies. They’re a Hoenn special that I doubt you’ve tried before.”
“Well, alright.” I conceded. She had me at cookies, though I was also curious about this daughter. Ms. Birch led me inside and I swear the first floor was an exact mirror image of my new house! Not just the layout of the rooms, but the furniture too! Maybe I’m seeing things. I mean, I wasn’t really home long enough to memorize where everything was after all. Still, freaky!
“May is upstairs in her room. Why don’t you go up and tell her the cookies are ready? I’ll put them on a plate.” suggested Ms. Birch.
“Wait. You’re sending a boy you just met to your daughter’s bedroom and you don’t see a problem there?” I questioned.
“Nope! You’re still young so as far as I’m concerned you’re still innocent!” she said with a smile. I rolled my eyes and did as I was told. All day it’s the same thing. Do this. Do that. It’s like some invisible force is dictating what I should be doing and I have no choice but to comply. Upstairs was just like downstairs, a mirror of my house. No prize for guessing which room I needed to go to. I walked up the door, took a deep breath, and knocked.
“Come in.” said the most angelic voice I had ever heard. Well if she insists~
I opened the door only to find myself temporarily blinded by the radiance of the cutest girl I ever did see! ♥ I think my heart even skipped a beat. She was tightening the bow in her hair and adjusting the pouch around her waist when I walked in. I wasn’t sure if she had just finished getting dressed or not, but I didn’t care. I think I’ve fallen in love at first sight!~ ♥
“I guess you came up to tell me the cookies are—Huh!?” the girl started before turning towards me and apparently realizing that I was not her mom. “Who are you and what are you doing in my room?” she questioned in a panic.
“I… I… uh…” I stammered trying to find the right words. Why am I freaking out so much!? Dammit! She probably thinks I’m some kind of weirdo now! “Sapphire!” I finally spit out. “M-my name is Sapphire. I… um… j-just moved in next door. Y-your mom said it was ok to come up.” I explained nervously. At least I didn’t say something stupid like ‘I like shorts! They’re comfy and easy to wear!’ I would probably die of embarrassment if that happened.
“Oh so you’re the new neighbor! I’m May! When I heard from my dad- I mean, Prof. Birch- that you were moving in, I was hoping we could be friends.” she introduced blushing slightly. Awwww ♥
“Of course! I would love to be friends with you!” I agreed immediately. Then maybe one day we could be more than friends~
“Great!” she said happily with a cute smile. Then she made a worried look like she just remembered something. “Oh no! I was supposed to help my dad with some research! Um… we can hang out later right Sapphire?”
“Sure. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.” I told her.
“Alright! I’ll see you later!” she said rushing out of her room leaving me up here. Seriously people! I’m a 12-year-old boy and you think it’s ok to leave me in a girl’s room unattended? Luckily, I have no intention of doing anything in here that would make May hate me.
One disturbing thing I did notice was that her room was also a mirror image of mine. I could tell just by looking around that our beds, desks, and TVs were in the exact same spots just on opposite sides. She even had a Hoenn map on her wall by the door and Wii-U like me though hers was white while mine was black. The color scheme of the room was also girlier while mine was more boyish. The only change I noticed was that she had pillows in front of the TV instead of a giant Snorlax doll.
When I got downstairs Ms. Birch ran right up to me looking like she wanted something.
“Sapphire! I’d hate to be a burden to you, but May forgot the cookies. Lave cookies are my husband’s favorites so could you bring a few to him in his lab?” she requested.
“Sure! No problem at all!” I agreed. Maybe while I’m there, I can help the Professor with his research too and hang out with May some more!~
“Thanks Sapphire! As your reward, you can have the first cookie!” offered Ms. Birch. She took me to the kitchen where there was a plate full of orange and brown cookies. I took one and put it in my mouth. WOW! The taste was like nothing I’d ever, well, tasted! It was indescribably good! I can see why these were the Professor’s favorites now!
“These are incredible Ms. Birch!” I complemented.
“I’m glad you like them. You’re welcome to more when you get back.” she said putting three in a small bag and handing it to me.
“Count on it!” I promised.
With the directions Ms. Birch gave to me, I went to the south side of town where the lab was located. While the town was already small and rural, Prof. Birch’s Lab was in the most isolated part of the town. I had heard from my dad that Prof. Birch was a Pokémon ecologist and liked studying Pokémon in their natural habitat so it made sense that his lab would be closer to nature. I walked inside but no one seemed to be around.
“Hello? Prof. Birch? May?” I called looking around. There was a lot of equipment that I had no clue what any of it did. In the corner were a bunch of empty cardboard boxes.
“Can I help you?” asked an older man wearing a lab coat.
“Yeah, is Prof. Birch here?” I asked. I had only heard of him, never seen him before, but I did know he and my dad met in college so it couldn’t be this guy.
“No, afraid not. He’s off doing a field study on Route 101.” the aide informed.
“Thanks!” I said heading out of the lab. Well that was a bust. I guess I could have left the cookies with the aide, but then I wouldn’t get to see the look on May’s face when she sees me being cool!
I knew Route 101 was near my house so that’s where I went next. When I got to the edge of town, I saw a little kid running around in circles in a panic.
“Is everything ok?” I asked him.
“No! Someone is being attacked on Route 101 by a Wild Pokémon. Someone has to do something! But I don’t know what to do or who to tell!” he cried freaking out badly. He didn’t need to tell me twice! I don’t know how, but if May was in danger I would save her! I ran up the road to see a man about my dad’s age with a beard dressed in a blue T-shirt, brown cargo shorts, sandals, and a white lab coat running from a small canine covered in thick grey fur that had huge teeth in its mouth.
“Ya-you there! Help me!” he called noticing me.
“How?” I shouted back as he climbed up a short tree with the canine putting its paws up trying to bite him.
“My bag is over there!” he called pointing to a brown bag lying in the grass. “I have three Pokémon in it! Use one of them to fight!”
“Alright!” I called running for the bag. I opened it up to find three Pokéballs; spheres with white bottoms and transparent red tops. Inside the balls were a tall green gecko, a small orange chicken, and a bulky looking blue amphibian. The blue one definitely looked like the strongest of the three so that was the one I chose.
I threw the Pokéball causing the creature inside to materialize in a white light allowing me to get a better look at it. It was a four legged, aqua blue creature with a long fin on its head, a light blue belly, a wide fin-like tail the same color as its belly, and three orange spikes on its cheeks. The appearance of the Pokémon drew the attention of the canine away from the tree. It gave a bark before charging at us.
“That’s Mudkip, the Mudfish Pokémon! His moves are Tackle, Growl, and Water Gun!” yelled the man.
“Alright Mudkip! Use Tackle!” I called. Mudkip did as told, slamming his body hard into the Wild Pokémon knocking it off balance. The canine got up and Tackled Mudkip as well though it wasn’t nearly as strong as Mudkip. “Again! One more Tackle should do it!” I called. The Mudfish Pokémon once again rammed into his foe. This time the canine looked to be fainted.
“You did it!” the man praised getting out of the tree. “I was out here doing a survey of the native Pokémon when that Poochyena jumped me. I thought I was a goner! Thanks a lot for saving my hide out there kid.”
“So you’re Prof. Birch then!” I surmised.
“Yes I am. But you are you?” he inquired.
“I’m Sapphire, Norman’s son.” I introduced.
“Oh wow! I didn’t even recognize you! You’ve grown up so much since I last saw you!” he said excitedly. “Come back to my lab so we can get Mudkip healed up. We can catch up there.” he invited.
Prof. Birch picked up his bag before leading me back to town. When we got back to the lab, Prof. Birch had me give Mudkip to his aide for a quick healing. The technology is so great that Pokémon can be healed instantaneously so long as they have no serious injuries. Once Mudkip was fully healed, the aide gave him back to me for some reason.
“Your old man has told me a lot about you including the fact that you don’t have your own Pokémon yet.” said Prof. Birch.
“Yeah, Dad said he’d take me out to catch one when he got some time off from the Gym.” I explained.
“Why wait? You helped me out of a real jam earlier so why don’t I let you keep that Mudkip as a thank you?” he offered generously.
“Are you serious!? You’re giving me a Pokémon!?” I asked barely able to contain my excitement.
“Yup! The way you battled out there was incredible! It was like you’ve been doing it all your life! You probably get it from your old man!” Prof. Birch complemented. “So, would you like to give Mudkip a nickname?”
“I’ve heard some Trainers do that, but I’m really bad at thinking up names.” I admit sheepishly. I sent out my new Pokémon and crouched down to look him over. “You’re my first Pokémon so at the very least you should be the one to have a name.”
“Oh that one’s the alpha male!” noticed the Professor.
“Alpha male?” I asked looking up to Prof. Birch.
“Yup. I bred two Swampert and kept the eggs to study. When they hatched he was the largest Mudkip of his brood which makes him the alpha male of his colony. I was doing research on the colony to study their social structures. As befitting of his status, this Mudkip is brave and likes to fight.” he explained.
“Alright, I’ve got a name for you then. From now on, your name is Alpha.” I told my Mudkip. After hearing all of that there was no way I couldn’t go with that name. Alpha made joyous cries at his new name. If he was a brave fighter like Prof. Birch said, then he was probably also excited to have a Trainer rather than to be stuck in a lab all day with his cohorts.
“Alpha is a fine name! It suits him to be honest.” praised the Professor. “Now that you’re a Trainer Sapphire, why not go up to Route 103? I sent my daughter May there to survey the native Pokémon. Even though you’re good enough to fend off Wild Pokémon, she can teach you what it really means to be a real Trainer.” he suggested.
“I’d love too!” I cheered with a bit more excitement than I should have.
“Great! I love that level of enthusiasm!” said Prof. Birch happily. Glad he thought the excitement was for being a Trainer and not because I love his daughter. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to be a Trainer, but May~ ♥
“So how do I get to Route 103 anyway?” I asked.
“Just keep going north. You have a PokéNav Plus right?”
“Yeah.”
“Use the AreaNav. It’s got a built in GPS which will tell you exactly where you are. It should only take you about half an hour to get to her.”
“Alright, I’ll see you when I get back!” I declared as I returned Alpha to his Pokéball and headed out.
On our way up Route 101, I got jumped by a red and white caterpillar Pokémon called Wurmple. Alpha defeated it easily.
The Route was pretty short and since Wurmple was the only Pokémon I ran into, it took me no time at all to reach Oldale Town, the next town over.“Potions! Get your free Potions!” I heard someone shouting near the center of town. “You there!” he called pointing right at me. Great. I don’t have time for this. “I just became the manager of this town’s local Pokémon Mart so, to drum up business, I’m giving away free samples. Can I interest you in a 10-pack of Potions?” he asked me.
“Sure.” I agreed. Even though I was a new Trainer, I still knew the proper care of Pokémon from watching my dad. The Manager gave me the 10-pack which I had to get stored in an Item Ball (a grey sphere similar in use to Pokéballs but obviously for items) since I didn’t have my backpack with me. I will have to remember to pick that up when I get home. I went to put the Item Ball in my pocket only to feel the bag of Lava Cookies still in there. Yet another thing I’ll have to remember! >>
As I walked around, I saw a man kneeling at the edge of town with a sketch pad in hand drawing something. There was a sign behind his head that said ‘<-Route 10-’ but I couldn’t see the last number with his head in the way. I walked closer only for the guy to turn around and block my path.
“No! No one is allowed to pass here! I’m drawing the footprints of a rare Pokémon!” he declared. I looked over his shoulder to see that the sign read ‘<-Route 102’. Not where I wanted to go anyway. But those footprints looked like shoeprints…
I took out my PokéNav and looked at the map of Hoenn. I zoomed in on Oldale Town to make sure I was still going the right way. Luckily this was a small town so I was able to find my way to the entrance to Route 103 easily. The route was also pretty short. I didn’t even run into a single Wild Pokémon before I saw May sitting by a small pond looking at her PokéNav Plus.
“Let’s see, on Route 103 we can find Poochyena, Zigzagoon, and Wingull.” she said to herself taking notes on her PokéNav.
“Hi May!” I called to her waving. I really hope I didn’t look like a huge dork doing that. >> May looked up at me in surprise.
“Huh? Sapphire? What are you doing up here? I mean, how did you get here?” she questioned in disbelief.
“I got a Pokémon from your dad for helping him out of a tight spot earlier.” I explained.
“Oh that’s neat!” she said with a big smile. “Well I guess now that you have a Pokémon, I should teach you what it means to be a Trainer huh?” May challenged confidently. She even took a battle pose with her right arm out with her hand balled into a fist and her left fist at her hip.
“Your dad said the same thing!” I said getting out Alpha’s Pokéball and sending him out.
“You got Mudkip huh? Let’s see how he fares against my Treecko Emi!” she called reaching behind her pouch to take out a Pokéball. Emerging from it was the same tall green gecko I saw in Prof. Birch’s bag. Getting a better look at it, I could see that it stood on two legs, had a light green body, a thick dark green tail, a red belly, and had large yellow eyes.
“Alright Emi! Attack with Pound!” commanded May. Emi ran towards Alpha faster than he could react and slapped him in the face.
“Get her back with Tackle Alpha!” I called. My Mudkip jumped into Emi hitting her hard in the torso.
“Use Pound again Emi!” May called.
“Another Tackle Alpha!” I countered. Our Pokémon both attacked each other. They were beginning to look worn out.
“One more Pound should do it Emi!” May called victoriously. Emi slapped Alpha, but he managed to hang in there easily. “What?” cried May in shock.
“Now Alpha! Finish her with Tackle!” I commanded. Alpha struck the Treecko knocking her out.
“Wow! You’re a really good battler Sapphire!” May complemented.
“Thanks. You’re pretty good too.” I praised in return. “Still, I want to ask you something.” I requested more seriously.
“What’s that?” she inquired.
“Your Treecko is a Grass-type right? Mudkip are Water-type so why didn’t you have Emi use any Grass-type moves on Alpha. You could have won easily that way.” I pointed out. May put her hand behind her head and giggled.
“So you noticed. Just what I would expect from a Gym Leader’s son.” she said lightheartedly. “I didn’t tell Emi to use Absorb because it wouldn’t have been fair. Alpha is your only Pokémon and I wanted this battle to be fun.” she explained. “But if we battle again with more Pokémon, watch out!” she warned taking her battle pose again. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’ll be happy to battle you any time any place.” I accepted. “But first I guess we should get these two healed.”
“I’ll take care of that!” May offered taking out a purple Potion bottle for Alpha and a white crystal called a Revive for Emi.
“You don’t have to, I’ve got Potions.” I declined.
“I lost the battle so consider it my treat. You can return the favor when you lose to me.” she taunted with a grin.
“You mean if I lose.” I retorted.
After healing our Pokémon, May and I traveled back to Littleroot Town together. ♥
“Welcome back you two!” greeted Prof. Birch when we arrived back to the lab. “So how did the battle go?”
“Hi Daddy! Sapphire beat me.” May told him.
“Did he now?” he asked looking at me.
“It was a pretty close fight.” I explained humbly.
“Still, May has been helping me with my research since she was small so she’s been a Trainer for a few years. Even with Norman as your old man, it’s impressive you beat her on your first try within an hour of becoming a Trainer.” he complemented while rubbing his chin.
“Thanks Professor.” I said modestly.
“Daddy, I think Sapphire would be a good candidate for the you-know-what.” May suggested. I tilted my head in confusion. I-don’t-know-what.
“Great idea May! I was thinking the same thing.” Prof. Birch said before going to his desk and shuffling things around. “Aha! Here it is!” He came back to me with a red device with a screen in the middle, a camera on the left side, and a few buttons on the right. “This is a Pokédex I ordered from a colleague in Kanto to use for my research, but I think it would be in better hands if you took it with you. I know you just moved to Hoenn, but I feel like you’ve got potential as a Trainer. How would you like to take this and document all of the Pokémon found here in Hoenn while exploring this vast region? You’ll get to meet all kinds of Pokémon and Trainers while traveling through all of the unique environments Hoenn has to offer.”
“I got a Pokédex too for my birthday last week. I was waiting to meet my new neighbors before heading out on my journey though.” May informed.
I took the Pokédex and looked it over. With this I could learn about all the Pokémon found in Hoenn and with my PokéNav I could learn all about Hoenn itself. My mind was made up.
“You got it Professor! I won’t let you down!” I promised before stuffing the Pokédex in my pocket where I felt the cookies again. “Oh! I forgot to give these to you earlier!” I apologized. “Your wife asked me to deliver them to you.”
“*Gasp* Lava cookies! I love my wife! ♥” he cheered happily taking the bag from me.
“Well, I guess I should tell my mom I’m heading out.” I declared.
“I should get home and pack up too.” May decided. We both left the lab before splitting off to our respective houses.
“Sapphire! Where have you been? I went next door but Ms. Birch said you weren’t there.” Mom scolded as soon as I walked in the door.
“Sorry Mom. I went to see Prof. Birch and well…” I sent out Alpha and explained the situation to her.
“I should have seen this coming. You are your father’s son after all.” she accepted immediately. “Just be careful out there.”
“I will. I still need to get some lunch first and pack for my journey.” I told her. I went to the kitchen where I noticed Mom’s Azurill doll sitting on the shelf. So that’s where she decided to put it.
After eating I pillaged the kitchen for extra food and went upstairs to gather supplies and put them in my Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtle backpack. Don’t judge. << I gathered up all of my clothes and put them and the food in Item Balls. I think that is… no that isn’t everything! I went to my desk and picked up this very notebook. Before I didn’t know what to write in it, but now I do. I want to keep a journal of my adventure through Hoenn. I got a sharpie out of my drawer and thought about what to write on the cover.
“Sapphire’s Hoenn Adventure!” No, that’s lame. I looked down at Alpha who was staring back at me. That’s right! This wasn’t just my journey! It was his too! “Sapphire and Alpha’s Journey! No. Journal of Alpha-Sapphire.” I thought about it for a second before smiling. “Yes! Journal of Alpha-Sapphire!
” I sat down at my desk and looked up at the clock.‘May 7, 3014
Our journey begins at 1:30pm.’
