"Welcome, Neighbor." [Open]

"Look. Out the window. We're almost here, lass."

Noelle stared intently as Vermilion City began to slowly appear in the horizon. Her heart began to race as thoughts of her adventure encompassed her thoughts. It was barely the second day, but she remained giddy and excitable. She already found her first Pokemon AND a route out of Johto in the same day, so things were looking up.

Noelle stuck her head out the window and took a deep breath. The coastal air felt good opposed to the stuffy cabin she had been stuck in for a few hours. 

"Watch y'er head, lass. We're about to dock."

Noelle took a seat at a nearby chair, as she felt the boat's movements become sudden and jerky. She turned towards the bed, and took a good look at her first, and so far, only Pokemon, a Cyndaquil sleeping peacefully, with what one would call an odd body modification on her: a small tag identifying her as a test subject for a lab doing Arceus-knows-what to her. Also, she was 4, so... hooray?

Noelle stared at the tag intently, her eyes studying the ID number. 

"Jay ell forty-seven eight twenty-one... jay ell forty-seven eight twenty-one..." Noelle repeated to herself as she read it. She slowly and daintily reached to turn the tag over, attempting not to wake up the napping Cyndaquil. "Huh... what's this? 'DNA Modification on October 22nd.' Do not remove."

Noelle took out her Pokegear, and stared at the date. 

"...October 22nd." Noelle sighed, both relieved and a bit disappointed that her Cyndaquil had the same old DNA as any other member of the Cyndaquil tree. Then again... what could've been... "So you escaped just in time, didn't you...?"

As she let go of the tag, Noelle stood up, her footsteps quickly waking up the Cyndaquil.

"Sorry, Flare..." Noelle smiled nervously. "I'm surprised the jerking motion of the boat didn't wake you up."

Flare snorted, a small ring of smoke coming out of her nose. She jumped off the bed and stretched lazily, sitting right next to Noelle's feet. 

"Right. I need to buy a Poke Ball for you to live in." Noelle placed her finger on her chin as she thought. She had no idea where she was, much less where anything was. However, the old sailor came into the cabin, interrupting Noelle's train of thought.

"Alright, lass. Y'er free to go." The sailor said, pointing towards a small bridge. Noelle nodded and began to walk towards the docks, Flare following. "Welcome to Vermillion City."

Noelle stopped in her tracks. "Wait... this is... Kanto?"

"Well, yes, lass... you said you wanted to leave Johto, didn't you?"

"I... well..." Noelle bit her tongue. She did indeed want to leave Johto, but Kanto was literally much too close to home.

"You're either running away from your problems, from a boyfriend, or from the law, lass." The sailor said. "Johto is its own soverign region with no jurisdiction over anything regarding Kanto... except for the Pokemon League."

Noelle remained silent.

"Don't worry, lass. I can sense your uncertainty." The sailor said, patting the girl in the shoulder. "You'll be more than equipped to start anew here, and no one will be able to bother you... and if you want to go back home, the Magnet Train in Saffron will be more than happy to steal my business."

Noelle nodded, and watched as the sailor returned to his boat, laughing heartily.

"Alright, Flare." Noelle said, a bit more determined. "Let's begin our new lives!"


Having said that, Noelle began to run out of the docks, trying to make her way towards Vermilion City.