Chapter Text
Running out from the house, a youngster has thrown himself into a brand new world!
Skrub calls for his friend, a partner in crime since he first started to walk, his Meditite. HIS Meditite now! It responds with a yelp and runs off along with the all-too-excited preteen into the small neighborhood of Phenac City he lives in.
The harsh desert sun is perfect framing for Skrub and Meditite's first adventure out.
Skrub's neighborhood is by no means cushy, but he couldn't care less. He doesn't know anything else beside it. It's at least a better place to raise a child than Pyrite Town. It's hundreds of times safer to let a kid run around here in Phenac compares to the crime-filled cesspool that Pyrite is. Skrub doesn't remember what "Cesspool" means, or who he heard talking about it, but it doesn't matter! What matters is that he has a modest sum of pokedollars burning in his pocket, and now he's a trainer! He can be trusted to buy stuff from the pokémart allll on his own!
When the youngster arrives to the pokémart, a wave of anxiety washes over him, dampening that fire in his heart quicker than expected. Ugh! Dumb emotions!!! Come on, Skrub! You haven't been here without a parent with you, but that doesn't matter! It's a stupid, dumb store! And you're a trainer! You've got Medi! It's okay!!!!
Skrub reaches out to hold one of his Meditite's hands as the two walk down the isles of the mart. This eases the anxiety a bit, and helps him clear his brain enough to figure out what exactly he wants to buy. From off of the shelf, he picks up...
•Some Potions! Every trainer needs those!
•A weird looking belt. Or a ribbon? Whatever it is, Medi was staring at it a lot.
•A chocolate bar! For serious battle purposes, of course. It's all a part of *THE STRATEGY*.
And yet, as Skrub walks through the aisles, his heart is still oddly racing. And he still doesn't understand why. The other people in the store are at least not paying attention to him! That's good! He wouldn't want that attention anyways! They aren't paying attention to him, right? He's so so sneaky!
Meditite had to lift up Skrub to place his money and items down at the counter. The cashier was nice and checked him out, took the money needed, bagged it up, and everything! And the entire time Skrub was still too anxious to say ANYTHING. He just simply nods? Oh! And he leaves a tip!! That's what he always does at a restaurant! Except it's HIS OWN money now! Doesn't have to borrow it from a parent!
He still can't help but feel lightheaded as he stepped out of the door. Skrub takes a moment to sit against the brick wall to catch his breath. His Meditite sits next to him, laying his head against his trainer gently.
The two of them sit there together as Skrub thinks.
Why couldn't he handle something as simple as going to the store....? He'd gone there before! He knows the counter lady! Her and his parent talk for what feels like forever while he sits in the pokeball isle bored out of his mind!! Why couldn't he do something that simple??
The new trainer is now doubting their journey before it even began.