A Ralts poked her head out of a bush and observed the trail ahead of her. The sun shone down from above, the leaves casting dappled shadows across the rough hewn dirt. In the distance she spotted the pack of Poochyena who had taken to resting in the road. The black and grey furred wolves sniffed at the air, shining red eyes peering at the woods around them. The Ralts crouched low, and willed them to look elsewhere; the prize she sought was so close, but the hounds would sooner make her their dinner than let her pass unhindered.

Suddenly, a Zigzagoon shot out from a bush further down. It was clearly frightened, and every inch of its alternating light and dark brown hair was standing on end. As one the pack of Poochyena turned upon the smaller dog and growled.

The Zigzagoon yelped and ran away, dashing through bushes and branches alike in its panic with the pack of Poochyena hot on its heels.

The Ralts breathed a sigh of relief and extricated herself from the bush. Peering into a nearby puddle, she picked off excess twigs that had gotten stuck in her hair. The image within the pool was a familiar sight; a bowl of forest green hair encircling her head and partially obscuring her eyes, her snow white coat extending into a billowing dress-like cloak that covered her nubby legs from view. Atop her head rested two shining red half-ovoid horns; the larger protruding from the middle of her forehead and the smaller from the back of her head directly opposite.

Plucking the last errant leaf, the Ralts smiled at her reflection. Examining the road once more, she confirmed it was all but deserted; the only things here were the occasional acorn-mimicking Seedot hanging from the trees. Dashing across the hard packed dirt, the Ralts stopped before an oran berry bush. Quickly unfurling a large leaf she had procured, she began picking the delicious blue fruits with practiced speed.

There were much less dangerous bushes to harvest closer to home, the Ralts mused, but only the ones located on the human trails were so large and rich. They could be made into so many delicious meals; eaten raw, cooked into soup, drained and eaten dry- the possibilities were endless! So absorbed in her voracious errand, the Ralts didn't hear the approaching footsteps until a voice cut straight through her thoughts.

"Oh! There's one right in the middle of the road!"

The Ralts froze, wide eyes turning to see a nightmare made manifest. Two humans stood a mere dozen feet away, staring directly at her.

"R-ralts…?" she stuttered, losing control of her voice in the face of terror.

"Huh. So there is. Never seen this kind before though..." The girl in the red bandanna nudged the boy with green hair forward. "Well? Capture it already."

"R-right!" the boy said, shuffling forward. The Ralts took a step back, tripping over and scattering the berry pile behind her. The green haired boy tossed a red and white ball into the air with a cry, "Go, Zigzagoon!"

The ball cracked open, a thunderous red light emitting from it's confines. It coalesced upon the ground, revealing the form of a Zigzagoon. It yipped, circling around twice before crouching low, growling at her.

Scrambling to her feet, the Ralts turned around and began to run-

"Zigzagoon, use tackle!"

Only to be hit from behind as the Zigzagoon smashed into her full force.

"R-Raa.." she cried out, flying backwards and crashing into a tree. She slid down, terrified and bruised. Looking up she only found the intense stare of the green haired boy and the crouching Zigzagoon in front of him. The boy held out another red and white ball, and the Ralts stared at it with dread.

"I- I throw the ball now, right? Here I go!"

The girl in the red bandanna blinked and reached out, "Wait, it's not injured enough yet-!"

The Ralts watched as the green haired boy threw the ball as if in slow motion. No, no! She didn't want this! This couldn't happen! She wouldn't let it! With a surge of energy, she threw herself to the side just in time, and sprinted into the forest as the ball ricocheted off the tree behind her.

"It's getting away!"

"Damn it, Wally..."

The Ralts sprinted into the woods, and hid behind a tree out of sight. The human's voices were still audible even this deep in, and the Ralts listened with bated breath.

"Did you see where it went?" asked the boy.

"No. Damnit, now we'll have to find something else…"

"I'm sorry… should I go get the ball?"

"Tch, there's too much tall grass around here; it's a lost cause." A sigh. "I have a dozen of the things anyway, it doesn't matter. Let's get going; I think I heard some Poochyena barking from that direction. They're pretty cool, let's get one of those."

"A-Alright…"

The Ralts stood stock still for several minutes after their voices faded, then collapsed against the tree, heart beating madly in her chest. That… that was close. So, she thought tiredly, that's what humans looked like up close.

Catching her breath, she stood up and ventured back the way she came. A flash of color caught her eye as she walked; jogging over, she found that red and white sphere the boy had thrown at her laying in the grass. She stared at it pensively. So this was a Pokeball…

With a trembling hand, she reached down and poked it, jumping away at the touch. When nothing happened, she poked it again. After nothing continued to happen, she reached down and picked the sphere up.

It was a strange thing. Half red, half white, a thick black line across the middle with only a white button in the center interrupting it. Tentatively, she pushed the button, and the Ralts dropped it like a poisonous barb when it shrunk to a fraction of its size, the sound of rushing wind accompanying it.

After nothing happened a third time, the Ralts picked it back up. How had it gotten so small, she wondered. She pressed the button again and only jumped a little when it expanded back to its original size.

She stared at the sphere, new questions bubbling within her mind. How did this sphere grow and shrink? Why? Who were those people and how did they make this?

Travelling back to the path, she gathered her plucked berries into the makeshift bag. With a moment of hesitation, she buried the pokeball within the blue fruit, hiding it from view.

Picking up the bundle, she scurried across the road once more, and began the trip back home.