The tall grass is tall and rustles when she walks through it! Sometimes the rustling noises come from locations other than her own!

Things in the tall grass? Really? She never would've guessed. She is ready and able to call out Basauw if a Rattata or Pidgey or something gets too friendly. Then Basauw can make friends. With headbutts and growls.

Soon enough a Pidgey appears! It wants to know if she is food or a sparring match and intends to find out by trying to peck her shoe.

She is neither. On the other hand, she has this Bulbasaur, would the Pidgey like to spar with him? He's a much more interesting fighter than her shoe.

The Pidgey will switch tracks and try to whap Basauw with its wings!

An excellent Pidgey. If she had Pokeballs she would consider trying to catch it and love it with all of her ten-year-old love, but alas. "Basauw, gowl!"

Basauw growls! The Pidgey looks slightly intimidated but buffets him again. 

"Basauw, 'ackle!"

Pidgey: is tackled, is not happy about it, kicks sand in Basauw's face.

Yeah, well. Ramming speed anyway. "'Ackle!"

The next hit is too much for the pidgey; it staggers off disgruntled. 

The victorious Basauw rears. "Bulba!"

They are so good at this! She coos at and pets Basauw, then re-digitizes him and continues through the grass.

Basauw loves being cooed at and petted!

They arrive in Viridian city with no further trouble, which is just as well because Basauw probably has one more fight like that in him, tops.

Viridian has a Pokemon center, a gym (closed), and a little shop. The sign in the window says:

POKEMART

* Pokeballs!

* Pokemon food!

* Healing items!

* Reasonable prices! 

Pokeballs! Excellent! She rummages in her bag, finds her wallet, and... she's got 100 pokedollars and a candy wrapper. Dangit. Well, she can still go to the Pokemon center and get Basauw healed up, so she'll go do that.

The machine cheerfully goes "beedeebeedeebeedeeBEEP!" and dispenses healthfulness. One other trainer is hanging out on one of the couches with their rattata.

Time to use the Pokedex's talking feature again! "Hi!" it says for her. "Want to battle?"

(Pleasedon'tbeweirdaboutitpleasedon'tbeweirdaboutitplease)

It takes the trainer a moment to pair the synthesized voice with the human child. "Hm? Are you asking me? Sure, I'll battle!" They scoop their rattata up and move toward the exit.

Hmm, yes, one should not battle inside the Pokemon center. She shall go outside and then her and Basauw will give it their all.

The other trainer and their rattata give it their all too, and the rattata is fast. Eventually Basauw is too worn out to fight anymore.

"Great job, Ratty!" says the other trainer, stroking it for a bit before re-digitizing and turning towards Gwen.

"So, are you staying at the center tonight too?"

Basauw can get consoling pats and go back in his ball until she's done talking, and the Rattata's trainer can get 20 pokedollars for winning. "I'm not sure," her Pokedex says. "I just started my Pokejourney. Let me check my map."

She gets her map out of her bag and looks to see how far away the next Pokemon center is. Could she get there before dark on her in-shape-but-still-ten-year-old legs?

She has about six hours before nightfall, but she'd have to go through Viridian Forest to get to the next town. It's safe enough, but a bit of a maze and not the most comfortable place to sleep on the ground in.

Mmmmmm. Mmmmrrrrrrr. Sleeping bags: not something you can buy with 100 pokedollars and a candy wrapper.

Well, maybe somebody wants to give a 10-year-old some change in exchange for minor errands, and she can go through Viridian Forest tomorrow and with pokeballs.

Map: back in bag. Pokedex: talking. "I'm staying tonight, I guess. Do you know if anybody in town wants any errands done?"

"Yeah, I heard the guy at the Pokemart needed a package brought somewhere, if you've got time. I didn't do it because I want to spend the afternoon scouting the forest, trying to get a caterpie."

"Thanks. Good luck!"

Ok. Heal Basauw again, then off to the Pokemart for some errand-doing.

"Hello!" says the woman behind the counter. "How's it going? You here to buy or sell or both?"