"We’re just not gonna’ be able to catch those bird pokémon with Nidoran and Eevee."

"But," Nick argued. "I have to teach Eevee to battle!"

"I wish I had your problem..." Keith replied, remembering Nidoran’s failed attempts. Nidoran had done fine at first, both times – until the Spearow been had Pecked him. Then Nidoran had just flown into a rage and charged at the wild pokémon. The Spearow had been no fools. They had just flown upward a few feet, letting the Nidoran barrel past beneath them. The poor Nidoran hadn’t stopped until, the first time, he raced into a tree, and the second time, charged into a thorn bush. "My Nidoran can fight all right," he continued shaking his head. Then he grinned. "Just not very well."

"I guess you’re right. Maybe if I used Staryu, I could get one," Nick sighed. "Poor little Eevee. It just can’t do much with its Tackle attack."

The two boys continued down the trail. It was six o’ clock in the evening, according to Keith’s watch. The trainers had soon cheered up, and by seven o’ clock, they had worked up a hearty appetite. "Come on, Keith! Let’s eat!" Nick said, digging through his backpack. Keith agreed,

"Yeah, I’m starving. Let’s see, Pop-Tarts for breakfast, Pop-Tarts for lunch. Hmm... I guess we can have Pop-Tarts for supper!" Nick laughed,

"Sure, whatever. You can have Pop-Tarts if you want, but I’m eating a Lunch Pak."

"What’s that?" Keith asked. Nick pulled out a plastic, rectangular container from his backpack and answered,

"A meal in a box. This one has a soda, pizza, and chips."

"Oh yeah, I’ve seen those before," Keith stated. He looked down at his box of Pop-Tarts. "You don’t happen to have a..." he started.

"One for you?" Nick suggested.

"Yeah, that’s what I was gonna’ say," Keith said, a little surprised.

"Here," Nick said, handing Keith another Lunch Pak.

"Thanks," Keith replied, taking the container. Opening it he added, "Sub sandwich, soda, and – huh?"

"What is it?" asked Nick, starting to smile. Keith answered, face falling,

"Okra."

"Okra?!" Nick exclaimed, breaking out laughing. "Okra? Of all the things to put in a Lunch Pak!"

"Well, I don’t think it’s all that funny," Keith said, still staring at the mushy vegetable.

"I’m sorry," Nick managed to say, trying to stop laughing at Keith’s plight. "It’s just... Okra?!" he cried, breaking out again. Keith looked at Nick, his mouth starting to twitch. He stopped trying to hold it in and started laughing along with Nick. Both laughed so hard that they became weak. Finally composing himself, Nick suggested,

"OK, enough. I’m gonna’ eat my pizza now, and you can eat your – " He broke out again. After another brief fit of laughter, the boys finally ate their meals. All but the okra. Keith, wiping his mouth, started, with map in hand,

"OK, Nick. We’ve come about 15 miles as the crow flies, so I think that if we keep – " He was interrupted,

"Now, hold on. It’s seven o’ clock. I’m full and tired. It’s dark. You can go on if you want. I’m setting up camp here," Nick said, pointing to the ground. "And spending the rest of the day playing with my two pokémon."

"But, but," Keith stuttered, pointing with his finger at his map. "Oh well. You got me. We’ll stop here."

Keith set up his tent while Nick released his pokémon.

"Nick," Keith asked. "What are you doing? There’s still more work left. Don’t you want to have a fire?"

"Uh, I guess so. But why? It’s not cold yet. Besides, I have to feed Staryu and Eevee," Nick replied.

"A few little problems there, Nick," Keith responded. "First, it will get cold. Second, you just fed Staryu yesterday. Staryus only need to eat about once a week. Also, that bag of food your holding is a bag of flea powder."

"Uh, whoops," Nick said, putting the bag back in Keith’s backpack. "Where’s the food from the Pokémart?"

"In your backpack. Remember?" Keith replied, grinning.

"Oh yeah," Nick laughed at himself. Keith asked,

"And one more thing. How long did you say that you’ve had Staryu?"

"About four months," Nick answered.

"And in four months, you never realized that he wasn’t eating his food more than once every few days?" Keith asked, looking at the Staryu. Nick reddened and responded,

"Uh, gee, guess I never noticed." Keith just looked at Nick silently, then joked,

"Yet your Staryu still beat Eddie, and your Eevee obeys your orders." Keith shook his head and continued, "Maybe I shouldn’t be the one to be talking."

"No, Keith. I don’t mind. Oh, and, you might want to take a look at your tent," Nick replied, trying not to smile.

"What? Aaa!" Keith exclaimed. The tent’s ropes pulled out of the ground, causing the tent to collapse in a heap. "Grr, I knew I shoulda’ read that manual!" Keith muttered.

The tent was eventually set up, a fire lighted, and, except for Staryu, the four pokémon fed. Watching his Eevee daintily eat his food, while Eddie poured it down his mouth and Nidoran attacked his food ravenously, Nick commented,

"Seems like your pokémon could use some table manners."

"Yes, but you have some food problems to," Keith replied as the marshmallow Nick was roasting fell into the fire.

"What? Oops," Nick said, seeing the bare end of his untwisted coat hanger. "Could you hand me another marshmallow, Keith? That one looks a little well done," he continued, motioning at the small black blob of marshmallow, burning in the fire.

"Here," Keith replied, handing Nick the bag of marshmallows. "Looks like these coat hangers did come in handy after all."

"Potion, string, coat hanger," Nick counted. "That makes three things I’ve used of yours so far. I should’ve been more prepared."

"No problem. I have plenty of junk in there for you to borrow whenever you need it," Keith replied.

"Man!" exclaimed Nick, suddenly. "There goes another marshmallow!"

After their snack, Nick and Keith released their pokémon from their pokéballs.

"Well, there’s no water around here," Keith told Eddie. "So I guess you can’t fill up right now. You should still have plenty of water left, though." Meanwhile, Nick was throwing a stick for his Eevee.

"Look, Keith. We’re playing fetch! Good job, Eevee. Now go get it!" he said throwing the stick again. After a few throws, Keith whispered.

"Uh, Nick, I think Staryu would like some attention to."

"Huh?" Nick said, turning and looking at Staryu who was sitting alone by the fire. "Thanks, Keith." Nick dropped the stick which Eevee had just returned and walked over to the fire. Sneaking up on Staryu, Nick suddenly yelled, in his best imitation of Staryu,

"Yah!" The Staryu quickly turned to Nick, startled. As Nick started to laugh, Staryu squirted a stream of water into his face.

"Aack!" he exclaimed, still laughing. "I’ve had you for months, and you still get me with that trick!"

The evening wore on. In seemingly no time, it was ten o’ clock. The fire was dying, and the boys were yawning.

"Come on, Nick. Time to go to bed," Keith said to Nick, slowly.

"OK," he yawned in response. "Staryu, Eevee, do you want to return to your pokéballs or stay out for the night?" Staryu tapped his pokéball and entered, but Eevee sat down beside Nick. "Looks like you want to stay out," he said. At that moment, a drop of rain fell on Nick’s cheek.

"Ah! Rain! Keith, is there room for two in that tent?" he asked.

"Sure. Plenty. Grab your backpack and get in," he replied.

Soon after the boys were safe and dry in Keith’s tent, a downpour fell in the forest. As Keith was already tired, the sound of the rain beating on the tent put him to sleep quickly. Nick lay awake with Eevee by his side.

"I wonder what Dad’s doing now," Nick thought, picturing his father. "And Billy," he wondered with a smile. Yes, what was Billy doing? Nick knew he was probably working out on his weight bench. Or talking to his friends about how Nick was probably lost and crying about coming home. Nick didn’t let it bother him. True, he did miss his dad, but he was enjoying life as pokémon trainer. Nick went through the past two days in his head. First, his leaving home. Then meeting Keith. The first battle he ever fought. He thought about Keith capturing Nidoran, remembering the anger it had felt. He started playing back his battle with Eevee in his head, but stopped himself. No, he had missed something.

"Let me see," he thought. "Keith caught Nidoran, then, well, all we did was walk for a while. Then we took a break, then I caught Eevee. Why do I have this nagging feeling that I’m leaving something out?" Nick shrugged it off and replayed through his head the failed attempts of catching two Spearow and a Pidgey. He laughed quietly at the scene, then fell asleep.