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 Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 9:32 pm
It literally felt like she was waiting forever. Alexis lay back on a bench at Viridian City’s pokemon center, gazing at the ceiling in a sort of forlorn depression. She’d been there for a few hours, but those hours felt like eternities in themselves. We should be in Pewter by now, she thought to herself, lacing her fingers together.
She peered through the locks of blond over her eyes, attempting to catch a glimpse at the front desk. Roll was behind there somewhere, getting the injuries she’d suffered in her first pokemon battle. Alex frowned at the thought of the battle, at the awful commands she’d given, and the horrible cry the little Larvitar made when that vine whip lashed her.
“I’m sorry, Roll,” she muttered to, well, no one in particular. It wasn’t as if her precious little princess was there. “I’m going to get better… We’ll do whatever it takes to get stronger.” She raised a hand toward the ceiling. Her goal was way off. Catching the creature that birthed all-creation was a literal impossibility when she was incapable of out-strategizing a couple of kids. Blues and Roll would have to become the powerhouses she knew they had the potential to become, and it was up to Alex to bring them there.
No more losing.
It wasn’t a simple thought, or a hope, or a dream. It was a declaration. She’d never walk up to a counter, holding in tears, because she’d gotten her pokemon hurt. She’d never feel that sting of having to walk away from trainers as they cheered for their victories, knowing her own team was wounded in their pokeballs.
That single thought wasn’t an opinion, or a hope, or a dream. It was her resolve. It was a fact.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:11 pm
At least Lily can't be poisoned, Miharu thought, watching as her poor Bulbasaur - that is, Ivysaur (sometimes she still couldn't believe that Lily had actually evolved in the first place) suffered a few strikes from the Ariados' poisoned forelegs, though now the Grass-type was able to escape due to the silky threads having been destroyed. The small girl pursed her lips, deep in thought. Her Ivysaur's attacks wouldn't be overly effective against a Bug and Poison-type like Ariados (save, of course for Tackle, Take Down and Double-Edge), but she did have health-restoring moves, which meant she could probably outlast it. Nodding to herself and pushing some of her green hair out of her face, Miharu gave the command for a Leech Seed. Lily didn't argue, her petals glowing for a moment or two before a cluster of small, brown seeds were launched from her bud. They sped through the air and struck the Ariados, seemingly burying themselves in the spider Pokemon's body and taking root before vanishing. The Long Leg Pokemon was covered in a sickly greenish glow a second later, as was Lily, though the Ivysaur's glow was much healthier.
So you like Leech Seed, eh? was all Leroy could think as he motioned for his Cacturne to do the same. The Scarecrow Pokemon swayed on its immobile feet in an imaginary breeze, throwing its arms upward and releasing a burst of seeds much like the Ivysaur had done. They struck the airborne Pidgeot and planted themselves, doing the exact same thing to Aska that they'd done to Lee's Ariados. The Pidgeot screeched and tried to shake them off, but obviously to no avail. Lee smiled, but with only two Pokemon left to Miharu's three, he was sure he'd picked the wrong little girl to mess with. Even still, her Pokemon were strong and that meant that he wanted them, and he clenched a fist, realizing he was going to have to approach the situation at a different angle. "Ariados, String Shot, the Pidgeot," he said, nodding up at the Pidgeot. "Cacturne, follow up with Poison Sting." His two Pokemon attacked one right after the other, with Cacturne's Poison Sting being first. The Pidgeot let out a loud screech as she'd been trying to shrug off the Leech Seed and hadn't been prepared for the next attack, so it was only natural she wasn't expecting a bunch of sticky thread to shoot up from seemingly nowhere and bind her legs and wings.
Miharu was starting to get a little tired of Lee's constant double-teaming of her Pokemon, mostly due to the fact that it always seemed to be very effective. She pointed to the Cacturne, knowing very well that it couldn't dodge at all, and looked at Lily. "Sludge Bomb," she said, her usually quiet voice loud and commanding. The Ivysaur gave a quick nod, her flower bud glowing a sickly purplish/grey before firing off an even sickly-er glob of the aforementioned sludge at her stationary target. It made for a very clean (no pun intended) hit and the Dark and Grass-type reeled, feeling the acidic sting of the poison burning against its skin. The small girl then called for Aska to use a Gust attack on the Ariados, but the Pidgeot was having a hard enough time flying without the added stress of trying to land an attack. Miharu furrowed her brow, realizing it would probably be best to recall the Bird Pokemon and switch to Starrie, even if the Starmie's typing wasn't ideal against her opponent's Pokemon.
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:07 am
Karrigan browsed the store shelves and racks somewhat mindlessly, hardly even noticing more than half the clothing she looked at. Amber was now perched up on her shoulder, paying little to no attention to what her trainer was doing, though both the human and Vulpix turned to look at Amy as she waved to them, signalling that she'd be only a moment or so. Neither Karrigan nor Amber replied, just went back to what they were doing before Karrigan chose a few extra clothes to keep in her bag. She'd managed to finish paying by the time Amy returned from the change rooms, she studied her friend's new look. It was definitely more practical than the dress had been, and even Karrigan noticed that Amy looked a little more confident with her wardrobe change. "You look nice," the redhead said quietly, giving a quick nod of approval. "And thank you, Amber picked it out," she added, the Vulpix preening at the comment. She herself thought the bespectacled girl could have picked something more aggressive, as the blue reminded her of water, but whatever, Karrigan's human friend could do as she wanted.
"Yes, I am ready," Karrigan answered, having put her new clothes away in her bag with some degree of difficulty. The lazy Vulpix didn't make matters any easier and made no efforts to aid her trainer, but when she was finished she felt a little more prepared. Her palm was also aching slightly now, but she showed no outward signs that it was bothering her. "I believe that shop was located one level above us," she added as they left the store, leaning slightly towards the staircase this time, as using the elevator to go up one floor seemed like a waste to the redhead.
=-=-=-=-=
Once his eyes had adjusted, Jake stopped to look around, whistling lightly when he saw that the cave had led them around to the top of the entrance of the cave below, now recognizing the fence that lined the top. He could see almost the whole route they'd traversed to get here, and he too noticed that the tall blonde woman and the boy were gone now. He could also see Jubilife City in the distance, and he sighed. As gorgeous as the scenery here was, and the fact that he'd made a new friend (as snarky and impossible as she seemed to be aside), he still felt hollow, and for obvious reasons. The back of his mind was nagging at him, reminding him that there were probably people out there that were wondering what had happened to him and that he was missing out on everything that had occurred in his other life, and he sighed sadly, turning to look at Jade as a thought had occurred to her, as well.
"Oh?" he asked, watching as she tossed a Pokeball, which revealed a chubby little duck Pokemon. It landed unceremoniously on the ground, looking a little surprised. "Psyduck," the blonde said, grinning a little as he knelt down in front of the Water-type. "Hey there, Aquarius," he said, giving the Pokemon a little wave. "Welcome to the, uh, team!" It easily occurred to him that he knew that the Pokemon was in fact, a Psyduck despite his inability to remember virtually anything, and he stood up, looking up at the bright blue sky. He knew he'd seen a Psyduck somewhere before, and he closed his eyes, picturing the creature in his mind. This one was female, and a bit of an odd ball, but she was happy, and he smiled. "Heh, Althena, that was your name," he mumbled, opening his eyes as he was aware that he'd gotten lost in his thoughts. "Yeah, there's a silver lining in everything," he agreed, though to be honest, he was more happy that Jade hadn't been badly injured in her fall.
=-=-=-=-=
Though Surge blatantly showed his annoyance by Raichu's failed attempt at dodging, and he seemed quite angry, in actuality, it was the exact opposite. In all their time battling together, Raichu had never blundered like that before, and Surge felt to worry prickling at his spine. The Mouse Pokemon seemed to get it together and he shook himself off, not really sure of what just happened, but he was aware of the painful gash in his back and he didn't want it to happen again. "Ya with me now?" the Electric-type gym master called, and the mouse nodded, both eying the Kricketune as it charged, arm scythes glowing as its Fury Cutter had reached max power. Raichu was tough indeed but being hit by that would probably bring him down in one strike, and neither Surge nor the electric rodent wanted that. Raichu crouched down and watched as Javier closed in. With good timing, the mouse vaulted up and over the Bug-type, doing a graceful aerial somersault before landing lightly on its feet, and it turned, wearing a smug smirk that easily matched the one his master wore. Surge was pleased his Pokemon had been able to avoid the attack, but that worry still nagged in the back of his mind. Raichu, meanwhile, wasn't sure if the one attack he'd taken was actually worse than he'd realized or if he just hadn't slept well the night before. Either way, he was looking forward to zapping the antennae offa that bug the moment he got the chance to.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 6:47 pm
'Robot-ghosts,' Jasper repeated mentally, holding back a smirk. It sounded ridiculous, but given the enigmatic nature of Pokemon in general, he knew that virtually anything was possible. Like Jett, Jasper hadn't heard of Unova before, and he toyed with the region's name in his mind a bit. He'd never set foot outside of the Johto region before, and if he did, he'd probably have to flip a coin or something in order to decide where he went first. He did frown noticeably when Jett mentioned Scarlet's father, and made him think of his own. It was a double-edged sword, with both his parents having passed away when he was so young, as it spared him the pain of remembering and grieving for them, yet it left a hole and many, many questions. Who were the people that had brought him into this harsh world, only to be taken from it themselves? He shook his head and blinked away the thoughts, noticing then that Ditto-chu had started to get sleepy, thus making his transformation skills lazy. One would have thought the electric mouse had just started to melt, but Jasper obviously knew better and recalled the tired transformer into its Pokeball for a well-deserved rest.
This was well-timed as Jett pointed out the exit to the cave, and the bandanna-wearing boy nodded, his own pace picking up considerably. The dampness of the cave made his clothes feel damp and even though the sunlight was nearly gone now, it was warming enough. Azalea Town was visible in the distance, a shadowy mass of trees looming in the background. Jasper silently wondered if their trio would then pass through the ever-dark Ilex Forest once their business in Azalea was finished, and head through to Goldenrod, as it did hold the next gym in line. "Yep, we're in one piece," he agreed, though he wasn't surprised. He'd traversed the cave enough on his own before without incident (well, there was that one time he pissed off an Onix) so it was more than a breeze with the three of them. "So Jett," he said, deciding to carry on the conversation as they entered town, "are you heading right to the gym this evening, or are you gonna rest up and go first thing tomorrow?" In reality he didn't care either way, he just wanted to know so that he didn't miss the match. After all, he could probably learn a thing or two.
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thunderbolts_and_sunshine
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:12 pm
The dark haired girl smiled and thanked the nurse for the key, looking over her shoulder as Crenu had sucked it up and followed her inside. She couldn't help but smirk at the sight of him, looking away in an attempt to hide his face as he requested his room key. Riza raised an eyebrow as the nurse handed him the key no problem, though it didn't occur to her that it might have been a different nurse Joy all together. 'Lucky break for him, either she forgot or she doesn't recognize him,' she thought, but smiled. After the hard day they'd both had, it would be nice to get a good night's sleep in a soft bed. "Yes," she agreed as they'd started walking down the halls to the rooms, checking the number on the tag of her key. A glimpse at Crenu's key showed his room was directly across from hers, and she smiled, wrapping her arms around him as he hugged her goodnight. She really hoped that they'd be able to get past today, but everything was still very fresh in her mind and she couldn't shake those harsh things he'd said to her.
He seemed to be a bit red as he pulled away, though he hadn't let go of her hands, and it was almost hard to hear him as his voice was very quiet. Riza had to admit that the thought of sharing a room with Shiro made her heart start to race and her own pale cheeks flush slightly, but even though they seemed to be okay now, those bad feelings still lingered just below the surface. "Uhm," she said quietly, letting go of his hands and looking at the floor. "That does sound nice, but..." she mumbled, wishing the awkwardness would just fade away already. She also was terrified that she'd upset him again, and send him into another episode like at the contest. "I think a night apart would be good for both of us...and we do need sleep after a day like today," she added quietly, slowly lifting her gaze up to meet his. She couldn't ignore the slight red tint in his cheeks, or the way her heart continued to pound, even though her mind told it not to. She let out a shaky breath and took a step forward. 'What are you doing? Why are you freaking out? It's Shiro,' she scolded herself. 'He likes you, you like him. What happened today was just Crenu voicing his fears, and you put an end to them.' She sighed. "But maybe we could..." She pressed up against him, sure he could feel her heart trying to escape from her chest. "Sharing is nice," she whispered, gently touching her lips to his, and she smiled impishly. "I'm game if you are."
* * * * *
Katie was mildly disappointed when she and Mai finally did enter the building, which Katie realized quickly was an old hotel which wasn't located too far from her mother's office. The place was dusty and hardly looked like the base of operations for a major crime syndicate, but Katie remembered they were still in the process of setting the place up. The elevator ride was nothing short of scary and while Mai almost lost her footing by the abrupt stop, Katie found herself on her knees, heart racing from the scare. She picked herself up and followed Mai off the awful elevator, smirking as the grunt from before was just leaving Mai's office. She could swear she'd never seen anyone run away like that before. 'The other members are terrified of her,' she thought, not sure if she was impressed, or a little scared as well. She steeled her courage and followed Mai into her office, which at one point had probably been a very nice suite for guests staying at the hotel.
She took the folder and tucked it under her arm, resisting the urge to open it and peek at the forms within. She nodded, feeling a knot in her stomach when Mai told her to go back to the upper floors and find a room, and she knew there was no way she'd willingly set foot in that elevator again. "Alright, understood," she said, fully believing the threats that had just been laid down, and she didn't hesitate to turn and leave the office, walking down toward the elevator. She strolled right past it without even giving it a second glance and headed straight for the stairs where she climbed until she was at the top floor. Mai had said the luxury suite was reserved for Giovanni, but there were more than just one or two nice rooms up here, and having grown up in a luxury condo with a view, Katie wanted nothing less. She did a lap of the floor, mentally noting where the major rooms were, and she wondered if she'd ever meet (or even see) the head honcho of Team Rocket himself. "Not likely, or at least until this place is cleaned up," she murmured, knocking over an old, dried out plant in an ugly ceramic potter. The soil was so dried out that it was virtually dust, and she sighed. This place needed an Extreme Home Makeover if it ever wanted to live up to her expectations of what a cool evil base should look like.
Katie finally made a choice after discovering that all the corner suites were locked, and she closed the door behind her to find a key hanging on a small hook nearby. She locked the door and slipped the key in her pocket, though the door looked worn and the hinges rusty so she figured a moderately strong person could easily kick it in if they wanted to. The wallpaper was an ugly shade of mauve and was peeling and ripped in various places, and there was a thick layer of dust over every piece of furniture, save for the bed which seemed to sport new blankets and pillows. "That's something," Katie thought, turning on a lap and sitting down at the small desk. There were a few pens in the drawer as well as some scraps of paper but not surprisingly, the pens were all long dead, so she fished one out of her backpack and began to go over the forms, determined not to screw up the first thing Mai had asked her to do.
((Anybody who's watched Angel knows how awesome old hotels are. Unless there's also paranoia demons living there, but then again it could be fun!))
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:23 pm
This was the longest few moments of his life, or it felt like it anyway. The dead silence of the hall was only broken by the sound of his heart beating loudly in his mind, it was deafening and he was sure Riza and the world could hear it. What had he just asked, what was he doing? He watched Riza's reaction, the way she pulled her hands from his and looked down, he knew he'd asked for too much. She was definitely still frightened by the events of the contest and his actions, the things he said and the ferocity of his demeanor, he couldn't blame her. And she was right, spending a night in isolation would probably do them good, getting rest was key for recovery. She was making sense, doing the right thing. Logically it was sound and Crenu agreed and was ok with it. Yet, why did it make his heart and stomach sink? He wanted to agree with her and part ways for the night but he felt...sad? He knew it wasn't just simple rejection, it wasn't his paranoid fears coming to fruition or anything like that. This time he knew it was his own doing that pushed her away again and that for both their sake her reaction was right and he shouldn't have even asked...he wasn't even sure why he had...but it felt bad still. His throat felt fry and his stomach churned sinking to his feet along with his heart, which started to slow down to a near stand still as he felt awkward devastation. But, Riza's pale cheeks were flushed, and she stepped in towards him. As she stepped closer to him his heart started beating again, and hearing her words made it pound faster and faster. As she pressed against him he felt her heart racing, and it was a nice feeling, knowing her heart was just like his right now, and as her heart beat against him he knew she could feel his heart beating against hers in response. Her lips felt soft, and feeling her sly smile he couldn't help but match it, cracking more than a tiny smirk and really smiling for the first time in what had to be years. "I'm always game." He said plainly as he kissed her, holding onto her. Awkwardly opening the door to the room with one hand and pulling her into it, the door closing once they were inside.
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Melphaligal the Challama Crew
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:21 pm
Dante could only sigh as he put his head in one of his hands trying to do his best to not seem upset for Kenny. Evolution was a big deal for a pokemon and Kenny was one of his most faithful, Dante didn't want to disappoint the former Duskulls achievement but now was really not the time for him to evolve. When he was sure that he wouldn't upset the ghost pokemon he looked up and gave him a small smile. "Great evolution Kenny." He managed to say as he looked at his new Dusclops. It was a surprise actually. As a Duskull Kenny had always been a bit on the small side. Now though, well he must have saved up all his growing because he was huge now! Dusclops were usually pretty big but Kenny was towering over Dante himself, and Dante wasn't short either.
"Well you certainly aren't super cute right now but you certainly are impressive now." The blond girl said with a contemplative look on her face.
The punk kid looked over at Kenny with an interested look on his face. "Well it will be harder to get through the appeals around now. Still I don't think he could have made it through the battle round as just a Duskull no matter how tough he was. They bring pretty tough competition and unlike the regular contests you use the same pokemon through out the entire contest. This makes sure that the pokemon are not only elegant but also tough, and it makes sure the trainers actually know what they are doing instead of just relying on stylists."
"Well I am good at battles." Dante said feeling that he couldn't really mess that up.
"You are good at regular battles. You aren't good at battling with style. While winning is important you lose or gain points if your pokemon don't battle with style. If you battle how you normally battle then I am afraid you will lose all your points before the time limit runs out." The blond Dante had been traveling with explained.
"Which is why we are splitting up, I will be doing my best to make your shabby appearance into something that won't make you the laughing stock of the place." The punk boy, who Dante still didn't know the name of, or care to much to learn it, said.
"While I will get your new Dusclops ready for this contest. I will make him look nice and spooky and make sure he understands how contests work while you two go play make over." The blond girl gave them a little smirk before shaking her head and going over to where Kenny was towering over, and actually scaring everyone within a 20 foot radius. "Some how I think I will have an easier job of it."
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:39 pm
Akane was definitely lost in Viridian Forest, and that was definitely a problem. She also definitely felt a little bit panicky and that feeling was growing slowly with each step she took. Twinkers was also starting to show signs of worry, though when the fairy Pokemon noticed Akane looking at her she put on a brave face and smiled. That helped a little, knowing what a great friend she had in her Pokemon. Another thing that helped was the thought of Colandra being close at hand – the helpful Oddish was taking a well-deserved rest in her Pokeball after spending the part of the evening getting Akane and Twinkers a juicy Pecha Berry for them to eat in the morning and the rest of the night watching over the pair.
On the downside of things was the lack of food - Akane hadn’t brought very much food with her as she had only planned on heading into the forest briefly to look for an Oddish. She assumed she would be back in the city by about lunchtime at the latest and obviously not planned for getting lost. If only Akane had remembered to charge her Pokedex before she left, or ever. The battery life of the Pokedex was good but eventually it could run dry as Akane found out the hard way. And without her Pokedex working she couldn’t view her map.
Before too long Akane and Twinkers emerged from the trees and onto a path. Well, as close to a path as she had seen to date. It was definitely too small for anything bigger than a bike to traverse but was at the very least a sign of civilization and gave the young trainer a much needed ray of hope. But she quickly realized that she had a new problem – which direction to head, left or right? Which way would head to food and people the quickest? Akane had no way to know which way to go but standing there looking down each direction wasn’t getting her anywhere. “Left it is then,” she said more to herself than Twinkers.
The lost couple was making much better time on the path than they had picking their way through the trees and undergrowth, but they still had no clue where the path would lead. Akane guessed that only a few people used this particular path on a regular basis, enough to keep the forest from reclaiming it but not enough to make it very wide or pronounced. As they continued to trudge towards the unknown Akane was becoming aware that the path was winding its way up a hill, the roots of nearby trees making natural stairs that whoever used the path had taken advantage of. Twinkers was having some trouble getting up some of the larger steps and Akane eventually gave the small pink Pokemon a shoulder ride, taking the additional burden to spare her bestest friend.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:41 pm
Akane was starting to feel better about the situation, they were on a path to somewhere and ahead was an apple tree - lunch was served! Akane put her bag down next to the apple tree after placing Twinkers back on the ground, released Colandra from her Pokeball so the small weed Pokemon could stretch her legs. Akane then proceeded to pick the nicest looking apples she could reach. Twinkers concentrated with a “Cleee – “ making a single Magical Leaf appear in front of her, “Fairy!” she launched it accurately at three of the apples higher in the tree. Each apple was deftly cut from the tree, Colandra managing to catch one of the three in her leaves while the other two landed on the path with a thud. “Odd?” Collandra offered the fruit she had caught to Akane, but the blonde girl shook her head smiling, “You caught it, so you can have that one. I have enough already.” The Oddish smiled back, its eyes forming two upside down U’s. “Odd”
The three sat quietly on a root step eating their fruity lunch. Akane gazed out over the forest from the path’s vantage point on the side of the hill admiring the forests majesty. It was amazing to think that it was the same forest that was so scary when she was alone and lost in the dark. Perspective really does make a lot of difference mused the young trainer.
With the apples devoured and some water rationed from Akane’s bottle, the three companions continued zigzagging up the hill. The idea that she could get a good view of the forest and surrounding land from the top of the hill and maybe gain her bearings raised Akane’s spirits further than the meal and the change of perspective had. But that was nothing to the feelings she had when a rustic looking log cabin came into view, sitting squarely in the middle of the bald crown of the hill. People! A place to sleep and the promise of food for her tummy, that was what the simple building conveyed with its lived-in and cared for feel. The reflective gleam from the solar panels on the roof told her she could also get her Pokedex charged – as long as the occupant was nice.
“Hello?” Akane called out uncertainly but loudly. The cabin was obviously well maintained and kept clean and the front door was open, so the person who lived here must be around somewhere. “Anyone home?” Both Twinkers and Colandra peeked out wide-eyed from behind the cover of Akane’s legs as the three awaited a reply.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:42 pm
“Just a minute, dearie!” came an answering call from within the cabin. The voice was definitely feminine and cheery, meaning it wasn’t going to be the cabin of a creepy old crazy guy – a thought that had run through Akane’s head before she called. Akane didn’t have long to wait before the owner of that voice emerged from the relative darkness of the log cabin. She was a young woman of maybe twenty years, her light brown hair tied back into a simple ponytail that reached the middle of her back. She wore comfortable looking blue jeans and a rather simple white short-sleeved shirt with a dark blue apron over the top. A couple of colourful splotches on the otherwise clean clothes gave her away as an artist. “I don’t get many visitors way out here” the woman continued from the front porch, her sudsy rubber gloves held out from her so they wouldn’t drip on her. “I was just doing my laundry” she grinned. “Come in. Sit down and I’ll hear you out when I’m done.” Her tone was both commanding and welcoming.
Tentatively at first, Akane crossed the front deck and followed the artist into her abode, Twinkers and Colandra following in turn with wide eyes. She didn’t know what to expect, but the sight that greeted her was something she sure didn’t expect. The house within had a very open design and was divided into four major areas. Just inside the door was a large open room with a couch and TV to the right and a lot of art supplies and partly finished work to the left. There was a kitchen that took up the back left corner of the building; an enclosed room taking up the rear right quarter of the house that Akane assumed that it was a bathroom, a loft area that took up the entire back half of the house (above the kitchen and presumable bathroom) accessible by steep stairs that could almost be mistaken for a ladder. The loft seemed to be taken up mostly a bedroom, maybe with a small study. Several paintings adorned the oddly patterned blue walls with another partly finished piece resting upon its easel close to the door.
As well as the painter, who was washing clothes in her kitchen sink then putting them into a bucket, there was a pair of Pokemon also doing some domestic chores. Well just one chore, in unison. One was a Smeargle sweeping the floor with a very simple broom; the other was a Mime Jr. following right behind and copying the Smeargle’s movements exactly with a much smaller but otherwise identical broom.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:46 pm
“Find a seat and I’ll be with you in a minute. Need anything to drink? Eat?” called the woman in the kitchen as she began rinsing her clothes.
“Umm, some lemonade please” Akane meekly answered. The lady seemed nice enough in a direct sort of way and she did keep a nice house. “And maybe some cookies?” she finished hopefully.
“I’ll see what I have kicking around.” The brunette was steadily working through rinsing and wringing her clothes and putting them into a basket. “Remmy! See what we have, please”
The Smeargle stopped sweeping the wooden floor and placed the broom against the back door, its small pink copycat following suit. The Painter Pokemon was careful not to tag Mime Jr. with its blue tipped tail as it shuffled around the Mime Pokemon. Upon opening the fridge it called out “Smear?” The pony-tailed artists looked up from her work, narrowed her eyes in concentration at the fridge, and then responded, “Two of the soda pop then, and a couple of small cups too.”
Remmy complied and pulled out two colourful looking cans from the fridge and carried them over to Akane and her Pokemon. The Mime Jr. altering his copying movements enough to jump up and grab two small cups from the kitchen counter to then fall back in step with his larger partner.
“Smear” the Painter Pokemon said as it bowed offering Akane the two cans as it did. Akane accepted them with a smile, and then had to repeat the process as the Mime Jr. followed suit with a cheery “Mime!” as it handed over the two cups.
“I’m assuming your Pokemon are thirsty too, so they can split a pop between them, right? They are pretty small after all,” the young woman explained as she continued her rinsing and wringing the clothes. She seemed to have more done than not and was working quickly on the remaining. “Good thing I’ve done this before,” she remarked wryly.
Akane opened her pop, and then started on the other one before she realized she had a problem – her Oddish didn’t have hands to hold her cup! Should she hold it for her? Ask for a straw? She decided to hold the cup for the little Oddish and sneak some sips of her own when she could while Twinkers gladly gulped back the sweet beverage. Before long the pony-tailed painter was done wringing out her laundry and had gotten herself a soda pop from her fridge and joined Akane over at the couch and proceeded to flop down next to the nervous young trainer.
“I really should get me a washing machine” the young woman commented. “By the way I’m Cathy. Well Catharine, but everyone calls me Cathy. What are you doing out here?”
“Umm, I got lost in the Forest and ended up here? And I’m Akane and this is Twinkers and Colandra” she gestured to the Clefairy and Oddish respectively. “Where is here exactly?”
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:49 pm
“Forest? Viridian Forest? You sure did get lost” Cathy shook her head. “This little cabin is my home and it’s a little south of Route Three around halfway between Mount Moon and Pewter City. I guess it’s still in Viridian Forest technically but waaay off the beaten path.” She took a gulp of her soda pop. “Well, my work isn’t done yet.” Cathy glanced shrewdly at Akane. “If you help with my chores than I’ll make sure you have a place to sleep and some food for that tummy, what do you say?”
“Well, I do need the help and I’m obviously don’t have anywhere else to go … so sure I will!”
“Cle Cle!”
“And Twinkers wants to help too”
“Odd …” Colandra looked a little sad.
Akane looked a little puzzled at the Weed Pokemons reaction. “What’s wrong Colandra?”
“I’m sure your little Oddish would like to help too, but feels it won’t be very helpful” observed Cathy. “Am I right?” she asked the Oddish.
“Odd” she nodded.
“Well then, that’s no problem at all! I’m sure you would be great at helping make my garden look nice” beamed the artist.
“Odd-ish!” happily exclaimed Colandra.
Akane helped Cathy hang up the laundry on poles in her yard while keeping an eye on Twinkers, Remmy and Marcel as they raked and swept outside. Colandra wandered about obviously busy at work, although every now and then the Weed Pokemon would disappear into the tree line only to re-emerge a few minutes later. Between them all they had the cabin clearing looking much tidier in about an hours worth of work, mostly completed without much talking.
“Whew! Think it’s time for a break?” Cathy said suddenly once they had finished cutting back the longer grass around the building.
“I think so” replied the young trainer. “I’m afraid I’m rather hungry now.” Remembering her dead Pokedex and noting the solar panels on the cabins roof she continued “I’ve been meaning to ask, if it’s not much bother, I really need to charge my Pokedex – that’s the main reason I got lost – would you mind?”
“No problem. Shoulda mentioned something earlier kiddo, but no problem.”
The break consisted of milk and cookies on the couch while the pair watched some TV, specifically some drama about King Bonsly and Queen Mime Jr. – something that Marcel seemed to really enjoy at least – followed by Plusle and Minun’s Great Adventure – something much more exciting and interesting for Akane. Akane’s Pokedex was plugged in to regaining power and re-sync with the network, though that part seemed to be failing and retrying. Perhaps she would need to take it to a Pokemon Center … did they fix things like that? The clock showed almost 4:00 before the show was finally over, Cathy got up.
“Well, looks like it’s time to start cooking, anything you won’t eat?”
“I’m just really glad for the hospitality. Absolutely anything would be fine.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:41 am
The second time Aska failed to execute a Gust attack reassured Miharu that it would be best to recall her, and the Pidgeot vanished in a flash of red light back into the safety of her PokeBall. The small girl sighed, but smiled at the sphere, able to remember quite plainly how the once-tiny Pidgey had followed her from Ilex Forest all the way through Azalea Town and to the entrance to Slowpoke's Well. It was hard to believe that Aska was so grown up now, and Miharu smiled fondly. But now isn't the time to reminisce, she told herself, putting Aska's PokeBall away and replacing it with Starrie's. Her stomach gave a painful growl and she very much wanted to end this battle. She looked to her Ivysaur, a command on her lips. "Lily, use Cut on Cacturne, cover Starrie," she called as the purple, star-shaped Pokemon materialized on the field. The sassy little Ivysaur gave a growl and hopped forward, several large leaves fanning out from the sides of her bulb. Lily flung them forward with force and they sliced into the immobile Cacturne, leaving a pair of deep cuts in the Dark/Grass-type's body.
Possibly the last thing Lee expected was for Miharu to withdraw her Pidgeot from the battle and substitute a Water-type, of all things. This may have been the break he was waiting for, and he smirked. Yes, this kid's Pokemon are as good as mine! he thought, clenching a fist. The Ivysaur unleashed a pair of super-sharp leaves that ripped into his Cacturne, and he grit his teeth. Of course she'd be aware of the severe disadvantage, but perhaps she'd forgotten that her Starmie was also a Psychic-type and that his Ariados possessed both Bug and Dark-type attacks that would also be damaging. "Ariados, it's time for Shadow Sneak, on the Starmie!" he called. "Cacturne, Pin Missile, on the Ivysaur!" His two Pokemon were both already looking a bit tired, though Cacturne's roots were busily replenishing its HP. The Scarecrow Pokemon thrust its arms forward, shooting off a volley of glowing spines that pelted the Ivysaur, and caused her to drop to her belly for a moment. Ariados, meanwhile, gave a sharp screech and prodded the ground with its sharp forelegs, its shadow scooting out from underneath it and streaking towards the Starmie.
Miharu hadn't forgotten about the Ariados; she was, in fact, simply more concerned with the Cacturne. She did have a plan, however, and smiled as Lee called out his attacks. "Quick, Starrie, protect yourself by using Camouflage," she said. The Starmie's core gem twinkled brightly, and soon the Starmie's whole body seemed to flicker to a grassy-green colour, winking out just as the shadowy attack struck. The attack was no longer super-effective, doing normal damage as Starrie had temporarily traded in its dual Water/Psychic typing for a simple Grass-type. Miharu then pointed at the Ariados, deciding to try her own hand at double-teaming. "Lily, Double-Edge! Starrie, Psychic attack!"
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:33 pm
As it turned out, Cathy was not a great cook – she merely grabbed a deluxe pizza and cheesy garlic bread from her freezer and heated them up in her oven. She got Akane another soda pop with the meal, but for herself retrieved an icy beer to enjoy. They ate this time perched on the stools that were at the kitchen counter, backs to the mess of art supplies and unfinished works. Cathy asked about Akane’s travels and adventures and the young trainer was eager enough to tell all about her journey to Professor Oak’s Laboratory, the battles she had on her way, Twinkers evolving after having her own adventure in the Professor’s attic, the trainer battle she had in Viridian City and how scared she was for Twinkers when it was all over. She did, however, refrain from saying anything about leaving home without telling anyone where she was going or what she was doing.
“Well, I guess you will want to wash up after dinner. Bathrooms over there.” Cathy gestured to one of the three doors that led from the kitchen. “You can use one of the towels in there, and we can wash your clothes tomorrow. Now, I have a proposition for you, Akane. I want to paint you and your pokemon, so maybe you can stay until I usually head back into Pewter City, and that won’t be for four or five days but I have a feeling you would like to be on your way before then … so how about a Pokemon battle, two on two double battle, if I win then you stay the four or five days and if you win then I go back to Pewter City earlier than I planned. What’dya say?”
Akane thought about it for a second as she finished her current mouthful of garlic bread and washed it down with a gulp of her pop. She did owe quite a bit to Cathy and the hospitality she provided but she also really wanted to get to Pewter City and see if she was good enough to get herself a Gym Badge. In her mind that would be the best way to reassure herself that she had done the right thing in leaving home and starting her journey.
“I think that’s an awesome idea!” Akane exclaimed. Really now, what were a few days extra on her journey? “I’d love to pose for a you!” and Akane meant it.
With that settled they chatted happily about their hopes and dreams as they finished their food, the sun having already set before they finished talking. Akane went and had a bath on her own this time, Twinkers had fallen asleep on the couch already and Colandra had returned to her Pokeball for the night. She could hardly believe that it had only been a day since she was completely lost and feeling so alone, having her idle thoughts imagining the horrors of growing old before she could find her way back to civilization. And now she had found a good friend and the determination to strive for her dreams. A lot could happen in a day. A clean, dry, and pajama clad Akane emerged from the bathroom some half hour later to some dimmed lights and a couch made up with blankets and pillows. Cathy was up in the loft and poked her head over the railing as she heard the young trainer free up the bathroom.
“Ah, my turn now” the older woman said. “I hope you left me some hot water,” she added in a playful voice. She climbed down the steep stairs with the ease of practice.
“I don’t think I used too much” Akane replied. “And thank you for making up a place for me to sleep. Much better than a sleeping bag for a bed and the stars for a roof.” The girl quickly fell asleep to the sound of Cathy’s shower running and Twinkers rhythmic breathing. Today had been much better than the previous one.
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:35 pm
The sounds invaded her dreams. Akane stood alone in the rain, a desolate landscape about her. The only feature that drew her eye was a dark cave, the sound of some terrible monster’s breathing coming from within. Red lightning flashed across the sky followed quickly by a crack of thunder ending in a low rumble. The cave seemed to swallow her and darkness surrounded the young trainer. She looked back just as more lightning flashed across the sky, this time it seemed to be frozen across the sky only to fade into a string of red lights, the peal of thunder didn’t come as expected but in it’s place came laughter, cold and cruel. The string of red lights moved towards her, and as it did the laughter intensified. Large yellow eyes with dark irises opened in the darkness above the red string and glowed with malevolence. As the lights started to flow ever closer to Akane’s neck the feeling of dread reached breaking point and Akane found herself sitting bolt upright on the couch screaming, a cold sweat pouring from her. Twinkers stared at Akane in shock for a second that seemed like an eternity, and then the pink star-shaped Pokemon slapped her trainer across the face. It did the trick – Akane stopped screaming and fully came to her senses again.
“What the …?” asked Cathy groggily as she poked her head over the loft railing again. She was wearing a simple white tank top, Ditto print boxers, and sleepy look on her face. “You could have warned me you get nightmares … you okay kiddo?”
“Umm, I didn’t know that I did … I don’t think I’ve done this before.” Akane replied as her heart began to stop beating so fast. “Sorry for waking you” she finished meekly.
“It’s okay, just try not to do it again …” Cathy trailed off sleepily as she slumped back into her bed and began snoring quietly within minutes.
Akane’s tiredness caught up with her before long too, despite her trying to stay awake. The only thing she could remember of the rest of the night was a feeling of loneliness and despair.
Morning came and Akane felt as if she had barely slept. Her eyes burned slightly and her muscled seemed to weigh twice what they ought to. But she was awake; the smell of pancakes cooking seemed to be what really helped her get going. Or was it another smell? She swung her legs around so she moved to sitting on the couch and then rubbed her face. It seemed to help a little at least.
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