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 Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:51 pm
Kasiya bit her lower lip and sucked in a slow, shaky breath, able to feel her heart racing wildly in her chest. She also felt a little flushed and warm and she quietly wondered if it was just her imagination, or if it was because she was so nervous. She managed to tear her gaze away from little Pumpkin and she looked up at Keegan, suddenly remembering how easy things used to be between them. How they could be easily comforted by each other's company, or how his smile could melt her heart and make her lose her train of thought. Her heart still skipped a beat whenever he'd say her name, like it did just then, and she sighed, finding herself being drawn once again into those handsome emerald eyes of his.
"Yes, I know you do," she said finally, reaching up and plucking a stringy strand of pumpkin innards from his hair, cringing for a second as she tossed it into a nearby garbage bin. "The thing is, Keegan, I love you, I really, truly do, but I'm not sure if I need you, like the way you need me. I'm not really sure of anything right now, so I don't think this is a very good time to talk about this." She sighed heavily and adjusted the Litwick in her arms. "I should get back," she mumbled, and turned to leave the supply closet. "I'm sorry, Keegan. I really am."
=-=-=-=-=
Flannery sighed, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees and subsequently resting her face in her hands as she listened to his response, though when he mentioned being haunted, she peeked out from between her fingers, fully expecting to see those same shadowy ghosts from before circling around the room. Of course, they weren't there and she closed her eyes, shaking her head. The heat and humidity of the past day had almost completely flattened her hair now and it swayed limply with her movements. "No," she said, still holding her head. "No. You don't get to tell me what's fair for me."
She inhaled shakily and stood up, spinning to face him, her eyes alight with fury. "Don't you think I haven't tried to hate you? Because believe me, I have tried, over, and over, and over again, but it never seems to stick. And it sucks, because I know it would be so much easier if I could just hate you, walk away and move on with my life, but I can't. I CAN'T! There's just too much history between us, and for whatever reason, my heart won't let me hate you. No matter how hard or how many times I try." Her voice started to crack as she spoke and her anger began to ebb, giving away to anguish and misery. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she sank to the floor, once again burying her face in her hands as her body became wracked with sobs.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:55 pm
If Mike was feeling sorry before, he didn't know what level of worthless he felt now as Flannery now lie sobbing on the floor after her tearful confession. There, on the ground beside him lie the girl of his dreams for as long as he could remember. Since the first moment he saw her he was wildly in love. Every decision that he made since then was with her in mind and now look at what she was reduced to because of it. Mike looked down at Flannery, guilt weighing down his entire face. How stupid of him to think he was the broken one. There was no fixing this. There was no fixing her. Here was a girl who wanted nothing more than a normal life, but instead was lied to for years by the boy she trusted, the boy she loved. He always thought that his world was the one that shattered at Slateport, but it wasn't. It was Mike Kyoka that broke Flannery Moore, not the other way around.
And there was no way he could put her back together.
Mike let out a silent sigh, smiling as he did. 'I don't hear you laughing.' he mouthed to himself. The boy raised a stiff leg and gently planted it on the cold, hospital floor as he eased himself off of the bed, his muscles straining as if he weighed ten times more than he did. He nearly face planted as his other leg caught on the sheets while he tried to move his broken body as quietly as he could. Just this one thing, he begged. Maybe he could just do this one thing right. "Hey." he said softly, trying to hide the fact that he was struggling with still being tethered to the machines from his arms as he wrapped them around the crying girl. "Hey," he repeated, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm sorry." Mike squeezed Flannery as hard as he could, which he was certain was breaking more of his ribs, but he didn't care. If his last act in this world was for his heart to be run through, then he was at least doing it while apologizing to the one person he hurt most; the one person he swore would never cry because of him. The machines fell silent as the boy's body was almost cold to the touch.
"I'm so sorry." he repeated, tears rolling down his cheeks. "For everything. I'm so sorry. I'm a sad, sick, selfish little boy, and you shouldn't want anything to do with me."
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thunderbolts_and_sunshine
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 7:44 am
Despite how confident she looked on the outside, recalling last night's contest and the trouble she'd had with Jerome and his Cacturne (before Akima's unexpected evolution, anyway) made her realize just how much more she had to work to win contests. The competition was tough and experienced, and she knew she'd been partially lucky due to the fact that many of the coordinators had been first timers, just like her. And, naturally, she pretty much refused to dwell on her match with Crenu as it left a sour taste in her mouth, and though they'd reconciled and made things right, Riza was sure the underlying cause for Shiro's outburst was still there, waiting to bubble over once again. She hadn't missed Amy's expression as she'd mentioned Jerome, though before she could say anything else, Amy had thrown her arms around her and was hugging her.
Riza's eyes went wide as she wasn't used to this sort of thing from most people, and she gave a bit of a short, embarrassed laugh and awkwardly patted Amy on the back before she pulled back, apologizing profusely. "It's all right," she said, shrugging. "And thank you, but that's only one ribbon. I still need four more if I'm going to get a spot in the Grand Festival." She smiled, looking curiously at the Sandile as Amy picked him up, and saw her Snivy still waiting patiently nearby out of the corner of her eye. "I'm sure we will, and it will be a great match." She listened as Amy explained her plans to challenge Surge, and she nodded. "Well, your little Wooper will have an advantage because he can't be shocked, but believe me when I say that doesn't mean anything. Shiro used his Swinub yesterday against Surge's Raichu, and even though it couldn't use electricity effectively, it still made the match incredibly tough, and they ended up tying."
She looked over at the redhead as well and gave a small wave before she looked back to Amy and her Sandile. "For now, yes, I believe I will. I'm not quite sure where the next contest will be held, but I will definitely be there. And, I'm going to continue challenging gyms. Not only is the experience worthwhile, but you get a good chunk of money to spend and a new TM to use, so it's definitely worth it." She looked down at Selena again and knelt down, gulping as she ran her fingers over the Snivy's smooth head. The smallest bit of a smile appeared on the grass-type's face but she kept still, aware of how much she freaked out her new trainer. "After Surge, what are you going to do next?" she asked. "You seem to have made a new friend, too," she added, nodding toward the redhead.
* * * * *
"Yes, it's definitely time to move on," Katie agreed, also making sure she hadn't left anything behind. The little Solosis was still hovering near her, carefully studying the others. Miles had approached the little blob to say hello, and the Floatzel was greeted by a Psywave to the face in reply. The water-type staggered back, his tails lashing the air as he snarled, looking to Katie for the OK to fight back. "Stand down," the orange haired girl said with a sigh and she recalled Miles into his poke ball. 'Don't worry, you and I will have a lot of fun working together at the Veilstone Gym,' she thought, smiling fondly at the ball before she clipped it on to her belt. The group had started to move forward, and Genki chose to stay beside Cable and Kord in the back, occasionally glancing up at the two electric-types curiously before he'd look over at the Flareon perched on Kilik's shoulder. He quietly wondered just how tough the fox was as it was always nice to meet and learn from other fire-types.
Katie's gaze drifted between the seemingly angry little Solosis and the quiet Klink, still trying to piece together where these mysterious eggs had come from, and why her new Pokemon seemed to be so aggressive. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't quite noticed that they'd made it to the entrance to the Oreburgh Gate until Kilik spoke up, and she grinned. "Well, aside from your usual Geodudes and hordes of Zubats, you also have to watch out for Sinnoh Drop Bears," she said, shrugging nonchalantly. "They cling to the stalactites and wait for unsuspecting people and Pokemon to pass by below them, and they drop down and attack. I'm sure they'll be no problem for a tough trainer like you, though," she said, smiling cutely as she stepped into the entrance of the cave, Genki following along behind her and doing his best not to laugh.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 1:41 pm
"Please," Jett scoffed, brows creasing at the sight of the redhead's uncharacteristic worry. Scarlet had first avoided challenging Falkner's gym since his main assets were not very capable of being airborne, but he sincerely doubted that his friend would leave the Azalea Gym tomorrow morning lacking a badge. "Terumi will be a formidable opponent, from what I've seen, and Cindy has the best type advantage you could hope for. Not to mention Halibel could spontaneously evolve into a Gyarados in the middle of battle..." He paused, a reassuring smile coming to shape on his face. "You'll get a badge tomorrow, for sure." The boy lapsed back into silence, still slightly surprised by the mass that constantly caught the periphery of his vision. Viy seemed as comfortable on his shoulder as he had on the boy's head, half-lidded eyes still scanning the room, feelers still twitching idly in the air. He thought of Gallade, of Arbok and whatever Viy evolved into, along with a Beautifly and a Noctowl, and decided that there was some truth to that statement. With time and patience, he'd have a formidable team. So would Scarlet, as well as Jasper.
"Me?" he repeated absently, broken from his daydreams of terrifying Pokemon teams by Scarlet's last inquiry. "I'm not particularly worried," Jett said after a careful pause, head bobbing slighty as if he was agreeing with the statement just as it slipped from his lips. "Athena and Aerosmith are strong, and the training they did today was worth it. I'm not as worried as I was about Falkner, I guess." He shrugged once, disturbing Viy and forcing him to retreat back to the crown of his head. Jett smiled a little and took hold of the centipede, setting him on a nearby table. "I'm gonna keep you in here, okay?" He lifted up an empty Pokeball to show what he meant and, after receiving a slow blink of consent, he clicked it open and called Viy into it. It didn't even wobble twice before it beeped, signifying that his Pokemon was officially caught. He reattached it to his belt and turned back to the redhead.
"I'm gonna head back to my room." He wasn't sure what more he could say, so after another moment's deliberation, the dark-haired boy departed. He made it back to his room without incident, save for the door sticking a little and requiring a little more push to open it fully. He shrugged off his jacket and kicked off his clothes, piling the rest of his clothing on the floor beside the bed and laying his belt on top of the pile. Without much consideration to the room around him, the boy slipped under the covers and allowed the fatigue to take him, eyes drifting shut. With one last thought of the day ahead and the gym battle it would bring, he fell asleep.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
She admired the other girl's determination; already, she was thinking of getting those other four necessary ribbons to take part in the famed Grand Festival. She would love to see Riza take part in such a huge competition, but the thought also gave her pause. Would there be enough contests for her in time to play a part in the festival, or would she still be training and wrapped up in whatever her father was doing? Her fingers curled inward. Waiting a whole other year would leave her so behind everyone else, Riza and Crenu and Kenneth and the rest, but then again, she had lost in the very first round. Pushing such thoughts away, she focused back on Riza and her advice on Surge.
"Wow," was all she could manage at first. Crenu had seemed so strong and confident in himself, but then he had just come out of the gym again, saying that his match ended in another tie. "Well, Marshall will give it his all, I'm sure of it. And I still have Flora and my newer Pokemon to count on." Could she count on Lee or her Meowth in such an important battle? She might have to. Again dismissing her own concerns, she listened to Riza's plans for the future, nodding a little if only to let her know that she was listening. The bespectacled girl smiled a little when she saw Riza trying to bond with her Snivy, despite her earlier apprehensions. She looked down at Sandile again, wondering how well the little crocodile would do in a contest battle. The Ground/Dark-type looked back up at her and gave her a toothy grin before the both of them looked at Riza when she spoke.
"Oh, Karrigan?" Amy smiled. "We met this morning; she's so nice! And as for me, I... I'm not sure. I'd love to participate in contests and make it to the Grand Festival, but I might not be strong enough for that yet. So I'm gonna challenge some gyms, too, and catch some more Pokemon." There were also other matters to attend to, but she refrained from mentioning anything of the sort. That issue would be hers and hers alone to deal with. She glanced across the lobby as Kasiya and Crenu returned, discussing something that seemed to have caught Karrigan's interest. "I wonder what's happening," she remarked quietly, blinking. She turned back to Riza, suddenly curious. "How long have you known the two of them?" Amy wondered what the girl would say about either; she definitely seemed more partial towards Crenu, rather than Kasiya. In fact, she seemed to pick up some sort of animosity between the girls before the egg incident had transpired.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
There was something about the rock that caught her interest, something akin to deja vu, like she had been there or seen it all before. There was nothing special about it, aside from the fact that it was particularly large, but no one else seemed as fascinated by it as the two of them, and no particular Pokemon made any move towards it. She would leave it for now, but not without the niggling feeling in the back of her mind of this boulder's significance. The raven-haired girl frowned, but ultimately ignored it, suddenly realizing that they had slowed to watch a bug's slow climb up the trunk of a tree.
"It is," she agreed, not finding the insect very interesting. She continued on, gaze wandering all around as they trekked further into the forest. Jade saw the little plant-looking Pokemon scurrying about in clusters, cheering "Dew! Budew!" as they faded off into the distance. She saw one Pokemon resembling a bunny peering curiously out from the bushes, watching the two travelers with rapt attention. All of the sounds and the sights and the life of Eterna Forest certainly had its appeal, but she preferred an open sky to a canopy of leaves. But even she couldn't deny that it was pretty in its own way here. "How much longer until nightfall?" she asked as they walked. "I wonder how far we can go until we set up camp."
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:43 pm
The silence that had followed after Keegan's sort-of confession was excruciatingly painful, and though he was terrified of how Kasiya would respond, if she even planned to, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She'd managed to clean herself up somewhat since her arrival here as she lacked the sweaty, grungy look the majority of them still had, and she didn't smell like sulfur, and he suspected that her clothing had been washed, as well. Granted, he'd managed to clean himself up a bit before his disastrous incident in the bathroom, and the sudden realization that he was coated with toilet water as well as pumpkin guts made him shudder. He never wanted a hot shower more in his entire life. His wet jacket hung heavily against his aching shoulders and he practically ripped it from his body before stuffing it haphazardly in his bag, though he did all this without removing his gaze from Kasiya, realizing that however she responded would likely affect him for the rest of his life.
His heart stopped when she finally answered and he closed his eyes as she reached out to him, feeling a tug as she pulled something from his hair. From that point on, every word she spoke felt like a thousand daggers in his heart and he was already shaking his head, a high-pitched, almost hysterical laugh escaping his throat. She had turned to leave and on impulse alone he stepped forward and put one hand on the door, slamming it shut and continuing to hold his hand there, preventing her from leaving the room. "Kassie," he said, his voice breaking even though he tried to keep it firm. "I know... you know..." He cleared his throat and blinked back tears. He needed to say something. Anything.
"He's going to choose Flannery," he blurted out suddenly. "I know you think you stand a chance now with everything that's happened, but... when it comes right down to it, everything he's done, every move that he's ever made over the course of his whole life has been for her. He's going to choose Flannery," he repeated, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I know that, and you know that." No, he didn't really know that for certain, and he wasn't even sure why he'd even said it in the first place. If this was desperation, he was sure he'd hit it. He also wasn't sure what a stroke felt like, but he was nearly convinced he was having one now. He was openly crying as well, but he didn't care. "Save yourself the heartbreak, Kasiya. Please. I-I'm begging you. Choose me."
=====
Once Miharu and Leroy were actually traveling along Route 38, the trek towards Olivine City was rather smooth. The weather was nice with clear skies and warm sunshine, and though they saw many trainers along the way, few bothered with them, possibly because there was the two of them. A few times, however, they were challenged, once by an overeager youngster in dirty jean shorts and a dingy grey t-shirt, and once by an older teenage girl. Leroy calmly stepped up and took on both trainers, winning each battle, much to Miharu's delight. He didn't just win, either, but he did it without having any of his Pokemon get knocked out, as well.
Miharu was as elated as she was oblivious, realizing as she walked that she was becoming quite smitten with the charming young man that was accompanying her. The feeling was both exciting and terrifying, as well as confusing, and suddenly she understood what her Aunt Maggie had meant when she once told her during not to mind her cousin's sourer-than-usual mood as it was due to girl problems. The memory triggered a smile and Miharu made a mental note to call Keegan once she'd won her sixth badge and challenge him to a battle, if he dared. Whooping the older redhead in a match would do wonders for her confidence.
Leroy hadn't missed the fact that Miharu had developed somewhat of a schoolgirl crush on him and though it only made the hole being eaten away by guilt that much wider, he decided to play it up, returning her smiles and stolen glances with as much enthusiasm as he could force. He had a plan now, and he fully intended to execute it, his determination growing as they drew nearer and nearer to Olivine City.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:17 pm
Crenu had to admire the steel stare Kasi was giving him in return, for a happy go lucky girl that couldn't sneak worth a damn and seemed timid most of the time she had more of a spine than he gave her credit for. But that was no matter, Crenu continued towards the center as Kasi continued to go on, no doubt she didn't approve of his decision with Ariados. He turned back to give her a glance as she suggested taking the spider off of his hands for him, a rather curious notion. The notion of a trade was rather interesting he had to admit, and while it was a viable option for getting rid of his Ariados he hadn't imagined it would happen so soon. It was still mostly background noise though as they continued to the center, only having really caught his interest when she finally made her offer. "Your Muk?" He finally stopped walking and turned around fully to face her properly. "Hmm...a poison type for a poison type...seems like a balanced trade on the surface. Though I must say, a Muk is much more interesting than an Ariados, especially one that Shadow Punches." The slimy creature made up of pollution, who's very existence was a curious puzzle, he had to admit he was quite intrigued and even impressed by it when he watched it battle earlier. "Tch, if you really want my Ariados that much then fine. You're getting the short end of the stick though." Crenu cracked his neck, hands in his pockets as he walked ahead again this time making for the trade machines in the other room of the poke center. "I don't know what you have in mind for her, and I don't really care. I hope you're not only going to do this trade out of pity for her, such a weak heart will cause you trouble in the future, if it hasn't already...though I suppose that kind of conviction has to be admired as well. Hmm, whatever. Let's do this." He didn't really care as he was getting what he wanted here, but he felt the need to at least give Kasi a chance to change her mind before making a poor decision in his eyes.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This world changes day by day. Forever...evolving...but no matter how much it changes the world stays the same underneath. It's all cosmetic. And under the make up and the glitter, behind the houndour and ponyta show, it's all dirty. Kenneth turned up the collar of his shirt and took a deep drag from his cigarette, coughing violently afterwards as he crushed the death stick in the ground and tried to play it off. Ignoring the watery eyes and burning sensation in his throat he placed his hands in his pockets and walked. He really hated cigarettes, but they really pulled together his hard boiled detective look and he was, if nothing else, really committed to his costumes and his rolls. He cleared his throat and continued northwards on rout 204. "Hmm, Jaeshan undoubtedly would have gone to Jubelife, as it's the only place to go from Sandgem. From there it's west to Canalave and eat to Oreburgh. I doubt he'd go to Canalave, and if he did he wouldn't stay long. That's for stronger trainers and seeing as all his pokemon are back home I'd wager he's working with newly caught pokemon. Oreburgh would be the likely choice if he follows the suggested path for green trainers...which he is in his mind. It could be worth it to go and inquire if anyone matching his description challenged Roark lately...but continuing upwards towards into Mt. Cornet isn't usual and if he did win he'd head right back and then north towards Floaroma. If any of his old habits and knowledge has leaked over from deep in his mind then I can say with confidence he'll have gotten a badge if interested in that at all, so it would be best to go right for Floaroma and ask there. Yes, I think this would be best. Mmm Floaroma is so gorgeous! I should pick up some honey for my lovely pokemon as treats and maybe get flowers for their next contest outfit! Er...I mean. Ask some questions and maybe get some supplies if I have time. The case is my priority." Ken sighed, he really would have loved to work on some new designs but contests would have to wait. Right now that wasn't his character or his job, he had to find Jae so Rowan could send him his pokemon. The professor would get his part of the job done, but Ken had to do his part too. He took out another cigarette and lit it, hacking out his lungs almost instantly but doing his best to hold it in and look like the cool noir detective he was suppose to be playing. Yup, it's a dirty world with harsh truths and unhappy endings. Will this story end in a crying momma and a lost soul forever? Not if I have anything to say about it. Being a ninja might have been easier. To Jubelife we go, the center of communication in Sinnoh and sure to be crawling with scum on it's underbelly. Oh my gosh look at that cute little budew!
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 12:04 pm
Train bit her lip and shifted her weight. Gloom didn't exactly have much room for maneuvering or dodging. The dock/platform/whatever wasn't exactly tiny, but the fear of falling into the water would likely leave most too cautious for any darting around. Gloom was exactly this way, and haphazardly tried to bumble out of the way, but the attack blasted her head-on and she was knocked backwards towards Train. Gloom wiggled and jumped back up, but it was obvious how much that attack had hurt her.
And they both knew just the remedy for that.
”Mega Drain!” Train commanded quickly, and the words were barely out of her mouth before green orbs began spilling from her body and flying towards the Starmie. The trainer had a feeling that Gloom would have used the attack whether she’d asked her to or not.+=+=+=+ Muuma moved back a little as Leon stepped forward and bent down to retrieve the PokéBall. As he straightened back up and slipped the ball into his jacket she noticed the moping Litwick still drooped on the cavern floor, his wax now having appeared to have melted and spread across the rocks. The flame atop his head was tiny and he was just staring at the ground. Leon was about to speak to the Pokémon when Muuma whooshed down and vehemently attempted to comfort him. He raised his head just a little to look at her, the wax shifting slightly and dripping down further. He sniffled as he spoke to the Screech Pokémon. He’d only been trying to impress his new friends! He could’ve done that move too, and helped! And the big purple guy had just gotten angry with him. Another moment of coaxing, and he nodded a little, raising himself up and returning to his normal shape a bit.
She rose up to look Leon in the face and gave him a bit of a glare. He rolled his eyes and crouched down to the Candle Pokémon, who shied away from him. ”Come on, don’t you want to see what it’s like outside of this cave?” Leon said quietly, sighing a little as he spoke. The Litwick brightened up (literally) and gathered himself up (literally), smiling and jumping a bit. Leon pushed himself back up and closed his eyes for a quick moment, slipping his hands into his pants’ pockets. Was he going to have to keep dealing with this A.D.D. candle thing? Muuma smiled behind him and flew past the trainer to catch up with Litwick, who had risen up above the ground again and was making his way back through the cavern.
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 12:37 pm
Kasiya froze as the door she'd only just started to open was slammed shut again and she trembled, looking up to see that it had been Keegan had closed in on her. She swallowed hard, trying not to squeeze the daylights out of the poor little Candle Pokemon she still held in her arms. Clearly she was not getting out of this room until Keegan had said whatever it was he wanted to say.
She slowly turned around to face him again, allowing a bit of fear to show through the angry expression on her face as she looked up. He was stammering and mumbling, and she could feel annoyance building up as he stumbled over his words. She was just about to tell him to spit it out already when he did just that, and suddenly she wished she'd never allowed him to drag her into this stupid closet. He was going to choose Flannery? How did Keegan know that? The words felt as though a red-hot iron had pierced her heart. One arm dropped to her side, hand clenched into a tight fist. She wanted nothing more than to jump forward and punch the redhead but she knew that it wouldn't solve anything at this point. Instead, she found the sudden anger that had surged forth to be dying down quite rapidly, and she sighed. Deep, deep down, she was quite certain the redhead was right.
Her resolve broke and once again tears started to flow. "Yeah, you're... you're right," she admitted finally. "I know - I've always known. Or, well, you know, suspected. I guess I thought... I don't know, I thought that maybe he'd change his mind, but, you're right. It's always been Flannery, and it probably always will be." She sighed again, finding it strangely endearing to see that the redhead was crying, too. It wasn't something he did very often so she knew he was quite serious. "Keegan, how can you possibly want me to choose you, when by now, you know quite well that you'd be my second choice? How could you live with that? How can I live with that? I don't think that's entirely fair to you."
=-=-=-=-=
At that point in time, Flannery really wasn't sure how she'd gotten to where she was right now. She jumped a little when she felt Mike wrap his arms around her, and for a moment she feared intense heat. When the burning sensations didn't come she sighed, still sniffling as she managed to entwine her arms around Mike's body, squeezing him gently as not to further aggravate his injuries, which she knew without any medical training whatsoever, were quite severe. It was a little shocking to hear him apologizing to her, but at the same time, it filled her with relief, and the tiniest bit of hope. Perhaps someday he would return to his normal self again, or at least someone close to who he used to be.
"Shh, no, no, love, no, don't say that," she said, more tears finding their way down her already sopping cheeks. She'd just about forgotten about those horrible things she'd said to him at Slateport and a sharp jab of pain shot through her stomach. "I was angry then, I... I didn't mean it. I don't mean it," she whispered, gently stroking his hair, which had been tidied up considerably by the nursing staff. "I... I don't understand how we got here. How things have become like this. Everything used to be so simple. When we were little, I..." she laughed then, wiping her face with the back of her hand and leaning back so she could look Mike in the eyes. "I had it all planned out, I did," she said, nodding and making a sound that was somewhere between giggling and sobbing. "I was going to be the strongest Gym Leader in all of Hoenn, and you'd be Hoenn League Champion and we'd be rich and famous. And then we'd get married and have all these adorable kids. But now... now I just don't know. This isn't how I planned things. This isn't how it was supposed to be. I don't know what to do now. This isn't how it's supposed to be..."
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 1:27 pm
"No, no. It was deserved. You had every right to be angry." Mike said. "There was, hah, more than a bit I left out from you." He smiled through the tears as she ran her fingers through his hair, her gentle touch sending tingles down his spine. He closed his eyes as Flannery began talking about their past, and how nothing lined up the way she planned.
"Me too!" Mike said, joining Flannery in her giggling fit. "And I, I didn't quite plan on drowning half the city! Hahaha! Ow. That-haha-certainly wasn't on my to-do list." As the two laughed away their mutual crushed hopes and dreams, Mike was now quite certain his insanity was an airborne contagion. His laughter subsided as Flannery grew somber, and once again guilt returned to his face. "Man, I really could have just waited and things would have worked out, huh?" he shook his head. "You're still tops in my book, you know." he said, gently flicking her nose with his pointer finger. "I know one day you'll make a wonderful Gym Leader and be a fantastic mother. You have such greatness about you." his expression darkened. "Please don't let me hold you back. I couldn't live with myself if you had to spend your entire life in fear of the next mess I would make. That's not what I want for you." Mike stole another glance at the viewing window. He halved a weak smile as he saw no one was there.
"I'm surprised you haven't asked about her yet. I thought that would be the first thing you'd bring up."
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Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 6:45 pm
“I don’t blame you! Pikachu are really cute!” Though the prospect of heading back to the forest was a little scary, Alex wasn’t half as afraid as she was the first time that she’d entered now that Blues had evolved. If there were any Beedrill, the Kadabra would probably mop the floor with them, and even if he couldn’t, a sandstorm from Roll would probably be enough to discourage them. “I’m going to Pewter City to check out the museum there, so I have to head through the forest too!”
There was one thing, though. She still had to make her new friend’s addition to her team official. Alexis decided to take a cue from the older trainer and fished an unused pokeball from her bag. The Drillbur eyed the sphere cautiously for a moment before staring back up at Alex confused. “This is a pokeball. It’s… Sorta where you’ll live, I guess, if you wanna come with me, Forte,” the blonde said as she knelt down, smiling awkwardly. The mole pokemon stared for what felt like an eternity before a wide smile crept across her face, and she nodded moving a clawed finger to tap the shiny silver button on the red and white ball.
Then, like a ninja, a tiny dull green hand darted in and slapped the girl’s hand, sending the tiny sphere clattering to the ground. And there Roll stood, glaring down at Forte with a pout and bright red eyes. But even though the Drilbur was half Roll’s size, she stared back with an odd intensity for something with dots for pupils.
Alex rubbed her hand where her Larvitar hit her. “Roll, stop it!” Forte shot Roll a glare that could paralyze a ditto, a look that promised grievous bodily injury later, before she strolled over to the pokeball and tapped the button on it, a crimson light enveloping her body. The sphere didn’t shake once, and with a satisfying ‘click,’ the capture was official. Alexis strolled over to the pokeball and picked it up, letting out a sigh before glancing over at Blues. The Kadabra just shrugged. She made a note to have a long talk with Roll later, sighing a bit while the Larvitar side eyed the pokeball with barely restrained malice.
“Well… Can we maybe travel together until Kressen gets his pokemon and he has to leave for Pallet Town?”
---
Scarlet perked up pretty quickly as Jett spoke. He was right, after all. Terumi and Cindy were veritable tanks in a bug gym. And he’d be a liar if he said he wouldn’t be horribly excited at the sheer idea of Halibel turning into a giant draconic snake monster in a fight against a caterpie. “… You’re right. I’m scared over nothing,” he grinned, looking over at Cindy as she darted over and hopped into his lap, curling up into a ball. “Thanks for the pep talk.”
Luckily, Jett’s confidence wasn’t wavering at all. It made Scarlet oddly proud to hear the kid who’d been so worried about whether or not he’d be able to stand up to his siblings say that he’d believed in his training. That he’d totally beat up that Bugsy kid too. He watched Jett offer the official recruitment letter of sorts to Viy, and noted that soon, he’d have to get Sledge into a pokeball of his own soon.
“Alright, Jett! I’ll see yah tomorrow!” Scarlet waved goodbye as his friend disappeared to his room. The redhead sat at the table a little longer, now that he wasn’t too nervous to eat. A couple more sandwiches and glasses of delicious, calcium enriched milk disappeared down his ravenous maw, and Cindy stole a French fry or ten whenever Scarlet glanced over to make sure Sledge hadn’t gotten himself into trouble. Eventually, though, it was time for bed, and the redhead cleared the table and led Cindy and Sledge to the room.
Cindy darted up the bed and curled up atop Scarlet’s pillow, watching sleepily as he knelt down before Sledge, taking an empty pokeball from his belt. “Hey, so like I have to officially catch you. In my hand, my friend, is a pokeball, and it’s pretty much a quiet place you can rest if you ever get sick of me talking at you,” Scarlet joked with a grin, but Sledge didn’t laugh. “Uhh, but yeah, it’s where you’ll sleep tonight, alright? I’m gonna let you out so you can watch the gym battle tomorrow. How about it?”
What Scarlet assumed to be Sledge’s head slumped down a bit, but after a moment, he responded with a click. Scarlet tapped the ball against the Roggenrola, and in it went, letting out the tell tale ‘ding’ that the capture had been successful.
With the hard work for the day done, Scarlet slipped off his jacket and glanced at Cindy. “You ready for tomorrow? It’ll mostly be riding on you, I bet.” She yawned, then nodded, closing her eyes. “… I’ll shut up and let you sleep then. Night, Cindy.” She let out a weary “quil” and repositioned herself on the pillow to leave enough room for her trainer’s head.
Scarlet changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep too.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:51 am
Kasiya crossed her arms and eyed Crenu as he turned to face her, seemingly intrigued by her offer. She'd also realized that she probably could have just convinced him to give her Ariados without a trade as he seemed that insistent on getting rid of her, but she wasn't sure that Bubbles the Muk was really cut out for her team. That, and she was certain that if any Pokemon could survive Crenu's apparent strict standards, she was pretty certain that Bubbles could. "Yes, I'm all right with the trade, Shadow Punch and all," she said, her resolve unwavering, and she glanced back over at Riza and Amy, and Karrigan too as the others had seemingly taken notice of the conversation.
"Yeah, we'll just see about that," she said, shrugging in response to the comment about her getting the short end of the stick, though she narrowed her eyes when said she had a weak heart. A flood of responses came to mind but she kept them to herself knowing full well that everything she'd gone through in the past few days was enough of a testament as to how strong her heart truly was. "Let's do this," she agreed, striding over to the trade machine, the Muk's Great Ball ready in her hand. She placed the red and blue sphere in the slot on one side and glared over at Crenu as she waited for him to put Ariados' Pokeball in. Once both trainers were ready, she didn't hesitate to reach over and pull down the lever which would initiate the trading sequence.
=-=-=-=-=
Jake looked up at the canopy of leaves overhead and then checked the time on the old, beaten-up PokeNav that Professor Rowan had given him. "I don't know for sure," he said, shrugging. "Almost all the light is blocked out so we probably wouldn't even know it when night comes." They walked a little further, twisting and turning a few times and having to make their way through some grass that was easily up past their knees. Well, Jake's knees, as it was a bit deeper for Jade. "Wouldn't mind not having to do that again," Jake sighed, brushing a few blades of grass from his legs. Sigilyph had been floating dutifully along beside his new trainer, quietly taking in all the sights around them. He kept himself up high enough to avoid the tall grass, though once they'd reached the other side, the Psychic/Flying-type suddenly drifted forward, the tips of his skinny wings twitching.
"Sigilyph? What's up?" Jake asked, also taking a step forward. There was a bit of rustling and another one of those pointy red bugs emerged, hissing up at the Avianoid Pokemon. Jake blinked a few times, and pulled out his PokeDex, frowning a bit as he aimed it at the worm. "It's called Wurmple," he muttered. "I think it wants to fight, maybe?" He glanced to Jade as though seeking approval before he looked back at his PokeDex, and switched the entry over to Sigilyph. "All he knows is Gust and something called Stored Power. So, uh, how about using Gust?" he asked, looking over at Sigilyph. The Avianoid Pokemon nodded and he drifted up, pushing his wings forward and sending out a sharp burst of spiraling air at the unsuspecting Wurmple.
The little red insect was knocked back several feet and bounced to a stop, looking a bit dazed. Sigilyph moved forward, prepared to attack again but the Wurmple decided that it had enough already and it crawled away. "Well then," Jake said, looking back at Jade. "Not bad for a baby... thing."
=-=-=-=-=
Karrigan had risen from her seat and walked much closer to where Crenu and Kasiya were, catching only small parts of their conversation. Kasiya had offered to trade a Muk in exchange for Ariados, and the redhead frowned, realizing she didn't know what either of those Pokemon were so she quickly looked both of them up in her PokeDex. Crenu seemed indifferent about the whole matter, though she didn't overly like some of the things he'd said to the blonde girl. She didn't know what had sparked them to make this trade, but the concept had her quite intrigued. She'd never really heard much about trading Pokemon between trainers and she couldn't help but wonder if it was something that was really okay. After all, wouldn't the Pokemon's feelings be hurt in the process?
When Crenu pointed out the trade machine her green eyes grew wide and she approached it cautiously, studying the numerous dials and lights and screens. She hadn't noticed the two slots until Kasiya dropped a red and blue sphere into one of them, and as she looked up at the accompanying screen, a silhouette of her Muk appeared. The same happened with Crenu's Ariados. This is all very interesting, she thought as the trade sequence was initiated. She made a note to talk to one of them afterward, though it would likely be Kasiya she'd ask as Crenu seemed too unfriendly for small talk.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:22 am
"I'm sure you'll do just fine," Riza nodded, looking at the little gator in Amy's arms. Her pokedex had said it was a ground and dark-type and it would be a good match up for Surge's Pokemon as well. Type match ups aside, Amy and the Sandile seemed to already be getting along quite well and she felt a pang of envy. No one else had been utterly terrified of the Pokemon they'd received from these random eggs. She glanced up at the sky, deciding that whoever had sent them these eggs in the first place had a pretty cruel sense of humor. She glanced down at Selena again and the Snivy gave her a small, knowing smile, which Riza returned. Perhaps this would be a good growing experience for her to overcome her fear of snakes and serpents.
"She is nice," she agreed, looking over at the red head. "She doesn't say much though, I like her." It was easy to see that the red head wasn't overly comfortable in social situations, even though she seemed to be interested in their conversation. "There's still plenty of time left in the contest season, and even if you don't make it this year, all the ribbons you do win will count towards next year's Grand Festival. And there's always the possibility that I won't make it, especially considering the talent level I've seen so far." She frowned a bit, and then looked across the lobby as Crenu reentered, followed by a fairly pissed-off looking Kasiya. This was new to Riza and she couldn't help but wonder what Shiro had done to make the normally cheerful and upbeat blonde girl so angry. She stepped a bit closer just in time to hear Kasiya offer to trade her Muk for Crenu's Ariados, and Riza's expression fell. "Oh, no, please no, anything but that awful Muk!" she whined, shaking her head. "How about that beautiful Meganium or even that hotheaded Charmeleon?" Neither of them appeared to notice Riza's distress as they went ahead and started the trade anyway, a wide-eyed Karrigan inching closer and closer.
Riza gave an exasperated sigh, looking down at Selena as the Snivy gave her leg a gentle, reassuring pat. "I met them a while ago," she said, nodding at the two trading trainers. "At that beach party in Slateport, before things got really bad. I ended up hanging out with Shiro, as Kasiya seemed to have plenty of friends already, and once the attack started, he protected me," she said, a bit of a dreamy little smile appearing on her face. "If it hadn't been for him, Team Rocket would have stolen all of my Pokemon."
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thunderbolts_and_sunshine
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:05 am
Despite his earlier worries of being unable to fall back asleep, the fact that his first real day out in the world as a fully-licensed Pokemon Trainer had left him more exhausted than he realized, and before long, Jasper had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep. Or, at least it was dreamless until early that morning, when Jasper dreamed something he hadn't in quite some time. He could never place when or where this dream took place, but all he knew was that something bad had happened, and that someone important to him was missing. He would spend most of the dream wandering around, searching for this missing person, but he never knew exactly who it was he was looking for. The dream ended the way it always did, with a mob of uniformed, official-looking people walking toward him, stopping him from searching and pushing him in the exact opposite direction of where he had to go. As usual, the dream was vague and somewhat blurry, but also, as usual, it woke him up.
He wasn't shaking or terrified this morning, however and as his eyes adjusted, he realized sunlight was streaming in through a crack in the blinds on the window. All three of his Pokemon were still sound asleep, though Ditto had shifted back to its natural state at some point in the night. Paras was still curled up in a ball, face hidden behind his claws while Totodile was flat out on her back, mouth gaping open as she snored quietly. Jasper chuckled at the sight of them and stood up, doing a series of stretches to work the knots and tension from his muscles that had formed from sleeping on the floor. He quickly checked the time, figuring it had only been about ten minutes since sun up and he was quite pleased to have woken up at a reasonable hour today. He yawned loudly and flopped back down in his nest of blankets, content to just lie there and let a bit more time pass before he got up.
When it became apparent that his Pokemon had no plans of stirring anytime soon, he got up and gathered his clothing, being certain to empty his pockets of anything valuable before he opened his door and crept out into the hallway. It was still very quiet in the Center, but Jasper could hear someone moving about in the lobby, as well as the occasional sounds of keys being pressed at a computer. Figuring it was the nurse getting started for the day, Jasper quickly sought out the washroom and fetched himself a robe. After that it was on to the laundry area and he quickly threw his ball of garments inside the washer, dumped in a bit of soap and started it up.
* * * * * * * * * *
"They are cute, aren't they?" Hayley beamed at Alex, thoroughly delighted that someone shared her opinion of the electric rodent. "They're not that plentiful though, so I'm not sure how long it will take me to find one." Having finished enough of the Pawniard's sketch to complete when she had more time, she quickly started on Alex's Drilbur, watching with amusement as the little Larvitar showed her green side by refusing to let Alex put it in a Pokeball of its own. She didn't get enough of the little Mole Pokemon sketched out for her liking, but she wagered she'd have plenty of time to do so later. She stowed her sketchbook in her backpack and quickly recalled her Charmander, Rattata and Nidoran into their respective Pokeballs. The Snivy watched this process with wide eyes, finally looking up at her new trainer as she'd knelt down in front of her, holding a fourth red and white sphere. "If you want to go with us, you'll have to go in here, at least for now," the brunette said cheerfully. "Don't worry, you'll get plenty of time outside of it, too, but it's kind of tradition for Pokemon to have a Pokeball to stay in.
Ivy contemplated this a moment before she gave a shrug, and there was a small sparkle of green from the small, almost wing-like leaves protruding from her back and the base of her neck, and a second later, a long, slender green vine extended outward and tapped the center button of the Pokeball. "Snivy," she said, flashing a sly grin as the red light pulled her inside. Hayley waited just long enough for the "capture" to register before she released the Grass Snake Pokemon, and Ivy crossed her arms over her chest and gave an approving nod. "Snivy, sni." Hayley then offered her arm and the grass type scampered up, quick as a green flash and perched herself on Hayley's shoulder, quite content to hitch a ride.
"That sounds good to me," Hayley nodded at Alex, and looked over to Kressen. "Other than Cynder, I hadn't planned on catching either of my other two Pokemon," she admitted quickly. "Mya had so much spunk that I couldn't resist her, and she and Tisyphone made friends really fast so I couldn't split them up. This is the best part about being a trainer, I think," she added, still wearing a smile that could blind someone from thirty feet away. "Shall we be off then?" She didn't wait for an answer, however, as she started to run off in the direction of the forest, giggling excitedly the whole time.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 12:12 pm
"You're right," Amy realized, not having thought of saving any ribbons she might win for next year's Grand Festival. "I guess every ribbon really does count." The idea seemed to console her a little, and then Riza remarked that she might not even make it this year. She's as new to it as I am, just stronger, the bespectacled girl thought, feeling a lot better from their conversation. All she had to do was keep going forward, one step at a time. And that next step for her would be the battle with Surge. Amy turned along with her friend to see Kasiya and Crenu reenter the lobby, apparently with much purpose. She giggled a little at Riza's lament over the trade, hazarding a guess that she wasn't very fond of Muk. To be honest, she wouldn't be fond of sentient sludge either, but she figured that every Pokemon had their upsides and their downsides. She set Sandile back on the ground, still not sure what upsides or downsides her own Pokemon would show in the future, but she was eager to see them. The Desert Croc Pokemon's eyes wandered around the lobby curiously, apparently settling upon a stray bag left unattended by someone. Amy hadn't noticed, however, since she was too busy listening to Riza explain how she had come to know the two trainers.
"Oh, that's awful!" she gasped, remembering all of the news on Slateport not too long ago. "Well, I'm glad he was there to help you. It would've been just terrible if your Pokemon were taken..." Crenu didn't look very heroic, but it wasn't her place to assume, and he seemed closer to Riza than anyone else in their little group. She watched the trade transpire in silence, the idea of trading off Pokemon between trainers never really having occurred to her. She wouldn't be very willing to trade any of her Pokemon away, but maybe there would be one she caught in the future that was just a bad fit. Meanwhile, Sandile had nosed his way into the mysterious bag, emerging successfully with a berry held precariously between his sharp, sharp teeth. A trainer retrieving his Pokemon back from Nurse Joy cried out in dismay and Amy looked over, wincing as the Desert Croc Pokemon ate the first Oran Berry with only a few bites and returned for another. "Oh no," she muttered, hurrying over to the Ground/Dark-type and sweeping him back up before he could retrieve another berry. "I'm so sorry; he just hatched recently and I... I'll pay you for it, I swear!" But the dark-haired boy only grumbled irritably, collected his bag and left without another word. Cheeks steadily reddening, Amy looked down at Sandile, who beamed back up at her and offered her another grin stained with berry juice.
"You shouldn't be stealing! It'll only get you in trouble. I'm going to have to talk you later," she scolded, making the little Pokemon's smile fade. She fixed him with a stare before grabbing one of her empty Pokeballs, capturing Sandile without another word. After hearing the affirmative beep, she attached it to her belt and looked back at the trade between Crenu and Kasiya in silence, still slightly embarassed.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"Yeah, tell me about it," she grumbled as they waded through the grass that had come up to her waist. She didn't like not being able to see where she was walking or, more specifically, what she could be walking on. For all they knew, there were snake-like Pokemon in this forest, or even scarier types that just waited in the grass for trainers to stumble along. She had heard all of the horror stories before, about trainers led astray and finding themselves in an Ariados nest or having the life squeezed out of them by Arbok. All of the stories occupied her mind until they made their way out of the grass and she was relieved to her legs unscathed, save for a few pieces of stubborn grass. Brushing them away, she looked up when Jake's strange looking Pokemon seemed to pick up on something. But instead of rabid Ariados or murderous Arbok, it was just a little worm Pokemon.
"Impressive," she said with a dry smile when Sigilyph dispatched the Bug-type. She wasn't exactly sure what Chloris was capable of, but she was sure it was just as good as what Jake's Pokemon got. As they continued on, Jade thought she heard some voices carrying through the forest, carrying on a normal conversation about some Pokemon or another they saw earlier. She peered through the trees, catching glimpses of a pair of trainers, one boy and one girl. "Hey," she began softly, looking back at the blonde. "Wanna battle? We could challenge them," nodding over to the trainers through the trees, "and it'd be good practice for the gym. What do you say?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 12:38 pm
"Good job, Starmie!" Misty called when she saw her Pokemon's Psychic attack hit dead-on. Gloom seemed a little rattled, but was otherwise holding on strong and both the Grass/Poison-type and her trainer seemed to know what to do at once. The redhead bit back a whine, knowing that Mega Drain would not only do a lot of damage but also restore some of Gloom's health. She would be able to work around that, anyways. The Grass-type hit dead on, making Starmie's core blink more as its health was sapped away, but it calmed when the attack was over.
"Use Swift!" she ordered instead. A move that didn't miss would certainly make up for that Mega Drain. Starmie began to spin in the water, releasing a flurry of golden stars towards Gloom. The redhead wasn't particularly worried about the battle just yet; after all, they still had a few tricks up their sleeve, but hopefully so did her challenger.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jett tossed and turned in his bed, kicking half of the sheets off as he slept. He had several strange dreams over the course of the night: in one, he was climbing a mountain, edging along the thin trails overlooking a long, long drop and struggling to find a foothold in the rocks. But the closer he got to the top, the more he worried about what he would find until a silhouette blotted out the sun and someone grabbed his hand. He had woken up before anything else happened, but it was still dark outside so he closed his eyes until he fell asleep again. He dreamt that time that he was challenging the first of the Elite Four with just Athena, not knowing where River or Aerosmith had gone. But when he checked his Pokedex, the Noctowl definitely wasn't strong enough to win. He woke up before he even lost against the first Pokemon, finding himself in an empty room. He half-expected one of his Pokemon to be out, fighting another. Aerosmith and Athena had been squabbling the morning before, hadn't they? But he supposed it was a blessing that they all stayed in their Pokeballs and got up, checking out the window. It was early, he could tell that much, but how early? Would Jasper or Scarlet be up yet?
The raven-haired boy glanced down at himself, still in his sleepwear, and figured that he at least should get ready for the day ahead. Padding through the empty lobby, the boy found the bathrooms and showered quickly, the spray of water helping him wake up even more. After toweling off, he put his clothes back on, save for his jacket which was left in his room. He found himself out in the lobby, not really sure what to do for the time being. Were they serving breakfast yet? No, he decided he would wait for Jasper and Scarlet to both be up. Down one of the halls, he thought he heard a washing machine in use and looked at his own clothes. Maybe he should pick up some new ones in Goldenrod and wash his while they were there. He returned back to his room, collecting the rest of his things and slipping his jacket on after brushing his teeth. After that, he merely waited back in the lobby, flopping down on a couch and exchanging a smile with Nurse Joy as she passed by.
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