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 Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 11:16 am
"I don't know what's with the Pokemon either," Michele admitted without a problem, "But when we get out of here, I'll check the book again. Maybe there's something I missed,"
He doubted it. He'd turned that book inside out...but maybe he'd mis-translated something...that was possible.
Michele flushed a little at the new plan. Why did he have to be the smalller guy?
"Alright, let's do this,"
It was a moment of struggle before Michele managed to get up onto Dane's shoulders....they were unbalanced for quite a while before they were stable enough for Michele to grab and toss Clefable to the ledge. The pink Pokemon snatched it up easily, and once they were all safely on the ground again. Michele opened the pack so that Dane could set it in. This Orb glowed with a bright white and icey blue energy...and it was cool to the touch. Once it was tucked safely away, the younger Trainer released his Abra, kneeling down to its sleepy figure to ask it to comply.
Michele timidly offered his hand to Dane, his other holding onto the psychic Pokemon gently,
"Let's get out of here, shall we?"
~~
Oh god, the sun.
It was so wonderful.
Ultima pranced about, happily stretching her legs as Michele stuffed the heavy coat back into the bottom of his pack. He stood upright, smiling down at his estatic Eevee, and then looked up at Dane with a timid little smile.
Yeah, he was getting better with this whole smiling thing....especially since.....He pushed the thought away.
"Come on. Let's get to the Pokemon Center. Everyone could use some rest and a hot meal, don't you think?"
As they sat down at one of the booths, Michele put his attention back to the ancient book, scribbling notes down in his notebook. He read, translated, and wrote between bites of his sandwich.
".....as far as I can tell, there's nothing about Pokemon becoming hostile around their own type orbs," he said after a long while, "....there's mention of them being attracted to it, but not an urge to protect it or anything like that. It's a little weird."
He continued to read over it until he couldn't stand the idea of doing any more translating. So they just sat for a while....and Michele couldn't help but to think how much be enjoyed Dane's company.
It had been a long while since he'd ever trusted and wanted to be around another human being but....he was pretty happy with his new companion....Pretty happy indeed.
He caught himself smiling again and quickly wiped it from his face, confused about the feelings behind it.
What was getting into him?
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:47 am
Once they were all back on Cinnabar, Dane stretched his arms and breathed in deeply. While he had gotten used to harsh climates during his travels, he still greatly appreciated the comfort and beauty of such calm places. Watching Ultima run around, Dane was relieved they had all gotten out of the Seafoam Islands safely. In retrospect, Dane knew he could have made it out in one day on his own, but at the same time he realized he wouldn't even have known about the orbs without him. Besides that, having a partner finally made all the little struggles worthwhile in their own right. Especially when they had been forced to spend the night in the caves, even though it slowed them down and Mike had been uncomfortable, being able to show him the ropes and keep him safe felt like a genuine reward in an of itself.
Back at the Pokecenter, Dane handed over everyone who had participated in the battle before joining Mike for some lunch. Watching Mike comb through the ancient book as they ate, something struck Dane. "Hey Mike, where did you learn this ancient language, anyway? I mean, I've been adventuring for a few years now, and I've always made my way around without understand most of the old texts or symbols I pass. It seems really useful, I just...never took the time to learn anything like that. Did they teach it in your school or something?" When he thought about their respective skills, it seemed to him they were a perfect team. Mike was able to read the book and probably other old documents, but he was the one with all of the physical prowess and practical experience. The perfect match of book smarts and worldliness.
Scarfing down a plate of noodles as Mike talked about the text, Dane shrugged. "Like I said, it was probably just a coincidence that we ran into the two of them. They were probably more threatened by the fact that we were in their territories than the fact that we were after the orbs. I mean, if two strangers just came wandering into your nesting ground poking around for something, you'd probably be a bit suspicious too." Cleaning his plate, Dane said, "I'm gonna go turn those papers into the lab and see if they've finished whatever it was they were doing before. It shouldn't take me long."
A quick trip over to the laboratory turned into a bartering war as he tried to get a decent price on the papers they had picked up on their way through the Mansion. At last he managed to convince them of a price they could all agree on before bringing up the old amber.
Returning to the Pokecenter, Dane sat back down across from Mike and placed the Pokeball in the center of the table between them. Staring at it with a blank look, he explained, "They said they were able to revive an ancient, extinct Pokemon from DNA they found inside that old amber the museum asked me to bring here. But they also said that the museum doesn't have a use for live Pokemon and that they can clone as many as they need to with what they've got, so...they gave me this one as my reward instead of actually paying me. It's really cool and all, but...I'm not in this business for collecting." Sighing and leaning back in his chair, he continued, "I guess I really can't complain. I mean, it's a rare Pokemon so it'll probably be really strong or at least unpredictable. Sometimes all you need is to psych out your opponents to get an edge."
Taking the Pokeball back, he said, "Why don't we go outside and see what kind of Pokemon it is before we head back to Palette Town. Maybe we can surf on it and give Gyarados a break." Heading outside, Dane walked to the edge of the island facing Palette Town before releasing his new Pokemon. With a deafening roar, the monster spread its wings, glaring fiercely at its new trainer. Standing in awe for a moment, Dane said in disbelief, "That's an Aerodactyl! Wow...I guess they really did revive something from that amber...wow." Approaching it cautiously, Dane found that it was rather subdued, just a bit intimidating. Climbing onto its back with ease, Dane held out a hand to help Mike up. "Come on! Let's fly back to Palette Town in style!" he called with a huge grin.
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:05 am
(FUTS. Again. I wrote this HUGE LONG ENTRY and then Gaia backspaced and totally erased all of it! RAAAH)
Michele didn't really want to answer the question about how he'd learned the ancient language....mostly because it would entitle going back into his family history. He sighed a little, looking up at Dane uncertainly,
".....it all boils down to my sucky family life," he said honestly, ".....I had a big family, but no connection to anyone. It was a complete "fend for yourself" atmosphere....and that's what I did. When things got bad, when my mother and father started to fight, all the kids got out of the house. Including me. My safehouse was the house of a woman that lived in towards the center of Cerulean City, not too far from my house. She was my mother in all senses of the word, other than the fact she didn't give birth to me. She took me in whenever I needed an escape,"
A tiny, fond smile appeared on Michele's face at the memory,
"She used to be a sort of researcher, and so she had studied and learned all of those ancient languages. She loved history and Pokemon, and the connection between the two. She taught me everything she knew....from the way to treat Pokemon, to the years before our towns and cities stood, to all the old, ancient languages she knew. And I drank it in. Everything she told me, I committed to memory with everything I had,"
Michele smiled a little more and looked down, running pale fingers through his Eevee's soft brown fur,
"....she encouraged me to leave home and become a Pokemon Trainer, even though she'd miss me. She even gave me Ultima when she was just an Egg....that's why I treasure her more than anything.....She was a gift from my mother...." his voice went a little soft, ".....I ought to go see her if we pass through Cerulean..."
Michele was still and quiet the entire time Dane was gone, but was very surprised to see that they had given him a Pokemon for payment. Sure, Dane should have been appreciative, but since when had Pokemon become currency?
And then Dane released it outside and Michele was shocked to find that he recognized it from an old, old book from back home. Wow.
"An Aerodactyl..."
They'd brought it back from extinction, right? Holy crow. Ultima bristled a little at the sight of the ancient Pokemon, and so Michele had to hold onto her when he took Dane's hand to climb onto the back of the large, flying Pokemon.
"Wow....this is unexpected, but hey~"
And so they were on their way back to Pallet Town.
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:00 pm
((I absolutely hate it when that happens. >.> That's why when I'm using an older computer or one with an older version of browser, I sometimes type my post up in Word and then copypasta over. Just in case.))
As they flew high over the sea on the back of the ancient Pokemon, Dane said, "About earlier...we'll definitely be heading through Cerulean at some point as we make our way through all of the towns her ein Kanto, and we aren't in a huge hurry, so you'll have all the time you like to visit. Would it be okay if I met her too? She sounds like a really nice woman, especially if she's really into historical stuff and ancient languages. That kind of thing is the lifeblood of exploration. Without the undiscovered remains of civilizations past, we wouldn't really have anything to search for," he said with a bit of a silly, dramatic flair, knowing it was a little presumptuous, but knowing Mike would understand.
After a while of nothing but ocean in every direction, Dane asked, "Hey Mike, if we hadn't met and started out on this journey, what do you think you would be doing right now? I mean, you've been collecting badges, right? But you were reading that old book when I met you. Were you planning on searching for the orbs all along?"
In his own mind, Dane knew exactly where he would be if he hadn't run into Mike; in the middle of Mt. Moon helping out some hapless scientist who had wandered too far in for his own good. It seemed as though whenever the museum sent him in to help with research, he was simply on clean-up duty in an attempt to let the scientists do their jobs without having to worry about the wild Pokemon or getting lost. It was a pain, but doing part-time jobs for the museum was always his back-up if there wasn't anything more interesting or profitable around.
As they finally caught of land, Dane asked, "If we really succeed at gathering all of the orbs and raising the sunken city...do you think we'll go down in history? I mean...will anyone even know it was us? It's kind of hard to imagine what it'll be like. But," he said, quickly slapping on a smile, "we've still got a ways to go before we have to worry about that, huh?"
Landing Aerodactyl as far from the town as possible, Dane waited until they had both slid off its back onto dry land before returning it to its Pokeball. Looking around, he scratched his head and asked, "Where do we even begin to look? I mean, Ultima should be able to help, but this is such a small town and it doesn't really have many distinguishing features...what do you think?" Turning to Mike, he waited to see if Ultima could feel the orb's presence yet. If she couldn't, then they would be out of luck until they figured out where specifically to search.
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:18 pm
Michele was quiet for a long while when the flight began, holding Ultima against his side with one arm, but he turned his head to look at Dane when he spoke,
"Oh.....sure, you could come with me if we go to visit," he blushed at the thought, but smiled, "....I'm sure she'd be glad to meet you. She'd be glad I finally have a friend," he laughed at the very idea, "She'll probably try to over-feed us....apparently I've always been too skinny. I'll bet she'll say the same for you,"
The pause in their conversation was awkward mostly because Michele found himself staring at Dane's profile in interest, and caught himself, looking away quickly,
".....where would I be-?" he hadn't thought about it, "I dunno, really. I was collecting badges, but it was becoming sort of tedious, which was why I was taking a break. I pulled out the book because....I sort of wanted a taste of home. But then I got really interested, and then you came along~"
Michele wondered why he felt sort of.....good....at that thought.
Dane's third question made him think, and he was quiet for a long moment before he was able to answer,
"I dunno. Maybe. I haven't thought about it. I'm not sure what'll happen.....after all, those pages are torn out of the book. When we go visit Ms. Carrie --that's her name, by the way-- we can ask her if she knows anything extra. Maybe she has a clue,"
When they were back on land, the ancient Pokemon safely tucked away, Michele released Ultima to do as she pleased. He looked at Dane, just as uncertain,
"Well....we're looking for the Normal type Orb, so maybe Ultima can find it on her own. I'm not sure why she could sense the Grass type. As far as I know, Eevee don't evolve into Grass types.....But Venusaur was able to find it, and Growlithe was able to exactly pinpoint the Fire Orb....So, Ultima is a Normal type, so....she should be able to pinpoint this one. C'mon, let's go into town, let her walk around a while. I'm sure she'll let us know if she feels something~"
Michele turned to walk towards the town, touching Dane's elbow gently as he went. It was almost a reassuring, affectionate touch.....
Michele wasn't sure how he meant it.
((Yay. Crushes devlop. Rule 65: Uke's always fall in love first. XD))
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Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:34 pm
((Really? I guess so...Dane's interest is starting to pick up, though. He just thinks Mike is naturally cute. XD))
"Good idea. Not much else we can do at the moment...oh yeah, I sent my Fearow to the PC when I got the Aerodactyl, since they're both flying types, but Fearow's a normal type too, isn't it? Guess I should have thought ahead...but then again, Palette Town is pretty small, so it shouldn't be so bad," Dane rambled on, mostly thinking out loud and forgetting that Mike had to listen to him the entire time.
Whenever he got nervous about something, his mouth seemed to run ahead of his brain, leaving him in the dust by the time it had finished. For some reason, he felt especially bad about switching Fearow for Aerodactyl, though he couldn't put his finger on why. It wasn't as thought it had set them back much. Still, he continued to chatter on about whether or not being full type versus half a type would make a difference on being able to sense the orbs and what kind of Pokemon they would have to think about getting in the future to find the rest of the orbs. "Oh yeah, and there's Clefable," he said, finally remembering his own Normal-type Pokemon and releasing her from her Pokeball.
With a cute twirl and a smile, Clefable began bouncing around Ultima in a circle, happily playing with the smaller Normal-type. As they walked she continued to dance and sing without a care in the world, giving no sign that she could sense the orb or even knew they were supposed to be looking for it. A bit disappointed, Dane reminded her, "Clefable, we're supposed to be looking for the Normal-type orb, remember? Like the Ice orb in the Seafoam caves? You were there, helping us get it?" Even as he tried to explain the situation, the fairy Pokemon continued to play her games, occasionally jumping over Ultima lightly, never missing a beat.
Just as he was about to open his mouth again, Dane felt Mike's arm brush against his elbow. Instinctively, he reached over and locked elbows, feeling somehow relieved when he remembered he wasn't alone anymore. Not realizing he was clinging, he said, "On our way around town, why don't we stop by Prof. Oak's lab? I don't really have any business there, but he's a world-renown Pokemon expert! Maybe he'll be able to tell us something about the orbs? Then again, they're more the stuff of legend than of science. Still, he might be able to give us some pointers on raising our Pokemon or something. I mean, it couldn't hurt to just stop by and see if he's in, right?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:03 am
Michele was having sort of a fun time, watching Clefable and Ultima bound around each other as they progressed towards the small town. Neither Pokemon gave any signs that they were sensing anything odd...though the Eevee seemed more aware of their job than her fellow Normal type.
He listened to Dane's rambling, becoming more and more used to his tendency to babble and not minding it so much. However, when Dane locked elbows with him, he blushed hard and looked down at their point of contact in surprise. But Dane didn't seem to realize it. It wasn't bothering him, and it didn't seem to be some sort of test. He swallowed and forced himself to relax. It wasn't bad. It was okay.....
It was even sort of nice.
Michele found himself smiling,
"I wouldn't mind stopping by Professor Oak's lab......It would be good to get some advice from an expert. Let's stop in and see what we can find~"
There was something about this...walking with his arm in Dane's, that made him feel safe and wanted.....and it was something that he suddenly appreciated a lot. His grip on Dane's elbow tightened a little, not willing to let this feeling go.
Dane, no matter how short a time they'd known each other, was important to him. He was one out of the two people that actually cared about him...that would notice if he was gone....and he wouldn't give that up.
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:26 pm
"Okay. Guess we should just stop by there first, then." Heading over to one of the larger houses, Dane walked in and let go of Mike as he greeted the first lab assistant he could find. "Hello! We're here to see Prof. Oak, if it's possible. We want his opinion on something," he began, but the assistant quickly cut him off. It turned out that Prof. Oak was off on business elsewhere and wouldn't be returning for a while. Despite his insistence, the technician would not even tell them where Prof. Oak had gone to or what he was researching. Just that he would be gone for an unspecified amount of time.
Leaving in dismay, Dane said, "Well that was disappointing. I mean, where could he have gone that his assistant doesn't want anyone to know? Or maybe he just thought we would be wasting the professor's time. Who knows." A bit annoyed, Dane began to walk away from the lab before realizing that Clefable wasn't following them. Looking back, he saw her outside one of the windows to the lab, jumping up and trying to push it open. "Hey, what are you doing? We don't need to see him that bad," he said, walking over and picking her up by the waist. Even as he held her, though, the fairy Pokemon wriggled and whined, still trying to get at the window.
Finally, despite Dane's efforts, Clefable leapt from his grasp and smack into the window, causing it to whirl around and drop her inside. "Gah, you dummy! What are you doing now!?" he demanded, hoping the assistant inside wouldn't notice her. Just as he was about to go inside to get her, Clefable popped back out the same window, holding up a glistening ball of perfectly clear glass. "Wait, that isn't..." Dane began, but stopped himself after he'd taken the orb from her. This ball had the same kind of feel to it as the other three they'd already found, and Dane turned to show it to Mike. No doubt, this was the normal orb.
Clearly proud of herself, Clefable began dancing around the two as they stood discussing it. "Hey, what do you think Prof. Oak was doing with this thing? I mean, I never imagined he would actually know anything about the orbs, let alone have one in his lab!" Just as he said that, Dane frowned a bit. "Hey, you don't think this is wrong, do you? I mean, just taking the orb like this? We do need it for our journey and the professor isn't around, so we can't ask for permission or talk it over with him. At least not as long as that assistant is being such a jerk to us," he added, glaring back at the door to the lab. "What do you think we should do?" he finally asked, not wanting to proceed without some input from his partner.
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 10:46 pm
Michele was immediately unhappy with the results. Prof. Oak was out on....questionable business? How odd.
Well, it wasn't odd for him to not be around, it was odd for the business to be questionable. What could he be doing?
And then.....
Michele couldn't believe his eyes. The Orb was in the lab the whole time? How long had it been there? Did the Professor know what it was? What is was involved in? Did he know about the legend?
"I don't know if he knows what we know," Michele said, taking the orb in his hands uncertainly but bending to tuck it away in the special pack, "But...we need it...and I'm sure that we can come back later, when he's around, and explain why we took it. If we complete the legend and something big happens, I'm sure he'll understand,"
He smiled a little as he stood back up, shouldering the pack,
".....Clefable did good. I didn't even think to glance around the lab,"
Ultima keened happily, dancing alongside the pink Pokemon in joy. It was positively adorable.
Michele timidly reached over, hooking his arm with Dane's again. He was almost certain that he'd be shoved away but...he wasn't......and it felt good.
".....we should backtrack up towards Cerulean City. I hope the blizzard has passed out of Pewter, that would make it eighty times easier to pass through....."
It was quiet, mostly because he didn't have much to say. He was just enjoying walking with Dane....which was a little weird because he never really felt that way about anyone....and hadn't, before now.....He didn't know what to make of it.
He licked his lips, feeling sort of timid, but not enough so to release Dane's arm.
".....if we hurry, we could get back to Pewter before nightfall and stay at the Pokemon Center for the night...."
((LOL, idea block anyone?))
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Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 8:03 pm
Relieved that Mike had agreed to take the orb along with them for the time being, Dane nodded. "Yeah. If what the book says is true, then this is huge, bigger than any one of us. As a researcher, I'm sure he'll understand...even thank us maybe. And considering we'll be trekking all across the continent, we're bound to run into him at some point. For now...let's just get out of town before that assistant realizes its missing and hunts us down." Feeling Mike's arm around his once more, Dane smiled at his partner. As strange as it was, as odd a team as they were, it made him feel somehow calm to know that he had someone reliable by his side.
As they left the quiet little town behind them, Dane asked, "If the world as we know it is still around after this whole adventure and we're both around too...what do you think you'll do? Will you go back to being a Pokemon trainer, maybe finish collecting badges and make a name for yourself? Or would you want to be my partner full-time? We could travel the world and explore the unknown. Think about it, okay?" While he didn't want to pressure Mike into staying on with him after their expedition, he couldn't help but feel that it was what he personally wanted more than anything else. While he got along well with most people he met, no one had ever made him feel so needed. Certainly Mike's skill would improve over time, but even the best explorers needed help. They could go down in history as a legendary team.
Passing quickly through Viridian, Dane glanced over at the empty gym. "I wonder when that lazy leader is finally going to come back from his vacation. I mean, what kind of example does that set for the trainers that work there or the ones who are trying to become leaders themselves?" Sighing, he just shook his head, passing without another word.
As they began their walk through the forest, Dane smiled and said, "This time we can head through without any sidetracking since we already found the grass orb here. Now that I've got a minute to look around, everything is kind of serene, covered in snow and ice. It's pretty quiet too. I guess most of the Pokemon around here are in hibernation."
By the time they had finally arrived in Pewter City, night had already fallen and most of the stores were closed. "Looks like we'll be spending the night in the Pokecenter again. Not that I mind...it was just so much nicer in the hotel room," he complained, wishing they had that soft bed again. Inside, many people were already sleeping on benches and in sleeping bags. After a quick chat with Nurse Joy, Dane took a seat in one of the booths, sticking his pack underneath and pulling out a blanket. As they settled down for the night, he said, "Tomorrow we'll have to head through Mt. Moon, but then we'll be in Cerulean. I've been working in Mt. Moon with the scientists for a while now, so I'm pretty confident I can get us through quickly. Good night for now," he added cheerfully before settling down into his seat and closing his eyes.
((Indeed. It's just pushing them along until they're actually in Mt. Moon and we bring Team Rocket in for the first time. Just a minor scuffle or something like that, but it'll be their introduction, just like in the games. Your turn to get out and push. XD))
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Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 9:58 pm
"....I don't know what I'll do.....I'm not one that plans ahead that far," Michele admitted after a long moment, still clutching to Dane's arm gently, ".......My Pokemon, and what happens if we finish this legend....that'll be a big factor."
The walk back through Viridian and the stop at Pewter was nothing. They only stayed long enough to catch a few hours of shut-eye before heading back out into the world, following Route 3 towards Mt. Moon.
"So, you've been there before, right? You can navigate?" Michele asked as they approached the entrance, "And you said that Team Rocket were acting up again, in this area?" the dark haired male set his jaw, "I guess we'll just have to be on our watch. I have a lot of status healers and our Pokemon are pretty strong....we should be okay. I hear Team Rocket usually has more bark than bite,"
Ultima keened from the top of his head.
~~
It was sort of dark in the caverns of the mountain, but luckily Michele had Jolteon: who used Flash to light up the murky caves. It was chilly, but not as cold as the depths of the Seafoam Islands, so Michele didn't dare complain. He just stuck close to Dane, Ultima on his head and his Jolteon at his side, causing static against his pant leg.
As they crested a hill, they came into the view of an operation....a crowd of people in black uniforms. As they watched, they split up, going in pairs deeper into the caves.
".....looks like we've found Team Rocket," Michele muttered as the two of them peers around a rocky corner at the unknown figures, ".....wonder what they're up to. Can't be good, considering....."
They skirted around them for the most part, but as they were trekking along through the caverns--Michele happily at Dane's elbow, they bumped into a second group....and were noticed this time. Four of the Team Rocket grunts split, leaving two behind.
And when one of them turned to look at him and Dane, Michele froze stiff, grey eyes widening drastically, a startled and choked gasp escaping him.
"U-Ugh-"
Under the brim of a dark hat, identical grey eyes stared back at him, shaded by short but spiky black hair. When the obviously older male saw him he smirked.
"Well, well.....if it isn't little Mee-kay-lay~!"
Michele forced himself to wipe the fear off of his face, trying desperately to hide under a cold or angry exterior, but surely by the time he was able to do it....that boy was already aware that he was afraid.
How could he not be, of the man who had made an already hellish life worse? He could practically feel the sting of harsh blows across his face and the trunk of his body.
"......G-Gregory...." Michele choked out, hoping he sounded angry, ".....I'm not surprised a thug like you would have gone and joined Team Rocket....."
He swallowed hard, looking away.
The boy, Gregory, strutted forward,
"......that's no way to talk to your older brother, Michael~" he said lowly, "Who's this you've got with you?"
Malicious grey eyes slid over Dane with a tint of scorn,
"......I bet you're lying on your back for him, eh~?"
Michele flushed at the words, looking down at the floor,
"Shut up, Greg. It's none of your business what I do."
Gregory chuckled, backing up off of them a little. He glanced from Ultima, whose cute face was twisted in anger, and then to Jolteon, who was crackling with angry static. Then he looked at Dane,
"......and if you haven't yet, you want to, don't you? I sort of always got that vibe from you, Mikey. You weren't like the rest of the boys....and the girls stuck to you a liiiiiittle too much," he chuckles darkly, "Michael, you are something else,"
Michele scowled at the floor,
"My name is Michele."
It was all he could say.
Jolteon growled, his fur sparkling and crackling with electricity. Ultima was growling too now. Both of the Pokemon were on edge and ready for a fight, no doubt picking up the negative energy that was radiating off of Michele's older brother. They were both ready to protect and defend their Trainer.
Michele desperately wanted to grab onto Dane's arm, to stand up for himself and seem strong in front of his partner....but he couldn't make himself do it. He didn't want to cause anymore ridicule.
Gregory still had a sort of power over him from their younger years....something that an older brother had over younger siblings.....something Michele was especially sensitive to.
He just stared at the floor, shamefaced.
He couldn't even look up at Dane...too ashamed....too embarrassed.
Gregory was still smirking,
"......Alright....so either we do some battle here.....or you just hand over everything you have with you. Thank you very much,"
And that seemed to wake Michele up.
"No. We'll do battle......and we're going to win," he said lowly, through gritted teeth.
He was not giving up his Pokemon. Not his belongings. Not the Orbs. Especially not since the Orbs were the very things that had brought he and Dane together.
He would not give that up.
((Is that pushed forward enough for you? Meet Gregory. He's a really nice fellow. Is Dane going to stand up for Mike~?))
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Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:29 am
((Hells yeah he is! XD Dane's just that kind of guy. The awesome kind.))
As they trekked through Mt. Moon, Dane chattered at length about the work he'd done there with the museum scientists and all of the things they had been discovering recently. "It turns out this area has the largest concentration of moon stones currently known. They figure that's the reason why Jigglypuff are more common in the grass just outside the caves and why there are so many Clefairy inside of them. Since both Pokemon evolve using the moon stones, they it's possible that the high concentration of them attracts the two Pokemon to this area.
"This is even where I found Clefable, although she was still a little Clefairy back then. Honestly, she evolved without my intervention. We were helping a team dig through some rocks when she picked one up off the ground and evolved right on the spot. That's when we knew we'd hit moon stone in the walls," he explained, watching Clefable dance about happily in and out of the glow of Jolteon's flash. "Actually, I think Clefable still knows her way around this place better than I do, but she never takes work seriously enough to actually be of much help. I guess it doesn't matter as long as she's happy, though. I can get the work done myself," he continued, still completely oblivious to how much he talked.
When the pair stumbled across what looked like a convention of grunts, Dane suddenly grew serious. "There weren't this many of them in here before. They must be planning something bigger than just stealing Pokemon and moon stones. As far as I know, though, there isn't much to find here other than that. Maybe they know something we don't?" he guessed, hoping they were simply taking advantage of the rough terrain to set up camp.
Just as they were about to make it back to a safer area, they ended up running straight into a small team, which luckily broke off and left only two grunts behind for them to deal with. Smirking, Dane was more than ready to take them on, glad to have the opportunity to pay them back for the damage they had been doing not only to the caves but to the local wild Pokemon and traveling trainers as well. However, looking over at Mike for backup, he realized something important had gone wrong.
Hearing the banter between the two, Dane couldn't believe what they had gotten themselves into. When the older brother commented about Mike lying on his back, Dane flushed a little. 'He couldn't mean...' he thought as he looked over to his partner for clarification, but it was obvious already what the answer was. When he considered it for a moment, Dane began to realize why Mike had been so nervous about them sleeping together; he probably hadn't meant for him to find out, at least not yet.
Standing a little straighter as the two declared battle, Dane said, "It's a two-on-two, so everyone uses one Pokemon at a time. Let's go!" Urging Clefable out onto the field, Dane smiled at Gregory and said, "Mike's the best friend I've ever had. You may be his brother, but he means more to me than you'll ever understand. People like you can't appreciate the value of Pokemon or people. All you know is greed and envy, but that won't get you far in life. We'll show you what teamwork can accomplish when you really care about each other. Right, Mike?" he asked with a determined glance, hoping to give him the strength he needed to stand up for himself.
((Daww. They are so cute together. XD))
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Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 5:53 pm
Michele looked up and over at Dane in surprise.
Was all that.....really true? Did he really mean that?
A weak, grateful smile graced the shorter males' face, and then he looked at his brother, emboldended by the short speech,
"Yeah, that's right! Jolteon, let's do this!"
Gregory did not look amused, but he rallied his partner and the battle began.
Michele's Jolteon was, to say the least, fiesty. He seemed infuriated as he battled....was it because he was angry with Gregory for being so rude to his Trainer? Michele even seemed surprised with the verocity of the attacks, and Jolteon seemed a good match alongside Clefable--who, ironically, did fantastically even though she really didn't seem to be paying attention the whole time.
Gregory, on the other hand, was extremely angry to lose the battle.
".......you think you're so tough, don't you, Mikey? You just wait. We aren't here for no reason, and I'm sure I'll see you again!"
He shoved his younger brother hard, and Michele stumbled into Dane, the impact knocking them both over. Jolteon growled angrily, nipping hard at Gregory's heels when he passed.
Michele sat up hurriedly, blushing, helping Dane to sit up too,
"H-Hey, I.....I'm sorry about that......I didn't expect.....I never thought...." he sighed and tried again, "......thank you for standing up for me. It really means a lot....." he smiled weakly, ".....You're a great friend, Dane....and.....the only one I've ever had that I can rely on so fully.....So thank you....."
Jolteon and Clefable were soon next to them, and Michele chuckled as his Electric Pokemon nuzzled him, sending sparks of static across his skin.
"....you did real good, boy~."
Michele returned Jolteon to his Pokeball and bent to help Dane to his feet with another small smile,
"Come on, let's get out of these caves before nightfall~"
As they started to walk again, they recieved another surprise.
Ultima leapt from Michele's head to Dane's shoulder, mewling happily and licking his cheek, as if to say,
"I like you. You can stay."
((I know, this is just GREAT))
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:16 pm
Stumbling backwards unexpectedly, Dane wrapped his arms around Mike protectively even though they didn't fall far. Letting go as soon as he'd realized it was a reflex of his, he smiled sympathetically at Mike's first attempts to speak. Rubbing the guy's back a little, he said, "It was nothing. I meant everything I said...you mean a lot to me too." Patting Clefable on the head when she bounced over and nudged his arm playfully, Dane returned her to her Pokeball before they were back on their feet. Dusting his pants off, Dane looked around, hoping to catch another glimpse of Team Rocket, but the area seemed deserted.
Wanting to say something to Mike about everything that had happened, Dane just couldn't find the right words, and ended up following along in a bothered silence. When Ultima hopped onto his shoulder, however, he smiled and petted her soft fur. "Heh, thanks Ultima. You're sweet." Even though he didn't know exactly what she meant by it, he guessed it was her way of showing approval, and felt that he had finally been accepted by her.
~~~
When they were finally out of Mt. Moon, Dane breathed in a deep lung-full of the fresh air, glad to be outside again despite his usual comfort inside the caves. Just knowing the Team Rocket was plotting something there put him on edge, but the distance they had gained was calming. Sending out Aerodactyl again, Dane said, "Hey, fly around Mt. Moon a few times and see if you can spot anything from the air. Something like a tent, or a group of people wearing black, or a bunch of boxes...anything out of the ordinary. If you find something, come get us, we'll be somewhere in town."
Watching the ancient Pokemon take off, Dane hoped it would be okay on its own with Team Rocket around, knowing how much they liked rare Pokemon. Shaking his head, he headed into town with Mike, but stopped him as they were heading into the heart of it. "Hey, do you mind if we take a walk before we go into town to do business? I mean, the sun will still be out for about an hour...there's a nice place just north of here where you can see the ocean over the cliff, isn't there? Can we visit it?" While the thought of seeing the ocean was beautiful and alluring, what Dane really wanted was a quiet place for them to talk.
When they had finally made it up to the ridge and were alone, Dane stuck his hands into his pockets and thought for a moment. Finally he asked, "Do you mind if we talk a little? I think it'll do us some good." Trying to choose his words carefully, he continued, "I know you told me you had a rough childhood and ran away from home and everything, but...you seemed pretty shaken up seeing your older brother back there. I mean...you guys exchanged some pretty harsh words. If you don't want to talk about it, I understand," he offered, not wanting to push Mike into something he was uncomfortable about, "but I want to be able to help you with anything if you need it. Sometimes just talking about what's bothering you is therapeutic. You know?"
((Aerodactyl will be coming in at the end of their conversation to show them the Flying orb, just a heads up. They'll still have some time to talk until then if we need it, and I was thinking of putting the orb somewhere Aerodactyl couldn't get it himself, like maybe Team Rocket already has it thinking it's treasure or it's stuck in a small crevice or something. What do you think?))
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:34 am
Michele was more than just a little glad to get out of the caves. In reality, he wanted to be as far away from his brother as possible, but he would use discomfort within the caves as an excuse.
Ultima rode happily on Dane's shoulder until they were finally out in open air....at which point she leapt down to the grass underfoot to roll around in it. Michele has to pause to avoid stepping on her.
After the large, ancient Pokemon had flown off, Michele was surprised by Dane's questions, but agreed and followed him upwards to the cliff. It was a good veiw, and the sea-air was sweet and fragrant and cool.
And when Dane started asking those questions......
He nervously rubbed at the back of his neck, chewing on his lower lip. He should have known it would only be a matter of time before Dane got curious and wanted to know. He didn't really have to hide anything, did he?
"......Gregory is my oldest brother......and.....he delighted in making my time at home hell. The others always thought that it was because he was the firstborn, and he thought that all the other kids had caused our mother and father to go crazy.......so he took it out on us,"
Michele shrugged, not looking at him,
"......He was always a bully. He used to beat me up when no one was looking---I never had to go to the hospital or anything, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Most of the time he was just verbally abusive....he's usually more bark than bite, and he doesn't have much of anyone to rally behind him....."
The dark haired male sighed heavily, not liking the rush of memories from home, ".....One of the things he liked to tease me about was being homosexual. I'm not, that's the thing," at this, he looked up at Dane, "....I'm not attracted to anyone because of gender,"
A blush tinted his pale cheeks,
".......it's more of....I don't really care if the person is a girl or a boy, so long as they care about me......So it made no sense that he'd pick on me for something so trivial.....I've never even done anything like that anyways."
Michele shrugged off the pack, setting it down on the ground and taking a seat himself with a long sigh. Ultima crawled into his lap and he held her close with a little smile,
".....I never thought I'd see him again after I left Cerulean. I guess this world is too small," he shrugged again, ".....I'm sorry if you were offended by anything he said......it wasn't fair.....He doesn't even know you, and he just automatically assumed......So, I'm sorry about that...."
He cleared his throat,
"None of my other siblings are as nasty as him......but I was never very close to my brothers anyways. Mostly just my sisters. They aren't so bad.....they're more like me......quiet and invisible," he chuckled at the discription,
"But uh...." he blushed at this statement, "......You don't make me feel invisible....and I like that......so, uh......thanks...."
Wow that was embarrassing.
Being around Dane was turning him into a sap.
Oh well.
He wasn't about to leave Dane.
((It depends on if you want to deal with TR some more~. I don't mind either way, really!))
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