Petrichor
Chapter One
It was a cold, quiet winter's night. The sky was a mass of grey clouds, yet no rain dared to fall. A wind blew throughout a nearby forest, causing branches to sway and leaves to rustle. The river that ran through it reflected from the moon whatever light it could through those dark clouds, the water steadily flowing as it carried the remnants of a storm far away. The river continued out of the forest and into a small lake where a bustling port town resided, overlooking a large snow-capped mountain range that stood ominously in the distance.
The town lanterns were lit, and, despite the hour being close to midnight, various pokémon still strolled the streets going to and from their various forms of nightly entertainment. The port town wasn't too large – but it also wasn't too small, either. Every town had to have a tavern for the weary traveller. This town was certainly no exception...
In front of the tavern, there sat an umbreon. Disinterested eyes scanned the building as he listened to the sounds that emitted from within, muffled yet still irritating. He let out a sigh at the empty feeling in his stomach. I could probably just go out and hunt, but... he looked out towards the forest and grasslands in disdain. I'm too lazy and tired for that. I guess I'll have to put up with the noise. With slight hesitation, he walked over to the entrance and took a deep breath before walking inside.
When he entered, he was met with the much louder, less-muffled sound of obnoxiously jovial music and hearty cheers from the crowd of customers that sat at tables in a ring around the stage. His eyes focused on a stairwell in the corner of the room and a light smile graced his lips. After deftly making his way through the crowd and up the staircase, he found a quiet booth in the corner. The sounds of merrymaking downstairs floated up past the balcony - but it was far more diminished, giving the umbreon at least some level of comfort. Sitting down in the booth at the table, he undid the red knapsack that he wore around his neck and placed it down in front of him as an espeon walked up to his table.
"Yo, traveller," she said with a smile on her face as he looked up at her. "What can I do for you this evening?" she asked sweetly.
"Are you still serving food?" he asked, to which she nodded. "May I please have a menu?"
"That you can, one moment, dear," she replied, her smile ever present. After a second she returned with the menu floating beside her before placing it down on the table.
"Thanks," he said.
"No problem, can I get you anything to drink whilst you think about your order?" she then asked.
"Water, please."
"No worries." With that, she left him with the menu.
He took a look at the list of very delicious-sounding foodstuffs, like roast tauros with gravy and sautéed farfetch'd, but realised that he probably shouldn't have any cooked meats, considering he lived off either the dried meats from pokémon he'd previously hunted or just ate raw meat in general. He shrugged off the delicious cooked meals and moved his eyes down to the raw section that most restaurants and taverns included to cater to most of the civilised class of pokémon. He eyed his favourite; slowpoke, and licked his lips just thinking about the fatty, juicy meat.
"Have you decided?" the voice of the espeon broke his lapse in concentration. He looked up at her and smiled awkwardly as a bowl of water floated onto the table. He thought for a moment before speaking.
"What level is your slowpoke rated as?" he asked.
"Thirty to forty," she replied promptly. "Is that acceptable, sir?"
"Yes, thanks," he replied. "Can I get a plate of raw slowpoke filet then, please?"
"Yep, that'll be out shortly, dear, is there anything else?"
"No, thanks."
"No worries," she said, before she once more picked up the menu with her psychic, a common use of the move, then turned and left him. He watched as she left, feeling his stomach rumble. He then took to the knapsack on the table, pulling out a map and spreading it out onto the table. He peered at it scrutinisingly, his eyes washing over every inch as he pondered what he should do. "What's that?" the espeon's voice startled him once more. This espeon is really starting to get on my nerves, he thought.
"A map," he plainly stated.
"Where are you headed?" she then asked, sitting down in the booth opposite him. Great.
"Not really sure..." he trailed off, turning his attention back to the map. "Shouldn't you be serving other pokémon?" he asked plainly, hoping she would get the hint. She gave a sigh.
"Sorry..." she murmured. "I don't mean to intrude, I'm just on my break and you're the first guy in a while who's been any kind of polite to me... you look like you're a traveller, so I just thought I might be able to help you if you're wanting to get somewhere..." she trailed off, looking down. "I can leave if you don't want me here."
He looked up at her again, seeing the fleeting hope in her eyes as he remembered all the pokémon downstairs. It must be pretty degrading working here... he thought. Townsfolk are all kinds of inappropriate nowadays. "No, that's fine... I suppose I could use your help," he said and he could instantly see her light up. If those customers downstairs are anything to go by, she mustn't get many chances to properly talk to new pokémon.
"Absolutely, no problem," she replied cheerfully. "Firstly, you can call me Charlie. What's your name and where are you from?"
"Yuki. I've lived in the mountains not too far from here for the majority of my life," he told her.
"You mean Mt. Silver!?" she asked with an incredulous look on her face. "Aren't those mountains dangerous?"
"Sure, but it's really not that bad once you're used to it..." he trailed off. "Anyway, do you think you could help me out?" he then asked and she quickly nodded.
"Oh, yes, yes! Sorry, I got sidetracked," she replied with a chuckle. "What are you after?"
"Well... I'm in need of a healing ability," he told her, taking a breath. "Not something like heal bell – I need something with immense power... like a miracle, even..."
"Oh? Whatever for?" she asked, a curious expression on her face. He raised his brow and she let out a sigh. "Okay, sorry... but, there haven't been stories of legendary pokémon appearing for quite a while now... I'm not sure I know of something other than a legendary or mythical pokémon having the kind of power it sounds like you're needing..." she trailed off as she thought before her eyes began to widen. "Hold on... I think not too long ago, I heard a rumour about the tournament in Nova..." she trailed off and Yuki leaned in with a curious expression on his face.
"What about a tournament in Nova?" he asked.
"So," she began, leaning in also as she lowered her voice, "in the city of Nova, there's this huge colosseum that hosts a tournament every month. Apparently, the winner gets any single wish they desire granted to them. Rumour has it that the people who run the tournament... found Jirachi and imprisoned it, forcing it to make the champion's wishes come true," she told him and his eyes widened.
"Can you point Nova out to me on my map?" he then asked and she nodded, moving to place her paw on the map.
"It's about three days walk from here, or about a day by carriage – or if you're loaded you can get there in a couple of hours by flying," she added. "There are a couple of taverns and inns I can suggest along the way-"
"No, thanks," he cut her off with a polite smile. "I don't have a need to waste money on taverns or inns." The remaining money from Aunt Betha's travels that she gave me is only going to get me so far, he thought to himself. "But thank you for the offer. Is there anything I should be aware of on my way there?" he then asked.
"Apart from the chance of happening upon some bandits – which doesn't normally happen around this area anymore – nothing much else," she answered. "So... where are you staying tonight?" she asked, curiosity in her voice.
"Well... I was probably going to camp out in the forest nearby," he murmured, wondering where she was going with this.
"You know... you could stay at mine for the night... if you want?" she suggested.
"You don't need to do that," he told her with a slight smile, hiding his increasing heartbeat. "I prefer to sleep outside, anyway. In the mountains, I don't live in any buildings... you see..." he trailed off.
"Yeah, I figured as much..." she muttered, disappointed. "Well-"
"Charlie... do you think I pay you to flirt?" a stern, yet calm voice came from the stairwell. Both the eeveelutions turned to see a lucario at the entrance with a plate of what seemed to be Yuki's dinner, a plain look on its face.
"Sorry, sir," Charlie apologised before she turned back to Yuki, with a smile. "Cheers for the chat, Yuki, I hope I've been helpful. Let me know if you change your mind," she told him with a wink before quickly walking over to the stairs, ignoring the lucario as she rushed down to the first floor.
"I'm sorry, she told me she was on her break," Yuki told the lucario as it made its way over to the table.
"It's fine, she's a good waitress and well-mannered, I don't really blame her for wanting a break from the shit she gets here," the lucario told him. "Your raw slowpoke?"
"Yes, thanks," Yuki replied and the lucario set it down on the table. "I take it you're the owner?"
"Yes – my name is Lewis," he answered. "I take it you're a traveller?"
"Indeed – in fact, Charlie has been quite helpful, rather than flirtatious, so if anything I'd be happy to pay for the time she wasted," he told the lucario, who seemed to dismiss the suggestion with a wave of his hand.
"Don't worry about it, she works very hard, and the customers love her for the wrong reasons... which is why I've gotta give her a bit of leeway sometimes," Lewis told him. "Anyway, please enjoy your meal, if you require anything else, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Thanks," Yuki murmured and, with a short nod of his head, the lucario returned downstairs. A blank expression was on Yuki's face as he finally realised that he'd been flirted with. I certainly didn't expect that. Regardless... this is the best lead I've got, Thea. I could've only dreamed it would go this well after only a couple weeks. With that thought in mind, he decided to dig into his meal.
The next morning, Yuki woke up to dappled light drifting through the trees above him. The night previous he had finished his meal before going for a short walk around the nearby forest to find a suitable place to sleep. He stood up as his eyes adjusted to the light and stretched his journey-worn muscles, giving a long yawn at the same time. Looking up through a patch in the canopy to look at the sun's position, he guessed it was about ten o'clock-ish before grabbing his knapsack and taking in a deep breath of the forest air. Feeling rejuvenated, he started on his way.
I should be able to make it to Nova tonight taking it easy, Yuki thought. I'd better not strain myself... I don't know what sort of tournament this is going to be, so I need to be prepared.
And so, he was on his way.
By the time he made it to Nova, it was already almost sunset. By cutting through the forest and not taking the path, he'd shortened his trip a considerable amount, and not only that, he was able to hunt some high-level game to eat.
Majority of pokémon were civilised, and could talk, think, and socialise with other pokémon. However, there were some uncivilised livestock pokémon that were mainly eaten as part of the food-chain, such as tauros, slowpoke, most bug-type and critter-like pokémon such as rattata and raticate, and many others. Yuki considered himself lucky to have come across a rather high-level Sawsbuck on his way through to Nova, which he had made short work of. From his appraisal, he'd guessed the deer's level was at least in the fifties, and it certainly tasted like it.
The higher the level of the pokémon, the more well-developed and tastier the meat on its bones was. From growing up in the harsh snowy mountains of Mt. Silver and hunting the area's well-known high-level tough pokémon, Yuki had developed a keen appraisal skill for the level of pokémon. A skill highly sought after for its practical application in businesses like high-class restaurants, of whom pay top dollar for the highest-level meat available.
It wasn't uncommon for pokémon to ask a waiter in a restaurant what level their meat was rated at, as Yuki had done earlier.
As he approached the gates of the walled-in city of Nova, with sunlight slowly fleeting as the sun steadily dropped below the horizon, two pokémon dressed in black and maroon guard outfits walked out from a booth near the large gate entrance. Yuki observed them keenly; one was a luxray, the other a bisharp. Both were only wearing a simple blazer and cap to identify they were guards, as most pokémon did. Clothes were rarely used apart from uniforms and other forms of identification such as the special scarves of the exploration society and rescue teams.
"Evening traveller, how may we help you this fine night?" the bisharp began, eyes cheerful.
"I would like passage into the city, and to stay for a short-term," Yuki replied, a slight smile on his face.
"Certainly," the luxray replied. "Please come this way," he instructed, as the three of them moved over to the booth. "Now – what's your name?"
"Yuki," he replied.
"Umbreon... Yuki... how long are you planning on staying for?" the luxray then asked as he jotted down info.
"I'm not sure, when is the tournament run and how long does it go for?" Yuki asked.
"Come to watch our specialty, eh!?" the bisharp asked with enthusiasm. "Well, the next tournament starts tomorrow in fact, and you can still buy the tickets that haven't sold out right here. What are you looking for?"
Yuki stood there awkwardly for a moment as he tried to gather himself. "Uh... I'm not actually a spectator. I'm here to compete," he told them, watching as the luxray tried to hide his scoff of laughter.
"Hey, don't laugh," the bisharp told his companion, a stern look on his face. "Are you forgetting that our resident champion is an umbreon?"
"The champion is an umbreon?" Yuki asked, finding himself curious yet also relieved at the same time. If it's an umbreon who is the current champion, I shouldn't have any issue winning the competition. I still need to be wary, though. "Do you think you could tell me more about them, and about the tournament?" he then asked, to which the bisharp nodded his head.
"Sure thing. Firstly, the tournament is comprised of four group stages of between fifteen to twenty competitors. These stages are all-on-all battles where the final four remaining in each group qualify for the bracket stage of the tournament, which are one-on-one battles. After that, well... the winner of the bracket stage moves on to fight the reigning champion... N'vara," he finished, watching as Yuki thought about everything he was just told.
"The umbreon... right?" he asked.
"Yes," the bisharp continued. "The tournament used to just be group stages and then a bracket stage to determine the winner... until he showed up and won the tournament. He used his wish to change the tournament structure; changing it from a yearly tournament to a monthly tournament, and changing it so that he fought whoever won the bracket stage for the championship, under the condition he couldn't get any more wishes, and only won the prize money and the right to live in the colosseum for as long as he remains champion."
"I see..." Yuki thought aloud as he pondered. "How long does the tournament usually go for? A couple of days?"
"Yeah, about that long," the bisharp answered. "How does a week sound? We only need to record this for administrative purposes; so long as you tell us if you leave early, we'll say your stay will be for one week. How does that sound?"
"That's perfect, thank you," Yuki replied. "Is there anything else I should know before competing?"
As he asked, the two guards shared a look for a moment before turning back to him with serious looks on their faces. "The Nova Competition is the only tournament that allows you to kill," the luxray told him. "Not every competitor will try to kill, but every once in a while you'll see competitors who only enter the tournament to kill other pokémon. In order to win the one-on-one fights, you can either win by accepting the other pokémon's forfeit, or by rendering them unable to continue fighting by knocking them unconscious or... killing them."
"You seem like a really nice guy, if you decide to compete, I do hope you'll be alright and that there won't be any of those types in this month's tournament," the bisharp said, to which Yuki could only smile at.
"You know there'll be at least one... if he makes it that far," the luxray commented.
"Let me guess... N'vara, right?" Yuki said and they both nodded.
"No one outside of the tournament organisers has heard him speak... he always goes for the kill and never seems to lose any ground when he fights," the bisharp said. "Not to mention he's an irregular, too, blue rings and all. You best be wary if you have to come against him," he then warned.
"Duly noted," Yuki replied. "Now, is that all you needed from me?"
"Should be everything, Yuki, I hope you have a good time here and good luck in the competition!" the bisharp said.
"Thanks very much, uh..." he trailed off, hoping the bisharp would pick up.
"Oh, I'm Alan," he told Yuki. "And this impertinent luxray here is Hugh."
"Well," Yuki began as he stood to leave, "thank you both very much, Alan and Hugh, I appreciate your help and information. I guess I'll be on my way then."
"No worries at all Yuki, if I happen to not be on duty when the tournament is on, I'll come to cheer you on," Alan said. "It's not often we get such well-meaning individuals through here. By the way, I never happened to catch where you're from..."
"Oh, that's right..." Yuki trailed off as he faced the city. "I'm from Mt. Silver."
And with that, he nodded his goodbye and left the two guards there to stare on in disbelief as he entered the city.
Now... where to...
After walking through the arch in the massive wall that surrounded the city, Yuki was presented with what seemed to be one of the city's town squares, with many spots for stalls and several large buildings for various trade guilds and other communal buildings, with one standing out in particular.
Ah, this must be the most popular tavern-inn, he thought to himself as he looked at the large three-story building with many sounds emanating from within. A displeased look was on his face. Going the other way, then.
After looking around the small square for a short while, he quickly moved on and eavesdropped here and there to find out about another, lesser-known tavern inn, where it would be quieter and suit Yuki much better. Named the Tabibito, it didn't take him too long to manoeuvre Nova's streets and find it. Still roughly the same size as the more popular inn near the entrance of the city, as soon as he stepped inside he could instantly tell which one was truly better. In the far right corner of the dimly-lit room was a stairwell heading up to what he assumed was the guest rooms. The only things that were in the main atrium beside that was a bar and a couple of tables, chairs, and booths.
The best part was the significant lack of people.
"Evening, traveler," the barkeep greeted Yuki as he walked up to the bar.
"Evening, master, do you have any open rooms?" he asked and the elderly barkeep gave a short laugh.
"Well aren't you old-fashioned, it's not often I get called the master of the house anymore," the alakazam chuckled. "And please, call me Sven."
"Let's just say I'm a little archaic," Yuki replied with a slight smile. "So, Sven, what's available for about a week's stay?"
"How does a balcony room sound?" he asked.
"That sounds just fine to me – would it be alright if I were to leave earlier than that?"
As he looked around the room, Yuki noticed several paintings and sculptures dotted the walls and floor, with several potted plants around the place as well. From the ceiling hung several dim, incandescent lamps that gave the room a nice mellow feel. A phonograph played softly in the background – nothing like the loud, annoying sounds that emanated from the town's main tavern-inn. Yuki was immediately fond of the place – it was more of a quiet bar with an inn attached to it, and he liked it very much.
"Of course – will you be competing?" Sven asked and Yuki nodded. "Have you already registered or have you not gotten around to it yet?"
"I've only just arrived, so I'm still needing to register," he replied. "Am I able to register here?"
"Certainly, and you can have a discount, too," Sven said.
"Oh, is there a deal for competitors?" Yuki asked with a brow raised.
"No, but I like you, kid," he said with another chuckle.
Behind the bar, there were assorted drinks with a multitude of glasses and many bottles of spirits. On one of the benches there sat a hand grinder, decanter, and a pour-over kettle, with an assortment of ceramic mugs. The whole thing was set with a mahogany theme that really worked well for the place.
"You can call me Yuki," he told Sven, who smiled.
"But of course, Yuki," he amended as he wrote on a piece of paper. "You're in room seven, just up the stairs, right, and then up on the left."
"Thank you kindly," Yuki murmured with a smile as he grabbed the key with his psychic and started towards the stairs.
"Please, once you've dropped off your stuff you're more than welcome to come downstairs and have a drink; I'd love to hear a bit about you and where you're from," Sven called out after him. Yuki seemed to pause for a moment to think about it before he turned back and smiled.
"No worries, I think I'll do just that."
"Now, what can I get you?" Sven asked as Yuki hopped on a bar stool, sitting back on his haunches as he did.
"I'm fine with water, thanks," he replied. "Are you normally this quiet?"
"Yes, yes, but I prefer it this way," the alakazam responded. "I'll take the quieter eccentrics over the loud and rowdy hooligans that all go to the more popular tavern inn."
"It's so much better like this, I must agree," Yuki told him with a smile. "I actually don't live in a city or town, but in the mountains of Mt. Silver."
"Ah, bit of a nomad are we? Well, I used to know an eeveelution that lived on Mt. Silver... an espeon with the most delightful smile and voice," Sven told him. "She used to sing sometimes for my bar, back in the old days, back when the tournament was a much smaller occasion that it is now."
"Did her name happen to be Betha?" Yuki asked, a knowing smile on his face as he watched Sven's eyes widen.
"You knew her!?" he asked as a grin began to grow on his face.
"Well, I suppose I could call her my mother, but she's my aunt," Yuki explained. "She took myself and my sister in after our parents were killed in an avalanche."
"Arceus above, I'm sorry to hear that," Sven murmured in dismay, a sad look on his face. "She did mention she had a brother with a family once, said that she often sparred with him when they were little, too. Well, if you are who you say you are... it seems we might finally have a new champion on our hands."
"You think so?" Yuki asked with a brow raised. "Why?"
"Well, if you're anything like your aunt... she was like the wind when she fought!" he exclaimed, the memories vivid in his mind. "She won the tournament without breaking a sweat... of course, this was back when it was only a prize of money, not a wish, but I had always imagined that one day, she would return to win the tournament and wish it would never run again..." he trailed off, sadness in his eyes.
Winning tournaments explains how she ended up with so much money, Yuki thought.
"Why is that?" he asked, a curious expression on his face.
"Well... your aunt was strong-willed and the epitome of selflessness, as I'm sure you're most aware," began, taking a moment to gather himself. "When it was announced that any wish would be granted to the victor of the tournament, it was also announced that the tournament would allow pokémon to kill other pokémon... and with that came the most... malicious pokémon from all over the region. One of which, happened to be the one that murdered my mate."
"You have my condolences," Yuki offered as he looked down. "There's so much wrong with this world..." he muttered after a moment, shaking his head. "Were they caught?"
"Eventually," he replied. "This city has an influx of scum all the time... all thanks to that stupid tournament. We were known as the city of crime, in and of itself causing more heathens to arrive and fewer tourists to come."
"That sounds dreadful..." he commented as he thought.
"Indeed so. It's hard to be a tavern owner in this city; many have given up and quit," Sven went on. "Besides myself, there's only the main tavern – which is run by the tournament organisers – and one other on the other side of town."
"I'm glad you're still here," Yuki said with a slight smile. "What's the city like nowadays?"
"You still get the odd misbehaved group or individual but it's much quieter and calmer now," Sven told him. "The city will never return to how it used to be... not unless we get rid of the tournament. Which, of course, is never going to happen... makes too much money for the organisers – who then pay a hefty fee to the council."
"Who then, of course, turn a blind eye to the chaos it causes the city," a voice interrupted from the entrance, causing Yuki to turn and find another umbreon walking towards the bar.
"Oh, Riley, nice to see you," Sven greeted her with a smile.
"Yo, Sven," she replied. "Who's this? Another competitor, perhaps?" she asked, motioning towards Yuki, who was watching on in silence.
He kept his face stoic while Sven explained who Yuki was as he silently thought to himself. Don't react, he told himself. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Yuki," the umbreon continued. "I'm Riley."
"Nice to meet you, Riley," he replied politely with a light smile. I can't tell what level she is. She's trained intensely to be able to hide it. "Have you been here for long?"
"A year or two, I guess," she replied.
"She's been around roughly since my dear Jess was taken from me," Sven chimed in. "When she heard about what had happened, she started to come in more often and help me out with things despite my pleadings for her not to."
"Oh please, you're an old geezer running an ancient tavern," she chuckled. "You should be retired already, you don't need to work yourself to the bone all on your own."
"Well, this is my hobby and my passion, so I can't let you take that from me just yet!" he exclaimed with a huff of laughter. "If we got some more customers I might be able to afford the extra staff needed to help run things smoothly but for now, anything I try to give Riley for her help she simply refuses or finds creative ways to return it."
"As I said, I don't need anything."
"You're too young and foolish, Riley. Almost as foolish as Yuki here, who's going to try and make it through the tournament," Sven added and she raised a brow. "He might actually have a chance, though."
"Oh?" she commented as she looked at Yuki, who tried not to look at her directly. "What makes you say that?"
"He's the nephew of an old friend of mine, a friend who won the tournament back in the old days," he murmured as he wiped down the bench for what seemed to be the fourth time.
"Well then, I wish you luck, Yuki," she told him with a wink before turning to Sven once more. "Anyway, think I could get what I came here for, Sven?" she asked as she placed a couple of coins on the counter.
"Right here, Riley," he told her with a smile as he reached under the counter and pulled out a small brown bag and placed it on the counter. "The usual."
"Thanks," she said with a smile as she used psychic to grab the bag and turned to leave. "Cya," she called out behind her as she left.
"What was in the bag?" Yuki then asked.
"Roasted dark-chocolate-coated coffee beans," Sven replied. "You eat them as-is."
"I'd never heard of such a thing," Yuki responded. "Moreover... what does Riley do? Do you know much about her?"
"I believe she works as a receptionist at the colosseum, though I've not been near the place in years..." the alakazam trailed off sadly. "All I really know about her is that she arrived a year or two ago to find work and has been living here ever since. That and she's the most wonderful pokémon I've known for those couple of years."
Yuki then thought to himself for a moment, before turning back to Sven. "Well, I guess I'd better head off then... get some rest for tomorrow and whatnot."
"No worries, lad," Sven told him with a smile. "Thanks for keeping this geezer company. If I had the strength to, I'd come and watch you fight... but I'm afraid I can't go near the place."
"That's fine," Yuki murmured understandingly. "I'll see you in the morning, then?" he asked, turning to the stairs.
"Indeed you will – I'll give you a hearty breakfast and my special blend of coffee," Sven told him with a wide grin.
"I'll look forward to it," Yuki replied with a smile, before giving a nod and walking up the stairs to his room.
Outside in a nearby alleyway, a female umbreon sat slumped against the wall, seemingly devoid of energy. Fuck, that was exhausting, she thought as she looked down to the small brown bag at her side. Having to act like that is extremely unpleasant, she continued to herself, a slight scowl on her face. But... you can't complain after what he's lost.
Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a door opening into the alleyway, an indisputably drunk buizel stepping outside after it. He took a few moments to stumble around before he noticed her, a drunken grin appearing on his face as he began, "Hey pretty-"
That was as far as he got before his severed head plopped onto the ground with a wet crunch, body following soon after.
Stupid cunt, she thought to herself, seething with anger as the remnants of her shadow ball dissipated from her mouth. She reached into the bag beside her and grabbed at its contents, swiftly tilting her head back to allow a few of the small, brown objects to fall into her mouth as she chewed heartily.
After all, she continued her train of thought as she swallowed. It's all because of me.
The next morning, Yuki awoke to the slightest rays of sunlight filtering into his room through old curtains, the humble murmur of the town springing to life just beginning to reach his sensitive ears. He groggily rolled over and pulled the covers off his black-furred body; trying to force himself to get up and start moving to counter the cold.
There's something about staying in a city that makes the rooms at inns so much colder, he thought to himself, frowning, as he groaned into his pillow. I'll take the piloswine fur beds at home over this any day, or night, rather. 'Mt. Silver is cold' my arse.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door, the sound of Sven's voice following. "Sorry if I have woken you, Yuki. Breakfast is ready downstairs for you whenever you are ready, I have also submitted your registration form this morning – you're all signed up and ready to go."
"Thank you, Sven – and you're not a bother at all; I was already awake," Yuki called out to the alakazam as he sat up on the bed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his paws. "You've been such a great help. What time do I need to be at the colosseum?"
"Around about eight-thirty for the roll call – it's presently seven-thirty," Sven called out. "I'll leave you be to ready yourself – but don't take too long, else it'll get cold," he added with a huff of fading laughter accompanied by the sound of receding footsteps, easily audible by the old and creaky wooden floorboards.
After a moment of sitting still on the bed, Yuki finally decided to jump off the comfortable mattress and stretched vigorously. He took a moment to gather himself, knowing that whatever happened that day would influence the future.
Come now, don't think too heavily, he told himself, smirking. Tomorrow is promised to no one, he thought before he stopped and smiled. Except for you, Thea. "Right," he called out loud to himself as he started towards the door. "Time to have a hearty breakfast and win me a wish."
A few moments later he arrived downstairs, greeted by a smile on Sven's face. One word escaped the elder alakazam's mouth. "Coffee?"
Yuki nodded, a smile growing on his lips. "Please," he answered as the alakazam gave another smile.
"You're in for a treat – I always love showing off my style of coffee to travellers," he told Yuki, who sat up on his haunches at the bar stool as Sven walked over to the benches against the wall behind the bar. "But first, how about you make a start on this?" he suggested, placing a bowl of food in front of him. Yuki's eyes widened in eagerness as he felt a pang in his stomach at the mere sight of it.
"My goodness... this looks so good!" he exclaimed in surprise, triggering another smile on Sven's face. "What is it?"
"Scrambled farfetch'd eggs and lightly smoked slowpoke bacon," he answered. "I figured you wouldn't want your meat cooked, so I did it how Betha liked them."
"Wow," Yuki murmured, instantly intrigued. She never mentioned eating something like this... all we've ever eaten is raw and dried meats up in Mt. Silver... maybe because we don't have a kitchen or house for that matter, he thought to himself humorously.
"Dig in and I'll start making your coffee," Sven told him. "Take it slow – it'll sit better when you start the first round of the tournament," he continued as he grabbed a kettle from bench-top stove behind him and brought it over to the front counter. Once there, he started to pour the hot water carefully into freshly ground coffee beans that were sat on a stand that dripped down through a paper filter into a decanter. "You see here, there's a special way to pour the water so that you extract all the nice oils of the coffee beans. It needs to be nice and slow, carefully spaced out."
"Wow..." Yuki murmured after he finished chewing, his eyes cast to the hot water disappearing into the coffee grounds. "That's quite fascinating... how long have you been making coffee like this for?" he then asked.
"A good couple of decades now, I should think," Sven replied wistfully, a smile on his face. "I would hope that I know a thing or two about it by now," he added with a chuckle.
"You certainly look experienced enough," Yuki noted as he finished another mouthful, watching Sven's careful, steady hands expertly control the pour. "I can't wait to taste it."
"You needn't wait too long, just a minute or two now," Sven told the eager umbreon as he finished pouring the water into the grounds with a little swirl, putting the kettle on the counter beside it. Whilst Yuki watched the last few drips of coffee fall from the filter, Sven had grabbed a large mug from a stovetop tray. "Now, the most important part is to have a warm mug – else the coffee will go cold and ruin the flavour."
"How interesting... I never knew there was so much to it," Yuki commented as he watched on in curiosity, pausing his meal momentarily.
"But of course, brewing a good coffee is an art form – you're not just making a drink," Sven told him as he began to pour, slowly, the brewed coffee into the mug. "Douzo," he said as he placed the coffee down in front of Yuki.
"What does that mean?" he asked and Sven smiled.
"It's an old word with a lot of meanings, it's a lot like 'here you go'," he answered.
"That's kinda cool... Douzo..." Yuki muttered to himself before he smiled. "I'll remember that. Now, to try this coffee..."
"It'll still be a little hot, don't have too much at once or you'll burn yourself," Sven warned as he watched Yuki stick his tongue in to try it. He paused momentarily as he let a small amount roll over his tongue, nodding his head as he did. "What do you think?" Sven asked as he swallowed.
"It's very smooth," Yuki answered. "It has a very nice flavour; sourer and less bitter than the coffees I've tried but it's not overpowering at all. It's very pleasant."
"I'm very glad that you enjoy it," Sven told the umbreon with a smile. "Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone try my coffee and genuinely enjoy it."
"I'm quite surprised that Betha never told me about you – well, she never really told us much about her travels apart from what she learned from them," Yuki murmured.
"That's just like her, you know," Sven said. "That's why it gave me chills to see her go from being usually stoic and composed to expressive and gleeful when she sang and danced."
"She most definitely didn't ever tell us about that," Yuki commented with a smirk. "I wonder how many things she skimped out on out when she was telling us about her travels..."
"You and your sister, right?" Sven questioned.
"Yeah, my younger sister, Thea," he answered. "She's the reason why I'm doing this..."
"Oh?"
"See, when she was little, she strayed a bit too far away from my family and ended up... falling into an icy-cold lake," Yuki began with a heavy sigh. "Her heart now beats too slow from the lack of oxygen at the time, which also made her heart very weak. Unfortunately, we have no sure-fire way of dealing with it and sometime in the next six months... her heart's just going to start giving out..."
"That's awful..." Sven murmured. "So you're looking to use your wish to heal her?" he asked and Yuki nodded. "How bad is it at the moment?"
"Well... she's very weak and can't do too much physical activity or she'll start to run out of breath. The pain is also ongoing, too," he answered with another heavy sigh. "But she does her best to stay positive. I'm just hoping to give her a full life."
"I think that's very commendable of you, Yuki," Sven told him. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you're well-fed and well-rested before you leave each day."
"I appreciate that a lot, Sven," Yuki said with a smile. "Do you know what the program is like?"
"Well, today is the first round, so there'll be the four group stages throughout the day," the alakazam answered. "They'll explain the rules there. Then, the next day, the sixteen competitors remaining will fight each other one-on-one in a single elimination bracket until there are eight left, then four, then two. The winner then fights against the current champion."
"About that, have you ever seen the current champion?" Yuki asked as he lapped up a little more of his coffee.
"No, they like to keep to themselves, up in the colosseum tower where they live," he answered. "If you come up against N'vara, be very wary. From the stories I've heard... he once tore a charmeleon apart about a year ago. Absolutely not the type of pokémon you would want to be friendly with."
"I'll be careful," Yuki reassured him. "Whilst I do believe I have a lot of skill from my many years of training, I won't let it get to my head. Keeping a cool head and remaining calm and collected are some of the most important things in a fight."
"Very wise, Yuki," Sven murmured as he grabbed the empty plate and placed it on the counter behind him. "It's very good to not get cocky. Betha, unfortunately, was quite the opposite."
"Oh, really?" he asked with a grin.
"Her arrogance was matched only by her kindness and happiness," he answered with a chuckle. "Arrogance is a bit of a strong word, I guess – overconfidence might be a better fit for her."
"I can see that," Yuki murmured. "I guess she lost that from age, or maybe she had an experience that taught her to be a little more grounded," he added with a chuckle.
"Perhaps," Sven commented. "Well, you seem to be rather humble, at least."
"Well, I don't exactly talk to many people or feel the need to be competitive or prideful, I guess," he murmured. "It's just life for me to have these skills. Nothing to boast about, really. Just need it to live."
"As simple as breathing, would you say?" Sven asked and Yuki shrugged. "In any case, that gives you an advantage against the other competitors. Both your perception and awareness seem to be absolutely top-notch, too."
"What makes you say that?" he asked with a furrowed brow.
"Last night, in the middle of me talking you heard Riley before she entered – which is not easy," Sven explained. "You realised she had a very quiet step and thought it odd, did you not?"
"I'm surprised you could read that much from me..." Yuki trailed off, surprised. I made sure to be as normal as possible. Do I have a tell?
"Your right ear moved slightly," Sven told him with a smirk. "Right after that you glanced behind me at, what I would like to guess, the kettle on the stove, did you not?"
"I did," he answered, bewildered. "I used the reflection to watch as she entered..."
"And that's why I think you've got a better chance than anyone at winning the tournament," Sven continued.
"I hope you're right..." Yuki trailed off with a smile. "You're pretty perceptive yourself, you know."
Sven chuckled. "In this day and age one's got to be, I suppose."
"Unfortunately so," Yuki murmured his response as he looked down to his mug of coffee to realise he'd already finished it.
"Well, let's see you put your skills to use, Yuki," he replied as he gestured to the clock behind him. "It's already eight – you should start heading towards the colosseum now."
"I suppose so," he echoed as he jumped down from the bar stool and stretched, making sure to wake up any muscles that fell asleep whilst he was sitting down. "Thank you so much for everything, Sven," he told the alakazam, who only smiled in response. "I really appreciate it."
"I'm happy to help," he replied, still smiling. "Come back successful and in one piece tonight so I can treat with a nice meal," he continued.
"I will," Yuki replied and with that, waved his goodbye and left for the colosseum.