Molten
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A.N.: I had to steel myself to re-read this after a year. It burns the eyes... Corrosive... Detrimental to your health...
Which is why I'm slowly revising and possibly updating.
:Spastic twitch:
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Prologue
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With a resigned sigh, Flannery settled herself on the edge of the hot springs, her legs swishing around in the steaming water. Ah, life wasn't fair: it was downright cruel. Hadn't Winona known she'd been in love with Wallace since her early days of gym leadership? Guess not. She had kept it a secret that she
liked the Sootopolis gym leader... So it only figured her friend would snatch him up for herself because she was simply too scared to even attempt to flirt with him.
Sighing again, she leaned back to stare at the partially cloudy sky. It wasn't fair... Not at all...
"Hi Flannery!"
Jolting back to reality, the gym leader saw a young girl standing next to her in a pink towel. Flannery gave her a small smile.
"Hi, Sadie." Flannery said quietly. Sadie giggled and slid into the spring. A cool autumn wind blew her bright red hair into her face, stinging her eyes. Shuddering slightly from the chill in the air, Flannery joined the young girl in the hot spring.
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An hour or so later, Flannery made her way back out, slipping into her clothes in the locker room while there was no one about. With her bag's strap resting on her shoulder, she began walking down the short hallway back to the Pokecenter. As she tried to tie up her damp, tangled hair, the bag slipped off her shoulder, landing with a plop on the wooden floor. Hearing a commotion back at the locker room, she glanced back, managing to get the scrunchie around her wet hair. She noticed the distinct lack of weight on her shoulder and turned around to bend over to pick up the dropped back, only to have it held out to her.
"You dropped this?"
Flannery blinked, taking the bag hesitantly. That man looked familiar...
"Um, yeah... thanks."
"You're the gym leader here, aren't you?"
Flannery nodded slowly, scrounging through her brain for the person's name. It was right there, waiting to be called on...
"Ah. People always said Lavaridge's gym leader was pretty."
She flushed, scratching the side of her neck shyly.
"Well... It's because of the hot springs..."
"No need to be modest, now. You're naturally quite pretty."
"Um. Thanks..."
"Oh, I'm sorry! I must be scaring you out of your wits... My name is Steven."
Flannery looked up quickly from the floor, eyes wide and cheeks flaring with heat.
"Steven? As in..." One of her idols had just complimented her looks? And she hadn't known it was him? (Oh goodness, she'd a hit a real all-time low.)
"...the former champion, yes." He acknowledged with a small, sheepish smile.
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"So you're on vacation?" Flannery asked as they walked out of the center.
"Since my position was taken over by Brendan, I have a lot less to do." He chuckled. Flannery shifted the bag.
"I thought May was the champ, though."
"It changes almost daily. They're both very powerful trainers."
"Aren't they dating, too?"
Steven shrugged.
"I'm assuming." He said with a soft chuckle.
"Oh." Flannery stared at the ground as they made their way towards her gym. She had heard from Steven that he was in Lavaridge for their famed hot springs. He had never had time before, during his time as champion, to take breaks like these. At hearing this, Flannery insisted that he stay with her, despite her embarrassment -- it was just the polite thing to do, right? The extra company would be nice, especially since her mother died...
"Flannery!"
She stopped in her tracks and looked up, seeing the person she least wanted to see right then.
"Uh, hi... Winona..." She mumbled, feeling guilty for the sudden pang of hatred that shot through her. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought it'd be nice if I visited. We haven't seen each other for ages!" So totally oblivious to the half-hearted glare Flannery was giving her...
Inwardly, Flannery sighed. It was like Winona to think a few weeks was a long time. Winona appeared to be cool, calm grace to most gym challengers -- underneath all that was a spunky, outgoing girl who had just snagged one of Hoenn's Top 20 with her girlish charm.
"That's okay, right?" Her smile was beatific.
"Oh... Oh! Of course." She hastily smiled. "I'm sorry, I've just been a bit busy... Lots of challenges, y'know..."
"I understand." Winona smiled briefly before looking back at Steven. "What are you doing here, Steven?"
"Vacationing." The former champion said, running a hand through his hair. "Lots of time on my hands now that Brendan and May have taken over my position."
"I see! Come on, Flannery! Wallace is waiting back at your gym!"
Flannery bit the inside of her cheek to keep the morose look from spreading over her face at Winona's cheerful words. Other than her, he was really the last person she wanted to confront. Would she melt into a puddle still? Would she rage at him? Would she rage at Winona? Should she flee back to the hot springs and hope that drowning in a hot springs was possible?
"A-alright." She nodded as Winona turned around and began walking back to the gym.
With her mouth set in a straight line, she walked towards her next challenge.
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End Prologue
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:Twitchtwitch: Eeeuurrghhh. So that wasn't as bad as I thought. It came really close, though. I'm so sorry I had to subject all of you people to that... I'm going to beat myself over the head with a metal can and a wooden spoon now...
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:ove must be as much a light as it is a flame. - Henry David Thoreau