~Nameless Supplanter~
Act 1
The gym looked different than he remembered but it was of no importance. After all, the colorful sign with water symbols told him this was the Cerulean Gym.
He pushed opened the doors only to find the place without lights. The darkened area was just visible enough to see several small pools surrounding a large one in the center; the gym battle setting. The sides of the gym had bleachers extending to the length of the large pool. No signs of life were seen anywhere. He had half expected to see that red haired beauty emerge from the darkness in a ray of light illuminating the gym.
No such luck.
In disappointment, he left the gym and wondered what he should do next. Waiting was an option but for all he knew the residents of the gym may have gone on vacation. He wished he had confronted the beauty on the street earlier to see if she would've been available for a gym battle.
"Followed by a date afterwards."
He laughed at his own fantasy only to realize he was laughing out loud alone. Embarrassed that anyone saw him he trotted off toward the nearby park where he saw the beauty originally in vain hope that their paths may cross again.
Many people came and went. Children were playing on the grass with their various pokémon while their parents were relaxing on the benches nearby. Couples were walking with their arms linked together happily enjoying the cool afternoon; he was envious.
His mind wondered if he could have been here with that beauty arm-in-arm. They would walk together past all these other people in their own little world. The cool breeze would be buffeted by the warmth that gave off from their contact. In an open meadow they'll stop and she'll stand in front of him looking up into his eyes.
And then…
There was a hardening tightness in his face telling him that he was blushing; the picturesque dream shattered.
"Hey, are you alright?" spoke a voice.
Surprised but annoyed at the voice disrupting his return to the dream, he turned to face the person.
It was something that always made him wonder about this place. The people and their strange colored hair compared to what he was use to back home. The guy had blue hair, something he was not use to seeing but at the very least it was in the shade of his favorite color, cerulean, appropriate for this city. The hair was also the same color as his jeans. His simple long sleeved black shirt and red shoes was the closest thing to normal about him. There was a fanny pack at his waist and a small satchel bag behind him. His eyes were too small to identify any color in them.
He answered the blue haired guy saying that he was fine and was about to make his way until it dawned on him: this guy could know where that beauty was!
"Hold on a second, would you happen to know where the gym leader is?"
The blue haired boy looked at him in a strange manner as if he should know better.
"Don't you know? There is going to be the Oceania Festival in a month from today. Many places are closed down for the day to start planning the routes of the parades, activities, and much more."
A festival; there is always a festival in these cities. He could use this to his advantage at least.
He asked the blue haired guy if the gym leader would be back soon. His response was that the gym leader would likely be back before the evening started.
"After the Cascade Badge are you?"
It took him a moment to remember the gym leaders give badges to the ones victorious over them.
"Yes, a badge, of course." Thankfully, he was able to keep a nonchalant attitude.
"Well, my friend, I hope you do well then in your endeavors."
The way he said "endeavors" bothered him as if he knew he had another reason to battle the gym leader.
"You shouldn't be in such a rush. After all, Cerulean City isn't without its other beauties outside the gym." The blue haired guy laughed and walked past him.
Beauties… he knew after all. It had been less than a day and this city was already intriguing him.
"I wonder how this will play out, wouldn't you agree?" he said while looking down at his necklace. The necklace gave a small quiver in response.
An hour passed by as he continued his wait on a bench near the gym. He was glad he carried around a short stories book by Hans Christen Andersen to pass the time. No sooner did he begin the next story, "The Little Mermaid," did he recognize a voice nearby.
"This script is wonderful! I really loved how the playwright did his own rendition of such a great tale. Not only that but our gym gets to host it!" said the familiar voice that made him lose his breath in anticipation.
He peeked from his book just barely to see a group of girls passing by.
There were four of them. Three of them looked to be the same age based off their height and similar appearance. Their hair consisted of colors including blond, pink, and, of course, blue respectively. They were wearing bright colored dresses as if they had just come back from a formal ball. But it was the fourth one, with her single buttoned yellow vest with a burgundy shirt going down into her yellow short pants, the shortest of the group, and that vibrant single pigtailed red hair that caught his attention; the origin of the voice.
"Well, little sister, we have a lot of work to do for just a month time frame." spoke the blond haired girl. She sounded almost sympathetic in a manner that a mother would do to her child regarding responsibility.
The beauty took several steps ahead of her sisters and stopped, just in front of him, and faced her sisters with a thick bundle of papers, most likely the script of this "play," rolled up in her fist in a display of determination.
"Ha, you don't have to talk to me like that. I am the Cerulean Gym leader after all! I can pull this play off while still beating trainers who come to challenge me!" The beauty's voice was so passionate it was like fire reverberating around the bench he was sitting on. This gave him goosebumps but he enjoyed the feeling.
He peeked more above his book as he saw the pink haired sister place a hand on the beauty's shoulder.
"Don't you worry about the play; we'll handle it."
"After all, this is up our alley!" said the blue haired sister.
The beauty sighed shaking her head.
"You three 'would' find an excuse to not do your gym duties." The fiery passion was gone from her voice but she retained her excitement soon afterwards.
It was now or never. He had to be sure the four would be heading back to the gym. A plan was forming in his head...
"Excuse me, ladies." His voice was calm but confident. Standing up, he closed his book and held it across his chest.
They turned to him in surprise not realizing he had been sitting beside them the entire time. He kept eye contact on all four as to not arise suspicion; the blue haired boy from earlier left him paranoid.
"I couldn't but overhear that one of you is the gym leader. I've come from far away in hopes to battle this said leader of this fine city." This type of talk was very natural for him to imitate. He knew already who the gym leader was but he was going to enjoy the performance that was about to unravel between the siblings in hopes to get those goosebumps again.
The beauty, with the rolled up script in hand, placed her hands on her hips with her torso outwards in a confident prideful manner.
"You're looking at one of Kanto's best gym leaders. The great-"
The blond sister interjected.
"Yes, the gym leader of Cerulean City is our little sister here." She rubbed the beauty's head playfully which was immediately swatted away by her.
"What are you doing, Sakura? Are you trying to get him to be overconfident and think ill of our gym?" She was upset that her monologue was interrupted.
"Oh, come now, little sister, you shouldn't need to feel embarrassed." said the pink haired sister.
"I agree. Don't let your poor self-image get the best of you, little sister." The blue hair sister this time.
The three older sisters laughed at their younger sister's dismay.
"You too, Ayame, Botan? All three of you are the ones with self-image issues, getting all dolled up for every little occasion, even for that town hall meeting for the Oceania Festival planning! And my name isn't little sister…"
The beauty stopped, she turned the corner of her eyes toward him with the same glare she gave her sister's. She immediately followed this glare by turning her whole body with a pokéball in her free hand toward him defiantly.
"…my name is Kasumi, the gym leader of the Cerulean Gym! If it is the Cascade Badge you want then you will have to defeat me and my pokémon to get it!" The fiery reverberation surrounded them again giving him the goosebumps from earlier that he enjoyed. He had hoped to shudder from the feeling and enjoy it further but instead took out his pokéball and mimicked her defiant stance with it just barely touching hers.
"Then I won't lose." His own fiery reverberation was rivaling hers like two spirits of champion warriors clashed in a stalemate. The adrenaline rushing through his body gave him such euphoria that he couldn't help but smile greatly; his necklace quivered again.
This day was becoming very intriguing.
End of Act 1