Fire is they key to the burning passion in my soul… A hot flame motivates me more as they lick and burn and harms me more… Fire melts all ice and coolness until you're all hot and friendly… Flowing freely like lava in a volcano… Fire is- Fire is…
"What IS fire, Flint?"
Flint opened his eyes and looked up from his meditation on the floor of his battle arena. He looked up straight at Volkner, who was bent down examining him with a scrutinized expression. The fire type elite four yelped and stood up almost immediately. Volkner straightened up and took a step backward. "Dude, I know we're close friends and heck, maybe even best friends, but do NOT come that close, EVER!" Flint gasped, putting a hand dramatically to his heart and at the same time, wiping sweat off his forehead. Volkner just rolled his eyes at the afro-haired red head.
"I know you really like me and all 'cuz we're friends, but seriously, I don't like you in THAT way," Flint continued, talking in a fast gabble. Volkner wasn't even listening now; instead he was staring around the arena with some interest.
"I know maybe you like guys and all, because you kind of LOOK gay," this statement caught the electric gym leader's attention and now he was glowering angrily at Flint. He opened his mouth to say something, but Flint cut over him, with his hands casually in his pockets.
"What with your almost-long hair and those clothes… I'm actually not surprised," the fire-type love said almost to himself. "Flint," Volkner said warningly, but it was as if he didn't say anything. "Sure, you SAID you kind of liked that cute girl with the brown hair on the beach who I think is a gym leader," he muttered thoughtfully. "Flint,"Volkner colored up at this and hissed threateningly, afraid someone would here.
Flint ignored his friend and said loudly. "But you might have been using that as a cover-up… So I'm guessing that you're gay right, Volkner?" Flint looked up as he concluded this and if looks could kill, Flint would be a dead man by now.
"Flint, I-am-NOT-gay," Volkner said slowly as he massaged his forehead. Flint looked confused for a moment, before saying. "Oh," There was silence in which Flint was still figuring this out and Volkner was looking highly insulted.
That was when Volkner continued, rather defiantly. "I mean, do I LOOK gay?" At this, Flint was at a loss to reply as he looked helplessly at his friend's waiting expression. "… You don't really want me to answer that, do you?" Volkner sweat dropped before throwing his hands in the air.
"You know what? Let's just drop the subject already," Volkner said angrily, thinking self-consciously that he certainly did not look gay and if he did, there would surely be some hits on him already, right? Not counting that creepy male janitor staring at him and a biker who was checking him out…
"Anyway, what were you doing talking about fire to yourself like that?" the gym leader asked, raising an eyebrow critically. "Oh yeah, that," Flint laughed sheepishly before continuing. "That's what you call meditation, Volk, and seriously it works," he replied, looking as though he wanted to change the subject. "So… what'cha doing here, Volk? I thought you'd probably be doing some renovating and busting up a couple of circuits and maybe even get another threatening letter of authority," Flint replied, sniggering with his hands in his baggy trousers.
"Well, about time," Volkner scoffed, looking slightly miffed but otherwise amused. He was used to his friend's jokes that always seemed to be poking fun at him. "To answer that question, Flint of the elite four," At the title given to him, Flint drew himself up proudly. "Ya got that right, pal," he said.
"… I am here to challenge you," For a moment, Flint opened his eyes in shock and just stared. Volkner waited, his foot tapping impatiently. Flint burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. For a few minutes, the arena was filled with his laughing as Volkner looked on, not amused.
At last, Flint's laughter ceased. "Y-you? Challenge m-me? Yeah, right, Volkner," he said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "I expect ya heard we've got a challenger today around three and decided to pull a prank on me. Like that's ever gonna happen," Flint rolled his eyes at the thought of the bored leader doing something like that.
"Flint," Volkner said calmly and seriously. "It's already 3:20," the blonde said, taking a look at his poketch. Flint seemed black for a moment, before replying. "Then the challenger must still be stuck with Aaron or something… Or even Bertha and you expect me to think you're the challenger. Very funny, Volk, but it's not gonna work," Flint replied, closing his eyes and raising his chin defiantly.
"Well, I beat both of them already, so it's you're turn," he said, shrugging his shoulders slightly.
Flint stared at him in sheer disbelief. "In twenty minutes? Wow…" he said slowly, before perking up. "But I still am not gonna believe you because, Volk, you forgot something important in your trick and that's the radio transmitter," Flint nodded in superiority towards a speaker up on the ceiling.
"When the challenger defeats one of us, the radio transmitter will give a signal that we're next and to get ready. Clever, huh?" the elite four laughed at his finding a loophole in the so-called 'prank'.
Volkner rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Flint, but not clever if you put off the thing like you did," Volkner scoffed with his arms folded. Flint looked up at the signal button on the transmitter and indeed, it was turned off.
"So? Now do you believe me? I AM the challenger for today," Volkner said, a hint of exasperation and impatience in his voice. "B-but…" Flint stuttered in shock. "I told you I would have gone on and challenged the elite four if no one managed to defeat me in battle and now I did," Volkner said seriously, his expression deadpan.
"Oh man," Flint said, feeling dizzy. This wasn't happening. This could not be happening. "Well, Flint? Come on and hurry, I beat you a million times before and I'm going to do it again," Volkner said with confidence and pride.
This time, Flint seemed to stand up a little straighter and a flame in his chest seemed to light up when he heard what Volkner said. He let a grin cover his face. The poor guy just didn't know…
"You think so, huh? Don't get so cocky, Volkie, 'cuz I've got a feeling right here," he indicated his chest. "That things might just change," He cracked his knuckles and retrieved a poke ball, watching Volkner do the same.
"Now let my fiery flames of power engulf you!" Volkner rolled his eyes for the third time that day at the cliché sounding statement before their battle began.
As the sounds of pokemon battling entered both Bertha and Aaron's ears, they knew that the battle had started. "Wonder who's going to win," Aaron thought out aloud in the lounge where they were both hanging out, but in Bertha's case, knitting. "I think Volkner's gonna win. He zapped my bugs alright," he said, ruefully.
"Now then, Aaron, you mustn't think Flint isn't doing any justice. Next to Lucian, he is the best," Bertha said, peacefully sitting in an armchair. "Well, if you say so…" Aaron said, doubting Bertha's statement highly.
"We'll just see,"
Fifteen minutes later, a whistling Volkner with a heart contented for once, left the pokemon league to return to Sunny Shore. Aaron looked through the Lounge's window watching the gym leader leave while Flint waved goodbye to him cheerfully.
"I don't believe it," he said flatly as Flint turned around and flashed a grin at the young male. "In your face," said Cynthia as she walked into the lounge. "For not believing in Bertha and Flint," She continued to Aaron's confused expression.