Japanese Title: Round Two Begin! Rhea On The Water Field And Tatsu-Lance On The Bridge!
Translation: Ichiban Ni Hajimaru! Imouto On Sono Mizu Fiirudo to Dragon-Wataru On Sono Burijji!
By: Pro_V
"Rhea Gaia," Eevy moaned, "Why did I have to get Rhea Gaia?"
"You'll do fine anyway," Medira reassured, "It'll just take you a little more effort is all."
"Yeah, maybe."
"Pidgey! Pidgey! Pidg!"
"Do my ears deceive me, or have I just heard a Pidgey call?" Eevy questioned and looked to the window of their room, "I did! I did hear a Pidgey's call!"
"You're a lunatic," Medira looked at her confused, "But there's only one."
"It's for me!" she teased, "Ah hah! It's from Dragon!"
"You snot," Medira pouted, "Where's mine?"
"It says it's to both of us. Here, listen…
~~~
Dear Medira & Eevy,
It's been a long while since I last sent you a letter, I know. This time I'm speaking for the both of us. JP and I are having a tough time here and we're not sure when we'll be back, if ever. I know it must be at least a little painful, so I'm just going to come right out and tell you what this letter's for. I won't be able to make it to your battles. Neither of us will be able to see you for a long while. Our boss is forbidding us to leave. He just keeps saying how we've already slacked off too much and how we'll all be better off. So, now we're telling you that we want you two to just get along without us. Just, please know we love you both deeply and we will never forget either of you. We'll send you another letter whenever we can. I know we never did tell you who we are, but we will tell you soon.
Love, Now & Forever,
Dragon & JP
~~~
"Not coming back?" Medira whimpered with her eyes burning, "No! That can't happen!"
"This isn't fair! It's not right!" Eevy burst, "This just can't happen! It's not fair! They can't leave us!"
"It's not true! It can't be true! It's got to be forged or something!"
"It must be a lie! I won't accept that it's the truth! It just can't be!"
"This world deserves to roast for this! It's evil! Absolutely evil!"
"I can't battle without him here," Eevy sat silently, "I can't even stand the thought that he won't be here to see me fight. I'm not going to quit training, but I will-"
*^~^**^~^*
"DROP OUT?!" Morty bugged, "What do you mean drop out?! You can't drop out!"
"I have to, Morty," Eevy continued packing, "I can't battle when he's not here with me."
"Are you that hooked on that guy? He's not that special."
"Yes, Morty. He is that special. He's the greatest guy I've ever known and I won't battle if he won't be here to watch me. It's not right."
"Can't you just think about this a little more first?" he pushed her pack from her hand, "Take a few hours to think about this first. Go somewhere and sit and think things through. Maybe you'll feel differently."
"Maybe. But just in case, have Medira finish packing my bag," Eevy turned and walked out the door with Morty standing blankly in the middle of her room.
"Sis, I never thought you'd come this far, but now that you are you're losing your nerve. Just give yourself some time and you'll see," he walked out, not even planning on having Medira pack the bag.
*^~^**^~^*
"Why does it always have to be me?" Eevy mumbled as she kept walking and watching the ground, "Why is it always me that everything happens to? Me and Medira, all the time."
"I don't care what Kratos says," Lance mumbled to himself, "I'm going up to the falls to sit whether he likes it or not. I feel like somebody chewed me like gum and spit me out and he wants me to sit home and train. Forget it!"
"What's that?" Eevy looked to her left, catching a glimpse of a yellow tag on a tree, "I wonder what's up there," she pushed herself up the path, coming to a long stretch of trail, "This must be the path to Rainbow Falls! Wow."
"Stupid Kratos. Stupid League. Stupid me," Lance stepped out of the trees, "I'm just going to sit here until I wither up and blow away like a leaf," he stopped quickly, "Oh. Woah."
"I'm sorry," Eevy choked from the other side of the falls, "I didn't know."
"No wait!" he felt like killing himself for stopping her, "You can stay. I'll survive with some company."
"I don't know," she stepped back, "The rules prohibit anything even remotely like this."
"I can bend the rules. I am the Elite Fourth. Come on," he motioned for her to step across the bridge, "Come on."
She inched forward, "A-Alright," she stopped about three feet from him, "You don't look too happy," she hesitated, "Is something wrong, Master Ryujin?"
"I know I told you you could call me Lance. And no more of that Master business either."
She swallowed hard, "Is that allowed? I mean-Is it really alright?"
"I can let anyone call me anything they want. Kratos has no rein over that."
"I'll ask you again; is something wrong?"
"Just got a lot on my mind, as you can imagine. You don't look too thrilled yourself. Something bothering you, Ms. Hikoboshi?"
"Oh, he remembers my name," she mused, "Oh! Please call me Eevy. And it's just a little guy trouble. Trust me! You wouldn't understand!"
"You'd be surprised."
"What?"
"Nothing!" he looked side to side, "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"
"You wouldn't be able to help. No offense meant, mind you, but this is more of a girl to girl issue."
"He broke up with you in a weird way, didn't he?" he knew what happened *duh*, because he wrote it.
She almost fell over, "Yeah," she blinked a few times, "How'd you know?"
"Lucky guess," he snickered to himself, "What'd he do? Write a letter or something?"
"You've got to be reading my mind or my mail or something."
"Ah, so he broke up with you in a letter," he turned around and leaned backwards against the rail of the bridge, "That's real nice."
"It was quite nice actually. But…"
"But what? There's something here you're not telling me."
"Yeah. I can't battle without him here. It wouldn't be right. I want him to see me win, not have to rely on TV. I want to be able to go to him after each match."
"So, what are you going to do?"
"Actually, I'm going to drop out."
He almost suffocated, "Drop out?!" he dry heaved, "Hey, come on. You don't want to drop out!"
"Why are you trying to keep me in the League? I thought it was your job to keep us out."
"Yeah, but it's also my job to keep the League spirit alive. You don't really want to drop out, do you?"
"No," she murmured, "I really want to try and do this, but I'm not sure I can without him."
"You should try your hardest and see what happens. You can't let one little thing like this destroy your courage. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to quit. If you let this get to you what are you going to do when you have to face me?"
"I won't have to face you because I'll never win. I'm not that strong."
"I'm sure that's not true. I've seen you battle. You're very good," he noticed her redden, "Why are you blushing?"
"No reason," she turned with her back towards him, "Just tired."
"Is that a sign of pash I see on your face?" he grinned like some kind of good imp, if that was possible.
"No!" she spun around, "No, no, no! Not at all."
"Are you sure? You're getting redder," the grin got wider and the voice turned to more of a tease than a question.
"Oh! Yes, I'm sure," she turned back around, "I've done myself in now!"
Lance almost keeled over, "She's liked me! All this time! She's liked the real me! This is too good an opportunity to pass up!" he cleared his throat, "I think you're lying."
"Nope! It's the truth!" she said nervously, shooting up straight from hands on her shoulders, "I promise," she whimpered.
"That's too bad," he said, totally freely.
"What?" she choked, "Too…bad?"
"Yes," he looked over her shoulder, "You are quite pretty. Stop shaking," he reassured, "I'm not going to hurt you."
"I can't," she muttered, "I'm shaking like a leaf in a Twister attack."
"You shouldn't. As long as you're with me you're as safe as safe can be," he whispered directly into her ear, "You can't honestly be afraid of me."
"Not of you personally; of what the consequences could be."
"What? The consequences of falling in love?" big mistake on his part.
"No!" she jumped away, "No! No-no, no-no, no! None of this love business. There is only one person I love in such a manner and it's not you."
"I'm sorry. I didn't think what that might mean to you. Honestly, I'm sorry," he held his hands up at his sides.
"It-it's alright," she stammered, "I'm just not ready to give Dragon up yet."
"Dragon's the one that left you?"
"He didn't exactly leave me. He told me there were some important things to take care of and he was going to be gone for a long time. I never did know who he really was."
"Dragon was an alias?"
"Yeah. It's funny," she looked down at the rushing water, "Even so, I love him so much."
"You do?" he shook himself straight, remembering she wasn't talking to Dragon tonight, "It seems so. I'm sorry again."
"It's fine. I should be used to it by now."
"Oh," he narrowed one eye, "I wonder what she means by that."
"Well, I should be getting back to my room. I need some rest. I can't battle when I'm half asleep, can I?"
"You're not dropping out? Good."
"Thank you, Lance," she paused before his name, "for talking me out of leaving. I now see just what he meant by "get along without me". That I have to learn to do things without him hanging over my shoulder."
"I'm sure that's what he meant."
"Thank you again," he turned to go but stopped and looked back at him, "Do you have a girlfriend?"
He leaned away, "No…Why?"
"I don't want to get in trouble," she jumped over.
After yanking him down the few extra inches, she pushed a kiss on him. He stood dead still, eyes wide open, then hesitantly returned it. His eyelids slowly dropped and his right hand went to her chin and the other to her waist. She gripped his collar tighter with the hand she'd pulled him down with and put her other arm around his shoulders. Raikou silently begged her not to notice who he was. After a few more seconds, they both pulled away, her hand loosening from his shirt and resting flat on his chest. The hand that had been on her chin had accidentally (Or possibly purposely. Lance would never tell.) woven partially in her hair. She turned a bright glowing red and smiled nervously. She backed up, pulling away from him. As she stepped away, she pulled the slight wisps of hair in his hand away. He choked as the last soft strands slid out of his grasp, as did she.
"Thank you, Lance. Good night," she ran away down the path thinking, "I just kissed Master Lance Ryujin!"
"She kissed me," he said out loud, dreamily staring at where she'd left, "That shouldn't surprise me, we've kissed a lot, but it does. She kissed the real me! The real me without knowing who I was! She actually came in contact with the true me! Ah hah ha!" he cheered, "She kissed me, she kissed me, she really kissed me!" he stopped dead in his tracks, "Shut up, Lance, before Kratos hears you."
*^~^**^~^*
Eevy basically hopped down the hallway towards her room, "I can't believe what I just did! I just actually kissed him!"
"Who?" Medira put her head out the door, "Who'd you kiss?" she paused, "Wait. Are they here?" she jumped out, "Where?! Where?! Where?!"
"No, they're not here," she grabbed her wrists, "Come here! I've got to tell you something!"
"What? What happened?" she tried to yell as Eevy pulled her along.
Eevy threw her in the door of the room and locked it behind her, "You're either going to kill me, be really pissed, or think I'm the luckiest girl in the world."
"OK. Now that I'm totally lost…"
"Medira, I was just standing on Rainbow Falls with Master Lance Ryujin!"
"What?! You lucky dog!"
"That's not even the half of it!"
"What?! There's more?!"
"Oh yeah! He actually told me I was pretty! Like, really pretty!"
"You're joshing me! There's no way!"
"It's the truth! He talked me out of leaving and-"
"Leaving? Since when were you going to drop out?"
"Morty didn't tell you? Little weasel…Anyway, as I left I actually turned around and kissed him!"
"He let you?!" she bugged, "No way. No way! But, wait, what about Dragon?"
"I don't know. I don't know what to say or do anymore. Well, that's not true, I do know that I'm not backing out of my battle with Rhea."
"That's what it was about! You're upset about battling without Dragon."
"Yeah, but Lance really helped. I'm going to battle, and I'm going to win! With or without Tatsu watching!"
"Tatsu? What's a Tatsu?"
"Japanese for Dragon. I'm going to the Stadium. My next duel will not be my last."
*^~^**^~^*
"Guess I'm a little early," Eevy shrugged at the nearly empty Spectral Stadium, "Oh well. Gives me time to prepare."
"Konnichiha," Rhea surprised her from behind, "Gomen. I'm sorry for startling you."
"You know Japanese," Eevy nodded, "Arigatou, I'll survive."
"Your startle, yes, you will survive it, but our battle, you most certainly will not. I am undefeated."
"That's all well and good, but I have something you do not."
"Oh really? What may that be?" Rhea narrowed her eyes, "What's this Rose Town witch trying to pull on me? My Pokemon have years of experience. Hers have only weeks."
"You'll find out sooner or later. Shall we proceed to the field?"
"My pleasure. You know, I do not really care for you."
"Trust me, the feeling is mutual."
"Are all the trainers from your hometown as you are?"
"May I ask what it is you mean by that?"
"You act full of heart and soul, just like my sister. Like bonds with your Pokemon will honestly help you. All that truly matters is power."
"We'll have to see about that, will we not?"
"Yes, 'tis true. We will."
The loudspeaker sent them both soaring in surprise, "Trainers Evangelina Hikoboshi of Rose Town and Rhea Gaia of Celadon City to the Water Field now!"
"I do believe it is time to battle," Rhea scowled, "Are you ready, Hikoboshi?"
"Yes, Gaia. I am overly ready to destroy you and to teach you a thing or two."
"We shall see."
"Yes, we shall."
*^~^**^~^*
Eevy and Rhea nastily shook each other's hands as the speaker again went off to explain the situation, "This is round two for Trainers Evangelina Hikoboshi and Rhea Gaia. This will be a one on one battle on the Water Field with no time limit. Each trainer has proven herself through one battle. The losing trainer will not be permitted to begin again."
"It's too bad," Rhea laughed, "You won't be able to start over."
"Shut up, Gaia," Eevy hissed, "We will battle and I will win."
"If you want to believe that, fine. I choose, you!"
"Gaia will battle with a Corsola!" the referee called.
"I will believe what I choose and pay no mind to you, Gaia."
"Not a battle, a duel. Go, Corsola!"
"A duel to end all duels. Dexter2, analyze!"
"Pokemon number #222; Corsola. The Coral Pokemon. Height; 2' 00". Weight; 11.0 pounds. Water/Rock. It continuously sheds and grows. The tip of its head is prized as a treasure for its beauty. Ancient civilizations are said to have built their great cities upon these Pokemons' backs. In the south sea nations the people still live in such communities. This Pokemon boasts strong Water- type attacks, while remaining weak to such elements. An ideal counter would be a Grass- type."
"I have no Grass- type Pokemon. What could I use that would make a good counter? Lovo's fast, but it could have a Ground- type attack hidden in there, being half Rock. Zovo wouldn't stand a chance against either of those elements. I want to save Sovo and Vovo for any real trouble and Yovo still deserves a good long rest for yesterday. Alright then," she looked up with an almost evil smile, "I choose," she reached around her left side, finding an icy cold Poke'Ball, "Rain Ball!"
"Hikoboshi will battle with a Vaporeon. Begin your battle now!" the referee jumped back to keep from getting in the way.
"Again, this is no battle. This is a duel. Go, Corsola!"
"A duel to prove the real power! Go, Novo!"
"Corsola, in the water!"
"Novo, dive in and go for an Acid Armor!"
Novo slid off the center podium and into the water, disappearing instantly. Corsola dove in after him, dropping straight to the bottom. Eevy carefully monitored the water current with Dexter2, watching the waves and acidic properties of the environment. She was able to locate Novo's body heat and acid shape.
"Great, Novo! Doing well! Keep that Acid Armor up and use and underwater Take Down attack!"
"Corsola, keep up your Defense with an in the water Harden attack!"
"Stop, Novo! Don't waste your energy!"
"Why's she stopping? Why not do the damage?" Rhea thought, "Corsola, Bubblebeam! Fill the water with froth!"
The Corsola somehow popped itself up to float in the water. It started spinning and shooting its bubbles in a circular pattern to fill the entire pool with fizz. Eevy hadn't expected that at all. Novo jumped from the water, hitting the podium and shaking off, now visible.
"Corsola! Tackle attack!"
"Novo! Tackle it back!"
The two Pokemon collided in the center of the middle platform, each pushing each other as hard as they could manage. Corsola was the first to break away and started another attack.
"What?!" Eevy choked, "A Psychic attack?! Oh no! She's taught it TM and HM moves!"
"Throw that little runt, Corsola!"
Novo flailed wildly as he was lifted from the ground, "Put me down, you stupid sea slug!"
"No can do!" Corsola threw him all the way across the water, slamming him into Eevy's podium.
"Novo! Get up! You've got to get up!"
"Come on!" Sooney called from her seat, "Get up! Get UP!"
"Keep going!" Yuu-Yuu shouted.
"Fight hard!" Mizu pushed in.
"Don't lose!" Morty cried.
"You're only a loser if you're a quitter!" Skiff suddenly burst.
"You've come too far!" Eusine added.
"You can do it! Don't let that little witch win!" Medira pounded the armrest, just about catching Eusine's hand before he snatched it away.
"Move it, Eevy!" Misty called to them, "Go, Novo!"
"Get working!" Brock cheered, "Get 'em!"
"Go get that thing, Eevy!" Ash jumped up and waved, "Go!"
"I need a good sketch!" Tracey, for some reason, shouted, "Show me one!"
"Get out there and win this!" even Gary was there, "Go for it!"
"You heard them," Eevy stepped to the front of the stand, "Go, Novo!"
"Vape! You got it!" he prepared to launch.
"Now," Eevy spat, "Skull Bash attack!"
"Corsola, Spike Cannon!"
"Agility, now!"
Using his fastest Agility, Novo plowed and swerved in and around the oncoming shots. He connected with a painful head-on tackle, shoving Corsola back to the edge of the podium.
"Get up and use an Ancient Power!"
"Ancient Power?" Eevy mused, "Get out of the way!"
Novo side spun into the water as the Ancient Power ripped down the center of the middle stand and skimmed across the water, dissipating just before Eevy's podium. Corsola jumped in after it, propelling itself off the pool bottom with tips and turns. Novo floated nastily in front of it, scowling only like a Vaporeon could.
"Give it your Double Team."
"Bubble!"
Rhea was too late. Novo had multiplied himself at least ten-fold. Corsola launched Bubble attack after Bubble attack, but it wasn't quick enough to stand up against the Vaporeon's zipping Double Team and Agility combo.
"Corsola, Hydro Pump!"
"Novo, Quick Attack!"
Novo propelled toward the underwater camera, arcing up underneath Corsola and slamming it up out of the water and into the air. Corsola let out a cry of fury and turned to launch its attack.
"End this! Whirlpool attack, now!"
"Corsola, watch out!"
Eevy's Vaporeon broke from the water's surface, pulling a Whirlpool up behind him. He swung back, landing on the platform as the Whirlpool continued into the air, crashing into Rhea's Corsola and sending it into the water with a huge splash. It surfaced, still ready for more.
"This thing is really powerful," Eevy muttered, "It must be at a really high level to stand up against me this long."
"Hey!" Morty called, "Don't let her take you out! Attack her again! Get rid of her!"
"This isn't your battle! Butt out! Wait a second. Take out…That's it! Novo, Rage attack now!"
"Still going to try and beat me?" Rhea shrugged, "One thing I must give you is that you are persistent, Hikoboshi. Corsola, Rock Smash attack, now!"
"We'll see, Gaia. We'll see. You may be sister to a Gym Leader, but my brother is a Leader as well. Plus the fact, you crave only power. That is not where true strength lies. Your sister knows it, my brother knows it, and most importantly, my Pokemon and I know it and share it as well. Go! Novo! Rage Take Down attack! Pop 'em up and out!"
"Can he get enough speed for that?" Brock cocked his head, "There isn't that much platform."
"Sure it can," Eusine gulped his soda, "Water Pokemon can propel across the water's surface just as quickly as a Rapidash can run on land. See?" he pointed down at the arena.
Novo whipped around the circular Water Field. Luri watched this with her jaw hanging open. Will stood up and sat on the windowsill. Jason whined, saying how cruel that thing was going to be to his beloved Rapidash. Lance was leaning his forehead against the window for a better look. Rhea's cheering squad was totally silent and Erika shook her head disappointedly. Eevy's group stood up, getting shouted at to sit back down and get out of the view. Not only was the Vaporeon building up a Rage, but a super strength Whirlpool as well.
"Go, Novo! Launch now!"
"Corsola, we've got one last chance! Hyper Beam!"
The Vaporeon arced to the side, twisting past the Hyper Beam as it launched past. The Whirlpool spun along behind him as he slammed in for a Raging Take Down. Corsola tipped back on contact, flipping over and getting stuck upside down. The Whirlpool connected shortly after, sending Corsola into the air and straight out of the arena. It stood up again, still willing to go more, but was stopped short.
"Corsola has left the arena! Victory of the round two battle between Rhea Gaia and Evangelina Hikoboshi is Eevy of Rose Town!"
"Yes!" Eevy cheered, "We won!"
"We did it!" Novo bounced on his tail, "We really won!"
"Alright!" Morty shouted, "She won! My little sister's moving up!"
"We won round two!" Eevy sent Ash into a nasty scowl for mimicking his victory pose, "Alright!"
"She beat me," Rhea muttered, "She beat me! How could she beat me?! How could you fail, Corsola? Return. I'll trade you off later."
"You most certainly will not," her sister, the Minor Grass Mistress of Celadon City, Kanto, Erika Gaia, snapped from behind her, "Maybe if you had listened to this girl from Rose Town you would have won."
"No!" Rhea spat, "If Corsola hadn't been so weak we would have done a lot better."
"It is not Corsola that's weak," Erika scolded, "You are the weak one, dear sister. You fight power wise, not strategy wise."
"Yeah," she waved her hand at Erika, "Anybody want a Corsola?"
"Gaia," Rhea spun and scowled at Eevy, "That's a very well trained Corsola in a power sense. Trainers like you need to learn a thing or two about how to connect with your Pokemon. Right, Novo?"
"Uh huh," Novo nodded and spat out his tongue, "Your Corsola would be a lot better if you actually learned how to treat it and raise it right."
"But I powered it up with vitamins and TMs and HMs. What else is there?" Rhea caught a swift smack in the back of her head from her sister.
"You know better than to ask such stupid questions," Erika cracked, "You battle with, not above your Pokemon. You're a partner, not a commander. Some people might think differently, but that's their own problem. You need to get linked to your Pokemon like Ash to Pikachu, Gary to Eevee and Eevy to all her Pokemon. Your Corsola battles for you, not because of you. Who takes the attacks? Your Pokemon. Who attacks back? Your Pokemon. Who fights hard so you can win? Your Pokemon. Until you learn the true way to train Pokemon you're nothing but a beginner. One can train Pokemon for years and years and never be a true trainer if he or she doesn't understand what it's like to battle while someone can train for an hour and be a Master in an instant because they connect, adapt, play and care."
"Maybe," Rhea stared at her Poke'Ball, "I'll try harder, I guess, and I'll be back next year to challenge you again."
"I'm sure you will and I know you'll be a lot better," Eevy nodded and shook her hand, triggering loud cheers from the crowd, "Well done, Rhea."
"Thank you, Eevy. I'll see you again, I'm sure," she turned and walked along, out the west entrance and towards the Pokemon Center, "Good luck, my new friend."
"Good luck," Eevy mumbled and turned around, "It's good to meet you, Mistress Gaia."
"Yes. I'm glad. You may call me Erika. It's a pleasure to meet the sister of Mortimer Hikoboshi as well. Thank you for attempting to teach my sister the correct ways of a trainer."
"It's no trouble, Erika. I rather enjoy trying to help out now and then."
"Alright then. I'll have to be going and working with my sister some more. See you later, I'm sure."
"Good bye!" Eevy waved as her group approached her, "Hey guys, I didn't get to see your battles earlier. How'd they go?"
"Mine went great!" Ash burst, "It was a good one!"
"My was a piece of cake," Gary boasted, "Easy opponent."
"Did you get your next challenges yet?"
"Not yet," they both answered in unison.
"Shall we?" she watched them turn bright red again.
"Alright!" they each took one of her arms with Misty growling along behind.
"Don't worry, Misty," Eevy mumbled back to her, "He's just being polite."
"Yeah, I guess," Misty smiled, "I know."
*^~^**^~^*
"Hello, everyone!" Nurse Joy smiled and waved, "Come for your next challengers?"
"Sure have," Eevy stopped and unlatched her arms from Gary and Ash's, "What's the test today?"
"One at a time you'll press this button," she indicated a large blue button on the counter, "Whoever's picture the light stops on is your opponent," a screen with hundreds of tiny pictures and a rotating light dropped into place, "Whenever you're ready."
"Ladies first," Gary and Ash said together.
"Thank you," Eevy stepped up, "I could direct the light if I tried hard enough," she mused, "But I want to play fair," she watched the screen, "There!" she hit the button.
The light slowly warped to a stop, "That means Evangelina Hikoboshi's next opponent is going to be," she paused and let the picture enlarge on the screen, "Jacob Lakefield of Cerulean City, Kanto."
"Hey!" Misty jumped, "He lived next door to the Gym! We never talked much, but he had a super strong Psyduck!"
"A Psyduck, huh?" Eevy mumbled, "No doubt it's probably evolved by now…"
"Who's next?" Nurse Joy broke her concentration.
"Me!" Ash jumped in front of Gary, "Now!" he hit the button almost immediately.
"That means Ash Ketchum's next opponent will be…Dora Blade of Cherrygrove City, Johto."
"Alright! I bet I can beat her!" he stepped away, "Your turn, Gary."
"OK then," Gary stepped up, "Show me the next loser!" he slammed the button.
"Gary Oak's next opponent is going to be…Carmen Vernix of Scythe City, Hokubu."
"She's from Hokubu," Eevy breathed, "She'll be a tough opponent."
"Ah," Gary waved his hand at her, "Nothing I can't handle."
"Hey," Sooney tugged on Eevy's shirt, "Isn't that the Jacob guy from yours, Eevy?"
"Hey, it is," Yuu-Yuu looked around Eevy's back, "Déjà vu."
"He looks like a Water Pokemon trainer. That's not surprising, coming from Cerulean and all," Skiff noted.
"It's possible he trains other types, but the clothes sure do scream Water," Eusine nodded.
"He is a Water- type trainer, you guys," Mizu pointed out, "Water and Ice, actually."
"How can you tell?" Medira asked quietly.
"Are you kidding? Everything about him screams Water- and Ice- types. Special Freeze Poke'Balls from Johto, blue shoes, white pants and that shirt. That shirt has Water written all over it. The color of ice with a frosted teardrop points straight to Water Pokemon. Even his hair is blue! With frosted tips none the less!"
"Good points," Tracey sketched away.
Misty looked over at him, "I do remember the Psyduck and a Shelldar, but that's all."
Jacob heard his cell phone ring and reached for it as quickly as he could, "Jacob Lakefield," he moaned, obviously not wanting to chat, "I have? She did? I will? Alright. Thanks for letting me know," he hung up and shook his head, "Go, Freeze Ball! Hey, Golduck, old pal. We've got our next challenger for round three. You up to it?"
"Gold duck-duck!"
"Great!"
"I knew it," Eevy muttered out loud.
"Knew what?" Morty looked back and forth, "What?"
"The Psyduck Misty talked about evolved into that Golduck, so it's no doubt it's had a lot of training. It'll be a tough opponent, that's for sure."
"You're right," Brock pushed in, "Look at the gleam of its ruby headpiece. It's been raised well. The shiny texture of its skin says the same."
"I think I'll head home now and work on some strategies," Eevy turned and walked out, "A Golduck…Golduck…Hmm…Golduck…Ouch! I'm sorry!"
"Hello again, even if it isn't quite a nice way to meet."
"Oh, Lance. Hello," she looked side to side then over her shoulder, "How are you?" she asked, not noticing the hood that had flopped off his head when they'd hit each other; he needed to be concealed from pesky fans.
"Just fine," he brushed off and helped her up, "I came to congratulate you."
"Thank you," she turned bright red.
"Now, aren't you glad you didn't quit?"
"Yes, but I haven't won yet," she snickered, "I just got my next opponent."
"Really? Who's the unlucky challenger?"
She laughed ever so slightly, "A Cerulean man by the name of Jacob Lakefield."
"Ah," he nodded, "He's been here before. Watch out for his Golduck's Psybeam attack. Very powerful."
Eevy nodded and heard the Center's doors open and choking sounds from behind them, "We're being watched," she said between a toothy smile.
"Huh?" he looked over her shoulder, "So we are," he scowled at the sight of Morty, "Are you going introduce me or make me disappear?"
"Come on," she snatched his wrist, "Let's go!"
The rest of the group stepped away as she dragged him towards them, "Slow down!" he moaned.
"Hey," she whipped him around in front of her, "Everybody, this is my friend," she paused for the gags, "Master Lance Ryujin."
"You weren't kidding," Medira choked, "No way."
Lance stiffened at the sound of, "Look, everyone! It's Master Lance!" from behind them.
"Oh no," he groaned and looked over his shoulder, "Oh no!" he ran to the side, "See you later!" he took off as wave after wave of people bolted past, "I'll be back eventually!"
"Bye," Eevy said with an embarrassed face and a small wave.
"You know Lance," Skiff choked, "You know Lance!"
"Wow!" Sooney bellowed, "You are so lucky!"
"Oh brother," Eevy sighed and continued listening to the interrogation.
*^~^**^~^*
Lance skidded around a corner and stopped, "Please don't see me," he muttered and waited for the group to pass, "Oy vey," he slouched.
"Lance!" Will sent him sky high as he teleported in with his Alakazam, "Sorry. Kratos just called me. He said a bunch of people have seen moving shadows."
"No way," Lance shook his head after stopping his heart from flying at a mile a minute, "He's long gone. The security would never let him in."
"Yeah, that's true, but two unidentified heaps of ash were found near the gates late Thursday night."
"No," Lance moaned, "Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no!"
"What? What happened?"
"Will," he latched onto Will's collar, "Get my brother and sister up to the house. Keep them there and don't tell them a thing. Get them away from the gate."
"I never thought he'd have the guts to come back."
"He'll do anything for power. Absolutely anything."
The Next Chronicle:
Third Round's The Charm Notes
*^~^*Pro_V*^~^*
-=O~Her Many Pokemon~O=-
