Chapter 2
Kent was awoken by a voice coming from above him. Blearily blinking his eyes, he was slowly able to make out the source as his vision swam into focus. There was a television mounted on the wall above him; a newscaster was rattling off her report – "... have been increased sightings of pokemon exhibiting rare color traits – this trait, which expresses differently for each species, seems to be cropping up more and more often. Scientists agree that it is likely due to human interference – exhibiting a different color than what is traditional for a given species was once harmful, but due to human interference, individuals expressing a rare color have been able to survive long enough to bear offspring. As such, the frequency of the allele is slowly on the…" Kent's focus on the story ebbed. Ryko had long since felt his owner's movements, and was now looking expectantly at the young man. Kent only smiled, scratching Ryko's ears before asking the growlithe to hop down, which Ryko did immediately.
Kent stood, and this time, the both of them stretched for a moment before re-gathering their bearings. Pokeballs, and curatives… Kent was running low on both. Deciding it would be best to re-supply, Kent waved the nurse good-bye and headed out the door, with Ryko following suit. The city was considerably busier than it was the previous evening – trainers, residents, and commuters alike were all bustling about, quickly heading to their destinations. Heading up the hill behind the Pokemon Center, it wasn't long before Kent reached the massive, multi-story department store – a very famous building, to be sure. Pokemarts were convenient, but the selection at the Lilycove iteration was utterly unparalleled.
It didn't take long for Kent to find what he was looking for – within moments of entering, he was waiting in line in order to purchase his supplies. There was only a single trainer in front of him: a young woman, dressed in a practical outfit, which was predominantly white, but touched with red here or there. She had long hair, which was a surprisingly dark shade of blonde. Kent gave her some space as she turned to leave, though Ryko was a bit less formal, sniffing near her ankles; Kent muttered a quick apology for him. The young woman's bright green eyes met with Kent's as she left – she had an astoundingly confident air about her. She looked to be his age, though it was clear that she had a great deal of experience as a trainer. It was likely that she left her home when she turned ten, like many trainers.
With the line cleared, Kent placed his items on the counter. "Ten Full Restores, ten Full Heals, ten Super Potions, and twenty Ultra Balls… Quite the haul, quite the haul..." the clerk commented while the computer tallied up the price. That'll be 67,000 pokedollars, sir." Kent nodded – while it seemed somewhat excessive, the truth was, he had been battling quite a lot lately, and so he had built up quite the fund for supplies; apart from sustenance, these visits were his only expenditures, after all. Skilled trainers could make quite enough while on the road merely partaking in the challenges that were presented to them – though Kent also had an alternate source of income in aiding trainers who were having trouble capturing specific pokemon. And so, his money spent and business finished, Kent made his way to the elevator and out the door, Ryko following closely, as usual.
His only errand completed, Kent's mind wandered to what his next goal would be – as a wandering trainer, he rarely had his moves planned in advance. This time, he decided on a whim to go visit the harbor; take in the sights while he was in Lilycove. Heading east, Kent walked casually down a large thoroughfare; he attracted the stares of a number of people around him – not surprising, given what he had following him. Pokemon like Ryko were known to sell high to trainers with too much income and not enough pride. Ryko seemed to be aware of the attention, as the Growlithe was practically strutting behind him. Kent couldn't help but laugh to himself.
The street grew narrower and narrower as the businesses around him grew less and less numerous; clearly, he hadn't chosen the most commonly used pathway to reach the cove. After having walked for a short while, however, an uneasy feeling began to gnaw at Kent's mind… As if on cue, he heard a quick muttering behind him, which was followed by a bright flash of light, which struck Ryko square on the back. Kent immediately pivoted around to see Ryko twitching on the ground – a thunder wave, clearly. Before he could react, the figure behind the attack bowled Kent over, scooping Ryko up in the process prior to dashing into a nearby alley.
"RYKO!" Kent shouted, jumping to his feet. Kent tore after the man, sprinting as fast as his legs would carry him. "Come back here, dammit!" Kent yelled – the assailant's feet were visible for a fleeting second as the person whipped around a corner. Kent was hot on the thief's trail; he was nearly around the corner when he heard another attack order. Skidding to a halt, Kent watched as a blue bolt of lightning struck mere inches in front of him. His teeth bared, Kent practically growled as he flung himself around the corner, crashing into the man who had stolen Ryko. The three bodies collapsed to the pavement, Ryko stuck between the assailant and his own trainer – thankfully, the man's grip was broken by Kent's charge, and Ryko was able to wiggle free. An Electrode remained nearby – clearly it was charging up another attack, though Ryko was too quick for the spherical pokemon – with blinding speed, the golden Growlithe charged, ramming into the Electrode; clearly Ryko took after his trainer in this respect. The attack was not over, however, as Ryko immediately followed with a sweltering jet of flame from his mouth – with this attack, the Electrode looked to be unable to battle.
Kent, meanwhile, had subdued the thief with his first charge. While on the ground, he was able to get his forearm at the man's throat, while his free hand restrained the bandit's own arm. "Thought you could get away with stealing Ryko, eh? Trying to make a quick buck? You're lucky I'm not a vindictive man, or I'd show you what my partner can do. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't haul you to the station right now, would you?" he asked, a fierce glare transfixed on the man below him.
The man looked surprisingly diminutive at the moment. He was clearly frightened; he had a gaunt face, and scraggly black hair. By the looks of it, he was likely just trying to sell Ryko off in order to sustain himself… Kent looked down into the thief's terrified eyes and sighed. He couldn't believe what he was about to do, but… quickly, Kent stood once more. "If I see you again, Ryko gets his revenge. You understand me?" Kent said, an acid tone in his voice. The man nodded hastily, scrambling backward as he rubbed his throat. Deciding to leave before he changed his mind, Kent turned and began walking away.
From there, everything was a blur. Kent heard footsteps coming from behind him at a run, and turned to see a flash of silver – his eyes widened, and he prepared to spring out of the way, though he knew that there was no time… but then, beside him, there was a blue blur; a heavy thud filled the alleyway, and the thief crashed to the ground, clearly unconscious; the knife that caused the flash of silver was several feet away from the man's hand. Kent's palms were sweating – he thought for sure that he was about to die, but… someone saved him. Looking down, he saw a Vaporeon staring up at him – Kent whirled around to find himself staring into the bright green eyes of a young woman. Indeed, it was the very same individual whom he had stood behind at the department store… Her brow was furrowed; she knew that she had made it in the nick of time… Immediately, however, her concerned look turned to disbelief and rage. "You were just going to let him go?! The man was clearly dangerous! Just how naïve are you, anyway?!" she shouted – Kent winced.
"I-I… just felt a bit.. merciful. He was clearly in dire straits-"
"Yes! Dire straits! Dire enough to kill for a quick buck, apparently! No, on second thought.. I think he was scared of what you could do to him! Probably a convict who just broke his parole with that little stunt of his, if I had to guess. You are way too lenient!" she asserted, continuing her rant. Kent could only stare in disbelief at the woman berating him. He knew that he likely deserved it; looking back, what he did was quite foolish. "Get out of here." She said simply. "I'm taking this guy to the cops – don't want you to have another change of heart."
Kent could only nod; he was utterly stunned. "C-c'mon, Ryko.." he said, waving for his Growlithe to follow; the command was followed without hesitation. Before rounding the corner, however, Kent turned and looked at the woman once more. "I-I.." he began, before clearing his throat in order to gain time to regain his composure; thankfully, it worked.. "Thanks. I'm Kent – might I know the name of my savior before I go?" he asked, a slightly forced smile on his face. Understandably, he was still a little taken aback by the day's events.
"… Leanne. You can just call me Leanne." She said, heaving the assailant up onto her shoulder. Her Pokegear was open, and propped against her ear. Apparently, she had already dialed the emergency number. Even despite all that was going on, however, she appeared to have something on her mind… She was staring back at Kent – her eyes darting from him, to his Growlithe. For his part, Kent couldn't help but wonder what it was she was thinking…
"Well, then.. Thank you, Leanne. Pleased to make your acquaintance. If we meet again, feel free to ask me for a favor. I owe you, you know." He said, smiling more comfortably this time. Leanne merely nodded and waved him off – her call had connected. Kent took the hint and turned to leave, walking somewhat stiffly after what happened. Ryko looked up at his master, seeming concerned – the Growlithe let out a small bark, before nudging Kent's leg. Kent looked down and smiled; Ryko was often on edge when Kent wasn't feeling himself. With Ryko's support, Kent's movements became more natural; he seemed less worried, though still a bit jumpy. "C'mon, boy. Let's.. just head back to the Pokemon Center for now…
