Hey everyone, Kura here!
So just as a warning, this chapter is kinda everywhere since its more of the calm before the storm. Most chapters probably won't skip from place to place like this and I'll try to make future transitions a bit smoother than they were in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it all the same though!
The group of friends departed around noon the next day, after a nice breakfast provided by the pokemon center and a short training session with their pokemon. The group of friends left Accumula and began making their way through Route two with their starters outside their pokeballs; Snivy taking up residence on Cheren's shoulder, Oshawott holding onto Alice's dark blue sweats with a small white paw, and Tepig riding in his trainer's arms. Admittedly not much happened on Route 2 outside of a few trainer battles and our trainers reached Striaton City by sunset without any trouble. Alice was a bit down from not finding anything she wanted to capture though, something her friends seemed to notice as they paused just inside the city.
"Don't worry Alice, I'm sure you'll find a pokemon you want soon!" Bianca stated confidently, hugging the downtrodden girl around the shoulders and pressing their cheeks together affectionately. Alice shrugged in response, rubbing her cheek against Bianca's for a moment before pulling away. She hugged her tired starter uncertainly.
"I hope so, I don't like having to tire Musa out so much. Even if he is getting stronger because of it, it really isn't fair to him." Alice said contritely, rubbing her little friend's head gently. The oshawott shook his head and looked up at her with determination.
'Don't worry about me, Alice, I'm just fine!' His boyish voice echoes in her mind and she smiles slightly, squeezing him to her chest and rubbing his head.
She returned her attention to her worried friends and her smile widened a bit, "Anyway, let's find the Pokemon Center for now. We can challenge the gym tomorrow." Her companions nodded and they started to search for the red-roofed building.
A few wrong turns and some directions later had the trio walking into the chilly interior of the center, Bianca and Cheren quietly arguing about getting lost. Alice walked ahead of the arguing pair, a resigned look in her eyes as she lead them to the front desk. They handed the Nurse Joy on duty their pokemon before settling on the usual two rooms, though Cheren would have to share with another guy since there weren't anymore single rooms available. They agreed Bianca would be the one to stick around and pick the pokemon up, Cheren taking her bags and following Alice down the hall to the girl's room first. As he sat down the bag however, an idea occurred to him alongside a detail he'd somehow forgotten to mention.
Cheren turned to face Alice, watching her dig through her bag for something as he spoke. "Maybe you should check out the Dreamyard, Alice." Alice glanced at her friend, finding him leaning against the wall by the door watching her. She hummed a question as she returned her attention to finding her brush.
"The Dreamyard, huh," murmured Alice thoughtfully, "Any particular reason why?" She recalled reading something about the place in one of her books about the region, but she didn't recall there being anything she particularly wanted in that area.
Cheren shrugged, "I know not having a second pokemon is bothering you. Not to mention I just remembered reading that the gym battle is a two-on-two, so you'll probably want to find another pokemon before you challenge it." Alice grimaced before releasing a sigh and slumping down onto the bed. Cheren walked over and sat on the edge beside her. Alice's lips pursed into a pout and he chuckled.
"You don't have to if you don't want to, it was merely a suggestion." Cheren added, poking her cheek with his forefinger. Alice smiled, then turned her head hearing the click of the door as Bianca returned with their pokemon. The blonde sat across from them on the other bed, handing over their pokeballs and releasing her tepig to get ready for bed. Alice released Musa from his ball and he cuddled up to her side sleepily.
"Say Musashi, what do you say to looking for a friend at the Dreamyard tomorrow?" Alice asked, rubbing under his chin with her finger when he placed it on her lap to look at her. He gave a purr-like sound and she giggled at the odd feeling, lifting him so his head laid on her chest and his little body stretched down her belly. He snuggled close and listened to her heartbeat, brown eyes drifting shut tiredly.
'Sounds...okay to me…' With that final thought Musa curled into her chest and fell asleep, drawing a smile from Alice as she rubbed slow circles on his back. She glanced up at Cheren and he chuckled, patting her head and standing up.
"I do believe that's my cue. I'll see you guys in the morning." Cheren said quietly, adjusting his glasses and patting Bianca's head in a similar manner as he headed towards the door. Alice gave him a lazy wave and carefully shifted herself so she was laid properly on the bed, one hand keeping her otter pressed against her chest as she pulled the covers over them both. She wrapped her arms loosely around her friend and yawned, giving a sleepy 'Good night' to Bianca as she drifted off to sleep.
Next morning- 9:12 am
"So this is the Dreamyard, huh?"
Musa nodded slowly, looking around at the crumbling building and grassy field as Alice crouched to read a fallen sign, curious about what could have happened to the place. The faded letters were too difficult to make out.
"I wonder how it ended up like this." Alice mumbled, standing and continuing in further to look around for any signs of life. Musashi grabbed a paw full of her dark blue sweats and stayed close by as they looked around. They'd come alone, having decided to leave Bianca and Cheren behind to prep for their gym battles, and Alice was starting to regret the decision as she heard a quiet growl from deeper inside the building. Both pokemon and trainer shivered at the unnerving sound.
"Boo." They jumped as a female voice spoke behind them, yelping in surprise after walking so long in a tense silence. A light giggle had them turn around, warily registering a tall girl with light brown hair smiling at them. She gave the pair an amused smile
"Gah!" Alice squeaked, pressing herself against a crumbling wall, clutching the shirt over her chest as her heart threatened to migrate from her ribcage. She didn't even hear the older girl come up.
"You two were just so tense, I couldn't resist, sorry." The girl said, stifling a slight laugh. Alice and her Oshawott sighed in relief.
The brunette girl snickered and patted Alice's head, "I'm Mari, nice to meet you. By any chance are you a trainer?" Alice nodded, glancing down to check on Musashi. He'd buried his face into her pants leg when the other girl spooked them, looking for all the world like he'd just had a heart attack. She smiled as he looked up to check on her, reaching down to scoop him up and run a soothing hand over his back.
"Yeah." Alice said, feeling her otter's emotions calm down as she bounced him in a baby-like fashion. Mari gave them both an apologetic look and swung her orange drawstring bag to her front. She rummaged inside it for a moment drew out a standard pokeball and held it out to Alice, waiting for her to take it before swinging the bag back onto her back.
"I've been looking for a trainer to give that pokemon to, how about you take it off my hands? Think of it as an apology for spooking you and your Oshawott so much." Alice blinked in surprise and looked at the pokeball. She hesitantly opened the pokeball, watching as the pokemon inside was released. An orange and light tan monkey appeared, blinking big black eyes as if waking from a nap. It looked around curiously and Musashi peered down at it from his place in his trainer's arms.
"A Pansear." Alice breathed. The elemental monkeys were known for being pretty hard to find in the wild, and yet here she was being given one? She looked back at the girl with wide eyes, disbelief slacking her jaw. "B-but-"
Mari held up a hand to stop her and looked down at the fire monkey affectionately, "This Pansear likes to battle more than its siblings, but I'm a full-time breeder so I don't leave the area much. Pansear should be allowed to battle and explore the world with a proper trainer, instead of just being stuck at the house. Please, would you take it with you?" Mari all but begged the younger girl, eyes pleading. Alice gave the monkey an unsure glance and it looked up at her and smiled. Alice smiled back hesitantly and crouched down to be level with it.
"Well, I guess I don't mind, is it okay with you Musashi?" Musashi gave an adorable grin and nodded, hopping from Alice's arms and waddling over to give the pansear a hug. The monkey hugged the otter back, then bounded over and hugged Alice's knee which earned a giggle from the girl. The Pansear looked up at her, meeting her eyes eagerly and Alice felt slightly lightheaded as another rush of foreign memories entered her headspace. A blink brought her back to the present, leading her to pat the warm fur of her new addition thoughtfully.
"Who am I to deny such an offer. Would you like to come battle with me then, Pansear?" Alice asked carefully. The monkey smiled and nodded and Alice swept the monkey into her arms for a proper hug, earning a surprised squeal from the creature as well as a giggle. She felt a light nudge at her leg and looked down to see Musashi with a petulant pout, the otter's brown eyes big and pleading.
'Musa too!' Alice laughed and scooped him back up as well, cuddling both pokemon happily.
"Don't worry Musa, you're cuddly too." Alice giggled and looked up at Mari, eyes bright with determination, "I'll take great care of Pansear, promise!" The older girl nodded and waved as she walked away. Alice looked down at her pokemon with a grin before glancing up at the crumbling ceiling to check the sky.
"Looks around 10 or so. We found a friend a lot faster than I thought so we have some time to train.. What do you say? Should we train up and challenge the gym today, or wait until tomorrow?"
'Maybe we should wait, master.' Alice blinked. That voice was new to her. She looked at Pansear and tilted her head.
"Was that you?" Alice questioned. The monkey blinked and squinted, intrigued.
'You can understand me?' asked the little monkey. Alice nodded slowly, thinking on what such a revelation could mean. She exchanged a look with Musashi, who was looking between her and Pansear in surprise.
"I wonder if this will happen with all pokemon I catch?" Alice murmured belatedly. She shrugged and started walking back to town, both pokemon cradled in her arms slowly dozing to the rhythmic rocking and quiet humming of their trainer.
The trio reached town relatively fast, since they hadn't actually moved all that far into the yard before encountering Mari, and as Alice walked through the streets she noticed a green-haired young man staring thoughtfully at the door to what seemed to be a restaurant, his long arms wrapped around several bags of groceries. She blinked, then blushed lightly as his eyes met hers as he was looking around.
He's kinda cute actually..The boy had a gentle air about him, his white dress shirt and black slacks giving him a rather classy look that meshed well with his kind green eyes and slicked back light green hair. He gave her a sheepish look and Alice snapped out of her daze, tilting her head. He gave her an awkward smile.
"Uhm hello, can you open that door for me?" He shifted the bags in his arms carefully and Alice giggled and nodded, shifting her passengers to one arm as she walked over to him. She reached out a hand and pulled the door open for him, letting him slip in before curiously following him inside. She gave a low whistle, glancing around at the decor in interest. Two young men that resembled him faintly strode over as soon as the doors opened, each lifting a bag from him and carrying it elsewhere, drawing a relieved sigh from him as he smiled. He looked back at Alice, smile still in place as he gave a short bow to her
"Thank you miss, I might've been stuck for quite a while had you not come along." He said, tone formal.
Alice chuckled and waved him off. "No trouble at all, Cilan."
He blinked in surprise and straightened, eyes sharpening as he looked at her closer. "I see..I don't believe I told you my name, did I?" Alice shook her head and chuckled, allowing the now awake pokemon in her arms to get down before responding.
"Ah, but I do not need such an introduction. I memorized all of the gym leaders, including you and your brothers." Alice commented, tone slightly smug. Cilan hummed and crossed his arms, gripping his chin in one hand as he searched her face thoughtfully. His vivid green eyes fell to the pokemon at her feet and he took a moment to study them before returning his attention to Alice.
"Does this mean you wish to battle? Your pokemon look rather...inexperienced." He paused briefly near the end of his inquiry and Alice narrowed her eyes slightly at his implication.
"In that case it should be obvious I'm a new trainer, ne?" She bit back lightly, then chuckled. "But no I won't be challenging you today, I'd like to train my new pokemon a bit before I battle with it." Alice stated. Cilan nodded thoughtfully, reaching a hand into a pocket of his slacks and pulling out a card. He handed it to her with a challenging twinkle in his eye and as their fingers brushed Alice was greeted with a short feeling of intrigue from him. She pocketed the card after a moment and blew out a breath from her nose as she chose to ignore it for the moment.
"In that case, please call when you're ready. I look forward to evaluating the bond between you and your pokemon." Cilan said, backing away from her with a smile. Alice gave a brief smirk before it slipped into an equally challenging smile.
"I think some friends of mine will be challenging the gym today, so I guess I'll be back later. See you around, Cilan." He gave a short wave and Alice waved back, feeling Musashi grab her pants as the pair of pokemon followed her out.
Cilan watched them go with a smile on his lips, noting the presence of Cress as he sidled up beside him and giving him a questioning look.
"She seems..interesting.." Cress murmured softly, watching as the doors swung shut with a decisive thud. Cilan crossed his arms and nodded, a smile still on his lips as he glanced at his blue-haired sibling from the corner of his eye.
"Interesting indeed," hummed the green-haired young man. He turned on his heel and headed off to the kitchen, his brother watching him go with a thoughtful gaze. Cress chuckled, a small smile on his face as he gave a bow to an entering lady.
Alice sat at the edge of the training field, her eyes focused on the pokemon in front of her as she brought out her pokedex to scan them.
"So, first things first, Pansear I need to scan you alright? This will hopefully tell me a bit more about your species as well as what moves you know." The fire monkey nodded, standing still as Alice pointed her pokedex at it.
Pansear, the High Temp Pokémon. Pansear lives in caves near volcanoes. The temperature on the tuft on its head can reach 600 degrees when it's angry.
This Pansear is Female and carries the hidden ability Blaze.
Moves: Scratch, Leer, Lick, Incinerate, Nasty Plot (Locked), Fire Spin (Unlocked)
"Nasty Plot?" She thought for a moment before frowning and looking up the unfamiliar move. She faintly recalled reading about the move, but it would be good to refresh the memory. She scrolled to the move and pressed a button to pull up the information on it.
The user stimulates its brain by thinking bad thoughts. Nasty Plot is a non-damaging dark-type move that boosts the power of ranged attacks in battle.
"Huh, well that's pretty cool then. It seems pretty simple but does it have any tips on teaching it?" Alice scrolled for a moment before Musashi poked her elbow, drawing her out of her thoughts.
'Alice can you give us something to work on before you go reading the entire dex please?'
Alice sheepishly scratched her cheek and nodded, chuckling mildly. "Sorry about that, Musa. Let me scan you again so I can figure out what you should work on, alright?" The oshawott nodded and stepped back so she could scan him.
Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokémon.
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Water Sport, Focus Energy, Razor Shell, Fury Cutter, Detect (Locked)
"So how about we work on accuracy today? I found another move I'll be teaching you, but I want you to be very good at using and handling your scalchop before we learn anything new." She looked to makes sure he was following and Musa nodded. She continued her line of thought, "Once I get Pansear set up with her move we're going to work on your aim by hitting small rocks with your scalchop. Sound alright?" Musashi nodded and stepped off to the side a bit. Alice turned back to Pansear and smiled.
"Now as for you little miss, how about we start with a nickname?" Pansear nodded happily and Alice smiled again. "How about Momo? I think it'd be a good fit for you." Pansear's tail waved happily and the little monkey nodded, accepting the nickname with a delighted sound.
'Momo!' Alice laughed and gently scratched at the flame-shaped tuft on her monkey's head.
"Alright then Momo, today I'm going to teach you a move called Dig. It's pretty easy to learn actually, all you need to do is dig a hole in the ground. Once you can dig a proper hole and come back up we'll work on the speed at which you can dig." Momo nodded in determination, clenching her paws eagerly. Alice laughed and waved her off, watching as the High Temp Pokémon galloped a distance away and began digging her first hole. Turning back to face Musashi, Alice rummaged through her bag until she found a handful of smooth rocks, something she'd been collecting as of the last day or so, and she stood to walk over to her otter friend.
"Draw your scalchop Musa." He obeyed and held it out in front of himself, a blade of water erupting from the arc of the shell to give it a sword-like appearance. Alice smiled and held up her rocks. "We'll be using these alright? Your final goal will be to be able to hit them back, but for now we'll focus on hitting them at all. Ready?" He nodded and Alice began throwing the stones at him, watching him swing his water blade for the incoming stones only to miss them. He swung again and hit one across the field, then missed another on the back swing. By the end of ten throws he'd hit three stones, making him droop slightly in disappointment. Alice patted his head encouragingly.
"It's okay Musa, that's why we're practicing! Just remember to swing for where it will be, not where it is." Alice said gently, smiling as his face grew determined and he got back into a ready position. "That's the spirit! Let's try again."
Around the 2 hour mark they took a short break, Momo having dug several holes by that point trying to get faster with her Dig and Musa having made good progress with his razor shell accuracy, his best being six stones knocked away. Alice handed out snacks to her pokemon and settled down with them to relax in the shade of the pokemon center. She heard footsteps to her right and turned to watch Cheren walk towards her. She shifted to lean on one arm as she lifted the other to give her friend a finger wave.
"Hey there Cher! Meet my newest addition, Momo the Pansear." Alice gestured to her monkey and cackled as her friend stumbled, feeling her Pansear tuck herself under the arm opposite the direction Cheren was coming from to hide herself slightly behind her trainer's body. Momo peaked around her shyly and waved at Cheren, who collected himself and waved back.
"Of course you would be the one to find an elemental monkey in the Dreamyard of all places," sighed Cheren. Alice chose not to mention that a girl had given her Momo. He settled on the ground behind Alice and she leaned against his back, feeling him push back against her until they met a comfortable medium. She felt him shift and heard his pokeballs snap open to reveal his Snivy and Patrat, both of them looking around for a moment before noticing the relaxed pair of trainers and walking over to settle near the other pokemon.
"So will you and Bianca be challenging the gym today?" Alice asked, voice soft as she rested contently against her friend. The boy at her back shrugged and she wiggled her toes in her shoes as he collected his thoughts.
"I plan to take it on today. I think Bianca is too, she's been trying to decide on a battle order for the last hour or so," said Cheren, just as soft. Both of them shook their heads in fond exasperation at the thought. While they could understand her worry she only had two pokemon, and it wasn't like she was bad at adapting to new situations.
"I recall she said something about planning a strategy..does that mean she's picking the order to decide which of her pokemon faces what?" Alice pondered. Cheren bumped the back of his head lightly against Alice's, drawing a chuckle from the girl as she bumped back.
"Possibly." He agreed and they sat in relative silence for the next few minutes.
Alice's Xtransceiver chimed a warning to let her know their break was over and she huffed, carefully standing up so Cheren didn't topple and clicking her tongue, "Time for us to get back to work. What time do you plan to challenge the gym?" Cheren turned his upper body to face her and shrugged again, stretching as he stood as well.
"I'll talk it over with Bianca first, but probably not until around 2:30 or 3. Mind if we join you? Patrat and Snivy need a bit more practice with their new moves before I let them use them in battle." He added the last part with a pat of his pokemon's heads. Alice smiled and nodded, chatting a bit with him as they got ready for another bout of training.
How'd I do? It took a bit of trial and error but I finally finished chapter two.. Did I jump around too much? If so I'm sorry, hopefully I'll be getting better. Thanks to those who favorited and reviewed last chapter! I got some advice and some encouragement, both of which I am grateful for.
Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long!
Next time: The Trio Badge!
