Johto Legends
Umbreon, I choose you?
Author's Notes: Not a lot to say here, just read, enjoy, and review!
Chapter 2
"Mom, I'm home!" Matt shouted up the stairway of and dropped his backpack next to the coat rack. Not waiting for a response from either of his parents, he raced down the basement stairs and into his living space - the finished, furnished basement of his split-level home.
He draped his uniform jacket over a brown bookshelf (one overflowing with audio cassettes) and threw himself onto his overstuffed sofa. He only allowed himself time enough for a few deep breaths, though - preparations had to be made. He got up and tore his tie off, and stripped out of his school uniform. He replaced his black slacks with faded bluejeans, and his dress shirt with with a blue tee. He stuffed his hair beneath a flame-emblazoned do-rag, and laced up his high-top sneakers.
Only one piece of prep work was left - the polished, shining Pokéball that rested beneath a glass jewel case. He eased the glass top up, and snatched the ball from underneath. Fidgeting with the expansion button, he strolled to his full-length mirror. "Far out," he remarked, surprisingly pleased with his apperance - you could barely tell he'd only had ten hours of sleep since Monday.
He turned from the mirror and raced back up the stairs. He snagged his father's favorite leather jacket from the coat rack and called out, "I'm going out! Don't wait up!"
The Goldenrod City Shopping Mall was one of two of its kind in the region, and it was by far the biggest and most expansive. It's defining feature, in Ali Palermo's mind, was the food court. It was school-away-from-school, in a strange way - nearly all of Goldenrod High (students and faculty alike) would congregate there on a Friday afternoon.
She sipped on her milkshake and observed the hustle and bustle around her. A fight breaking out near the closest burger joint caught her attention long enough that she didn't notice at first when Matt sat down and attached himself to her milkshake. "Hey!" she exclaimed and snatched it away. "Get your own!"
"Sorry, babe, but I need the energy." Matt's pleading look convinced Ali to relinquish control of the shake to him. When he was finished (and, incidentally, so was the shake) he leaned across the table and kissed her. "You want another one? I'm going to get another one - got a big night again."
Her eyes widened. "You're not! Aw, Matt, you promised me; 'Blood of the Were-lithe' is playing at the drive-in tonight!"
"I know, but tonight's the night - I can feel it. It's ready!"
"You've been saying that for a month, and all that's happened so far is you've pushed me off every time!"
Matt sighed and took Ali's hands in his. "Babe, I promise you - it's going to happen for me tonight. I'm sure of it. And tomorrow? I'll take you to the double-feature at Sunny's. It'll be great!"
Ali exhaled. "Are you for real this time?"
"I swear it, babe. Would I like to my best girl?" Matt took note of Ali's brow lifting, and he said "Okay, maybe you shouldn't answer that."
As Matt neared the edge of the city and the path to the Ilex Forest came into view, he pulled the Pokéball from his inner pocket. "Disco, go!" He threw the ball outward, and a young Eevee burst out in a flash of crimson light. Matt slid the ball into his jacket pocket and knelt beside the foot-tall Pokémon. "Disco, I need you more than ever tonight - you have to come through for me, okay?" The Pokémon's dark eyes met its trainers. "I can feel it - tonight's the night you evolve, and I'll have my very own Umbreon."