Yaaaay! So someone (-coughFwirlcough-) finally decided to load up the next words for chapter two of the fic contest. They are:
Bananas
What is this craziness?
Wolf's Rain
Lizard
Abacus
Beach
So here we go! This is where the plot begins...kinda. Yay!
Selena sighed as she stood in front of the wrought-iron gates that lead down the path to the massive house. She fidgeted and hesitated, running her fingers up the bars distractedly.
Mightyena let out a grumble and nudged her legs, his red eyes irritated.
Selena stroked his furry ears, smiling slightly. "I know, I know," she murmured. "I don't really want to go." Sighing again, she hefted her backpack higher on her shoulder and pressed a call button on the side of the tall brick wall. "It's me."
"Okay! You can come in now, Miss Selena!" the box squawked, the light on the side turning to the bright green color.f
The gates swung open with barely a squeak and Selena stepped in, a scowl on her face when she looked at the house in front of her. It was mostly red brick, but cobblestones ran up the sides at the corners, framing the house in dark tan and beige. The house towered three stories before reaching a Spanish tiled-roof decorated with a spinning weathervane in the shape of a Wingull. A smaller guest house sat to the side of the main house, the walls covered in tangled ivy.
The walk to the house was relatively short. A bright green lizard dashed in front of the path, taking off in the same second at the sight of Mightyena. Selena laughed as he tried to catch it, scrabbling at the ground with his claws. He returned empty-pawed and shook out his fur, his eyes disdainful.
"Selena darling!" A woman dressed in a blue-silk dress patterned with white flowers came floating down the stairs gracefully. Selena stifled a groan as the woman embraced her.
"Hello, Mother." Selena endured the hug, knowing when she pulled away that she would get a clothing critique.
Her mother, Katherine, pulled back to look at her critically, her eyebrows arched. "Why do you like to wear such plain clothes?" she asked, fingering the smooth cloth of Selena's black jacket. "Why didn't you wear that blouse I picked out for you this morning?" she demanded. "I ordered it specially for you! It came all the way from Kanto!"
Selena pictured the blouse in question in her mind: a frilly, lacy pink thing. It had quickly found its way deep into the closet with the rest of the clothes her mother bought her. "I didn't see it," she lied smoothly, dropping her hand to Mightyena's head.
Katherine followed the gesture with a slight frown. Her mother didn't approve of her only child training Pokémon out in the wild. "Why don't we go inside? I just made some lemonade." She turned around without another word, and Selena fell in step behind her dutifully.
Another older woman opened the door and held it, allowing Katherine to walk in. "Hello, Miss Selena!" she greeted with a smile. "How was school today?"
Selena grinned at her. "It was fine, Maria," she answered.
"I heard you got in trouble battling again," Katherine called over her shoulder. "Maria, get some glasses down for us."
"Yes, ma'am." Maria went off towards the kitchen and soon disappeared.
Katherine flopped down into one of the soft white sofas that filled the wide, white-tiled space. "I don't know what to do with you, Selena," she sighed. "I told you that I don't approve of your battling. It's so uncouth."
"I'm just having some fun, Mother." Selena hung her backpack on the rack by the door and stepped over to sit in her favorite armchair by the fireplace. She ran her fingers over the marble carvings of rare Pokémon that adorned the smooth stone as her mother went on.
"Honestly. When I was your age, I was already one of Sinnoh's most famous Coordinators. They used to come from miles around to see me and my Delcatty show our stuff." She nodded to the curio cabinet behind her chair where a line of photographs and Contest ribbons lined the shelves. A large picture of a younger Katherine beside the cat-like Pokémon sat before all the others. In the picture, her mother, with one arm around Delcatty, displayed a large, overly-ornate blue Contest ribbon with a smug look on her face.
Selena sighed loudly; she had heard this story too many times before. "I don't want to be a Coordinator, Mother. I've told you that."
"But I don't understand why!" Katherine shook her head, lifting a pink-nailed hand to her head. "Maria!"
"Here, ma'am." Maria came scurrying in with a tray of glasses. "Sorry, sorry."
"It's fine, Maria." Selena glared at her mother. She's so rude--she doesn't even seem to care!
Taking the glass, Katherine sighed loudly. "Get me something for my head, will you?"
"Right away. Here's yours, Miss Selena." Maria's eyes were kindly as she handed the lemonade over.
"Thank you, Maria," Selena said warmly. "You're so kind to us." After she had gone again, Selena turned to her mother. "Honestly, Mother!"
Katherine moved her hand from her face, surprised. "What?"
Selena turned her face away, annoyed with her mother's obvious lack of feeling towards her maid. "Nothing," she spat. She had experienced enough arguments with her mother to know it just wasn't worth it--Katherine wouldn't acknowledge that anything was wrong with her way of speaking down on people.
"Don't take that tone with me," her mother replied, just as snappish. "You just wait until your father gets here. I've already called him at work and told him all about your behavior." She sipped at her lemonade daintily, her eyes sharp over the glass.
Mightyena rolled his eyes and pressed his back against Selena's knees. He let out a crooning growl as he looked up at her.
"Why do you let it just walk around with you?" Katherine asked, gesturing towards Mightyena with one hand. "What do you think Pokéballs are for, huh? I keep mine put away all the time except for practice and mealtimes." She motioned towards a side table where polished Pokéballs sat in special holding cases.
"Mightyena likes to be out," Selena explained. She smiled and stroked Mightyena's ears, taking another sip of her drink. "I'm going to go do my homework," she announced, turning back to the rack to get her backpack. "I'll be in my room."
"Fine by me," Katherine said, placing her other hand over her eyes. "I have a massive headache."
Yeah, and you're good at giving them, too, Selena thought darkly. Starting to go up the stairs, Selena ran her hand down the polished oak banister and tried to calm herself down after another irritating encounter with her mother. Try as she might, Selena just couldn't relate to her--they had almost nothing in common. Katherine loved Contests while Selena preferred battles; her mother adored people listening to her and complimenting her, while Selena wanted to just stay in the background.
Mightyena rushed ahead and shoved open the door, running through the dark blue-painted room and leaping onto the window seat to look outside. He turned to look at her with bright eyes, and wagged his thick black tail.
Selena dropped her bag by her desk and started her computer--a computer that made most look as simple as an abacus, her father insisted--then turned and flopped onto her bed. She stared at her ceiling blankly, wondering how she could ever survive in this place for the rest of high school. Rolling onto her side, she fished out the Pokéballs from her back pocket and shuffled through them.
Mightyena came over to watch curiously as she pulled herself into a cross-legged position and spread them out on her blue quilt. He rested his chin on the edge of her bed and nudged his own Pokéball with his snout.
"Yes, that's yours," Selena murmured, pulling it out of his reach. "Here's Houndoom's"--she put the volcano-stickered Pokéball next to Mightyena's--"Lairon's"--she pulled a Pokéball with a cartoony wrench sticker on the front--"and here is the newbie!"
Mightyena let out a rumbling growl as Selena lifted the Pokéball into the air to catch the light off its shiny surface. Seeing his reaction, she laughed and tousled the fur on his head. "Are you jealous, bud?"
Mightyena averted his gaze and grumbled.
Selena grinned and turned back to the Pokéball in her hand. She clicked it to the full size and pointed the beam into the clear space of her floor. "Come on out!"
A small orange shape appeared on the smooth white carpet, resolving quickly into a Trapinch. It blinked its small black eyes confusedly as it looked around the room, snapping its huge jaws nervously.
Moving slowly, Selena pulled herself off the bed and onto the floor, keeping her eyes locked on Trapinch. She crept closer, all the while talking in a slow voice. "Hi, little guy," she murmured. "You're very pretty. Very cute."
Trapinch looked at her curiously, tilting its head to the side to get a better look at her. It opened its jaws and let out a squeak.
Not able to help herself, Selena swooped forward and scooped up the little Pokémon. "You're so cute!" She hugged the Trapinch to her.
Trapinch let out a raspy purr sound and nuzzled her arm.
Pulling the Pokémon back a little, Selena reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her Pokédex. Aiming it at Trapinch, she sent the beam straight towards the little creature.
"Trapinch: the Sand Trap Pokémon. Trapinch are commonly found in sandy areas, where they make conical pits. Lying at the bottom of these, they patiently wait for prey."
Clicking through the options quickly, she saw with some surprise that this Trapinch was a female. "A little girl," she said warmly as she gazed at the orange Pokémon. "You're adorable. Wait until you grow into a Flygon!" Selena got excited just thinking about the possibilities of having such a hugely-powerful Pokémon on her team. She could even fly me places! "Wait here--I'll go get you something to eat." She looked up. "You better watch her, Mightyena."
Mightyena nodded sleepily, his tail over his nose.
"That's not very reassuring," she muttered. Standing up, she ran her hand over Trapinch's smooth head--getting another purr in return--and set off down the stairs. Katherine was nowhere in sight; Selena assumed she was elsewhere, probably complaining or talking about herself. Sure enough, her mother's voice drifted in from the backyard terrace.
Sighing, Selena dashed into the kitchen and plucked a banana out of a fruit bowl. This should work! she thought happily. Turning around, she nearly crashed head-on into Maria. "S-sorry," she gasped.
Maria, startled, clutched at her heart. "Oh my. Are you okay, Miss Selena?"
"Yes, yes." She started to walk around her. "Could you possibly tell my mother that I'll be out later on? I want to go do some training in the forest."
"Of course. Is there anything else you need help with?" Maria asked.
"No, I'm fine. Thank you." She smiled slightly, trying to show Maria that not all of her family were as blunt as her mother. Dashing back up the stairs, she threw open her door and walked in to see Mightyena howling and running in circles, Trapinch latched firmly onto his tail. Her little black eyes were closed gleefully as Mightyena swung her around in circles.
"What is this craziness?" Selena demanded, setting the banana on her desk and grabbing Trapinch's stout body. Mightyena howled again and trashed around the room again. "Calm down! Trapinch, let go."
Trapinch rasped a purr and released her hold on his tail, flinging herself back against Selena. She looked up at her Trainer with bright eyes.
"Aaww!" Selena hugged Trapinch close while Mightyena huddled into a corner to sulk, flicking his tail resentfully. "You can't be biting people, okay?"
Trapinch nodded, happily closing her eyes and peeping. She wriggled free of Selena's grasp and started to waddle across the room, staring into the corners and investigating under the bed.
Selena watched her affectionately for a moment before getting to her feet and walking over to the computer. It was all warmed up now, glowing faintly in the bright light. Selena smiled slightly at the sight of her Wolf's Rain background before clicking into her email--only one new message. It was an ad, and she clicked on it to delete it, beginning to drag it towards the trash can icon.
Mightyena crashed into her chair and sent her spinning to the floor as he pelted by, Trapinch wobbling after him happily. Selena scooped her up quickly before she could annoy him any more, and turned back to her computer screen. Trapinch tilted her head as she looked at the screen, reaching out with a stubby leg to press on the keyboard.
"No, no," Selena protested, pushing the Pokémon out of the way before she could press any more buttons. The email had flickered open, displaying a brightly-colored flyer. Leaning closer curiously, she read the flyer aloud: "All Trainers of the Sinnoh area! The Golden Star Conference is coming soon to Hearthome City! The contest will be divided into separate age groups for the younger first-timers. The winners will receive the prestigious Golden Star badge and win an all-expenses-paid trip to Full Moon Island! Sign-ups will begin at the end of the month. Get set, Trainers!"
Mightyena padded over to rest his chin on the edge of the desk, staring up at Selena with wide eyes. He let out a crooning growl as he gazed at her.
Selena rubbed the short gray fur between his ears and smiled. "You want to go to the big battle, bud? You think we can win it?"
Mightyena nodded vigorously, parting his jaws in a wide grin. He gave a loud growl, flipping around in a circle and chasing his tail happily.
Selena laughed as she watched him, leaning back in her chair. "We'd get to go to the beach, bud! The beach!" Full Moon Island's beach was known for its smooth, soft sand beaches and sunny skies. It was such a dramatic change from the never ending hustle and bustle of Hearthome--Selena couldn't get the idea out of her head. A full paid vacation to the island!
Trapinch looked up from her sitting position by the door, her eyes bright. Opening her sharp jaws, she let out a raspy cry of curiosity.
"Yeah, plenty of sand for you to play in, baby girl. You're going to have lots of fun." Selena closed her eyes and imagined herself there now--the sand beneath her toes, the salty breeze whipping her dark curly hair, and the total peace and relaxation of being alone with just her team. "Lots of fun," she repeated softly as she moved the email to her saved folder. "Oh! I almost forgot!"
Trapinch watched with beady eyes as Selena fished around in her dresser, pushing clothes aside to search. "Here it is!" she crowed, pulling out a small metal case. She grabbed the remaining two Pokéballs off her bedside table and ran back to sit down on the floor by the orange Pokémon. "Everytime a Pokémon joins our team, I have them pick out a sticker to be on their Pokéball." She pried open the case to show Trapinch an array of shiny stickers. "Mightyena, could you get them, please?" She motioned towards the Pokéballs.
Mightyena got to his paws and padded over, pressing his nose against the button on the front of each Pokéball, releasing them in beams of red light. Houndoom immediately bounded over to Selena and began to lick her all over the face, wagging his triangle-tipped tail happily. He nuzzled her arm affectionately, giving Trapinch a curious sniff.
Lairon was slower to come--mostly because of her larger weight--but also came over and rubbed her steel-plated head against Selena's side. She settled down after nudging Trapinch's round head, resting her massive frame in the center of the white carpet.
Trapinch looked down into the case thoughtfully, tilting her head this way and that to get a better look at the small stickers. She reached out with a stumpy arm to gesture at one.
"Which one, little girl?" Selena asked, tipping the stickers onto the floor. She spread them out under her fingers--clouds, fruits, tools, claws, and many more--and allowed Trapinch to step forward and select one.
Trapinch, after spending a few more moments thinking it over, leaned down and snapped up one, turning back around to trot to Selena. She bent her head and spat out the sticker onto the ground in front of Selena. It was the earthquake sticker--a small diamond of dry, tan dirt with a jagged crack running through it.
"Good choice!" Selena peeled off the back of the sticker and placed it carefully in the center of the Pokéball, right over the small white button. "It'll fit even more when you're a Flygon!"
Trapinch purred again, and pressed her huge jaws against the ball, rolling it around the room happily. Houndoom, unable to resist any type of play, immediately joined in, wagging his thin tail to try and tempt Mightyena into the game. Mightyena yawned widely, clearly in no mood to play. He padded over to lay against Selena's leg, watching the others play with gleaming eyes. Lairon closed her eyes and began to doze, her dark gray sides moving smoothly as she breathed.
Selena rested one hand in Mightyena's dark fur and draped the other arm against Lairon's steel shoulders, feeling relaxed and completely at home with what could possibly be her only true friends.
So that's the end of chapter two! I like how smoothly these chapters are going--even with the odd words that I have to fit into it. ^.^ I really love Mightyena, and I have to say, I would act just the same as Selena if Pokémon were real--as in, calling them affectionate names and such. I call my dogs the same things that Selena calls her Pokémon. :D
R&R~
Shadow