a/n: Hello, again. Yes, I'm a lazy sod and didn't update. I don't really have much to say except for enjoy it if you read.
Chapter Three
"Hun, your Cyndaquil is in good hands. He will be just fine," the pink-haired nurse said.
Following the battle with the wild Spearow, Ethan and Lyra ran as fast as they could to the Pokémon Center. Ethan checked Chikorita in only to have her returned in full health moments later. Cyndaquil, however, wasn't so lucky; the nurse insisted on having him stay for most of the day, if not overnight.
"P-please! Why can't I see him? Just tell me how bad his condition is!" Lyra pleaded.
The nurse, aggravated, whirled around to face Lyra. "Why don't you go to the Mart? I'm sure you could manage to stock up on some items."
Ethan hooked Lyra's arm with his. "I think that means 'get the hell out,' Lyra," he whispered.
Lyra remained stubbornly still. "But…"
The nurse put on her best fake grin. "I'll call your Pokégear the instant he is ready for you to pick him up," she said.
Ethan tugged on her arm. "C'mon, we'll check into that hotel while we wait. Cyndaquil will like having a warm Pokébed to curl up in."
Begrudgingly, Lyra followed her friend. "We may need to call the Professor and tell him we were delayed," she added with a glare at the nurse.
Ethan rolled his eyes but held his tongue. He made a mental note to inform her how insane she was being once she relaxed.
The trainers left the Center with Chikorita prancing along in front. She enjoyed the good weather and occasionally whipped her leaf to release a sweet-smelling pollen.
"Cute," Lyra said with a gesture to the plant Pokémon.
"I thought so too," Ethan said. "She likes to do that. It makes me a little nervous. Isn't that how they attract a mate?"
Lyra tried to recall. "Yeah I think so. But I think she's too young anyway. Plus, Chikorita are rare, I doubt you'll find a male around here."
"True."
Cherrygrove City was much larger than the two trainers were used to: people filed in and out of the houses, walked in crowds along the dirt roads, and the local Mart had a ten minute wait! Their school was nearby, but they hadn't been around the town on their own before now.
The Mart was ten feet from the Pokémon Center. Like the Center, it had a color theme. Unlike the Center, the Mart's theme was a serene blue: blue roof, blue trim, blue door, blue and white tiles, and blue shelves.
"Uh, how about we just check in at the hotel and then come back?" Ethan said, eyeing the line. "Hopefully the line will have gone down… And we can't go to Mr. Pokémon's place without Cyndaquil anyway."
Still simmering about the fire Pokémon, Lyra only made an affirmative grunt in response.
"Chikorita, this way!"
The little plant Pokémon had found herself a patch of daisies and was happily rolling around and covering herself in pollen. She trotted back to them with glee on her face and stray petals stuck to her leaf.
The hotel was at the far end of town, located near the main tourist attraction: the beach. It wasn't large or new, but the sign outside boasted an amazing view of the ocean. It felt small, cramped and possibly Rattata infested. Of the three steps leading to the deck, one of them creaked and cracked so loud that Chikorita looked around in alarm. The door wasn't much quieter, making the bell completely useless. Ethan, fearing the plant Pokémon would attack something out of nerves, recalled her to her Poké Ball.
"Welcome to the Cherrygrove Inn, do you have a reservation?" an unenthusiastic receptionist recited from behind the desk. She looked up from her computer and gave the two of them a suspicious glace.
"Perhaps you two are only hoping for a quick stay?" She said with a sly grin. "Just the rest of the day? Let me guess, you're from Violet City and just want to get away from your parents for a quick romp?"
Lyra and Ethan both took a hasty step away from the other.
"No. Just… no," Lyra said quickly. "We're here for Professor Elm."
If the receptionist recognized a mistake she didn't show it. Keeping her eyes locked on the two trainers, she reached into a drawer and pulled out a stick of gum. She placed it in her mouth and smacking it loudly, she continued to stare them down.
"Aren't you even going to look?" Ethan asked
"Oh, honey, I see young couples like you two all the time," she said. "I gotta tell you, I hear a lot of excuses, but that has to be the weakest yet."
"Just look," Lyra snapped.
"Excuse me, your highness. You're girlfriend's a touchy one, isn't she?" She pulled the keyboard towards her and began to type away. "See, look, I'm playing along. I'm going- Oh! There is something here."
"Thank the legendaries…" Lyra muttered.
"Elm, you said? Yes. I'll need you're IDs- to make sure the names match the ones here." She seemed shameless: despite being proven completely wrong and rude, she didn't bother to even look sorry.
"Yes, er… Hold on." Lyra dug around in her bag and found her old ID. She strode towards the counter and handed it to the receptionist. Ethan followed suit.
"Lyra Katone and Ethan Goldman, yup." She handed the two IDs back to their respective owners, along with two freshly made key-cards. "Two beds, second floor, ocean window, room number 251. Enjoy your stay." She added a wink to them as they walked away.
Ethan muttered something that sounded vaguely like "thank you" as the two trainers headed up the stairs.
Once inside the room, Ethan released Chikorita again. She bounced around the room sniffing and touching everything. Should something be out of reach, the curious little Pokémon clambered on top of the furniture in desperation.
The room wasn't large, and had a faint mold smell that aggravated Chikorita. Two beds took up the majority of space with a thin desk and a telephone on the opposite wall. Between the beds was a lamp. An overstuffed chair sat by the window.
"Well, she was delightful," Ethan said with a glare at the door.
"Yes, just the image of helpfulness and politeness." Lyra sat on the bed near the window. "Makes me want to give her a big tip."
Ethan watched Chikorita wander around, apparently looking for the source of the mold smell. She seemed determined to perfume the room with her own pollen to cover it.
"I'm going to give the Professor a call," he said finally.
Lyra acknowledged his statement by flopping backwards on the bed and waving lazily at him.
As Ethan placed the call to Professor Elm, Lyra remembered her promise to check in with her mother. Her mother asked the typical motherly questions and was just as concerned for Cyndaquil as Lyra. As she clicked the Pokégear off, she caught the tail end of Ethan's conversation:
"-No, Sir. Really, that won't be necessary. Goodby- No, really, it's fine. Goodbye, Professor." He shut his Pokégear despite the fact that Professor Elm was still chattering about something.
"Should we go around town? Drop by the Mart again?" Ethan said.
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Not going to tell me what he was on about?"
"Not important." Ethan recalled Chikorita in a burst of red light. He led the way out of the room.
"Well, okay then…" Lyra said. She slung her bag over her shoulder and followed behind. "I don't think we have much money on us, Ethan!" She shouted as she caught up with him.
It turns out, between the two trainers, there wasn't much money. Lyra purchased two potions, one for each Pokémon. Ethan bought an antidote, just in case. The clerk was extraordinarily helpful; he began by asking if they had any items they were looking to sell. They made a mental note to return with any rare items.
Both trainers felt significantly more prepared than they had been. As they stored the items in the bags, an older man greeted them, loudly.
"Hey! You two are rookie trainers, right?"
Lyra jumped, nearly dropping her bag in the dirt. Ethan instinctively pulled Chikorita's Poké Ball from his belt. They turned to find a round elderly man standing much too close and speaking far too loud.
Ethan replaced Chikorita's Poké Ball. "Actually, sir, we—" Ethan started.
"Don't worry! Everyone's a newbie at some point!" He said, showering the two trainers in saliva. "How about I show you rookies around?" Without a moment's hesitation, he hooked both trainers by their elbows.
They soon discovered that his version of "show around" was what a normal person would call "kidnapping." The first stop on their unwanted tour was the Pokémon Center. He forcefully pushed them in front of the double doors.
"This is the Pokémon Center!" He said brightly. "They'll heal your injured Pokémon in no time!"
"Th-thank you, sir, but we—" Ethan began again.
"Nonsense, young lady! This way!" He dragged them to the Mart.
"Did he just call me 'young lady'?" Ethan whispered. Lyra nodded.
After the Mart, he hauled them to the edge of town, the beach, the hotel, and finally—after hours of being dragged around—he finished at a small, innocent house.
"And this is my house!" he said as the two winded trainers clutched stitches in their sides. "Thank you, lovely ladies, for spending time with an old man! Let me give you a gift for your time." He pulled two small computer-like chips from his pocket. "May I have your Pokégears?"
Lyra and Ethan gingerly handed him the devices. He popped the backs off, slipped the cards in with a click, and returned them to the trainers.
"They're map cards! Now you have a map that will track your location across the Johto Region! Nifty, eh?" He darted inside his home before either trainer had time to respond.
Lyra and Ethan stood in silence. Both wore similar dumbstruck expressions.
"D-did he think I was a girl?" Ethan asked slowly.
"I think so…" Lyra said.
"Let's never speak of this again."
"You got it."