LDD: Thank you to my reviewers!
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Pocket Monster Black and White Life
by
Lady Demoonica Darkmoon
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
CHAPTER 4 : Aspertia City - Route 19
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Kieran spent the next week in disbelief as Demoonica adamantly refused to head to Floccesy Town. Instead they stayed in Route 19, mainly near Aspertia City. What did they do? Train. They battled wild Pokemon mostly, but also the few pairs of other new trainers that passed through Route 19 on their way to Floccesy Town. They returned to the Pokecenter regularly, for meals, his partner insisted. She had also put herself in charge of their money, not that he minded, he had never seen anyone be able to cut so many corners and take advantage of so many deals as she did. Their equipment evolved, first with a well built tent and sleeping bags, then with frame packs.
At first he was embarased to be seen day and day again returning to town and the Pokecenter, or even horrifed when they bumped into his mother on the street. His mother had been very confused as to why her son was still in his home town, but after watching Demoonica tear her way through the market district she'd became very ammused. He still didn't understand why. Now he was use to walking around town, following in his partners wake. He noticed she never bothered going to the stores aimed at Pokemon trainers.
Just like their equipment got better, so did their Pokemon get stronger. Battles that took far too much time and energy at the start of the week were now becoming fairly simple to win. Trainers still kept them on their toes. That too though was starting to swing in their favor quicker, as they learned to work with each other. It was quite an advantage over trainers who had just started. He'd even been able to catch a Purrloin as a gift to his younger siblings, after they'd seen Chrono. He wasn't sure how much Pokae they had earned or spent, but he did feel much more at ease about this jurney than he had on day one.
Demoonica sat a cold water down infront of Keiran with a 'plink' sound. "So I finally got the sales person at the Pokemart to tell me why they wont sell me better equipment. I'm both impressed and still annoyed."
"So, what is the reason?" He asked, though he knew she would tell him anyway, probably devolve into a rant.
"Each badge you have shows how much effort you've spent training, so they said. Pretty much they think because you've been a trainer longer, you have more money and have a better grip on how to spend said money. So no newbies coming in to buy fiftey Max Revives when he owns one Pokemon. I see the reasoning behind it, but it's a store that's telling people what they can and can not buy. Not because you can't afford it, but because they feel they know better than you what you could possable need 'at your level' of experiance!"
Yep, rant. Keiran gave himself a point mentally. "So badge?" He asked in a nutral tone.
Demoonica's eyes narrowed. "Fine, badges."
"So, we are going to Floccesy Town?"
She nodded. "I guess we would need to soon enough. But first, it's time to take on the gym. Plus I haven't seen any new Pokemon on Route 19 besides Basculin. I can't fish one up because no place sells Fishing Rods and unlike Poliwag they wont wonder up on land."
"And trying to catch one by hand-"
"You promissed you'd never mention that!"
Keiran shut his mouth.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Keiran sat on the bench looking at the badge nessled in his badge case. The battle against the Aspertia City Gym Leader Cheren had not been nearly as difficult as he thought it would be, he'd even gotten through the two younger trainers fairly well too. Then he'd watched as they switched teams (with two challangers being the norm, Gyms always had a fully healed second team for each gym trainer ready) to face off against Demoonica. Seeing Cheren use a higher leveled team (with an third Pookemon too) against her had been more than he could really absorb for one day.
Right now Demoonica was speaking with Cheren, most likely getting her own first badge. Laughter filled the area making Keiran look up. Demoonica was laughing, while Cheren stood there with a bright blush appearing on his face. Then she was waveing goodbye and heading towards him.
"What did you say to him? He looked like he was about to start sputtering." Keiran asked as they left the building.
"I called him cute." Demoonica replied with a shrug.
Keiran stopped still. "He's like six years older than us!"
"And age effects a person's looks in this case how?"
"It just not done!" He placed his hands on Demoonica's shoulders. "Look, I've realized you must have lived in a very sheltered town before moving here... and things might have worked differently. But... Cheren was Bianca's partner when they started out on their jurney."
Demoonica staired at him. "Yeah, I'm following."
"I don't think you are."
"Well, it's hard to when you aren't saying much."
"I shouldn't have to!"
"Well, what is it, are the two of them in some sort of long distance relationship or something?"
"Bianca told you about what happened two years ago, right?"
Demoonica nodded. "Yeah she got dragged home shortly after she became a trainer."
Keiran nodded back. "I heard the same from the adults when Cheren moved here two years ago. Without a partner he was unable to continue on a jurney. Cheren returned to his hometown as a disgrace. He was so humiliated and angrey that he moved all the way out here from Nuvema Town. Look a partnership is a very important thing, it's a trial by fire test of compatability that isn't just about becoming a strong trainer, but also the foundation of what will hopefully become a lasting relationship between the two people who travled together. Telling Cheren he's cute was a mean thing to do. You have a partner and he's got the shameful position of Gym Leader."
"What's so shamefull about that?"
He took her by the shoulders. "He's stuck here Demi! He is a test that every pair of trainers passing through is required to battle. He sees strong bonds being formed and is reminded of how he lost that chance. He-"
*SMACK!*
Keiran stood there, stunned. Then it sunk in as the red handprint bloomed on his cheek. Across from him Demoonica was fuming, he'd never seen her get upset, she was almost always calm. "That's horrable!" She yelled at him. "That's a horrable thing to say about someone! And to do to some one!" She tried to shrugg his hands off her shoudlers. "Let me go Kei! I'm marching-"
A second pair of hands placed over Keiran's stilled her. Demoonica paused to look back at the person behind her. Cheren was looking back at her with an unreadable look on his face. "Thank you for your anger in my defence," the look became more pained, "but it isn't as bad as your partner makes it sound."
"Then why do you look so hurt?" Demoonica asked and Keiran was shocked at how quickly she had calmed.
Cheren's hands dropped from her shoulders. "It's just-"
"Everyone here always seems sad." She stepped back until Keiran's hand also fell from her shoulders and continued, her focus returning. "Cheren, Bianca... sure we know they have some sad events in their lives, but it's everyone Kei... everyone. It shouldn't be like that."
"Everyone is afraid." Cheren spoke up. "There is almost no place that hasn't fell into fear over one criminal organization or another and no one was able to stand up to any of them. Locally, here in Unova, it's mostly Team Plasma. It's dangerous to go on a Pokemon jurney alone, so new trainers started being paired up. In a short time parents started making sure the teams were boy/girl, what better way to test childhood sweethearts... and so it went."
Demoonica blanched. "And it evolved into something messed up." Cheren and Keiran stared at her. "There's no shame in being forced to stop your jurney Cheren, there would have been no shame even had you failed to become a good trainer. But you ARE a good trainer and you shouldn't be stuck here minding a Gym like the local pariah." She took a deap breath and drew herself to her full hight, the top of her head didn't even make it to Cheren's shoulder, and finished with, "So that is why I'm inviting you along with us, isn't three trainers safer than two?"
Cheren looked down into the blue eyes of the small girl before him. He saw something he hadn't looked for in a long time. Hope. "That isn't-"
"I don't care if it isn't done!" Demoonoica shook her head. "It's what you want, I can see it!"
Cheren slumped. "You're right. I'm sick of living like this... but-"
"What will people think?" Demoonica smiled. "I don't care, let them think what they want! I'll tell your parents I've started a harem!" She started laughing as both boys sputtered. "Well that IS what you have been saying right? They are sending out boy/girl pairs as match-making attempts on a Pokemon trial. Right?"
Slowly Keiran nodded. "Yeah, but no one just says it outright."
Demoonica humphed. "When have I not just said what I want?"
"You've got me there." He looked at Cheren and shrugged.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Route 19
Cheron adusted the straps of his backpack in discomfort, not from the straps themselves, but because he was going against years of a single way of thinking. The wrong way of thinking was Demoonica's opinion.
"Breath." Demoonica said from beside him.
"I'm running away from home with a couple of kids. I can't just breath."
"You're eighteen, you can't be considered a runaway."
"Stop useing logic on me. You are the most unlogical part of my life right now, you aren't allowed to use logic."
Keiran crossed his arms. "This it the tip of the iceburg, you have no idea what I've been through after meeting her."
"Then lets get going to Floccesy Town!" Demoonica chirped, ignoring both males.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
TBC...
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Demoonica's Pokemon Team
Cyndaquil (Nobaka)
Level 10
Attacks: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Ember
Purrloin (Chrono)
Level 8
Attacks: Scratch, Growl, Assist
Patrat (Hunter)
Level 8
Attacks: Tackle, Leer, Bite, Bide
Poliwag (Bon)
Level 8
Attacks: Water Sport, Bubble, Hypnosis
Keiran's Pokemon Team
Turtwig (Gaia)
Level 14
Attacks: Tackle, Withdrawl, Absorb, Razor Leaf
Poliwag (Tono)
Level 10
Attacks: Water Sport, Bubble, Hypnosis
Cheren's Pokemon Team
Skitty (Eneko)
Level 5
Attacks: Fake Out, Grow, Tail Whip, Tackle
LDD: Please leave a review! Thank you!