Bam! I'm on a roll! Another chapter in three days! Whoo!
~~**VI**~~
Old Friends and Family
Liana went back tot he Pokemon Center after visiting the school, taking her new Mareep in for healing and to check on her Egg. Also, she wanted to send her newly earned money to her mother for safe-keeping.
She went to the PC and logged into the video phone to call her mother.
Her mother's smiling face came onto the screen. "Liana, how are you, sweetie?"
"I'm great mom, I just caught a Mareep," Liana told her.
"That's wonderful," Stella exclaimed. Liana proceeded to tell her about the Pokemon school fiasco as well as the state dinner with all the two region's Gym Leaders.
"And I got $3,000 for entertaining that night," Liana said.
"Wow." Stella's reaction was the same as Liana's had been earlier that day. "What are you going to do with all that money?" she asked.
"I was hoping you could hold onto it for me," Liana told her. "Like a savings account."
"I could do that," Stella replied. "And maybe I can invest in a couple things that will help you."
Liana laughed. "Don't you go spending my money."
"Of course not," Stella laughed. "So you're in Violet City. Are you going to challenge Falkner soon?"
"Soon," Liana said. "I need to do some training with Mareep first. Richard said to check out the Sprout Tower. The sages there are said to be great teachers."
"That would be a great start," Stella said, nodding. "I'm proud of you, sweetheart. I know you'll do well."
"Thanks mom. I love you."
Liana hung up the phone. Before she left she needed to check her email. There was no internet connection or good phone lines while she was traveling and she promised Jem she would write. There was a message from Jem, just the regular stuff with the Aquarium teaching his Marill, Corsola, and Goldeen sisters more tricks.
And then there was a message from Izzy. Oh, it had been so long since Liana had seen Izzy. Izzy, Liana and Jem grew up together in New Bark Town and Izzy had left to become a Trainer last year. Liana didn't because of her stepfather's death and Jem was too in love with the Aquarium to leave. Though the two of them saw Izzy off with her Chikorita and read her letters together to be supportive. Now it seemed like it was Izzy's turn to be supportive.
Hey Lia,
Oh my gosh, you got your own Pokemon three days ago! Why didn't you tell me? Jem had to give it to me in email. I hate you! What made you change your mind? Nevermind, don't answer that. But you're finally out there Ms. Pokemon Trainer! I'm so proud of you!
Which Pokemon did you choose? Wait, Jem said Cyndaquil right? Do you have any other Pokemon? Jem said he helped you catch a Pidgey. Don't listen to what Jem says, Pidgey may be a common Pokemon but it's still a really good one. I already have eight Pokemon including Bayleef. Oh and what about badges? I'm actually in Goldenrod right now and I'm signing up for my Magnet Train Pass, the interregional one. Well, this one goes into Kanto, right into Saffron City! I'm gonna head there next and I can't wait!
I so hope that we can meet each other again soon one day. There is a chance we can meet each other for the Indigo League, but that would so far away from now. I wouldn't want to wait so long. Well, we can still email if anything. Make sure to always check when you get into town. I know that there's no checking email in the wild so I don't expect an immediate answer. Good luck with your travels, love you!
Your Bestest Friend, Izzy
Liana laughed at her friend's writing. Izzy could seem like such a spazz at times. Her writing sounded like her actual conversations, it was too funny. Liana could actually hear her voice in the letter. And the letter had been sent three weeks ago...well at least Izzy would be understanding in Liana's late reply. Liana smiled as she composed her reply.
My bestest friend Izzy,
It's been so long and so much has happened, you wouldn't believe (or would you, I don't know), where to begin?...
Lance shouldered his duffel bag as he boarded onto the ferry.
"Lance, good to see you."
Lance turned to see Martin, his mother's childhood friend who grew up on the Whirl Islands with her. "It's been a while," Lance agreed, moving into the ship and to the side out of the way as Martin continued checking in the rest of the boarders.
"You off visiting Cassia?" Martin asked.
"Yeah, it's been too long since I've seen her." Lance told him.
"She'll be happy to see you," Martin said.
Lance smiled. "So I've been told, see you around." He made to walk away.
"Wait a second, Lance."
Lance turned back to Martin. "What is it?"
"After we set sail, there's something I need to tell you. Don't leave your cabin, I'll meet you there," Martin said. "There have been curious people coming to the Whirl Islands as of late."
Curious people? Did he mean Team Rocket? Lance wanted to ask, but not with so many people around. Lance nodded, heading off.
Lance made his way to his cabin. It was small and only had one bed with the clothes closet above it and a small window looking out to the deck next to it. A small bathroom to his right as he came in the door. He didn't bother putting his clothes into the closet, instead just shoving his duffel bag inside. He probably would eventually since it was a three day trip and he didn't want to have to worry about heavy wrinkles in his clothes.
Twenty minutes into take off there was a knock at his door. "Come in," Lance called.
Martin came inside and closed the door behind him. He settled himself on the chair opposite Lance's bed.
"So, you said there's been curious people coming to the Whirl Islands lately?" Lance asked.
Martin nodded. "At first it didn't seem like a big deal. They were discussing the Legend of Lugia. I thought tourists of course, it happens often enough. They were headed right to Silver Rock Isle first and so was I. But then as I was overhearing them it seemed like they knew a lot more than just something of legend, so I followed them onto Silver Rock. They eventually took the underwater tunnel to Ogi Isle and were there for about two weeks. I had one of my friends keep an eye on them since I couldn't spare anymore time. They were looking for something. Scouting it seemed like. They had scuba gear. Nothing illict happened, but you don't go scuba diving on Ogi Isle, the currents are too dangerous."
"Did your friend ever hear them say anything of importance?" Lance asked.
"They were talking about telling something to the 'boss', but that was about it," Martin said. "I was thinking of poachers, what did you have in mind?"
Lance considered his words. He trusted Martin not to overreact on this. "Have you heard the rumors of Team Rocket's return?" he asked.
"Team Rocket?" Martin exclaimed. "I thought they were publicly disbanded?"
"Grandfather's seen their return," Lance told him.
Martin let out a breath. "Can't argue with that."
"When were those people there?" Lance asked.
"It was over a month ago," Martin answered. "Again, noting illicit happened and they left two weeks later without incident. Haven't been back. You think it's Team Rocket?"
Lance nodded. "It's a possibility. I should check it out."
"Don't worry about it," Martin said. "I'm headed over there anyhow. I'll personally check Ogi Isle and report anything to you."
"You sure?" Lance asked. He wanted to go see things with his own eyes, though.
"I know the island better than you do," Martin argued. "Your mother and I used to hike it all the time when we were kids. I'll be better suited. You just visit your mom and relax. You could use it."
"Apparently everybody thinks I could use a vacation," Lance protested. His grandfather, mother, now Martin. Even Jasmine told him it was about time he had a slight break.
"You could use it," Martin repeated. "You're too tense."
Lance scoffed and Martin left to get back to work.
Liana approached the Sprout Tower, Cyndaquil at her side. She looked to her bracelet, at the yellow charm that hung from it, along with the red and the white and clear ones on a single chain. She had her Pokemon and they were going all the way to the top with her.
She entered into Sprout Tower and was immediately met with a man of at least twenty years, wearing a plain grey yukata and sandals. His head and face were clean shaven. "Welcome trainer. I am Sage Nico. Are you hear to learn?"
"Yes sir," Liana answered. "I wish to challenge Gym Leader Falkner, and learning here would be a great start."
"Then come with me," Nico said, guiding her to the stairs. They passed quite a few of the other sages. There must have been about thirty of them.
And Liana wasn't the only young Pokemon Trainer in the tower. Three other trainers, two boys and one girl, sat in the room as well. They knelt on cushions opposite an older man whose robes were different from the other sages, purple and yellow instead of grey. He was bald as well, but he still had a beard and mustache of white.
"Elder Li," Nico said with a bow. "Another trainer has come to learn."
The Elder, Li, looked at Liana. His eyes were soft, watching, not missing a thing. They held a great wisdom that had Liana inclining her head to him.
"Welcome then, young trainer," Elder Li greeted, sweeping his hand to the students who sat in front of him. "Come, sit." From behind him, a young boy in the sage's robes brought forth a cushion for Liana to kneel on.
"Now, let's all have a look at your Pokemon. Call them out for me," Elder Li asked them.
They all called out their Pokemon. The girl had a Nidoran and a Skitty. The boys had a Dunsparce, Seedot and Spearow and Venonat, Aipom and Poochyena respectively. Liana itched to take out her PokeDex as she had to ask the other kids the names of their Pokemon, but the Dex would take too long. She could do it later. Instead, she called out her other two Pokemon to stand alongside Cyndaquil. They all sat opposite their Pokemon, observing them and their Pokemon observed as well.
"A Pokemon battle is not just about calling out moves and striking your opponent," Elder Li explained. "It is about knowing your Pokemon. Their strengths. Their weaknesses. Their joys. Their sorrows. No two Pokemon are exactly alike in manner, though they may look the same."
Liana looked to her Cyndaquil, Pidgey and Mareep standing opposite her. Cyndaquil had a talent for trouble and she loved attention. Pidgey was sweetly mannered, almost carefree and she loved soaring up in the air. Liana watched that plenty of times as they sat down for lunch. And Mareep, he was harder, tougher than his flockmates and he enjoyed a good fight.
"Think of your Pokemon's manner," Elder Li continued. "Are they the battling type? Or are their natures more mild? Do they battle on your command or because of it?"
"What's the difference, sir?" one of the boys asked. Robbie, he introduced himself as. "I don't understand."
Elder Li nodded to him. "That is a good question, and many don't care to even ask it, so thank you. When a Pokemon gives loyalty to you by catching it, it obey's your orders, right?" The four of them nodded. "But does that mean, when you call upon them in battle, that they want to fight?"
Liana looked to her Pidgey. She was mildly mannered, but did that mean she not like to fight? "How do you know if they don't like to fight?" she asked.
"Well, usually there are some obvious signs," Elder Li answered. "Like they will not instantly obey the orders they are given. They walk away from a battle and feel disheartened, even if they win. Many Pokemon like to battle as they are competitive in their core, but some would rather stray from it. Again, it is all about knowing your Pokemon."
Liana looked to Pidgey again. When Jem had surprised all the other Pidgey, hers had actually stayed behind to face her. And when Pidgey battled, she did take on a sense of pride.
"Now, let's see about you," Elder Li told the four of them, "Let's see your battling style."
So the four of them paired off, one-on-one. Liana went against the girl, Cheyenne. She only had two Pokemon and since Liana already knew Cyndaquil so well, she stayed with Pidgey and Mareep. She chose Mareep first. He wanted to battle, so she let him.
From the side lines, Elder Li called out advice to them. "Watch your Pokemon: Do they like to go in head first? Or do they prefer to fight from afar? Are they quick to move? Do they defend well?"
Liana knew Mareep. He liked to charge head on and was very physical. He knew Tackle and Headbutt and Slam and he liked to use those very much. Thundershock was more used in the beginning when he didn't know his opponent.
And Pidgey. She was always in the air, in her element. Not only that, but she was fast. Very fast. She liked to swoop in while her opponent still tried searching for her.
When they were done, the sat back down with their Pokemon, allowing them to rest and eat. Mareep almost didn't want to come down. Liana rubbed his head. "Don't worry, we'll have plenty of battles in the future," she told him.
"So, are you going to challenge Falkner?" Cheyenne asked.
Liana nodded. "That's the plan. My best friend is a Pokemon trainer, headed toward the Indigo League. I hope to join her. What about you? What's your plan?"
"I hope to be a coordinator," Cheyenne answered. "My mom was and so was Skitty, she loves performing."
"That sounds cool," Liana told her. She'd seen contests on TV when she was younger. She, Jem and Izzy used to watch the marathons. "I'll have to watch for you."
"Thanks," Cheyenne said with a blush. "I think you'll go far, too."
"I hope so." And Liana did. Tomorrow she would face Falkner, and then she'd see just how ready she was.
Three days went by quicker than Lance would have thought. It was a good thing indeed that he borrowed a few of Jasmine's novels to read or boredom would have driven him insane. And they were good ones too. When was the last time Lance enjoyed a good book or two? Maybe his mother and Martin were right and some down time would do him some good.
It was awkward walking on solid ground when being on a ship for a few days. Granted the liners were a lot steadier than sailor's ships, but they still had some rocking and you got used to the sense of always moving.
But Lance soon gained back his "landlegs" as Martin called it before hopping on the bus to Bluefinland. His mother lived just on the outskirts of town at the water's edge. Perfect for all her Water-based Pokemon. He made his way down to the beach and called out his Gible. Gible was somehow fascinated by the coming surf, even hopping and splashing in the shallow water. Odd for a Pokemon that was also a Ground-Type. But then the tide came in harder and took Gible by surprise, making run back to Lance. Lance snorted.
His mother's house came into view and even his mother out hip deep in the water, her hand outstretched to her Milotic and her Gorebyss floated nearby as well. She must have felt Lance's eyes on her because she turned in his direction. Her eyes lit up and a smile graced her face as she waded out of the water to meet him.
"Sorry I didn't call," Lance said as he hugged his mother.
"No, I'm glad you came," Cassia said as she held her son close, rising on her toes to kiss his cheek. "How've you been?"
"Well, I've been better," Lance told her. He pulled away and looked at his mother. She was several inches shorter than him and very petite and youthful-looking despite being in her early forties, with a round face and eyes and tanned coloring. They both had scarlet red hair, slender and graceful hands, and the same shape of eyes, though Cassia's were violet and Lance's were gold like a majority of those from the Dragon Clan and Lance had a bit of her coloring as well. But Lance looked more like his father, a fact that still gave him no emotional feelings whatsoever.
"Who's your new partner?" Cassia asked, looking down at Gible.
"This is Gible. He came from Sinnoh," Lance told her.
"So, something that happened in Sinnoh," Cassia remarked as she knelt down in front of Gible. She held out a hand and patted his forehead. Gible gave a light growl of appreciation.
"He's in his teething phase," Lance said. "He's already chewed through two pairs of boots and five pairs of pants. Maybe you can find something for him to chew on that won't be so easily demolished."
Cassia laughed. "With those teeth, it's hard to say." She rose to her feet and took Lance's hand. "Come inside, we have lots to talk about."
~~*.*~~
"So it seems that Clair's becoming more unmanageable?" Cassia observed from what Lance told her. "That's not the girl I remember."
"We're not kids anymore," Lance told her, taking a bite of Aspear Berry bread. Yes, his mother's food was always amazing. And Cassia found some bark for Gible to chew on. So far it was still intact.
"And yet you're acting like children," Cassia countered. "Don't give me that look. Arguing with your cousin is only enabling her all that more."
"So she should be able to prance around like she's a Dragon Master?" Lance stressed.
"Lance you can't control how she's going to act. Not even Kaydmon can do that," Cassia explained calmly. "Just let it go. If she can't get a rise out of anyone, believe me, she will settle down."
"Fine."
Cassia placed a hand over his. "I'm sorry for scolding. You must get that enough from Kaydmon. Come, tell me what has been happening since you visited me last. I know you now have Gible, but what else?"
There was something on Lance's mind that he actually forgot about over the last few days. "Grandfather had a vision; of a girl who plays both the Sea's Lament and the Fire's Dance. A rookie Pokemon trainer."
Cassia's brows rose. "That is something. Who is this girl? Do you know her?"
"I haven't met her in person." Lance explained. "But she did play both songs for us during the state dinner we went to last week."
"You make it sound like there is something wrong with this," Cassia told him.
"Grandfather wants me to watch over her," Lance said. "But I can't sit around and babysit a little teenager. There's so much I need to get done."
"Do you feel threatened by her or something?" Cassia asked.
"She's a child, not a threat," Lance snapped.
"She's a child who will have the power to call upon both Legendary Birds," Cassia replied patiently. "She may be a rookie, but all trainers start out as rookies. I remember you and your Dratini. Clair and her Horsea. You two did not remain that way and neither will she."
Lance huffed out a sigh. His mother didn't understand.
"Lance, listen to me," Cassia spoke, taking his hand in hers and kissing it. "I love you and I want what's best for you. Kaydmon as well. Right now you are caught up in what's ahead of you. Please, don't forget the things you have now. Don't be like your father and leave behind what you have for the things you want to have."
His father. Lance barely remembered him. He left the two of them when Lance was eight. Kaydmon didn't like to talk about him, his own son. His father had always wanted more that he left behind his family to gain better strength. Lance didn't remember his father as a mean man, though he did remember him being very distant. Kaydmon was a better father figure to Lance than his father ever was.
Was he becoming like his father? He wanted to take down Team Rocket. They were known for abusing people and Pokemon. That's what he needed to do. If he was spending his time babysitting some girl, they could be wrecking havoc.
That was it. Right?
Yes, I am actually going off natures and characteristics with Liana's training. I actually had trouble with Cyndaquil's because I remember her loving spicy foods but she also liked sweet so I was having a hard time deciding which nature to give her, but I found a deserving one for her.
Cyndaquil: Naughty, impetuous and silly
Pidgey: Naive, Likes to run (or in her case, fly)
Mareep: Hardy, Likes to fight
(And just for fun) Gible: Quirky, Loves to eat (obviously since he chews on anything!)
