Pokѐmon Journey V: Piper's Quest
Chapter 7: No Juice for You!
Piper's Point of View:
Laughter left my mouth as I sped down the path toward the town before me. I could hear Izzy fuming behind me as he chased me, a squirting sound coming up behind me. Behind him was Bell and Everett who brought up the rear with the pokemon while I led them.
This morning had been an eventful one. We had spent some time out on route three and ended up spending the night out there training. It was different from staying in a pokemon center room rather than sleeping under the stars. It was much more beautiful than a room or building. The stars glittered more brightly in the night, and with winter soon to arrive, the air was much clearer, making visual of the stars appear much brighter than normal.
"I'm going to kill you Piper!" Izzy death threats followed me into the city while I carried on laughing. Ivy followed at my side, slithering along the paved roads while I carried my unhatched egg. "How could you do this to me?! I didn't do anything to you! I was fucken good!"
It was rare to hear Izzy swear, but when he did it, it was certainly rare indeed and forced you to take a moment make sure you truly heard him correctly. It actually forced me to stop and take a look at his overall appearance from what I had done early in the morning.
Izzy was covered from the top half of him and down his pant legs with rotten berry juice. While he hadn't done something in particular the night before, I noticed when I checked my bag before bed that some of the berries in my bag were missing. Normally this wasn't a huge issue, one of our pokemon most likely ate them, but that would be my reasoning if anyone asked.
The true reason that I had done that was because Izzy had been the fact that he seemed the calmest he had in a long while after we had settled down. It was strange to see Izzy in a sort of serenity. Seeing him like that gave me weird feeling on the inside of my gut, beautifly like when they flap their wings against our face. I wasn't sure what to make of it, so I plotted against Izzy and it worked in relieving myself of the strange sensation. However, I almost felt some regret in doing it…
"Awe… you're fine!" I snickered at him. "It'll wash out! And the smell isn't that bad!"
"Piper, you promised you wouldn't do this to Izzy unless he really did something," Bell reminded me with a motherly tone.
"Well… I noticed a few berries were missing from my bag…"
"And you assumed it was me!?" Izzy threw off his jacket at my feet. I could only laugh nervously at him before he stormed up to my face and pointed at his jacket. "You're cleaning that while I head off for a shower!"
Izzy left our sights then, heading off in the direction of the pokemon center, leaving his rotten berry juice filled jacket behind at my feet. I sighed and picked it up from where it had been thrown, watching as the berries continued to soak into the fabric, staining the inside of the coat a rich maroon-light purple color from the kasib berries I'd found randomly.
"Piper…" Bell sighed as she watched me before my brother came over and placed a hand on her arm.
"Give it a rest Bell, you know how those two are, like oil and water." Even as my brother said that, he still looked at me wondering what I was thinking about. I could see it in the way his eyes held a different meaning behind them even while he tried to ease Bell's worries.
I'd known I'd have to talk to my brother about this at a later date…
We'd made our way over to where the pokemon center was and stepped inside to see Nurse Joy already with Izzy stained shirt and pants that had been somewhat ruined. She looked at them with a depressed glance in the sense that I bet she didn't think she could get the stain out without a hell of a lot of bleach that would take out all the color.
"Hey Nurse Joy!" The woman turned around to see the rest of our group arrive before her eyes instantly caught the stained jacket in my arms.
"Is that this young man's jacket as well?" She groaned before she held her arm out before her to take it. "I'll get washing these. If you're pokemon would like some healing, set the on the counter in their pokeballs and I'll heal them up in a moment."
"Thanks Nurse Joy." I grinned as I got out of having to wash Izzy's clothes myself and handed her over the coat without hesitation. I could hear Bell beginning to start up an argument, but she quieted down as Nurse Joy left. Out came Chansey right behind her, her trusted partner in this field, who took our pokeballs and healed them.
"Piper!" Bell looked incredibly disappointed in me for passing on my own problems and mistakes, but hey, what can I say? Nurse Joy hadn't even given us a moment to speak before she had whisked off all the clothes that had been stained.
I shrugged at her. "What do you want from me Bell? Nurse Joy took the jacket from me."
"I'm sure that Izzy wanted you to clean it, not find someone else to do it!"
"But I didn't, she took it without even allowing me time to say a word. All I did was greet her."
And that's where Bell couldn't argue with me. She knew that I was right. I had lucked out in this turn of events. There was nothing really that she could do. Nurse Joy was already washing the stained clothing, hoping to get out the stain and I was off scott-free.
Ivy was quickly brought back over to me along with Ruff to my brother. Having few wounds, their healing took much less time than the rest of our friends' pokemon had. I quickly released my pokemon and Ivy stood at my side while Ruff landed on my brother's shoulder, pleased to be back out of their pokeballs.
"Well, I'm heading out for a walk then." I stretched and settled my arms behind my head.
"Aren't you even going to apologize to Izzy?" Bell once again was scolding me and it took all the energy in me to roll my eyes rather than snap angrily at her.
Yet my eyes still narrowed at her while I spoke coolly. "I don't see you telling him to apologize to me when he acts like an ass, Bell."
That shut her up. Bell blinked at me before she pulled back with a shocked look on her face. It very rare for me to be truly mean in any sort of way. I was the more laid back type that went with the flow of things. I didn't let things get to me much, and if anything did bother me, I pranked them. But what often irritated me the most was how Bell often just took Izzy's side no matter what. Was it that in her eyes I wasn't worthy of an apology? Of did she simply think that Izzy couldn't handle me on his own?
Perhaps it was childish to act in this sort of manner, but wasn't I just a kid? I had recently turned thirteen a couple months ago with my brother and Izzy while we waited for Bell to not only turn that age as well, but spend some extra time in town to calm the over stimulated worries of Bell's father.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. This time it was my brother's. "Easy Piper, Bell's just trying to keep the peace."
"And I need some air." I brushed past him and pushed my way out the door. Ivy cried out worriedly before she raced after me. I held onto my egg tightly as I stomped away quickly, trying my damndest not to run.
I didn't need them knowing that I was really upset.
I knew my twin already knew, Everett and I were close, and I'm sure he could feel the strain that was on myself while I moved away from the pokemon center, but I didn't want Bell and Izzy to see me at all like this. I didn't want them to see me with tears in my eyes that weren't from laugher.
I didn't want them to see the true emotions underneath.
I continued to move through town, there was no plan in my head. I assumed I wanted to battle the gym leader at some point, but I just couldn't bring myself to want to battle anyone. I didn't have the desire in this kind of a state.
I just ended up walking… I couldn't remember where I'd been or what I'd even been looking at as the emotions within my body seemed to swallow me up whole, the ones I tried so often, and normally succeeded, in keeping at bay. It was quite rare for these emotions to come spilling forward, but it also made sense that after the conversations I'd had with the other that it would end up like this.
At some point, I remembered coming to in the middle of a park. It was beautiful and rustic. I could see an old train station just a hundred yards or so away from where I was. The park seemed to have re-claimed it as vines and trees grew between the few rusted tracks that were left. Wild flowers still claimed some of the area, but I knew this place would be covered in snow before too long.
What surprised me the most was the girl who stood before me. I hadn't noticed her up until I snapped out of the feelings that I was in. The girl, who stood with rich dark blue hair that fell strait past her shoulders, looked at me with a somewhat blank expression. Her eyes, which were a beautiful hazel color, were the only part of her that seemed to give away any kind of emotion. She seemed to be worried for me. But why I couldn't understand. Her eyes seemed to match the strapless dress she wore of the platinum like color. Black sports leggings seemed to be on her legs as the cold approached along with heeled brown boots. A soft looking grey hoodie, which was unzipped in the front, was over her shoulders while silver clips seemed to hold parts of her hair back.
By her side seemed to be a pokemon of hers. I recognized it as a lucario. Its large black paws were holding onto the girl's hand. The pokmeon looked back between the girl and I and back again. "Car?"
"Mu-huh…" The girl nodded as she muttered to her pokemon. I saw the two of them glance at each other before they seemed to be having a conversation in their heads about me. I couldn't figure out at the time if I thought that was cool or rude.
"Can I help you?" The girl and her pokemon both looked back to me, coming out of their silent conversation. The girl shook her head before she leaned down before me.
"You're… hurting…"
I blinked at her before I jumped up from my spot, my egg spilling out of my arms in shock. Ivy raced to catch it, but the lucario reached it first, holing it in its large arms before gently handing it back over.
"How did you know that?" I backed away from her and her eyes widened slightly. She held up a hand, as if to ask me not to go, but she stopped, her hand halfway up, before she laced it back down at her side. "What do you want from me?"
She simply shook her head. I didn't know what to make of her. She was too quiet, and she was hardly giving out any information for me to use to assist me in anyway.
"Car." The girl turned to the lucario as it spoke. "Car car…"
"…You're right… Paladin." The girl nodded to her pokemon before she turned to me. I watched as she placed a hand over her heart. "I'm… Eira…"
"Eira?" The girl nodded her head at me. Finally, I was getting some information. "Well Eira, I'm Piper."
"Piper…" She seemed to smile lightly at the mention of my name and held out a hand before her, as if to shake it. I reached out my own and grabbed her's, noticing that she had a weak grip. She hardly even held my hand as she shook it. With the way she spoke, she seemed anti-social. If so, then why did she approach me?
"I don't mean to be rude Eira, but what do you want with me?"
The girl blinked at me. She then turned her head to her pokemon who seemed to take her hand once more. After looking at the pokemon, she turned back to me.
"You seemed… upset…" Eira's scarce answer came after a moment of pondering. "I could… feel it…"
"Feel it?" I blinked at her.
The girl simply nodded her head and I didn't get much out of her after that. She was like a wall of sorts. She herself was on the other side, slipping little notes between the cracks in the stone, but they were too short and ill-legible to read or make due with.
That girl… she was so confusing… I couldn't understand any of what she wanted.
"Eira!" We all lifted our heads and look as a blond haired boy rushed over to us. The boy also looked older than me, and perhaps Eira as well. His legs were covered in white jeans that seemed to be smudged with dirt and grime. A bright orange shirt covered the top half of him with a light v cut at the base of his neck. A tan jacket was thrown over his shoulders that clung to him as he came to a stop next to us.
"Parker…" Eira turned to the new person and smiled at him with the most emotion I'd seen since I met her. While she only seemed to have a small smile on her face, it seemed like her eyes were showing the true feelings of her heart, which was that she loved him. And he seemed to reciprocate those feelings.
"I was wondering where you ran off to." Parker pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead before his gaze looked over to me. "Who's this?"
"Piper…" Eira's mumbled reply I barely heard, but this Parker guy seemed to pick up on it.
"Well it's nice to meet you Piper!" Parker held out his hand. "I'm Parker, Eira's boyfriend."
I blinked at that, not really sure how to respond. It was hard to believe that this girl, who I'd met moments ago, and who was extremely quiet and anti-social, could be in a relationship. Parker seemed to be the exact opposite of her, I could only wonder how in the world they got along.
Parker laughed at my hesitance. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking, I didn't think she'd ever agree to date me either."
"Parker…"
Eira's mumbled reply came with some irritation. She looked at him with narrowed eyes and he jumped back nearly in fight.
"Sorry Eira, but a lot of people just have a hard time understanding you."
The girl pouted and turned her head from him. Parker walked over with his hand rubbing the back of his head nervously. Was she really that scary? She hardly looked like she could talk to anyone, let alone strike the fear of Landros into anyone.
"Like I was saying, I'm Parker." The boy held out his hand once more for me to shake. "And your Piper, right?"
"Yeah." I took his hand in mine and his grip was nearly ten times stronger than his girlfriend's. It surprised me as he popped my wrist. I felt good, but I had to fight the instinct to move away. Parker felt the bubble release in my join and looked at me worriedly.
"Sorry, did I hurt you?"
"No, it just surprised me was all. You got a hell of a stronger grip then Eira."
"Eh… we're working on that." Parker rubbed the back of his head again before taking his girlfriend's hand into his own. "So what are you doing out here Piper?"
"Getting away for a bit, needed a breather from my friends." I sighed and swung my arms behind my back where they connected with my fingers.
Parker narrowed his eyes. "Did something bad happen?"
"A difference of an opinion."
"Hey, I'm not trying to make it worse, but if you don't want to talk about it, that your own reasoning." Parker held up his hands in surrender. "But hey, don't take it out on them too bad, just remember that they are your friends. They care about you. You just need to talk to them."
"I'll pass for the time being, but thanks anyway for the voice of encouragement." I looked past them and saw that there was a sign directing trainers to the gym. "Not to be rude, but I think I'm gonna take off. I've got a gym battle to go have and I'd rather do it while you guys got me out of the funk I was in."
"Be careful…" Eira's soft reply barely reached my ears. I had to strain for her voice, but I heard it.
"Glad we could help in any way." Parker shook my hand once more before pulling his girlfriend closer to him. "Just be careful, some crazy things have been taking place in this region lately with people stealing other's pokemon."
"Don't worry, I will. Thanks for everything."
I left the then. Ivy trailed behind me while the two humans and the pokemon stood back in the little park. I could feel their stares in my back, but I ignored the nagging feeling that came with it and kept moving forward.
HalloweenWitchHalloweenWitch
It was only a short while later that I ended up before the pokemon gym of the town. I knew that the gym was supposed to be a library of sorts, but I was shocked as hell when I saw that it was a museum. I kinda knew that it was supposed to be, but just seeing it before me was so shocking, the very sight of it was awe inspiring. It was an off white building with pillars that seemed to help support some of the weight. It was also very fancy looking with etched in details into the walls themselves.
I began to walk up toward the building when I was stopped, a figure had appeared before me. I dared to look up at the figure and saw it was N. I instantly blinked and stepped back a bit from him.
"N? What are you doing here?" The young man only smiled at me, looking at the museum and the people around him before he turned back to me.
"I want to see thigs no one can see. The truths of pokemon inside poekballs. The ideals of how trainers should be. And a future where pokemon have become perfect."
"That's quite a list…" I raised an eye brow at him. "And how is it that pokemon aren't prefect? I think Ivy's pretty awesome, and no matter what this egg will be, I think they will be perfect too."
He narrowed his eyes at me, a curious expression on his face. "You believe they're already perfect?"
"Everyone is special in their own way N, no different than Ivy, myself, or you." I shrugged at him. "Now, not everyone is going to agree to that, since not all humans and pokemon are always going to get along, but that's the point of view I have."
"I see…" I he turned his head away from me for only a moment before he turned back and gestured to me. "But not all pokemon are prefect beings…"
"You mean pokemon that are taken from their homes and forced to do things against their will for humans, don't you?" My gaze softened at him. I knew his heart was in the right place, but I knew he wasn't going about it in the right way in order to handle these problems.
And the sad part was, there would always be problems like this, because humans have to feel power over something… same with pokemon. None of us could be prefect in the way that N wanted.
"I do… don't you feel the same? That all pokemon should be prefect?"
"If you mean would I like a world where pokemon aren't used as tools, then yes, that does sound like a wonderful world. I'd love to see it, maybe we'll be lucky and see it one day."
"That so?" N pulled out some pokeballs to my surprise. "I think my friends and I should test you to see if you can see this future, too." He threw them toward me. "Come my friends! Assist me!"
I was surprised to see three pokemon appear before myself and Ivy. Compared to the last time we'd spoken, N had an entirely different team of pokemon. I saw a pidove as his first pokemon that flew up to his shoulder. However, I didn't recognize the last two. One seemed to resemble a tadpole pokemon while the other one looked like a human child a bit with tan and purple coloring on it and it carried a large thick trunk of a tree.
I pulled out my pokedex to learn more about them. Tympole, the tadpole pokemon. By vibrating its cheeks, emits sound waves imperceptible to humans. It uses the rhythm of these sounds to talk. Tympole nests are rare and are only found in the Pinwheel Forest.
Timburr, the muscular pokemon. It fights by swinging a piece of lumber around. Its close to evolving when it can handle the lumber without difficulty. Timburr nests are rare and are only found in Pinwheel Forest.
Once I knew what I was facing, I stepped back a bit and allowed for Ivy to head up to battle. She sized up her opponent for a moment before hissing out at them.
"Sni…"
"I hope you put up more of a fight then last time N!" I pointed at him as I saw this and he seemed to nod his head.
The young man narrowed his eyes at me. "Show me your true strength Piper!"
I shrugged. "Alright, you asked for it." I turned to my grass type. "Use leaf storm Ivy!"
"Sni!" Ivy summoned the tornado and hurled it at the opposing pokemon. The little dove pokemon that had come out first screamed and dove for its companions who also seemed terrified of the attack. Unable to move due to fear, the three were caught in the mist of it, being hurled and cut from the powerful winds and sharp leaves.
When the tornado died, only moments later, the pokemon fell to the ground. All of them appeared to be knocked out from the single attack. I sighed at the lack of a battle, but it also left me more confused than before.
Why did he keep battling me with pokmon that weren't trained? What exactly was it that he was looking for when he would ask me to do these battles with him? I know he keeps saying that he wants to hear Ivy talk, but could he not do that by talking to her? And why did I only see him when Team Plasma was involved?
"I thought this was going to be different then last time?"
N lowered his head so that his eyes were hidden behind the bill of his cap. "Right now, my friends aren't strong enough to save all pokemon. Maybe I can't solve the equation that will change the world. So, I need power… Power enough to make anyone agree with me."
I took a step back, unsure of how to take his response. "N…"
"Now I know what power I need." He turned away from his, his back the only thing I faced me then. "Zekrom! The legendary pokemon that, along with the hero, created the Unova region. It's my turn to become that hero, and you and I will become friends!"
Before I could say another word to the young man, he took off down the streets, his wounded pokemon returned and he himself gone from sight. I watched where he was only moments ago, before I sighed.
"Well, I might as well head off to battle the gym leader." I turned to Ivy. "Things can't get any worse than this, right?"
She narrowed her eyes to me. "Sni!"
I sighed. "Your right… I should keep my mouth shut…"
Everett's Point of View:
Since my sister had left, Bell and I sat around the pokemon center just thinking over her words alone. She was entirely right in the sense that Bell normally took Iz's side without a second thought due to the fact that Piper always teased him. It put us in a sticky situation. Bell was right partly, but it also meant that Piper was given enough attention and love too.
It was also kinda irritating as well because Iz didn't always mind Piper's pranks. In the few moments where it had been him and me, he's admitted that on the occasion, he didn't mind the pranks. It reminded him often of when he was a child and her and Piper had met, well before Bell and I.
Piper and Iz were the first ones to meet each other in our little group and become friends. It was only a while after that when I met Iz and then Bell moved into the town from Undella. In ways that I don't understand, those two just have a special bond. That bond is much deeper than anything Bell or I could understand.
Now Piper may still prank Iz, and he may be an ass to her, but that's just the way they are. But when they agree on something, when they work together, it's like their two-different people and the real way they want to act or feel comes out. It's pretty weird to see… but kinda cool.
"Thank you for waiting on me." I raised my head to see Izzy come down the stairs with his clothes newly washed, stains out, and clean. However, once he got a good look at us, Iz blinked and became worried. "What is the matter?"
I sighed. "Well… right after you left… Piper and Bell got into a bit of an argument that left Piper pissed and she ran off."
"I'm so sorry…" Bell quietly sobbed a few feet away, huddled on a seat. "I didn't know she felt that way… I didn't know she was mad."
"Piper can be a tough one to read on the occasion." Iz worriedly looked back and forth between the two of us. "I'm more than willing to bet that Piper has gone to the gym for a battle in order to calm down. Perhaps I should go find her? I can smooth things with her first and then you can later on Bell. Even if we act like water and oil most of the time, Piper does have feelings beneath the surface and does feel hurt when you take my side more often than hers."
Bell pouted, showing her watering eyes to him. "That's really weird to hear you say Izzy. You and her argue all the time!"
"Even if we do argue, it is just the way Piper and I always communicate." Iz sat down then as he began to explain things to her. "Piper and I have always had a strange relationship. I find that she normally uses pranking to hide how she truly feels. Even if I detest the ones that truly are messy, you have to look beyond that to see how she handles the prank and it gives you inside to how she's feeling."
"Really?" Bell's eyes widened with the new information.
"Oh yes, such as well throughout complicated pranks means that she's having fun. Its more the process then the end result for her. Yet, when she preforms rushed pranks that take little to no time to put together, about eighty or so percent of the time she' trying to hide how she really feels."
"I thought something funny was going on." I pouted as I remembered the weird face on my sister's face when she woke this morning. "She was acting a bit differently."
Iz narrowed his eyes at me. "Yes, well, I don't have the luxury of being her twin and knowing her feelings from being connected in spiritual ways that are exclusive only to you, Everett."
"Still," we both turned back to Bell. "If she rushed the prank, then what's wrong? Was she mad at us before she snapped? Or was this something different that aggravated her a bit and then I didn't help with my nagging?"
I scoffed. "Did you just admit you nag? Iz! We gotta put this in the papers!"
Bell scowled. "Everett!"
"Focus Everett!" Iz snapped at me. "This is serious."
I ducked my head. "Sorry, couldn't help it. I probably wouldn't be hearing that again, so I had to take advantage of it."
"Anyway, it could be a number of things that could be bothering Piper." Iz held a finger to his chin. "Everett had mentioned that she was acting strangely this morning. So whatever is taking place happened well before her prank."
"Maybe she started her cycle?" Bell suggested. "I know that she and I aren't the nicest to be around when we start that."
"Amen," I snickered quietly under my breath, but Bell picked up on it and hurled a pillow at my face from the couch she sat next to.
"I'm serous Everett Theron!"
"Sorry! Sorry!"
"Enough you two, you may finish you own lovers spat later." Iz rolled his eyes at us while Bell and I got very red…
The blond squealed. "I'm not in a lover's spat!"
"You sure Bell?" Even with the thick blush on my face, I couldn't resist the joke. "But I just picked the most beautiful wedding china for us. I didn't think you'd break it so soon…"
"Enough of this, I can't handle the two of you and your insanity while trying to discuss this." Iz stood and moved away from us. "I plan to go find Piper and bring her back. Work our… whatever that is… before I come back with her."
And with that he was out the door. The little blond girl I'd known for a long time was fuming at the seams with her little hands in fists, shaking.
"Everett!"
Piper's Point of View:
It hardly took me any time to make it into the historical building. The museum was busting with books and knowledge to look over and read. I wanted to do that so badly, but I wanted to get my gym battle out of the way while I still had a bit of a good mood to me after meeting Eira and Parker, and then battling N.
While walking through the hallways, I noticed quite a few trainers around that were reading books with their pokemon at their sides. Many of them picking up good tips and just enjoying a good read. Looking through all of them, I soon saw a woman in a lab coat appear who I had a good feeling would lead me to the gym leader.
"Excuse me?" The woman took around at me, she was very pale in skin color, so I knew already off the bat that she wasn't Lenora. The gym leader was a fairly dark skinned woman, richer then dark chocolate in color, but this woman was almost ghostly light.
"Yes? Do you need help finding some material?"
"I will later, but right now I'm looking for Lenora for a gym battle?"
She sighed. "You trainers have certainly kept poor Lenora going all day. You're quite lucky, she planned to close her gym in about an hour, so you have just enough time to ask her for one." She gestured me to follow while she grabbed a few books from the shelves we passed. "Follow me to the back."
Damn… I should have come here right away… But at least I am getting a gym battle… I followed after the roman though the many pathways and maze like room of the library they had here before the gym. I was led to where a partially hidden door, barely cracked open to the area before it. Once we had stepped inside, I noticed that there was a large research area where the very said dark skinned woman I was looking for sat.
"Lenora? You have another challenger." The pale skinned woman said to her superior before her.
"Another? Do I still have time to battle?" Lenora took and looked over the clock, causing the hair on her head to shift slightly, sneaking out from behind the bandanna that keep the turquoise looking strands out of her face. Her apron moved slightly as well, wrinkling slightly with the way she turned to face the clock that hung behind her. When she saw the time, she smiled. "I guess I have enough time for one more."
The woman stood then, showing me the apron she wore that darkened from white at the shoulders to a pale pink at the bottom, blue baggy pants were behind them, and a white shirt behind her apron. She walked over calmly and shook my hand.
"I'm Piper Theron. I was hoping I'd get lucky enough to battle today, got a bit worried when I heard you might be closed."
"Oh no! I still got time! I just need some time later this day to catch up on some other work." She chuckled as she motioned me to follow her to the back of the room. "I normally don't do this, but during the winter, trainers don't like coming out during the snow, so they try and come and battle myself and the other gym leaders before it becomes messy in weather."
"Well I guess I got lucky then." I grinned at the woman before the end of the room had a door that opened up to a closed in battlefield. Lenora walked over to one side and I moved to the other, taking the challenger's box. Ivy I had returned to her pokeball before we had entered the building, with all the people roaming around the library I didn't want to lose her in the maze, especially when she was still so small. Perhaps when she evolved again I would.
"So, I have two pokemon I face off with, I hope you can handle them both." Lenora quickly pulled out her first pokeball. "I'll start out with Herdier!"
I wasn't surprised to see a pokemon that looked much like Bell's normal type appear before me. I felt a shiver of anger run up my spine as soon as I saw the pokemon that reminded me of the girl who I fought with earlier in the day. I let out a breath in order to calm myself.
Easy Piper, don't be angry at them, it's not Bell or the others.
"Alright, let's go then Ivy!" My grass type instantly was out of her pokeball and my grip tightened on my egg just slightly.
"Start us off Herdier! Use bite!" The normal type began to run toward Ivy. She narrowed her eyes and waited on my order
"Vine whip!" Ivy hurled her tail around herself and whipped it back. The pokemon yelped out as its body collided with Ivy's tail and was hurled into the back wall.
"Herdier?!" Lenora looked on in surprise as her pokemon had been hurled out of the way so easily. Had I become too strong? I was very surprised to just see how easily I had taken down the pokemon.
Said pokemon fell out of the wall a few moments later, it was entirely knocked out from the hit. Lenora looked stunned as she watched her pokemon that only lasted for only a few moments. Perhaps it was a newer pokemon to her team? Perhaps she had been spending too much time working at the museum then as a trainer with her pokemon. Or perhaps I simply had become that strong.
There was no way…
"So, the video footage wasn't lying when I saw your battle with Chili…" Lenora looked partly furious with me being so strong. "It makes me a bit frustrated, yet I will make up for that. Return Herdier, let your friend avenge you." Her second pokeball was thrown out. "Go Watchog!"
Another normal type soon appeared before us. It was narrow in its body, and tall looking, even if it was only a couple feet high. Its blinding red eyes caught my attention compared to its rich brown fur. I quickly pulled out my pokedex to look up its information.
Watchog, the lookout pokemon and the evolved form of patrat. When they see an enemy, their tails stand high, and they spit the seeds of berries stories in their cheek pouches. They make patterns on their bodies shine in order to threaten predators. Keen eyesight lets them see in the dark. Watchog nests are somewhat common and are one routes one, seven, fifteen and eighteen.
I looked up then to see the pokemon shaking in a rage. I blinked in shock before Lenora threw out her hand.
"We'll make this quick. Go Watchog! Use retaliate!"
My eyes widened as the opposing pokemon snarled and lunged forward, grabbing my pokemon and hurling them both into the wall. It was a struggle after that to see the pokemon attack at blinding speed against my pokemon. My eyes widened in shock as Ivy couldn't keep up. She screamed in pain as she was bitten, clawed, and hurled around like a rag doll.
"Ivy!" Just as I shouted out, she was hurled past me a moment later. I dared to turn and catch her eye as she weakly collapsed out of the wall she was hurled into.
"The move 'retaliate' itself is a powerful move, but works best and at its strongest when an ally as fallen," Lenora stated as she watched the field with careful eyes. "You're the type of trainer who has strong pokemon flock to her, who uses moves that can take out an opponent only after being used once or twice. I know better than to say I can beat you, this battle is up in the air. While retaliate is a powerful move, it bears incredible exhaustion on the user, so as long as your pokemon survived that move, we'll be at an eve slate, it will be merely who can attack their opponent first."
I cursed as I looked over at Ivy to see her struggle to stand. In the single attack alone, she had been nearly taken down. I'd never had that happen in the entire time I'd been a trainer. Not even when I faced all three of my friends right after one another did Ivy come to a strait like this. I could see how serious the wounds were on her and I'd have to treat her quickly, then get her to Nurse Joy as fast as possible.
But damn it all, I was gonna win that match. We damn well were gonna try.
"Ivy! Can you move?" My grass type pokemon nodded to me in her tired state. She held her arm closer to her body, easily showing how it may have been bruised beyond the point of repair at the time. Nurse Joy would help us, but I couldn't wait long. "Ivy, leaf tornado!"
"Watchog, use detect!"
And that was what did it.
Ivy screeched out, from not only the wounds on her, but from summoning all the energy left in her to handle this opponent. The watchdog stood there as the attack came flying at it, unable to protect itself from how tired it was. The pokmeon let the hit happen and it was hurled before Lenora at her feet.
Her eyes, they weren't upset, they more looked happy. I was unsure why, but perhaps I helped her to learn something? It was something would probably never know.
"You did well, do be able to withstand that attack and still come out the victor proves your determination and strength. You more than deserve my badge." The woman slowly approached me and once she stood only a foot or so away, she held out her hand. Sitting in the palm of it was a badge that looked like the spine of a book. It was purple in color with gold representing the edging. "It's the basic badge, now you only need six more."
"Thank you, Lenora, I greatly appreciate this." I smiled at the woman before I turned to Ivy. "And you were amazing! But I better get you to Nurse Joy and heal up your wounds so you can party later!"
"Sni!" She smiled a me through the pain while returned her to her pokemon, holding the egg tightly still to my chest.
"Yes, you better get her healed." Lenora smiled at me before something daughter her eye. "Sorry kid, just had my last battle for the day. Come back tomorrow."
"Oh, I plan to Miss Lenora, but the reality of the situation is that I'm actually here of Piper at the moment rather then you."
I dared to whip around my head to see my best friend standing there. He stood at the entrance Lenora had led me through only minutes ago, but I was happy to see him. Izzy honestly was one of the ones who wasn't pissed with and it made me smile to see him, even if I'd had such a crappie day.
"The others and I were worried for you, I offered to come out and find you while they gave you a bit more space." Izzy approached me with a softer face then he normally would. "Are you alright Piper?"
I scoffed at him. "Why wouldn't I be? I just got my second gym badge!" I rolled my eyes at him. "Why don't we walk and talk? Ivy's in the need of some desperate healing."
"Very well." Izzy nodded his head before turning to the older woman. "Miss Lenora, I will return in the morning. Will eight give you enough time to prepare?"
"More than enough." Lenora merely smiled at the two of us before she took off to another door. "Enjoy your night kids, I've got work to do before the day is done."
Izzy and I then left through the door we arrived in. We walked through the many hallways of the library portion of the museum and gym before we arrived outside. The bitter air nipped at me compared to the warm rooms inside the building that had been heated.
Yet, once we were outside, Izzy stopped me.
"Piper, please be honest."
I sighed. "Can't you just let this go for a bit?"
Izzy took a moment to think before shaking his head. "I'm afraid not Piper. I've heard what the others have told me, but I would like to hear your side of the story. What bothered you this morning to rush through a prank on me? It is unlike you to do such a thing. And another, you blew up at Bell. The poor girl hardly understands what happened and I believe it would be beneficial to assist her in the matter."
"I was mad at Bell because she always would take your side." I huffed. "And I get why she does it, I do prank you often, but it's like there's no hurt feelings every time she does it. It's like I have no feelings in her eyes, I'm just happy, go lucky, pranker."
"Do understand, Bell does regard your feelings, however, normally it is I who needs the emotion boost because you've degraded me so."
"Really?" I raised my eye brow and stopped in the street. "Doesn't feel like it."
"You must understand that Bell never meant to hurt your feelings, I'm sure that she never meant any harm, but she is very sorry. She was nearly in tears when I left." Izzy shook his head. "Perhaps I may need to state to her that she should stay out of our affairs, regardless of how often you prank me, at least I know you're in good spirits."
"That wouldn't hurt." I rolled my eyes, but hearing the words coming from Izzy telling me how things went mellowed my anger. We began to walk again, I followed after the male while we kept our eyes on the street before us. "I'll talk to her tonight, apologize to her. And I'm sure I worried Everett too."
"They were quite worried, Everett had even mentioned that you seemed… off this morning." Izzy looked back at me. "Would you explain to me what happened?"
"I just… felt off this morning… I don't know what caused it." It made me glad it was Izzy with me rather than my brother, because only my twin would be able to tell it was a lie. And I certainly wouldn't tell Izzy the truth.
Not now, not ever.
"I see… well, should you ever need someone to talk to, you can talk to me. I'd prefer that to your pranks."
I grinned at him. "But that's how you know I'm good!"
"Ah… I should have known…" Izzy groaned. "Let's just back, we have many things still to do, and you're poor pokemon needs healing."
"That's right! Ivy!" I nearly drop the egg in shock before I took off running. "Let's go Izzy!"
"Piper!" He called after me but I didn't reply as I hurried out to the pokemon center. I had things to do, and little did I know that the next day I would be dealing with more of the craziness that even outshined that day.
Witch's Note:
Guys, I'm SO sorry for getting this chapter up later. I hope you guys can understand that the holidays are taking up so much of my time! I had the chapter done, but I didn't get a chance to post it until now! So, sorry guys, don't hate me!
But what did you think? Quite a different side of Piper to see, as well as Izzy. Will we see more of this strange relationship? Or will it go back to where they hate each other?
Love you all and see you next week! Don't forget to Review and Send in Questions!
Halloween Witch