Hello again, readers! Gah, I'm so sorry I haven't updated this in a while...but seriously! Every time I got a chance to write I was all like "Ok, it's writing ti-Oh look, new Blue Exorcist dub!" or "Time for wri-Oh my goooossh, Full Metal Alchemist~!" or "Can I please write today? No, it's time to learn Japanese!" Yeah. I got distracted. A lot. Oh well, the point is, chapter 6 is here! I really hope you enjoy it. Also, to the reviewer called Takedigi...
Muchas gracias! Soy feliz que le gusta mi historia. No se mucho espanol, pero yo se un poco. Voy a continuar la historia y terminar, tambien. Prometo!
Once again, thank you to ALL of my readers, reviews, one-time visitors, everyone! Now then, on with the story!
Chapter 6
The three trainers stood outside of the long-sought-after Pokémon center, as still as statues with anticipation.
"Here we are, finally," Iris said, staring at the fancy "P" logo that made this building's purpose unmistakable.
"Yup," Cilan said with a gulp.
"Now remember, just stick with the plan, ok?" Ash said, glancing over to Cilan.
"Plan? I wouldn't call keeping my mouth shut a plan," Cilan said in an unsure tone.
"Then just don't talk. Make whatever Simisage sounds you feel like," Iris proposed.
"Well if we don't get inside then there's no point to any of that!" Ash said, annoyed, as he began to walk towards the Pokémon Center's doors.
The Pokémon Center was small and empty with a few chairs and some plants for decoration. The reception desk was to the left of the door, where Nurse Joy and Audino stood.
"Oh! Um…welcome to the Pokémon Center!" Nurse Joy greeted as Ash, Cilan and Iris walked in. "I'm very sorry about our minimal comforts. We don't have many visitors way out here, but I promise that our Pokémon services are first rate! Now, what can I do for you?"
"You see, my Simisage…hasn't been feeling himself lately," Ash told Nurse Joy. It was true, technically. He turned and looked at Cilan expectantly.
"Oh, uh…Simisaaaage!" Cilan moaned in his best Simisage voice as he put a hand to his forehead dramatically. Ash stifled a laugh while Iris rolled her eyes.
"C-could you take a look for me, please?" Ash sputtered, still resisting the urge to laugh. Audino looked curiously at the three trainers, sensing something wasn't quite right. Nurse Joy, on the other hand, bought their act completely.
"Oh yes, by all means!" Nurse Joy said cheerfully. "If you'll just follow me, we'll get started." She walked through the door to the medical room with Audino, Ash, Cilan, and Iris following close behind.
"All right Simisage, step into that machine over there, please," Nurse Joy said, motioning to a tall machine against the right wall of the even smaller room. Cilan nodded and stepped into the padded machine, the restraints automatically fastening shut. He glanced nervously over to Ash and Iris, who smiled reassuringly in return. "Ok. Audino, would you pull the switch?" Nurse Joy asked.
"(Right,)" Audino responded, pulling a large lever on the side of the machine. The machine lit up with a soft glow, scanning Cilan all over. On the opposite wall, a screen came to life full of diagnostic information. Nurse Joy studied the screen intently.
"Let's see…temperature is ok, vitals are at normal rates, chlorophyll levels are just fine…" Nurse Joy said, going through each bit of information.
Chlorophyll levels… Cilan thought to himself, spacing out over the rest of Nurse Joy's analysis. As a grass type expert, he knew that chlorophyll is as vital to a grass type as blood is to a person. It was just odd to know he now relied on it for life as well.
"…and I don't see anything wrong in particular." Nurse Joy finished. Cilan hung his head in disappointment as the restraints released and he stepped out of the machine.
"Man, and I was really hoping that we would be able to figure this out," Ash said sadly and Iris nodded in agreement.
"I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I can't offer any help if there's nothing wrong," Nurse Joy apologized.
"We understand. Thanks for trying," Iris said as she and Ash turned to go to the lobby once again and Cilan followed.
Iris and Cilan had already made it outside, but just before Ash left as well, Nurse Joy stopped him.
"Wait!" she exclaimed, "I really feel bad about not being able to help your Simisage, but if you're still worried, I would suggest taking it to a grass type specialist. I believe the best-known one in Unova lives in Striaton City and works as a gym leader there. What was his name…Cilan, I think!" Cilan's jaw dropped when he heard what Nurse Joy had said, and Iris had to pull him away from the door to keep him from charging at Nurse Joy. Ash just sweatdropped and kept listening.
"There's a bus stop not too far west of here that has routes to Striaton City, if you want to give Cilan a visit." Nurse Joy continued.
"Th-thank you," Ash said awkwardly before hurrying out of the Pokémon Center. He joined up with Iris and Cilan, who were already a little ways down the path. Iris was trying to keep up with Cilan, who was as angry as a Primeape.
"The nerve of that woman! Serving up such a rotten dish!" Cilan growled. "All she did was refer us to me, and clearly I have no ideas!"
"It's not like she knew who you were!" Iris shot back irritably. "Only a little kid would be so upset about this!"
"Oh yeah? You're the only kid I see around here!" Cilan retorted.
"Don't talk to me like that, short stuff!" Iris yelled.
"I'm taller than you!" Cilan said, jumping up to eye level with Iris.
"Not right now, big ears!"
"Big hair!"
Both of them growled at each other for a moment before Ash grabbed them by the shoulders and pulled them apart.
"Stop it, now!" Ash said calmly yet firmly. "First of all, what happened to controlling your temper, Cilan?"
Cilan's angry expression softened when he heard this. "Gah, you're right, I did it again!" He said, frustrated. "Iris, I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of that."
"Y-yeah, me neither," Iris said, rubbing the back of her head.
"Second of all," Ash continued, "Nurse Joy did give us something helpful."
"She did? What's that?" Cilan asked.
"Maybe the answer's not with you, but it could still be in Striaton City." Ash answered.
"Huh?" Cilan and Iris said.
"Think about it. You, Chili, and Cress are experts on all of the elemental monkey Pokémon, right?" Ash pointed out.
"That's right!" Cilan said with a smile, "Maybe they would know something about Simisage I don't!"
"It's worth a shot!" Iris added. "We're kind of out of alternatives…again."
"All right, then it's decided," Ash said happily, "We're heading to Striaton City!"
"This…is it?" Iris asked.
"This is where the map says it is," Cilan said, looking at his electronic map, "Driftveil area bus stop."
It was nothing more than a worn-down little shack with a bare, flickering light bulb stuck on the side for nighttime travelers. There was a low bench as well, with a young man sleeping heavily on it.
I wonder how long he's been here, Ash thought, staring at the passed-out traveler.
"Well, it's not exactly a five-star course," Cilan said, "but it will have to do."
For about fifteen minutes, they stood there waiting for the bus, with most of the noise coming from the snoring man. Finally, a bus that looked about as worn down as the bus stop itself pulled up with a sign that said "Striaton City" plastered on the front. As the bus' brakes engaged, the young man awoke with a start, and hurried onto the bus the second its doors opened.
"Finally!" Iris said, walking to the bus' open door, followed by Ash and Cilan. She was no more than three steps into the bus when the driver quickly stuck out his arm to stop her.
"Huh?" She said, confused.
"Can't you read?" The bus driver asked irritably in a gruff voice. He was an old, wrinkly-skinned man with eyebrows thick enough to cover his eyes and a moustache bushy enough to cover his mouth. He slapped his other hand onto a small white sign posted on the windshield of the bus.
"No Pokémon outside of their Pokéballs on the bus," Ash read from the sign.
"Ah, so you can read," The bus driver said, "So take heed of it!" He pointed at Cilan, then at Pikachu, and finally at Axew.
"U-uh, but you see, sir, these Pokémon don't like being in their Pokéballs-"
"I have followed the rules and stayed on schedule for forty years! I ain't gonna let a couple a' rebellious kids break that streak! Now, this bus is drivin' off in two minutes, and if your Pokémon aren't in their Pokéballs before then, you ain't gonna be on it!" The bus driver spat out. Ash and Cilan just stood there, shocked, but Iris grabbed them both and pulled them off the bus. She pushed them behind the bus stop so they could talk.
"What are we supposed to do?!" Cilan asked frantically. "We have two minutes before we miss our chance!"
"You're gonna have to let one of us catch you!" Iris said back.
"Are you crazy? No!" Cilan retorted.
"(I don't want to go into my Pokéball!)" Pikachu moaned.
"(Me neither!)" Axew said, ducking into Iris' hair.
"You see? Not even Pikachu or Axew wants to be in a Pokéball!" Cilan said desperately.
"Wait! I know what to do!" Ash interjected.
"Ok, what?" Iris asked. Ash quickly removed his backpack.
"Pikachu, think you can fit in there?" Ash asked Pikachu.
"(Anything's better than that Pokéball!)" Pikachu said as he crawled into Ash's bag.
"Now, Cilan, take off your backpack," Ash told Cilan.
"You really think I can fit in there?" Cilan asked.
"It's that or the Pokéball!" Iris reminded him. His eyes widened for a second, and then he sighed.
"Bag it is, then," He said. Ash held the bag open while Cilan stepped in carefully, then tucked down in as far as he could. Ash quickly latched the bulging backpack before it could come open.
"How is it?" Ash asked.
"A little tight, but I can live with it," Cilan's voice came from inside the bag.
"Axew, you should be fine where you are now," Iris said.
"(Yay!)" Axew's voice came from inside Iris' hair.
"Ok, now we need to get going, we've got a minute left—at most!" Ash said, carefully putting his backpack on as to not jostle Pikachu around too much. He also grabbed Cilan's bag and he and Iris sprinted back to the bus.
"Ow! Hey, careful!" Cilan said from inside the swinging backpack.
"Sorry!" Ash apologized quietly as they came to the bus' door. They climbed the steps into the bus and stopped in front of the driver once again.
"We're back!" Ash said happily.
"Back? Do I know you?" The bus driver asked, genuinely confused.
"Well, not really, but you just told us to put our Pokémon in their Pokéballs, and we did it!" Ash replied awkwardly.
"Boy, I ain't never seen you in my life!" The bus driver said, sounding almost angry.
"But—" Ash said before Iris pulled him away and down the bus' aisle.
"Let it go, you're drawing attention. We don't need that," Iris said quietly as they both sat down on a padded bench-like seat near the front of the bus. The bus was nearly full, so they were lucky to get a good place to sit. Ash took off his backpack and set it between him and Iris. He set Cilan's bag down on his other side, closest to the aisle.
"I'm not sure if that driver's all there…up here," Ash said, pointing to his head.
"Well let's hope he's still a good driver," Iris replied.
"Yeah. Hey Cilan, Pikachu, are you doing ok?" Ash said just loud enough for them to hear.
"I'm just fine," Cilan whispered back.
"(Me too,)" Pikachu added. The bus' doors slid shut and the bus lurched forward.
"We're on our way," Iris said happily, watching the trees pass by. It wouldn't be long before they were back to Striaton City.
The bus drove along for about half an hour. Due to the bus' wear, it was by no means a smooth ride, but it was tolerable. Iris had been faithfully staring out the window for nearly the entire ride, and in the distance she spotted a cluster of skyscrapers and a Ferris wheel.
"Hey Ash, look! There's Nimbasa City!" Iris said, drawing Ash's attention to the window.
"Yeah, you're right! We must be on the outskirts of the city instead of going right through it." Ash replied.
"Nimbasa City?" Cilan's voice came from in his bag. "Ah, how I wish I could be in the sanctuary of one of Gear Station's subway cars right now!" The bag rocked back and forth as he talked and moved about, looking quite unnatural.
"Shhhhh!" Ash hissed loudly, turning towards the backpack. The man across the aisle from them glanced away from his newspaper and raised an eyebrow at Ash. Ash chuckled nervously and sat forward again.
"You need to be quiet. Don't move around so much," Ash said out of the corner of his mouth.
"Ok, sorry," Cilan whispered back. This might be a longer ride than I thought, he said to himself.
Along the way, the ride became progressively bumpier, so Ash decided to hold onto the strap of Cilan's backpack, just in case. They had just passed Castelia City when both Ash and Iris began to feel sleepy.
"Iris, I'm just gonna…rest my eyes for a minute…" Ash said with a yawn.
"That's fine, I think I might too…" Iris replied sleepily. The bumpy ride was not enough to keep them from taking a nap.
"Guys? Hello?" Cilan whispered, but the only response he got was Ash's the soft snoring. He sighed and thought to himself, Great, now I'm alone, folded up in my own backpack, stuck as a Pokémon, and…sleepy… He yawned, closed his eyes, and began to doze off. As Ash fell deeper asleep, his grip on the strap of Cilan's bag loosened.
Suddenly, the bus hit a particularly large bump, rocking all of the passengers in their seats. Ash and Iris awoke with a start, and Cilan's bag flew off of the seat so fast that Ash couldn't catch it. It flew to the front of the bus and smacked into the windshield with a thud, Ash and Iris cringing at the noise. Cilan slid out and landed on the floor in a heap.
"Ow, ow, ow…" Cilan mumbled as he stood up carefully. "Ash! I thought you were holding onto my bag!" He yelled angrily in Ash's direction. He then noticed that every passenger on the bus was now staring at him. "I mean, uh, Simisage?" He said quickly, realizing his mistake.
"Did you hear that?"
"Heck if I didn't!"
"It can talk! That Pokémon can talk!"
"How interesting! I want it for my own!"
"You kiddin'? Do you know how much I could sell a talking Pokémon for?!"
A wave of people quickly rushed towards Cilan, and he backed up against the front of the bus as far as he possibly could. Ash and Iris rushed in front of him to keep people away.
"Back off!" Iris yelled angrily.
"It's our Pokémon!" Ash added.
"Kid, how much you want for it? I'll pay you right now!" A man said, pushing his way to the front of the crowd and whipping out his wallet.
"I'll pay you double whatever he offers you!" A woman yelled from the back.
"Triple!" Someone else in the middle of the crowd yelled.
"Not for sale! Now back off!" Iris said, pushing and shoving the crowd back. In the middle of the confusion, the bus driver had pulled over and stopped on the side of the road.
"You two!" He said, suddenly recognizing them again. He didn't seem to care at all if Cilan could talk or not. "I told you before: no Pokémon outside their Pokéballs on the bus!" The door slid open and Ash, Cilan and Iris were (quite literally) thrown off the bus. As soon as the door was shut, the bus took off again, leaving the three trainers in the dust. As it drove away, the crowd shifted to plastering themselves against the back windshield, watching as the talking Simisage grew further and further away.
"The nerve of that guy!" Iris said, annoyed. "How dare he throw us off like that!"
"Actually, I'm kinda glad we're off of there. Those people had overwhelmingly sour tastes," Cilan said with a shiver.
"Yeah, but now how are we gonna get to Striaton City?" Ash asked dejectedly. Cilan pulled out his map.
"Looks like we're just past Nacrene City," He said, "That's just one town over! We can make it there on foot!"
"Great! But maybe we should wait until tomorrow," Iris said, looking at the setting sun, "It'll be dark soon."
"Ok. Well camp out here for the night, then set out for Striaton City first thing in the morning." Cilan proposed and Ash and Iris nodded in agreement. They set out to find a good campsite, the possibilities of tomorrow swirling in their minds.
Done :3 Sorry that it's a little shorter than some of the others, but it had to be that way to fit with my plan for the rest of the chapters. Speaking of which, I think there will probably be about 4 or 5 chapters left, plus maybe a little epilogue. But fret not, for I have other story ideas that I will start on as soon as I'm done with this one! Thanks for reading, and if you have the time, please write me a review? I love them oh so much, and they really do help. Sincerely yours, PCL!