Hello readers, nice to see you all again.
I still mange to finish this chapter up, but this might be one of the worse chapters in my option. Because of my crazy life, I had to even review what my plot was for this story. V_V
I have like no time for me anymore… -pouts-
But, complaining aside, enjoy the chapter!
Eefi (does not own pokemon)
VIII: Always Honest?
"Those two are at it again."
"I'm not stopping it this time. Last time I had to use my pokemon to keep them apart."
"Wow... I actually felt bad for Glacia that she's the reason they are acting like children."
"Heh. Funny how you say that, since Ruby and yourself tend to fight once you lock eyes-"
"H-hey! He's the one with the problem! I am just trying to make conversation!"
"Whatever you say, Sapphire." Winona responds to the girl's defense, signaling the end of the conversation.
Winona and Sapphire were just watching events unfold in the lobby out of their boredom. The current event that is presenting to them now is Juan and Drake arguing over whom will offer their credit card number to Glacia so she would get her dress for the dance. The object of the argument, Glacia, just stands there in embarrassment and stare at the marble floor.
"Shouldn't they battle it out with pokemon to decide who will take Glacia out?" Sapphire asks, "Or better yet, let Glacia decide herself."
"Glacia would have her say, but she doesn't want any murders." Winona said, recalling her conversation with Glacia at breakfast a while ago. Winona shakes the disgust feeling that came to her once she recalls Glacia's response.
"She is smart to hold back." Winona thought, watching Glacia suffer the embarrassment. Winona gives the woman a lot of credit to let herself be embarrass and hold back her tongue just to save lives. If Glacia's plan succeeds at the dance, then Winona will worship Glacia as a hero.
A goddess if Glacia were to influence her on own problems.
Winona quickly dismisses the sudden thought of her problem and groan. She totally hopes to go at least a day without thinking of it. 2 hours was her longest so far.
"Plus, no one can't battle here, remember?" Winona reminds the girl. Sapphire groan, throwing her head into a nearby pillow and mumbles into it.
From what Winona could translate, Sapphire is properly saying either "Don't remind me." or "I am going to kill the very person who suggest this place."
Whatever it is, Winona couldn't help but agree as well.
----
Deciding not to find out who would win the credit card debate, the females decide to retire to the room. The females walk borely towards the stairs, pasting a talkative Flannery on the phone.
"-it really help me a lot!" Flannery gush on the phone, "My Magcargo finally got the Fire Blast down yesterday... Nah! I'm okay! That spot will do me good for a while-"
Flannery stop her talking tracks, once she felt a disturbance in her personal bubble. Turning around, she was greet with the creepiest sight she could lay eyes on. Everything in her body stops working at the same time.
"Uh... Flannery? Is everything alright?... Flannery?" the voice in on the phone spoke, proving how dead silent the situation has just become.
The red head was frozen, losing the ability to think anything other then wondering if this vacation has finally made them crack.
"Um... I'll call you back..." Flannery nervously spoke into the phone after a couple more seconds of silence, "...Something just came up..."
Of course Flannery can not come up how to describe what just happen. How would anyone could explain (or even believe) that within inches away from her are two zombies staring into her soul as if they want to eat her? Or look as if they are breathing their last breath of air? Or that they look as if they couldn't move on with their lives without-
The fire trainer stops her thoughts. She has got to stop watching those creepy shows that Tate is always watching in the café every morning.
Okay, she was being dramatic, but what else could she describe the way Winona and Sapphire are staring at her hungrily? The way their eyes are shining at her, looking as if they are about to pounce on Flannery if she were to move a centimeter.
Seeing them like this scares Flannery into losing the ability to talk.
"What could made them into this state?" Flannery couldn't help thinking.
Flannery then felt even more scare, suddenly figuring it out why those two are staring at her like that.
"Um..." Flannery struggle to find the right words, or voice in this case, "If this is about the shower this morning-"
"What spot?" the two other trainers ask stimulatingly, both tone and eyes begging at the fire trainer. Flannery felt bewilder, and then stupid.
Not only at the realization that they over hear her, but also that she admits about overheating the showers again.
----
"Are you serious? Why didn't we think of looking here?" Sapphire complains, but she couldn't hide the excitement in her tone.
Before Flannery could even open her mouth, Sapphire dart down the grassy hill and into the beach.
Winona and Flannery could here Sapphire shouting excite statements from the top of the hill.
"So, who spill the beans about this spot?" Winona asks the fire trainer. The flying trainer saw the fire trainer flinch when the question was asked. Flannery turn to her friend and sheepishly grin.
"Oh… a guy I'm going to the dance with." Flannery answer, not hiding the nervous nature of her voice.
Winona raises an eyebrow at her. Flannery would usually make Winona's ears bleed limitless whenever the topic of boys is concern. But when she is talking nervously and scratching continuously behind her hair as if her hair is constantly itchy, it's an open book to guess what she is up to.
"Look, I am not annoy about your recent bathroom dilemma. Besides, Roxanne is out with Brawly somewhere today and wouldn't be back until twilight." Winona lectures, "So quit worrying."
Flinching the ironic annoyance of her tone, Flannery cease her head scratching.
"Oh, I know that but….er…" Flannery roll off into a series of mumbles. Winona gave Flannery an confuse look.
Okay, maybe Winona can't read Flannery 100% like Tate and Liza (if the rumors are true), but she now does know that it's something else. But the question is what is something else.
" What is it?" Winona asks. Flannery shot a confuse look matching Winona's.
"Oh! You don't know about my boyfriend! That's right!" Flannery blurt out, finally figuring out. Winona was baffle.
"Boyfriend? Okay…?" Winona responds, trying to comprehend to the relationship of Flannery's behavior and her words. Winona didn't care (or want to here) about Flannery's love life. But, as a friend and somewhat of a mentor to her, Winona can endure it.
"Who is he?" Winona asks. Flannery look the other way before Winona finishes the question.
"Um… well… I'm not sure if you'll like him…"
Winona groans.
"I'm not your mother, Flannery." Winona said, "Whoever he is can't be that bad, since your ideals are not that-"
"But he was a former Team Magma admin."
Winona's eyes widen and look at a fluster Flannery. A minute of death silence between them past before Flannery finally gasps.
"Oh!" Flannery quickly cover her mouth and turn her back on Winona.
Winona, on the other hand, just stares at her.
"Well, this is unexpected at all." Winona thought, having a lot of questions that she wants to ask.
"Sorry, Winona." Flannery softly spoke, turning around to face her, "I didn't want to let anyone know about it because…well…"
Flannery began to scratch the back of her head again.
"You know. If they recognize him from Team Magma from the dance, I'm scare what they will do to him." Flannery continue. Winona feel her fear, but she knew that what Flannery said is somewhat true.
"I don't mind about it." Winona finally responds, "It's really Archie and Maxie that cause the mess. All their followers were use."
Flannery look up in surprise.
"You thought that too?" Flannery exclaim, eyes widen, "Wow, I thought if you, as the supervisor, were to find out, you would have-"
"I was part of the Sootopolis battle remember?" Winona cut her off, not wanting Flannery to go on, "Wallace and I were the only leaders who went there."
"Oh yeah." Flannery nod, "The rest of us were place in the sidelines, which really sucks."
Winona ignores Flannery's disgust tone of the last two words of her sentence.
"You guys are in bad shape, no way you can withstand the conditions that were going on in Sootopolis at the time." Winona reminds her. Flannery was about to open her mouth to protest but froze when Winona narrows her eyes.
"Well, back on the topic." Winona began, "I really do think you shouldn't worry about it. When we gave our reports after the incident, the admin made an agreement to let the followers off."
Flannery gasp happily.
"Really?" she happily ask, "Why didn't you say so-"
"But that was once announce to only a few people. I'm sure you four weren't inform because it was announce to those who were in higher position." Winona interrupts.
Flannery pout.
"And the admin has always blab on about equality to all title trainers…" Flannery mumble. Winona silently agrees with her.
"So, I think you should inform the admin about your boyfriend so he wouldn't be attack at the dance by those who weren't inform." Winona suggests. Flannery nod.
"Okay." Flannery said happily, "Thanks a bunch!"
"Sure." Winona responds. Flannery, feeling all light and happy from getting the worry off her chest, move a little closer the older female.
"Well, Tabitha and I met at the volcano awhile ago when Team Aqua was there…"
"Oh, no" Winona thought, frowning at the happy fire trainer talking away about her boyfriend.
Winona sigh and decide to just zone out while Flannery talk away. She watches Sapphire training her Relicanth, Relo, how to use Hydro Pump. Relo looks more interest in the berries that Sapphire carries in her bag rather then the training. Winona watches the girl sigh in defeat as she reaches in the bag and pull out a Oran berry.
By the look of Sapphire's gestures and body language, Winona is guessing she is telling the rockfish that if it wants a berry, it will have to use Hydro Pump.
Winona's assumptions are correct, since Relo shoot out a gush of water at Sapphire. The wild girl was propelling into the ocean, releasing the berry into the air. Winona watches the fish happily just out of the water to catch the berry into its mouth.
Winona lowly chuckle at Sapphire's annoyed expression watching Relo enjoying the yummy berry.
"… Tabitha also told me about his match with Wallace at the department store as well…"
Winona was pull back into reality once she heard that sentence.
"What about Wallace and the department store?" Winona asks. Flannery paused for a second.
"Didn't Wallace write his report on it? You were the one who read all those reports-"
"I did read them." Winona cut in again, "But that wasn't in his report!"
"Oh…" Flannery trail off, "Guess maybe he forgot since Tabitha did say he throw him very hard into the vending machines during their match…"
Winona's heart cease to beat for a second. Wallace didn't mention about any of this. Not at all.
"When did that happen?"
"Well, he was with Roxanne and Brawly battling Groudon when the Fire Head Trio appear and took them to Lilycove." Flannery explain.
"Wait, he said in his report that he fail to rescue Roxanne and Brawly because…" Winona didn't want to finish her sentence. His story is completely different in the report.
Winona looks at Flannery for a second. Both Wallace and Flannery do not lie. But does Tabitha lie? Winona never even met him before.
But then again, as Winona was thinking about it, she remembers Brawly's and Roxanne's report that each of them were taken away from the site to battle. So if Wallace said he fail to rescue them, then how did Groudon escape easily, since Wallace is really tough? And why would Team Magna let Wallace take care of Groudon?
Winona shook her head. This is confusing, very confusing.
Flannery notice Winona confusion.
"Hey… I think he also told me that he overhead him and the Champion talking-"
"Ha! I knew following you three would be worth it!"
Winona flinches.
"Oh, no… not him…" Winona groan as she turn around to face the source of almost all her social life chaos in the past.
"Steven, what is it…" Winona trail off and blush.
Not only Steven Stone, but Wallace and Ruby as well. Wallace gave her an apologetic look while Ruby just rush past them and Winona down the beach, jabbering about something about Sapphire.
Winona was about to question Steven and Wallace about why they are stalking them when suddenly a realization hit her.
The flying trainer made the first move. She marches up to Wallace, grab his free arm without stopping, and continue on towards a cliff.
"Actually, I want to talk to you. Privately." Winona announces, stressing the last word. She didn't look back at the two trainers who gave a very confuse glance at them nor at Wallace, who knew he was in major trouble by the silence.
Winona is going to get answers, and it has to be the very person who is the cause of her own recent problems.
Told you this chapter will be terrible. It's going to take me a while to get my writing grove back because of school. But I have Creative Writing this semester, so who knows?
It went fast in the end because of the conversation between Winona and Flannery. Plus, if I were to keep on with the slow pace, then the result will be a story that covers every darn second. XD
Winona's character is totally off in my option, but I think my plan was to have her be annoyed with all the misfortunes she must endure. She's very difficult to express, in my option.
Again, you can do whatever you want with your reviews. I am all open arms to all kinds. Heck, it is even okay if you do not give me a review; just reading the chapter is good enough for me! ^_^
