Chapter 8 - Partner Pokémon
"Even if Senri-chan was very good in pokémon battles, it doesn't give a reason as to why Riku-chan should go." Riku's grandma said firmly. "He's not going anywhere and that's that."
"G-grandma..." Riku knew how hard it was to change her mind. If it took really long just to get her to let Senri go, then how is he going to get him to go too?
"Hm..." Rowan looked deep in thought. "For the meantime...you should go home first Riku. We'll make the decision tomorrow."
"Alright...." he couldn't argue with that. It really was late anyways..."But...can I bring Akira along?"
"Akira? Who's that?"
Riku gently picked up the sleeping Ralts. "Him of course!" Rowan suddenly had a serious look in his eyes. "You're choosing him as your starter pokémon?"
"I-is there a problem with that?"
"Well first of all, we're not even sure if you could go on your journey and second..." he paused. "I want to study that pokémon more carefully...it hatched from an egg that was somehow unusual..."
"Please Professor? I really want Akira to be my partner!" Riku noticed the small pokémon waking up. He smiled as the Ralts opened his eyes and looked at him.
"You're awake..." Riku said softly.
"Who...are you?" the Ralts replied.
"D-did you just....!"
"It spoke!" Rowan looked amazed. But then calmed down again as if realizing something. "Oh...I forgot that Ralts are Psychic type pokémon. But it's quite amazing that it's can do telepathy when it just hatched." Riku thought that Rowan sounded disappointed. But he wasn't so sure about it....
"Who are you?" Akira repeated. Riku looked at him and smiled lightly.
"My name is Riku. And yours is Akira."
"Ri-ku? A-ki-ra?"
"Yeah. Mine is Riku and yours is Akira."
"Riku...trainer?"
"Eh? Trainer?" he didn't expect Akira to say that. "Well...yeah. I'm your trainer."
Akira smiled. "That's good." he murmured. Only Riku heard what Akira said, but he didn't repeat it. He just smiled back as if he knew what he meant.
"Well that wraps up this problem right Professor?" Kiyoshi suddenly said. "Riku finally chose his starter pokémon!" Rowan looked like he wanted to argue, but he decided that he would keep quiet. He couldn't take it away from him now. After all, maybe this is for the best...for the both of them.
"Yeah...it's for the best." Rowan thought. "So Riku--"
"Kiyoshi! Akira is not Riku's starter pokémon because he's not leaving at all!" Riku's grandma shouted.
"This is getting nowhere Harada. We'll settle this tomorrow. Anyway it's already dark." she nodded her head and turned to Riku. "Time to go home Riku-chan." she noticed that Riku was still holding Akira and he stared at her as if asking 'Can he stay with us?'
She sighed "Alright. But only tonight."
"Thanks grandma!" Riku said in a really happy and grateful tone. Riku's grandma walked out the automatic door with him (and Akira in his arms) behind her. As soon as they left, Rowan sighed again.
'I hope this problem won't take as long...' he thought. And Officer Jenny was nowhere to be seen.
"This...is your house?" Akira asked as he stared at the quite large, brown house.
"Yeah. It's quite big isn't it? It's because my grandparents lived here ever since they were kids...it's a pretty old house, but it's still home to me. And besides, the interior's normal looking anyway." Riku set Akira down and walked inside. Akira quickly followed after him, by teleporting of course.
"Wow..." he was surprised. Inside Riku's house, you could see in front of you a long, red carpet. To the left there are two light-brown couches and a small table in the middle. At the end of the corner, nearby the couch was an expensive-looking, exotic lamp. If you looked farther you could see the stairs with silver bars at each side. To the right were a large, royal-like dining table and a little bit further, the kitchen. Riku's grandma walked there immediately and told Riku and Akira that she'll be making dinner first. Riku decided to show Akira the rest of the house while they were waiting.
"So where are we going Riku?" Akira couldn't help but ask. He was leading him to a long hall with a few doors that were some locked others just empty. Riku continued to walk along it until he reached a door. He turned the knob and stepped in.
"W-where are we?"
"This...is kinda like my backyard." Akira stared at the scenery. It was night time already so the stars were really bright up in the sky. They were standing in front of a large field, with different kinds of pokémon getting ready to sleep already. He couldn't recognize any of them at all for he really hasn't seen any other pokémon besides himself.
"Riku...what kind of pokémon is that?" Akira was pointing at the small group of pokémon nearby the tree. They were kinda small and it looked like a weed.
"That's an Oddish Akira."
"How about that one?" he pointed at another group nearby the Oddish. They're a lot bigger than the small Oddish, and way bigger than himself of course. Its body was brown and stood on two legs with a tail with two spikes at its back. It had a black helmet on top of its head and it had a pouch on its belly. There Akira spotted something small sleeping in it too.
"Those are Kangaskhan." there were many other pokémon that Akira saw, and Riku easily identified each pokémon. Akira was amazed by all the different pokémon. And Riku said these were only a few kinds compared to how many there really are in the world.
"I never thought you would be into these kinds of things Akira. To think that you're a pokémon yourself!" he said smiling.
Akira smiled back but then his mind suddenly filled with questions. "Why do I want to know anyway? It's kinda strange..." he looked again at the nice scenery again. "What...is this feeling anyway?" he thought.
"Riku! You're here!" a voice came out. Riku easily knew who it was while Akira was wondering where it came from. Soon, he finally saw him. An old man, who was nearby the sleeping pokémon, was waving at the both of them. Before he knew it, Riku quickly picked Akira up and ran down the hill to him.
"Since when did you get here Riku?" he asked. He looked like a nice person.
"Just a couple of minutes ago grandpa."
"Really now..." he noticed Akira and smiled. "So this is your partner eh?"
"W-well...possibly only today if grandma doesn't allow me to--"
"Go on your journey huh? You left early this morning because you knew that she would never allow you to go." as always, grandpa got it right. "Remember Riku, this day isn't just the day you get your first pokémon, it's your birthday too. Leaving early a while ago would have been heartbreaking for us if we just celebrated your birthday without its celebrant...right Riku? And then we have to waste that delicious cake for nothing."
Grandpa always found the right way to get Riku to feel guilty and realize his mistake. It annoyed him, but he knew that he was right. He nodded to him with a sigh "I guess so..." was all that Riku said. Akira easily noticed the sudden change in the air. "What's wrong Riku?"
"A talking pokémon! Now you don't see that every day!" Riku's grandpa said with a hearty laugh while he pet Akira on the head.
"Everyone!!! It's time for dinner!!" Riku's grandma shouted. She was just by the door that Riku and Akira came out of a few minutes ago.
"We're coming!" they both shouted at the same time. "Wanna race Akira?" Riku suddenly said. "Huh? Race?"
"Yeah. But no cheating!" he walked a bit farther and got ready. "Come on!"
"O-okay..." Akira ran towards to where Riku was standing.
"Ready?"
"Um...I-i guess..."
"GO!" Riku started running as fast as he could to the large hill and Akira was closely behind him. "I never knew you could run so fast Akira!" Riku sped up a bit. "But I'm gonna win!"
"No you're not!" Akira suddenly stopped.
"Huh? What's he doing?!" Riku thought but he kept on running.
Akira was gathering energy then his whole body glowed light blue. Soon, Riku's body was glowing as well. "H-hey! Akira!" he was floating in the sky now. "A-akira! Put me down!!" he kept on rising higher and higher. "AKIRA!!" his body was thrown in the air, and then he fell on a large pokémon's belly.
"O-ouch..." Riku wondered what he landed on. Then he looked behind him. The pokémon was still sleeping, but Riku quickly jumped out of his body as fast as he could. "S-sorry Snorlax! I-i didn't mean to land on you..." he said. He looked at the top of the hill, where his house was...and the finish line. And saw Akira beside his grandma. Even though he was quite far away he knew that Akira was smiling.
"I win!!" he shouted.
"Hey you cheated Akira!!" Riku shouted back. "That didn't count!!!" he ran up the hill again to finish the race and eat his dinner.
"Just like old times..." Riku's grandpa said and followed Riku to his home.
