AN: Winter Break equals more time for updates! Woo! Excited to get this one done and what it shows with the characters. Anyway, here is this chapter!
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Pokémon. It should be clear what is mine and what's not.
Chapter 9
She was bored. She wanted to have some fun with everyone, but training was more important. Blake thought they weren't getting anywhere and she wasn't being a trainer. Maura thought her sister was being unreasonable. She was training her Pokémon in a way that seemed natural. Not every trainer drills their Pokémon on skills and moves every day for every hour. Surprising some great trainers were extremely laid back. However, Blake was the trainer and not her. She claimed that her Froakie evolved in order to help her, not because of the training they had done. Frogadier disagreed, but Blake thought he was just agreeing to either not hurt her feelings or so they didn't have to train. But this was Frogadier so it was more likely the first option than the second.
Since evolving Maura realized Frogadier had changed too. He didn't seem to want to be around her as often and seemed to prefer Blake more. They were still friends and showed that he cared about her, but it just seemed different. She couldn't put her finger on it. Houndour still played with her, but he still listened to his trainer before her. Eevee still wasn't comfortable around her yet and Maura was beginning to think the normal type would never warm up to her. The Pokémon were getting stronger which in a way it was like growing up. Sometimes Maura wished no one had to grow up.
"Blake, can I go look around?" Maura asked her sister when she got a moment. Blake turned around and looked her like if she was deciding. Maura was at least happy she didn't just say no.
"As long as you're careful," Blake submitted. Might as well. She could tell Maura was bored just sitting around watching her. Sometimes it was fun, but not always. Plus her sister was growing up before her eyes and needed to have some freedom.
"Thank you and I will!" Maura said jumping off the rock she had been sitting on and picked a direction to explore.
The route they were currently on was beautiful. They were near Reflection Cave so stones that were also found in the cave were found around the area. She wanted to Blake these, but she'd see them eventually. Training was more important to her older sister now. Maura couldn't help wonder if Blake's priorities were changing. Pokémon, first. Sister, second. Maura was always first in her sister's eyes, but lately her Pokémon seemed to come before her. Her sister was a trainer now and had other living beings to care for than her. Maura couldn't help feel that she holding Blake back too. Blake wanted to be a gym leader for dark types and she claimed to be one of her trainers. But how could she when she couldn't do anything else.
"Flo?"
"Huh?"
A Pokémon on a flower distracted Maura from her thought. The flower was red while the Pokémon had white, green, and yellow.
"Floette, where are you?" a sweet voice called.
"Floette!" The Pokémon called out to the voice.
Maura turned where she heard rustling. From the bushes appeared a blonde girl wearing white and pink. She saw her Pokémon and rushed to her.
"There you are!" She said coming up to them. "I'm sorry if she bugged you."
"Oh no, she didn't. She's beautiful though. What kind of Pokémon is she?" Maura asked unsure what the Pokémon was. Despite living in Lumiose City or in a Pokémon world in general, Maura wasn't sure about them.
"This is Floette. Are you from around here?" she asked.
"No, I've lived secluded in Lumiose City all my life. My name's Maura. I'm on a journey with my sister." Maura sort of introduced herself.
"That sounds awesome. I'm Abigale! Do you know about fairies?" Abigale asked the girl who looked not much younger than herself.
"Not really…" Maura said. She knew about the type, just not anything else. You kind of couldn't live in Kalos without knowing of them.
"They're super cute and strong Pokémon! They're strong against dragons, fighting, and dark types." Abigale explained eager to talk to someone about her favorite type.
"Did you say dark type?" Maura asked.
"Yup! But they're more known to being immune to dragon type attacks!"
"That's awesome." Maura said. As far as she knew Dragons were super strong and tough to take down. They were also difficult to train and raise.
"Want to see the rest of my Pokémon?" Abigale asked.
"Sure!" Maura said eagerly. She loved Pokémon and new ones were always exciting to meet.
"Come on out Slurpuff! Dedenne!" Abigale said releasing two more Pokémon. One looked like a puppy chef while other a mouse. "Guys this is Maura!"
"They're all adorable!" Maura said kneeling down and petting them. Both were super friendly coming up to her and allowing her to pet them. She petted Dedenne's tail and she preened. Slurpuff then licked her face and Maura began to laugh.
"Slurpuff was saying hello!"
"Hello to you too Slurpuff!" Maura said.
"Slurpuff!" the fairy type cheered.
"So Maura, why were you asking about dark types?" Abigale asked remembering that she asked about them specifically. Slurpuff then settled down next to her trainer while Dedenne sat in Maura's lap while Floette floated around them.
"Oh, my sister trains dark types or at least she's trying too. She only has one right now, but in the future she'll have more. I know she will." Maura explained.
"Oh that's amazing! I admire Valerie the Laverre City Gym Leader a lot! She's so beautiful and can speak with her Pokémon. As far as I know there isn't any gym leader who specialize in dark types…"
"She'll be the first and the best one!" Maura said.
"You seem to believe in your sister a lot."
"I do. She's been taking care of me since we were little. She's done everything for me."
"I sense something's wrong…"
"Ever since my sister became a trainer I feel her and Pokémon are growing up and leaving me behind…" Maura admitted.
"I'm sorry. I don't know how you feel. With my fairies I feel like they're just growing into their happy ending forms. Or I guess a part of me doesn't want to grow up yet." Abigale said sadly that she couldn't understand what it was like.
"That's an interesting way to look at it."
"Thanks!" Abigale said with a smile, then it fell. "So, what are you going to do if your sister becomes a gym leader? Be the referee."
"When," Maura corrected, "and well, I told I want to be one of her gym trainers."
"Do you have any Pokémon?"
"Not yet…I turn fourteen soon, but I don't if I'll get a Pokémon. Blake didn't get her starter until she was seventeen."
"That means you have to decide for yourself!" Abigale said standing up and putting her hands on her hips.
"Decide for myself?" Maura asked.
"Be the trainer you want to be, not based off what your sister could be. Sorry, I feel I overstepped my limit there." Abigale said sheepishly. She barely knew this girl and was giving her advice on how to live her life.
"No! Not at all! That helps, it really does." Maura informed her.
"I'm glad. Wow! It's gotten pretty late. I better get going before it gets too dark. It was really nice meeting you! I hope we can meet again!" Abigale said as she returned her Pokémon and gathered her supplies.
"You too!" Maura said as she waved good-bye to her new friend.
Maura thought about that as she walked back to where she was camped out with Blake. Did she only want to be gym trainer for dark types because of Blake? Did Blake's dream somehow prevent her from making one of her own? She never really thought about exactly what she wanted. At the time Maura only thought about wanting to stay with Blake. They could have been separated at any time and that always dwelled on her mind. The only family she had left.
The more thought she put on it Maura thought about what connection did she have to dark types. Blake was compared to one. What was she? She was a sweet girl to anyone that met her with her touches of what she picked up from her sister. Is that how people who specialize in Pokémon decide which type to specialize in? Pokémon that they compare to themselves. Made sense from the trainers she'd seen like with gym leaders and elite four members. But what type could she be? As she reached closer to the campsite she heard shouting.
"Eevee Swift!"
"Vui!"
"Frogadier Water Pulse!"
"Gadier!"
"Incinerate!"
"Hou!"
The attacks collided leaving a cloud of smoke. As the smoke clear the Pokémon went to their trainer and were given affection.
"That was awesome guys. You're getting stronger every day."
Maura watched from the bushes at Blake's training. Blake was supposed to be trainer. She'd be a waste if she wasn't. She was glad about all that happened leading up and even on their journey. She got to meet new people and amazing Pokémon. However, Maura knew this was about her sister getting her new start on life. But what about hers? She didn't know. As long as she had Blake everything was okay. All she did know was that she was rethinking her choice in becoming a dark type trainer.
AN: End of Chapter 9! Maura's dilemma! Sorry it's a short one. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and in the meantime Review, Favorite, and Follow! Thanks again for reading and see you guys later! Bye friends!
