Hello again, thanks for the reviews! So here's the last chapter of "Step's In Paradise"; my own ideas, but Pokemon owned by Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri. Enjoy!
Chapter 10: Dating Departure
"Angel-dear, is that you?" Aunt Vicky called from the kitchen. She heard the front door close and saw her step-niece standing in the doorway. "Did Ash leave already?"
"Yeah, I just barely made it down there in time to say goodbye." Angelina replied, then yawned. "I'm going back to bed for a few hours."
"Don't worry sweetie, maybe you'll see them soon again." Aunt Vicky assured.
"What do you mean by that?" Angelina asked.
"If you forgot about Marcus and April's wedding, shame on you." Aunt Vicky scolded.
Angelina gasped, "This year? When, and where?"
"October 19th at the Jettisons' Estate in Sweet Valley Town. You'll just love it! They want you, Christina, Amber, Jeremy, Tracey, Danielle, and Gary in the wedding party!"
"Wow, can't wait!" Angelina smiled, and then departed for her room upstairs. So she had a reason to travel again, her friend's wedding was only two months away. Now she could only imagine the surprised look on her friends' faces that she had no choice but to travel out in their direction. Yawning once more, Angelina layed on her bed and glanced around her room. Chocolate was still asleep in his basket, which meant that it'll be hard to soothe the baby Pokemon by tonight. She closed her eyes with that last thought and drifted to sleep.
"Ring-Ring! Ring-Ring! Phone Call! Ring-Ring! Ring-Ring! Phone Call!"
"Huh? Wha….?" Angelina stirred awake from her nap; her Poke-Gear was ringing. "Hmm, who's calling?" she picked up the device from her night-stand and pressed a button. "Hello?"
"Hey Angel, it's Tracey."
"Oh hi, what's up?"
"I've been wondering if…. if…. are you busy?" Tracey blurted out.
"Not at all right now." Angelina looked over at her digital clock. "Four o'clock? I must've slept in!"
Tracey chuckled. "That's okay. Well, um, do you want to, um, go out tonight?"
"Yeah sure. Where do you want to go?" Angelina asked.
"You pick." Tracey said.
"How bout the movies?"
"Great, um…. what's your address?"
"My step-relatives' house isn't far from Ash's, it's down the road and up a huge hill. You can't miss it."
"Oh right, you pointed out the house yesterday." Tracey remembered. "So, pick you up at seven?"
"Yes, that'll be fine."
"C'ya then."
"Bye." Angelina closed off the connection and sets down her Poke-Gear. She smiled, "I have a date with Tracey…. Better get ready if I only have 3 hours." She searched through her closet and picked out a quarter-length sleeved off-shoulder black laced top and a light blue-jean pleited mini skirt. She slipped on her black heeled sandals and applied make-up, a glance at her mirror and then at her clock. "6:58!" she ran from her room and downstairs, right in time to hear the doorbell and see her Aunt Vicky answer the door.
"Why hello, Tracey." Aunt Vicky greeted. "Don't you look handsome tonight. Come on in." she moved and the boy stepped in; he wore the same green shirt and slightly baggy blue jeans with a notepad and pencil in his right hand pocket. He still had his headband on, and his left hand held a bouquet of white roses.
"Hi Mrs. Crystal, is Angelina ready?"
"Are those for me?"
"Oh wow! You look…. Wow!" Tracey blushed almost speechlessly. "Um here, these are yours." he held out the roses.
"Aww, thanks hun." Angelina smiled and hugged him. "Well, let's get going."
The two teenagers departed for the movie theater in town; they decided to watch Mission Impossible 2. Tracey paid for the tickets and the snacks; 1 large popcorn and 1 large drink with two straws.
During the movie, there was a big explosion from the speakers. Angelina jumped up from her seat and into Tracey's. "Sorry." She whispered.
"That's okay." Tracey said, playfully throwing popcorn.
"What was that for?" Angelina asked, taking a piece and throwing it at him.
"What did you spill when you jumped onto my lap?"
"Um…. I dunno." Angelina giggled.
"Ha, very funny." Tracey grinned.
They both had a little popcorn fight until the movie ended; they left the theater and a big mess.
"Well, I guess they're not gonna let us in there again." Tracey joked, and then he glanced at the starry sky. "It's a beautiful night. Say, do you want to take a walk around the park?"
"Love to." Angelina nodded.
They started up a conversation having a lot in common from the years that passed. Soon afterwards, Tracey slips his hand in Angelina's. She faces him and he let's go, she smiles and grabs his hand, he smiles, too.
As they continue walking, Angelina rests her head on Tracey's shoulder. He slowly slips his arm around her waist.
"Guess this is goodbye." Angelina said, now in front of the Crystal residence.
"Yeah, I guess so." Tracey said.
They stand in silence until Angelina walks up to her door. Tracey stops her, placing his hand on her shoulder.
Angelina turns and lost herself in Tracey's eyes. He slowly cups her face and draws her in for a kiss; he wraps his arms around her waist as their lips touched. She wrapped her arm around his neck and drew him closer to her. They held the kiss for a few seconds and parted, then hugged.
"Thank you for this night," Tracey whispered.
Angelina sighed happily, upon feeling his breath on her neck. "No, thank you."
The following morning, Angelina had been sleeping soundlessly when she was startled by a sudden shake.
"C'mon, wake up! Today's my big day!"
"Marina…. What time is it?" Angelina yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"It's seven, sleepy-head." the blue-haired girl smiled. She wore a white beanie-like cap on her head, a white coat with a single pink stripe on either side and went below her elbows, a magenta colored shirt underneath, and black-and-purple shorts above knees. She also had a white Poke-Gear around her neck. "And you promised Mommy you'd come along!"
Angelina sighed, "So early…. Okay, I'll be downstairs shortly."
Marina squealed happily and fled the room. Angelina stretched and got to her feet. "Rise and shine, Chocolate. We've got a journey ahead of us."
"Pi…." Chocolate opened its eyes sleepily and yawned. "Chuuu."
Angelina grabbed her new clothes from yesterday and changed out of her pajamas. She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of dark green fingerless grip gloves, her black whip, Poke-Gear, and Poke-belt. She then picked up her lilac backpack; observing it carefully and made sure everything was in place, like rips or tears.
Finding no flaws, Angelina grinned and slung her backpack over her right shoulder. "Let's go, Chocolate!" she laughed as her Pichu jumped onto her left shoulder, then with a last look in the mirror and departing her bedroom.
"Angel-dear, can you get me the newspaper?" Aunt Vicky asked when her step-niece walked into the kitchen.
"Sure," Angelina turned heel from the kitchen and walked to the front door where she picked up the newspaper from outside. Her eyes caught the headline: Pokemon Theft Attempt at Elm Laboratory. The article explained that members of Team Rocket had attempted to steal a Totodile from Professor Elm's Laboratory yesterday. Though rescued safely by Officer Jenny and three Pokemon trainers passing by.
"Hmm…. If I didn't know better, Ash and his friends may have done that." Angelina smiled out loud; she closed the front door and walked back to the kitchen. "Take a look at the headline, Aunt Vicky."
"Goodness, I hope the Pokemon is okay now." Aunt Vicky scrolled through the paper. "Well, you girls can find out soon enough, and be careful."
"Thanks, we will." Angelina hugged her step-aunt, then adding quickly, "Oh I almost forgot, tell Tracey I'm leaving to the Johto Region. He knows my Poke-Gear number, so he can call that."
"All right, have fun you two." Aunt Vicky waved.
The girls leave the Crystal residence, Angelina rode her shiny 10-speed bike and Marina walked by foot.
"My first journey! I'm actually gonna be just like Lance!" Marina said, sighing as her heart fluttered at the sound of his name. Her eyes magically turned into huge pink hearts. "If only I can be as cool as Lance, or as good…." she caught herself back down into reality. "Oops, sorry…. sometimes my imagination gets the best of me."
"It's okay," Angelina said coolly. "You've admired Lance ever since I was your age."
"Yeah, but you wanna see my scrapbook?" Marina grinned.
"Ah…. No thanks." Angelina sweatdropped and waved dismissively. "Why don't you concentrate on deciding what starter Pokemon you want?"
"Sorry." Marina frowned. "Well, my friend Jackson began his journey yesterday and he's got a cute Chikorita! Now the two Pokemon left are Cyndaquil and Totodile, which one?"
"Water-types like Totodile are great against Rock/Ground and Fire types. Just be careful when battling Electric and Grass." Angelina explained. "But then Fire types exceed against Grass, Bug, and Ice types; not well to Water, Rock/Ground."
"Hmm…. Wow, I'll keep that in thought." Marina smiled.
They hadn't bothered attention to wherever walking and had come to the edge of the forest.
"That must be New Bark Town." Angelina said, staring out at the massive city stretched out onto the horizon.
"Uh-huh." Marina nodded. "The town where new beginnings blow! C'mon, Professor Elm's Lab isn't far." She began to run down the path.
"Wait up, Marina!" Angelina called, pedaling right behind.
Upon approaching New Bark and arriving in front of a huge building, Angelina puts her bike on the kickstand and walks into Elm's Laboratory passed a few bookshelves where there was a young man in his early thirties wearing a white lab-coat with brown hair and glasses.
"Hello Professor," Angelina said, startling the young man.
"Well how nice to see you again, Angelina." Elm greeted, and then he turned to two other people in the room. "I know you're both very excited, but I need to remind you that Pokemon are our friends. Treat them with respect and they will love you, but treat them wrongly and they will rebel." A smile cracked his serious tone of voice, "But I know you'll be great trainers," he held out two red square devices. "These are the final tools in starting your quest; Pokedexs'. It's quiet amazing. These little machines hold a myriad of information on almost all Pokemon in the Johto Region and fully completed by Kanto's Pokemon specialist, Professor Oak."
"Thanks Professor, I won't let you down." said a young boy as he took the device and shoved it away into a pocket of his backpack, his attention more focused on the fire-mouse Cyndaquil than some high-tech piece of metal. He wore a red sweatshirt with a white hood and white pockets on his torso with red and black patterned shorts to match.
A yellow and black cap turned backwards rested on top of his head, and a lock of black hair stuck out from underneath it.
"Same here, I'll be the best Pokemon trainer ever!" Marina agreed, cuddling over the water-alligator Totodile.
"I don't doubt it," Professor Elm nodded simply, watching the trainers hug their new starters.
"So you must be Jimmy Toshiba, right?" Angelina asked, holding out her hand. "I'm Marina's cousin, Angelina Murakami."
"Great to meet ya." the boy grinned and shook hands. "I've heard you've already been out into the Johto Region, what's it like?"
"It's nice but you'll be surprised to see everything yourself." Angelina replied, she watched Professor Elm approach Jimmy and Marina's backpacks and quietly tuck in six empty Pokeballs. "We'll have a battle later too."
"Awesome!" Jimmy cheered, he and Marina recalled their Pokemon and gathered their backpacks. They walked outside the laboratory with Angelina and Professor Elm.
"Hey Angel, maybe I'll head off on my own." Marina hopefully suggested. "Will that be okay?"
"Sure no problem," Angelina said, now sitting on her bike while Pichu sat inside the basket. "Go have fun, I'll be fine. Aunt Vicky just wants the family up at Sweet Valley Town for Marcus and April's wedding."
Marina nodded, and then she turned to Professor Elm. "I almost forgot, who're the trainers that saved my Totodile?"
"Ash Ketchum, and his friends Misty and Brock."
"I knew it!" Angelina exclaimed. "They passed by here yesterday so Ash could register for the Johto League."
"Do you know the trainer?" Professor Elm asked. "Seeing as you come from Pallet Town also."
"Yes I do, he's my brother." Angelina informed. "But that's a long story for another time."
Professor Elm waves goodbye to Angelina pedaling away on her 10-speed bike, and then Jimmy and Marina departing by foot in good hopes on their journeys through Johto.
§THE END§
Yep folks, this is the end of "Steps In Paradise"! I've had fun with this story and I'm sure you did to from the time taken for reading! Thank you so much to all my reviewers! I am working on the sixth story as I speak, expect that one up soon! All comments and suggestions welcomed!