Prompt: Custom


The trio emerged from the thick line of trees, and the afternoon sun greeted them brightly from the cloudless sky. Up ahead, a few paces away, the trio saw the base of a very, very tall hill. Gabby and even Nic were smiling as they looked up, trying to see the peak, spotting small flying dots around it, probably flying-types.

Silver, in contrast, was frowning. "Your guild is up there?"

"Yep," Gabby replied without tearing her gaze off of the peak.

The normal-type frowned further. "Wow... No wonder you didn't want to carry me all the way back to your guild. That hill's as tall as a mountain!"

Nic blinked and turned to the grass-type. "...Carry her?"

Gabby smiled sheepishly at him before she turned to Silver. "Now you're just exaggerating."

"I'm serious!" she barked at her before turning back at the peak. "I...can't imagine going up and down and again every single day!"

"Better start growing wings then," Nic replied as he walked onward with Gabby following close behind.

"..." Silver gaped at her friends. "...seriously?!"

The normal-type took a few more seconds staring at the peak before she ran after her friends. The two original members of the team were already talking to a Breloom when Silver caught up with them.

The fighting-type watcher blinked at her. "...Who's this?"

"Our newest member!" Gabby smiled brightly at the Eevee.

"Just ignore her until further notice," Nic said.

"Hey!" Silver snapped.

The Breloom blinked again. He looked down at the bored-looking Torchic. "Well... Alright." He gave them a small bow and smiled at the trio. "Welcome back to Alexison!"

Nic and Gabby nodded, the latter flashing a small smile, before the duo started climbing up the steep hill. Silver stood in place, mouth agape once again, her mind still trying to grasp at how steep the hill was.

The fighting-type blinked at her. "...Er... Young miss?"

"Um, right..." Silver said. She smiled awkwardly at him, ran after her friends and accepted Gabby's welcoming smile after she caught up with them. It was surprisingly easy to climb the hill, she noticed. "Oof!" Or so she thought, as her chin suddenly found the grassy ground.

"Careful," the grass-type chuckled as she helped her friend up.

"Ugh... T-that hurts..."

"Better get used to it," Nic said who was already a few paces ahead of them.

As the trio continued their ascent, Silver threw the fire-type a glare even though he wouldn't see it. She held the glare for a few seconds before she decided to concentrate on her footing. "So... You two actually live up there?"

"Yep."

"Must be pretty cold..."

Up ahead, "—aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—!" a rolling blur was rolling downward and blurred past the trio.

Nic shook his head and continued his climb.

Silver bit her lip. "Um..."

Gabby smiled awkwardly at her. "... ... ...T-try not to lose your footing..."

"Gee, thanks. I'll try Natu," Silver replied with a nervous smirk.

Gabby chuckled at the horrible pun.

The trio continued their climb and it took them almost half an hour to reach the peak. They were more or less slowed down by their heavily-panting Eevee who slipped and stumbled a few times in their trek. Luckily, Gabby was with her to help her out. As they got closer to the peak, they could already hear the busy sounds from above. Flocks of flying-types flew to and fro and there were even a few ground-bound Pokémon in the area. Finally reaching the peak, the Eevee had forgotten how tired she was as her eyes swam on what she saw.

The peak was flat and formed an almost perfect circle with a diameter of her hometown multiplied by a few numbers more. It was large. Tall buildings stood around wide and paved walkways. Trees taller than the tall buildings stood in every which way, providing some shade as if the rooftops weren't enough to do the task. And Pokémon of different kinds crowded the streets. Some were walking to and fro their individual destinations, while others grouped with each other, discussing various topics.

Above, many flying-type Pokémon were flying. Most of them carried large bags around them, while others were simply having a lazy glide in the air.

Silver's ears twitched from the sound of roaring laughter. She turned and saw a large group of Pokémon standing in front of a large shop. They were holding various items and were all laughing at the angry-looking Absol with a large, pink ribbon tied on his horn.

"Are you going to stand there all day?"

Startled, Silver turned to Nic. She smiled sheepishly, ears drooped. "Eheheh... S-sorry. I-it's just..." She looked back at the marvellous city before them. "...so...lively." She slightly shook her head. "...I've never seen so many Pokémon before!"

"Cute," Nic said before he turned to his other friend. "Think you can give her a tour?"

Gabby nodded with a wide smile. "Sure."

"No," Silver shook her head. "Well... Maybe after we get to the guild?" She turned to Gabby. "It's...more important than a tour, right?"

"If you insist," Nic shrugged before he turned around and started walking towards a direction.

Silver sighed before turning to Gabby. "Is he going to be like that forever?"

"Like what?"

"That," Silver said as she glared at the retreating fire-type.

Gabby chuckled as the two females followed their leader. "You'll get used to it, I suppose."

Silver shook her head and decided to drop the issue for now.

As the duo followed the Torchic on the right side of the pavement, Gabby explained that every Pokémon should walk on their right to have order. Silver arched her an eyebrow before looking around, and sure enough, every Pokémon were indeed walking on their right. The Eevee noticed how orderly it was to have one side of the pavement heading in one direction.

As they walked the busy street, Silver turned her head here and there to take in the sights that she could see from her small height. The buildings were built on sturdy-looking wood and rock, and the pavement they were walking on were made of polished rocks with small grasses that grew in between the cracks. "Now why won't they build this kind of walkway on the side of the hill?" Looking up, she saw many wooden homes that hung from thick and sturdy branches of the tall trees.

The number of Pokémon ahead grew less and less. Silver wondered why until she saw a large body of water up ahead, where homes made of mud stood around the lake. Grass- and water-type Pokémon were on and around the lake. Some were having a swim while others were simply sitting around, enjoying a chat.

Silver suddenly felt how dry her throat was as she eyed the glorious lake. Without wasting a second, she sprinted towards the lake, ignoring Gabby's verbal attempts of stopping her. She stopped on the edge and quickly took a drink. Seconds later, a strong vine wrapped around her tail and pulled her away from the lake. She turned and frowned at her friend. "What's the big idea?" she asked, her mouth wet and dripping.

"You can't drink from there!"

"Why not?" the normal-type asked as her tail was released.

"Because...! Erm..." Gabby squirmed, feeling uncomfortable.

Nic finally reached them. "I can't believe how much I want to have arms now just so I could facepalm, or hit you on the head, or both."

"What are you guys saying?" Silver asked, almost growling. "It's almost like drinking water is a crime here!"

Gabby was visibly shaking now as her eyes shifted left and right. Nic took a deep, deep breath, and sighed.

Silver blinked and looked around. Every grass- and water-type Pokémon stopped what they were doing and were looking at them. Looking at her. Her annoyance suddenly forgotten, she suddenly felt how small she was from the many eyes that stared at her. She shrunk on the ground, wishing it would swallow her to hide her from whatever she did wrong.

"Let's just get outta here," Nic said as he turned around and walked away.

Gabby and Silver quickly followed suit as they tried their best to ignore those many eyes on them. Once the trio were back on the pavement, the two females ushered the fire-type to hurry up. They walked around the large lake before they continued towards the heart of the city.

Silver finally let out a nervous breath after she was satisfied with the distance between them and the lake behind them.

"P-please don't do that again," Gabby whispered to her with a nervous frown.

Silver's ears drooped. "S-sorry..." She frowned. "But... I don't understand what I did wrong."

"Well... You didn't really do anything wrong."

"Then why were they looking at me as if I suddenly lost all of my fur?"

"It's..." the grass-type paused, collecting her thoughts. "Well, the lake is kinda like...their home."

"Yeah, so?"

"Well... No one really drinks water there," the grass-type said.

"Why? It was delicious." Silver blinked. "...Probably the tastiest water I ever drank."

Gabby visibly winced before she pointed at a fountain, and her friend turned to look at it. "We...we have those for drinking..."

Silver turned back to her friend with a frown. "You still didn't answer my question. Is it, what, against the law or something? Social thing?"

"They piss and spit and shit on and around and under the lake," Nic suddenly blurted out. "That's why."

Silver suddenly turned greener than Gabby.