A Guide To Her Heart
Episode 14: Rooftop Rumble
The loud rumble of the foghorn made Drew's eyes fly open as he shot up out of bed. Dashing to the porthole, he glanced out to see skyscrapers and other buildings accompanied by the occasional flash of greenery. He sighed, letting a smile grace his lips.
"Violet," he called over his shoulder. "We're here." The mauve-haired girl slowly sat up in bed, her hair sticking out in random directions.
"Where?" she moaned groggily, rubbing her eyes. The young, male Coordinator gave her a hopeless glance and put a hand at his waist.
"Lilycove," he replied. "Welcome to the Hoenn Region."
"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later," Kaysee Sellsome said with a bitter smile as Drew, Violet, and Listor prepared to exit the ship. "Good luck in the Lilycove Contest, Drew!" she added. He nodded politely in response. Just then, a loud sniffle came from a particular amethyst-eyed girl before she threw her arms around the neck of the shop-owner.
"I'm gonna miss you, Kaysee!" wailed Violet, squeezing the pink-haired girl tightly.
"Aw," the other girl sighed, returning the hug. "I'm gonna miss you too, Vi." Then the sound of the S.S. Tidal's humongous foghorn sounded throughout Lilycove Port. "You better get going!" ushered the shop-owner with an awkward laugh. Violet frowned meekly at her friend, but didn't complain as Drew gently nudged her off the ship. However, this didn't stop her from turning and waving at Kaysee one more time.
"This is where we part was too, you guys," Listor said, turning to them as he released his Salamance from the poke'ball on his belt, and it appeared with a loud roar.
"But why don't you come with us, Listor?" cried the plum-topped Coordinator.
"Nah," the explorer disagreed, brushing her off in a friendly manner. "Got places to explore, Poke'mon to meet, ya know? Best of luck to you two. I have a hunch this ain't the last we've seen of each other!" Listor exclaimed, petting his dragons' long, scaly, azure-blue neck before jumping onto its back.
"Let's hope," Drew smirked, tossing his grassy bangs. The brunette grinned back at him.
"Later, mate," he nodded and flashed the green-haired boy a salute. With that, Salamance propelled itself into the hair with a couple strokes of its large, powerful, scarlet-red wings and zoomed off over the tops of the Lilycove City buildings.
"Ooh! Look at that! And that! Oh wow, what's that?"
Drew let his feet come to a complete stop, his temple pulsing in agitation, and took a deep breath.
"Violet!" he screamed. His hyper-active companion skidded her frolicking to a stop and blinked, turning her head. Drew sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just …" He cut himself off, going over the appropriate words in his mind. "… calm down, alright?" Violet gave him a big grin and stole his hand in both of hers.
"But you'll show me around though, right?" she asked hopefully. Casting her a strange look, Drew snatched his hand from her and stuffed it in his pocket.
"I don't know," he begun, shifting his gaze. "Tomorrow's the Contest. We should be training. Besides, if we have the extra time I would like to visit the - … Violet?" he blinked a couple times at his traveling companion who was starring open-mouthed, wide-eyed at the sky, or so it appeared. "Violet?" Drew repeated.
"S-Sh-Shop-p?" the mauve-haired girl stuttered, pointing upwards at an extremely tall building. The emerald-eyed boy just smirked at her, a hand on his hip.
"Yes. That's the Lilycove Department Store," he told her. She quickly rounded on him, her hands clasped, her eyes sparkling, and her mouth open with the intention of asking an obvious question. "And no, I'm not taking you shopping," he said smugly before she could even ask.
"Awwww!" she bleated. "Why not?" Drew groaned.
"Just NO, Violet!" he said again, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her off in the opposite direction.
"Um… why aren't we going to the Poke'mon Center, Drew?" Violet asked in confusion as her traveling partner led her up to a large, beautiful, white building with lots of windows.
"Why go to a Poke'mon Center when there's a hotel?" he replied cynically. "This is Cove Lily Motel," Drew explained as he pushed the door open and walked inside with Violet at his heels.
"May I help you?" asked an overly-smiley woman at the front counter.
"A room," the green-haired boy said in a monotone.
"Of course," the lady smiled and began typing on her computer. Meanwhile, Violet hid behind Drew and looked around. The ceiling of the lobby was very high and had a crystal chandelier hanging in the center. A set of spiraling steps stood behind the woman to the slight right. To Violet's left, she could just barely see the entrance to a high-maintenance diner that was elegantly decorated like an Italian restaurant. In the other direction, the hallway just seemed to continue on, but she could make out the sound of splashing water in the distance.
"This place is really nice," she muttered in a very quiet voice, clutching the back of Drew's jacket and standing closely to him.
"Duh, of course," the boy smirked over his shoulder, picking up a card from the desk. "Come on." He led her to an elevator hid oh so brilliantly behind the stairs and stepped inside.
Their room was on the top floor in the dead center of the hallway and pointed towards the cove so they had a perfect view of the sea.
"I like it here," Violet giggled, plopping down onto the bed and bouncing up and down a couple times. Meanwhile, Drew dropped his bag and frowned. The girl shot him a confused look and turned her head questioningly. "What is it, Drew?"
"There's only one bed," he sighed, blowing his bangs slightly. Violet looked around, then smiled.
"Oh, guess you're right!" she exclaimed, then shrugged. "Oh well! Guess we'll just have to share!" The male Coordinator shot her a cynical look and slapped his forehead.
"Fine. Whatever," he groaned, heading for the door again. "We've got practicing to do."
"Ugh… I don't wanna!" the mauve-haired girl bellyached as she threw her entire weight backwards onto the bed, arms spread wide. "We already practiced LOTS on the ship! Why can't we just rest?" Drew turned to her with a cynical look in his eye.
"Isn't 'Because I said so' a good enough reason?" he asked inquiringly. Violet's thin eyebrows furrowed before she shot him a glare and stood up, her arms stiff at her sides.
"I'm going to the Department Store!" she declared, stomping past him to the door. The green-haired boy looked at her in disbelief. He opened his mouth to shout at her, but she cut him off. "And there's nothing you can do about it!" she screeched, already half-way out the door.
"At least take -" Drew began before the loud slamming of the door room shutting interrupted him. "…. the room key," he finished with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.
By the time Violet walked through the double sliding doors on the bottom floor of the Lilycove Department Center, she had long since forgotten about her frustration with her traveling partner. She took a green shopping basket from her right and walked in further.
"Get your lottery tickets here! Completely free! Get a matching number and win a prize!" advertised a man at the front desk. Violet turned her head. If it was free, then why not? She stepped up to the counter and looked and the moving roll of white tickets. Looking them over, she hesitantly grabbed one and pinched it off of the reel.
"6...2...3...4...1..." she read a loud. Then, a loud buzzing noise exploded in her ears and an explosion of confetti dropped from the ceiling into her hair.
"We have a WWIIIIINNNEEERRRRR!" exclaimed the man. The mauve-haired girl blinked rapidly as she was surrounded by a group of clerks and the sounds of claps around the room. "You're prize: a brand-new, completely free, Poke'Nav!" The man at the desk plopped the round, gold object in Violet's hand. She examined it, turning it over and over again in her palm, then smiled.
With Violet gone, Drew couldn't practice their act for the Contest, so he had decided to make the best of his time alone and visit his destination of interest, the Art Museum. He stepped through the rotating, glass doors, paid the small intuition, and neared the first exhibit. A large, elegantly-carved statue of a Pidgeot stood before him. He leaned closer to read the inscription on its base. Just as he did so, a short, rounded man in an olive-green suit jumped out from behind the statue.
"Hello!" he exclaimed, making Drew jump backwards.
"Um… Hi?" the boy said with a raised eyebrow.
"Can I interest you in some beautiful Poke'mon masterpieces?" he advertised. "They're just on the next floor!" Drew gave him a wary look.
"No thanks," he said and slowly walked away, eyeing the salesman strangely.
Violet looked down the long rows of plush dolls.
"Ooh! Isn't this one cute?" she squealed, picking up an Eevee doll and squeezing it. Then, she noticed something sparkly out of the corner of her eye. Curiously walking over, she looked down through the glass. There, sitting on a purple, velvet pillow was a tiny Roselia made of shiny sterling silver. A thick chain went through a loop on top of its head and flowed out behind it. She looked at it admiringly and smiled at the way the fluorescent light seemed to make it sparkle.
"Someone! Stop that man!" came a sudden scream from behind her. The mauve-haired Coordinator turned around just in time to see a blue-clad man dash into the elevator and shut the doors before a clerk could reach it. "He's stolen a case of evolution stones!" Violet glared in that general direction and raced to the elevator, slamming her fist on the button. After a few seconds, she grew impatient. With a growl, she tore up the escalator. When she didn't spot the culprit on the next floor, she flew up to the next level, the roof. She scanned the area and immediately caught site of the man dressed in a black-and-white shirt, blue jeans, and a blue bandana standing near the edge of the rooftop.
"Hey, you!" she called, jutting an accusing finger at him. "Those don't belong to you!"
"Aw, how cute!" he snickered. "They send a little girl to stop a member of Team Aqua! Mightyena, let's go!" he ordered, tossing a poke'ball high into the air with his free hand; his other held the case of stones. Violet gritted her teeth.
"Dark Thorn, come on out!" she declared, releasing the small bundle of gray fur from it's poke'ball. "Our mission: Get back those stones!"
"Rwarf!" the little dog-like Poke'mon barked and crouched down in a ready-to-attack position, the fur on its back bristling.
"Fire fang, Mightyena!" the Aqua member directed. The wolf Poke'mon howled, flames brimming from its mouth, and lunged at its pre-evolved form.
"Dodge with quick attack!" Violet shouted. Dark Thorn yipped and zipped past the Mightyena, leaving behind a trail of white light with its speed. Then, it skidded across the rooftop, turned, and raced towards the larger bundle of black and gray fur, hitting it full-on. Mightyena stumbled back a few steps, before turning on the Poochyena and baring its fangs.
"Bite attack!" the thief cried.
"Rwoarrw!" the Mightyena barked and sprung forward, sinking its teeth into the scruff of Dark Thorn's neck.
"Thorn!" the mauve-topped girl wailed, taking a step forward. "You have to break free!"
"Mhmrr," it rumbled in pain, wincing, and looked at Violet with a large, amber-gold eye. Suddenly, Dark Thorn was shrouded in a brilliant white light. His Coordinator gasped as her opponent cursed under his breath.
Beneath the veil of light, Violet watched as Dark Thorn's form changed; it grew larger, leaner, and more muscular. When the whiteness faded away, Dark Thorn stood before them as a fully-grown Bite Poke'mon. Then, with a deep-throated growl, it lurched forward and threw the opposing Mightyena from its neck, sending it rolling across the rooftop before letting loose a triumphant howl.
"Thorn, you evolved!" Violet declared happily, doing a little dance for a couple moments.
"Rrorw!" it barked with a happy nod.
"Let's go, use take down!" she commanded. Dark Thorn charged towards its opponent.
"You use take down too, Mightyena!" shouted the Aqua grunt. The hyena Poke'mon jumped to its paws and rushed towards the newly evolved Poke'mon. The two Mightyena hit head-on, knocking each other in the shoulders. They pushed their heads against the other, growling viciously with bared fangs and glaring with fierce crimson eyes.
Drew examined the painting carefully, paying deep attention to the detail traced out in the Yanma's wings as it hovered just over a Vileplume.
"Hello again!" shouted a short, familiar man as he popped out from behind the wall where the painting hug. Drew stumbled backwards, clutching his chest and taking a deep breath.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" he said angrily, glaring at the salesman.
"Terribly sorry!" the green suit-clad man muttered. "Are you sure I can't interest you in a Poke'mon masterpiece?" Drew could feel his temple pulse with agitation.
"I told you 'no'!" he said stiffly, folding his arms.
"Oh really? Are you sure? Just one?" the man pressed.
"I'm on the road. I can't carry a painting!" Drew reasoned, shooting imaginary daggers at the man with his eyes.
"We'll send it to your ho-"
"Would you just leave?"
"Fire fang, Mightyena!" the Aqua member ordered again. The hyena Poke'mon's mouth started overflowing with embers.
"Get out of there, Thorn!" Violet cried. Dark Thorn turned tail and ran to its owner's side just as a pair of powerful jaws snapped at one of its back paws. "Now use faint attack!" the amethyst-eyed girl exclaimed. Her dark hyena howled, a purple aura incasing itself around its body. Then it dashed towards its opponent.
"Stop it with shadow ball!" the thief ordered his Poke'mon. The Mightyena reared its head back, a orb of darkness appearing between its fangs. Then, it released it and the black sphere zoomed towards Dark Thorn. But upon contact, its shadows spread over Violet's Poke'mon and fizzled out.
"Looks like you didn't do your homework," the girl smirked. "Ghost-type moves like shadow ball don't work on dark-type Poke'mon! Finish it, Thorn!" Dark Thorn charged on, disappearing into darkness for a moment before reappearing in front of the other Mightyena, and nailed its opponent squarely in the chest. The rival Mightyena stumbled to the side a bit, whimpering, and collapsed to the concrete roof floor. That's when Violet heard the Team Aqua member grumble.
"Return, Mightyena!" he declared, holding up a poke'ball which made his Poke'mon disappear in a flash of red light.
"Thorn, get that case!" the girl cried. The Mightyena growled and raced towards the aqua-dawning man. The thief wailed as Dark Thorn snarled at him. Then, the Poke'mon barked loudly, making the man shriek and drop the case.
"Hold it right there!" came the order from the doorway as an azure-haired woman in a blue police uniform stepped onto the roof. "You're under arrest!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it, Jenny!" the Aqua grunt cackled, raising a hand that had a tiny ball in it the color of soot. He tossed it, shrouding everything within a three-foot radius of him in smoke, but then the sounds of coughing and a loud growl made their way to Violet's and Officer Jenny's ears. When the dust cleared, Dark Thorn had both of the criminal's hands behind his back and was holding both of his wrists securely between its jaws. The two females raced over, Violet picking up the case of evolution stones and Jenny taking the thief from Dark Thorn.
"I'm taking you in for thievery and resisting arrest!" Jenny stated, clasping handcuffs onto the man's wrists as he grumbled loudly. Then, with an arm still on the criminal, she turned to Violet. "Thanks so much for your help! What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Violet," the plum-topped girl grinned. "Glad I could help!"
"That's a great Mightyena you have there," Jenny complimented, making Dark Thorn puff out its chest proudly and growl happily in the back of its throat.
"Yep! Sure is," the young Coordinator agreed; she would have petted him, but her hands were full with the case of stones.
"He'd be an excellent addition to the police force," said the policewoman with a smile.
"Sorry. No can-do, Officer Jenny," Violet said, shaking her head. "I kinda need Dark Thorn by my side." The blue-haired woman chuckled.
"I completely understand. Hey, whaddya say we get those stones back inside, hm?" she suggested. Violet nodded and the four of them headed back downstairs.
The green-haired Coordinator trudged into the hotel room to see Violet sitting on the bed with a Mightyena sitting on the floor before her, its head in her lap.
"Hey, Dark Thorn evolved," he said as he shut the door behind him.
"Yep!" Violet grinned up at him, scratching her dark hyena Poke'mon behind an ear. It panted happily.
"How'd you get in?" Drew asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.
"I asked for an extra room key," the girl with wine-colored hair smiled. "Duh!" The boy smirked slightly.
"So, what'd you do today?" he inquired, sitting down next to her on the bed.
"Oh, nothing," she shrugged. "Just stopped a member of Team Aqua from stealing a case of evolutionary stones at the Department Store." Drew looked at her cynically.
"Yeah, right!" he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"It's true!" Violet giggled. "What about you?"
"Dodged a crazy salesman all day," he said irritably, shifting his gaze to nothing in particular. This made his traveling companion laugh even more. Then, her eyes lit up as if she remembered something and she jumped off the bed and to her bag sitting limply in the corner of the room. "What is it?" he asked.
"I got you something!" she smiled, pulling out a small, purple, square box tied with a mint-green bow. The grassy-haired boy looked at her strangely before slowly taking the box. He dropped it in his lap and pulled on the bow which instantly became undone. He lifted the lid and pulled out a gold, oval-shaped object that fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. He pressed a green button on the front of it with his thumb, and the top of the little machine lifted up and folded out, revealing a little screen. "It's a Poke'Nav!" Violet explained, beaming.
"I know what it is," he said quietly, not looking up at her as he turned it over and over in the palm of his hand. The girl's grin faltered only slightly.
"Do you like it?" she asked. Drew could feel the corner of his lips tug upward into a slow smile. He looked up at her, letting their eyes lock.
"Yeah. Thanks, Violet," he said simply. Her wide smile instantly returned.
"I thought you would!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck in a fervent hug. The emerald-eyed boy blinked a couple of times, surprised, before bringing his free hand up behind his traveling partner and putting it on her back. His hand slipped up into her velvet, violet hair and ran through it for a moment. He felt his smile grow larger, then wrapped his arm tighter around the girl.
Violet pulled back a bit and rested her head on Drew's shoulder, her forehead pressed into the crook of his neck. The boy took a deep, quiet, breath, letting his hand fall so he could put his weight on it; he could still feel Violet's back pressed against it though.
"Show me what it does," she requested, poking the Poke'Nav with a finger.
"Tomorrow's the contest. We should rest up," he told her, looking down at her.
"Oh, come on!" she giggled. "You know no one can beat US!" Drew chuckled at his friend.
"Over-confidence like that isn't why you beat me," he said, standing up slowly so as not to make her fall. He turned off the little, yellow machine in his hand and placed it in his bag. "Get ready for bed," he told her, slipping into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. He stepped to the sink, putting a hand on each side, and leaned forward, putting the majority of his weight on his arms. He looked at himself in the mirror, looking at himself directly in the eye.
That had been to close for his comfort.
Outside in the room, Violet starred at the closed door and cupped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to hold back a fit of giggles. A quiet bark snapped her out of it. That's when Dark Thorn trotted over to her, carrying an elongated, navy-blue box in its mouth. It dropped it in her lap, making the girl smile. She removed the lid to see the sterling silver Roselia. With delicate fingers, she turned it over and read the words engraved on the back of it.
"Drew & Violet. Friends Forever."