The next morning was spent like most others. Sarah asked Saphira if she was feeling ok, considering the battle she had endured the day before, and because they weren't able to get to a Pokemon Center. The Bagon said she felt just fine, so they woke the others and followed their routine before getting back on the trail to Mauville.
As they walked, William started a game of I Spy, which everyone took a part in. The simplicity of small games gave them a chance to have fun together, and they all enjoyed it.
Sarah smiled as she watched her brother try to figure out what Ignitus was spying. He kept looking around frantically, a big smile on his face, and guessing everything in sight. Because the Charmeleon didn't need Sarah to translate for him, as he only had to shake or nod his head in answer, Sarah's mind drifted into thoughts of the previous day.
As she thought of the battle she had against Amanda, the girl's words came back into her head. True that Sarah had come to terms with the loss, and was no longer angry because they had tried their best. But what she still wanted to know, despite Saphira's words, was why someone would use pokemon training as a way to prove their superiority over others, in a way that had nothing to do with being a good trainer.
Sarah stared blankly at the ground in front of her, briefly shifting the bag on her shoulders. So… she only wants to battle people to prove she's better than them, not that she's a better trainer… Sarah thought. Her face scrunched in a frown. Her eyes glanced to the side as she heard her brother get frustrated in humor as he still couldn't figure out what Ignitus was spying.
Saphira, who was standing on Sarah's shoulder, was watching her trainer's face. As she saw a frown come to it, she said, 'Is there something bothering you?'
Sarah was a bit startled as she was brought out of her thoughts. She looked at the Bagon and said, "Not really." She briefly scratched the back of her head before saying, "I was just thinking about what happened with Amanda yesterday." She put up both of her hands and said quickly, "But I'm not mad that we lost." Saphira nodded in understanding, so Sarah put her hands down. She paused, then continued. "I was just thinking about what she said." She felt bad for thinking about it when Saphira told her not to worry about it, so she said, "But we already talked about it, so it's fine. It's just gonna come to my mind once in a while." She wanted to make sure that Saphira knew it wasn't a big deal.
Saphira paused. She smiled, then nodded. 'Ok. …And I know it might be hard, but let's try to be nice to her when we see her again.'
Sarah looked away and almost wanted to groan, but stopped. She shook her head at herself. Come on Sarah. You're not the type to want to be mean to people. She's right. It didn't matter if it was hard or not; Sarah always wanted to be nice to people. It was just hard to be nice to someone who hated her from the moment they met her.
With that in mind, Sarah looked back at Saphira and nodded. "Ok."
Saphira smiled and nodded back. 'Then it is fine.' Sarah looked back at her destination.
'But…'Saphira started, making Sarah return her attention to the Bagon.
Saphira smiled. 'About the battle… I just want to let you know that I'm going to be stronger from now on.'
Sarah frowned in confusion at the sudden comment. What does she mean by that? Does she still feel guilty?
Before she could ask, the Bagon looked over to the other group and said, 'Your tail flame.' Ignitus let a happy growl and nodded.
"Awww man!" William jokingly whined. He looked down at the Charmeleon. "Saphira got it?" Ignitus nodded.
William immediately looked at his sister. "What was it!?" he asked, anxious to know what the answer was. He still couldn't understand Saphira, so he waited for Sarah to translate.
Sarah looked at him. She forgot about Saphira's comment momentarily and said, "His tail flame."
William smacked his forehead. "Oh, geez!" He shook his head, although he had a big smile on his face. "That should have been obvious!" Ignitus put his paws to his mouth and laughed at William's actions. Glaedr just smiled fondly.
Sarah smiled at her brother's reaction. She turned to Saphira and said, "Well, I guess that means it's your turn." She decided not to ask her if she still felt guilty. I'll ask her later.
Saphira nodded, then jumped off Sarah's shoulder and landed in front of them. They all stopped and looked at her.
The Bagon put a paw on her chin and tapped it, pretending to think hard. 'Hmmm… I spy something…' She pointed at something behind them. 'Over there.'
They all automatically turned their heads to look. There were trees in the distance across the lake, but that was about it.
"Uh…" Sarah chuckled. She turned her head back to the Bagon as she said, "You're gonna have to be more specifi…" She stopped, and her heart jumped.
Saphira was glowing.
They were all now watching the dragon, each with different expressions. Ignitus had a big smile on his face, and he watched excitedly, and Rascal just wagged his tail. William's mouth was hanging open, and his eyes were wide. Glaedr's eyes were shining with joy, a big smile on his face.
Sarah just stood there as Saphira's glowing body began to change shape. She didn't notice anything around her, only the dragon in front of her, not able to believe her eyes.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the glow around the dragon faded.
Saphira evolved into a Shelgon. Her body was now round and lite gray, shaped with ridges all around. Her face was black, her eyes, which were closed, in the middle. She now had four short, gray legs, with lines of red on the back. Her height was now level to Sarah's hip.
Saphira stood still for a minute, then opened her eyes, and looked straight into Sarah's.
As Sarah looked at the newly evolved dragon, her eyes filled with tears. Her mind could barely process that what she was seeing was real; her best friend, her first dragon that she raised since it was an egg, had just evolved, and came one step closer to her dream of flying. Even as she looked at the dragon that now had a very different exterior, she could still see her old friend as she looked into her eyes.
Sarah stared in overjoyed disbelief. I… can't believe it… Her vision blurred as the tears filled her eyes. She blinked, clearing her vision and sending the tears down her cheeks.
Finally, she took a small breath, and said quietly, "Saphira…?" The Shelgon blinked, then started walking toward her trainer.
As the dragon neared her, Sarah knelt down, blinking more tears of joy. Saphira now stood in front of her. Although her mouth was not very visible, there was smile in her eyes.
Sarah smiled broadly. With her heartbeat sounding in her ears, she reached a hand out. She hesitated, then put it on the Shelgon's head. She gently rubbed it, feeling the hard shell as her hand rubbed smoothly over the ridges.
Sarah kept her hand on the dragon, but looked back into her eyes. She tried to say something, but the lump in her throat would only let her smile.
Saphira blinked, then said, 'I hope this makes me stronger.'
Sarah managed a small chuckle. So that's what she meant.
Just then, everyone came up next to Sarah to admire the newly evolved dragon. William knelt down, a big smile on his face, and a few of his own small tears stained on his cheeks. Even though Saphira was Sarah's pokemon, she was a big part of the family, and William was just as happy for her as Sarah was. Rascal just watched his friend, his tail vibrating.
However, despite his joy, William's curiosity made him take an experimental finger and tap the Shelgon's head. He hesitated, then rubbed her head like Sarah had. As he felt the ridges on her shell, he finally said, "Cool…"
After William removed his hand, Ignitus came up to Saphira excitedly, and patted her head with a paw, a big smile on his face. 'We're both getting close to getting wings!' he said. Saphira nodded, the smile in her eyes as big as the one on his face.
After Ignitus slightly backed away, Saphira looked up at Glaedr, who was looking down at her with a smile that refused to fade. He didn't say anything, but was able to relay his joy to her with his eyes.
Finally, Sarah briefly wiped her eyes with her sleeve, then stood up. She was finally able to believe that Saphira evolved. The lump in her throat was gone, but she still couldn't think of anything to say. But as she looked at her, she realized that she didn't have to. By an unspoken consent, she knew that Saphira didn't think she had to say anything; seeing her trainer's overjoyed actions was enough.
With that in mind, Sarah headed back down the trail with Saphira next to her, everyone else following close behind.
As they walked, Sarah found herself constantly glancing at the Shelgon, although the dragon was unaware of it. Every time she did, a small smile would tug at her lips. She could still feel her heart beating at a slightly faster pace, as the shock and joy still hadn't gone away yet.
It made her realize just how fast things can happen, and how fast they can change. The morning had started off normally, then quickly turned into a day that she would never forget. She was a bit surprised as the thought scared her, now knowing how fast something can change. But she pushed it away as she realized that change wasn't something to fear, especially this change.
She glanced down at the dragon one more time, finding that this time she was looking back at her with a smile shining in her eyes. The small smile that was tugging at Sarah's lips turned into a wide grin as she looked back at her.
Things usually change for the better. Yeah, she would make sure she remembered that.
- - - - -
Despite the surprising event, the day still had to go on. William seemed to be full of more energy, if that was possible, and expressed it through a game of I Spy, that he insisted everyone play. Sarah agreed to play, but chuckled inwardly. It seemed that he would never tire of that game.
Luckily, it was only a couple of hours went by when Mauville City came into view.
The ground they walked on changed from bright green grass to a lite gray, cement path that stretched through the middle of the town. They passed a few small houses that were placed on each side of the path, the Pokemon Center in view about one hundred yards ahead.
As they neared the center, the path split in two, and stretched from left to right. The right led to the Pokemart, which was placed not far from the Center, and continued until it turned into a grass path, leading down a trail that couldn't be seen from their current position. The left led to the Pokemon Gym, which was placed on the other side of a cement path, leading upwards to Route 111. To the left past the Pokemon Gym was Route 117, leading to another town.
The group took in the sights silently. It seemed a bit strange since William usually got excited when they got to a new place, but he seemed to be enjoying the sight without saying anything. Sarah didn't mind when he got excited, but she was glad he was being quiet.
When they reached the Pokemon Center, they saw that it was an average height, which was two stories, with the classic red roof. Without much thought, they walked inside.
When they entered the common room, the sound of many conversations flowed through the room. Because it was the middle of the day, it was bustling with people and pokemon. Some were eating at one of the numerous tables that were set up on the sides of the room, and some were having casual conversations while standing in various places.
Sarah stood near the entrance as she tried to decide what they were going to do. They automatically checked the Pokemon Center every time they reached a new city, but she couldn't think of any reason to be there right now. The pokemon didn't need healing, and she didn't plan on reserving a room for them to use; the weather was going to be nice, so they were going to camp with Glaedr that night.
However, her mind was made up for her as she heard William say, "I'm hungry."
Sarah looked at her brother and chuckled. She should have realized that they would want to eat, since it was a little after noon.
Although she didn't feel particularly hungry, she nodded and said, "Well, let's go then."
After getting their food and finding a table with enough room for all six of them, they sat down and enjoyed the meal and the time.
Sarah wasn't surprised as William started making comments about the new town. He didn't say anything when they got there, so she knew he would have to at some point. Sarah was only half listening, as she absentmindedly rolled her apple around on the table, while stealing glances at Saphira. The Shelgon was eating her food on the floor by Glaedr, unaware of her trainer's gaze. She just couldn't help but look at the dragon, her joy, and a bit of the shock, still lingering. But, she knew she would have to stop staring, so she finally pulled her eyes away.
Instead, she answered the questions that William started asking her. He asked where the three routes led to, and, after checking her Pokenav, Sarah told him their names and where they went. He seemed satisfied with her answers, and went back to his meal.
Sarah temporarily ignored her own food as she looked at her map a little longer. Thanks to her short study session in Dewford, she remembered where each badge was, and was curious to see what their route would be after she got the one in Mauville.
First, she zoomed in on Route 111, which led to Lavaridge town. She wasn't surprised to see that it would take about a day's travel to get there. After bringing the picture back to the full sized map, she remembered that, after getting the badge in Lavaridge town, she would have to go back to Petalburg to fight her dad. Her first feeling was a bit of nervousness, making her stomach feel a bit queasy. But the thought of having an official battle with him and seeing him again brought a smile to her face.
However, the thought made her realize that she had to go back to Petalburg. She now concentrated on the map and followed the routes with her eyes. She silently groaned. True, that she enjoyed traveling, and she wanted her journey to be as long as possible, but the thought of going that far back just didn't sound like much fun. It would take about a week to get there, and she knew her nervousness would build the entire way.
But, I can't worry about it now, she thought. She shut the Pokenav off and put it in her pocket. Just have fun.
Now that she was out of her thoughts and back to what was round her, Sarah noticed that everyone was almost done eating. It made her realize that she hadn't touched her food, (unless you counted rolling her apple around on the table) and decided to eat so they wouldn't be stuck there any longer than they needed to be.
Before long, they were all finished. They sat together for a few minutes to discuss what they would do for the rest of the day.
"Why don't we look around for a good place to camp tonight?" William suggested. He seemed eager to get out of the building and back to their fun.
Sarah nodded. "Ok. And we should probably have a training session after that." She glanced at her dragons. "Gotta be ready to fight Wattson."
"Sweet!' William exclaimed. "Time to see Saphira fight!"
Sarah chuckled. She was excited to see Saphira in battle too. She also had to be prepared to fight a little differently because her form had changed so much. With Ignitus's evolution, there wasn't much to worry about, considering that the biggest change was that he was a little bigger. But Saphira had a body completely different from her previous form. Shelgons were in a state almost like a cocoon, waiting to grow, then evolve into a much larger, winged dragon. Her battle movements would be slower, but would be made up for with her protective shell. A new battle style would have to be established.
With that in mind, Sarah stood up. "Well, are we ready to go?"
William jumped up right away. "Yeah!" He was soon followed as their pokemon got up and prepared to go. Sarah nodded, and led the way to the door.
A slightly warmer breeze than when they had arrived greeted them. The sun was higher in the sky, the rays beating down on them gently, leaving the day looking beautiful.
After taking a breath of the fresh air, Sarah looked around. They could either go to the right, toward Route 117, or to the left, toward Route 118. Sarah thought back to what her Pokenav said, and remembered that Route 118 led to a path, eventually leading to a small clump of trees, and turning into a small lake. She decided to go to that route, thinking it would be a good training and camping spot.
Just before she started heading that way, she turned her head toward the path right ahead of them as she heard a loud noise. Everyone else looked as they heard the noise, and saw a large tractor, equipped with a digging claw. The diesel engine sounded loudly as it approached them.
After it reached the end of the path right in front of the Pokemon Center, it turned toward 117, picking up another gear and increasing speed. It only took a minute for it to enter the route, then travel down so the sound was almost inaudible to their ears.
Sarah didn't think a lot of the machine, but was still curious of what it was for. "What was that?"
"That was a piece of construction equipment."
Sarah spun around as she heard a voice behind her. She was aware of a small, startled yelp from her brother, as he wasn't aware of the person either. He eyes met a young man, appearing to be about 16.
Sarah blinked and regained herself after the temporary scare. She faced the boy and said, "What is it for?"
The boy frowned a bit. "Haven't you heard? They're making a shortcut between Verdanturf Town and Rustboro City." He took a few steps forward so he was standing in front of her. "It makes it easier for pokemon trainers to travel."
Sarah was a little confused. She had never been to Verdanturf, and hadn't heard much about it, so she didn't know why they would need big machines to make a trail.
Deciding that this person could be a good source of information, she asked, "What kind of shortcut?"
"Well," the young man started, "There's a mountain over by Verdanturf. It stretches to the west and ends over by Rustboro. The Devon Company figured it would be a good idea to create a route through the mountain, making it easier for trainers to travel on their journeys."
Sarah considered the words. She pictured her Hoenn map in her head, finding it somewhat easy because she had just been looking at it not long ago. She realized that, if it was done before she got her next two badges, traveling back to battle her dad would take a lot less time.
Sarah looked back up at the young man. "When will it be done?"
He moved his eyes away as he thought about it. He looked back at her and said, "Well, they said it would take about ten days, and that was three days ago. If all goes well, it'll be done in a week."
Sarah nodded. That sounded good. She should have her badges by then, and they could save lots of time by using the cavern.
"Well," Sarah said with a smile, "Thanks for the explanation. That's really gonna help us." She made a small gesture toward her brother and pokemon.
The young man let his gaze rest on each of them momentarily before looking back at Sarah with a smile. "No problem."
Sarah nodded, and was about to start walking away when he said, "Hey." Sarah remained where she was and looked at him. "What?"
The young man let a small frown come to his face, as if he was thinking. "Do I know you?"
Sarah blinked. She knew she had never seen him before. "No. Why?"
The boy let his hand fall to his side, although he appeared to still be thinking. A second later, his face lit up and he said, "Hey, I know! You're that dragon kid!"
Sarah blinked. "Huh?"
"You were on the news a few days ago with the Devon Company President," he said, making a small nod as he remembered. "It was something about Team Aqua."
Sarah's stomach started to feel sick as the memory was brought back. She didn't really consider that some people might recognize her. Well there's another score for Sarah, being stupid enough not to think of something, she thought.
Trying to ignore the thought, she gave a small nod. "Yeah, that was me."
"Wow. It's great to meet you," he said, extending a hand. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself before. I'm Jack."
Sarah accepted his hand, feeling somewhat odd at the thought of someone wanting to meet her again. "I'm Sarah. It's nice to meet you too."
Jack nodded as they released each other's hands. He then turned his attention to William. "Hey, this is your brother, right?"
William seemed to be excited at the fact that he was recognized form TV. He jumped forward and said, "Yep. I'm William."
Jack made a small chuckle and shook the young boy's hand. "Hi, nice to meet you." William nodded, and took his place back next to Sarah after they let go.
Jack now looked at the pokemon. He had noticed them earlier, but he didn't want to be rude by asking about them when he was trying to answer Sarah's question. "So these are your pokemon?"
Sarah turned her head to look at them "Yeah."
Jack nodded with a smile. He took a moment to take in Glaedr's size, letting the dragon's gaze fall upon him as he inspected him. He then looked down at the smaller dragons. He looked a bit confused.
"Hey, weren't the other two dragons smaller?" he asked.
Sarah glanced down at her dragons. She looked back at him and said, "Oh yeah. They were, but they evolved."
Jack nodded in understanding. He let his gaze fall on each of them before asking, "What are their names?"
Sarah turned to her pokemon. She was glad to start putting some focus on them instead of her, making her stomach start to settle. She first pointed at her Shelgon. "This is Saphira," she said, then moved aside and put her hand on her Charmeleon's head, "Ignitus," then made a small head gesture at her Tropius, "And Glaedr."
William then picked up his own pokemon and said, "And Rascal."
Jack nodded, also acknowledging William's answer. It was then that Sarah realized that, although he had heard them, his gaze hadn't left the pokemon.
Sarah started to feel a bit awkward as a silence followed. She glanced down at Saphira, who returned her gaze with a small shrug of her shell, then looked back at Jack. She was starting to feel uncomfortable, so she was about to say they had to go. But she stopped when Jack suddenly made a small jump, as if someone kicked him out of his trance.
"Oh! Hey, would you mind waiting here while I go get my little sister?"
Sarah was caught off guard by the sudden request. "Why?" she asked, not sounding rude, but questionable.
"Well," he started, "My family loves dragons, and my little sister isn't an exception. She saw your picture in the newspaper, and got really excited. My mom read it to her, and she loved it."
As the words left his mouth, Sarah's stomach felt odd. She couldn't believe that anyone, even a little kid, would be so excited about seeing her in a paper. Wait, I doubt it had anything to do with me, Sarah thought. She wants to meet my pokemon.
Sarah turned her head toward her dragons. She saw each of them nod, so she turned her attention back to Jack and said, "Sure."
Jack smiled. "Great. Hang on, it won't take long." With that, he turned and headed down the path with a fast pace.
When he was out of earshot, William said, "This is so cool! Sarah's famous!"
Sarah looked at her brother. "No I'm not," she said. William looked at her. "She likes dragons. She wants to meet the dragons she saw, not me."
William looked at the path that Jack left in. He paused, then shrugged. "Ok."
Sarah returned her attention to the path after that. She didn't want him to think it was about her when it wasn't.
Seconds later, Jack returned with a little girl at his side. They walked over to them, Jack appearing to be saying something to her.
When they got closer, Sarah could see the girl's eyes widen at the sight of them. She looked excited, although she stayed right next to her brother.
When they stopped in front of them, Jack said, "This is my sister Sam."
Sarah nodded, then looked at the little girl. She appeared to be about five, her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, holding what appeared to be a piece of paper in her hand. She wore blue shorts, along with a white t-shirt with a Charmander on it.
Sarah could see the girl's eyes light up as they rested on each of the dragons. She was quiet through the inspection, but appeared very happy with it.
Lastly her eyes met Sarah's. As they did, she smiled. Sarah again felt awkward, having even the smallest amount of a stranger's attention on her, but smiled back.
Sam was the first to say something. "Are you Sarah?"
Sarah gave Saphira a brief glance, then said, "Yeah."
The little girl's smile broadened. She extended the paper in her hand, along with a pen that was in her other hand. "Will you sign this?"
Sarah's eyes widened at the request. That's a joke, right? She blinked stupidly at the girl in front of her. Why would anyone want my signature? Her heart beat quickly, starting to feel stage fright coming again. Although she wasn't in front of that many people, the thought that someone wanted her signature, (no matter how old they were) made her nervous.
No matter how she felt, Sarah couldn't say no to this little girl. Heck, she could barely say no to anyone. She didn't want to disappoint her, so, with a little hesitation, she accepted the paper and pen.
As Sarah held the paper so she could see it and readied the pen in her hand, she froze. The piece of paper was the picture from the newspaper.
Sarah removed her eyes from the paper and looked at Sam. She looked up at her with a smile waiting patiently for her request to be filled. She then noticed that William was looking at the picture next to her, a small smile on his face.
They actually kept the picture? Sarah thought, still unable to believe it. She now knew that the girl didn't just want to meet her dragons; she wanted to meet her.
Sarah shook her head lightly, as if thinking it would shake her out of a strange dream. But she still saw the paper in her hand and Sam waiting for her to sign it.
Deciding to just do it, Sarah placed the paper in the palm of her hand to give her a harder surface to write on. She placed the pen on the paper, and carefully signed her full name onto the side of the picture, mostly covering the steps of the Devon Company building, but also over two of Glaedr's legs.
When it was done, Sarah took a second to inspect it. It looked good, so she gave both of them back to Sam. The girl politely, but eagerly took them. She looked at the picture with a wide smile, then held it against her shirt, as if protecting it. She looked up at Sarah and said, "Thank you!"
"No problem," Sarah said, able to keep her voice sounding convincingly sincere.
The little girl peeked at her picture one more time, then looked back up at Sarah. She seemed somewhat jumpy. "Can I pet your dragons?"
Sarah let a small sigh. Finally, get the attention away from me. She looked back at them to see if it was ok. They all nodded, so she said, "Sure."
This made Sam jump while squealing a quiet, 'Yay!' It was the first time she had given away her excitement.
Taking a small step aside, Sarah watched as Sam first approached Saphira. Her smile displayed all over her face as she reached out a hand and rubbed the dragon's shell. Saphira stood patiently, letting the girl take as much time as she needed.
After a few seconds, she removed her hand and looked over at Ignitus. She was about the same height as him, and seemed eager to pet him. She placed herself in front of him and patted his head. Ignitus didn't hesitate to show his excitement with a broad smile and a friendly growl. The girl giggled at his cuteness and removed her hand. Ignitus seemed to enjoy the attention, and wanted it to last a little longer. He looked at his paw, then lifted it in front of him. Sam giggled again, and gave him a high five. William chuckled.
Now, Sam looked up at the Tropius that towered behind them. Glaedr met her gaze, and seemed to realize that it was his turn. He lowered his head until he was eye level with her. The girl let a small gasp, but recovered with a smile as her eyes met his solemn ones. She reached her hand out and rubbed his cheek. Glaedr let a small hum, letting her know that the contact was welcomed.
After a few seconds, Sam seemed satisfied. She removed her hand and watched as Glaedr lifted his head. She turned, and was about to go back to her brother when she finally noticed the Zigzagoon in William's arms. It wasn't a dragon, but it was cute. She walked forward and reached a hand out, scratching the pokemon under the chin. Rascal kicked his foot briefly. After removing her hand, Sam seemed satisfied, and ran back to her brother.
Jack put a hand on his sister's shoulder and smiled at her. "Have you had enough?" he asked. Sam nodded, seeming too excited and jumpy to speak. He chuckled and turned to Sarah. "Well, thank you. I really appreciate this."
Sarah nodded, her stomach seeming to settle since the attention had been taken off her. "No problem."
"Well, we should go." He made a small wave to each of them and said, "Bye." He turned around, leading his sister along by her shoulder. She turned her head and said, "Thank you! Bye!" She used her free hand to wave. Sarah and William made small waves, the pokemon saying small goodbyes with their own language.
When they were no longer in sight, William turned to Sarah and said, "See!? I told you she wanted to me you!"
Sarah looked at him. She wasn't sure what to say, although she knew he was right. Instead, she just made a small shrug and said, "I guess."
William looked at her in playful disbelief. "What do you mean, 'I guess!?' She wanted your signature! That's just awesome!"
Sarah wasn't sure how to react. She just couldn't accept that someone wanted her signature. She never thought anyone would ever want something like that from her, no matter what she did. She was hoping that the newspaper thing would be something in the past, but it appeared that it was something that would slightly follow her for a long time.
Instead, she decided to try and feel good about it. Despite her feelings, it was pretty cool to think someone had asked her for her signature.
Looking back at her brother, Sarah finally got her old mood back. She ruffled the hair on his head, (knowing he hated it) and said, "Well, I'd hate to see how big your head got when someone asked for your signature."
William immediately put a hand on his head to fix his hair. Sarah could tell by the look on his face that she succeeded in getting on his nerves, both because of her gesture and comment.
"My head would not get big!" he insisted, ruffling his hair in an attempt to fix it. "Do you really think that!?"
Sarah just chuckled. She didn't think that; she knew he'd be the exact opposite, no matter how excited he seemed when people were giving him attention. But her sudden mood made her want to pick on him a little, especially since she never did.
Instead of answering him, she walked toward the route they picked earlier, Saphira keeping pace next to her, making small grunting noises in laughter. Sarah smiled as she heard him protest behind her.
"Sarah!" William called, seeming to get slightly angry. He ran after her. "I asked you a question!" Ignitus followed close behind William, although his paws were over his mouth, trying to control his laughter as he saw William's reaction. Glaedr just shook his head fondly, and followed behind them.
- - - - -
They all headed down the route, finding themselves in the small clump of trees that the map showed. Sarah had gotten William to calm down after answering his question and apologizing for her comment. He easily accepted it, and let the situation go.
After finding the end of the small woods, the group found the area where the water started. There was a small, grass beach that stretched about thirty feet from the woods until it hit the water, leaving a comfortable spot to train, and camp.
Not long after they arrived, they began a training session. Sarah knew she'd have to find a new battle style for Saphira before the next gym battle, so she started with that.
She first checked Saphira's reflexes by gently, but swiftly, sending rocks in her direction. The reflexes were quick in the dragon's mind, but her shelled body made it so she was able to dodge very few. They found that, although the shell had a bit of a rubbery texture, it protected her well. When she couldn't dodge a rock, it would just bounce harmlessly off her shell. But Sarah knew it wouldn't stop all damage from reaching the dragon. If it was a stronger attack, or if it hit her face, it would be enough to knock her out.
Feeling that she knew a fair amount of Saphira's new battle strategy, Sarah started the training session with the other two. Their usual target practice with sticks and rocks worked effectively, and they made progress. After a little while, she had William throw the items for Ignitus and Glaedr, (which he did without hesitation), while Sarah worked with Saphira more. She double-checked her reflexes, and inspected her shell, trying to decide what would be a good command to give when various attacks were thrown at her.
The intense training lasted for hours. They didn't realize how much time went by until they all finally had to sit from the exhaustion. Sarah checked her watch, finding it very close to dinnertime, and decided to go back. They would all be hungry after that training.
- - - - -
Within the next hour, they had finished their dinner and made it back to the same spot. They decided they had worked hard that day, and deserved to relax for the rest of the day. They worked together to get firewood, stacking it and cutting it in the same fashion. When it was ready, they watched as Ignitus lit it with his Flamethrower, then proceeded to enjoy the evening by talking and playing games.
Before long, sunset had passed. The sky was completely dark, their only means of light their fire. They found it hard to stay awake, as their training and campfire fun finally exhausted them.
Sarah lay under her covers, feeling like sleep would overtake her any second. She had her usual spot right next to Glaedr, Saphira and Ignitus lying next to her. She had found it a big change when Saphira first lay next to her; the small dragon that could be snuggled against her side was now too big to lie underneath her arm. Instead, she lay on her stomach, still snuggled close to Sarah, and still accepting the blanket that was over her. It made Sarah realize that, no matter how happy she was for her dragon, things would be different when she evolved. She would miss seeing the Bagon that she raised from an egg, but knew it would pass. Saphira was still her best friend, and was still herself, although she was growing up.
Feeling warm at the thoughts of her friend, and how happy she would be with wings, Sarah finally fell asleep.
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Wow. Sorry it took so long for this chapter to come out. I'm still writing this story, and I hope you're still interested. I will try my best not to let any more delays last this long. Thanks for reading, and reviews are always welcomed.
For anyone interested, I updated the Bios.
Name: Sarah Ryder
Age: 10
Sarah is a new trainer in the region of Hoenn. She started her journey with her Bagon, a dragon that she raised from an egg.
Sarah is a gentle person. She always tried to do the right thing, and she enjoys giving to others. She loved traveling with her brother and pokemon, having fun with them and enjoying getting closer to them. She doesn't like a lot of people's attention on her, as it makes her self-conscious and nervous. She is excited about her journey, but she can't help but question her own abilities.
Name: William Ryder
Age: 8
William is Sarah's little brother. He started traveling with Sarah after getting permission from their parents.
Sarah's best friend, William has an energetic personality. He means well with his words and actions, but sometimes acts on his feelings before he thinks things through. He is very sweet, and warms up to people easily, always ready for a new adventure.
William always helps Sarah feel better when she's feeling down. He supports her pokemon journey, and came up with the idea of her trying to be a Dragon Master.
Name: Saphira
Saphira is a young Shelgon. She was hatched and raised by Sarah after being found as an egg in the forest near her home.
Saphira, like most pokemon of her species, has a dream of flying. She is wise for her age, and enjoys having fun and spending time with Sarah and her friends. She can sometimes surprise others with her actions, but is very easy to warm up to. She is also developing deep feelings for Sarah's Tropius, Glaedr.
Saphira supports Sarah's journey, and enjoys every bit of it, helping Sarah with bits of wisdom, and being her best friend. She is gentle, but if Sarah was ever in any danger, this dragon would be unpredictable.
Name: Ignitus
Ignitus is a young Charmeleon, who joined the gang after they rescued him from a flock of attacking Spearows.
Ignitus has a very carefree personality. He is very goofy, and enjoys doing small stunts to blow off energy. He started getting close to William after the boy began teaching him games and spending time with him. He prefers to be with Sarah, and remains closer to her than anyone else, but has formed a great friendship with William.
He is also very gentle, as he didn't want to battle when he first met Sarah. But with her help, he now wants to do his best as her pokemon and help her become a Master.
Name: Glaedr
Glaedr is a young Tropius. He became Sarah's pokemon after she and the gang rescued him from certain death after a run in with Team Aqua.
Glaedr possesses wisdom beyond his age. He is usually quiet, but acts as the gang's protector by watching over them as they travel. He enjoys talking with them, and sometimes adding a bit of comedy with his comments.
Although mostly collected, Glaedr is angered with the mention of Team Aqua. Sarah is trying to help him overcome his anger, but is still unsure of his actions when they bring up the subject, or if they ever have another run in.
Glaedr supports Sarah's dream of becoming a Pokemon Master. He battles as her pokemon, helping her reach her goal in any way he can. He is also developing deep feelings for Sarah's Shelgon, Saphira.
Name: Rascal
Rascal is a young Zigzagoon who took an immediate liking to William when he first met the gang. He joined them of his own free will.
Rascal has a happy personality. He is very young, and mostly seems like a puppy that just wants to have fun with his master. He stays by his side most of the time, following William wherever he goes. When William starts his pokemon journey, Rascal will be his partner.