"Thank you for a lovely evening." You excuse yourself. Those words just slipped out. It must be the atmosphere. Robin follows you.
"So. Umm. Do you like Pokemon? Eddie tries to make conversation with Vance as they make their way to their room.
You find a bellboy waiting at your door. "The captain said you're to receive the best service. I'd be happy to take your Pokemon to the healing center, get your bags from your old room, or anything else."
"Thanks, but I'll handle it." You're not a fan of handing your stuff or Pokemon over to a stranger. You're also a little weirded out at the thought of having someone paid to dote on you, so you politely dismiss him.
It takes a little longer, but you take care of your errands yourself and find Robin waiting in the room. She's already in her sleepwear, but she's not sleeping.
"Still upset over the Gyarados thing?"
She nods.
You sit beside her. "I've been thinking about that. How about you take the Gyarados or Magikarp I caught? Maybe you could get used to it. Which one would you want?" She opens her mouth to protest, but you stop her. "Don't worry. I insist. It wouldn't be fair for me to raise one and ignore the other. I want them both to have a good trainer."
Robin thinks for a good long while. "OK, I'll take Magikarp. We can get to know each other." You're not sure if that's her entire reasoning, but it's what she offers you. "I don't know what to say. Thank you. I promise I'll take good care of it."
You both turn on the TV in your fancy room. The movie is some sort of cult horror classic. Revenge of the Sea Monster. It's one of the cheesiest things you've ever seen in your life. There's a man in a terrible Gyarados suit stumbling around an obviously fake set. You stifle a giggle. You don't want to be insensitive, but it's just so cheesy. Robin sees you giggle and laughs herself. There's a corny line on the screen and you both burst into hysterics.
"I swear this was scarier when I was a kid." Robin can barely talk through her laughter. Both of you tearing up from laughing so hard.
She puts her head on your shoulder. "Thanks. You're a really good friend. You've done so much for me just today. I don't know what I'd do without you."
You put your arm around her shoulder. "And don't you forget it! You owe me big!" You use a funny voice to make sure she gets it's a joke.
"I'm sure I can think of something." Robin teases back. You're not sure what to make of that comment. You decide not to press it and the two of you cuddle up and relax while the movie plays. It's been a long day.
You struggle to wake up the next morning. You're not even sure when you went to sleep. Both of you ended up watching a marathon. Who knew there were so many sequels?
There's a note by the bed. "Went to breakfast. - Robin"
Well, you might as well join her. You get dressed and head out. You find Vance and Robin chatting it up at a table. They greet you when they see you. "Hey! Kat!" Robin waves you over.
As you pull up a seat, Vance finishes telling a joke. "So the barber says, 'that's just what 'Wee-dle!'" Robin bursts into laughter. It was probably funnier if you heard the first part.
Robin turns to you. "Oh yeah, they announced that we're heading right to the docks to check the ship." She puts her hands up. "Don't worry, we're not sinking. 'regulation.' We're all going to get some vouchers when we get off the ship though. It'll be a few hours yet. From there we'll be a little less than a day's walk from Aquapolis."
You guess you'll be heading to Aquapolis sooner than expected. "Where's Eddie?" You ask Vance between bites.
"Oh man. That kid is hilarious. We were up really late talking about..." He looks at you. "Talking about stuff. He said he wanted to do some training, so I think he's on the deck."
You're just about finished breakfast. You'll have to decide how to spend the next few hours.
You should probably learn a little more about where you're headed. "So what can we expect at the Aquapolis gym?"
Robin puts down her fork. "The leader's name is Brook. He wears a speedo at pretty much all times, even though it's a little chillier in Aquapolis. He think's he's a gift to all women, and that seeing him is a priveledge. He's rash and arrogant, but don't underestimate him. He'll adapt to his opponents style. If you're indecisive or stalling, he'll attack as hard as he can. If you attack head on, he'll try to lure you into a trap. His plans are never too complicated, but his adaptability throws people off. The gym itself has a platform in the center, but it's surrounded by all these shifting water machines hanging from the ceiling which makes it hard for you to take back your Pokemon half the time."
It doesn't sound like you'll have an easy time. "What about the area? Anything interesting?"
Vance chimes in. "The town is a short way up the mountain. There are caves a little way up the mountain that are known mostly for their Ice Pokemon."
Robin finishes a drink of orange juice. "That's right. But the fields below are full of fire Pokemon. My dad would come up here all the time."
That's good information. You spend the next few hours studying as much as you can. Between your pamphlets, Robin's Pokedex, and your own experience, you're able to get a lot of knowledge under your belt about Pokemon in general. Maybe it's because you're so relaxed from the ship, or maybe you're just getting used to studying, but the knowledge really sticks.
You've learned a lot more about Pokemon, moves, and habitats. You can identify more moves, Pokemon, and types by sight and effects.
There's an announcement over the intercom. "We'll be arriving in 15 minutes. There will be a shuttle for all passengers to Aquapolis, and gift certificates for many wonderful services in town. We thank you for choosing us."
Vance and Robin are nearby. "We better pack up to beat the crowds to the shuttles," Vance advises.
"Relax Vance. Let's just walk! A little excercise won't kill us."
He looks at you, and then to Robin. Specifically, he's looking at your legs. "OK. If you say so."
Gee, thanks Vance. You can walk. Robin's been here a lot too.
Robin speaks up. "Are you sure Kat? It can be a bit of a hike. I usually paid for a ride for the last leg."
"Yes, I'm sure! I'll be fine."
You take your time leaving the ship. There's no big rush. You see Eddie getting onto one of the shuttles too. He waves at you, but he's forced to enter because of the pushing from the line behind him.
Time to hit the road! You hike up your bag, make sure your shoes are tied and everythings secure, and you start putting one foot in front of the other. You look up the long winding road.
You and your friends set off. Vance and Robin start veering a little off-path. "You guys know already know what I want! Let's look for wild Pokemon!"
"We figured you wanted to do something like that," Vance teases.
You stick your tongue out at him. It hits you how much you and your friends have come to relax with each other. You've see Vance with his guard down a lot more lately. You like the real him a lot more than the person he sometimes pretends to be.
You keep an eye out to the trees ahead. It's hard, you find you have to keep them glued to the ground for a lot of the trickier leaps and climbs. You look ahead at Vance who's climbing up a small cliff. Just as he's reaching the top he falls backwards, landing on you and Robin.
"Oof. Is everyone alright?" He asks as he struggles to get off of you two. He slides comically down the uneven slope a few feet before he can right himself.
Robin stands up and brushes herself off. "I'm fine."
"Me too," You say. "Slick moves, Vance." You blow some grass out of your hair.
Vance scratches behind his head. "Sorry! There was a Pokemon up there. It was red with a shell. It was smoking. I just wasn't expecting it."
You know that one from studying! That sounds like a Torkoal!
The three of you climb the small ledge and peer over it. Just like you thought, there's a Torkoal. It's a Fire type! It stares at your party. You remember that you ran out of Pokeballs fighting Gyarados.
You put your had on Robin's back. "Go on. It's all you."
"Me? Oh yeah. OK." She's so cute when she's nervous.
Robin climbs all the way up and prepares a Pokeball. "Go Eevee!" Her small fluffy Eevee appears. It's looking spunky today. "Use Swift!"
Her strategy seems to be pretty simple. She's getting Eevee to try to keep it's distance and wear Torkoal down.
You take out a Pokeball. "Vlad! Come on out!"
Vlad appears and flies in his signature loop. He flies down to you and yo hold him in your arms. "Vlad, want you to watch Eevee closely. After this fight, we'll try using Swift, OK?"
Vlad lets out a small squeak of agreement. You let him go and he flies overhead to watch the battle from different angles.
"Good thinking." Vance compliments you.
You pat him on the back. "Good thinking is what Robin is doing. See how she has Eevee keep a distance? Torkoals have incredible defense, but she's using a special move." You're glad you studied. "As tough as you are Vance, you'll still have to face off against stronger opponents. A thousand small blows are just as good as one of your hits."
Vance gets lost in thought.
The battle goes on for a very long time. Torkoal finally faints after another round of Swift's connect. Eevee took a few embers, but is looking in good condition. "Good job Eevee!"
You and Vance congratulate her.
"Thanks! Torkoal is actually one of my favorites. I know all about them, so Eevee and I were able to take advantage of that."
You toss up a rock. "Vlad! Get it with Swift!" Vlad's tongue goes up in concentration as he tries to pull off the move. He manages to get it out, but only after the rock lands. Still, he did it. You give him a scratch on the head when he comes down.
"How come you didn't catch it?"
Robin looks at her feet. "My dad has one. She's really nice, and smart, and knows a lot of moves. We were actually pretty close." She pauses. "That's not the same one. I mean, that's obvious I know, but I don't want to just transfer all of my feelings from the one at my dad's gym to a new one. That Torkoal shouldn't have to deal with my expectations." She sees the look that you and Vance are giving her. She laughs nervously and puts up her hands. "Sorry! I'm fine. I'm just being nostalgic."
Trekking up the mountain is a lot harder than you thought. You do your best to keep Vance from seeing that though. You get to about the halfway point to Aquapolis. Your legs are turning into jello.
You stay off the beaten path. You hope you don't see any Pokemon that Robin's dad has, otherwise it might get weird again.
Almost on que, you spot another one. You stop Vance and Robin by putting your arms in their path and point to it silently. It's red, has a cute little nose, and whole bunch of tails. Wait, you studied, you should know this one. Vul...Vil...Val...packs? Valpacks? No, that doesn't sound right. You take out your Pokedex.
"Vileplex, the Fax Pokemon. Vulpetax are made almost entirely of tails. Each tail has a mind of it's own, and they vote on every action by committee."
That sounded even more off-base than usual.
"Vulpix," Robin whispers. "I've never seen one before in real life. It's pretty cute."
Vance nods his head. "Careful. I hear they use Will-O-Wisp a lot. I don't have any burn ointments on me."
You look to Vance and Robin. Neither of them are jumping at it. Fine by you. Your itching for a fight. You know who to use. "Destiny! Come on out!"
The small Horsea appears. She looks confident for half a second, before she wobbles on the uneven surface of the mountain. She adjusts and looks ready to fight.
You unzip your traveling clothes a bit to get comfortable. You love how adjustable they are. All that hiking is making you sweat. At least Robin and Vance are looking the same.
As you're thinking about that, Vulpix isn't wasting time. It's digging in it's feet and getting ready to fight.
"Destiny! Use Smokescreen!" Destiny fires off a quick cloud of smoke. It's just in time too. You see a red ball of light whip passed her and scorch a tree near your friends. Your visibility is down, but you can still see where Vulpix and Destiny are.
"Hit it with Bubble, Destiny!" Before Destiny is able to complete it, she's hit with a small purple blast. Destiny spins a little in place. You can tell she's confused from the look in her eyes.
Destiny fires off the Bubble though. Luckily enough, it actually connects. Vulpix reacts to each little bubble like it's a tiny floating explosion. The Vulpix let's out a cry before it steadies itself and looks directly at you. It must know you're calling the shots.
"Bubble again! Don't let up!" Destiny wobbles a bit before falling over. She slides down a few feet on the uneven terrain.
An Ember sails into the dirt and nails Destiny. It's a solid hit, but it didn't do that much damage.
Destiny's eyes spin as she tries to stand upright.
It's a tough choice, but you decide to use the strongest move in your arsenal. "Destiny! Snap out of it! Use Outrage!" Destiny shakes her head and jumps back into action. Another Ember whizzes by.
An aura of power gathers around Destiny before she shoots off at the Vulpix. The hit is devestating. Vulpix is knocked back and hits the ground. Destiny doesn't seem able to stop, She turns around for another pass. That's riht. Outrage lasts long enough for a Pokemon to do it two to three times. She can't help it.
Vulpix looks like she's going to collapse at any moment. It's struggling to stay on it's feet. You see conciousness slowly leave it's face.
"SorryI'llRepayYouLater" You shout as you reach right into Robin's pocket. If there's one thing you can rely on, it's that she always freezes up when you get handsy. You get the Pokeball and throw it as quickly as possible. It skims along Vulpix, but it still connects. The small red fox vanishes in a flash of light just as Destiny comes flying through the space it was occupying.
Oh no. Destiny is flying right this way. She's going to-
WHAM!
Vance catches her in mid air. For a split second you reflect on how cool the shock wave effect was with Vance's cape billowing in it. The force still sends the three of you tumbling backwards though. Vance manages to stay upwards until he hits his back on a tree. You and Robin fall back in opposite directions. You quickly confirm with your eyes that nobody took any serious injuries.
In the corner of your eye you see Vulpix pop out from the Pokeball.
Robin gets up. She's closest to Vulpix. Vance is holding onto Destiny, but she looks like she's going to go for one more attack.
You run to help Vance. Both of you brace as Destiny is about to fire off again.
Just in case this doesn't work though..."Robin!" You shout. "Use a PokebAHHHHHHHHH!" You and Vance hold onto Destiny but go flying into the air. The wind is knocked out of you as you both hit the ground, still being dragged by Destiny.
After a few more feet, the aura around Destiny begins to fade. You, Destiny and Vance slide to a stop. A few feet away, you hear a click.
Whatever you landed on is softer than rocks at least. It's still firm, and strong, and muscu-oh.
"Ow." Vance manages to get out. His chest pushes you up a little when he talks.
You slide off of him. "Sorry." You help him to his feet. His clothes are covered in mud, and even though he's a tough guy, there's a noticeable wince as he gets to his feet.
"Is everyone alright?" He asks.
Robin runs over to the two of you. "I am. Vulpix is too." She shows a Pokeball.
You start brushing yourself down. "I am."
Vance nods. He holds up Destiny. "You better retrieve her. She's looks confused." Destiny's eyes spin in circles. It's hard to think that just a few seconds ago she was an unstoppable beast.
You put Destiny back in the Pokeball.
Robin offers you the ball with Vulpix in it. "We can do a switch over at the Pokemon Center, or we can use our Pokedexs.
You nod to Robin, but don't commit to any action on that right now. You're pretty tempted to give it to her though.
"Vance, you really saved the day there." You realize how sore you are. He must feel even worse. "I really, really appreciate it."
Vance scratches behind his head. "It wasn't a big deal, really."
You you back at the path in the mud your bodies made, then to the mud, twigs, and pubbles stuck to him. "It was a big deal Vance. I literally can't think of any other person I've ever met who would have or could have done that."
Well look at that. Vance blushed!
"As your tutor, I'm letting you off the hook for paying for meals."
He looks at you. "That's fine. A deal is a deal."
You punch him in the arm playfully. "Remember the other condition? You have to do everything I say? I'm saying you're not paying for meals anymore."
Vance smiles at you. Robin fiddles with her fingers, but she looks happy.
It's getting late, but you finally see Aquapolis. The lights are easily visible in the fading daylight. You zip up your outfit. The air has gotten chilly fast.
The Pokemon center is crowded. There's a flood of people coming in and out. There's even a large line to take a number, but you get it, and you're finally able to turn in Destiny. The others were healed last night and haven't seen any action since, so you hold onto them.
"Sorry about the wait," the nurse says, "It might be up to four hours. It's the busy season." You can see that. This place is packed. Four hours is a long time. You glance around the center to see what they have.
There's a shop, which makes sense. You see that everything here is free for trainers except rooms. Good, that means there are showers and food here you can take advantage of. Before that though, there's been something nagging at you.
"Robin," You begin, "I know you explained what happened to my extra Pokemon, but I don't want them to linger. What do trainers do when they have more than six?"
Robin puts on that face she gets when she's thinking. "It's not uncommon for trainers to store them in the PC, but you shouldn't leave them there without intending to train them. They're in stasis, but I still think it's cruel." She throws her arms up. "Not that I'm saying you'd do that! Some trainers do though. I was thinking of asking Franklin back at the Kindleville Museum if he wouldn't mind taking care of any Pokemon I catch over my first six. I'm not really planning on doing that, but sometimes things happen."
That's right. Franklin Maple. He seemed like a decent guy. You also think about Professor Fir back in Novum. Maybe he'd look after your Pokemon too. Professors do that sometimes, right?
You look back at Robin. You can tell she's a little concerned you're getting more Pokemon than you can raise. At least, that's what you think she might be getting at.