Author's Note: A bit short, a bit long, it all depends on how you look at it.
Some of you noticed Saul may have been getting cocky lately; well this is what happens when you get to cocky.
The Road To-Becoming-A Master
(Let's Do It!)
I'm gonna be, the very best,
Like know one ever was…
Catching them is my real test,
Training them is my cause.
My whole life is set on this,
Time to prove my skills.
I know I just can't wait to show the world!
Born to be The Winner!
(The Road)
Born to be The Champion!
Born to be The Winner,
Born to be the very best!
(Pokemon)
(The Road)
Born to be THE WINNER!
I'm Master!
A Problem in "Perfect Land"
Saul pulled himself out of the water of the pond and grabbed his opposite arms with his hands, shivering and looking around the area to see where Flannery had gone. She had swum ahead of Saul and darted off right when she got on to land.
When he realized he was the only human in sight (besides the occasional town residents passing by the gap of buildings) and decided to look for his Pokemon. He looked beside him and saw Kip looking up at the cliff they had just come off of with his mouth agape.
Saul looked into the reflection of the water and saw a figure leaning on its right knee and left foot with its left arm resting on the respective knee. The view in the water was blurred, however, from the drops of water coming off of him. Saul could barely make out the colors of the thing standing on the ledge. He made out the colors rise and go away quickly.
Saul directed his attention up, but saw nothing there. Saul thought for a second…SNAP! He snapped his fingers, "That looks just like the figure on top of the Battle Tent in Verdanturf!"
He expected to here a remark from his Pokemon, but when nothing sounded, he turned his head to his right again. Kip still has his mouth agape with his eyes wide open.
He poked his Pokemon on the fin, "Kip, are you okay?"
When there was no answer, he poked harder. Kip fell over onto his side, his legs, fin, and everything about him staying stiff.
Saul gasped and reacted as fast as he could. The trainer grabbed his Pokemon and dashed around a corner to find the Pokemon Center.
----------
After a few minutes of searching, Saul ran into the Pokemon Center and surprisingly gently put the stiff Kip on top of the counter.
Nurse Joy turned around in the chair and grinned, "Hello, how may I help you?"
Saul just stared at Kip in terror, "Oh dear! Chansey," she shouted, the large pink Pokemon ran from the hall way. "Chance."
"Chansey," she gave the Nurse Pokemon the stiff Kip, "Get this Pokemon to Emergency Room 14, he needs urgent care."
The pink Pokemon carted Kip off down the medicine hall. Nurse Joy turned back to Saul and forced a sincere smile, "Don't worry, your Mudkip should be just fine. We'll do all we can to take care of him, but I can't guarantee that he'll be okay soon."
With that she walked away, leaving Saul to ponder over what just happened…
----------
Saul stretched his arms up and straightened his legs, only to bump his head into something. He cringed and painfully held his head, and looked to see what he had hit. It was the arm rest of a couch situated in a quiet corner of the Pokemon Center.
Apparently he had fallen asleep while awaiting the update on his hurt Pokemon. Saul sat up and sighed when he spied a row of vending machine down the guest hall. He bent over to see more of the hallway. There we're plenty of people surrounding the vending machines, except for one, which seemed a bit broken down.
Sighing again, Saul made his way to the area, walking very slowly. When he finally reached the area vending machine, he dug through his pocket for some coins and slipped them into the slot.
Saul thought; this was the first piece of food other than a berry that he would have eaten in weeks. Even when traveling with the others, their diet mainly consisted of berries. He had to pick something good; it was probably going to be the only thing he'd eat besides berries for another long while.
He looked up and down the rows, looking for something familiar that he would eat if he were in Phenac City; unfortunately, there was nothing that appetizing on the first few rows.
He knocked once on the machine with the side of his fist and, leaning his head against the machine, looked out of the corner of his eye at the people surrounding the other vending machines.
They were laughing and smiling at an unusually large Eevee in the middle of them, happily jumping around and enjoying the attention. Saul turned his whole head to see the Eevee, getting lost in his thoughts.
But the clang on the small opening in the vending machine interrupted him. Directing his attention down, he saw that he let his hand push some buttons, and an unknown candy bar came down.
He picked it out in frustration and stomped himself back to the couch. He opened the chocolate bar and took the first bite, looking over what happened in the past few…hours probably.
But once again his thoughts were interrupted; the group of about six people sat down in the other corner of the Pokemon Center with the Eevee jumping up and down on the table between them. They kept laughing, causing Saul to get annoyed further.
At least there was know one else in the lobby other than him and them, he thought.
----------
Saul finished off the third chocolate bar and sighed in relief when the people finally went off down the hall to their rooms.
"Finally," he said aloud to no one in particular, "there gone."
He leaned into the back cushion and did an aimless throw with the wrapper to the trash can. When he heard it rasp against the trash bag he relaxed.
The first thing he did was pull out his Pokenav, "10:40 P.M… Well, that does explain everyone in bed."
He slipped it into his back pocket to try and think of a subject to discuss with himself, and then the Eevee popped into his head. "Eevee, Eevee…I really haven't made an effort to catch a lot of Pokemon, and that's what a trainer's supposed to do. An Eevee would be pretty fun to have. I could evolve it into a Glaceon or Leafeon." Saul stared blankly and snapped his fingers, "Of course! Those were the answers to the exam!" He sighed in stupidity, then went on, "Or I could evolve it into a Vaporeon, like that girl had earlier today. I think she called it Renzi…" Then he realized the Pokemon he wanted so much but let go, "Cyndaquil! I know, why don't I try to get a Cyndaquil! I could use a Fire-Type."
He relaxed even more, causing himself to sink in to the couch, "I guess I should get Kip back before I catch another Pokemon."
And with that he went to sleep.
