Cassandra offered her hand to Karen, who hesitated. It was only a bit difficult to see the girl's form in the predawn light.
"It's all right," she told her. "Come on."
Karen took a breath before placing her fingers in Cassandra's palm; she pulled the pink-headed girl up to sit nestled behind her on Altaria's back. Tuffly struggled to fit behind Karen, but they managed, and Altaria lifted without any problem—she was a Dragon, after all.
"Oh," Karen's voice said in Cassandra's ear as the ground fell away beneath them. Altaria glided forward at a good pace, and the wind picked up, blowing the girls' hair back from their faces. "Oh," Karen repeated. Altaria soared upward for more altitude; the clouds drew closer and the ground almost disappeared. "Oh," Karen said again.
Cassandra let out a laugh. She had flown before, and hearing Karen's reaction reminded her of that initial flight, the feathers of Joanna's Staraptor rough against the skin of her legs.
"How do you like flying?" Cassandra asked, turning her head slightly to get a glimpse of Karen's face; a giant smile greeted her.
"It's amazing." She sat up, withdrawing her grip from Cassandra's waist, and Cassandra turned back toward the front to let Karen have a moment alone with the wind.
"You know the way, right?" Cassandra asked of Altaria. All she got in response was a slight coo; she took this in the affirmative. They flew in silence for a while, their luggage dangling from Altaria's unseen talons, and Cassandra entertained the thought of what their silhouette looked like from the ground. Were they low enough for people to see them? She glanced down at the green-and-brown patchwork quilt that was the ground, dotted with tiny colored squares that Cassandra guessed were houses, and decided that they were too far up to be perceived. Somehow, this gave her a strange sense of ownership over this little world that contained her, Altaria, Karen, Tuffly, and the slowly rising sun, travelers simply passing over the earth below and looking down on the pretty parts; tourists, almost.
"When are we going to get there?" Karen asked.
Cassandra blinked and brought herself back to reality; she began to really examine the land below. "Hm…there's Mauville over there," she said, pointing to a cluster of buildings to the south. "And that cloud of ash means Lavaridge is over there." She pointed to the north. "So…Rustboro isn't far away. Maybe twenty minutes."
"Oh." Strange how much emotion could be packed into one syllable; the whole mood shifted downward, and suddenly the air was tinged with sorrow.
Cassandra felt her chest ache a bit. She would arrive in Rustboro soon; and then, when she left, she would be leaving Karen behind.
The PokéCenter's blaringly red roof was the first thing Cassandra spotted, so Altaria touched down right outside it, gently laying the suitcases down first. She stood there preening while Cassandra gathered up the bags.
"So…where do you live?"
Karen tipped her head to the side. "You want to go to my house?"
"Well, I want to walk you home and meet your parents."
The girl considered this for a few moments before nodding. "Okay. Follow me." And without warning, she set off.
Cassandra called out Finny to carry the bags; he followed behind as Cassandra tried desperately to keep track of Karen in the surprising throng of Rustboro's streets. Most of the time, the only things she could see were Tuffly's bright pink ears flopping jauntily among the bodies.
When Karen turned down a side street, Cassandra nearly lost her; but once again, Tuffly's ears saved her, and when she, too, turned the corner, she found this street much easier to manage. They were obviously in the residential district now, since nice cottage-style houses rose on either side of her. The people here seemed that they either lived here, were lost, or were taking a shortcut. Cassandra counted herself among the middle of the three, especially when Karen led her down another side road.
The girl wound down these streets like a Rattata in a maze that had most certainly gotten a whiff of the cheese and was quite confident on how to get to it. Soon, the paved road turned to dirt beneath Cassandra's feet, and the houses grew sparse and far less nice; it wasn't the slums, per se, but it was considerably substandard. "Almost there," Karen said in a tone that suggested she thought she was being fully helpful. Cassandra's feet had just begun to ache when they turned a corner and her eyes landed on what was most definitely Karen's house.
While most of the houses here sat in a dirt yard, this yard was covered with all sorts of greenery—grass, trees, berry bushes—and occupied with several different species of Pokémon. The house itself was small and painted the brightest shade of yellow one could imagine, with a slanted blue roof. Jaggedly round stepping stones led the way from the dirt road to concrete steps painted a myriad of colors, which, in turn, led to the brightly-painted door. Cassandra was surprised the stepping stones themselves weren't painted, but when she drew closer and saw that they were—a drawing of the sun adorned each of their centers—she almost laughed out loud. This was the most comical place she had ever seen, though admittedly the most interesting. It matched Karen perfectly.
"This is it," Karen said unnecessarily, gesturing to the squat yellow house in all its obvious glory. She walked up to the house, making sure to press her foot into the center of each sun on each stepping stone.
Before Karen could even reach the steps the door flew open and a rather young-looking woman came out, smiling brightly. She wore a loose-fitting shirt with flowing sleeves that was printed with large colorful flowers, and her bright blue hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her long skirt was smudged with dirt and paint, as was her heart-shaped face. As Cassandra watched, the woman opened her arms and pulled Karen into them.
"Karen!" the woman exclaimed happily. "It's so good to have you home!"
"Hi, Mom," Karen replied. "This is Cassandra."
"Far out," Karen's mother—Chryssi, right? Yes, Chryssi, Cassandra thought—cried with a smile. "Come on in! The Pokémon can either stay outside and play with the Pokémon here or come in with you." With that, Chryssi promptly turned and went inside, Karen following. Cassandra quickly let Ellia and Fluffy from their Poké Balls; Fluffy insistently followed Cassandra up the walk, but the rest stayed outside to sniff curiously around the brilliant yard. Karen grabbed Cassandra's sleeve and hauled her into the house, shutting the door behind her.
The inside was just as interesting as the outside—the living room was small and somewhat cramped, seeing as there were strange-looking bits of plants scattered about almost every surface. The carpet was bright green and looked almost like grass, and the walls were bluer than any summer sky Cassandra had ever seen. The furniture was mismatched: an orange-and-white striped couch against one wall; an old recliner made of faded leather that had once been bright purple; an oak coffee table littered with plants that was now the chosen perch of a Jumpluff; a cherry-wood end table, also littered with plants, sitting next to the arm of the couch; a tall floor lamp with a polka-dot lampshade by the door; and a large window where, ordinarily, a TV would have gone—that is, directly across from the couch. The whole room actually seemed to be centered around the window, as if they watched the backyard instead of television. Behind the recliner was the kitchen counter, and the kitchen was every bit as colorful and mismatched as the living room; a Slowbro stood right at the linoleum, staring vapidly towards the couch.
"Enja! Karen's home!" Chryssi called, gently prodding the Jumpluff off the coffee table. She sat down on the couch and pulled some plants toward her.
"Way awesome," said a slow, drawn-out voice from somewhere down the hallway behind Cassandra; she turned. There were three doors down that hallway.
"I'll make tea," Karen said, heading toward the kitchen. Tuffly bounced after her but stopped to gleefully reunite with Jumpluff.
"No, that's okay," Cassandra said. "I should leave soon—"
"You'll want this tea," Karen replied as she slid between the Slowbro and the counter. "It will keep you awake and alert for your flight to Sinnoh."
"How thoughtful of you, Karen," Chryssi said brightly. "Can't have you falling asleep in midair, Honey Princess!"
"Oh—uh—yeah," Cassandra agreed feebly, not sure what to do. She felt Fluffy press against her leg; his ears were up and he was gazing around warily.
"So, Cassandra." Chryssi grabbed a small bowl and pulled it toward her. "Karen likes you very much. She's very in-tune with your chi."
"Oh, uh…thank you."
"I can tell she's had an influence on you." The woman looked up and smiled. "I'm in-tune with auras."
"Yeah," Cassandra agreed uncertainly.
"Oh, have a seat!" She patted the couch beside her, and Cassandra drifted over to sit stiffly. "So, Na-dra—can I call you Na-dra?"
"Um…sure."
"So, Na-dra—I'm sorry we can't let Karen go with you to Sinnoh, but that's just too far away."
"She can, like, visit…when she turns…sixteen."
"Oh, Enja! You're up!" Chryssi smiled up at the man who had entered the room, and Cassandra turned her attention toward him. He was unbelievably tall and more than a little gangly; his plain brown shirt was lopsided, as though it hadn't been made quite right, and his pants stopped just short of his ankles. His bare feet were long and thin, as were his hands. But it was his hair that really got Cassandra—it was long, trailing between his shoulder blades, and pulled into a loose ponytail. And it was pink. Bright, crazy, loud pink, just as pink as Karen's hair.
Cassandra supposed she had always assumed that Karen had gotten her hair color from her mother. Now, however, she realized that she had been completely wrong, and the man that stood before her stroking his thin pink goatee was the actual donor of Karen's locks.
"So…this…is Honey Princess," Enja said slowly, drawing out his words. An unhurried smile crept across his face. "Nice to finally…meet you…in person. It…was a good thing…giving back your ribbon."
"We watched the whole thing on the PokéCenter TV," Chryssi said, touching her fingers to Cassandra's wrist briefly. "And when Karen called and explained, we were so indignant! Right, honey?"
"In…dig…nant," Enja agreed.
"Tea?"
Karen had appeared in front of her, an anchor of (somewhat) normalcy in this sea of absurdity, and she took the teacup the girl offered. "Thank you," she said, and she took a sip for lack of anything better to do. "Oh…this is delicious."
"Thank you," Chryssi said. "We grow the herbs right there in our backyard." She pointed out the window, and Cassandra was unable to see which bush she had singled out among the veritable ocean of vegetation that grew there. Tons of different Pokémon flitted in and out of the garden—no wonder they watched the backyard instead of TV.
"Hi, Dad!"
"Hey…my little…pink pumpkin." Enja slowly opened his arms and then slowly folded them over his daughter; it was somewhat like watching a flower bud open and close. "Did you…have fun?"
"Yes," Karen replied. "I was Cassandra's coach."
"Oh, I thought I felt something different about your aura!" Chryssi said happily, clapping her hands. "You're more confident!"
Cassandra raised her eyebrows and looked at Karen. How could that girl possibly have been any more confident than the matter-of-fact one she had met that first day in the Pokémon Center? "She was very helpful," Cassandra heard herself saying. "I'll miss her a lot."
"Oh," Chryssi gushed sympathetically, reaching over to pull Cassandra into a hug. "It's okay—I'm positive you'll meet again. Your auras mesh beautifully; you'll be drawn towards each other."
Enja nodded seriously. "Your chi…is intertwined."
"Yes," Cassandra agreed. "Well…I better get going. Sinnoh is a hard day's flight."
"Hard day's night?" Enja asked.
"She said flight, honey," Chryssi said soothingly. "We need to help Karen get settled back in, anyway. It was so nice meeting you."
"Far out," Enja said with a nod.
Cassandra stood and moved toward the door, pausing in front of Karen. The girl stared fiercely up at her for a few moments—and then tears sprang to her eyes and she flung herself toward Cassandra, hugging her tightly so that she was breathless. "I'll miss you," Karen gasped.
Cassandra felt tears leap into her own eyes, and she hugged back. "I'll miss you too," she said, patting the girl's back. "I really will."
Karen pulled away and impatiently brushed away her tears before thrusting a slip of paper into Cassandra's hand. "Here. This is my address. When you get settled, send me your address and a few Contest plans and I'll make you some outfits."
Cassandra smiled and nodded; she was a bit slower to wipe her tears. "Yeah. Okay. What would I have done without you, Karen?"
The girl crossed her arms and looked away. "You would've managed."
"Well…good-bye, then. Should I ask Finny to bring in your bags?"
"No. You need to get going; at this rate, you won't be there until the afternoon. Tuffly will bring them in."
"Okay."
With a final hug from Karen and a wave to Chryssi and Enja, Cassandra left the little yellow house and climbed onto Altaria's back, returning all her Pokémon to their Poké Balls before taking off for Sinnoh.
After several long hours and an awkward bathroom break that took place nowhere near a bathroom, Cassandra arrived in Hearthome City, absolutely exhausted. She returned Altaria to her Poké Ball to give the poor thing some rest and let Fluffy out instead; he trotted happily beside her as she set forth on the streets of Hearthome.
Hearthome was beautiful and bustling. Sunlight streamed down on the stone streets, and people walked by in twos and threes, laughing as they swung shopping bags or adjusted coats. Shops and restaurants were absolutely everywhere—Cassandra couldn't turn a corner without glimpsing a sweet little café, or a bistro, or a specialty shop—but what really stood out was the fact that everywhere she looked, people were smiling. They beamed from corners, from outside shops, from their chairs in the outdoor cafés. The only unhappy person Cassandra came upon was a small toddler who had just skinned his knee, and this was fixed with a band-aid and a kiss from his mother.
Keeping in mind that Alyssa was going to join her the next day, Cassandra bought a newspaper and sat down at an outdoor café to look in the back for an apartment. Rent was steep, but she kept telling herself that Alyssa was going to help her, that she could get a job. With both of them earning steady paychecks, she was sure they could afford to live in an apartment in Hearthome.
"Can I get you anything, hon?"
Alyssa glanced up into the kind face of the waitress.
"Oh—um, do you have coffee?"
"Sure. How do you take it?"
"With as much sugar as you can possibly jam into it."
The waitress laughed appreciatively as she wrote this down. "A girl after my own heart. I'll be right back."
She was true to her word; the waitress was back within minutes, placing the coffee cup and a red pen in front of Cassandra, who lowered her newspaper to stare at the pen confusedly.
"It's so you can circle things," the waitress clarified. "You looking for a place to live?"
"Oh—thanks. Yeah, I am."
"I'm Sheryl." She held out her hand and Cassandra shook it; Sheryl promptly sat down across from her. "You look tired, sweetie. Where'd you come from?"
"Oh, uh, I just flew in from Hoenn."
"Plane or Pokémon?"
"Pokémon."
Sheryl let out a low whistle. "That's a long flight. It's only about half an hour by plane—did you need to save money?"
"Yeah. Hearthome apartments are expensive. I was going to get one in Solaceon or even Pastoria and just commute, but my friend contacted me and said we should get one together, and with her help we can most definitely get one here."
"Commute?" Sheryl asked. "You must be here for the Contest Hall."
Cassandra smiled. "Guilty. I was into the contests in Hoenn, but…well…"
Sheryl squinted. "I follow Coordinators; I could never do all that contest stuff myself, but I'm a fan, you know? So I don't know why I don't recognize…you…oh my God."
"Wh-what?"
"You—you're—!" Sheryl clamped her mouth shut and glanced around before leaning forward. "You're Cassandra Étoile!"
"Guilty again."
The woman slapped her hands over her mouth excitedly. "You're a favorite," she whispered. "Oh, goodness, wouldn't Helen just die to know you were here and she missed you—she loves you, you know, can't get enough of you, watched you from Verdanturf on up. And when you gave up that ribbon—oh, I don't know who was more distraught, her or Wendy Karr!"
Cassandra took a cursory glance of the café to make sure no one was listening.
"Oh, but of course you're trying to lay low right now," Sheryl said. "I understand. That ribbon thing must have brought you a lot of unwanted publicity. Well, the first thing you'll want to know about the Sinnoh Contest Hall is that you need to pay for registration."
"Pay?"
"Yes, pay. It's not that much, but it's a fee nonetheless. Now, if you wanted to get a job…well, we're not taking applications here anymore, but I have a friend—her name is Ina Richardson—who works at the Poffin House, and she says they need workers over there. I could talk to her, see if you could get a job there. Tell you what, honey, the coffee's on me."
"Oh, I couldn't—"
"Hush your mouth, girl, I insist. Now, the PokéCenter will take you until you can find a place to live. I used to have a friend in the real estate business, but, wouldn't you know it, she was a two-faced little—well, you know. Anyway, she deals mostly in Sunyshore nowadays. So I can't help you find an apartment; all I can do there is wish you some luck. You drink your coffee, and then run along and get some rest—take that pen with you, girl, you'll want it, I'm sure—and you come back here tomorrow around noon, and ole Miss Sheryl will buy you some lunch and introduce you to Ina. Just come up to the counter and ask for me, okay? You remember my name, honey? It's Sheryl—Sheryl Quann. I've gotta get going, sweetie, I've been chatting here for too long. See you tomorrow!" And with that, the woman stood and left, taking Cassandra's bill with her.
A little thunderstruck, Cassandra drank her coffee, folded up her newspaper, and left, taking care to leave some money on the table.
To: dingdongbelle, thompson_alyssa
From: dancing_through_life
Subject: Sinnoh
Okay you guys,
Come whenever you want. I'll be staying at the PokéCenter for the time being. I'm sorry I didn't check my email sooner, Belle, or I would have picked you up on my way over. D= Just send me an email telling me when you think you'll get here, and I'll be here waiting.
Love you guys!
Cassandra
P.S. WE'RE ALL GONNA BE LIVING TOGETHER. That's so exciting! XD
Look everyone! It's a sorta regular update! THEY'RE RETURNING I'M TRYING I PROMISE
Anyway, thank you for reviewing!:
The Finesseful X (Nice name, by the way. And thank you so much! XD)
fractal (Thanks - I couldn't help but notice that there is never a triathlon, but there are always several people training for it.)
Mo12341234 (Yay! Thank you!)
Emblem Duelist (Thanks so much!)
Ralyena Starrling (^_^ I am proud; thank you very much!)
So, I'm in the process of writing Chapter 52 - it's Alyssa - so stay tuned!
