Hello, my loyal readers! Before I introduce the next chapter, though, I just want to say a few words:
2016 so far sucks. In the same week, we lost both David Bowie and Alan Rickman, both men 69 years old and diagnosed with cancer. While I wasn't too familiar with his music, I enjoyed David Bowie in Labyrinth and will forever respect him. Alan Rickman's passing, however, hit me the hardest. I believe it's safe to assume every single Harry Potter fan is affected in some way over this horrible turn of events. The fandom just won't be the same without our Severus Snape.
Those two will forever be in my heart, and my sympathy goes out to their families and fans. I'll "always" remember them.
I just wanted to say something regarding those two great British legends. Now, let us move onto light-hearted subjects.
Thank you for 69 favorites and 62 follows! They really mean a lot to me, and just the fact so many people read my stories and writing gets me emotional.
TerrorKing10: I totally agree with you. I mean, come on, Ash is the kid who obviously knew enough to defeat a freaking Darkrai and a Latios. I don't know how his intelligence levels could've dropped from Sinnoh to Unova just like that. I felt, in episode 50 anyway, Ash was trying so hard to get a clean win for his fourth badge. I'm guessing he wanted to win using a complete non-Ash strategy maybe to improve himself and/or decrease the amount of "little kid" insults thrown at him from Iris. Either way, I feel sorry for him, but also dislike him. Complicated emotions, I guess. But if he wanted type advantages, I honestly don't know why he didn't just go with Roggenrola.
Legendoffun: Thank you for reading! And yes, I was wary about the openings, too. But other people have asked for them, and for the time being, I will continue to include them. However, once the Junior Cup arc rolls around, I may replace the current theme with the Japanese theme, but only at your requests.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Oh, and a surprise is at the end for you guys! ;)
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokémon. I only own my character, Alice.
Chapter 51
Lost at the Stamp Rally!
So, exactly one day ago, I challenged and defeated Elesa, the Nimbasa City Gym Leader who specializes in Electric-types. You'd think that, after barely pulling through, I'd be taking it easy, right? Just relaxing?
Think again, buddies.
Because instead, vibrations shoot up my legs as I run down the streets of Nimbasa City, in hot pursuit of Cilan. Iris runs beside me, both of us panting like crazy.
The Pokémon Connoisseur runs down the flight of stairs that leads to the subway station; you know, for a formally-dressed gentleman, he sure is speedy.
"Slow down, Cilan!"
But he continues running down the stairs, but thankfully stops when he reaches the bottom. However, once Iris and I finally get to the bottom, he starts running once more.
My lungs burning, I gasp out, "What's the rush?"
"Some of us have to breathe, you know!" Iris pants.
Luckily, our emerald-eyed traveling partner doesn't wander too far, and he stops at a small white stand nearby. Perched on the stand is a stack of white cards. "There it is: the Subway Bosses Stamp Rally!" he tells us proudly.
As I struggle to catch my breath, I manage to raise my eyebrow. "Stamp...Rally?"
"But did we have to run all the way here?" Iris groans, breathing just as hard as me.
Cilan takes a card from the stack and holds it up. Taking a closer look, I realize it's filled with tiny boxes. "Look, here's why," he starts to explain to us. "When one competes in the rally, it normally takes three whole days to collect all sixty stamps." A slightly devastated look ghosts over his face like a shadow. "Sadly, this is the final day..."
The tip of a seemingly-sympathy-soaked knife pierces my heart. "Oh, that sucks."
"Then it's not gonna happen?" Iris murmurs, her cocoa eyes drooping.
Shaking his head, Cilan answers, "Au contraire," his voice thick with an attractive French accent. "I'll get them all in a day. In fact, when the rally ends at four p.m., they'll all be mine."
Iris rolls her eyes as he leans down and presses a Tepig-imprinted stamp to his card. "Oh, the high drama of stamp collecting—collected by such a kid," she sighs heavily.
"Tsk tsk tsk," he brushes her off, smiling confidently. "And once I've gotten all sixty stamps, voilà! I'll have the privilege of battling either Subway Boss Ingo or Emmet. There is no higher honor as a true subway fan. It's a Metro Connoisseur's dream of a lifetime!"
Hearing the words battle and Subway Boss in the same sentence sends shivers of excitement up my spine. My heart pounds faster as I think about battling either one of them with one of my Pokémon.
"Battling a Subway Boss sounds like a lot of fun!" I finally speak up. "I would love to battle one of them if I could."
Suddenly, Cilan's arm wraps around my shoulders, and he hugs me closer to him. Redness and heat swamp my cheeks immediately, as usual. "Of course! Let's pursue the Subway Bosses Stamp Rally together. Then, we will experience Subway Time!"
But before I can force any words out of my dry-with-shock mouth, Iris grips my arm and pulls me away from him. I'm about to protest when she yells to him from across the room.
"Sorry, Cilan, you're a bit late! Alice already promised she'd do some Nimbasa City sightseeing with me."
Oh, crap! She's right!
Half of me wants to tell her that later would be a better time (she'd understand my situation, since she's a girl, too), but the other half tells me to keep my promise to her.
In an awkward voice, I blush at the disappointed look on Cilan's face and answer, "Uh, yeah, that's right. I'm sorry. We'll meet up together later, I promise!" And with that, Iris begins to drag me away.
Well, I guess I do owe her the day, since I need to repay her for spying on her earlier and defeating her in the Club Battle Tournament's final round.
A new adventure, another day
Images of Alice and Pikachu cheering, Iris and Axew looking out into the distance from the top of a tree in the forest, and Cilan refereeing the start of a battle flash by.
One more challenge that comes our way
Tepig jumps through a blue background, yelling out energetically, while Oshawott jumps up and down, his scalchop in hand as he cheers at the battle he's just won, and Servine lands in front of Alice, smirking and crossing her arms.
It's up to me and you
Perched on his Trainer's shoulder, Pikachu's little yellow fist clenched up and he punches the air, cheering loudly.
We know what we've got to do
Boldore braces himself for battle, a newly-evolved Crustle lets out a battle cry, Krokorok's sharp teeth glow with a white color, Unfezant spreads her wings and cries out, Cubchoo releases an Icy Wind attack, and Pikachu releases a Thunderbolt attack.
We are together now, friends forever now
As Alice calls out a battle move, Iris ducks and nearly misses a barrage of Air Slash attacks from Tornadus.
Whatever comes our way, we won't run away
Oshawott spins around in the air, clutching his scalchop tightly as he prepares to attack. Skyla throws a Poké Ball. Trip stares at the battle between Alice and Alder with intrigued silvery eyes. Fired up with determination to help Deino, Iris cheers. Axew releases a powerful stream of dark blue energy in the form of a Dragon Rage attack.
Standing tall
One for all
The sight of Team Rocket brings meek drops of sweat to Alice's forehead, but she brushes them off when she realizes her two—or three—best friends are by her side.
It's our destiny
Landorus, Tornadus, and Thundurus swoop down, and Alice yells out a move. Shots and images of Trip, Burgundy, Georgia, Elesa, and Clay overlap each other rapidly.
Pokémon!
A few minutes later, Iris and I walk out of one of the subway train cars and onto the platform. We run over to a colorful map in the center of the platform, our eyes scanning the board.
"This way!"
Iris points over to the right to a flight of stairs, and the two of us run over to it. We run up the stairs, and once we do, were met with a collection of blinding rays from the sun up above. People—children, adults and even Pokémon—surround the area, all of them either laughing or smiling.
"Here it is!" Iris gushes, her chocolate-colored eyes shining. "Small Court, and Big Stadium!" She points over to the two colorful semi-circle-shaped buildings in front of us.
I push my hair back over my shoulders and ask her, "What do you wanna see first?"
She automatically points to a large billboard up above near Big Stadium. "Those guys!"
My eyes trail up, where I see a football poster for two teams competing with each other. "The Gurdurr Eleven versus Team Darmanitan?" I ask her.
She nods energetically. "The Gurdurr Eleven are my guys all the way!"
"I didn't know you were a sports fan," I tell her, "much less a football fan."
"A huge fan!" She winks at me before smiling proudly. "You see, it just so happens that the Gurdurr Eleven have been training in the Village of Dragons forever."
"Really?" I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy at her prideful words. Sports teams never trained in Pallet Town when I was growing up. But then again, I'm not one for sports that much, so it doesn't bother me too much. "Then Pikachu and I'll cheer for Team Darmanitan. Right, buddy?"
From his spot on my shoulder, my little Pikachu nods energetically. "Pika pikachu."
About an hour later, as Iris and I walk out of the stadium, the eleven-year-old cheers loudly. With her next to me, I feel like the adult, which makes me feel a little uneasy.
"That was awesome! When it comes to dramatic wins, the Gurdurr Eleven are second to none! When it comes to fans, I'm second to none!"
"It sucks Team Darmanitan blew it at the end," I exhale, holding Pikachu tighter in my arms. "But it was fun, I'll admit it."
Iris then turns to me, her brown eyes glimmering. "Alice, let's have a match at the Small Court."
A determined smirk makes its way to my lips. "Okay, but I'm prepared to win!"
The inside of Small Court is filled with many basketball courts and tennis courts. Iris and I swing identical rackets, knocking a tennis ball over the net and back. Pikachu and Axew sit next to each other on the side, watching the ball bounce back and forth.
I'm able to score a few hits and get a higher score than her for a while, but she makes up for it when she smacks the tiny ball so hard with her racket she sends it over the net and into my cheek.
Crying out in shock, I fall down on my back, rubbing my sore cheek. The ball lands next to my side, but that's not my main concern right at the moment.
"Pika pika!"
"Oh my gosh!" Iris gasps. "I'm sorry!"
I wave my hand dismissively and grab the ball as I struggle to my feet. "It's okay. No need to worry, as my friend Dawn would say."
The game goes on for about another few minutes, with myself emerging victorious. After the game, though, Iris and I shake hands in a friendly matter, telling each other it was a good game. Axew and Pikachu do the same on the side, as well.
We don't have much time to relax after our tennis match, because Iris challenges me to a basketball game. The two of us play furiously, dribbling the ball rapidly and scoring as many points as possible.
Though this time, it's Iris who wins the match, much to my surprise. I'm no sports expert myself, but it would never strike me that she would share the same amount of love for sports as she does for swinging from vines.
When we finally walk out of Small Court another hour later, both of us sweaty and tired as hell, Iris says, "They're doing a Pokémon Musical at the Musical Theater!"
"...Musical?"
Does she mean like singing and dancing and sitting in a dark crowded theater? Because I'm not one for that, if you can tell.
But she ends up dragging me to the theater, despite my inaudible protests, and sits us down in the front row. The metal door with the bright red word EXIT is near, which reassures me a bit.
The lights suddenly go out, and I clutch Pikachu tighter. But the lights shining on the stage flicker on when the curtain unfolds itself. Revealed in the center of the stage is a collection of absolutely beautiful Pokémon.
A pretty Deerling, beautiful Swanna, adorable Cottonee and cute Gothita all surround a stunning Gothitelle, which makes me feel uneasy at the sight of it. It brings back unhealthy memories of Damon's pretty but powerful Gothitelle a few months ago, when we traveled to Eindoak Town and met Victini.
All five Pokémon step out and open their mouths, their singing voices loud and clear and yet oddly hypnotic. I'm starting to relax as I focus my eyes on the stage, but that's when Oshawott jumps from his Poké Ball on my belt and latches himself onto the stage, his eyes shining with affection and awe.
Immediately, I run over to him and pull on his small sea otter-like body. "Oshawott, stop it!" But no matter how hard I tug, he won't let go of the stage.
Suddenly, I feel myself becoming weightless, and I look down to see a bright blue outline covering my body. I'm carried over, along with Oshawott and Pikachu, to the stage, where my captor—Gothitelle, (Go figure, I think to myself bitterly)—finally releases me.
Almost instantly, the five Pokémon swarm around me and their hands attach to my jacket and arms. "Cut it out! Stop it!"
When they pull away, Pikachu is dressed up in a light green hat, bow tie, and now holds a small brown cane in his hand. His eyes glazed with confusion, he looks over to Oshawott, who's dressed up in a blue hat, bow tie, and has a small fake mustache plastered on his cute little face.
I'm no longer in just my black tank top, denim skirt and jacket, though. My jacket and hat now off, pulled over my outfit is a beautiful violet dress that reaches to my knees. My short white boots go surprisingly well with the dress, and a lacy violet choker with a bow is tied around my neck.
I don't look that bad.
Gothitelle suddenly grabs my hands and swings me around. I shriek out, somewhat terrified it'll attack me like Damon's Gothitelle did a while back, but she merely sings in her soothing voice as she dances with me, finally pulling me closer to her.
Meanwhile, Oshawott and Gothita dance cutely, and Deerling nudges Pikachu, swinging him onto her back. Both of my Pokémon look so happy, which makes my heart swell with joy.
"They're incredible!" I hear Iris gasp as she joins the clapping and cheering audience around us.
The Pokémon on stage bow, satisfied with their performance, and Pikachu, Oshawott and I bow, as well.
Later, Iris and I walk out of the subway station's stairs and into the bright sunlight. I'm still wearing the violet dress—it's too pretty to just sit in my room at the Pokémon Center all day. It was nice for those Pokémon at the Musical Theater to let me keep it, after all.
"I never thought I'd be dancing on stage like that," I chuckle to Iris, picking at the ends of the dress. "But this dress is too pretty! Do you think I should send it to Mom in Kanto to keep safe?"
But if she hears me, she doesn't acknowledge me, and instead runs ahead towards the large crowd of people in the amusement park. "It's the Nimbasa City Ferris Wheel!" she gasps ecstatically. "I've wanted to ride for so long! Axew, come on!"
She disappears into the crowd, and I try to run after her. "Wait up, Iris!" But when I make it into the crowd, I can't find any sign of the purple-haired girl, or her Dragon-type partner. "Where'd they go?"
"Pika pika."
At Pikachu's voice, I turn my head, and my eyes catch the small dark green form of Axew, who stands on the edge of the crowd. His eyes are wide and he looks all around him, taking in the scenery and passerby's.
A sigh of relief escapes my lips as I jog over to him. "Axew!" I stop when I reach him and lean down, my hands touching the hem of the dress as I do so. "Where's Iris?"
Axew looks at me with a quizzical expression, which makes me quirk an eyebrow, but then I catch sight of a bright pink bow on its tail.
Axew doesn't have a pink bow. And I'm sure Axew wouldn't dare leave the safety and warmth of Iris's purple hair. But then...who's this Axew?
"Alice!" My head shoots up and turns to the left. Iris runs over to me, holding three vanilla ice cream cones. And sure enough, Axew's in her hair. "These are for you and Pikachu. It's my treat, so don't worry about it."
She hands the cones to us, but then looks down at the Axew on the ground. Immediately, her eyes go wide and she squeals, kneeling down.
"A girl Axew!" She picks up the Dragon-type and snuggles her to her face. "Aw, you're cute!"
But then the female Axew lets out a sad-sounding sigh, and Iris pulls away from her. "What's wrong?" I ask the Pokémon in her arms.
As she stands up, Iris's eyes roam around the park. "Do you think...she's lost...?" she questions, like she's afraid to ask. She looks down at the Axew in her arms, who snuggles closer to her. "Are you?"
With devastated wide eyes, the female Axew answers in a soft voice, "Yew axew."
"Iris!"
Pikachu and I run over to our cocoa-eyed friend, who sits on the bench we found the female Axew—we're calling her Axey for now, just so we don't get her mixed up with Iris's Axew. Iris looks up from the small Dragon-type in her lap, her brown eyes hopeful.
"Anything?" she asks as I stop in front of her.
I shake my head, my black hair splaying over my shoulders. "No one's reported a missing Pokémon."
Her face falls, and she looks at Axey again. She sighs, shutting her eyes.
"...I can't leave you. Not if I'm going to be a Dragon Master someday."
I rest my hand gently on Axey's head, petting her softly. "She's right. Your Trainer's got to be around here somewhere."
"Where did you get separated?"
At Iris's words, Axey suddenly jumps out of her lap and runs over towards the staircase that leads to the subway station.
"Let's go follow her," I find myself muttering. Once Iris nods, the two of us begin to follow the tiny Dragon-type.
The two of us stand inside the subway tunnels, where two rows of track lay on each side of the subway rail. My eyes roam around, scanning the multiple trains that stop and speed by.
"Instead of getting separated at the amusement park," Iris says, her voice ripping me from my thoughts, "I guess it must've happened right here."
"Maybe her Trainer's still here," I suggest, tugging at the hem of my dress. "I hope we made it in time."
"Me, too."
On the track on my right side, a silver train with a long green stripe painted across it screeches to a stop, and its doors slide open. A few people start boarding the train while a handful of others disembark.
Axey suddenly gasps and runs towards the open doors. The bright pink bow on her tail wobbles as she runs to the train.
"Where's she going?"
"Maybe her Trainer's going in a subway car," Iris suggests to me.
"Still, we need to keep an eye on her." I'm not going to let such a small Pokémon out of my sight.
When Iris nods in response, the two of us jog towards the car and step into it just as the doors slide shut. As I scan around the room, my eyes catch no sight of the small Axew.
"She's in the next car," Iris tells me, pointing. Indeed, I can see the tip of Axey's stubby dark green tail disappear into the thick crowd of people in the car in front of us.
But when we start walking towards the car, the train surges forward, and an elderly woman falls to the floor. Immediately, I kneel down to her, placing my hands on her shoulders.
"Are you okay, ma'am?" She gives me a weak smile in response.
Seeing I've got my hands full, Iris takes out a Poké Ball and tosses it. "Emolga, go see what's up with Axey!"
In a flash of brilliant white and blue light, Iris's flirty Emolga appears in the air. She nods and turns away, flying into the next car.
Once I help the woman to her feet, and I'm certain she's okay, I follow Iris into the next car. I gently push through the crowd of people, spotting Emolga and Axey's small shapes.
"Thank goodness they're still here," I sigh in relief.
Suddenly, Emolga releases a Discharge attack, several bolts and sparks lashing out in all kinds of directions. A bolt of lightning hits me, and pain engulfs me. My screams are drowned out by those in the car with us.
A furious glare makes its way through Iris's pain-filled face. "Emolga, stop doing that right now!"
Iris and I stand in the middle of the station, our heads hung low as the conductor glares at us. Guilt sinks into me like a rock in mud as I stare at my shoes.
"I'm so sorry," Iris apologizes.
"I feel really bad," I mumble. I don't like apologizing all that much, but I hate bluntly refusing to apologize even more.
The conductor sighs, his eyes softening just a teensy bit. "Well, it's understandable, but from now on, please be more careful."
"Okay," the two of us reply without thinking.
A little while later, Iris and I sit on a bench in the station, watching the different trains go by as we snack on some small sandwiches. Axey sits between us, munching on a sandwich of her own. Pikachu and Axew do the same, although they're perched on our shoulders.
"We found the wrong person," I sigh after I chew a mouthful of bread and cheese. "We need to find Axey's Trainer ASAP."
Iris sends a soft sad look in Axey's direction. "By now her Trainer must be worried sick." After a moment, she proposes, "Alice, let's go back to the amusement park."
"Okay. There's no point in staying here."
"Though, I think it would be a good idea for us to leave a sign that Axey had been here," Iris suggests, that determine sparkle lingering in her cocoa eyes.
I raise my eyebrow and tilt my head slightly. "Like what?"
"Like that."
She points over to the side, where a stamp stand rests. A picture of a Vanillite is plastered onto the front—it must carry Vanillite stamps.
"Vanillite stamps?" A smirk tugs on my lips as I turn to Iris. "But you're not the biggest fan of Ice-types. You only tolerate my Cubchoo."
A dark red color dusts Iris's cheeks, and she glares at me. "Oh, hush."
When the two of us walk over to the stand, Iris has Axey dip her small paw into some red ink on the counter and stamp one of the cards. Once the ink dries, Iris snatches a pen from the counter and sketches a picture of the Ferris Wheel.
"Perfect. Now, I'll hang it up," she says, taping the card onto the front o the stand, "so when her Trainer sees this, they'll know just where to find Axey."
"I'm impressed, Iris," I find myself saying as I smile at her. "That's a pretty clever idea." I refrain from making a coming from a little kid comment, like she usually does with me.
The two of us wait for the train that will take us to the amusement park. When it arrives and screeches to a stop, we get on, Axey at our heels.
With a defeated sigh, I go to shove my hands into the pockets of my jacket, but jolt when I realize I'm still wearing the violet dress from the Pokémon Musical. I groan slightly and walk away from the Nimbasa Central Station. No one's reported anything yet on a missing Pokémon, much less a baby female Axew.
This sucks, I think to myself, feeling tears prick the corners of my eyes. I blink furiously, trying to make them disappear. A Pokémon as young as Axey shouldn't have to go through this. No Pokémon should, for that matter.
When I look up from the ground, the sulky mood slipping away, I catch sight of Iris, who stands outside of the station.
"Iris!" She looks up as I run over to her.
"Anything?"
"No one's heard anything from Axey's Trainer." At my words, Axey sighs from her place on the ground, and looks down in defeat. "All we can do is keep looking."
When she sees Axey staring at the ground sadly, Iris kneels down to her. I would, too, but instead I just crouch down, the not-so-frilly hem of my dress brushing against the ground.
"Don't worry, Axey," Iris says to the Dragon-type. "We won't quit until we help you find your Trainer."
"She means it," I add in, "so don't worry, okay?"
Axey only lets out a small sound that sounds like a cross between a sigh and a whimper.
I stand back up and look around, my eyes landing on the large clock that stands on a post near the station. The time is currently 3:44 p.m. "It's getting late."
"Where could Axey's Trainer be?" Iris wonders aloud, standing up, as well.
Suddenly, a man in a conductor's outfit runs out of the station and towards us. He huffs slightly, a smile on his face.
"Excuse me, are you Alice and Iris?"
The two of us sit side by side in a subway car in silence. I keep replaying the scene over in my head: the conductor asked us to hurry over to Nimbasa Central Station and wait there for further instructions.
"I wonder what that was all about?" I finally speak, turning sideways to look at Iris. "Why go do Nimbasa Central Station?"
She shrugs, holding Axey in her lap. "I don't know."
Soon enough, the train skids to a slightly screeching halt. We both disembark and stand there on the platform, looking around.
"He asked us to wait out here on this platform, right?" Iris asks me.
"I think so," I tell her.
Suddenly, with a relieved and happy cry, Axey jumps out of Iris's arms and runs over to the outstretched arms of a girl's. With short brown hair and blue eyes like mine, except hidden behind a pair of glasses, the girl hugs Axey, and the little Dragon-type buries her face into her pink sweater.
The girl clutches the ring Pokémon tightly in her small, thin arms. "Axew! I'm so sorry! You must've been so scared!" she breathes, tiny tears pooling at her eyes. "I'll never let you out of my sight again!" Axey chatters away in her Axew language, looking as relieved as her Trainer.
"A sweeter reunion, I've never seen," comes the voice of Cilan from behind the girl. Standing behind him are the two Subway Bosses, Ingo and Emmet. "So very emotional and heartwarming."
Exchanging confused glances, Iris and I walk over to them. "Cilan?" Iris asks.
"And Ingo and Emmet?" My voice is just as thick with confusion as my eleven-year-old friend's. "What's going on?"
Cilan sends me a smile that nearly makes my heart melt. "Erina and I bumped into each other. We've been searching for her Axew together."
"But how did you know that her Axew was with us?" Iris questions.
"And that we were at the amusement park?" I add.
Erina stands, holding Axey tightly in her arms, and holds up the ink-stamped card with the drawing of the Ferris Wheel from the Vanillite stand. "We found this."
"That was a great idea," Cilan says, smiling at both of us.
Although a part of me wants to point out it was Iris's idea, another part wants to bask in the praise he gives us, so I keep my mouth shut.
"When we discovered you all needed help," Ingo speaks up, "we had to take action."
"In appreciation from your help from before," Emmet says, speaking of when we saved Nimbasa City and the Subway System from Team Rocket's villainous clutches, "we used every tool we had at our disposal."
"And now Erina and her Axew are back together once more," Cilan summarizes.
Erina nods, a sweet expression on her face. "And I'm so grateful for all your help." Iris and I smile at her, and I feel my face beginning to grow warm at her words.
Iris suddenly gasps and stares at Cilan. "I almost forgot! Did you get it done?"
"...What?"
"The Subway Stamp Rally."
When realization seems to kick in, the classy connoisseur shrieks, his hand diving into his pocket. He nearly rips the card from the fabric as he lifts it up to his face, his emerald eyes scanning the paper furiously.
"I still need to get the Axew stamp!" he gasps. "I need to hurry or it'll be too late!"
But just as he prepares to run off to find the stand containing the Axew stamps, a loud beep fills the air. It's followed by a male voice, who states the following:
"The time is now four o'clock, which means participation for the Subway Stamp Rally is now officially over. Thank you to our many participants."
Cringing inside, I watch as my crush sinks to his knees, looking devastated. "It was my childhood dream! My fantasy battle! And it all vanished right in front of my eyes, faster than an express train!"
As Iris and I look at each other, our faces flashing with uneasiness, Erina steps over to Cilan. "Cilan?" With a weak and crushed look, he turns his head. "If you need it, I have the Axew stamp right here." She holds up a card similar to Cilan's, an Axew stamp printed on the very last square.
The three of us gasp, our eyes wide. "How'd you get that?" I ask her.
Her blue eyes trail up to the ceiling, like she's remembering just how she obtained it. "I was looking for my Axew and got off the train at a station along the way," she finally says. "I asked someone if he'd seen my Axew, and he directed me to the Axew stamp stand. When I saw it, I thought, why not get one?"
Iris gives her a warm and friendly smile. "I'm glad you got the stamp Cilan needs."
"Me, too," she chuckles. She turns to him, smiling. "And it's yours for helping me find my Axew."
Cilan stands up, a doubtful expression on his face. "Thanks, Erina, but...you see..." He stares at Ingo and Emmet, hope flashing in his eyes.
Emmet chuckles, "Well, Ingo? Shall we say yes?"
Ingo nods in response. "Once again, you lent a hand to a valuable subway rider. I think we can let this slide."
My heart seems to burst with happiness for him as he smiles widely in joy. "You mean it?! Thank you so very much!"
"Since both of us are already here," Ingo continues with a somewhat mischievous smile, "how about a Subway Bosses Tag-Battle?"
"That's a great idea," Emmet agrees. "This is the perfect opportunity for the two of us to see what you can do out on the battlefield."
Cilan suddenly turns to me, those emerald eyes gleaming brightly. "Well, what do you say?"
Although my cheeks flare up, I return his smile and say, "You already know my answer."
As the warm glowing pride of Cilan choosing me as his battling partner lingers in my chest, the doors of the train car Ingo and Emmet have led us to slide open. The inside of a normal car is revealed, seats and railings and all.
"This is it?" My chest deflates a little inside.
"A subway car?" Iris sounds just as doubtful.
But when Ingo and Emmet snap their fingers in unison, the benches move back further, revealing white lines on the floor. An impressive sized battlefield appears, and the four of us gasp at how well it's been hidden.
"This is Gear Station," Cilan breathes in amazement, "Nimbasa Central Station's underground battlefield! Being here is a Metro Connoisseur's dream come true!"
With that being said, Iris and Erina take their seats on one of the benches. Ingo and Emmet stand on the far side of the battlefield while Cilan and I stand on the side near the door. The referee, a young man in a casual blue suit, steps up onto the side.
"And now," he announces, "the Gear Station Tag-Battle is about to begin!"
"Chandelure, all aboard!"
"Eelektross, full speed ahead!"
The two Subway Bosses throw their Poké Balls in the air. In identical blue flashes, Ingo's Chandelure and Emmet's Eelektross appear before us.
"Just like I thought." I reach around me and unclip a Poké Ball from my belt. "Tepig, come on out!"
"Pansage, join the fun!" Cilan shouts, tossing a Poké Ball, as well.
Tepig and Pansage appear in similar flashes, too. Tepig paws at the ground, looking just as determined as Pansage.
I don't waste any time in calling for an attack. "Tepig, use Flamethrower on Eelektross!"
"Pansage, use Bullet Seed on Chandelure!" Cilan commands.
As Tepig inhales deeply and blows a powerful stream of fire from his snout, Pansage spits out tiny grass-colored seeds from his mouth. The seeds smack into Chandelure, and the fire stream slams into Eelektross.
"I'll take care of Eelektross," I whisper to Cilan.
It might be better for Pansage to take care of Chandelure, who's a Ghost-type. I know Chandelure's also a Fire-type, and Pansage is at a total disadvantage, but Pansage knows more long-distance attacks than Tepig does, and I don't want Tepig to hit Chandelure, only to have his attack disabled if Chandelure happens to have the Ability Cursed Body, like Trip's Frillish does.
When he nods, I shout, "Tepig, use Flame Charge!"
Tepig, slamming his two front hooves onto the ground in front of him, creates a large cloud of dust and smoke. He bursts out of it, his entire small body covered with flames, and hits Eelektross right in the chest.
"Pansage, Solar Beam!"
At Cilan's words, Pansage's hands fly up to the green tuft on his head. A beam of green solar energy begins forming in between his tan paws.
But Ingo merely smirks. "We can't allow that. Chandelure, use Smog!"
Chandelure, with what looks like a smirk, blows a thick cloud of dark smoke on Pansage. The small Grass-type coughs and shuts his eyes, aiming his hands out and away from him. The Solar Beam attack fires, barely missing Eelektross, who seems to be recovering from Tepig's Flame Charge attack.
"Pansage, no!" Cilan gasps. Pansage staggers back in recoil.
"Use Will-O-Wisp on Pansage!" Ingo shouts. At once, Chandelure surrounds himself with bright purple flames. He shoots them at Pansage, who looks frozen in terror.
I gnash my teeth together. I'm not about to let my partner go down like this! "Tepig, protect Pansage with Flamethrower!"
Tepig runs and skids to a stop in front of Pansage, fighting the purple flames off with a stream of bright red fire. Both attacks cancel each other out, and I sigh in relief. Tepig and Pansage are safe.
"Eelektross, use Acid!"
Emmet's Pokémon spits out a gooey purple substance at our two Pokémon. Both Pansage and Tepig cough violently, trying to clear their lungs of the horrible poisonous substance.
"Tepig, Pansage, are you two okay?" I call to them. They cough in response; they can't answer properly right now.
"Just what I'd expect from Ingo and Emmet," Cilan murmurs. "They battle with precision, the same way they run the Subway System." He snaps his fingers and spins around. "So now, it's Evaluation Time!"
As I jump up and down inside with excitement, Erina asks in confusion, "Evaluation Time?"
Iris rolls her eyes from the side. "Oh, boy. Wait till you get a load of this."
But Cilan's not done. "It's Special Subway Time!"
"Get ready for the biggest lecture you've ever heard," Iris groans as Erina looks on.
Without warning, Cilan rests his hand on my shoulder and squeezes it gently. I try so hard to keep the blood from rushing to my cheeks, but fail as the heat invades my face.
"Pansage and Tepig will be just like a subway train and engineer—everything in sync," the skilled Pokémon Connoisseur remarks as his hand remains on my shoulder. "And this will guarantee we arrive at our victory stop on time. Pansage, go!"
Nodding, Pansage swiftly jumps up and grabs onto one of the metal railings up above. He swings from it briefly before shoving off of it and grabbing the railing on the other side of the car.
"Pansage, attack with Bullet Seed!"
As he soars through the air between the railings, Pansage spits out tiny green seeds. The seeds hit both Chandelure and Eelektross, both Pokémon cringing in pain.
"What an amazing attack!" Erina gasps in awe.
"It sure is!" Iris agrees, smiling.
I can't let Cilan steal all the fun! "Tepig, Flame Charge, now!"
Tepig coats himself in red fire once again and charges for the two Pokémon.
Meanwhile, Ingo stares at them, silent. "Clever... It's like Pansage is in charge of the connecting lines, while Tepig is driving straight into the heart of its city."
"That's true," Emmet remarks, "but it won't be working on us. Use Thunderbolt on the bars, Eelektross!"
With a look of fiery determination, Eelektross releases a powerful bolt of electric power on the nearby railings. The current swims right through the metal, shocking Pansage. The poor Grass-type falls to the ground, colliding into a charging Tepig. Both Pokémon lay on the ground in a heap, to our horror.
Ingo smirks at this. "It looks like we're coming to the end of the line. Chandelure, use Psychic!"
Chandelure's yellow eyes glow a light blue color, and a faint blue outline traces over Pansage and Tepig's forms. Their faces scrunch up in pain as they're squeezed by the Ghost and Fire-type.
"Eelektross, use Thunderbolt!"
Eelektross releases one last powerful bolt of electricity, shocking Tepig and Pansage. The two of them stagger back and fall, black swirls replacing their eyes. Cilan and I gasp in shock, and I feel my heart drop in defeat.
"Tepig and Pansage are unable to battle," the referee announces, "so the winners of the Tag-Battle are Ingo and Emmet, the Subway Bosses!"
At sunset, Iris, Cilan, Erina and I stand outside with Ingo and Emmet. Although I'm sad about losing the battle, I know I gave it everything I had. I've also gained even more respect for the two Subway Bosses.
"A battle masterpiece from the Subway Bosses!" Cilan continues to gush. "Sampling your expertise was a true honor."
"I've learned so much from our battle," I speak up, beaming at the two Subway Bosses.
Emmet returns the smile. "No no, thank you. I assure you that the pleasure was ours, indeed."
"We heard a rumor," Ingo starts, "that you're all headed for the Driftveil City Gym soon. Is that correct?"
A warm glow settles in my chest once more. "Yup. That's our next stop."
"Then I've got some good news: the bridge has been repaired, and you'll be able to cross it any time you'd like," Ingo chuckles.
My eyes widen in happiness and surprise. "Really?! That's a relief!"
"I suggest we stay at the Pokémon Center tonight," Cilan speaks up, "and set off first thing tomorrow."
From behind me, Erina holds her little Axew closer to her. "Axew, how would you like to go to the amusement park and ride the Ferris Wheel with me?"
Iris suddenly gasps loudly, making me jump in surprise. "I forgot! We didn't get to ride on it yet!"
The four of us now sit in one of the Poké Ball-shaped carts of the Ferris Wheel, gazing at the city lights below us. Iris and Erina sit next to each other, while Cilan and I share the other side of the cart.
"Wow!" Iris's eyes sparkle in the dim sunlight as she stares at the beautiful city below.
"The delightful blend of Nimbasa City and the sunset is a treat beyond description to behold," Cilan whispers, laying his hand down on mine on the seat. My cheeks heat up once again, but I don't turn to look at him. I just keep my eyes fixed on the bright city lights.
"It's beautiful," Erina murmurs. "And we're seeing it together, right, Axew?" Her partner nods, snuggling into her.
I breathe deeply, breathing in the soft air of the cart. "And tomorrow, it's off to Driftveil City. Are you excited, Pikachu?"
My little Electric-type, who's perched next to me, raises his fists in the air and shouts, "Pika pi!"
When the sky is dark and starry, the four of us head back to the Pokémon Center. We say our goodbyes to Erina and her Axew before heading off to our separate rooms.
But just as I'm about to enter my assigned room, a calm and soft voice stops me.
"Alice?"
I turn around, only to see Cilan standing behind me. My face heats up again, but I just brush it off.
"Oh, it's just you, Cilan. What's the matter?"
"Nothing," he says quickly. He almost looks...nervous (?) about something, but what? "I...I was wondering..."
The nervousness. The uneasy glint in his emerald eyes. The quiver in his angel-like voice. I know those signs from TV and movies, so I know how romance plays out.
"Yes?" I push gently. Is he about to do what I think he's gonna do...?
"...Would you like to accompany me for a day in Nimbasa City? Just the two of us?"
Even though half of me expected this was bound to happen sooner or later, it still takes me by surprise. My cheeks flush deeply with blood, heat radiating violently off of them.
"Y-y-you mean, like a d-date...?!"
"Yes," he murmurs, placing his hand on the back of his neck. "Well, would you? Please?"
Say something, idiot!
"Uh... Y-yeah, sure, why not?"
I'm pretty much squealing right now, but oh well. Sunsetshipping is advancing!
Just so you guys know, I plan on releasing their "date" as a separate one shot just so it doesn't mess up the balance of the chapters in this story. It'll be titled A Tasteful First Date, and will be coming to FanFiction on January 18th.
Thank you for reading! Bye1 I love each and every one of you!
