With a light breeze whisking in the fresh scent of the ocean, Rustboro city was set to have another beautiful day. Sprawling along the coast, Rustboro was one of the oldest cities in Hoenn. From the centuries-old citadel in the center of the coastline and past the rising city center, one could see the peak of Mt. Chimney on the eastern horizon. Facing the Petalburg woods to the south was a lavish gate for journeying pokemon trainers. Inside was a promenade decorated prominently by a statue of Kyogre and Groudon in the center of a large plaza. A regulated host of family-friendly pokemon were also milling about, waiting for young trainers to scoop them along with them on the first steps of their journeys. A popular spot for locals and travellers alike, you would never guess that this was the favourite lunch spot of the local drug lord's best runner.
In a feild in view of the local ranger headquarters, a young girl in black leggings and tie-dye tee tossed a worn-out travel bag under a small oak tree and prepped for lunch. She sat down and patted her stomach, where a bag full of white powder was strapped to her. Her companion, a large red caterpillar with a very prominent horn wormed its way to her right and curled against her. Out of the worn red and white trainer's bag she pulled out the latest gift from her boss, a top-of-the-line DexNav. The red cellphone sized device had a white band running down the center, that also framed the large lens used to capture photos of pokémon encountered in the field. Along with that, it could be used as a trainer ID card, pokebank manager, entertainment center, and as a cellphone. It even told the user the typings and relative strength of a wild pokemon.
All she was using it for now, however, was looking at the reflection on the screen. She shoved some of her wavy brown hair behind her ear, and stared at the freckles on her tawny cheeks. She got those from her mother, so she'd been told. Turning on the screen, she checked the time. It was about noon, so she was well ahead of schedule. Thinking about food, she turned off the display. Her eyes followed the walkway that she'd just been on to the plaza's food trucks. Smells of local and foreign deep-fried cuisine carried on the light breeze. Then she tensed and let out an annoyed sigh.
Peeking from behind a mini-doughnut truck on the other side of the plaza, a lanky whiteguy in a gray sweatshirt and black leather pants was running a hand through his spiky black hair. Next to him was a large gray dog with black fur on its paws and two runs of long black fur along its back and tail. People walking past were staring with questioning eyes and steering clear of the intimidating mightyena.
Some people just should never hit the streets, she thought. Anyone with street smarts knew that blending in was much more powerful than standing out. You could hide in plain sight and no one could find you.
This guy had been tailing her for the past hour, and was doing a lousy job of making sure she didn't get suspicious. The only things that mattered to a guy like him were money, and the number of girls he slept with. She tapped the wurmple next to her, waking it from it's short nap.
"Felicity, it's go-time." She half whispered.
"Une moment, if you'd please?" Came a boy's voice from behind the tree as he walked around.
Stacey nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Dear Arceus, you jerk!" She said as she turned around and restrained her partner. Felicity was trained on the boy, mandibles open, revealing her thread glands and rows upon rows of tiny teeth. After calming her breathing, she took a look at the boy, and Stacey almost laughed.
He was about her age, and that was where the similarities ended. The red sleeves on his white tee were the same color as his hair, and the freckles on his lightly tanned face were matching his cargo shorts. A trainer's belt and five empty pokeball slots told her he was a fresh trainer. To complete the look, he wore red and white runners that looked like they were brand-new. Behind him, a tiger striped, knee-high puppy with a creamy mane barked with glee.
"Taisse, Bijou!" The boy said with a smile as he knelt down to pet his growlithe.
"Not to ruin the moment, but what do you want?" Stacey asked, annoyed. She held up the DexNav to spot her tail, relieved he was still there.
"Je vous demandes pour un battaille. By the water there is a large clearing we could go to to avoid les pédestrians." He said. "Aussi, it could help you your tail to shake."
"It would help if you spoke english." Stacey said. "I can only make out about half of what you say. And besides, if I understand you, battles aren't allowed in the parks."
"Désoles, um, sorry? I only recently landed in Hoenn from Kalos, my brain n'est pas encore in mode English. But I am talking about l'homme who is following you." He said as he scratched his head. "Oh, by the by, my name is Jacques Belliveau."
Stacey narrowed her eyes at him. Scanning the edges of her vision for easy getaways, she locked in on an alley behind a retro-styled grease diner just outside the park exit. She recalled Felicity into her ball. Standing up and brushing grass off her legs, she slung the bag around her shoulder and started off.
"Thanks, but no thanks, Jack Bell-a-bow, but I can take care of myself." She said as she walked off.
"Mais oui, you are right, I suppose. Prends soin, um, can you tell me your name?" He said, flustered.
"Nope."
"D'acord, d'acord. At least let me buy for you some food." Jacques offered as Stacey stopped in her tracks.
The hand not holding Felicity's ball immediately went to her stomach. Even through the bag she could feel the rumble. Strands of hair hid her face from view as Jacques and Bijou trotted up from behind. If Jirachi could grant her a wish right now, by Arceus, she wished she could disappear.
"--êpes." She mumbled.
"Dis-quoi?" Jacques asked, taken aback.
"Crêpes." She said with a snarl. She currently hated herself.
"Oh, mais ouis!" Jacques said with a recoil. This girl was so hostile, yet she was so easy to talk to. After doing a silent 'Alright!' in his head, he shared a look with Bijou. His partner looked sideways at him. Stacey, now committed, put in her order.
"Lots of raspberries." She said. "And lots of whipped cream."
"One lemonade, please." Shadi said with a sour face as Sauron sat across from her with a smile. The waitress looked up after jotting it down, and asked if they were getting anything else.
"Can we get three Poke-puff sets, please?" Sauron asked. "I'll pay for those."
"Okay, so I've got two orders. One lemonade, and three Poke-puff sets. Is that everything?" The waitress asked. After two 'yep's from below, she cast a glance out of the large window her customers were sitting under, and sighed quietly at losing a perfect summer day to her work. She ripped the order off her notepad, and walked back to the counter, hanging it on one side of the kitchen window next to a few others.
Back at the table, the twins were kicking their feet and looking outside.
"Y'know, I don't think using Natsu against me is very fair. You've had him for over a year now." Shadi pouted. "You've had a lot longer to train with him."
"Well, I got a lemonade out of it, so whatever." Sauron leaned back with a grin on his face.
"Be sure to write it down in your diary tonight, Sauron." Shadi taunted under her breath.
"It's a journal."
"Diary."
"Journal."
"Diary!"
"It's a journal! Diaries are where girls write about rainbows and beautiflies. People actually write important stuff in journals, and I write down important stuff."
"Says you! Journals are just an adult diary! I write down about people I meet and things we see along the trip because SOMEONE forgot the rotom-camera! No wonder mom gave me the travel list."
Sauron mentally kicked himself again for forgetting the camera. He glanced around and noticed some people looking at them. He hated to do it, but he had to let Shadi have this one.
"Fine, whatever." He said, slouching. "I've got my lemonade, that's what counts."
Shadi huffed and crossed her arms, her face getting red out of anger.
"Hey, look. There's a skitty." Sauron said, pointing down the street. A very fashionable woman with a tight-fitting white dress had one tanned hand on a golden buckle on her waist, and the other holding a phone against her ear. Her golden ponytail was swaying slightly in the breeze while her high-heeled foot was tapping furiously. By her feet, a pink cat with an absurdly round head and creamy face was sitting next to her, looking pretty. Shadi's eyes sparkled. Just then, their order arrived. After thanking the waitress, Sauron took a good long sip from the lemonade.
"Would you two happen to be local trainers?" Came an accented woman's voice from where the waitress had been.
Sauron choked on his sip, and as he was beating his chest, Shadi laughed so hard she was wiping away tears.
"Oh my!" Said the woman. "I hadn't meant to frighten you, my apologies."
"Don't worry about it. He had that coming to him." Shadi snickered. Looking at the short woman, Shadi was immediately drawn to her soft green eyes. From under her white pokeball cap her straight blonde hair was cut just above her shoulders. She also had a very warm smile. She wore a white blazer over a green tank, with sporty jean shorts and white sandals. Something about her seemed familiar.
"Oh dear, I do hope you are alright." The woman said, rummaging through a small white leather bag hanging from her shoulder.
"I'm fine, ha!" Sauron said as he forced the last drops from his lungs. With his heart still pounding, he sat up and took another sip, cooling himself down. Why does choking on a liquid suddenly make you thirsty, he wondered.
"We're actually from Littleroot, but we are trainers." Shadi said. "Was there anything you needed, ma'am?"
"Please, call me Lillie, darling. I was hoping you could help me and my husband locate the nearest Pokemon center." The woman explained, leaving the search through her bag. "My husband and I are travelling and he had forgotten to book us a hotel room. So when I saw you two walk in with your pokeballs, I thought we could ask you to escort us there if you were going in that direction."
"We are actually on our way there now." Shadi said. "We wanted to check in and heal up our pokemon before we went to challenge Roxanne's gym."
This got the attention of everyone in the building.
"Hey-hey! We've got some challengers here!" The old cook shouted from the kitchen. A small crowd then formed around the table. The cook then came out and leaned against the counter, ladle in hand.
"You two from Littleroot, I hear? Been a long time since anyone from 'ere's been 'ere to give Roxy a good challenge." He said in a loud grumble. This got some people curious.
"What pokemon are you using?"
"Do you know the Senri's?"
"How far is it to Littleroot, did you travel on foot?"
"There hasn't been any good trainers out of Littleroot for a long time."
"Are you two seriously challenging Roxanne?"
"Good luck, Arceus knows, you'll need it."
Suddenly faced with a crowd, Shadi clammed up. She shrank back into her seat, face growing redder by the second. Sauron instinctively lowered a hand to Natsu's pokeball.
"Get some tickets see fer yerselves, you pack o' murkrow, ha-har!" The old cook laughed as he scratched his short beard. "No trainer with a lick o' sense would go about tellin' all ther secrets!"
"Can't blame 'em for bein' curious, Old Socks!" Another old man at the counter grumbled. He was wearing an old tweed jacket and sipping on a coffee. "E'r since that Senri kid swept the league twenny years back, e'ry trainer out o' Littleroot's been swarmed by rattata askin' 'bout 'im try'na get the meowth's coin. I 'eard the kid's started a family since, and no one knows where. Old Norman made it clear 'e wouldn't tell no one."
Sauron saw the woman named Lillie grasp the strap to her bag tightly. Her eyes flashed worry for a moment before she noticed him looking at her. If anything, this lady needed his help, and he'd be darned if he didn't extend a hand. He took his wallet out of his bag, and went up to the register to where the waitress was waiting.
"Don' worry 'bout it, y'ung trainers. You two just give a good show, y'hear? Extreme speed to ya!" Old Socks said with an old mariner's salute. The other old man raised his coffee without looking their way, a big ol' smile on his face.
"Cut tha' out, Socks, or ya'll slip a disc again. An' I ain' carryin' your sorry arse to the doc! Did tha' 'nuff when we 'ere kids." He said.
"T-thanks." Sauron stuttered, embarrassed at the gesture. "Miss Lillie, like Shadi said, we're on our way to the Pokemon Center right now, if you wanna join us."
That seemed to lighten the mood at the table. Shadi grabbed the bag of pokepuffs, and waved for the woman to follow. Lillie followed close behind, her warm smile back.
"Thank you very much, Shadi and, sorry, I forgot to ask your name." She said looking at Sauron, tilting her head to the side.
"Sauron." He said.
"Sauron it is, then. Thank you soo much, Sauron and Shadi, my husband and our companion are waiting outside." Lillie said with relief.
Waving goodbye to Old Socks and his friend, Sauron had to squint his eyes as they left the diner.