Chapter 12 - Korokke
Celadon City was one of the biggest places that Yurie had ever been in. The giant buildings extended into the clouds, and there were thousands of people to be found on the sidewalks, in shops, and riding the different subways and trains Celadon had.
"Believe it or not, but this is actually the second biggest city in Kanto," Seshiru said.
Yurie's eyes widened. "What did you just say?"
"Yeah. The biggest city is Saffron. However, more people live in Celadon. A lot of the buildings you see are apartment complexes."
Logan looked around, stunned by the countless towers that surrounded them. "They don't look like apartments to me."
"They're called mansions. They're giant buildings with hundreds of small apartments in them. But people in Kanto joke about how we live it up in mansions when in reality, it's more like a one bedroom apartment," Seshiru explained.
"Is there anything we should do while we're here?" Yurie asked. "Any good food? Or baseball?"
Seshiru laughed. "We could do pretty much anything while we're here. It's only limited by your imagination."
"I want to go to the gym!" Logan declared.
"Not very imaginative, eh?" Seshiru said with a giggle.
"How about we spend a day relaxing and doing things unrelated to battling? I think I'd like a small break from training," Yurie suggested. She looked down at Torchic. "How about you?"
"Torchic!"
"See?"
Logan looked slightly bothered. "I just want to get as far ahead on the gyms as possible. But I guess we can take a day off of training. I'm not really interested in trying the food though. I need a break. I think I'll find a Unovan-themed restaurant or something."
"How about we split up?" Seshiru suggested. "Yurie and I can go shopping and get some good Kanto-style food, and you can do what you need to."
"Am I being kicked out of the group?" Logan asked.
Seshiru grinned. "Just for today! We can meet back at the Pokémon Center tonight. There's one in southern Celadon where we could meet! Sound good?"
"I don't know what we're doing," Logan said. He and Mightyena were strolling the streets of Celadon mindlessly. "I don't see why we can't just go take on the gym right now, ya know?"
Mightyena cooed in response.
"I'm sure that, whoever the gym leader is, we'll be fine."
Mightyena simply nodded his head.
Logan thought back to the day prior when he battled with the gang member on the bridge. Mightyena didn't lose the fight, but it was a very close battle. Recently, Logan had been relying on Mightyena a little bit too much. "But let me ask you, do you want a break? I don't want to force y'all to battle too much."
Mightyena was silent.
"Maybe a day of rest couldn't hurt. But I don't do day offs. What would we even do?"
"So, where's your next contest?" Seshiru asked. The two were in one of the many clothing shops that Celadon had to offer.
Yurie thought back. She had checked earlier where the closest contest would be. "Saffron City, I think."
Seshiru nodded. "Okay. That's the sister city, so it won't take us long to get there. After Logan's battle, we can head there by foot or subway. Either or."
"You really do know Kanto like the back of your hand."
"I think it could be interesting if you dressed in special clothes for each contest," Seshiru said suddenly. She pulled an orange top from the rack. "All of the cities in Kanto have a special color, and maybe it'd impress the judges if you wore clothes using those colors."
During Yurie's run through the Hoenn contests, she had only ever put on special clothes on one occasion, and that was for the Hoenn Grand Festival. She never considered doing it every time, but now that Seshiru mentioned it, it couldn't hurt to dress up.
"Your Pokémon and you have to look your best, so why not?" Seshiru asked. "And also, I'm sure Logan would love to see how beautiful you are in a dress."
"What?!"
Seshiru looked up from the clothes. "Your Pokémon and you have to look your best."
"No. No. The other thing."
"Oh. I think Logan would get a kick out of you in a dress. Guys don't want to admit it, but they love dresses. I think you should go with this orange for Saffron."
Yurie sighed. "You too? First Himawari, and then you? What's wrong with you?"
Seshiru appeared genuinely confused by the question. "I just think that orange would look good on you. It's Saffron City's color."
"I'm talking about the whole-" Yurie started before smacking her hands together. "Me and Logan thing."
"So, you admit that there's a thing?"
"There's no thing!"
Seshiru laughed before handing over the orange top. "There's a thing. It's clear as day. I see it. This Himawari guy saw it."
Yurie took the top and held it to her chest, checking the mirror to see if it'd go well on her. "Maybe."
Logan and Mightyena continued to walk through the city. It was a couple hours after noon, and his stomach was starting to rumble, but the regular food that he often ate in Hoenn, and now Kanto, didn't catch his eye.
But something did catch his nose.
It was a familiar smell. Something that he had become very accustomed to in Unova. It was the smell of baking bread. It was the smell of baking bread with tomato sauce slathered on top of it. It was the smell of baking bread with tomato sauce slathered on top of it and on top of that was cheese, melting away in the oven.
It was the smell of pizza.
And it wasn't your typical Kanto-style pizza with disturbing ingredients like mayonnaise or shrimp. No. This pizza had meat. It had pepperoni, bacon, and sausage. It had cheese. It had so much cheese.
Logan slowly approached the pizzeria and looked inside. It was full of customers and workers all bustling about and laughing with one another. But he didn't care about that. What caught his attention was the size of the trays the workers carried.
"A regular sized pizza," Logan muttered, his mouth starting to fill with drool. "It's a regular sized pizza!"
He couldn't wait any longer. He darted for the door, Mightyena not too far behind, and he swung it open, the smell of fresh dough washing over his face.
"Welcome!" a voice, spoken with a perfect Unovan accent, called out. "How many today?"
Yurie and Seshiru now sat in a park near one of the train stations. The park was full with people relaxing. In the middle was a wide enough area for people to gather, and there was a small group of teenage boys who danced around a set of speakers.
They had finished their shopping, and since it was well past lunch time, they bought some simple boxed lunches from a convenience store, and they ate it while they sat on the grass.
They had released their Pokémon from their Poké Balls so they could play in the park. Minun, Turtwig, and Squirtle all ran around wildly in the grass while Seshiru's Pokémon enjoyed the nearby pond. Torchic watched over his comrades and remained close to the egg, warming it with his body. Oddish, new to the group, stayed close to Yurie, hoping that she could receive some of the food meant for humans.
"Okay, so. How do you feel about Logan?" Seshiru asked as she stuck a piece of korokke into her mouth.
Yurie groaned. "It's difficult."
"It is?"
"I admire him. I think he's one of the best trainers I've ever met."
Seshiru sighed and then giggled. "We said that we were taking a break from that stuff today. Besides his trainer qualities, how do you feel about him?"
That was the problem. Yurie only really knew Logan as a trainer. When they first met, he wasn't actively pursuing training, and during that time, he was hard for Yurie to read. He had always supported her, but that support came in the form of helping her train and going to her contests. The two were always training. It was his life.
"He's determined. He has his dream, and I don't think he's going to give up pursuing it until he gets what he wants. I think that's admirable."
"Have you tried asking him out?"
"Asking him out?!"
"Yeah. You're, what, 11? I think that's an appropriate age for a first boyfriend. Forget battling and training for a bit and go on a date."
"Like what?"
"Ice skating is fun."
Yurie laughed. Hoenn was always too hot, so the lakes and ponds never froze over. There was never an appropriate time to go ice skating, and whether or not she could even balance herself on ice skates was an entirely different problem.
"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" Yurie asked.
Seshiru nodded. "Oh yeah. But, ya know, we traveled to different places, so we broke up."
That was another issue for Yurie. Up until roughly a month ago, she had no idea that the two were going to continue traveling together. If she had any feelings, she had to put them to the side, because for all she knew, she'd never see Logan again.
"Even if I did like Logan, and let's say that we went on a date, and then we became something-"
"Boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"Something… What if we broke up? I really like traveling with Logan. He's taught me so much. And he's funny and brave. But sometimes stupid. He makes me feel like I need to try my best. I don't want to risk that going away."
Seshiru was silent while she finished her food. "If you don't think that it would work out, then it won't work out," she finally said. "Keep your feelings to yourself if you're okay with things the way they are right now."
Yurie nodded. "I can probably do that."
"But…"
"But?"
"What if he tells you his feelings?"
"I love pizza!" Logan declared as he got his very own pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. "And I love Celadon City!" He had chosen to sit at the counter where he could watch the pizzas be made. He was given a cola with free refills which he had been abusing.
The waiter put down a specialized Pokémon pizza for Mightyena, and the Dark-type devoured it.
"I take it you're from Unova," the man on the other side of the counter asked. He was rather portly and had dough residue all over his apron. "You look like you haven't eaten in months."
Logan laughed as he choked down the pizza. It was thick and cheesy, just the way he liked it. "Yeah. Born in Driftveil but raised in Nuvema."
"Driftveil, eh? You know Clay?"
"Yeah. He's my dad's best friend. Clay took over the gym when my dad gave it up."
The man looked slightly taken aback, and he paused before running his doughy hands through his beard. "Your father was the Driftveil gym leader?" He leaned in closer to get a better look at Logan. "You do have his eyes. The same blue."
"Huh?"
"Gregory. You have his eyes," the man said.
"You-you know my father?" Logan asked. "How do you know my father?"
The man laughed. "Well, boy. I'm from Driftveil too. Your father, Clay, and I were best buds."
Logan wasn't sure how to respond. He felt a sudden surge of joy flow through his body. He was already happy to be eating genuine Unovan-style pizza, but meeting someone from his dad's past was something he wasn't prepared for. There was something nostalgic about the man, but Logan, as far as he was concerned, had never met him.
"You ever keep in contact with Greg?" the man asked.
Logan looked down at his pizza. "Not really. When he quit the gym, he kind of just took off. I haven't seen him since before I got my Tepig. I was told that he watches my battles though."
"So, you're a trainer just like him?" the man said with a laugh. "What's your name, boy?"
"Logan."
Once again the man was silent. He put his hand to his beard and held his chin before looking down. His face slowly turned red, and his shoulders quivered. He turned away, and Logan began to panic.
"What? What? Are you okay?"
The man put his hands to his sides and stood up straight before sniffling. "So, you're his first born. It's so nice to meet you, Logan."
"I'm sure I'll see my dad again someday. I'll make sure to tell him that I met you-if you'd like."
The man looked back at Logan, his cheeks now caked with dough and tears. "Boy, I've waited for a very long time to meet you. How old are you now? You look so big! Skinny for a Unovan boy, but big!"
"I'm thirteen. I'll be fourteen next-"
"March."
"-March. Oh. Wow."
"Logan, you can come here anytime, and I'll make you the best pizza-not only in Kanto-but in the whole world. Got it?"
Logan smiled from ear to ear. "Oh yeah!"
The man motioned towards the oven that baked pizzas. Below it was a cluster of small orange Pokémon with flames on their tails. They sent flames from their mouths into the oven when they were given the signal.
"Charmander baked pizza tastes the best," the man said. "Only comparable pizza is Tepig baked, but you risk them eating it."
"I agree!" Logan said, his voice muffled with cheese and dough.
"And it's on the house! There's a rule in this shop."
"Special rule?"
The man nodded and then pointed to himself. "Logans eat for free."
"Logans eat for free?" Logan wondered as he looked at the man. It took him awhile, but once he realized what the man was saying, his eyes widened with shock. "Logans… eat for free."
Yurie and Seshiru continued to walk through Celadon City. They had finished their shopping, and Yurie went to the post office, packaged some of the clothes that she bought, and then mailed them off to Hoenn.
It was beginning to get dark, and the two began to look for food, but with the conversation that the two were having, it was hard for Yurie to focus. She kept replaying all of it in her head.
"What if he tells me his feelings?" she asked herself quietly. Yurie didn't think that Logan even had feelings for her. But then again, he did go all the way to Littleroot Town from Unova to ask her to travel with him. He did ask her if they could travel together throughout Kanto. Did he want to come to Kanto because of her? Or did he choose Kanto for other reasons? And why would he want to travel with her in the first place? What if he did like her? What if he told her about his feelings? What if they became a-
"You okay?" Seshiru asked, breaking Yurie's thoughts.
"Uh-yeah."
"Torchic!"
"Yeah. I'm just hungry. We should find food, and soon."
"So, semi-finals in both Unova and Alola, then the finals in Hoenn?" the older Logan asked. "And you've had encounters with Zekrom, and the legendary Pokémon in Hoenn?"
"And there was some stuff that I can't even begin to explain in Alola," Logan said.
"Boy, you've had a crazy adventure so far."
"I guess so. But your life is awesome too! You have your own pizza shop! And you married a Kanto gal! Not bad! Not bad!"
"Not bad at all, eh? And you? Do you have any pretty ladies in your life?"
Logan laughed and sat back. "Uh… maybe."
"Charmander-char!" one of the small Pokémon called.
The older Logan turned and used a large paddle to scoop the finished pizza from the oven. He placed it into a box, took a whiff, and then closed it.
"There's your pizza to go. Extra cheese and easy on the pepperoni."
Logan took the box and held it in his hands, feeling the warmth radiating off of it. It was feeling like no other.
"And can I ask you a favor?"
Logan looked up. "Anything! You gave me free pizza!"
"I have a Charmander that doesn't really get along with the others. He's shy, and I don't want to tell him this, but he's bad at baking pizzas. I think his heart belongs in battling. Well, at least, his heart doesn't belong in pizza."
"That's blasphemy."
The older Logan laughed again, his deep voice echoing throughout the small pizza joint. "Would you mind taking him on your journey? I'd love if one of my little Charmander was a part of your team when you win the Indigo Conference."
"That's… a lot of pressure."
"It's no pressure. I'm 100% confident you're walking out of the Indigo League this year as the champion."
Logan nervously laughed and then nodded. "I'll take him for you."
The older Logan smiled before kneeling down. He let out a quick whistle, and all of the Charmander turned to him. They ran his way, but one took its time. It shyly looked up at Logan, its eyes as blue as the sky, but once they made eye contact, it turned back to its master. As Logan thought, that was the Pokémon that the older Logan was referring to.
"You think you're ready to go on your own adventure?" the older Logan asked the Charmander. The Charmander appeared nervous, but after a few moments of deliberation, he nodded. The older Logan lifted a Poké Ball, and the stream of red light absorbed the Fire-type.
"I'll do my best," Logan said softly.
The older Logan handed over the Poké Ball. "So, that's one pizza to go, and one Fire-type Pokémon ready to take you to the top! Anything else?"
Logan smiled and held up his cup. "One more refill?"
The girls were unable to agree on a place to eat in time. Celadon may have been the biggest city in Kanto, but a lot of the restaurants seemingly closed at odd times, so they were forced to walk to the Pokémon Center where they would have to eat at the diner.
"Can't believe we're in one of the biggest cities on the planet, and I've only had simple convenience store bento and now we're gonna eat cheap curry," Yurie complained.
"I wanted takoyaki," Seshiru exclaimed while she rolled her eyes. "But you said you didn't like it."
"Takoyaki is too chewy!"
"How about pizza?" Logan called as he entered the diner. He saw the two sitting down from the window with their menus and rushed inside before they could order. "I found a perfect place, and I'm not sure if I ever want to leave Celadon." He put the pizza down onto the table and opened it up, wafting the smell of cheese and tomato sauce into the air.
"Can't go wrong with pizza," Seshiru said with a grin.
"What did ya'll do today?" Logan asked.
"Shopping and talking. It was fun," Yurie replied. She had been thinking too much, so she felt the need to avoid Logan's gaze. "And you?"
Logan thought for a moment. "Eh. Not much."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
This may be my favorite chapter that I've written so far. I was named after my dad's best friend, and I guess after I was born, the two lost contact, so I've decided to put that element into my story. I also thought it'd be an interesting way to give Logan a Charmander. And now, I think there's more weight to Logan's journey. Can anyone guess Logan's full name? Logan _ Stephenson.
Also, maybe Yurie finally understands how she feels about Logan? Or she doesn't. I don't know.
REVIEWS:
CrescentApple - "Dang that Team Rocket fellow is actually pretty good. I thought he was gonna be a nerf-head for a moment. Yurie getting the Oddish was random but plenty fun. Now gotta see what pokemon hatches out of that egg. I like the tiny comparisons made between Himawari and Seshiru Nothing bad, but is Allen he was a lot more goofy and out there with his antics. When Team Rocket was disbanded five years ago, was that because of Red? I'm wondering if we'll see Giovanni here :D" - So, the way I've sort of set up my Pokemon world, Red doesn't exist. However, Aoi means Blue in Japanese... so... maybe Cyan's sister has something to do with it?
wisdom-jewel - "I wonder if Yurie would use Leaf Stone or Sun Stone on Oddish when the time comes. I can't wait for the choice she makes. How Oddish would interact with Yurie's other Pokemon would be fun indeed. She doesn't have any Pokemon who can Mega Evo yet. Unless you have a good idea of what the Egg will be. I do think it is a good idea that Seshiru's Pokemon would be shy around new people. If they only travel and bond with each other and Seshiru they would be shy." - If Squirtle evolved all the way, he could do it. But I'm also wanting to really limit Mega Evolution. I want to make it special.
pokemonking0924 - "A team Rocket biker gang, probably got the idea based on the real team Rocket like a spinoff just like Logan said. But I do like the twist, hope to see more of these Rocket bikers. By the look of Seshiru's reaction she has some history with the original Team Rocket during her childhood or early in her journey. Loved Oddish's personality and how the grass type joined Yurie, looking forward to seeing more of the antics from this Weed Pokémon." - I'm not sure if Seshiru ever had an encounter herself, but she definitely knows about Team Rocket and their doings.
kunoichi69 - "A bunch of former team Rocket bikers or a bunch of Bikers using team Rockets Logo to spread fear and gain respect. Either way that red R seems to have had an effect on Seshiro. Logan still has that boot on his foot, I thought his leg would have been healed by now. Yurie will have a handful with her new hyper Oddish, love the way the grass/poison type interacts with the group and I wonder what it'll fully evolve into." - I had broken my leg awhile back, and it took roughly 6 months to heal. As for Logan, he still has a few more chapters with it. Haha
