Books stretch around, vibrant spines on display against refined wooden shelving. Sandy walls and jade accent-paneling hosts the library's collection while chocolate plank tiles pull the semi-clashing color scheme together. A sign sits in a corner, reminding the visitors that drinks and food are not allowed.
A familiar face sits at a table, but only on first glance. The longer time spent looking, the more changes are noted. A longer face with a more pronounced jawline, the beginnings of facial hair just poking from an upper lip. Wheat hair buzzed short for the summer as well as muscles beginning in the upper arm. Had he stood, a height difference could have been garnered as well. But he does not stand, for his purpose in visiting Canalave is already at hand.
Several tombs surround the fifteen year old in haphazard heaps. One pile appears to hold scientific information on water Pokémon, another showcases a myths and lore theme, a third presents seemingly random titles, and a forth, much smaller stack, actually seems to feature Magikarp. A journal from the last stack is pulled forward as a head bends over the already opened record. Squinting, the teen continues deciphering the condensed handwriting.
….Today I lost to Karpress for a third time even with inspiring cheers from Meowth. It really fired Clover up though, so we will head back for a second round of training today. Maybe she'll shear the boulder in half again since she's so stoked…..
Seeing nothing of note, Evan moves on, stopping on a different entry several paragraphs down.
…..The Luxury League is proving more than my poor Pink Dapple can handle. I will have to send her back to the pond for retirement and fish up a new one soon, I can feel it. Perhaps all her hard work will motivate the new generation. Still, 79.3 meters is no small feat, and I am absolutely humbled by her volition…...
The studious teen jots down a note. "Pink Dapples" joins a bulleted list, along with "79.3 m". Further up reads "Calico Orange/White/Black", "Orange Two-Tone", and "Orange Orca", among others.
The vacationer leans back to stretch, hours of study kinking a sore neck. Flipping back a few pages in his notebook, the blonde reviews the first log. The beginning few scrawls stare mockingly back at him.
Hoppy Town? Mayor Karp?
He sighs, adding Shear a boulder in half? to the list of questionable information.
A pen moves to the top of the page, where a heading sits inquiringly. Of the two options, the one reading "Likely Myth" is circled, the researcher exasperated.
Chapter Notes:
-Canalave has a library, with the interior described.
-Yes, this is a blatant reference to Magikarp Jump. Yes, this reference was the only reason for this chapter. However, I did have a hard time working it in without it seeming too whimsical, since the game doesn't reaaaally exist in the real Pokemon Universe. I have been playing it the whole time while writing, though, and at the time I wrote this specific part, I was stuckish on Karpress. Clover was my actual Magikarp when I wrote it, too. 79.3 meters was her final jump height before she retired.
-I went with a flower theme for names. All but one that I named Turnip. lol
-The boulder reference is from the training "Rock Cruncher", it shears in half when your Karp does "amazing effort". Karpress is the fifth challenge for the Luxury League. Meowth is the helper you get from winning the last league. In Magikarp Jump there are many "patterns" that you collect. Golden being the rarest. When a Karp is retired, the game gives you a "motivation bonus" that increases the growth rate of the next gen.
-The name of the town for Magikarp Jump is Hoppy Town, and it's mayor is Karp.