Time: 12:30
Place: Viridian City Pokémon Center
Character: Ben
"Ben Ketchum, when are you going to learn that winning isn't everything?" yelled Meg. I shrugged, almost glad she was so annoyed with me.
"When YOU finally realize that I am not your exact double," I replied casually. Being the older twin, Meg usually seemed to think she could rule over me. Well, I had other plans.
"Ben and Meg, I have your Pokémon!" called Joy from the counter across the room. We ran over together (about the only thing we do together is run) and got our pokéballs. I'd used all six of my Pokémon in a battle, but Meg, in the same battle, had quit after three, which made no sense, considering the fact that both our parents had that 'never give up' spirit when they were trainers.
I don't know, maybe it was because Meg was a girl, the kind of girl who was always looking in the mirror, brushing her short, messy black hair and staring at her big brown eyes. But maybe it was because she was a girl that we always fought. Mom and Dad had fought a lot when they were kids.
"How, might I ask, did you manage to lose all six Pokémon in a battle?" asked my best friend and fellow trainer, Dave. So I gave him a play-by-play of the whole thing, while Meg waved and walked out the door.
"So, with only my Pikachu left, the other guy used Sandshrew and that was it. Game over. Meg gave up after losing three." I ran a hand through my messy red hair. Both of us had inherited that hair that never behaves. It was like the Ketchum family curse, or something.
"See you later, man, I've gotta get to Pewter Gym before Wednesday!" Dave waved and walked out the door. I followed after a minute, thinking I might find someone else who wanted to battle.
On my way out, I bumped into two kids who looked like they weren't much older than me. The boy had blue hair, the girl brown. They seemed like they were in a hurry for some reason, although on a day like today, with the sun blazing and the breeze blowing, I couldn't imagine why.
I caught up to Meg about halfway home to Pallet. She was a slow walker usually, but could walk like she was propelled by a whirlwind when she wanted to. And she ran faster than I did, which worked to her advantage. A trainer's life was constant running, and it was impossible to forget that.
"How about we stop at Joltie's for lunch once we get to Pallet?" I asked. Joltie's was a Pizza place, owned by Whitney Oak A/N: A play on words for white oak, a kind of tree., Gary's sister. Gary was the most recent Champion of the Orange League, but I was going to be the one to beat him. I was sure of it.
"Whatever," said Meg depressingly.
"You only sound like that when you can't find your hairbrush in the morning. What's wrong now?" I asked. Maybe we fought a lot, but she WAS my sister.
"Mom and Dad are going to be disappointed that I gave up on that last battle," she said with a sigh.
"No they're not. You don't realize it, but I envy your ability to give up a battle for the Pokémon's sake. I wish I had the determination enough to do that, but I got the stubborn genes, at least when it comes to Pokémon battles."
"But they always lecture us on how we have to not only be trainers to, but friends with our Pokémon. And to do what you have to do, no matter what. So I HAVE to win, at any cost, basically."
"That's not what that means! It means if you HAVE to lose the battle, for the sake of your Pokémon, then go ahead, because that means you can put them in front of yourself. I think it's called empathy." I had never talked to Meg like this before. This was a serious conversation, and I was a jokester. But she WAS my sis, after all.
"Look, there's Joltie's! Bet I can beat you to the door!" she yelled, and I groaned. Constant running may have been a part of training, but she didn't have to make it a part of everyday life, too! I ran after her, anyway, and surprisingly enough, beat her to the door.
We ordered a half-extra-cheese, half-sausage pizza, with two large sodas. Hey, after losing a battle like that, we deserved a pick-me-up snack, right?
Place: Viridian City Pokémon Center
Character: Ben
"Ben Ketchum, when are you going to learn that winning isn't everything?" yelled Meg. I shrugged, almost glad she was so annoyed with me.
"When YOU finally realize that I am not your exact double," I replied casually. Being the older twin, Meg usually seemed to think she could rule over me. Well, I had other plans.
"Ben and Meg, I have your Pokémon!" called Joy from the counter across the room. We ran over together (about the only thing we do together is run) and got our pokéballs. I'd used all six of my Pokémon in a battle, but Meg, in the same battle, had quit after three, which made no sense, considering the fact that both our parents had that 'never give up' spirit when they were trainers.
I don't know, maybe it was because Meg was a girl, the kind of girl who was always looking in the mirror, brushing her short, messy black hair and staring at her big brown eyes. But maybe it was because she was a girl that we always fought. Mom and Dad had fought a lot when they were kids.
"How, might I ask, did you manage to lose all six Pokémon in a battle?" asked my best friend and fellow trainer, Dave. So I gave him a play-by-play of the whole thing, while Meg waved and walked out the door.
"So, with only my Pikachu left, the other guy used Sandshrew and that was it. Game over. Meg gave up after losing three." I ran a hand through my messy red hair. Both of us had inherited that hair that never behaves. It was like the Ketchum family curse, or something.
"See you later, man, I've gotta get to Pewter Gym before Wednesday!" Dave waved and walked out the door. I followed after a minute, thinking I might find someone else who wanted to battle.
On my way out, I bumped into two kids who looked like they weren't much older than me. The boy had blue hair, the girl brown. They seemed like they were in a hurry for some reason, although on a day like today, with the sun blazing and the breeze blowing, I couldn't imagine why.
I caught up to Meg about halfway home to Pallet. She was a slow walker usually, but could walk like she was propelled by a whirlwind when she wanted to. And she ran faster than I did, which worked to her advantage. A trainer's life was constant running, and it was impossible to forget that.
"How about we stop at Joltie's for lunch once we get to Pallet?" I asked. Joltie's was a Pizza place, owned by Whitney Oak A/N: A play on words for white oak, a kind of tree., Gary's sister. Gary was the most recent Champion of the Orange League, but I was going to be the one to beat him. I was sure of it.
"Whatever," said Meg depressingly.
"You only sound like that when you can't find your hairbrush in the morning. What's wrong now?" I asked. Maybe we fought a lot, but she WAS my sister.
"Mom and Dad are going to be disappointed that I gave up on that last battle," she said with a sigh.
"No they're not. You don't realize it, but I envy your ability to give up a battle for the Pokémon's sake. I wish I had the determination enough to do that, but I got the stubborn genes, at least when it comes to Pokémon battles."
"But they always lecture us on how we have to not only be trainers to, but friends with our Pokémon. And to do what you have to do, no matter what. So I HAVE to win, at any cost, basically."
"That's not what that means! It means if you HAVE to lose the battle, for the sake of your Pokémon, then go ahead, because that means you can put them in front of yourself. I think it's called empathy." I had never talked to Meg like this before. This was a serious conversation, and I was a jokester. But she WAS my sis, after all.
"Look, there's Joltie's! Bet I can beat you to the door!" she yelled, and I groaned. Constant running may have been a part of training, but she didn't have to make it a part of everyday life, too! I ran after her, anyway, and surprisingly enough, beat her to the door.
We ordered a half-extra-cheese, half-sausage pizza, with two large sodas. Hey, after losing a battle like that, we deserved a pick-me-up snack, right?