The New Kids on the Block: Chapter Four
Quinn- "Exploring"
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The Comet Plains Laboratory
Comet Plains, Silver Millennium
May 23, 2028
The promise of a good day was high. The Celestiette sun illuminated my bedroom, causing it to turn a mellow yellow. After all, it was the same sun from Celeste, which was the same as Earth, and so on.
Purin had come back sometime during the night. I could feel the heat from her spherical body as she lied next to me on the firm mattress. She could really become melodramatic at times, just like my sisters and maybe even Mom sometimes.
Her body gently inflated and deflated as she breathed. A melodic tune was her snore and it made me want to sleep much longer. But some army habits just never die out. I knew that it had to be 5 o' clock in the morning or maybe 6. I figured that since Celestiette was closer to the sun that it rose a little earlier than that of Celeste.
Speaking of Celeste (not the planet), she seemed to be in a shady mood late last night. And to add even more to my confusion, or maybe concern, Raja had some scars on his leg and looked just a bit scuffed.
Knowing Celeste all of her life, I knew that whatever it was, she would keep it bottled up inside. And that's ok, as long as you can handle it. But I knew that sooner or later, she would come forth and tell me.
Everything needs time.
I decided to go easy on Purin that morning. I knew that I was in the wrong for snapping at her like that and making her fall onto the ground. She's a pokemon and has a spirit, and she has to trust me, and maybe, I think, I might have betrayed it just a bit. I'd never done anything like that to a pokemon so it was just as traumatizing to me as it was to her. She deserved her space and she deserved to sleep longer if that was what she wanted.
I rolled over to my side and looked over at Brian, who was in deep sleep. He wouldn't be waking up for hours. He was always a late riser whenever he spent the night at Ashbrooke Park. Pip yawned and twitched his ear as he sidled over to his trainer. Somehow, in his sleep, he managed to place a comforting arm over his pal and I could see Pip smile.
I doubted that anyone would be up around this time, so maybe I could go on a walk or something to pass the time.
I was used to walking, marching in particular. I did it every day and I plan on doing so for the rest of my life. It's perfect for venting out anger or doing some thinking without worrying about being disrupted.
So, rising out of my bed and yawning, I hobbled over to my pack and pulled out my toiletry bag and went into the connecting bathroom to do my business. I took a shower and did all the morning necessities before I came out and got dressed.
I slipped on a pair of green nylon sweatpants with the white strip on the side and slipped on a white tank top and pulled my unfortunately long silvery blue hair into a messy ponytail before making my way out.
Once I opened the door that led to the hallway, I smelled the fragrant aroma of coffee that was brewing and knowing my big sis, I assumed that it was French roast.
She stood at her shiny counter in a white terry-cloth robe and furry bunny slippers taking an insulated mug out of her white oak cabinets. Her magenta hair was in all disarray and I could see the outline of her wire-framed glasses, like Mom's. She looked exactly like her from behind and from the front as well.
"Hey Sis," I said as I made my way over to the counter.
She smiled weakly as she patted me on the shoulder. "Morning lil' bro, want some coffee?"
"Sure."
She produced a blue mug and watched the coffee machine as the last drop fell into the coffee pot. Then, with a swift movement, she poured the brown substance into both mugs.
"What do you like in there?"
"Two scoops of sugar and a dollop of cream, thank you," I told her. She handed me the mug and directed me over to the small kitchenette set that looked out at Comet Plains.
Her lodgings were built on top if the lab, so we had a good view of the entire city, for the laboratory was quite large. I could see a few floating cars moving along the trenches, making the daily commute to their workplaces.
I sipped on my coffee as Hyacinthe sat down in the chair across from mine.
She rubbed her big teal eyes and took a sip of her coffee and exhaled deeply.
"I see that you still like your coffee black," I pointed out and as she took a few more sips.
"You need black coffee when you live here. The kids will run you around madly so you need the energy. I'm so worn out these days but I wouldn't have it any other way."
I nodded.
"I should've known that you would've been up at this time of morning. If I would have remembered, I could've made some wild blueberry scones," she said.
Hyacinthe loved to cook, especially to bake. I would say that baking was one of her most favorite things in the world to do. She was pretty good at it too.
"You know that I don't need anything to get going in the morning."
"And you know how Mom insists that a good breakfast is the key to having a lovely day," she scratched her head, "or something like that."
I agreed with her.
She grunted as she massaged her temples, "Shoot! I forgot to give you your pokétalkies yesterday! Remind me to go get them."
A pokétalky is more like an advanced version of the pokédex, which is now practically obsolete, well except in places like Johto and Kanto. It doubled as an electronic encyclopedia, videophone, watch, and radio receiver: the perfect item for any pokemon trainer.
I downed the rest of my coffee and got up from my seat.
"I'll be back in a little while."
Once I made it to the door that led to the outdoors I heard her ask, "where are you going? What time will you be back?"
I shuddered. It never failed. The women of my family will never stop asking questions, well, except for Celeste of course. She was cool like that...
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The air was crisp and clear and most of all, breezy. The dagger-like leaves on the tall, monstrous plants called trees, rattled, seemingly creating a noise much like a wind chime. It was like music to my ears.
I looked at the tall glass buildings as I made my way down the roads. The sunlight glinted off of the surfaces of the buildings. Many of them, those that were facing the sun, showed the outline of the heavenly body. It was really nice.
I had been out for an hour when I first started to notice that shops were beginning to open up. People were arriving at the doors and pulling out metallic keycards in order to open up the doors and bringing in supplies.
The people of Silver Millennium were normal-sized. The women were like most woman, except for the pointed ears of course. Most of them had different hair-colors like on Celeste. And most had youthful appearances and didn't look at all old. Well, that might be an understatement. They didn't have gray hair but I could notice a few wrinkles or whatever here and there. The men were all tall based on what I've seen. I would say that most of them were between 5'11" and 6'3", and an occasional taller-than-usual guy. I was taller then most of the men.
At some point I noticed a large building shaped like a cupcake. There was a large "P" on top of it so I gathered that it was a pokemon center. Having nothing better to do, I walked in and decided to check things out.
A young woman, most likely a Nurse Felicity, stood behind the counter, with her elbow on top of it, and her face propped up by the underside of her hand. She perked up in attention when she saw me walk through the door.
"Hello, can I help you with anything?" she asked. Her voice was less than enthusiastic and her smile more morbid than cheerful.
"No thanks," I told her, "wouldn't want to destroy the mood," I muttered under my breath as I walked over to a sofa where the TV was playing.
"I heard that," she said.
I wanted to say—and?—but I fought the urge. I didn't feel like arguing with her.
I'm a firm believer that just because a person might be particularly sad and gloomy doesn't mean that he/she has to make anyone else's day bad. But after all, misery does love company. And for some reason, I think that this Nurse Felicity did, for she soon came from behind the counter and plopped down on the couch across from me.
"You don't look like you're from around here," she said as she gave me a once-over. If I were self-conscious, I probably would have squirmed in my seat; but I kept my composure.
"I'm not."
"Where are you from?" she asked.
"I'm from the Flower Archipelago."
"Where on—"
"Hydrangea Island, Ashbrooke Park if you want to be overly curious," I interjected.
Her mouth pressed into a thin line.
She looked like all of the others. Her cotton-candy-pink hair was down, not looped like the Joys' but down, and straight. She had the same cerulean eyes too. But the Felicities didn't have that weird bang thingy; instead, it was all usually flipped at the ends. In my opinion, the Felicities were much more attractive than the Joys, who were actually their mothers.
"Why are you here anyways?"
"Just passing the time, how about you?"
She coughed, "I work here wise guy."
"No," I said, deliberately talking slower, as if she were no more than a little child. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be behind that counter of yours?"
"I should," she said, "but I'm talking to you."
"When I think of talking, I think of decent, intelligent conversation. This is more like rambling," I told her.
"Well I'm rambling with you."
"Why?"
"To pass the time."
"Then what if I decided to get up and leave?" I asked her.
She shrugged her shoulders, "then another good-looking guy would've walked out of that door and out of my life."
I groaned, not even taking the decency to do it inwardly. That was what all of that was. She was flirting with me, if that's what that could've been called, and to make things worse, I thought that I was flirting right along with her.
"So that's what this is all about?"
"Pretty much," she sighed, "there's been so many cute guys around lately, ever since Professor Briarcliffe started issuing licenses. Now I'm all alone with one."
I raised my eyebrow and stared at her sideways, "and?"
"I tried to do something about it."
"I didn't notice," I admitted with a laugh. "Your approach is all wrong. Besides, I'm not like all of those other guys."
"Yeah, you have silvery blue hair for one. Anyways, what was that you said about my approach?"
"Following me won't get you anywhere."
"Apparently it got me somewhere; I believe that we're talking now."
I smiled. "Well, I've got to go. Maybe I'll meet one of your cousins."
I got up to leave. I smoothed my pants because they had gotten wrinkled while I was sitting down. All soldiers had to appear clean-cut and everything. Oh God!—I guess that the whole army thing affected me more than I realized.
When I turned away and walked a few paces I felt a slight tugging on my arm. Naturally it was Nurse Felicity, with a blush and a seductive smile. She looked very...tempting right then.
"OK, if I can't interest you in staying longer, at least let me do something that will make you remember the Felicity of Comet Plains."
Before I could reply to her statement, she had reached up and kissed me on the cheek, leaving a shiny mark on my cheek due to her lip gloss.
She looked at the floor timidly, obviously surprised that she had done what she had just did. Her cheeks were tinged with scarlet and she began to giggle.
"I should have kissed you on the lips," she told me, "but then that would have been going too far."
I waved goodbye. I grinned as I walked back to the laboratory. I thought that kissing me at all was a bit much. Well, at least she got it out of her system.
I couldn't help but think that her lips were a bit too glossed when I went to wipe the smudge off my cheek.
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I think that I'll forgive you for what you've done, Purin said, her arms crossed, and she was staring at me out of the corner of my eye. She reminded me of Celeste that time that I chopped the head off of her doll because she lost my racecar.
"Do you really have a choice?" I asked dryly. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
Of course I have a choice! she snapped. But I have to be the bigger pokemon by forgiving you.
"I thought that I was the bigger person anyways because I admitted that I was wrong and apologized for my actions," I muttered.
No, she said, it takes an even bigger pokemon to forgive.
"Whatever Purin," I said, giving up, "we could argue about this all day; and that is something that I'd rather not even waste my time on."
If you wouldn't of moved so fast and knocked me off of your head, then you wouldn't be here asking for my forgiveness now would you? Her body was becoming inflated and her eyes more bright.
"Well if you wouldn't have been so spoiled and childish I wouldn't have had to snap on you," I shot back.
Any good trainer wouldn't have snapped, period—
"I'm not just any trainer. I don't even know if I'm a good one. All that I know is that I'm your trainer," I hissed. "Purin," I sighed, looking her into the eyes, "I'm trying; I really am. I'm still getting used to your melodramatic ways."
Purin was silent from my sudden outburst. I was even a bit surprised at myself. Never before had I sunk down to that level and tried to please someone. Never.
She waddled over to me and placed a small pink arm on my shoulder reassuringly. You're right Quinn. I have to change—no, we have to change—or rather, we just have to get used to one another. That way we'll know what to say to one another and what not to—
"I bite my tongue for nobody."
That's what I've experienced, she grinned. We can make this thing we have going on work. I know it!
I nodded. For some odd reason, this reminded me of a scene from a movie between a boyfriend and girlfriend who are having relationship problems. I shuddered.
Truce?
"Truce," I settled on.
The next thing I knew, I was on the bed clutching my right cheek and I saw an inflated Purin staring domineeringly at me. Now don't ever do it again, she said sweetly, much too sweetly.
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"Come on Quinn," Celeste pleaded, "let's go down to the pokemon lecture that Hyacinthe wanted us to go to. I think that it's supposed to strengthen the bond between a pokemon and his trainer."
"Purin and I have been doing a lot of strengthening."
"It's our sister Quinn, our eldest sister! She'll be disappointed!"
"Yeah Quinn," Charlize joined in, "have a heart. What type of brother would you be if you didn't support your own sister?"
"One who doesn't feel like listening to a lecture. I thought those days were over after college and the whole army experience."
Charlize narrowed her eyes. "You're such a smart ass, you know that right?"
"I know it like I know my name."
She moaned as she walked away, "I tried Lest, I tried."
Celeste scooted up closer to me and looked at me with big eyes. She reminded me of Purin, they're eyes could be similar at times. To me, I think that Celeste's eyes change from time-to-time . She was trying the puppy-dog look. The look that had gotten me ever since she perfected it when she was ten.
"Bro, I shouldn't have to nag you like this. You would do it for me, I know you would. And you definitely know that I would do it for you. Now let's do it for Hyacinthe—"
"Fine!"
She giggled in satisfaction. "I knew that you would give in."
She looped her arm through mine, much like the old 19th century style, and we set off through the door, followed by her two friends and our pokemon.
I could hear our sister's gentle voice as we neared the door. I could also hear some chatter amongst the listeners, but that was all normal. Well, except for this one hot-headed girl with fiery crimson hair and a grimy green tank top.
"What is the point of this?" she screamed.
"To get used to your pokemon Blair; well, at least it was the last time that I checked," she retorted.
She trembled in anger, "I don't need that! My pokemon and me already have a good relationship. Why am I here?"
Hyacinthe took off her glasses and placed them on a neat table with stacks of papers on them. She looked at her subjected and said in a startlingly even voice, "I don't know Miss Iceblink; why don't you tell me?"
Her cheeks burned in rage, "you know what? I'm out of here!" She yanked on her huge pack and rushed out of the room, bumping into Celeste, knocking her down.
"Hey watch where you're going!" Celeste said as she picked herself up.
If I knew Celeste, which I did, I knew that her temper had just been given an energy boost. "What is your problem anyways? My sister did not deserve that attitude of yours."
Blair shook her head from side-to-side in disbelief. "I don't even think that I have to answer to a goody-goody-choirgirl-priss like yourself (A/N: Thanks American Pie!)."
"I am not a choirgirl, for one, and I am not prissy—wait! Why am I explaining myself to you anyways? If you already have a good bond with your pokemon, why did you come here to begin with? You obviously don't know good help when you see it."
I found myself enjoying this.
This Blair Iceblink girl practically dwarfed my poor sister. She was like some type of Amazon. But my sister had a lot of bite and a lot of power. She could hold her own in any type of situation.
The girl sized my sister up and smirked. "You're not even worth my time, small fry." She poked my sister on the shoulder. Celeste didn't move one bit.
"Don't touch me again," she hissed. She looked Blair straight into the eyes as she said it.
"Or what, small fry?" she taunted. She poked her again.
It all happened way too fast. It seemed like just a millisecond had passed when Celeste, in one fluid movement, had snapped and shoved this behemoth of a woman down to the slick, linoleum floor.
Blair's mouth was agape in shock.
Hell, even I was surprised. But then again, all of the Briarcliffe children had tempers; even the reserved Valentine retained a mean streak.
Brian rushed in between them and clutched Blair's arm, just before she marched up and began to fight with Celeste.
I grabbed Celeste's arm and held on tight, Charlize reprimanded the other.
I could feel, and hear, the trainers get up to watch what was taking place and Hyacinthe was on her way to the door.
"Let go of me you stupid...jock!" Blair growled as she clawed at Brian's other, exposed arm, leaving five red scratches. But he held tight.
"You say it as if it were a bad thing," he said. Sparks of electricity fizzled out of his pink cheeks as he glowered at Blair from his perch.
Celeste began to struggle, letting her temper get the best of her. Her eyes were blazing and her cheeks were a blazing inferno. She was never the one to back down from a challenge.
"Let me go," she roared. "Let me!—"
"Enough!" I yelled. I grabbed her arm and pushed her into the wall, a little too hard, I suppose. I was used to shoving guys into walls. "There will be no—absolutely no—fighting on this journey."
She struggled, "Let—"
"Do you hear me?" I asked sternly as I glared at her. She lowered her gaze.
"Look at me!" I demanded.
Her eyes were pools of tears. Whenever she was angry, she always cried. I don't know why, but she always did. It was a habit she'd never grow out of.
A part of me melted right then. I'd never wanted to use that tone or that force with my sister, but right then, it was essential.
"I hear you, all right?" she choked on her tears and walked away.
"Go cry little girl; like the little priss that you are!" Blair said. She grabbed Brian's arm and then twisted it, causing him to let go of her. "I'm out of here!"
She walked up to me and poked me repeatedly on the chest with a long fingernail. "You better keep your sister in check before something happens to her."
I grabbed her hand and squeezed it, "my sister picks and chooses her own battles. Your lucky that I held her back."
"Let go of my hand!"
I freed it.
She pulled her hand back to slap me, but I quickly grabbed it in midair and forced both hands behind her back: I restrained her.
With a groan she tossed her head back in order to head-butt me, but I moved out of the way. With an effortless push, I sent her sprawling on the floor.
"You do not want to mess with me," I told her.
She rose once again, "I have a feeling that you won't see the last of me!" And she finally left the scene.
I sighed as I leaned against the wall. I felt like hell right then. I was infuriated with myself for pushing a girl and for disciplining my sister, and I was sad because Celeste was somewhere crying.
I felt all eyes turn upon me expectantly.
I sighed deeply as I said, "I'd better go comfort my baby sister. Come on Purin."
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I'd like to thank Keleri for giving me the power to use her character, Blair Iceblink. I still need more beginning trainers. I suppose that you could submit more than one. Just two though! Please keep reading and please keep reviewing. Logging off—The Duke of Briarcliffe