Silent Skies
Chapter 5
----
Maddie sat down, holding her Entei closely. She had nearly lost him! It squirmed uncomfortably, and she reluctantly let it go.
Finally, she turned to the small pile of stuff which lay at her feet. The brown paper package of the clothes, a simple black brush, two bars of soap, a blue ribbon, a small purse and a new bag. She counted her money again. There was 624 coins there. She stared at it disbeleiving for a moment. That Will must have given her near 500 coins.
Maddie tucked the money into the small purse, and put that into the bag. She had made sure the bag was large enough for Entei, although he was growing so quickly, and she doubted he would be able to fit in any bag soon enough.
She stuffed the clothes, brush, soap and ribbon into the bag, and stood up. Entei stopped his snuffling around the area and stepped over to her side.
The teenage girl made her way around a few corners, making sure Entei could follow her, until she was suddenly stopped by Jay.
'Maddie.'
'Jay.'
She watched his eyes shift to the obviously new bag on her shoulder.
He opened his mouth to comment, but before he could, little Entei padded into view. He stepped back, and his fire pokemon barked shrilly.
'When did you get a pokemon?' He asked, almost jealously.
'A few days ago.' Maddie said, trying not to sound smug.
'It's a nice one.' Jay commented.
'Yeah.' She said. 'Although it's growing really fast.'
As she said this, she noticed her once tiny Entei now reached up to her knee.
'Well, I've got to go now.' Street kids rarely had places to go.
'Alright.' He said reluctantly, then turned to his fire pokemon, and the two of them passed Maddie and Entei by.
She patted Entei, a bit stiffly, then continued to make her way along the alleyways.
A few minutes later, she emerged near the south of the city, walking down towards the Day Care centre. She turned, instead, to her right, and made her way down to the small waterfront there. Glancing back at Entei, she waded into the water a little ways.
Entei stopped at the water's edge, and eyed it suspiciously.
'Come on.' She said, smiling.
It stepped into the water, then leapt out, whimpering. That's right. He was a fire pokemon.
Maddie bit her lip, then went over to pick it up.
'You're going to have to learn to like it, pup.' She said, but she didn't put him down again. Instead she waded along the bank for a ways, going past areas that were inpassable by land.
At last she stopped on a little grassy hillock that dipped into the water.
She placed Entei onto the grass with her bag, then layed back into the water. This time it didn't matter if her clothes got soaked. She had new ones.
Maddie floated for a while, letting the hard life of the street kid ebb away into the clear water.
Before she knew it, Entei was paddling beside her, seeming to get over his aversion to water. She grinned and sat up, giving him a big, wet, hug.
He growled at her playfully, his long fur flat splayed out in the water, making him appear like some sort of wooly water monster.
Maddie reached for her soap, and gave Entei a good clean. She was suprised how dirty he really was, and when he was clean, he was a magnificent, russet red. She smiled in pride. No wonder nobody knew what he was.
She then took off her own clothes, and soaped herself down, cleaning her hair like she never had before.
At last, she got out of the water, and realised she had nothing to dry herself with. Shrugging, she tore open the package and pulled out the clothes. Here in the sunlight they were even more lovely.
She pulled on the shirt and the shorts, feeling very clean. Her hair was another problem. Once blond, it was now a dirty brown. She pulled the brush through it a few times, then getting nowhere, decided to tie it up. She grabbed the ribbon and tied her hair into a ponytail, smiling.
Maddie looked in her bag. Just the purse and brush there, plus the last bar of soap. She had used the first one completely.
She lay on the hillock, warming herself in the sun. Her eyes closed, and she drifted into sleep.
A few moments later, she was awakened by a still-wet Entei, snuffling over her face.
She sat up, and spluttered slightly, then looked over to her little pokemon. She suddenly forgot about her wet face, and her heart warmed.
He had obviously gone swimming again, and his fur was flopped over his face. He couldn't see.
She smiled, and grabbed the brush. If it wouldn't work on her, how about him?
Luckily, it didn't take too much effort to pull the brush through his fur. When she was done, he looked so magnificent that she laughed in suprise.
Almost immediately, she stopped, and wondered were that came from. She hadn't laughed, for as long as she could remember. She had never laughed, until now.
Picking him up, she slowly made her way back to the other bank, and passed by the Day Care centre smiling.
She even found the courage to walk down the main street, where nobody sent even a dissaproving look her way. Her new life was just beginning, and she would make sure she never had to go back to her old one.
With Entei held tightly in her hands, she stepped into the Pokemon centre. It was a little busier today, and she had to wait a moment until the previous person had finished healing his pokemon.
'May I help you?' The nurse asked, smiling at her. For a moment, Maddie was shocked into silence at her friendliness, then realised she looked like a regular Goldrenrod visitor.
She lifted Entei onto the counter, and the nurse stopped.
'Oh! I remember you!' She said, somewhat less cheerfully than she intented. Her eyes glanced up at Maddie's atire, but found it to her liking, and her face relaxed into a natural smile.
Examining the Entei, she frowned.
Maddie stopped. 'What's wrong?'
'Nothing. He's underfed, but perfectly healthy. I was wondering why you brought him here.'
'Oh.' Maddie paused. 'The truth is, I need some tips on how to start as a pokemon trainer.'
The nurse looked slightly suprised, then nodded.
'Alright, come with me.' She said. She indicated to another nurse who was in the hallway. The second nurse slid up to the front and began to help the next person. Maddie suddenly realised that there was more than one nurse, and perhaps it was just her luck she got the same one. Good or bad, she couldn't decide.
They entered a room, and the nurse brought out a box.
'Firstly, do you have a belt, or pokegear?'
Maddie shook her head.
'Alright, well, you need one of these.' She pulled out a brown belt, and placed it on the table.
'Pokeballs clip onto this.' She said, producing a pokeball and attaching it to the belt.
Maddie nodded, and, despite herself, was quite enthralled by all this technology.
'A pokegear is also very useful.' She pulled out a little machine. 'Cards can be inserted to give you a map, the radio and so forth.'
'These are pokeballs.' The nurse said, holding up two. 'Once you unclip them from your belt, they become larger, and then, if you press this button, you summon the pokemon you have within it.'
Maddie nodded, and the nurse continued to show her the basics of pokemon training.
'And this is a pokedex.' She said. 'Although you will have to get one of these from Professor Oak.'
Entei whined slightly, clearlu getting bored.
'Alright,' Maddie said. 'How much are they?'
The nurse stood up.
'Well, the belt and two pokeballs are courtesy of us,' She started. 'More pokeballs are 200 from the 'mart. The pokegear is 600.'
Maddie nodded, but before she could say anything, the nurse continued.
'You'll need to keep him in a pokeball.' She said, indicating Entei.
Maddie frowned. 'Do I have to?' She asked, sounding very whiny.
'Well, it's really up to you.' The nurse said. 'And another thing. If you choose to go out of Goldenrod, you can always gain lodging at any house along the way. Most people are willing to let a pokemon trainer stay.'
Maddie nodded.
'Okay. Can I just have the belt, and pokeballs.' She asked.
'Of course.' The nurse reached down, and then pulled out three belts.
'The black one, please.' Maddie said.
The nurse put back the other two, and pulled out two pokeballs.
'Thankyou.' Maddie said, attaching the pokeballs to the belt and lifting the belt, which was suprisingly light.
She left the room, with Entei following quietly. When she reached the door, she waved to the nurse, who looked a bit startled, then waved back.
Maddie grinned, and stepped out into a world with so many more possibilities.
Chapter 5
----
Maddie sat down, holding her Entei closely. She had nearly lost him! It squirmed uncomfortably, and she reluctantly let it go.
Finally, she turned to the small pile of stuff which lay at her feet. The brown paper package of the clothes, a simple black brush, two bars of soap, a blue ribbon, a small purse and a new bag. She counted her money again. There was 624 coins there. She stared at it disbeleiving for a moment. That Will must have given her near 500 coins.
Maddie tucked the money into the small purse, and put that into the bag. She had made sure the bag was large enough for Entei, although he was growing so quickly, and she doubted he would be able to fit in any bag soon enough.
She stuffed the clothes, brush, soap and ribbon into the bag, and stood up. Entei stopped his snuffling around the area and stepped over to her side.
The teenage girl made her way around a few corners, making sure Entei could follow her, until she was suddenly stopped by Jay.
'Maddie.'
'Jay.'
She watched his eyes shift to the obviously new bag on her shoulder.
He opened his mouth to comment, but before he could, little Entei padded into view. He stepped back, and his fire pokemon barked shrilly.
'When did you get a pokemon?' He asked, almost jealously.
'A few days ago.' Maddie said, trying not to sound smug.
'It's a nice one.' Jay commented.
'Yeah.' She said. 'Although it's growing really fast.'
As she said this, she noticed her once tiny Entei now reached up to her knee.
'Well, I've got to go now.' Street kids rarely had places to go.
'Alright.' He said reluctantly, then turned to his fire pokemon, and the two of them passed Maddie and Entei by.
She patted Entei, a bit stiffly, then continued to make her way along the alleyways.
A few minutes later, she emerged near the south of the city, walking down towards the Day Care centre. She turned, instead, to her right, and made her way down to the small waterfront there. Glancing back at Entei, she waded into the water a little ways.
Entei stopped at the water's edge, and eyed it suspiciously.
'Come on.' She said, smiling.
It stepped into the water, then leapt out, whimpering. That's right. He was a fire pokemon.
Maddie bit her lip, then went over to pick it up.
'You're going to have to learn to like it, pup.' She said, but she didn't put him down again. Instead she waded along the bank for a ways, going past areas that were inpassable by land.
At last she stopped on a little grassy hillock that dipped into the water.
She placed Entei onto the grass with her bag, then layed back into the water. This time it didn't matter if her clothes got soaked. She had new ones.
Maddie floated for a while, letting the hard life of the street kid ebb away into the clear water.
Before she knew it, Entei was paddling beside her, seeming to get over his aversion to water. She grinned and sat up, giving him a big, wet, hug.
He growled at her playfully, his long fur flat splayed out in the water, making him appear like some sort of wooly water monster.
Maddie reached for her soap, and gave Entei a good clean. She was suprised how dirty he really was, and when he was clean, he was a magnificent, russet red. She smiled in pride. No wonder nobody knew what he was.
She then took off her own clothes, and soaped herself down, cleaning her hair like she never had before.
At last, she got out of the water, and realised she had nothing to dry herself with. Shrugging, she tore open the package and pulled out the clothes. Here in the sunlight they were even more lovely.
She pulled on the shirt and the shorts, feeling very clean. Her hair was another problem. Once blond, it was now a dirty brown. She pulled the brush through it a few times, then getting nowhere, decided to tie it up. She grabbed the ribbon and tied her hair into a ponytail, smiling.
Maddie looked in her bag. Just the purse and brush there, plus the last bar of soap. She had used the first one completely.
She lay on the hillock, warming herself in the sun. Her eyes closed, and she drifted into sleep.
A few moments later, she was awakened by a still-wet Entei, snuffling over her face.
She sat up, and spluttered slightly, then looked over to her little pokemon. She suddenly forgot about her wet face, and her heart warmed.
He had obviously gone swimming again, and his fur was flopped over his face. He couldn't see.
She smiled, and grabbed the brush. If it wouldn't work on her, how about him?
Luckily, it didn't take too much effort to pull the brush through his fur. When she was done, he looked so magnificent that she laughed in suprise.
Almost immediately, she stopped, and wondered were that came from. She hadn't laughed, for as long as she could remember. She had never laughed, until now.
Picking him up, she slowly made her way back to the other bank, and passed by the Day Care centre smiling.
She even found the courage to walk down the main street, where nobody sent even a dissaproving look her way. Her new life was just beginning, and she would make sure she never had to go back to her old one.
With Entei held tightly in her hands, she stepped into the Pokemon centre. It was a little busier today, and she had to wait a moment until the previous person had finished healing his pokemon.
'May I help you?' The nurse asked, smiling at her. For a moment, Maddie was shocked into silence at her friendliness, then realised she looked like a regular Goldrenrod visitor.
She lifted Entei onto the counter, and the nurse stopped.
'Oh! I remember you!' She said, somewhat less cheerfully than she intented. Her eyes glanced up at Maddie's atire, but found it to her liking, and her face relaxed into a natural smile.
Examining the Entei, she frowned.
Maddie stopped. 'What's wrong?'
'Nothing. He's underfed, but perfectly healthy. I was wondering why you brought him here.'
'Oh.' Maddie paused. 'The truth is, I need some tips on how to start as a pokemon trainer.'
The nurse looked slightly suprised, then nodded.
'Alright, come with me.' She said. She indicated to another nurse who was in the hallway. The second nurse slid up to the front and began to help the next person. Maddie suddenly realised that there was more than one nurse, and perhaps it was just her luck she got the same one. Good or bad, she couldn't decide.
They entered a room, and the nurse brought out a box.
'Firstly, do you have a belt, or pokegear?'
Maddie shook her head.
'Alright, well, you need one of these.' She pulled out a brown belt, and placed it on the table.
'Pokeballs clip onto this.' She said, producing a pokeball and attaching it to the belt.
Maddie nodded, and, despite herself, was quite enthralled by all this technology.
'A pokegear is also very useful.' She pulled out a little machine. 'Cards can be inserted to give you a map, the radio and so forth.'
'These are pokeballs.' The nurse said, holding up two. 'Once you unclip them from your belt, they become larger, and then, if you press this button, you summon the pokemon you have within it.'
Maddie nodded, and the nurse continued to show her the basics of pokemon training.
'And this is a pokedex.' She said. 'Although you will have to get one of these from Professor Oak.'
Entei whined slightly, clearlu getting bored.
'Alright,' Maddie said. 'How much are they?'
The nurse stood up.
'Well, the belt and two pokeballs are courtesy of us,' She started. 'More pokeballs are 200 from the 'mart. The pokegear is 600.'
Maddie nodded, but before she could say anything, the nurse continued.
'You'll need to keep him in a pokeball.' She said, indicating Entei.
Maddie frowned. 'Do I have to?' She asked, sounding very whiny.
'Well, it's really up to you.' The nurse said. 'And another thing. If you choose to go out of Goldenrod, you can always gain lodging at any house along the way. Most people are willing to let a pokemon trainer stay.'
Maddie nodded.
'Okay. Can I just have the belt, and pokeballs.' She asked.
'Of course.' The nurse reached down, and then pulled out three belts.
'The black one, please.' Maddie said.
The nurse put back the other two, and pulled out two pokeballs.
'Thankyou.' Maddie said, attaching the pokeballs to the belt and lifting the belt, which was suprisingly light.
She left the room, with Entei following quietly. When she reached the door, she waved to the nurse, who looked a bit startled, then waved back.
Maddie grinned, and stepped out into a world with so many more possibilities.
