Terribly sorry about the wait. There were some issues that needed resolving. But it's all good now. (bows) gomenasi, please forgive me.
SuliMike23- I know right? Robin and Raven are definitely taking their sweet time in getting together. No worries though! It'll happen…..someday
Anonymous – so that's what Hiei is! Thanks for telling me, I was very confused.
Blank- you just might be smelling a hint of jealousy. Mwhaha.
Thank you all for reviewing and I hope you continue to do so!
Chapter 28
Robin's Journey
"Let's see now…" I said out loud as Raven, Beowulf, Murkrow, and I headed toward the gym.
"We're talking ice right? And you said this was a three on three gym?" I asked Raven, who nodded. "Okay, then that means that Beowulf is definitely my best bet," Beowulf held up his head and tail and gave a little growl of agreement.
"Falcon is a definite no. As is Diamond, because of his ground characteristic" I gave a little sigh at that and patted Diamond's pokeball. It almost looked like he would never get a chance to battle. I made a mental vow to find some randomtrainers, or at least spend some more time training solowith him.
"So that leaves Fang and Bo."
Raven squinted at the sky thoughtfully, "that shouldn't be too bad. Fang is strong against ice attacks, and most ice pokemon are water too, so Bo will be effective." I nodded and chewed my lower lip, then pointed out,
"Course, with Fang it works both ways. Most ice pokemon are strong against water also." Raven smiled at me,
"You'll do fine." Beowulf barked and did a little dance. I laughed,
"That's right, I will do fine. I got you, right boy?" I ruffled his ears and Beowulf looked smug. Murkrow cawed to get our attention, and I looked up to see that we where at the gym.
Raven opened the door and I walked in ahead of him, and then promptly fell on my butt.
"Ow!" I exclaimed and looked around to see what hadtripped me as I tried to get up again. I almost made it when I slipped and landed on my back, which was still soar from the training I had given Fang. Cursing profoundly in my head, I heard a much louder thump and an equally louder curse. I looked to my right to see that Raven had fallen face first. I was about to go to him, when I heard a series of yips to my left. With a feeling of dread I turned to see Beowulf, all four paws frantically scratching on the floor, as he skidded backward straight toward a wall, where he crashed tail first.
"What the hell is this?!" Raven cursed as he got up on his hands and knees. Murkrow, the only one who escaped falling by hovering in the air, landed on his shoulder,
"krow! Murkrow!"
"the whole floor is iced?" Raven exclaimed. I frowned and sat down, giving myself an experimental push toward Beowulf. I slid straight for him, which was all well and good until I realized I didn't know how to stop.
"Aaa! Beowulf, look out!" I shouted as I tried to push the opposite way with my feet to stop. This only succeeded in making me spin into Beowulf, who couldn't get away in time., no matter how much he scrambled to do so.Crash! I landed on my back once again, with my legs up on the wall, and a very disgruntled houndour sprawled on my stomach. I looked over at Raven as Beowulf and I carefully distangled ourselves.
"Are you sure this is a gym, and not some sort of demonic skating rink?" Igrowled, using the wall to help me stand up.
"Humph! What are you kids doing in here!!" a voice called out angrily from behind me. "This is no place to be fooling around!" I turned and saw a kid come out from the shadows of the ice cavern, and step into some light. I gave a start when I realized that it wasn't a kid, but little old man. The angry retort on my lips died. I had always been taught to respect my elders.
"We're very sorry" I said slowly. "my friends" I waved my hand to include Raven, who was tackling the problem of standing, and the pokies, "and I thought this was the pokemon gym." The old man grumbled.
"Well then, why are you standing around here like a bunch of Dunsparce? Challengers are supposed to go that way!" the old man pointed and I looked and saw a little sidewalk that went around the ice and farther into the gym. I blinked, and Raven said,
"you should really put up a sign or something that warns people of the ice here. We could have gotten seriously hurt."
"Dor!" Beowulf agreed, carefully standing besides me. Well, maybe standing is to strong a word. His paws where slipping and sliding out from under him, but he managed to stay in about the same place. The old man glared at Raven.
"Is it my fault that kids today don't use their senses? Anyone with half a brain should have realized that there would be ice! This is the ice gym for crying out loud! Now get a move on! I have no time to be wasting on brats like you." And with that he turned and slid off. I frowned and looked at his feet, and saw the skates he was wearing right before he turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
"Wow" I said impressed, "that old guy can skate pretty well."
"krow! Krow!" Murkrow called impatiently.
"We're coming, give us a second!" Raven told her as we carefully made our way back to the little sidewalk. Raven didn't have that far to go, considering that he hadn't slid anywhere like I had. Beowulf and I looked at the sidewalk, which looked so far away, then at each other.
"Beowulf, you go first. I want to make sure you can make it" I told him. "try laying on your stomach and pushing with your legs. Like a Seel." I carefully laid on my stomach and pretended to demonstrate. Beowulf wrinkled his muzzle in distaste and shook his head. I glared at him.
"You have a better idea?" Beowulf looked at his paws thoughtfully. He then crouched down a little and lifted one back paw and pushed, and then he used the other back paw, and repeated the process. Using it to propel himself forward, until he made it to the sidewalk. Raven clapped.
"Very cleaver Beowulf!" he congratulated. Beowulf looked smug. I laughed.
"Did you get the idea from watching the old man skate?" I asked as I used my own idea, and slid on my stomach.
"dor!" Beowulf barked a yes as I used his back as a prop to help me up. I gave him a scratch behind the ears.
"Raven was right, that was clever" Beowulf wagged his tail and looked even more smug then before. I tapped his nose,
"Don't get to cocky though, we got a gym badge to win". And with that, we started walking down the sidewalk, toward the back of the gym.
The sidewalk ended a short while away, opening up to a giant iced arena. On opposite sides where the two trainer's boxes, where the challenger and gym leader stood. I looked around and saw only one problem however. There wasn't a gym leader.
"Hello?" I called out looking around.
"Yes yes, I'm here. Young people today have no patience." Came a grumbled reply. I spotted the same little old man we had seen earlier enter the arena on the opposite side we were in, and climb into the trainer's box.
"Look you, I'm a very busy person, a lot of stuff has been happening around here and it's not going to clear up any time soon. You're going to be my last challenger, and I'm not going to take you up on a re-match once I beat you. You're lucky you got in here before I locked the doors." He grumbled more to himself then to us.
"Wait a minute!" I cried waving my hand to stop his rambling.
"Why aren't you going to take any more challengers?" Raven asked, just a s confused as I am. The old man, who must be Pierce the gymleader, glared at us.
'that is not your concern. Come! Which of you is challenging me?" I raised my hand a little and Beowulf stepped up and barked.
"then get into the trainer's box and let's start!"
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!
