I'm back! Well, I'm starting up with school and it's getting difficult, so consistent updates are gonna be difficult, but at least I have this one for you all! I hope you enjoy it!
Casey smiles at her friend. She's glad that she's figured out what it is that's been holding her back. Dawn's been doubting herself for so long that she's been worried that the bluenette may not return to her former confidence. Something tells her that this is the start of that process.
Now, onward to the Wallace Cup, and hopefully a new experience for them all.
Valor Lakefront - Sinnoh
The skies above the port are crystal clear, spare a few fluffy, white clouds scattered around. It's a nice morning, which is nice considering that Casey and her friends have been stood in the port of Lake Valor for the best part of the last hour waiting for the arrival of a certain boat from the Johto region.
Ash and Brock have told her and Dawn all about their friend May, a coordinator that they travelled around with before coming to Sinnoh. From what they've heard, May seems cool. She sounds more similar to Dawn than Casey, but from what she's gathered so far she reckons that they'll all get along well.
The port's empty, which is surprising given the fact that the Lakefront is positively packed with people from across Sinnoh and the rest of the world. The Wallace Cup isn't until tomorrow but people have already travelled to the area for the event. Most of the hotels are fully booked (it was a miracle that they managed to get rooms when they arrived last night), the shopping areas are packed with fans rushing to buy Wallace Cup orientated merchandise, and all possible training areas are full of Coordinators perfecting their performances for tomorrow.
She gets it: the urge to train relentlessly right before a big event. She's been working on some stuff with Dragonair these last couple of days for the competition herself. Whilst it's clear that Dragonair isn't a Contest trained Pokemon, Casey's been both surprised and impressed with the skill that she's shown in such a short amount of time.
Could they win it? Who knows? But they're definitely going to try as hard as anyone else to do just that.
The Wallace Cup isn't the only thing that's been on her mind though. She's put it down to pre-Contest nerves, but she hasn't felt quite right since they arrived at the Lakefront. She can't quite put her finger on it, but something just feels off. It worries her to think that she's felt like that a lot recently. She feels like Monferno may have picked up on it, but she would've been surprised if he hadn't. He always knows when something's amiss with her, as she does with him. That's one of the many reasons why they function so well as a team.
"Mon?" He murmurs beside her, snapping her out of her reverie as she looks to him with a smile.
"I'm alright, pal. Just thinking."
"Yoo-hoo! Long time no see!" A distant shout comes from across the water. Casey looks out at the approaching boat, more specifically at the person stood at the front of the boat waving to them.
"It's May!"
Ash and Brock perk up at the sight of their old friend, their excitement only growing as the boat pulls into the port. May disembarks, approaching them with an increased pace and two shopping bags in either hand.
"Wow! Ash, Pikachu and Brock! It's good to see you!" May chirps, coming to a stop in front of the group.
"Thanks, May! It's great to see you too!" Ash replies.
Brock gestures to the bags in May's hands, a quizzical expression on his face, "Uh, that's a lot of...luggage."
"No! This stuff?" May asks with a nod to the bags, "I brought presents!"
She places the bags down onto the ground and kneels down to rifle through them, first withdrawing two wooden models and handing them over to Ash and Brock. Casey recognises them as being modelled after Teddiursa and Ursaring, the latter going to Brock and the former going to Ash. The boys marvel their presents, (Brock being slightly more hesitant that Ash as he questions their exact purpose) thanking May for them as she withdraws a small box and passes it over to Dawn with a warm smile.
"For Dawn and Piplup!" She smiles, "It's so nice to meet you both! I hope you like it!"
Dawn carefully opens up the small box, revealing an adorable Piplup face pendant with a silver chain. She gushes enthusiastically to May, thanking her for the lovely gift and reciprocating what she's said.
Casey peers over Dawn's shoulder and eyes up the gift herself. It's adorable and perfectly fitting to something that Dawn would wear. May definitely has similar taste to Dawn, that's for sure. Probably comes with the both of them being coordinators.
"And I didn't forget about you, Casey. Here you go." May says. Casey moves away from Dawn and looks to May, gratefully accepting the gift that the coordinator extends out to her. "I hope you like it!"
Casey opens up the present, revealing a box of Rage Candy Bars and a couple of bottles of Moomoo Milk. She smiles at the sight of the food - she loved it back when she was travelling through Johto.
"Ash and Brock told me all about how you travelled through Johto, so I figured I'd bring you a little reminder of those times."
"Wow, thanks, May! It's great to finally meet you!" Casey replies enthusiastically, placing the gifts into her backpack with the mental note that she'll have to enjoy them later along with her Pokemon. She wants them to try the Rage Candy Bars.
Reunions completed, the group begins to head away from the port and towards the main area of the Lakefront. May leads the group as they head up the stone steps that originally lead them down to the port, Brock kicking off the next conversation with a question.
"So, are you all ready to compete in the Wallace Cup?"
"Yeah! I've been waiting to do this for such a long time! As soon as I heard it was going to be in Sinnoh, I came here as fast as I could!" May explains.
"It feels like half of Sinnoh did the same. I've never seen the Lakefront this packed." Casey muses, thinking about the previous times that she's been to the Lakefront. Sure, it's always been a busy place, but never as busy as it is right now. Then again, it's never held an event as big as the Wallace Cup on its shores before.
"Wait, you've been here before, Casey?" Dawn asks, surprised.
Casey nods, "With my grandfather. It's not too far from Pastoria City, so it was easy enough for us to come over here for a day out or a short vacation."
Her Grandfather's never had loads of money, but they always had enough to get by and occasionally spend what they did have frivolously. One of the fondest memories she has is a time she came down to the Lakefront with her Grandfather on a sunny summer day when she was eight. They went to the Seven Stars restaurant, A.K.A one of the best places to eat in all of Sinnoh. Her Grandfather had to win a battle against the owners in order for them to eat there, but once he did it was so worth it because the food was absolutely delicious.
Perhaps she should stop off there at some point whilst they're at the Lakefront.
She turns to Monferno, smiling, "That was before even you were around, pal."
He gives her a look as if to say 'seriously' and it makes her burst out laughing, "Sorry, pal."
"Wow, Casey! You and Monferno seem really close!" May remarks.
"Of course. Monferno's my partner."
"Mon!" Monferno chimes in, agreeing.
Of course, she's close with all of her Pokemon, but the connection that she has with Monferno is something else entirely. She can't explain it. It's the kind of bond that doesn't need words or actions to function. It just exists as a constant.
"So, what's Max up to these days?" Ash asks, moving the topic of conversation along to something else.
Casey recognises the name from what Ash and Brock have told her and Dawn about May. Max is her little brother who travelled with the three of them despite the fact that he's not old enough to have a Pokemon of his own just yet.
"Max is doing great!" May tells the group, "He's hard at work helping to take care of Dad's Pokemon. He's always talking about doing it just like he learned from Brock. Needless to say, Dad's as proud as he can be."
"Of course! Max was always watching Brock super closely."
"That's amazing." Dawn remarks, clearly impressed, "So, May, when did you arrive in Sinnoh?"
"Three days ago. There was something I really wanted to do before the Wallace Cup got started. So, first I went to Snowpoint City." May explains as they reach the top of the staircase, arriving at a small clearing.
"So, what did you do?"
"I'll show you!" May replies excitedly, reaching for a Pokeball and tossing it out in front of her confidently. "Now, Glaceon, on stage!"
A Glaceon bursts out of the Pokeball with elegance, standing before them all with confidence and grace. All of them gasp, Brock and Ash in particular, and Casey instantly reaches into her pocket and pulls out her Pokedex, aiming the device at Glaceon.
"Glaceon, the Fresh Snow Pokémon and the evolved form of Eevee. Glaceon can freeze the fur on its body, and make it stick out like sharp needles."
"So cute!" Dawn squeals excitedly.
Casey casts a glance down at Monferno as May begins to explain how her Eevee evolved into a Glaceon, noticing the sudden look of discontent crossing his face.
"You okay, pal?" She asks, tone worried. Could it be something to do with Glaceon? She hopes not.
He looks back up at her, clearly bothered about something, and just before she's about to ask him again she hears the faint growling of his stomach that makes her chuckle, much to his chagrin.
"Ah, so that's what it is." She remarks, looking away from him and over to her friends, "Hey, do you guys mind if we get something to eat? I think Monferno's a bit hungry."
"Of course." May replies, "And don't worry, because I just so happened to make reservations at the perfect place! Only the most popular restaurant in Valor Lakefront!"
"This is it?"
Casey smirks over at Ash, "Trust me, Ash, the food is phenomenal. My Grandfather took me here once."
The group stands outside the entrance to the Seven Stars Restaurant, a place that she hasn't been to in years. From the outside it may not look like much, but on the inside it's a whole different story.
"Whatever you say, I guess." Ash mumbles, and it's made clear that he's not going to protest it when his stomach grumbles as deeply as Monferno's has been the entire way here.
She looks over at the Playful Pokemon, smiling sympathetically when she sees the look of discontent on his face, "Don't worry, pal. This'll be great, trust me."
The group heads inside then, May leading the pack with Casey and Monferno trailing just behind. They enter into a grand room which has been decorated ornately and with sophistication that makes Casey sigh contently at the sight.
Ah, just how I remember it.
At the end of the door before a tall door stands a man, dressed in formal restaurant attire that matches the sophistication and class of the room to a tee.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen." The gentleman greets, bowing gracefully at the party as they approach him.
"Reservations for May." May says politely.
"Of course, Miss May, we've been waiting for you. You have reservations for five." He explains, gesturing to the tall wooden door behind him, "Please, right this way."
"Are you sure about this place, Casey?" She hears Dawn murmur behind her as they begin to follow the gentleman towards the door.
She smirks, "Trust me on this one, Dawn. It's great."
They're just approaching the door when it suddenly bursts open, just narrowly missing the gentleman leading them towards him - though he doesn't even flinch, almost as if he was expecting it to open. A young boy, perhaps around Casey's age, bursts through breathlessly, a perturbed expression plastered across his frustrated features.
"You're leaving?" He asks, tone intrigued but also suspecting.
"I'm gonna go back and train some more, but I'm gonna eat here if it's the last thing I do!" He exclaims, then making a mad dash for the exit but calling back to them as he goes, "I won't forget this!"
Casey's not as surprised as her friends by the boy's sudden and rather unexpected exit. She's fairly certain she knows why he's leaving, as well. It becomes obvious to anyone who's been to the Seven Stars before.
"What was that about?" Dawn asks, clearly confused.
"Of course, I forgot!" Casey exclaims. For a moment there, she had totally forgotten that her friends have never been here before. She turns to the gentleman, tone polite, "Sir, can we go on through?"
He nods, "Of course, Miss. Follow me."
He leads them into the next room, and Casey finds herself smirking at the sound of her friends (and, yes, even Monferno's) surprised gasps when they come across not a packed and classy restaurant, but a battlefield instead.
"It's a battlefield!"
"Yep. If we want to eat here, we're gonna have to battle for our food." Casey explains, smiling giddily just as she did all those years ago, "The owners love to battle, so we're gonna have to defeat them in order to try their food. My Grandfather had to defeat them when we came here."
This restaurant truly is amazing! Battles and food rolled into one! No wonder it's rated so highly!
"What? But what happens if we lose?" Brock asks, shocked.
"We don't get to eat."
Sure, the rules of this place are kinda harsh, but you can't deny that it offers a unique dining experience. Well, at least that's what Casey's grandfather told her all those years ago.
"Mon!" Monferno squeals at her side when she replies, and she's kneeling down at his side in an instant to pat his head comfortingly when that look of discontent from earlier resurfaces. It's sorta like a reflex.
"Don't worry, pal. You can sit this one out. Shellos can help me out here." She smiles, and she chuckles to herself when she sees him sigh audibly in complete and utter relief.
He's really hungry, huh?
"You must be our next customers, then!"
She stands up when she hears the faintly familiar voice of one of the restaurant owners. She doesn't remember much about the two of them, but it's clear from their formal and elegant outfits that their sophisticated style hasn't changed one bit throughout the years.
"Welcome to the Seven Stars restaurant. My name is Roman and I'm a restauranteur who prides himself on the finest cuisine." Roman explains, and it's clear from the tone of his voice that he's proud of his establishment.
"And my name is Kylie. I've spared no expense in providing the finest in decor and ambience." The woman at his side adds, curtsying to them all and bowing her head respectfully.
"So, how shall we proceed?" The gentleman who led them in asks, who by now as crossed the room to stand on the sidelines of the battlefield to equally address both parties, "Normally I would suggest tag battles, but since there are five of you, one of you will need to battle either Mr Roman or Miss Kylie alone."
"I'll go alone."
Everyone looks at her in surprise, even Monferno.
"Casey, are you sure?" Dawn asks.
"Of course. Shellos has been waiting for a battle opportunity like this for a while. She hasn't had the chance in a long time." Casey explains truthfully. She feels as if Shellos hasn't got as much of an opportunity to battle as her other Pokemon have recently, and she's been putting in so much training that she only deserves to show it off.
Besides, she couldn't battle the last time she was here because she was too young. It'll be nice to get that chance this time around.
"Very well, Miss." The gentleman says, bowing respectfully once again, "If you may step forward."
Casey nods, stepping forward into the battle box whilst her friends go and sit on the sidelines, and Monferno instinctively steps into the box alongside her, looking up at her expectantly. The sight's endearing, and she's kneeling down at his side when she notices how sluggish his movements are due to his hunger.
"You go sit with Ash and the others, okay, Monferno?" She suggests, nodding towards the group with a smile, "I'll get us that food in no time, 'kay?"
He nods, giving her a look as if to say 'don't lose' that makes her laugh.
"Don't worry, I won't."
She stands as he leaves, turning back towards the owners of the Seven Stars and reaching straight for her pockets, hand clasping over Shellos' Pokeball in preparation. She pauses when a look of surprising recognition crosses Kylie's face.
"I remember this child, Roman! She came along with that elderly gentleman!" She gasps.
"Why yes, Dear! He gave you quite the excellent battle, didn't he?" Roman remarks to her before turning towards Casey, bowing to her respectfully, "Young lady, I would honoured to battle you this time around. Do you accept my challenge?"
"I accept your challenge."
Oh, how long she's been waiting to say those words here.
"Excellent! Now, Snorlax!" Roman says, throwing a Pokeball out onto the battlefield elegantly whilst Kylie steps back to allow the battle to commence.
A ginormous figure bursts out of the device, materialising in front of her in it's full gargantuan size. Snorlax stands tall, poised and ready to battle, characteristics that are far unlike any other Snorlax that Casey's met in the past.
She's certain that it'll be a formidable opponent.
"Alright, Shellos! Let's show 'em what you've got!"
She sends her out onto the battlefield with full confidence, knowing full well that she's more than capable of winning this battle, what with all the training she's been putting in. She's noticed that over the last few days in particular. Whenever she's woken up, Shellos has always been up already, seemingly for quite a while based on the lively way she's been acting.
Every time she sees the Sea Slug Pokemon up so early, she feels a guilty feeling build in the pit of her stomach. It's as if she's trying to prove herself, something that Casey doubts she'd feel she has to be doing if she was getting in more battle time.
She might even try to get Shellos into some battles at the Wallace Cup if she gets past the first round. She hopes that Dragonair won't mind that.
"Battle begin!" The gentleman acting as the referee declares, swinging his arm down to declare the beginning of the battle.
"Okay, Shellos, use Rain Dance!" Shellos takes a deep breath and looks up to the ceiling, letting out a bellowing cry that summons multiple rain clouds to the space above the battlefield that showers both Pokemon in water.
"Snorlax, use Mega Punch!" Roman declares in a counter strike. Snorlax's fist glows with a clear aura that swirls around the end of its large fist, its targets set directly for its opponent.
"Shellos, dodge it!"
Shellos slides out of the way of the attack with ease, all the while rain chucking down on the battlefield.
"Now, use Water Pulse!" Casey commands. Shellos lets out a loud battle cry as a large orb of water forms at her face, and then she's sending it flying directly at Snorlax with great strength.
It strikes the Sleeping Pokemon directly in the chest, sending the ginormous Sleeping Pokemon to it's knees as it lets out a groan at the sudden forced movement.
"No! Snorlax!" Roman cries.
"Let's finish this with Mud Bomb!" Shellos elongates her neck and draws her head back, launching it forward and firing a myriad of mud orbs directly at Snorlax, all of which successfully hit.
Snorlax falls down to the floor, the force of which sends dust cascading around the battlefield as the rain begins to clear. It's only when the dust finally settles that the outcome of the battle is decided upon.
"Snorlax is unable to battle! The battle goes to the challenger!"
"Shell!" Shellos cries triumphantly, turning towards her trainer with a look of pure pride and achievement.
"Wow, Shellos!" Casey smiles, "All that training really paid off, huh?"
"Shell!"
Casey's genuinely surprised. Of course, she knows that Shellos has always been strong, but to take down a powerful Pokemon like Snorlax is no easy feat. She's so proud that she can't even fault Shellos when she jumps up onto her shoulder and nestles at her side.
"Excellent battle." Roman calls just as he's pocketing Snorlax's now full Pokeball, bowing gracefully at both Casey and Shellos, "It would be an honor if you dined at our fine establishment."
"Thank you, Roman." Casey replies politely, then turning to her friends, who were watching the battle with avid attention the entire time, "So, guys, who's ne-?"
She's interrupted when the doors at the end of the room suddenly swing open, a distressed waiter bursting through exasperatedly.
"Roman! Somehow every single piece of solitary food from the kitchen's been stolen!" He cries, and everyone gasps in shock at his statement.
Casey hears her friends murmur in disappointment, and no one's as disappointed as Monferno is. The Playful Pokemon jumps right out of his seat, rushing towards her and crying out indignantly whilst flailing his arms wildly.
"Mon! Mon-ferno! Mon! Mon! Mon!"
Casey feels Shellos nestle into the side of her neck, clearly frightened by his behaviour, and she's quick to kneel down at his side in an attempt to calm him down somewhat.
"Whoa! Monferno, chill out!" She soothes, grabbing his arms and bringing them to rest, "It's okay. We'll sort this, okay?"
"Mon!"
She sighs, "Come on, pal. Help me out here."
"Casey!" Ash calls out to her, and she turns away from Monferno to see him and the others rushing into the kitchen. She was so focused on Monferno that she didn't even notice that they had moved, "Let's go!"
She nods, "Right!"
After checking that Shellos is at ease, she follows on after Ash, with Monferno trailing begrudgingly behind. They head out into the main restaurant, gasping in shock at the sight of the mess that's been left there. She goes to stand by her friends as a chef bursts into the room through the kitchen, apologising profusely to Roman upon the sight of him.
"I'm so sorry, Mr Roman, but everything's gone! It's all been stolen!" He cries, bowing respectfully with every word.
"A travesty! How could this have happened?" Roman says, exasperated, "That food was for the gourmet enjoyment of our victorious customers!"
"Well, you've got that right! And I'm gonna get our lunch back!" May proclaims determinedly, and then she's reaching for a Pokeball and tossing out in front of her before anyone can even question it.
Out of the Pokeball spawns a Munchlax, and ordinarily Casey would get out her Pokedex and scan the Pokemon's information into the device, but she knows how desperate Monferno is to eat lunch and she's not about to do anything that may delay that from happening.
"Munchlax?" Dawn murmurs, clearly quizzical, "May, what exactly are you gonna do?"
"Just watch!" May replies, confident. She kneels down at Munchlax's side, instructing it clearly and carefully, "Now, Munchlax, I know you remember that delicious smell, so I want you to go and follow it!"
Munchlax nods, and Casey watches as its nostrils flare as it begins to sniff around the area. It takes a moment, but then it picks up on the scent with relative ease, turning to its trainer to let her know that its got it.
"Cool! Munchlax has got the scent!"
Everyone audibly sighs in relief and begins to follow Munchlax as it leads them out of the restaurant. Monferno's the closest to Munchlax, trailing after the Pokemon with an eager expression on his face. Munchlax leads them a fair way out from the restaurant, and for a moment Casey's skeptical that the Pokemon is actually leading them the right way, but then they find their target and her doubts go away in an instant.
"Hold it right there!" Ash yells at the culprits.
To the surprise of, well, no one, they find Team Rocket huddled around a massive pile of stolen food from the restaurant, greedily stuffing their faces with the produce. They notice their presence, and that's when they frantically scramble to eat as much of the food as they can before anyone can stop them.
"You crooks never change!" May yells, making them stop, "Haven't you clowns learnt anything at all, huh?"
The crooks share a familiar glance, and Casey finds herself groaning despite herself when she realises what's about to come. It happens every single time.
"Is that the sound of an obsolete twerp I hear?" Jessie proclaims, jumping to her feet and moving her hand up to cup her ear in a mocking pose.
"Your expiration dates passed, my dear." James chimes in, him to jumping to his feet.
Meowth jumps up to, seemingly preparing to join in with their frustratingly annoying motto too, but it seems that Casey's not the only one whose fed up of it already. Monferno jumps out in front of the group, lurching his head back before lunging it forward and firing an explosive ray of fire directly at Team Rocket. The fiery attack hits them directly, the force sending them barrelling into the air at breakneck speed.
"Pikachu's the one who's supposed to do that!" Meowth wails.
"We're blasting off again!" Team Rocket cries as they vanish into the distance.
Everyone stands there, stunned by Monferno's sudden spring into action, but Casey's not. She chuckles to herself, kneeling down at Monferno's side and placing a hand on his shoulder, making him tear his angry eyes away from the sky and over to her. His face softens, though it's clear that he's still agitated for another reason.
"Don't worry, pal. We'll get you some food." She says, smiling.
Casey smiles wistfully as she watches the waters of Lake Valor glisten in the moonlight. It's a sight that she's familiar with, and one that she's greatly missed. She remembers vividly what her Grandfather told her when they both stood in the exact same spot that she's in right now years prior.
Appreciate the view, Casey. Sometimes we take for granted things that are so close to us.
She didn't understand it then, and her understanding of it now is still a bit askew, but the sentiment was enough to make her appreciate the simple things a lot more from then on out.
She's alone on the lakeside. It's late, and she suspects that all of her Pokemon are asleep within their capsules right now. After all, they did all have a massive lunch, and she knows that the only thing she ever wants to do after a big meal is sleep. Besides, she doesn't want any of them worrying about her.
She politely excused herself from her friends once they got settled into their hotel room, which itself isn't too far away from the lakefront, simply because since arriving at Lake Valor she's been hit with a sudden feeling of homesickness and she hasn't had much of a chance to give it much thought. She didn't want to get all mopey around them and make them worry.
It's ridiculous, really. She's so close to home now that the homesickness shouldn't really be hitting her how it is. Sure, she's been homesick before, but those times she was either on the other side of the region or in a whole other region entirely.
"I thought you'd be out here." Brock says, and she jumps slightly in surprise when he appears at her side rather suddenly.
"Hey, Brock." She replies after taking a brief moment to collect herself, "What are you doing out here?"
"I'm here to see if you're okay."
"Me?" Casey asks, surprised.
"You don't often go off on your own, and when you do it's to train. When I realised you weren't going off to train, I figured something must be wrong." Brock explains, and the genuine concern in his voice hits her with an overwhelming appreciation for him as a friend, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's just...I don't know. Being back here reminds how much I miss my Grandfather, you know? We used to travel here for a short break a couple of times a year, and it kinda feels weird to be here without him."
She finally talks about how she's feeling, and it's as if a gargantuan weight's been lifted off of her shoulders as soon as she finishes her explanation. Sure, she's talked briefly about it with her Pokemon, but she's always stopped herself before they get too worried. With her friends, with Brock, it's different.
"Your Grandfather's really important to you, isn't he?" He asks after a moment of deep thought, clearly considering her heartfelt words with meticulous care.
She shrugs, no hesitation in her voice, "Of course. I mean, he raised me. Made me the person that I am."
A moment passes, and then Brock admits something that Casey didn't see coming one back.
"I miss my family too sometimes."
"You do?" She asks, stunned. Brock always seems to be so well put together. She hadn't even considered the idea of him feeling homesick. Perhaps Ash and Dawn, but not necessarily Brock.
"Of course. I'm always wondering what's going on back home, how my siblings are doing, how the Gym's doing; all of it." Brock explains, and he seems to get lost in his thoughts for a moment, a content but sad smile coming to his face as he looks at onto the lakefront.
Casey notices, and without even realising it she reaches out and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. It's like a reassurance. Reminding him that he's not alone. Because he's not, and as long as they're friends, Casey's adamant that him - or Ash and Dawn, for that matter - are never going through anything alone.
And she knows by the way Brock turns to her and smiles that she'll never be alone either.
