Driftveil Arc: Quiet Routine
In the Pokémon Center, Mari and Jacky were lying in their beds. The Pokémon had gathered in their room. Absol had curled up and was yawning quietly. "Huaaah...",
"Paw in front of your mouth!" Skarmory commented. "Those teeth of yours are freaking me out..."
Absol looked up. "...How, exactly...?",
"Uh... Anyways... You're not bickering at all?" He said after looking at Gabite and Medicham.
"Not in the mood," Gabite replied.
"Are you sick?",
"No, I just don't feel like it.",
"You don't feel like bickering with anyone?",
"Yeah, it happens.",
"I don't believe it." Absol put his head on his paws. "So what now?",
"Nothing.",
"No, I mean what do we do next.",
"Oh well... I don't know.",
"That, which is routine," Kirlia spoke up. "A gym.",
"You've never been so confident, Kirlia", Medicham remarked.
"Was that your way of giving me some praise?",
"Yes.",
"Ah. Thank you." She bowed and giggled. "Well, that sort of thing comes with time."
Absol narrowed his eyes. Kirlia's giggle gave him a racing heart, and that was pokémonically annoying. "We'll do what we always do," Kirlia announced with a smile. "We'll do our best.",
"It'll be fun!" Noibat nuzzled into Zoroark's ponytail. "I'll train really hard and then everyone will shake in fear before me!"
Zoroark flattened his ears. "Why are you always prancing around on me? Absol has long fur too!",
"Yours is cuddlier."
Zoroark whimpered. "Don't fall off." Then, he turned his head to Absol, "You're so nervous, Absol. Are you okay?",
"Yeah, I'm okay. You're just imagining it.",
"If you say so. Hey, Medicham, are you walking on this earth?"
Medicham opened one eye and closed it again.
"What are you doing?",
"I think what it always does. Meditating," Luxio replied.
"Boring," Gabite grumbled. "Why doesn't Kirlia ever do that?",
"Because I just don't," she replied.
"That's not a convincing reason.",
"I don't need a convincing reason.",
"How did you two end up falling out like that anyway?" Zoroark wanted to know. Medicham raised her gaze. "... My mentor Hariyama and I trained every day in the mountains or by the river. He taught me to steel the soul and concentration with meditation. Together, the two of us were invincible. But then... there was a fire in the forest next to the big meadow. Many Pokémon lost their homes and fought over any food. Hariyama and I helped as best we could, but we couldn't prevent quarrels and fights among the Pokémon. And eventually, it got to the point where even we fought over the last berry." Then, she looked to Gabite. Gabite returned the look coldly. "... I had my territory in Virbank Forest, in the area where the greatest amount of berry trees grew. I didn't know about the plight beyond the forest then, when Medicham showed up in my territory and stole berries. I don't like intruders, much less having others steal from me.",
"Didn't you realize that the Deerling had fled?", Medicham asked sharply.
"No one dared to approach the area ever since I marked it as my territory... Well, not that it is any of my concern, but wouldn't you be more... helpful... if you were free? If your situation really was this bad, you should not have agreed to accompany a trainer on her journey, now, should you?",
"Is it just me, or do I actually hear pity in Gabite's voice?" Zoroark whispered to Luxio.
"You're mishearing. Gabite's heart is just as rough as his skin.",
"Hmph... I guess you're right...",
"You could have still helped your friends if you were free", Gabite continued. "So why would you abandon them?",
"I've made up my mind," Medicham replied. "The Pokémon are supported by Hariyama. After all, your territory is no longer under your control. He himself told me to seek my destiny.",
"Now that they have access to my berries, I'm sure they'll be fine.",
"For sure."
"Hey, Skarmory." Zoroark looked to the bird. "Has your wing completely healed by now?", "Completely." It nodded.
"That's great! Because you're very sweet, you know?" Noibat chuckled.
"Even though you were afraid of me at first?",
"He's more afraid of Gabite than it is of you", Kirlia commented.
"I was scared of that boy, too!" Noibat admitted.
"Who? You mean the bum who almost broke all of mine and Luxio's bones? The black-haired one?"
Noibat nodded. "Yes. But now, I'm so strong, I'll catch him and put him in my collection! Just like he wanted to do with me!"
Skarmory had to laugh out loud. "Hahah... You can put him on display for all I care, Noibat. Next time I'll smash him short and hard.",
"Watch out that your armor doesn't burst from that fighting spirit," Luxio grinned.
"My armor won't burst!",
"How about you guys keep it down?" Kirlia asked. "Absol is already asleep.",
"Oh... I didn't notice", Skarmory said.
The next morning, Jacky brought breakfast to the room and put the tray on the table. "Hey, Mari! Time to wake up, I brought breakfast!" Mari didn't respond. Jacky sighed and bit into a bun when Mari suddenly shot up from her sleep and yelled, "BREAKFAST!" Jacky was scared out of her wits and dropped her bun. "Waah! In the name of Arceus, I thought you were asleep!",
"Hah, I was, until the smell of the buns woke me up.",
"Well, thank the buns then."
Mari sat down at the table. "What are you doing today?",
"I'm going to train. I want to be fit for the gym leader.",
"Now please spare me the 'think of strategies' speech. If you had a strategy in the Nimbasa gym, it was garbage.",
"I thought you were going to stop talking about it?",
"I just wanted to say it again. Are you looking out for that guy from yesterday today, as well?",
"I wasn't looking out for him at all!",
"No? Then, I must have imagined your searching looks yesterday. And those long stares you gave him. I think he noticed...",
"I just want to know who he is! You could've asked for his name, or something!",
"Okay, okay. No need to raise your voice.",
"I'm not-",
"Don't bother denying it.",
"I'm not denying it at all!",
"Yes, you are. Right now.",
"You're horrible!",
"I'm just teasing you!" Mari laughed.
They trained in parallel. While Jacky practised with Medicham, Mari did exercises with Kirlia. It kept creating Magical Leaves and made them swirl around like a storm. Jacky looked at her for a moment before an idea came to her. "Hey. Can you do that again?",
"Um... Of course. You heard her, Kirlia." Kirlia nodded and surrounded itself with leaves again before teleporting into the air and blasting Medicham with them. "Psycho Cut, Medicham!" Medicham nodded and formed a blade in its hand. It sliced through the leaves with dancing, fluid movements. Kirlia landed back on the ground. "Hmm... Keep attacking", Jacky asked. "Alright. Drazzling Gleam!"
Kirlia raised its arms and blasted Medicham with beams of light. Medicham fought those beams of light off with Protect. "Shadow Shard!" Jacky shouted. Medicham destroyed a Shadow Ball and sent the shards at Kirlia. The fairy raised its hand and stopped the shards in mid-air with Psychic, took them over and shot them back. Medicham dodged them with nimble movements. "Not bad", Mari said appreciatively. "You guys really are something.",
"Thanks, but you're a well-coordinated team. Let's see how good you are. Brick Break, Medicham! Over and over again!" Medicham sprinted off and put Kirlia under pressure with well-aimed blows. Kirlia, however, teleported away again and again and sent Magical Leaves at Medicham. Medicham dodged them and kept Kirlia's following Dazzling Gleam attack away from itself with a shield. It had trouble keeping it up, though. Kirlia spun around and sent out a second Dazzling Gleam attack that shattered the shield. Medicham held its arms in front of it and backed away.