I need to stop apologising... Hopefully there will not be as long of a wait, but I am becoming increasingly unreliable with these promises, so just ignore me and enjoy the story :)
Chapter Fifty Five: Life's a Beach
As Butterfree crashed into the churning ocean, Sandy could not help but wonder if this would be yet another consecutive loss.
It had been three days since they had escaped from CeladonCity, and this was about the seventh training battle she had taken part in. A wide-eyed Bellsprout watched as her team mate disappeared into the crystal blue waters, having suffered the same experience at least three times now. Sandy had been more worried when this had occurred a few days before, but battling on tiny islands surrounded on all sides by water meant that this was fast become a recurring part of these battles. Their latest battle field had barely enough room for them all to fit, with Alaska and Sandy teetering on the edges of their respective sides of the small, sodden field, small waves constantly battering into them, while Bellsprout and Nadia were only a few metres apart.
"Good job Paige!" Alaska exclaimed, and Sandy turned away from the waters, knowing Butterfree would be alright, and remembering she still had the rest of the battle to deal with. The Pidgeotto soared happily around her trainer's head, smiling and chirping loudly at the success of her powerful Aerial Ace, while Nadia nodded briefly at her battle partner before turning to face Bellsprout, a malicious look in her eyes.
"Bellsprout Bell Bell Bellsprout!" The Flower Pokemon wailed, stepping nervously backwards on her stick-like legs.
"Come on Bellsprout, you can do this! Sleep Powder, go!" Sandy shouted, trying to sound enthusiastic, but in reality, she was tired, barely able to remain standing, and battling again was the last thing she wanted to do right now.
These past three days, when they had not been sleeping or eating, Alaska and Sandy had simply been walking. They had first made their way north to see LavenderTown as it was near, where they saw the graveyard was being rapidly rebuilt and the town was quickly moving on from that dreadful afternoon. Sandy had been unable to stay there long though, and Alaska had decided they would head south to Fuchsia and see what they found along the way. Sandy was pleased with a chance to have a break from it all: the last month in particular had been a very odd ride, and a little rest and relaxation was exactly what they all needed. The coastal path was the best place for it, as they had towering trees swaying in the ocean breeze to their right, while the sea stretched out to the horizon to their left, shimmering in all shades of blue and giving a tranquil backdrop very different from the hustle and bustle of Celadon, the perfect spot to stop and think things over.
The only problem was that Alaska quickly got bored. There was little to do to entertain yourself on such a long walk, and she regularly wanted to train her Pokemon as a means of keeping them all active after hours on their feet. Sandy was happy to do so as it made her friend happy, but now that it was all they seemed to do, she could not help but become weary of ordering the same moves over and over again, only for her Pokemon to keep getting beaten backwards to the brink of fainting…
"Ice Beam Nadia!" Alaska ordered, pointing dramatically towards Bellsprout.
Give us a chance… Sandy thought wearily as she tried to think of a way to counter this. Alaska knew the perfect ways to defeat Sandy's Pokemon, and it was making the battles not only constant but repetitive, with Sandy and her little team losing each time and only Alaska's Pokemon getting stronger.
Bellsprout ran forwards, her limbs flailing madly, while Nadia stood poised, a confident look in her eyes as the light blue ball of ice formed in her mouth. Paige was circling above the ocean, waiting for Butterfree to come out, and Sandy glanced over at the rippling waters and hoped she was alright before turning back to the battle, just as an idea came into her mind.
"Dive, now!" She shouted, just as Nadia unleashed her attack. Alaska looked surprised as Bellsprout dropped down, the Ice Beam skimming across her slim body and blasting into the earth around them. Using the slightly muddy ground as a sort of slide, Bellsprout came right up towards Nadia and leapt back onto her feet only a few centimetres away.
"Bell!" She cried before shutting her mouth, and then opened it with a force of breath; light purple flecks flew out of her open mouth, and Nadia tried to turn to avoid them, but she was too close to Bellsprout and the Sleep Powder moved swiftly, engulfing her before she could move. The Poison type remained still for a moment, looking at Alaska for what to do now, before simply keeling over as the attack took effect.
"Impressive move!" Alaska said, sounding a bit shocked, and Sandy lit up at the compliment, pleased to see her strategy had worked and taken one opponent down. But she had not won yet: Paige soared down, ready to take over the battle from Nadia, and Bellsprout wobbled backwards in fright. There was no sign of Butterfree, and Sandy turned the sea, trying to catch a sign of her Pokemon… Please, not another one… this can't happen, not now, not this late in my journey! Alaska, have you even noticed what Paige may have done…
"FREEEEE!" A cry suddenly erupted from the waters, and Sandy jumped backwards in fright, but her horror to joy as Butterfree emerged from the ocean, flying up towards the sun so that her wet body received a glistening, golden glow like an angel.
"YES!" Sandy yelled ecstatically, skipping on the spot and clapping her hands in glee. "Let's try and win this one guys! Sleep Powder and Poison Powder both on Paige, let's see what hits!"
"Oooh, crafty thing, aren't you?" Alaska said, faking a shocked expression. "I have taught you to well, young grasshopper!" Sandy laughed, and she felt more relaxed as Butterfree soared towards Paige, forcing her towards the ground and closer to a waiting Bellsprout.
"Use Twister!" Alaska shouted, but it was too late: Butterfree flapped her wings, unleashing the purple particles that had formed on them, and Paige dived to avoid the attack. However, she flew directly towards Bellsprout, and the Grass type sprayed her Sleep Powder right into the Pidgeotto's face.
"Pidgeeey…," Paige uttered in shock as her eyelids flickered shut and her wings went limp, and with a soft thud she fell to earth, landing right alongside Nadia. Silence fell except for the sea breeze and the waves crashing against the path, and it took several moments for Sandy to take in what had just happened. This was the first time ever she had ever come so close to defeating Alaska in any of their battles, both opponents lying before them just waiting to be defeated. Sandy wanted to scream out in joy and dance across their little island in the middle of the ocean, to celebrate this victory that was nearly in the bag…
"Congrats Sandy, looks like you win!" Alaska said, smiling widely and genuinely as she reached for her PokeBall's, but Sandy's happiness was shattered as quickly as it had risen.
"It's over?" She asked, trying not to sound upset. "They are only sleeping, they will wake up soon and then we can continue."
"Yeah, but in the time they are asleep, you'll easily be able to defeat them. A bit of Psybeam, a bit of Acid, the match is done!" Alaska explained. "Besides, we are running low on supplies; we can't let them get knocked out and weak when we are so far from any Pokemon Centre." Sandy knew she had a point, and indeed Alaska had never let any of her Pokemon fall unconscious during their previous battles, but a presumed victory did not feel the same, nor did it have the same results…
"You guys were brilliant!" She said to Butterfree and Bellsprout, shaking away all the dark thoughts and making sure her brightest smile was on. "Take a break and we can continue the training later!" Bellsprout smiled broadly back, but it was clear on Butterfree's face that the Butterfly Pokemon was not convinced. Sandy knew she could not hide her emotions from her oldest Pokemon after everything they had been through together, but she simply gave her another smile and withdrew her before Butterfree could get too worried.
"Shall we carry on then?" Alaska said, tossing Sandy her satchel as she picked up her own bag. The entire battle scenario was completely over, with all four Pokemon withdrawn, only a slightly frozen patch left to show anything had happened. Sandy nodded to her friend, knowing there was nothing she could say or do to change her mind, even though she was desperate to carry on and finish the match properly and give her Pokemon the chance to win they so surely needed. Alaska was to move off and continue onto Fuchsia, seeming to already forget about the battle and thinking only about what to do next.
Alaska's goal, not mine…, Sandy thought as she attached Potions to her PokeBalls. She did not want to stay here and be left alone once more, but the blonde haired girl began to feel grim as they started off once more…
Over the past few days, it had really begun to struck Sandy the enormity of what had happened to her these past few months. While they had stood on the outskirts of LavenderTown, watching the tucked away little cove like two ghosts rising from the ocean, Sandy had nearly been reduced to tears. She had come so close to dying in that town, and surely would have had Charlotte not been there. She had tried to forget about the incident and leave it in the past, but returning to scene only brought everything back for Sandy, and it hit home what she had gotten herself into.
I didn't leave home to nearly be killed, and this isn't the only time, Sandy had thought at the time, and these blossoming worries had lingered as she and Alaska had continued their walk. I was supposed to be experiencing things, travelling to new places, training Butterfree and the new Pokemon I found. Instead, I have had my mind switched with my Pokemon, nearly been killed by in several terrorist attacks and almost lost half my team. This isn't why I began travelling; this isn't why I threw everything else away…Sandy pulled the Potions off her PokeBalls once the medicine was emptied up and put everything away, feeling guilty on behalf of her Pokemon for bringing them into this situation. While she did not regret meeting Alaska in the slightest, sometimes Sandy could not help but wonder about when their luck would run out…
The sun was high in the sky as they carried on down the route. Sandy had to keep fanning her dress against her legs to help cool off, and she savoured every time the wind blew sea spray into her face: it was like having her head under the shower on a very low setting, and it helped to keep her happy and energized, washing her troubling thoughts away.
She did not think the same could be said for Alaska. Despite the epiphany she had had at Celadon, Sandy's friend still seemed down. Alaska would never admit it, hiding behind a proud mask of indifference to what happened around her, but Sandy could tell how much things were affecting her: the black haired girl was mostly quiet except when battling or discussing things over their pitiful meals, and it was obvious she was dwelling about similar things to Sandy.
She really shouldn't keep her cards so close to her chest, Sandy thought as they walked silently down the dull concrete path. I could help her if she actually told me things. Like her arm… Sandy noted Alaska was still holding her left arm close to her chest, as she had since Nitelite had dropped them onto the Snorlax. It had clearly been injured during their escape, but Alaska had not said a single word about it. Sandy could see the way the clothes had bulged around the shoulder, and wondered if it had swollen, and knew that she could have prevented it if Alaska had pointed it out.
She did promise to start trusting me more and telling me things, I need to let her keep that promise, Sandy reminded herself. There was no point demanding anything from Alaska, the blonde had learnt, and it was best to just let things naturally come out. However, that did not make it any easier that there were still secrets in their friendship. Even if I am not being entirely honest, Sandy reminded herself. She paused for a moment and calmed herself down, not wanting to go down the path when she was already having a bad day.
"I could kill for a meal at ABC again!" She said as her stomach grumbled slightly, trying to distract herself. . "It feels like days since I've had a proper meal!"
"It probably has been. Have you not noticed that we rarely seem to eat, and the only times we do something happens that furthers the events of our lives?" Alaska replied.
"Huh?"
"Never mind…." Alaska said, and Sandy only now noticed there was a distance growing between them, forcing her to pick up the pace.
"I could just see our mansion fitting in around here!" She said as gazed at the continuous rows of trees nestled across the edge of the earth, trying a different tactic to get Alaska talking. "I wouldn't want to knock any trees down though just for our house, we'd need to find somewhere with natural space."
"In order for my house to be the size I want, we're going to need to relocate quite a few Pokemon," Alaska said with a smirk on her face. "Based on the pictures, ArcethianAcademy is a pretty big building, and I want our place to be the same size!"
"Have you not gone there in person?" Sandy asked. "I would have thought you would have gone across with… umm… what are their names again?" She inquired, trying to remember Alaska's siblings as she knew the information was somewhere in her mind. It was only after thirty seconds of silence that Sandy realised Alaska had not replied, and she turned curiously to her friend; Alaska had slowed down so that the two were now alongside each other, and she was staring away at the churning ocean, watching as the scaly hide of a Gyarados slightly broke through the water's surface.
"Edward and Emily," she said finally, and Sandy could not help but notice a touch of sadness in her voice. "And I didn't want to go with them when they left for school, so no, I have not actually seen it in person." Sandy was taken aback by Alaska's sudden display of emotion, and she struggled with how to react: Alaska would not want to be hugged or physically comforted in any way, and would brush off any sort of apologetic statement. Sandy twitched slightly as she reached out to stroke her shoulder and then pulled it back, beginning to feel uncomfortable
"Why?" She asked simply, shoving her hands into her pockets for something to do. Alaska turned towards her, looking the saddest Sandy had seen her since that dreadful stormy night in Celadon. She looked uneasy as well as down, but Sandy could tell this was something she wanted to get off her chest.
"I just felt sort of betrayed by them, I guess… I have never really thought much about it since then; it seems like such a long time ago, and I have barely seen them since. But I was always a lonely child; Viridian is quite small so there aren't a lot of people my age, and Chloe turned the majority of them against me purely as we didn't get along. For a long time I just had my family, and then two of them go and leave the rest of us behind in our backwater town that people only stay in on their way to someplace else. I was pretty annoyed with them, and I refused to even say goodbye properly. We never really gotten along that well, the way that siblings are, but… I kind of regret it now, especially since all of this started. I have not exchanged a word with them for months, I have no idea what they are up to, so what happens if Gideon or the robots catch up to me before I get the chance?"
Silence fell as Alaska finished, looking as shocked as Sandy felt from her sudden outpour of emotion. The sea breeze suddenly felt cold and uncomfortable, and Sandy looked awkwardly away at the swaying trees, not quite sure how to react, and suddenly thinking about her own issues…
I never said goodbye either, she thought, pondering over that day three months ago, so far in her past that Sandy could not remember the exact day. She could only remember leaving as the sun came up, Butterfree alongside her for protection, sprinting down Route 22 the second she had shut the door. It had been the most intense moment of her life, but it had also been the happiest… she had finally been free…
"Sandy, are you alright?" Alaska said, her voice snapping Sandy out of her little flashback.
"What? Yes, I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine!" She replied quickly, putting a smile on her face, but then remembered what Alaska had just said and changed her expression. "I… I'm sorry about your siblings, that must have been tough having them walk out on you like that. I know the feeling, and …"
"You do?" Alaska asked, but Sandy became tight lipped, instantly regretting letting that fact slip out. Alaska raised an eyebrow, looking confused, but then she smirked and turned away. "Ah, I see how it is! You've got your own dirty little secrets hidden away, haven't you? What is it then? A forbidden love, robbed your next door neighbour, illicit drug ring?" Sandy laughed, managing to feel a bit better, and was pleased to see a smile crossing Alaska's face as well, the discomfort of her emotional reveal fading away.
"I am entitled to my own family secrets, aren't I?" Sandy replied with a laugh, hoping Alaska would not read too much into that.
"I suppose so. Trust me, there are plenty of things I have not told you about mine," she answered with a glint in her eye. The two both laughed, though there was no denying that there was something slightly forced about it: despite everything they had gone through together, it was clear neither of them were truly ready to bare everything to the other person. Sandy wanted to bring their friendship closer, but she needs to come to terms with a few things first before that is to happen, no matter the strain it would put on their relationship.
"You know what I have been wondering," Sandy said, starting to walk once more and was pleased when Alaska carried on as well, leaving this tense minute in the past. "Why haven't we seen Suicune and Zapdos lately? I had a feeling that those two had become your guardian angels or something." Alaska looked out at the ocean, as if the blue and purple beast would emerge from the waves at the call of his name and appear offering them a lift to Fuchsia, which would certainly help ease my feet, Sandy thought painfully.
"I have been wondering that as well. It is a bit unsettling, as I imagine they are still following us, but there has been absolutely no sign of them," Alaska replied, turning back to Sandy looking puzzled. "Maybe they have some magical legendary ability that allows them to be perfectly invisible?" Sandy nodded, and then jumped and screamed as she heard something snap several metres away. They both turned and saw it was simply a tree branch breaking under the weight of a Fearow, which let out a disgruntled cry and took off into the sky.
"That scared me half to death!" Sandy gasped, clutching her chest in fright.
"That is the issue with constantly being followed and attacked, isn't it?" Alaska said with a half smirk that didn't match her eyes. "You never know who or what is stalking you, trying to protect you, secretly a robot or just a random civilian or Pokemon with no idea why some thirteen year olds have such a plethora of scars and bruises." Sandy grimly nodded, only now beginning to realise how these events were beginning to affect her.
"Shall we discus something happier, like, I don't know, the weather? I don't think the weather is trying to kill us," Alaska said, forcing a broad grin.
"It is getting pretty hot, Gideon could have taken control of the sun and has decided to melt us to death," Sandy suggested jokingly, and Alaska began to laugh. Sandy smirked and giggled at her own joke, pleased to see they could move on and get back to a normal discussion. Suddenly, there was a loud bang that made them both jump, and they looked around, knowing that this sound did not belong to any breaking tree branches.
"Alaska, look, there's someone up ahead!" Sandy exclaimed as she saw a slight line of smoke rise in the near distance. "What, no… there are two people over there!" She and Alaska exchanged looks, startled by the sudden appearance of another set of people; they had not seen anyone else since their little side journey had begun, asides from people working in the distance at LavenderTown. It had felt strange on the first day not seeing another soul, but now that there were two up ahead, Sandy could not help but suspect something…
"I think they are battling," Alaska said, her suspicions confirmed a moment later by another soft bang followed by a cloud of smoke. The two picked up their pace, fuelled by intrigue and curiosity, and within a minute they could make out more of the scene: it was another island connected to the mainland by a concrete bridge, though it was much larger than the one they had just been on. A small cottage about half the size of Bill's house in Celadon was settled in the top left corner, its wooden frame rotten with paint faded by the sun and sea. Sandy presumed one of the two battlers lived there, and even from a distance, she got a feeling which of them it may be.
An elderly man was facing an opponent with their back turned to Sandy and Alaska. He had wild grey-white hair with a Dumbledore-esque beard to match, and was wearing a torn and tattered brown jacket and faded shorts that hung limply off his malnourished body. The man looked like the type of hermit that would live on an island and battle strangers for a living, and Sandy felt sorry for the poor old fellow, tucked away on the edge of the earth…
"Come on Goldeen, hit it with a Horn Attack!" The elderly man croaked as Sandy's feet left solid concrete and sunk a centimetre into the sodden earth of the island. She had not noticed until now that the opponent appeared to only be a young boy, dressed entirely in bright clothing and looking diminutive amongst the wide green landscape and never ending sapphire backdrop.
"Sandshrew, you can make this, use Night Slash!" He wailed, high pitched voice reaching hysterical levels, and Sandy looked at Alaska in shock as the voice rung a bell.
"Mitchell?" Her friend gasped, and the ten year old turned around, looking as surprised as they did but far more emotional: he appeared on the verge of tears, and Sandy's sympathy instantly transferred to him.
"Help me!" Mitchell exclaimed, and the old man gave a croaky laugh that reminded Sandy of her grandfather, who use to smoke at least half a dozen cigarettes a day.
"It's a one on one battle, sonny!" He boomed. "Nothing can save you from my Goldeen!" Sandy looked down and recognised the red and white Pokemon: the Goldfish Pokemon, clearly male based on its larger horn, a very common Pokemon found all over the world, swims in large schools like the ones Sandy had witnessed over the past few days.
Must be a fisherman then, she concluded, and looked down at Mitchell's side. A Sandshrew… Mouse Pokemon, Ground type, must have been caught near… Vermilion? Probably after we last saw him. Why would he send a Sandshrew out against a man who lives by the ocean? This was never going to work…
"Goldeen Goldeen-Goldeen-Goldeen," Goldeen said with a slight sing-song tone, and a ball of water formed suddenly in his mouth. Sandshrew stared in horror at the blue, shimmering sphere, knowing it would mean the end of the battle, but ran forwards anyway with miniscule claws growing and glowing black.
"Saaaaan –" he began, leaping towards the Water type, but it appeared Goldeen had been waiting for such a move.
"DEEEEN!" He cried, and the ball burst, pulses being sent out by the force of his cry. Blue rings shot towards Sandshrew, and Mitchell yelled out as they washed over the Mouse Pokemon, sending him crashing back down to earth.
"NOOO!" The ten year old wailed, but Sandy could tell that the battle was over. The drenched Sandshrew lay at an odd angle, limbs hanging loosely, eyes shut with no sign of movement. Mitchell stared at his Pokemon in wide eyed shock, unable to say a word, but his opponent made up for the silence; the elderly man let out a cackle and did a sort of jig while his smiling Goldeen flailed at his feet, either trying to dance as well or simply running out of water.
"I knew this would be a piece of cake!" He cried, clapping his veined, liver spotted hands together. "That makes my twentieth victory in a row, and one of the easiest ones I've had in a loooong time!"
"Do you need to be so rude?" Sandy snapped indignantly, horrified by the way this man was acting. "He is a young trainer; you don't need to abuse him like this, you could ruin his confidence!" The fisherman stopped dancing and turned towards Sandy, gazing out at her through eyes obscured by bushy eyebrows. He gave her a crooked smile, showing off teeth that seemed a mix of yellow and black that made Sandy want to gag, but she tried to keep her composure and not let this man defeat her.
"If the boy does not have the confidence to stand a loss like this, then maybe he should run on home to his momma!" The man croaked, pulling out a chunkier PokeBall that Sandy recognised as the old Apricorn style and withdrew his flopping Goldeen. "I have been battling people on this spot for the past forty years, and if you can't get past me without winning, then you shouldn't be out on the road anyway!"
"Who are you anyway?" Alaska scoffed. "You make it sound like you're some important trainer but I've never heard of you." The old man looked offended for a moment, but he puffed his chest out and pointed dramatically at Alaska.
"I am Barney, the Fisherman of Route 12, and who are you exactly?"
"Alaska Acevedo, the moody bitch who can't be stuffed dealing with senile old coots!"
"That's battling talk missy!" Barney exclaimed, looking shocked by her language. Alaska raised an eyebrow and pulled out four PokeBalls, and Barney's face quickly sunk. "I have had enough battling for today though, I need to get onto my fishing! Once this boy gives me his backpack then you can all be on your way." Mitchell began to sniffle at this, holding Sandshrew in his hands, and Sandy was taken aback to find the once joyful, loud little boy she had originally met reduced to a snivelling mess.
"What's this about his bag?" Alaska asked with a touch of anger, and Barney flashed another wide, rotten tooth grin.
"Back when I got paid to fish on my little spot here, I would only battle for a bit of money on the side or the occasional piece of food that doesn't come from throwing a net in the sea. These days though, there are hundreds of fishermen floating around on their big ol' boats, getting thousands of Goldeen and Magikarp every time they go out to sea! I can't compete with them, I'm too old to go sailing every day, so I ain't got any other money! I don't have any skills except battling and fishing, so now when I am challenged, the stakes are higher: if you want to carry on down this route unbothered, you have to bet everything that you've got on your back that you can beat me!" Sandy and Alaska looked at each other, horrified by this old man's rules.
"You're twisted!" Sandy cried. "Even if you have a tough life out here, that is no excuse for robbing people blind! How do you expect anyone to survive on their own if they lose all of their possessions?" Barney simply cackled to himself and shrugged his bony shoulders before turning towards Mitchell, looming dramatically over the poor boy.
"Come on boy, hand it over!" He croaked, even as Mitchell continued to cry, his clothes becoming smeared with mud.
"Please, this is all I own, you can't take this away from me!" He wailed. Barney grunted and swooped down with surprising speed, lunging for the bag and trying to pull it from his back.
"HEY!" Alaska and Sandy yelled simultaneously, and they ran forwards and began pulling the old man's surprisingly powerful hands off the bag handle. Mitchell was crying loudly now, tugging at Sandy's heartstrings, and he slumped onto his side in the muddy grass, still holding his unconscious Sandshrew. It was an uncomfortable and awkward scene, and Sandy looked to Alaska for advice on what they should do, but she looked as put off as Sandy felt.
"Listen here ladies, no one interferes in my business unless they wish to battle!" Barney barked, looking wild and unhinged as his sun-weathered face twisted in fury amongst his wild grey locks. He pulled another Apricorn Ball from his pocket and held it right up in Sandy's face. "What do you say then, missy? Battle me, and if you defeat me, you can take the little runt and leave unharmed and with all your belongings, including his bag!" Sandy gazed between the Apricorn Ball and Mitchell snivelling on the grass, feeling both sorry for the poor boy, angry at the old man, and a realisation of what this battle could mean…
"And if I lose?" She asked quietly, and Barney let out a dodgy snigger.
"If I win, then I get every one of your bags!" He boomed, just as a chilly sea breeze blew across the island, sending shivers up her spine. Mitchell stopped crying as the deal was put out, looking up with his hair coated in mud, snot and tears covering his face. Alaska stepped forwards with a nervous expression on her face and leaned in close so Barney would not hear.
"You don't have to do this Sandy, there are other ways to deal with this guy," she whispered. "We have more to lose than to gain, and this guy is clearly up to something: he refused to battle me but he wants to challenge you?" Sandy knew this was all true, and refusing the challenge would be the more sensible thing to do, but the events of the last few days had stirred up a mixture of emotions. She thought of Butterfree disappearing beneath the waves, Bellsprout not getting the development she so surely needed, her little Pichu who had not yet had any battle experience, and who could barely stand on his own…
Sandy shut her eyes and thought of the night before she had walked out the door: You can't train Pokemon, haven't you learnt this already! Look what happened last time… last time… last time… She had left to try and enjoy her life, to try and become a great trainer, and all she had done was let herself be dragged around Kanto while getting chased by a group of shadowy figures who wanted her dead by association.
"I accept your terms," Sandy boomed, forcing a smile to try and disguise the tears building up in her eyes. Alaska looked shocked but Sandy refused to let it affect her, reaching into her satchel and pulling out her PokeBalls. "How many Pokemon are you thinking?"
"Oh, why don't we make this one a two-on-two, a real battle rouser, eh?" Barney croaked, fetching another Apricorn Ball from his pocket. Sandy nodded and flashed her brightest smile, hoping that she could wear him down with kindness. She examined her own PokeBalls, thinking of the types of Pokemon she might see and who she should use against them, but the main thing she could think of was what this battle signified.
It was time for Sandy to prove herself, and make this nightmare worthwhile.
I hope you all enjoyed the new perspective. It may seem like a random time to bring in Sandy's perspective in the middle of an arc, but I feel it flows on from Alaska's confusion at the end of the previous chapter and gives our main character a chance to have a break rather than a few more chapters of "I wonder why every wild Pokemon I meet is actually a robot?" Besides, Sandy gets a chance to share more of her tale, even if she is not revealing it all... yet ;)
