Here is Chapter 40, back to Jason and Kristine's point of view!
"Snorlax, why are you taking all the sandwiches?" Jason spoke loudly in his slumber before shooting straight up, awake and alert.
He was awaiting the ensuing giggle from his sister following his upstart reaction from his dream. Hearing nothing, he turned to Kristine's bed only to find out she wasn't there.
"Did she go downstairs?" he muttered before getting out of bed to get dressed for the day.
It had been several days since Jason's victory against Scarlet, and Kristine's triumph a day later. They took it easy since then, taking in the sights of Raley City as Amanda, Liz, Bran, and Julian each waited their turn to take on Scarlet.
Jason left the room and walked downstairs as soon as he got geared up for the day. He wondered where Kristine had run off to after observing that she was nowhere to be found.
A moment later, the doors to the pokemon center flung open, with Kristine and Amanda running in. Kristine wore her dark green slim fit shirt and black shorts while Amanda wore a light blue shirt of the same material and similar black shorts.
"That was fun," Kristine walked over to the beverage stand, grabbing a cup of water.
"Yep!" Amanda gave a nod. "I do that every morning."
Kristine took a moment to catch her breath before noticing Jason nearby. "Oh, hey bro!"
"Were you out jogging?" Jason asked.
"Yep!" Kristine replied.
"Hi Jason!" Amanda approached him and waved.
"Hello," Jason waved back.
"Amanda invited me to run with her," Kristine added. "You were sound asleep so I thought I'd let you sleep in a bit."
"I have been waking up a bit later lately, haven't I?" Jason snickered.
"Boys need their beauty sleep," Amanda laughed.
"Jason and I will be heading out soon," Kristine mentioned. "What are your plans?"
"Oh, I might just hang out here for one more day," Amanda replied. "Julian takes on Scarlet today, so I wanna see how he does."
"I never asked him how he did in the Rings," Kristine added in curiosity. "Or Bran, for that matter."
"Oh," Amanda chuckled. "They were in the same ring together. Funny story, if you ask me. But I'm sure Bran or Julian can tell it better than I can."
"Noted," Kristine chuckled.
"I'm gonna head back up and take a shower," Amanda said as she proceeded towards the stairs. She turned back around to face Kristine and Jason. "I guess I'll see you guys soon?"
"Of course!" Kristine smiled. "See you in the next town!"
"For sure!" Amanda gave a nod. "There's a pretty town a few days away from here, called Valerie Bay. Nice coastal town before we get swung back into the heartlands."
"Sounds nice," Jason mentioned. "I wonder what they have there."
"There's a small stadium where they do various formats throughout the year," Amanda said.
"Stadium, huh?" Jason seemed intrigued.
"Yeah. As a matter of fact, I think they have something coming up soon," Amanda began to head upstairs. "Not sure if any of us can make it on time, though."
"Aw man," Jason was slightly disappointed.
"Catch you guys soon!" Amanda waved goodbye.
"See ya!" Kristine waved back.
"Bye!" Jason did the same.
"So," Kristine faced her brother. "Looks like Valerie Bay is our next stop."
"Guess we should get packing," Jason suggested.
Kristine nodded before she began to jog upstairs. "I'm gonna get cleaned up first!"
There was something about Kristine that Jason picked up on. Ever since her victory over Scarlet, she seemed to be more energetic with an extra pep in her step. Her interest in competitions have intensified, and she seemed to take more of a headstrong approach to certain aspects of being a trainer.
"Hate to be the next trainer she faces," Jason muttered to himself, deciding to stay back as his sister would more than likely use the shower in their room.
He walked over to the living area of the pokemon center where the massive flat screen TV resided. He was the only one there while other trainers were eating breakfast or going over their agendas for the day.
"The Inventum Cup is less than two months away," Tom the anchorman addressed, a clear assumption to Jason that he was watching IPSN. "And the favorites? We have our very own Ken Jarrar, who has stated that this is his year to win it all! For more on his comments, here is Yenela Kreea."
The live feed switched to the reporter who covered Jason and Kristine's triumph in the Power Duo. Yenela sat on a bar stool with her legs crossed, residing over a black slick floor and behind a same-colored backdrop.
"Ken Jarrar is one of Inventum's fiercest trainers," Yenela spoke. "He had completed his journey across this vast region twelve years ago. After a second round defeat his first go around in the Inventum Cup, he and his team trained for one full year, making it to the semi finals the next year. After that, he traveled around the world, striving to reach the next level in his career, one that would place him among the world's elite."
We need to start training for this right now, Jason thought. If we're planning to compete in 14 months, I need to plan to win the whole thing.
The feed changed once more, this time showing a recorded feed of Ken Jarrar himself. He was tan, tall and slim, completely bald, and sported sunglasses with a red reflective tint on the lenses. He wore a plain white shirt along with blue baggy pants.
"My team and I are going to take it to the next level," he stated with confidence to the reporter behind the camera. "We're going back to Inventum and competing in the cup. We've had, what, five or six international trainers and their teams take the past five or six Inventum Cups? It ends here. I'm ready. My team is ready. We will win this whole thing for Inventum."
The feed switched back to Yenela.
"He is indeed ready, as he ranks among the top of our power rankings," she continued. "With a core lineup of Starmie, Nidoking, and his companion Luxray, his strategy of control, switch-hitting, and speed is not something to underestimate. Ken has racked up a number of championships across the world including Hoenn three years ago. He has to be aware of his fellow challengers, however; Phoebe, one of Hoenn's best trainers, plans to return the favor by winning a cup right here in Inventum for her region. She and Dusknoir may have something to say about Ken determined to win it all. Back to you, Tom."
"Thank you, Yenela," Tom acknowledged as the screen switched back to him.
"We need to train really hard for this," Jason spoke to himself. He knew he had a long way to go, but he began to envision himself in the Inventum Cup. That was where he wanted to be, the biggest stage around. His pokemon would want nothing less, either. To be the best meant something he didn't put too much thought into, but he figured it would be the most difficult thing to cope with if he had to cross the bridge: the prospect of battling Kristine.
A short while later, Kristine walked downstairs, her hair slightly damp but fully geared and ready to go. Jason caught a glance of her walking down and got up to approach her.
"Let's do this!" Kristine hopped from the second step from the ground floor, landing in front of Jason. This was out of her safety-minded character, Jason thought, even if it was just skipping one step.
"I've seen you energetic, but this, this is -" Jason stumbled for an appropriate word to use.
"Crazy?" Kristine smiled.
"Wasn't the word I wanted to find," Jason chuckled. "But I like this 'you'".
"Let's not be mistaken, you still have the one, the only, Kristine Kyar and her amazing crew of pokemon!" the female twin spoke with such confidence and enthusiasm. "No one can stop us!"
"No one, huh?" Jason smirked.
Kristine knew what he was implying. "No one!"
"That sounds like grounds for a pokemon battle," Jason declared.
"Oh, it will come," Kristine seemed to like the challenge. "But come on, we need to get going," she walked right by him.
"No battles today?" Jason playfully whined.
"We've gotta get to Valerie Bay," Kristine insisted. "And if we can't get into a tournament there, sure, we can battle. Six on six, hold nothing back."
"Deal!" Jason happily accepted.
"Now let's go!" Kristine approached the automatic glass doors of the pokemon center.
"Right with you, sis," Jason complied as he followed his sister out the door.
The two ventured eastward, following the sidewalk to the outer skirts of Raley City. They left the bustling streets and massive buildings behind as they ventured through a residential district just like when they first arrived at the city.
Kristine turned her body around, walking backwards as she gazed at the skyline she and Jason were going to leave behind. "See you soon, you beautiful city."
"Didn't you say that about Richland Port?" Jason raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe," Kristine smiled.
"You're also walking backwards."
"I know."
"Okay, who are you and what have you done to my sister?"
Kristine laughed. "This is the refined me," she hopped around to walk forward again. "I'm going to give it my best and enjoy every moment of it."
"That's the type of thinking I got into," Jason replied. "Back when I fought Aria, and the incident with the regal milotic, and, well, what happened to me in the mountains."
A tingling sensation shot down Kristine's spine over the last part of Jason's comment. She did her best to maintain her smile.
Kristine became silent, and Jason was quick to notice. "Um, Kris-"
"I still have dreams about that time," Kristine faced Jason, her smile gone. But she displayed a look of empathy, not one drowned in sorrow. "I sometimes fight with myself because I wasn't the one who got sick and nearly died. Yet seeing you almost slip away from us was something I can never forget."
"Wow, um," Jason was at a loss for words.
Kristine stopped moving. "It was really rough to keep going like this, but seeing how you do it, how you battle and how you go about every day, it's amazing. I try so hard to be the best for my pokemon, and to help you live out your dreams, that I forgot I have a destiny I set out to fulfill. Scarlet helped me see that. I needed a fresh outlook, for myself and my team, and for you because you're stuck with me until this is all over with."
"I didn't know you still had dreams about, well, me getting sick," Jason, being so slow to reply, finally mustered a response.
"Every other night on average," Kristine let out a slight snicker. "Most of the time I see you sleeping away and I just go back to sleep. Knowing you're safe, dreaming out loud about how Snorlax is eating your food, well that brings me comfort," she began to smile once more.
"Wait, wouldn't you have the same dreams, miss 'twins can have the same dreams'?"
"Eh, I get Snorlax every now and again. There was this one dream where a school of gyarados figured out they are classified as a flying type and took to the skies and then took over the world."
"That's, um, extreme."
Kristine smiled. "Welcome to my head."
"You keep being you, sis," Jason patted her on the shoulder. "Never change."
"And you never change," Kristine gave a nod. "You're gonna make whoever falls in love with you feel like they're the luckiest person alive."
Jason chuckled. "That's way far away at the very least."
"Yeah but I'm calling it now."
"Well thanks. You have my back like no one else."
"I try."
The two continued onward, eventually leaving the outskirts of Raley City before taking a dirt path that led them southeast. Small hills dotted the landscape, surrounded by flat fields and sporadic trees. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky as a gentle breeze swept through the route.
The occasional trainer passed by from the opposite direction, many of them hoping to challenge Scarlet in the near future. With four badges out of the way, the twins wondered how many trainers have accomplished the same. Sure, many would have one or two, at the very least, but Kristine wondered about the actual statistics and percentages of trainers with higher amounts of badges as opposed to those who do not have that many. Even if they were in the top third of all trainers, there was still a lot of work to do to rise even higher. And Jason knew that.
By lunch time, Jason and Kristine established a nice picnicking spot in a field with a pond nearby, letting all of their pokemon out.
"Everyone listen up," Jason addressed his team. Jolteon was front and center, with Kirlia and Riolu next to him. Magikarp listened from the nearby pond, while Rowlet and Growlithe were at a distance, their eyes gazed on their trainer. "We're four badges down, and it's just gonna get harder from here. I need everyone to do their part and overcome what's ahead. I will be there to help you. You just need to be focused and train hard every day while you're out here. Got it?"
Everyone shouted their names in approval.
"Rowlet, Growlithe," Jason walked over to the two as the others dispersed. "I want you both to battle soon. I need to know if I can count on you to focus out there and work with me."
"Rowlet!" Rowlet complied.
"Growl," Growlithe turned his head away.
Jason knelt down to Growlithe's eye level. "Yeah, I knew you'd be all proud and stubborn when I saw that eye patch on you," Jason chuckled. "At least you have passion in you. You can't do this yourself, though. I've learned that the hard way. I want to trust you. And you need to trust me so when we battle together, we can make the right decisions and win. Because when we're out there, it's not about you, and it's certainly not about me. It's us, all of us. And if you want to be the best out there, you have to realize you're in this just as much as everyone else here. One score out there means one less opponent for you and for the next teammate to tag in. One score means you've done great. That's what we're going to aim for in the coming days. But remember, you need to listen to me. So, you in?"
Growlithe turned his head back to Jason. He then panned around to look at all five other pokemon. He noticed in particular how the others got along, with Kirlia attempting to teach Jolteon, Riolu, and Magikarp how to dance through a series of twirls. Riolu, being physically the only one able to follow Kirlia's lead, seemed less interested in a mere dance routine but obliged anyways.
With his eyes locked back to Jason's, Growlithe responded with a single nod.
"Good," Jason nodded back, and walked back towards Kristine and her team, Espeon sitting right beside her.
"I'm gonna fire up some stew if that's good with you," Kristine mentioned.
"Sounds good to me!" Jason smiled. "I'm starving."
As Jason walked right past his sister, she got his attention. "Hey."
"Yeah?" He turned around.
"Nice pep talk," Kristine smiled.
"Thanks sis," Jason gave a nod.
The more I see that from him, the more I know there's something truly special about him as a trainer, Kristine thought. I envy him sometimes. He might just be the best trainer in Inventum, but I have to be better.
After the twins and their pokemon finished eating and training, they continued onward. Farmhouses were in sight before long, dotting along vast fields and hills that stretched beyond what the human eye could see.
They made camp near the road at sunset, the weather cooling down to a more chilling breeze than a gentle one. Kristine put her sweater on as she had Fletchinder start a campfire.
Once darkness had set, Jason and Kristine retreated inside their tent. The night passed uneventfully, and the next morning, Kristine was the first to get up. She changed into her trainer gear while Jason was asleep with his head turned the other way.
I think we need to invest in another tent, she thought. I need just a little more privacy and I don't wanna scar this knucklehead for life.
Kristine walked out, ready for the day, before going on a newly established jogging routine. It was a foggy morning, and it appeared it was going to be a miserable day, weather wise. With gray skies looming over her, Kristine heard a distant clash of thunder. "Oh great."
She proceeded with her jog, running a bit down the route as a way to scout ahead. Another clash was heard, and as Kristine determined the direction, it appeared to be towards Raley City. "Well, at least it's the other way."
After a little while, she ran back towards Jason. He was already up and about, ready for the day ahead.
"Looks like Amanda got you into a little routine," Jason noticed.
"It's kinda nice, actually," Kristine stretched her arms. "There's a thunderstorm the other direction so hopefully it's not moving our way."
Jason looked up in the sky. "You wanna double time it so we don't get caught in it?"
"Yeah," Kristine nodded. "Quick, let's pack up and go."
"Right. We can stop for lunch so our boys and girls can get some training in."
Just as they packed up, they noticed Bran practically power walking down the path.
"Hi Bran!" Kristine gleefully waved.
"Oh hey, howdy!" Bran waved back. "Funny, I'd reckon you two would be more ahead of me."
"Yeah, we stuck around for a little while," Kristine responded.
"I challenged Scarlet two days ago, so here I am," Bran grinned, showing off a red badge in the shape of an ascending moltres.
"Wow, congrats!" Kristine hugged Bran without a second thought, before letting go a moment later. "Would you like to tag along with us to Valerie Bay?"
"Sure," Bran looked back. "Storm could hit us, so I suggest we should move quickly."
"Yeah, let's get going," Kristine agreed.
As Kristine was about to skip as a jump start to transition into power walking, Jason tapped her on the shoulder.
"Yes?" She turned around.
"Do you like him?" He asked.
"Define 'like'," Kristine intended to dance around the question.
"Do you have a crush on him?"
Kristine's face turned red. "Maybe."
Jason grinned. "Hah, you have a boyfriend."
"I do not!" Kristine defended, loud enough for Bran, who was ahead of the twins, to hear.
"What's up?" Bran asked.
"Oh nothing," Kristine smiled. "Sibling stuff. I'll be right with you."
"Ah yes," Bran snickered. "I've had a lot of sibling stuff myself."
Kristine gave a light shove to Jason's shoulder.
"Ah hah, so you do really like him," Jason laughed.
"We're not even 13 yet and even then Mom said I can't date until I'm 16," Kristine replied.
"Funny, she said the same thing to me."
"I'm pretty sure everything she had said to me prior to us becoming trainers, she said to you. Only she probably swapped out certain things for other certain things."
"What kind of things?" Jason never sounded so dense to Kristine.
"How is it that - you know what, never mind," Kristine patted Jason on the shoulder. "You're truly one of a kind."
"I love you too?" Jason still seemed a tad confused.
"Let's move on," Kristine suggested. "And don't let it slip to Bran that I like him, okay?"
"Sure thing."
The three covered a lot of distance in a single day of hiking. After a brief stop for lunch, they continued on. The storm seemed to be moving in a different direction, giving them peace of mind that they'll get through the day dry. They made camp at a nearby field by nightfall, with the ocean's aroma already within range. Valerie Bay wasn't too far.
"So Jason," Kristine said to him as they headed inside their tent for the night. "There's something I gotta tell you."
"What's up?" Jason turned his head to her, sitting down on top of his sleeping bag.
"You know, I think it's better for us that we get another tent."
"Uh, okay," Jason replied. "Guess a wardrobe malfunction is bound to happen sometime, right?"
"Well, that is possible," Kristine smiled, taking a seat on top of her sleeping bag as well. "This is nothing against you. I've become a little more aware of my privacy and I'm sure you value yours as well. I want to buy a tent in Valerie Bay."
"Yeah, that's fine," Jason gave a nod. "It has to happen at some point, right?"
"Well, I gotta make sure you get your beauty sleep," Kristine bantered.
"Yeah, yeah," Jason laughed.
"Cool, glad you agree," Kristine got back up. "Now get out. I gotta get into my pajamas."
"Yes ma'am," Jason headed right out the tent.
The next morning, Jason, Kristine, and Bran packed up following Kristine's jogging routine and some light morning training. The three continued down the road towards Valerie Bay.
"You know," Kristine walked alongside Bran. "I don't think I've asked you how the Rings of Valor went for you. Amanda told me a little bit."
"How did she know?" Bran raised an eyebrow.
"Julian!" Jason seemed excited to answer something that did not go over his head.
"Yeah, she and Julian talk to each other a lot," Kristine mentioned.
"I see. Well," Bran began to chuckle. "I ran to a ring on west side, right? Reckoned there will be a little traffic, but I know Ivysaur can hold his own for a while. And get this, Julian was there too, using the same strategy with Grotle. What are the odds? So we were on opposite sides, ready to battle each other."
"So how'd it go?" Jason asked.
"Just as we were about to issue commands, trainers joined in, intervening with our attacks. Stun Spore, Razor Leaf, you name it. As we tried to take each other out, we took out other pokemon. And I mean no disrespect to the other trainers, but at one point I felt like I had to get past the other trainers to get to Grotle and Julian. The timer ended and we remained standing, sharing the points earned."
"Ivysaur and Grotle stood there the whole time?" Kristine seemed impressed.
"Yep," Bran nodded. "Interesting thing is that Scarlet doesn't just challenge the winner. She reviews the results and challenges the most valiant of trainers," he then turned to Jason. "Congratulations, by the way."
"Thanks," Jason acknowledged. "Riolu was amazing that night."
"I ran all the way down," Kristine added. "Machop evolved into Machoke during the whole thing while people were watching from a restaurant. It was amazing."
"Well, congratulations on that too," Bran smiled.
"Thanks!"
The three continued along a dirt path that took them downhill. Before long, they could see the outskirts of Valerie Bay. It seemed like a peaceful seaside town with no skyscrapers in sight. Just a lot of crimson buildings with a stadium in the center.
"Here it is," Jason pointed out.
"Last one to the pokemon center is the rotten exeggcute!" Kristine darted towards the town.
Jason and Bran looked at each other.
"That's Kristine for you," Jason said.
"No kidding," Bran laughed.
"Well, don't wanna be that rotten exeggcute now, right?" Jason added before taking off.
"Hey!" Bran took off after Jason.
Upon arriving at Valerie Bay, Kristine noticed the two story pokemon center and ran right in as the automatic glass doors flung open. Jason ran in seconds later, followed by Bran.
"Hah I win!" Kristine boasted.
"You had a heck of a head start!" Jason was trying to catch his breath.
"That was a sibling-coordinated race if I ever saw one," Bran was also trying to catch his breath.
The three began approaching Nurse Joy's counter as another trainer began to depart, walking towards the three. She spotted a yellow sweater and black pants that came down to her ankles, and wore white shoes with yellow stripes. Her belt complete with six pokeballs signified she was a serious trainer. She sidestepped to give Jason, Kristine, and Bran clear passage and proceeded on. As she walked by Jason, the two locked eyes for a brief second. She had light brown hair that came down to the middle of the back of her neck, with perfectly even wavy bangs up front, one side nearly covering her right eye. She had bright blue eyes and was just as tan as Jason. She gave a cute smile at him before she proceeded out the door.
Jason turned around, mesmerized by the girl who walked by him. By then, Bran was the first to walk up to the counter. Kristine, however, took notice and stayed behind to banter her brother.
"You have a cru-ush!" she chanted.
"What, no," Jason defended.
"I have never, ever, seen you look at anyone like that the way you did," Kristine continued.
Jason's face turned red. "Let's just check in, okay?"
"Very well, lover boy."
The twins approached the counter, standing behind Bran who seemed to be taking longer than usual for a routine check-in.
"And here you go!" Nurse Joy handed Bran a key card for his room. "You're all set for the tournament. Be sure to check in at the stadium tonight to see your pairing!"
"Thanks," Bran stepped away to let the twins move forward. "I'll see y'all later, okay?"
"Sure thing!" Kristine replied.
"See ya later," Jason added. He then approached the counter. "Is there a tournament going on?" He abruptly asked.
"Why yes," Nurse Joy smiled. "You all came here just in time. We still have several spots available for a tournament starting tomorrow. It's a random duo format, which means unless there's a huge streak of luck in your favor, you two will most likely be split up and paired with someone else. Are you interested in joining?"
Jason and Kristine looked at each other.
"I'm okay with it if you're okay with it," Kristine said.
"Yeah," Jason gave a nod. "No harm in it."
Kristine faced Nurse Joy. "We'll do it!"
"Very well," Nurse Joy began typing information into her computer. "League IDs, please!"
The twins handed her their credentials.
"Four badges huh?" Nurse Joy seemed impressed. "You two and the boy ahead of you are way ahead of the pack. But don't take it with a grain of salt. Crazy things can happen."
As Nurse Joy plugged in more information, she continued, "Should I book you a room with two beds?"
"Yes please," Kristine smiled.
"Okay," Nurse Joy finished up typing at the computer, and turned around to print a key card at a machine behind her before handing it to Kristine. "Upstairs on the right, last room all the way in the back."
"Thanks!" Kristine took the card and faced her brother. "Let's unpack and check the town out."
"Sure thing," Jason replied, following Kristine's lead.
The twins walked up a nearby staircase and entered their room.
"Thank goodness for showers," Kristine checked out the bathroom after putting down her backpack.
"Thank goodness for rooms," Jason stretched his arms out after tossing his backpack on a nearby bed.
"All right," Kristine approached the door. "Let's go check this town out."
The twins spent the next few hours exploring the cozy seaside town. They sat down at a cafe near the pokemon center for some sandwiches, and browsed through different shops that offered supplies, apparel, and other essential trainer gear. Kristine looked around for tents to purchase, but did not commit to buying one just yet.
As time went by, the twins made their way to the large ruby dome in the center of town. It was clearly the icon of the town, and likely one of historical value, or so Kristine thought. Other trainers were funneling in towards the stadium's main entrance, prompting the twins to do the same. The atrium was stunning, with red marble flooring and white pillars throughout. A fountain displaying a marble kingdra spewing water completed the elegant theme of the stadium's interior.
"So what now?" Jason asked Kristine as at least 30 or so other trainers gathered in the atrium.
"I reckon we wait here," Bran walked up behind the twins.
"Oh hey, Bran," Kristine smiled.
"Oh, I see," Jason pointed at a large flat screen TV hanging over a pair of locked doors that would have led into the battlefield itself.
"Hello trainers, and welcome to the Random Duo Tournament here in Valerie Bay!" a female voice was heard from the audio, speakers resonating throughout the atrium. "Every month, this beautiful seaside town hosts pokemon tournaments consisting of different formats."
The footage switched from a welcoming screen to footage of trainers battling in the past. Some of the footage appeared to be standard one versus one battles, and some seemed very unique with three pokemon battling three pokemon at the same time.
"This month, we are excited to have you join us in our Random Duo Tournament!" the woman continued. "The rules are simple: there will be four rounds in the next two days. There will be 16 teams of two, and each team will be randomly selected right here. There will be cash prizes for the top performing teams. Remember: the best teams will be the ones who can work together the most. This will be a perfect opportunity to meet new trainers and hopefully forge long lasting friendships! Without further ado, let's start the random generator!"
Jason, Kristine, and Bran looked on as the first few pairs were randomly drawn. It was a moment before one of their faces appeared on the TV.
"Kristine Kyar," the woman continued. "Will be paired up with Brandal Riken."
Both of their faces appeared on the screen. Kristine practically grinned from ear to ear, and faced Bran. "Hi."
"Well howdy stranger," Bran took a courteous bow.
"Next we have Jason Kyar," the woman went on. Jason's face appeared on the screen.
"Now let's see who I get to meet," Jason nervously replied.
"Paired with Sydney Adams!"
A familiar face popped up next to Jason's. It was the girl from the pokemon center earlier.
Kristine gave a playful nudge to Jason's shoulder. He couldn't help but smile. He was also pretty nervous about it. He looked around for the person he'd be battling with. He turned around, to see the girl doing the same. They both found each other, locking eyes briefly. Jason gave a smile and a nod as the girl did the same. Soon would come the part where they would need to converse and come up with a winning strategy. Can they mesh well together, or would it backfire as a folly of randomly pairing trainers together?
