After a long, school-related hiatus, I am back. I'm releasing three chapters at once to make up for lost time and they're all pretty long. This is chapter one of the three, so make sure you read this one first.
A quick summary of the previous chapters, in case you forgot: The group is back on the road again. Cody is looking for a new place for his pokémon to stay when they're not in his party, due to his parents not wanting to look after his seventh anymore (namely Cortez, who is very ill-behaved). He makes a truce with Jared, but soon realizes that Heather plans to leave with Jared for the eastern isles on his quest for badges. This angers Cody, as this revelation was sudden and he feels as if he lost control of things. Still, the group is heading to Moss Creek for the annual festival, as planed.
Cody: Bastion (Wartortle), Colossal (Pupitar), Elesa (Zebstrika), Antonia (Skarmory), Cortez (Lampent), Reflet (Eevee)
Heather: Somnos (Poliwhirl), Feathers (Pidgeotto), Nadine (Nidorina), Bella (Gloom), Smaug (Vibrava), Lunatone (Crescent)
Jared: Charmeleon, Servine, Croconaw, Onix, Nidorino, Jolteon
Chapter 43: Loaded Dice
Simon Kojiti: eighty-two years old, a trainer since he was eight years old, former champion of Kanto, and one of the most respected trainers in the world. Despite his many accomplishments, he had never won at Diamond Beach. It was never expected of him; Skitrex wasn't the highest profile region in the world or anything. He had moved to the region to retire, but after a year of limiting himself to casual battles with young trainers, he found that he couldn't stay away from the scene. In one more year's time, he had won every badge, battling at the twelfth tier in every gym, losing only once to Martin Hornsby (which seemed to be a cultural tradition for Skitrexian trainers), and competed at Diamond Beach every year after. He looked distinguished, wearing champion robes to the event, not unlike those he wore when he was previously a champion himself. He was now completely bald, but he made up for it with his long white beard. Even though he used a crooked, wooden walking stick to support himself, he still gave off an aura of vibrancy.
His final pokémon, "Lightning" Luger, was on the field. Almost as old as his trainer at seventy-four, the elderly, grey-skinned Hitmonchan had once been hailed as the strongest pokémon of his species. Now, he was many years past his prime, but made up for his physical limitations with decades of wisdom. It was why, even in his old age, he was still ranked as being the fiftieth strongest Hitmonchan on earth among the hundred that were graded. Having just punched out the opposing Electabuzz, he now faced down his final challenge, stretching his legs out and throwing a few quick jabs at the air in an attempt to keep himself flexible and limber for one last match-up.
For the second year in a row, the tall, dark-haired, pale-skinned Constantine Torres, age eighteen, faced off against his mentor, this time in the second round. Born into a lower-middle class family, he found his love for training at a young age and managed to get the "classical training" experience by getting into a high-end training school on scholarship. After years of study there, he traveled Skitrex to refine his skills in what he saw to be a more practical environment. But he learned the most through Simon, his mentor, who he trained under and learned from for years. The previous year, he lost to his mentor in the first round. There was no shame in losing to such an accomplished trainer, but this year in the second round, things would be different, he told himself. He knew it.
Enter Babylon, the Venusaur. Constantine's first pokémon had been a late bloomer, evolving many years later than expected. The previous year, he was only an Ivysaur, and while he had been a strong pokémon, he lost out to the Hitmonchan's wisdom. Now, the fully-bloomed reptile, adorned with a pink, thick-trunked flower and multiple fan-like leaves, was monstrously huge. He was slow, but he could control the battlefield with ease.
"I'm sorry, old friend," Constantine whispered as he faced his mentor, though he smiled through his apology. It was time for the student to surpass the master. "Razor Leaf!"
"Dodge!"
Babylon let loose a barrage of sharpened leaves that shot towards the Hitmonchan. Luger dodged them with a quick roll, but his movement was staggered. Taking an Thunder Punch to the stomach in the previous match-up had left him shaken. He sidestepped the next barrage of leaves before running forward and striking the Venusaur on the face with an Ice Punch.
The bigger pokémon shook the attack off and let multiple vines beneath his giant flower emerge. They wrapped around Luger's torso, so he knocked them off with a punch and jumped backwards to avoid their slashes before running forward and began an onslaught of rapid jabs. The peppering assault only caused the big plant pokémon to flinch, but nothing more. With his vines, the Venusaur Power Whipped the Hitmochan to the side. He tried to follow this with a Body Slam, but the Hitmonchan rolled out of the way and Fire Punched the grass-type's ribs.
That hurt. Babylon let out a roar, and with a jolt, spun around. The wise Hitmonchan read this reaction, jumping into the air to dodge the powerful vines before landing a Mega Kick on the top of the bigger Pokémon's head.
"Shake it off! Petal Blizzard around yourself!"
This was an unusual tactic. Rather than releasing a blizzard of sharpened, swirling petals at his enemy, the Venusar engulfed itself in the attack. It turned out to be more defensive than offense-based. The blizzard was too thick for the fighting pokémon to make it through without taking considerable damage. Instead, he waited in Meditation, focusing so that his next attack would be stronger. Babylon could have used this opportunity to strike with another Razor Leaf, but he chose a more tactical option. Through a low hum, he forced the sun over the battlefield to intensify in heat. To a grass pokémon, the stronger the sunlight, the better his chances.
"Now, Power Whip again!"
"Detect!"
Luger expertly dodged the quick attack that should have hit, but the Razor Leaves that followed cut his chest.
"Close Combat!"
It was his last chance to possibly win in a fight with a much younger and stronger pokémon. The boxing Pokémon rushed forward, throwing all of his remaining strength into a barrage of wild uppercuts, regular punches, and a few kicks. Close Combat was strong, but tiring, as the move drained the old pokémon of the last of his immediate strength. While the Venusaur took every hit directly, he sat there and absorbed it all, biding his time until the old boxer ran out of punches to throw. He tried to back away, but the younger pokémon moved quickly, powered by the sun. Babylon wrapped its thick vines, two from each side of the flower, around the retreating Hitmonchan's wrists and ankles, raising the pokémon high into the air, stretched out in the form of the letter X. Struggle as the older pokémon did, he could not break free. With the sunlight that intense, the Venusaur had no difficulty charging his next move. The Solar Beam shot from the gigantic, pink flower, hitting the exposed Hitmonchan in the chest. When the beam stopped, Babylon dropped the old pokémon onto the ground and roared triumphantly. Youth and power had overcome wisdom.
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, having seen a spectacular match between mentor and student, though many had predicted this outcome. In 2012, Constantine was one of the favorites to win at the Beach, having improved vastly since his debut at the tournament the year before. Nevertheless, it was touching to see the two embrace in the center of the battlefield after the battle had been decided.
"Thank you, sir," the student whispered into his teacher's ear.
"I'm proud to call you my protégé," the old man replied genuinely. "This is your year. Take it."
"I will," Constantine agreed, "for you, sir."
"No, do it for your pokémon. And do it for yourself."
He nodded his head. Silently, he still kept his mentor on his list. The old man, his pokémon, and himself…
Moss Creek was by no means a large town. The community had tried to expand through the construction of a small amusement park in the '70s. With no such park on the east side of Skitrex, it was believed that such an expansion would be a successful source of revenue that would help the town grow. The officials were sadly mistaken, as the tourism dollars that were raised were not high enough to keep the park open. Within two years, the park was closed.
It wasn't a bad park either; two roller coasters: one wooden and one steel, a ferris wheel, a carousel, bumper cars, a haunted house, paddleboats, several other thrill rides, multiple booths, and plenty of space for games and food stands to be set-up. Plus, being built right next to Moss Lake, the park gave the sleepy little town bit of rustic charm. Rather than tear the park down or let it collect dust, the town's officials began a new tradition: The Moss Creek Festival. Every year in early August, the park would be reopened for a week, alongside the massive space nearby that was used as fairgrounds, where goods were sold and competitions were held for art, food, and breeding of various farm pokémon. For trainers, there were competitions based on pokémon elements; who had the strongest grass pokémon? Or water? And so on. Breeders were also there to sell young pokémon to trainers that were willing to buy them. The festival definitely had something for everybody.
None of the trio had been to the festival before in their lives, but seeing how packed the town was, it made them question why they had never gone before. It must have been a great time to attract so many people from all across the region. It also made them glad that Cody had managed to find a motel room, as there were way more people than sleeping quarters. Many people had to rent rooms in the next town over and some would sleep outside or in trailers. The event was that important.
Look at the size of that Tauros. Cody had seen Tauros in the farmlands back home, but none of them were bred for size like the ones he saw there. But his attempt to keep himself distracted failed. Even with all the excitement that surrounded him, all he could think about was how sour of a mood he was in and how he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.
Snap out of it. They're watching you. So what? You aren't doing anything wrong. You're minding your own business. If they wanted to get you, they could have done it by now. But he couldn't help but feel uneasy and he didn't want to talk to Heather or Jared about it. Not then.
When they finally reached the pokémon center, they found that it was jam-packed with trainers, breeders, and anybody else who brought a pokémon for some sort of competition. Thankfully, the center was also filled with extra doctors and nurses who were hired from out of town for the festival, so the trio had their pokémon examined. After that, Cody immediately went to the PC to switch Mars out for Cortez. His mother wanted the Lampent out of her house so badly that it was probably the fastest pokémon transfer she had ever performed. Shortly afterwards, the three of them went to the motel to drop off their gear and shower. Still, nobody talked with each other. Not until Heather pulled Jared aside after Cody went off to the festival on his own.
"He's barely said more than five things to us all day," Heather commented to Jared, who was busy running a rubberized brush over his Jolteon, who was resting on one of the motel beds.
"Uh huh, fascinating. I don't care," he said between brushstrokes.
"Jared!"
"What? I told him I was going to ignore him, so I am," he responded coolly with a grin. "You know, I'm impressed. I know he's pissed at me, but he hasn't said a thing. He's really taking the agreement seriously."
"Well, you can ignore him, but are you going to ignore me?" She sat down on the bed and gave him the eye.
Jared sighed. "Fine. Look, Cody obviously wants some time to himself, so let him cool off. It's better than him sulking around us all day. We should have fun."
"You didn't even want to come here," she pointed out, but Jared just shrugged.
"If we're here, we should enjoy it. We'll go get cotton candy, have some battles, and I'll win you a stuffed Teddiursa or something. You like that?" Upon seeing a small smile creep onto Heather's face, he chuckled. "There's that smile."
Her smile quickly fell again. "I just hoping he's having fun. It was his idea and all. What if he sneaks back here and tries to leave on his own or something? I just-"
"My gosh, Heather," Jared interrupted, his voice intensifying with annoyance. "If he wants to do that, let him!" He put the brush down, petting the Jolteon's head before looking back up at his girlfriend. "Do you know why he's mad right now? Because he's a child who can't handle the fact that he's not getting his way. We never signed a contract to travel with him and we aren't obligated to stick around if we want to do other things. So for goodness sake, stop trying to be his mother and let him make his own choices, because we can make our own too."
Silence followed. Jared was trying to keep his frustration in check while Heather contemplated what to say next. She easily could have tried to go about making Jared feel guilty or calling him out on what he said, but she didn't want to piss off another friend. That, and she knew he was kind of right about some of those things.
"Look, I'm sor-"
"Don't be sorry, he's your friend. I get it," Jared muttered, looking off to the side. "I'm just sick of him. We always go where he wants, we always worry about him getting us in trouble with the Brotherhood, we always get into messes because if him… It's all about Cody, and I'm sick of it. I'm tired of babysitting him. He's not a bad person; just a royal pain in the neck."
"Fine." She was done pushing the conversation. "But can we at least see where he went off too? He's barely said anything and I want to make sure he doesn't do anything dumb. After that, we'll go do stuff, just the two of us. Fair?"
Jared looked back at her and forced a smile onto his face. "Fine. But that's it. We haven't had any time to ourselves since we got back, so let's actually go on a date tonight, alright?"
She nodded. Still, she worried. Even when Cody was being a bit paranoid and cautious as of late, she still worried that he'd do something dumb.
Just being away from them for a little bit made him feel much better. He just needed to not see their faces for a little bit.
"Yip!" Reflet was pawing at his shins as they stood in line. The line was so slow, as apparently, the handmade ice cream was really good. Good enough to be listed in the festival's brochure at least. No matter. If he was going to overpay for ice cream, he might as well buy something good.
"At least somebody still loves me," he chuckled. He knelt down to pet the Eevee, but he didn't pick her up, despite her begging. She was nervous among such a large crowd of people, but her trainer didn't want to coddle her too much. It would be healthy for her to be safely exposed to her fears like this. Hopefully, she'd know that he would protect her, but he didn't need to be holding her constantly for her to feel that way.
Glancing around the crowded street, a few people caught his eye. A red-headed trainer about his age with a sturdy-looking Breloom were leaning against a wall, waiting for someone by the look of it. A Hispanic, middle-aged couple and their two rowdy kids walked briskly by on their way to the carousel. A girl across the road with bleach-blonde hair was kneeling next to a pokémon that he couldn't identify from the angle he was standing at.
She looks cute. But he didn't want to lose his place to go talk to her. If he had Laurence's level of suave, then he would have considered it, but not that day. He looked back at the line. What, did they run out of something? Why is this taking so long?
"Cody!"
Great, can't take a hint? He saw Heather run up to where he was standing. She seemed to be relieved about finding him, showing more emotion to him than she had all day. That was at least an improvement. If she was still mad at him, he'd hope that she'd at least tell him.
"Hey…" he greeted awkwardly, nervously playing with his hair. "I didn't think I'd see you. I thought you and Jared would be spending the day together or something."
"Oh, we are," she affirmed. "I was just worried, you know? You just disappeared into thin air. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."
"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine." He appreciated the thought, but it was unnecessary. "You don't need to worry about me. I wasn't about to wreak havoc on the villagers or anything. Just getting ice cream."
"Oh, that is what this line is for, isn't it?" She answered her own question when noticing the giant, plastic, ice cream cone above the sale window. "Line's kinda long though. You think anybody will mind if I cut in with you?"
He shrugged. "Considering how slow this thing is, I don't think it will make a difference."
"Okay, thanks." She stood next to him and the awkward silence began again. Bella, her Gloom, stood by her ankles, seemingly in a daze as she absorbed the sunlight. Cody didn't much care for the gloomy grass-type, not because she had an unpleasant personality, but because of her unpleasant smell.
If that thing evolves into a Vileplume, I'll leave the group before they do. Luckily, the millions of mixing smells of the festival overwhelmed the flower's stench.
"Hey, so listen…" She wouldn't look him in the eye. "I'm just going to bring up the Donphan in the room: about yesterday-"
"Heather, I know what this is about."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I overreacted. I'm said some things that I shouldn't have, and I regret it. You're my friend. I just… I just-"
"I get it," she interrupted. "I get why you'd be upset. If you really don't want to come with us, I just don't want us to be on bad terms, you know?"
"Yeah." He looked ahead in the line to see that there were still a bunch of customers in front of him. "Look, let's not worry about this today. We're here, so we should have fun."
"Right..." That admission didn't fix the awkwardness. And suddenly, it became even more uncomfortable.
"Great, you found him." Jared announced as he arrived at the line. He looked Cody over and nodded. "Good, he's fine. Can we go now?"
"Not yet. We're in line for ice cream," Heather told him, clasping one of his hands in hers. "Just a few more minutes. Hopefully the line picks up." As she said that, the guy at the front of the line finally got his order. Everybody moved up a space.
"Why here? If it's so slow, go get a lemon freeze or something?" Jared questioned.
"I would, but Reflet likes ice cream, don't you girl?"
"Yip!" the Eevee barked playfully.
"That's why you're here? Should an Eevee even eat ice cream?" Jared asked.
Cody almost wanted to call Jared out on him getting in his business, but at least this was about pokémon care, so he answered politely. "The doctor said it was okay within reason. Just no chocolate. Dogs can't eat that stuff. She likes vanilla though, and so do I." Another customer left with an ice cream and they all moved up another step. Just a few more steps and then I can get away. While his mood towards Heather had softened, he figured she'd want her space too. But Jared being there brought his mood down. I could seriously use a distraction. Suddenly, one literally smacked into him.
"Ouch, the hell-" He stumbled sideways as something collided with his leg.
"Cody, are you oka-"
"Yeah Heather, I'm good." It didn't hurt that much. Suddenly, Reflet had jumped back into his arms, shivering. They both looked down at the little, angry pokémon that looked up at them, puffing its chest and trying to growl intimidatingly. It took Cody a moment to identify the pokémon, as it wasn't one that was native to Skitrex. It was obviously a bear cub, though it wasn't a Teddiursa. It had a bulbous, round, white head with black ears, black fur surrounding its black eyes, a black and grey torso, and a small leaf that it was chewing like cud.
"Grrraw!" it growled, holding his paws above his head, but Cody couldn't help but chuckle. The Pancham was trying so hard to be tough, but it was just too adorable to be taken seriously.
"Uh… what's this?" Jared asked, trying to remain apathetic, although the little panda had startled him.
"I don't know, but it's hilarious," Cody laughed. The little pokémon made him laugh for the first time that day. "There's no way that he's a stray, though. Where's his trainer?"
"Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry!" A girl ran up to the group and picked up the Pancham in one, swift motion. "You are so bad, Goro!" she scolded before looking back up. "I'm so sorry, he's such a little weirdo. He just likes to pick fights with strangers. Can't leave him alone for a second."
"Hey, no worries, it didn't hurt too… too much." He inadvertently trailed off as he eyed the girl who ran up to them. He recognized her as the blonde girl who had been standing nearby when he was in the line alone. She was a little bit shorter than Heather and a little bit more tan, but she looked like she was about his age. Maybe a little older; he couldn't tell. But he could tell that he was right earlier, as she was very cute.
Say something cool. The voice in his head sounded an awful lot like Laurence.
"No, it's bad. He should know better," the blonde admitted, putting her pokémon back down on the ground.
"Yeah, you should probably be more careful," Heather agreed, shaking her head slightly.
"Heather, easy," Cody softly chided her under a muttered breath as he eyed her from the corners of his eyes. "She apologized." He looked back at the girl and opened his mouth to talk to her, but nothing came out. He wanted to say something cool, but he had nothing. Was I always this awkward?
Thankfully, she spoke first. "Are you trainers? I mean a lot of people here are, but-"
"Yes, yes we are." That suddenly gave him a boost of confidence, remembering how good he was at battling with pokémon. If he could carry that confidence over to his current situation, maybe he wouldn't come off as such a dork. As if on cue, Reflet timidly poked her head out from the crook of his arm to see who was there, only to be greeted with a delighted squeal.
"Oh, she's so cute!" The girl bent forward meet the Eevee on eye level as she pet the shivering pup's head. Reflet, though scared, licked the girl's finger. "Oh, she's scared. Is she-"
"She's a rescue," Cody interrupted, trying to pass over Reflet's past as quickly as he could, since talking about how she was nearly beaten to death would probably be a mood killer.
"That's so sweet," the blonde giggled. "How did you find her-"
"She doesn't battle much yet," he cut her off again. "But my others are better fighters right now. They're pretty strong too."
"Really? How many badges do you have?"
"Four." He regretted that outburst, as while four badges in Skitrex made him better than most casual trainers, he was still only a third of the way to Diamond Beach. But the girl's grey eyes lit up again.
"Wow, that's a lot. You must be really good."
"It's only four out of twelve," Jared said, suddenly entering the conversation. "I have-"
"Jared!" Cody interrupted, faking a jovial as he briefly turned his head towards the older boy, narrowed his eyes, and mouthed "shut up." But he had an idea. "Are there any battle plots near here?"
"There's one right past the bumper cars," she said pointing forward. "Why, what's up?"
"Do me a favor and see if you can hold a spot for me. Once I get my Eevee her ice cream, I'll meet you there and I'll show you exactly how good I am."
Her grin widened. "Awesome! That's awesome. I'll see you there!" As soon as she had arrived, the blonde girl and her Pancham took off towards the battle plot, leaving the trio only one spot away from finally getting service.
"Um… what just happened?" Jared asked, baffled.
"I'm… I'm not even sure, but I don't know, some girls like good trainers." He was still reeling at the abruptness of the whole thing. "And you…" He held up Reflet and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "You're a chick magnet." The pup's ears shot up and she let out a small bark. Finally, they had reached the front of the line.
"One scoop of vanilla in a cup," Cody asked, placing his payment on the counter before the clerk could start scooping. "Keep the change."
"So… let me get this straight," Heather began, her tone incredulous, "you meet some random girl on the street and you plan to get her attention with a battle?"
"Hey, that's how Jared met you, right?" Cody laughed, his mood infinitely better than it was a few minutes previous.
That took her back for a moment. The comment also made Jared visibly uncomfortable. "Yes… but that… You don't even know this girl."
The ice cream was finally served, so Cody took it in his hand, letting the happy Reflet lick it. "Who cares? I need to get a battle in anyway, so if I can impress somebody like her in the process, two birds with one stone."
Heather shook her head. "That doesn't exactly… Whatever, Cody. But where are you going to find a four badge trainer in this crowd? You can't keep her waiting all-"
What, you won't volunteer? He wasn't going to ask her anyway, but she did bring up a good point. He wouldn't ask Jared either, especially since Jared would probably beat him, which would not look good. Instead, he searched for another trainer in the most elegant, on-the-fly method he could think of.
"Anybody here have four badges?" he shouted out. He didn't expect any bites right away, but he was in luck, as the red-headed boy with the Breloom spoke up.
"I do, what's up?"
"Battle me? One pokémon each. Fifty dollars."
The other trainer shrugged. "Eh, why not? I've been getting bored."
"Awesome. Just do me a favor and don't use your Breloom. I'll be using something that would be super effective against it." The Breloom would have been easy, but he didn't want to win too easily. There was no excitement or drama in that, making it far less impressive.
The boy shrugged again. "Sure, it's your funeral. Let's go."
They were very fortunate, for as they arrived at the plot, the trainers who were battling were just finishing up and there seemed to be nobody else in line for a battle. The blonde girl was already there, and she waved to him when seeing him arrival.
"Alright, time to-" Cody suddenly stopped. "You two can leave if you want. I know that you two-"
"Nah, I'd rather see how you screw this up," Jared commented, though he seemed to lack any enthusiasm. "If everything that you've ever learned about girls was from Laurence, you're going to-"
"Your confidence in me is all I needed." He took out his camcorder and passed it in their general direction. "If you're going to be here, can one of you get this on film? Antonia needs some singles love for the blog."
Heather sighed and took the camera. Cody had filmed several of her battles that week for her before their fight, so she decided that this was only fair, even though she thought it was stupid.
Okay, show time. He stepped up to the eastern side of the plot and looked around. A lot of spectators were watching, but the one he cared most about had squeezed her way to the front of the crowd on his right. Just can't screw up. If Laurence can do this sort of thing, so can I.
"One versus one! On your mark!" the red-headed boy called out.
"I'm ready." They simultaneously threw their pokeballs onto the field. Antonia emerged with a high-pitched falcon's screech. As she stood there in the sun, an audible hum of awe resonated throughout the crowd. That was the reason he went with her after all. Not only was the Skarmory his strongest pokémon, but she was also his coolest. Girls who liked trainers also liked cool pokémon, and as expected, the blonde's mouth hung open in a wide smile. Antonia squawked confidently. She loved performing for a crowd.
His opponent's choice in pokémon was cool too, both in the literal and figurative sensee. An Aurorus stood facing them, its icy cold body bringing a cool chill to the hot summer day. The big, ice dinosaur was even larger than Antonia and its ice attacks would be potent. Its trainer looked slightly disappointed though. When Cody told him that his pokémon would elementally trump Breloom, he had chosen an Ice-Rock type to get the job done, only to find that a Skarmory could handle both elements. But Cody was still on-guard. After a year of battling, he knew better than to take any opponent lightly, and on top of that, he knew very little about the Aurorus line.
"Steel Wing!"
"Icy Wind!"
The dinosaur roared as it produced a strong wind that blew towards the steel bird. Normally, a frozen wind would have slowed most pokémon to a crawl, but Antonia wasn't most pokémon. Having spent an entire Skitrexian winter suffering so that as her armor could grow in, an Icy Wind was nothing to her. She struck the dinosaur in the neck with a critical blow. The dinosaur tried to strike his Skarmory with physical blows, but it was too slow. Antonia was just too fast. She kept flying in, striking here and there, wearing the larger pokémon down, and flying out before she could get hit by any retaliation.
This is too easy… no, it can't be too easy. This guy has to look a little good or else I'll look like I just beat some Joe Schmoe. That's when things got interesting.
"Thunder Wave!"
Fuck, there it is. He knew nothing about Aurorus, including that they had some electric moves in their arsenal. The icy dinosaur shot out a quick wave of electricity that was drawn to Antonia's metal-covered body.
"Skreeaw!" She crashed into the ground, but the move didn't paralyze her completely. But she tried to flap her wings, frantically attempting to get back into the air. She couldn't.
She can't fly. Sitting duck. But he couldn't lose this fight. Not with that girl watching. I need an idea. If that thing has any more electric move, the metal… that's it! "Spikes!"
There was a method to his madness. The spikes could be a hazard, but that wasn't why Antonia needed them. They were made of metal, so hopefully, if that dinosaur used any more electric attacks, they would be conducted by some of the spikes, softening the blow… that was a pretty big "hopefully" though.
"Finish it with a Discharge!"
With a roar, the Aurorus released another surge of electricity. Sure enough, the spikes seemed to absorb the attack, scattering about as they were hit. Before the Aurorus or its trainer could process what had just happened, the Skarmory rushed forward, leapt at her foe, clawed her talons into the beast's neck, and began rapidly peppering the dinosaur with pecks and wing strikes. Even when she couldn't fly, Antonia was just as aggressive as always.
"Oooaaarrr!" The dinosaur swung its neck, shaking Antonia off, but she landed on her feet. Running another large circle around her foe, Antonia slammed her entire weight into the beast, though this only seemed to set it off balance for a moment. It tried to turn itself to face the Skarmory, though its turning was slow, labored slightly each time its foot stepped on a spike.
"Aurora Beam!"
That would be a problem. Unlike the Icy Wind, a concentrated beam would hurt Antonia. The rainbow colored beam targeted the steel bird's right wing, freezing it to her side. Antonia didn't seem to notice, running before she could get struck with another beam. With her good wing, she slashed at the dinosaur again and again before being knocked back by the beast's tail.
"Good! Now stomp it!"
The big dinosaur lumbered over to stomp its target with its thick limbs, but before he struck, Antonia stuck out her frozen wing. The noise she made when the Aurorus struck the icy wing sounded so close to that of a human scream, but there was a reason why she put her appendage in harm's way. The stomp broke apart the big chunk of ice, freeing her wing again. Before the monster could stomp again, Antonia slipped out of the way and back onto her feet. And the look that she gave the dinosaur… if looks could kill, the battle would have been won right there.
"SKREEEEEEEEEE!" The screech forced the audience to cover their ears in agony and the Aurorus cringed. Before the bigger pokémon could retaliate, Antonia was up in its face again, keeping herself above the ground to slash, but just barely. The dinosaur blasted her back with another Aurora Beam, but in her second wind, the Skarmory seemed to be more enraged with each time the beast knocked her back.
Is this… Rage? But he'd figure that out later. "Steel Wing! And don't let up!"
Again and again, Antonia kept up an unending onslaught until finally, the Aurorus let out one last roar and crashed to the ground. There was a light applause and Antonia let out a proud cry, letting the praise sink in.
"That's it!" Cody walked forward and embraced his bold bird, feeling the goosebumps that ran up his arms as he hugged her. Her metallic frame was still cold from her fight with the ice-type. "I love you so much right now. You made us both look cool."
"Well, you did it." The other trainer said, having just recalled his Aurorus. He seemed a bit upset about it too as he held out the money he owed Cody. But Cody put up his hand in a way that signified the other trainer to stop.
"Keep it. I already got what I wanted," he said, smiling. "But thanks, that was fun."
"Well… sure," the other trainer replied, confused. "But what do you mea-"
"Wow! That was awesome!" The blonde girl squealed, having entered the plot, still holding her Pancham in her arms.
"Thanks," he replied coolly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other trainer nod before leaving the square. He got what the battle was all about now. "I was worried there for a moment. I forgot that those things knew electric attacks."
"Oh, I could tell you were going to win. Your Skarmory…" The girl gazed at the armored bird in awe. Antonia stared back, her eyes angry. She didn't like that this new human was getting so much of her trainer's attention. "She's so pretty."
"She is," Cody admitted proudly. "But don't touch. She's kind of a bitch to strangers."
"Oh, okay," she said, taking a step back from the bird, but still keeping eye contact with Cody. "I love watching good trainers. You seem pretty cool."
"Thanks." He was trying to remain laid back, but he felt his cheeks pinkening. He wanted to ask her to hang out with him, but she looked like she was way out of his league and that tied his tongue. He looked over at Antonia, who was giving this girl a cold stare. Just say something, he thought to himself.
"Would your friends mind if we hung out?" the blonde girl asked.
She asked first!? He couldn't believe it, but before he could say anything, Heather arrived on his left, handing him the camera.
"Cody, I-"
"Thanks, thank you, you're amazing," he said, nodding quickly before taking his device back. "Look, we're going to go hang out, so I'll see you guys later, okay?"
"Oh… okay." Had Cody have been more perceptive, he would have noticed the mixture of relief and concern in her voice. He did notice her eying this new girl before looking back to him. "We'll see you later. Text me if anything comes up."
"Sure, bye," he said, dismissively, giving her a quick glance. If anything comes up? What would come up? As Heather was leaving, Cody suddenly realized that he had forgotten something important. "Oh, I forgot," he began, catching the girl's eye contact again. "What's your name?"
"It's Brooklyn," she answered cutely. "But I go by Brooke. You… your friend just called you Cody, so I assume-"
"Cody Storm," he said, filling in the gaps. Slightly more eager than he would have liked, he held his hand out to her, and she shook it. Stop grinning like an idiot. But he couldn't help it. The day had started out shitty, but suddenly, the outlook had taken a complete 180.
"She's a beauty, ain't she?"
"Yeah…" Cody said dreamily as he stared at Brooke across the way, as she was petting a fluffy Furfrou that was bred for show, while her Pancham was latched onto her back. She was so pretty and he just couldn't stop staring. If she had noticed, she'd probably be creeped out.
"Kid?"
"Huh? Oh, oh yeah." He remembered that the man wasn't talking about a human, but a pokémon that was perched on a little stand at his booth: a cute, baby-blue colored Swablu with puffy, cottony wings, who was singing sweetly. Behind her, a cage of Swablu just like her were chirping and hopping about. There must have been twenty of them or so.
"Bred 'em ourselves," the rancher said proudly. The man looked like your typical country guy, and all the Swablu he had brought were for sale. The one on the perch had already won a blue ribbon in the small-birds competition. "You can't find Swablu in Skitrex, you know, so they're in high demand. You can keep 'em as a pet, give 'em to yer girlfriend as a gift, battle with 'em. Dragon tamers love 'em especially. When they evolve, they become part dragon, and these ones are special, 'cause I bred the fairy into 'em."
"Bred the fairy into them," Cody repeated to himself softly. He heard of that sort of phenomenon before. Pokémon had different attributes, depending on subspecies and the location that they were native too. Sometimes, these differences were in their elements themselves. It was like how there were Vulpix in the Alola region that were ice types instead of fire or how the Wailmer in the northern oceans were part ice alongside their water-type. But not all sub-species were widespread. Breeders would find these special pokémon and breed them for dale: Charmander that were part dragon, Shinx that were part dark, Pinsir that were part fighting, and many others. Often, these breeds were difficult to find in the wild and when breeders did sell them, the prices were jacked up beyond belief. However, these Swablu were a fair price. Perhaps the man had some sort of trade secret. Cody placed Reflet on the table next to the Swablu's perch and the little dog sniffed the bird, who chirped back in response. If all Swablu were this friendly, that was a good sign.
"I would buy one, but…" He remembered that little conversation he had with his mother; no more new pokémon until he found a place for them to stay when they weren't on his team. "I can't take care of anymore pokémon right now."
"Well kid, if you change yer mind, here's my card." The breeder handed him a business card with his name, number, company, and a light-blue outline of a Swablu. "And tell yer friends!"
"Okay, thanks." He slipped the card into his wallet, though he figured he'd probably end up tossing it later. Giving the little birds one last glance, he took a few steps towards Brooke, who was still petting the Furfrou. He wanted to say something to get her attention, but he didn't know what to say. One wrong word and I'm screwed…
He knew he should have felt comfortable by then. They had spent the past hour with each other, walking aimlessly around the fair, chatting. It was mostly small talk; nothing too deep or interesting. Strangely enough, she had asked him more questions than he asked her, and although they were simple questions, it still felt weird to him. Was she actually interested in him just because he was a good battler? It must have been what Laurence meant when he said he was able to get so many girls to pay attention to him.
He did find out a few things about her though. Brooklyn Mitchell, preferred the name Brooke, sixteen years old, and born in the city of Ashlin. She had three pokémon: a Pancham, a Smoochum, and a Sunkern. Additionally, she had one badge (the Cerebral Badge, to be exact), though she didn't seem to talk about her training all that much. He assumed that she must have been a casual trainer, though he figured it would be rude to ask, just in case he was wrong. That was okay with him though, and she seemed to love pokémon, as demonstrated by her love for Goro, as well as the affection she showed towards some of the show pokémon that were at the fair. But other than that, he knew very little about her. But even though she seemed interested in chatting with him, he was afraid to ask anything.
"Hey you," she said playfully to him as he approached, giving him a curious smile. "Find anything you like?"
"Sure, but I can't take on any pokémon right now," he admitted sheepishly. "You?"
"Yeah, but I'm in the same boat. I can barely afford to take care of the three I have," she admitted, laughing a little. "I could barely afford to make the trip here this year, but I never miss the festival. My parents used to take me all the time as a kid." For a moment, her eyes seemed to drift as Cody could only assume the memories flashed in her mind. But she quickly pulled herself out of it. "Never mind, you want to get something to eat?"
"Sure, what do you want? Cotton candy, frozen yogurt, hot dogs?"
"I'll pass on that last one," she said, cutting in with a giggle. "I'm a vegetarian."
"Yeah, so am I!" He froze up after blurting that out. Idiot! Why would you say that after suggesting it? "I uh… I didn't know if you were or not, so I- uh… Frozen yogurt sounds good then."
He figured that he had screwed up right then. The look that Brooke was giving him; the raised eyebrow, the tilted head, the pursed lips. Did she know he was lying? She probably did. He always had been a terrible liar. But lucky him, she seemed to let it slide as her facial features softened and the smile returned.
"Sounds good. Shall we?"
Walking slowly, the two of them left the show tent they were under as they walked towards the boardwalk again, their pokémon at their heels. His Eevee kept closely at his heels, avoiding being stepped on, while Goro moved to the front as if he was leading. Cody was too nervous to say anything, but once again, the blonde-haired girl broke the silence.
"You don't have to be so nervous around me, you know. I won't bite… Goro might, but he's a good bear, aren't you?" The little panda grunted in response as he stared up at Cody. Like many trained pokémon, he was suspicious of newcomers around his trainer.
"Nervous? What makes you think I'm nervous?" he asked, playing dumb. Damn, she's good. But I guess it's obvious.
"You don't hang out with a lot of girls, do you?" she asked, not even answering his question. That look she was giving him; that little smile and that smug look in her eyes. Did she think she had him all figured out?
"No, I do. I hang out with Heather. And I had a girlfriend before." In the eighth grade, he mentally reminded himself. He figured she'd laugh at him if he mentioned that last part.
"Sure, but you and her are just friends, right?"
"Yeah... that's it." Of course, he wouldn't tell her anything else on that subject.
"Well, it doesn't sound like that's it."
Her tone; he couldn't tell if she was upset by the mention of Heather or if she was sincerely curious about their relationship. The uncertainty made him unsure of what to say next. He was hoping that their arrival at the frozen yogurt stand would get him out of having to answer her, but while his luck had been good that day, it wasn't that good.
"I assume that your silence means that I'm right?" Brooke questioned.
"Well, no. I'd… I don't want to talk about that." He looked away, slightly flushed, looking back to the vendor. "I'll get a strawberry and a…" He faced the blonde girl again. "What flavor do you want?"
"Strawberry for me too," she said. After Cody completed the order, Brooke asked him again. "Why not? You can trust me."
"We just met. I-" He knew that that was the wrong thing to say to an attractive woman willing to hang out with him, but the entire situation was making him uncomfortable, especially since her interest in his relationship with one of his friends was a bit odd. Then again, despite the paranoia that was raging inside of him, what was the harm in telling this girl a little bit about his personal life? In all likelihood, he wouldn't see her again after that night, so it would just be a fragment of a stranger to her. And even if somehow Heather figured out that Cody had shared that information, what harm would that do? She knew that he was still upset and that the two of them would be parting ways after the next gym battle in Ashlin anyway.
"I just don't want to talk about it." But here I go talking about it anyway. "It's just that we kinda fought recently. I said some shitty things that I regret now, and… It doesn't matter. After we win the Inferno Badge up in Ashlin, we're going our separate ways." He was hoping that that would be the end of the conversation, but it wasn't.
"You know," Brooke began, seemingly interested in the subject, "you said that you didn't want to talk about it, but you seem like you do. I mean, if you don't have anybody to talk about it with-"
"I know," he stammered, "but this isn't the kind of thing that I would want to talk about on a date and… and… wow." Using the word "date" made him feel incredibly uncomfortable, and it showed on his face. He tried to distract himself by kneeling down and feeding Reflet a bit of his yogurt with the sample spoon, which she enjoyed. But when he stood back up, he found that Brooke was still waiting for him.
"Look," she began without any uncertainty in her tone, "I don't know her or what your issue with her is, but she's your friend. You said earlier that you and her have been travelling together for a year. Whatever you two are fighting about doesn't seem like it's worth losing your friendship with her… But you already knew that."
Well, she's not wrong. Still, he figured that the situation with Heather was more complicated that. But he couldn't argue with that simple, yet effective advice. He wanted to say something else, but she grabbed his hand.
"Look, forget about all of that right now," she said, interrupting his thoughts as she squeezed his hand tighter. "You seem really tense. Bumper cars? I'll pay."
"Oh, you don't have to do-"
"Yes I do, relax."
He tried to take a bite of his yogurt, but Brooke's sudden pulling on his arm caused him to drop it. He got over it pretty quickly though, getting caught in the moment.
Technically, pokémon weren't allowed on the ferris wheel, but nobody made a fuss over Reflet sitting at Cody's feet or Goro setting on Brooke's lap. Small pokémon were usually overlooked on the rides, so Reflet got to ride on several, much to her chagrin. She didn't seem to like most of the rides, but the ferris wheel was alright, The gentle rocking of the seat lulled her into a light sleep.
The evening had been fun thus far. Rides, carnival food (although the good, non-vegetarian stuff had been avoided), games, and light conversation. Aside from that brief conversation about some uncomfortable subjects, the evening had been entertaining; just a brief escape from reality.
The wheel stopped again. They were near the top, but not quite there yet. That was the one problem with rides like that; in order to let passengers out, it had to grind to a halt for everybody else. For a moment, the conversation had also stopped, and Cody stared into the night sky. Not any stars, but that wasn't a surprise. Too much lights and smog around Moss Creek at the time.
"You alright?" Brooke asked, snapping him back into the present.
"Yeah, I just kinda spaced out there for a moment. Tends to happen."
"I've noticed," she answered, giggling lightly. "You seem like you're having a good time, but you also look a bit distracted. Is something-"
"Everything is alright." He truly felt that way. This little escape helped take his mind off of his Brotherhood and Darkrai paranoia, as well as the fight he had the day before. But he had run out of things to say. What's keeping the ride from moving?
"Glad to hear it." She touched his hand, sending another tingle through his body. He liked the feeling of her skin against his. So soft and warm. Slowly, she dragged her fingers up his arm, but she stopped nearly an inch beyond his wrist. He knew what had gotten her attention: one of the scars that Antonia had left. They had faded, but the marks on his skin where he had been scratched and bitten felt different from his regular skin. Gently, she lifted his arm and looked at the faded scars on his arms, mouth slightly agape.
"Wow… I'm sorry, I just… Your arm has…" She trailed off permanently, so he ended her sentence.
"Scars?" He shrugged, smiling. "Yeah, I know. You wanna know the story?"
She nodded, just slightly. "If you're okay talking about it, that is-"
"Antonia, my Skarmory," he answered. "Skarmory are a bit… aggressive, and that's putting it nicely. Wild Skarmory only respect strength and only know how to fight, and when you capture one, it will fight you. And there's nothing you can do except fight back and earn its respect, or else it will keep hurting you. She was young when I caught her, so she couldn't kill me, but she left her mark. Well, many marks." Just then, the ferris wheel lurched forward, but it stopped just as they reached the top. Cody looked down below and saw that the man operating the machine had left his post to look at the underside of the ride. It looked like it had broken afterall.
"Holy shit, that's insane," Brooke said in awe, squeezing her Pancham tighter. "Goro was always a little feisty, but he never tried to hurt me." She shook her head. "I couldn't have done that. You must have been a great trainer to help her reach the level she was battling on today."
"Yeah, she's my best right now for a good reason," Cody assured. "Plus, the bond we have now is strong as steel. Every scar she left me along the way is worth it." And he wasn't even telling her about the countless, winter nights he spent out in the cold with her, without a fire to warm him.
"Yeah, at least if you're going to get scars like that, they were worth it. I'll admit, when I saw those, I immediately thought that-" She stopped suddenly, blushing. "Sorry, that's none of my business. I didn't-"
"What, that my parents beat me? That I cut myself?" he answered, trying to laugh it off, though it was a bit awkward. When he went to doctors to treat his injuries, several of them had already questioned the injuries in this way. "No, that's not it. I can't imagine mutilating myself like that. No matter what I've been through." He truly couldn't. But Brooke was curious.
"Have... have you been through a lot?"
"Relatively speaking, I guess I have," he admitted. Though he knew some had it worse. For a second, his thoughts drifted to Jared, but it ended quickly. "But we all have problems. Some more difficult than others, but that doesn't mean lesser problems aren't still painful." He realized how depressing this conversation had become. "Good God, this is melodramatic. I don't want to depress you or anything. I-"
"No, I can tell you have a lot on your mind," Brooke admitted, patting his hand. "You still have to clear things up with your friends, you know?"
"Well, Jared isn't really my friend, but yeah, your right."
"Still, having people that care about you is nice," Brooke continued, her expression falling. "I have friends, but they're spread out now. Family though... I don't really have that anymore."
This took Cody by surprise. He wasn't sure what to say to that, so Brooke kept talking.
"My parents died in a car crash. My older sister... well, her and I aren't exactly close. I lived with my aunt and uncle for a little bit, but we don't exactly..." She shook her head. "Look at me, rambling. You don't want to hear about my problems."
"No, no... why are you telling me this?"
She shrugged, smiling again. "Small talk? Or maybe I just wanted you to know that you're not the only "melodramatic" one here."
For a moment on top of the ferris wheel at the Moss Creek Festival, it felt as if Dialga had frozen time just for them. Cody wanted to kiss her, but he felt immobilized by fear. He had only kissed one girl before, and when that first kiss happened, Angie was the one who made the first move. Looking into Brooke's beautiful, grey eyes, he couldn't tell if she was signaling him to move forward.
Oh, what the hell, if she rejects me, who cares? I won't see her again after tonight anyway. But before he could move in, the ferris wheel lurched again, waking up the Eevee at his feet and snapping him back to reality. He had lost his chance. Seconds later, their space of the wheel had reached the ground and they were forced to leave.
It was getting late, but the streets of Moss Creek were still bustling with life. Cody walked with Brooke for a little bit more, and both of their pokémon walked at their feet, staying close so that they wouldn't get separated in the crowd.
"Look, it's pretty late," Brooke finally said as they reached an intersection. "I'd stay up later, but I haven't been sleeping well lately."
"Yeah, I understand that," he admitted. "Look, you had fun, right? You spent the better part of the evening with me, so I-"
"Yes, I had fun," she interrupted, laughing, tickled by his concern.
"Are you sure? I mean, I know I wasn't in the best mood and I wanted to make sure everything was good, and-"
This time, she cut him off not with words, but with a kiss. It happened so fast that Cody had no time to react or even kiss her back. As quickly as the kiss hit him, it ended, and he was frozen solid in panic. But she just laughed again.
"You worry too much," she giggled, holding out her hand. "Here, give me your phone."
Without thinking, he handed her his phone and she quickly tapped her number into his contacts before handing it back to him.
"Call or text me tomorrow," she ordered, giving his hand a quick squeeze. "I'll see you soon." Just as quickly as he had met her, she disappeared into the crowd, her Pancham at her heels.
Cody picked up Reflet and hugged her close to his body. The past two days had been a whirlwind, but he was left in a pool of ecstasy.
"This... was actually a good night," he admitted, finally finding his voice. Reflet agreed with him in the form of a lick on his cheek.
"You look like you're in a good mood," Heather commented as Cody entered the motel room before crashing on one of the beds.
"So you noticed?" It was almost as if he had forgotten why he was mad at her in the first place.
His second day at the festival had been just as fun as the first. Like the first day, he spent barely any time with Jared and Heather, having gone out with Brooke again. The festival was largely the same the second day, save a few different events, but they had more chances to talk. But that was as long as they planned on staying, so come the next morning, they'd be leaving for the next city.
"Well, I'm glad you had fun then at least," Heather admitted, somewhat sour in tone.
"What, you didn't have a good time?" Cody questioned.
"Not as much as yesterday. I got food poisoning. Probably from that sushi stand. I've been throwing up for the past hour. Jared went out to the pharmacy, so hopefully he gets back soon."
He did notice that Heather looked a bit pale and that her hair was a little bit ruffled. Who gets sushi at the fair? Then again, after a second day of not eating meat, that sounded great. But he was more sympathetic in what he actually said. "I'm sorry, that really sucks." Staring back at the ceiling, he thought about what he needed to say to Heather. While he already admitted that he overreacted, he needed to actually apologize to her like she did to him the day before. Now, after he had two days to clear his head, he had to say something.
"Heather, can I-"
A knock at the door interrupted him.
"I'll get that." Cody stood up from the bed and went over to the door. He thought it might have been Jared, but when he opened it, he was surprised to see Brooke. Having just spent more time with her, he was shocked to see her there. He figured he wouldn't see her until they left the next morning, and even that, he was unsure of.
"Hey you, may I come in?" She didn't even wait for an answer, slowly pushing his arm to the side so she could walk in. Cody was too surprised to say anything and Heather looked confused. Brooke sat down on the bed where Cody just was and looked around the room.
"H-How did you know I was here?" Cody asked. He looked around the room and felt a bit ashamed of himself. The motels they got were usually pretty cheap and it showed. "Yeah, this place is a bit of a dump, but-"
"Oh relax, my room looks the same. I'm ten doors down."
"Wait, wha-"
"I know, right?" Brooke laughed. "I was heading back and I saw you walk in here. Can you believe we're on the same floor of the same motel? Crazy, right?"
"Yeah, that is a little weird..." Heather commented before Cody could, but neither him nor Brooke seemed to notice.
"It's just a bit…" he admitted. "I didn't think I'd see you again. Maybe tomorrow morning, but-"
"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you in person. I would have called you, but this... this just worked out. You see..." She blushed a little. "I'm sorry, this is a bit awkward."
"What? Why? What's up?" He had no idea what she was talking about, but she answered him.
"It's like this," she continued, her cheeks still pink. "I thought about what we were talking about last night. About making amends and all... I really think I need to go back to Ashlin where my aunt and uncle are. Try to make things right, you know?"
"Yeah, I guess. So-"
"So, I need your help. I know you said you were going back to Ashlin, and I need to go back. The group I'm with right now is heading to Tempest Valley, so I can't go back with them, obviously. I'd take busses, but I actually haven't seen a lot of the area between here and home, and honestly, I don't think I'm ready to talk with them just yet. So..."
"Wait, hold up." Is this going where I think it's going? "You want to go with us to Ashlin?"
"If that's okay with you and your friends. I mean-"
"It's okay with me," he assured. "I mean, we might not go straight there. I have to look into finding a place for keeping my pokémon when I'm not using them on my team, but-" He looked over at Heather. "What about you? Would you be cool with that?"
"Um... Kinda on the spot." Her eyes narrowed, and she looked slightly cross. "I'm fine with it, I guess, but how are you out on the road? We usually go for days without stopping at towns and cities."
Brooke laughed again. "I've been through all of that. I mean, I'm not the best camper... or battler, for that matter, but I'll be fine. I have some money right now, so I can pay for whatever I need to. Can you just help me get to Ashlin?"
"Yeah, easy," Cody answered eagerly. "I mean, we'll need to ask Jared, but I doubt he'll care. So yeah, you're most likely in."
Brooke face lit up and she launched herself up from the bed and into a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise, you won't regret it!" She pulled away from him, smiling ear to ear. "Listen, I have to take care of something, but can we get dinner tonight, me and all of your friends? I can get to know everybody better before tomorrow and everything."
"Sounds good to me. Sounds good to you?" he asked Heather, but he didn't wait for a response. "Yeah, we'll see you tonight."
"Great, thanks! I'll see you in a few!" She hugged him again before leaving, just as quickly as she had arrived.
"Yeah, bye!" He called out after her. Feeling overwhelmed by what had just happened, he sat back down on the bed and let out a long, satisfied sigh. Does this girl like me? She did kiss me, but just once. Maybe she just needs to travel, but who cares? He liked the attention.
"So... that was just a thing," Heather chuckled as she sat down next to him on the bed.
"Yeah, I guess it was..." Cody replied, dazed. "You don't mind getting dinner, right? I know I just kinda invited you without getting a response, but-"
"No, no, it's a good idea," Heather interrupted. "The whole thing though is a bit sudden though. I mean, are you sure this is a good idea? You just met this girl yesterday... and she just so happens to be in our motel..." Heather's voice quivered some. "Does that strike you as odd at all?"
"Nah, it's a small town with only a few motels. I just- I can't believe that somebody that hot actually likes hanging out with me."
Heather laughed at that statement. "You know, I'm just glad to see that you're feeling better. You in love with this girl or something?"
"What? No, shut up, I just met her," he shot back, laughing in return. "Still..."
"I get it, I get it," his friend sighed, squeezing his shoulder.
If her were looking at her, he would have seen her genuine smile, but what he also missed by not looking at her was her concern and suspicion, traced in her eyes. Or maybe he wouldn't have noticed that. For the first time in a while, Cody was truly infatuated. It made him feel a bit vulnerable, but that was a nice change of pace from being so guarded.
How did I get so lucky?
Brooke had arrived back at her room where her pokémon were waiting for her. Goro was sitting on the bed and Sunny the Sunkern was sitting in the windowsill, absorbing the sunlight. Kisses the Smoochum was nowhere in sight, but Brooke assumed she was still relaxing in the cold bath she had drawn for her. After double locking the door and closing the blinds (much to Sunny's dismay), After quickly switching on the television, Brooke sat down on the bed, took out her second phone, and made the call she was supposed to make the night before.
"Confirm your identification," the woman on the other end asked.
"Agent MB83 reporting from Moss Creek. I have made contact with target Sierra Charlie and successfully joined his party." She hated talking in such an official tone, but it was what was expected of her.
"Report details: When was contact made?"
"Yesterday afternoon." Brooke answered. She figured she'd be admonished for not giving the exact time and date in her report, but she was scolded for other reasons.
"MB83, you were supposed to contact me as soon as you could after making contact," the woman answered in a groan.
"Come on, Michelle, stop talking to me as if I'm a robot. I didn't want to call until I completed phase one."
Another long sigh could be heard over the phone. "Is your location secure?"
"Yes, I'm in my room. The doors are locked, the blinds are shut, the TV is on, and the rooms next to mine, while rented, are currently unoccupied. I don't know when they'll come back though, so-"
"Good. I'll ask you what I need for my report and you may report everything to me in your own words. How did you make contact with the target?"
"Easy, I used Goro. Just had him run into him." She gave the little panda a pat on the head. The little Pancham cuddled closer to her in response.
"And he wasn't suspicious?"
"Not that I was aware," Brooke replied. "We might have gotten lucky there. He was pretty moody from an altercation with his friends, but he liked the attention... he seems a good guy. I still don't know why he's even worth all this effort. Like I said, he seems harmless."
The woman seemed uninterested in this comment however. "How did you manage to infiltrate the party so quickly?"
"Simple: I asked him. You were right though. I was pretty honest with him about myself overall, save the most important details. It's too easy." She already knew that she was going to be yelled at, regardless of how well she pulled off the phase. "All I did was talk with him, ask questions, and listen. Nothing suspicious to report at this point in time. And just a few minutes ago, I asked him if I could travel with his group to Ashlin, and like I said, he said yes, so I'm in."
"That simple? Interesting. His report suggested that he'd be more paranoid."
"He's a guy. Trust me, I know how to get a guy's attention. And I told him a few things about myself. You now, sensitive things. Let myself be a bit vulnerable to gain his trust." She paused, readying herself for the scolding. "Also... I might have kissed him. You know, to gain his trust even-"
"Wait, what?" She did not sound happy. "No, Brooke, you shouldn't have done that. You don't want to get in too deep with-"
"Michelle, I knew this would help me get in with him and the group. Besides, you told me that I could handle this mission how I saw fit, so long as I got the job done." She was greeted with silence. Clearly, Michelle was still unhappy with her. "Look, I won't do it again. But it worked, right?"
"You know what your orders are," Michelle continued, her voice returning to monotone. "I need field reports daily, so long as you have cell reception. Over the phone if you can, but if not, I'll take it by email. No texting though. I don't want any easy trace of that on your phone. For the time being, continue to gain his trust, but keep your distance, just in case we need to pull you out earlier. Keep an eye on his friends too. If you hear anything suspicious regarding the organization, report it immediately. Any questions?"
"No, not now. Not yet. I'll let you know if I uncover anything important."
"Good. Stay alert, act natural, and let us know if you need anything. You've done well so far, but-" She paused, uncharacteristically.
"What?"
"Brooke, some people lose themselves in these roles. Remember what you are there for. Don't lose sight of that."
"I know. I know." She rolled her eyes. "Take care, Michelle."
"You too."
With a click, Brooke turned off her phone. She fell back into the bed, pulling Goro into a hug. Part of her couldn't believe that she was pulling this off, but really, it wasn't too surprising to her. She was good at this sort of thing, plain and simple. She still wasn't sure why this assignment was so important, but at the end of the day, she had faith in the Father, like all of his children.
"Like the phoenix, we-" She stopped herself mid sentence. She believed in what the organization stood for, but still, that line was so cheesy.
Admittedly, I felt a bit unsure of this chapter, so let me know what you think of it.
Anyway, something I wanted to discuss real quick: I introduced the concept of variant pokémon in this chapter. This is something I had considered doing for awhile, but I didn't know how the readers would take to it. Now that the next generation of games have pokémon in different regions with different types (such as an ice-type Ninetales in Alola), I feel more justified in this concept.
However, I don't know how I feel about Mega Evolutions. I'm fine them being in the games, as they create a great creative and strategical element, but in this universe, I don't know if it makes sense. A trainer activating a mega evolution with an item that drastically changes a pokémon's form... it doesn't seem to "fit" to me. I was thinking of just making Mega Evolutions different variants, but I don't know yet. If you have opinions on that, let me know.