A/N: Hiiiii, Welcome to Chapter fifteen of Legends of Kalos, as stated in the previous chapter, this is the second of this weeks double post. In this chapter, we will get to see a few new Pokemon as well as Alex's first encounter with the Lavarre city Gym leader Valerie, a person who will be a major influence to Alex and his Fairy training. We will also sadly say good bye to a friend, but they won't be gone for long. So, I hope you all enjoy it!
As of 5/20/17 Chapter 15 has been edited and re uploaded
Pokemon XY
Legends of Kalos
Chapter 15
A Wondrous Encounter
Alex swallowed hard, as the repair man used his special magnifier to look through his PokeGear's mother board. He had been standing at the front counter in the Cyllage city repair shop for the last fifteen minutes. He had been surprised to see that they didn't just fix devices like his PokeGear, but they also repaired small things like cracked Pokeballs, broken Keystone and Mega stone mounts, and any other kind of mechanical device. It was nestled in between two wooden buildings in Cyllage city's main district.
Upon arriving to beach front city, Astrid had given them a tour of the city, showing them all the local hot spots. The city was beautiful, and built along the cliffside, much like Ambrette town was. The city seemed to naturally flow with the mountain side. Vibrant green trees dotted throughout the entire city gave it a nice feel, a combination of nature and people.
The stone roads were made of the same kind of stand stone as Ambrette town, giving it a familiar feel. All of the buildings and houses had thatched roofs with light brown shingles, which made them blend into the mountainous region all the better. A single paved road cut through the city, and some parts of the beach, Astrid had told them that it was used for the Bicycle races that happened every couple of weeks. The road also lead up the mountain side toward the Cyllage city gym, which had been built into a cavern.
Astrid had also told them that there was a short cut through the cave system that would lead back to Route 7, but the stone blocks had to be pushed aside, something that hadn't been done in a while, due to a large pokemon moving them back in place. Remembering the cavern, Alex said that he would gladly walk around the region if he wanted to go back to Lumiose city.
After the small tour, Astrid had led him here, while his friends went to check out the nearby boutique. When asked if she wanted to come along, the Ace trainer said she would rather be with Alex, since she didn't care much for clothing, and she was hellbent on paying for his PokeGear to be repaired. The two girls shrugged before thanking the ace trainer and heading into the building. This brought them back to what was currently taking place. After another few tense minutes of silence, the repairman looked up at Alex, a frown on his face.
"Son, there's no easy way to say this but...this thing is so shot, that it'd be better to buy a new one." he said.
"Isn't there anything you can do to fix it? Anything at all?" he asked. The man shook his head.
"The battery damaged the motherboard, all of the welding has melted a bit, fusing the two boards together. The screen connectors are friend, and the touch screen mechanism is beyond repair. Like I said, it'd be better to just buy a new one." he said. Alex sighed, shaking his head.
"How much would that be?" Astrid said, a curious look on her face.
"Well, to replace a model like this one. with all of the accessories, I'd say around 15,000 Pokedollars. I can have one express shipped from Johto in two days, but that'll be extra." the man said. Alex's eyes were so wide, he swore he looked like a Whiscash flopping on the sand.
"Is there a cheaper alternative?" Astrid asked, shaking herself out of her stunned look.
"Well, there is one. You could get yourself a Holo Caster, they are all the rage here in the Kalos Region. It's the first device to display fully holographic video calling. I can sell you one for around 4,000 Pokedollars, 5,000 if you want a personalized color." the man said.
He gesturing to the case filled with various colored Holo Casters. It was a small U shaped device, with a small square shaped screen. The curved top had a small camera lens, where Alex assumed the hologram was displayed.
"I'll take one. Would it be possible to transfer all of my contact information onto it?" he asked.
"Of course, you'll have the same number as well. Miraculously, your SIM card and memory cards survived the attack. Would you like a regular one or a colored one?" the man asked.
"I'll just take the base color, in blue." he said.
"I'm sorry, I just sold my last blue one. We do have the base pink one if you'd like that." he said. Alex frowned a bit.
"Hey, think about it, you are training Fairy types. It would fit with your overall theme." Astrid said, trying to ease the situation a bit. She didn't get the desired result, especially when Alex glared at her. He rolled his eyes, glancing back at the man.
"She does have a point there, I'll take it. I'm not one to care about a color anyway." he said with a smile.
"Excellent, I'll set everything up." the man said, pulling out the pink Holo Caster from the display. The then started tinkering with it, adding the various updates and other things it needed.
"Again, I am so sorry about this. I didn't mean to destroy your PokeGear." Astrid said.
"Stop apologizing, what's in the past is in the past. Besides, I don't mind getting something new. The PokeGear is sort of outdated when you think about it. I'm just a Johto boy at heart." he said with a smile.
"Well son, here you are. Both your SIM card and your memory card are working just fine. I've also taken the liberty to add you to the PTSS and update it to it's latest version. You should be all set." the man said, handing him the device. Astrid stepped up, handing him the money.
"Thanks a lot sir, you've been a great help." Alex said. The man gave him a small box, which contained all of the items that came with the device.
"The charger and user manual are also in that box, I would recommend you to read it, if it's your first time using one of those that is." he said, accepting the money that Astrid handed him.
"I'll be sure to read everything thoroughly." Alex replied.
After getting his receipt, Alex and Astrid left the store, with Alex fiddling with his new Holo Caster, learning how to use it.
"Well, I suppose since you have this new device you don't have to register my information. By using the PTSS, you'll be able to contact me and even see if we're in the same town or not. That should be very convenient for you." She said.
"Yeah, that will definitely make things easier for me in the future. Well Astrid, it was a pleasure meeting you and battling you. Thanks a lot for the Holo Caster, you didn't have to buy it though." he said.
"I broke it, so I replaced it. Well, I'll be moving on to Shalour city, I'll be heading there for my Third badge." she said.
"Hey wait, isn't there a gym in Orseille city?" he asked curiously.
"There is, but I don't have any Pokemon that can deal damage to Water types, so I'll be skipping that gym. You of course might find it interesting, it's located in a large Water park near the center of Orseille city, the gym leader is named Juvia, a fitting name for a water trainer." she said.
"Hmm, alright I was going to stop there anyway but now that I'm hearing details about it, I can't wait to see it." he said.
"I hear some big pop star is going to do a concert in the Orseille Arena, might be worthwhile to check it out, I'm not really into that stuff, but I might check it out." she said.
"Any idea of who it is?" he asked.
"Nope, somewhere far Sinnoh maybe. I have to get going, see you around Alex." she said.
She give him a bright smile before heading toward the town exit, which would lead into Route 10. Looking at the time that was displayed on his Holo Caster's screen, Alex decided that it was time to head to the Pokemon center.
After wondering through the town, enjoying the atmosphere while simultaneously figuring out the functions of his new device. Alex was able to find the Pokemon center. It had been a long day for him, and even though he had gotten a free ride to Cyllage, it still felt like he had walked the six miles to the coastal town. He was glad to just go into his room and just take a hot shower. He walked up to the counter, greeting the smiling nurse.
"Hello Nurse Joy, could you take care of my Pokemon for me?" he asked.
"Certainly, just place your Pokeballs in this tray." she replied.
He nodded, placing the six red and white balls into the tray. She handed them off to her Wigglytuff assistant, who took them to the back room.
"Thanks Nurse Joy, are there any rooms left? I don't really feel like checking into a hotel right now." he said, a slight blush on his face.
"Sure thing, we have several spare rooms if you would like one?"
"Of course." he said, handing her his Pokedex. After a few minutes, she handed the device back with his room key.
"Enjoy your stay." she said.
He thanked her before heading down the hall and up the stairs, quickly finding his room. He walked into it, tossing his backpack onto the bed. He was sure the girls would check in sooner or later, so for now he would just take his shower.
xxx
"Zera, do you think this top would look good on me?" Yvonne asked, holding up a Midriff cross laced halter top, with a blue design and a white hibiscus print on it. Zera looked at it, seeing how short it was.
"Doesn't that show off too much skin?" she brunette asked.
"Yeah, but it's blazing balls outside, and we'll be in the Coastal part of Kalos for a while. I want to wear something that won't make me sweat like a Tepig." she said. She grabbed a pair of white short shorts, looking them over.
"Tepig don't sweat. They don't have pores so they have too..."
"It was an expression!" Yvonne deadpanned, forgetting about the girl's fascination with fire types.
"I just don't want a lot of bad attention being brought to you, you're like a sister to me." she said.
"Aw, don't worry about me! Besides, Braixen will kick anyone's ass, the same for Amaura, Bunnelby and Vivillon. You know, you remind me of my cousin Serena, wonder how she's doing?" she said, looking at the ceiling absentmindedly.
"What do you think of this?" Zera asked, holding up a ruffled black tank top, which had several white dots all over it. Yvonne's eyes lit up, a smile on her face.
"That is definitely you. It will go great with this crimson skirt, and you don't even have to buy new leggings. The boots though, you need to change, maybe black will stand out better. Come on girl, I'll make you look tres chic!" she cried excitedly.
She dragged the girl toward the dressing rooms, a content smile on her face, while Zera sported an equally horrified one.
xxx
Alex yawned loudly as he made his way back down to the first floor of the Pokemon center. He had already showered, and changed into a new change of clothes. He now sported an orange tie dye tee shirt, with a pair of olive green cargo shorts, and his black high tops. He was once again wearing his favorite Banette beanie, as well as his spare blue vest, which had his two gym badges pinned onto the lapel. He walked up the the front counter, where Nurse Joy handed him his pokeballs.
"Have my friends checked in yet?" he asked.
"Yvonne and Zera haven't checked in yet, they were here earlier to drop their Pokemon off but they haven't returned." She said.
"I suppose they'll be back sooner or later. I'll take their pokemon, it's feeding time for them anyway." he said. The nurse nodded, handing him the seven Pokeballs belonging to his friends.
"I'll let them know that you took their Pokemon, so that they don't worry. With everyone being at the beach, few trainers passing by, there should be enough room in the outdoor patio for all of them." the nurse said.
"Alright, thanks again Nurse joy." he said, placing all of the pokeballs in his vest pocket. He headed over to the video phone, quickly dialing the Professor's number. It wasn't long before the black haired man greeted him.
"Bonjour Alex! What may I do for you today?" the man said, giving Alex a bright smile.
He wore a somewhat tired expression, so Alex figured he was following up on the information he gave him regarding Ho-Oh. Alex was reminded of himself whenever he started reading his mythology books.
"Hi professor, I was just calling to let you know I made it to Cyllage city." he said.
"Already? You were in Ambrette Town just last night." the man said, completely surprised. Alex gave him a grin.
"I was able to score a ride all the way here. I'll be sticking around here for a few days, any idea when Ash and his friends will be arriving?" he asked.
"Hmm, I received a call from Clemont, one of his friends a few hours ago. They had stopped in at the Battle Chateau for some quick battles. They should be arriving in Cyllage city in around three days, maybe even faster if they have your pacing." the man said.
"Alright, that should be more than enough time for me to train up and challenge Grant to a battle."
"Well, I wish you good luck on your gym battle. Though seeing that you have two badges now, I have complete faith that you'll win."
"Oh yeah, I definitely win. Oh right! Did you know Pidgeot can Mega Evolve? I wasn't aware of that until today." he said. His eyes widened.
"Are you serious? Where did you see this Pidgeot?" the man asked excitedly.
"Um, it was owned by a trainer that I battled today, her name is Astrid. She has an Absol that can Mega Evolve too. I didn't actually see the Pidgeot, or else I would have taken pictures of it. She also said that her friend has a Mega Altaria." he said.
"So many new discoveries, you wouldn't happen to have her contact information would you? I would love to hear more information about these two Pokemon." he said.
"She told me her information was in the PTSS, whatever that is. I had to get a Holo Caster due to an electric attack my PokeGear took earlier. I still haven't figured out most of it's functions." he said, looking at the device in his hands.
"I'll have to search her up when I can, this is wonderful news. If you hear about any new Mega Evolutions, please don't hesitate to tell me about them. There is always something new to research, especially after hearing all the details about Mega Empoleon last time we spoke about this." he said.
"Sure thing. I'll research all I can for you."
"Excellent, since you'll be heading up to Shalour city at some point, it would be wise to seek a man that knows more about this. He's known by the moniker, "Mega Evolution Guru", so he'll definitely shed some light onto the topic." he said.
"I'll be sure to speak to him when I get there, also could I send back my Swirlix? I just wanted to keep an extra slot open in case I see any other Fairy type Pokemon out here, and she deserves a little break from traveling." he said.
"Of course, just place her Pokeball on the pad and I'll take care of the rest." he said.
Alex nodded, withdrawing the red and white ball containing his puffball as he had named her. He placed the ball on the pad, watching as it was whisked away to Lumiose city. Professor Sycamore smiled, holding the ball to the camera.
"She arrived here safely. I'm sure she'll love meeting the rest of your team. Swellow, Staryu and Tyranitar are all doing fine as well, especially Tyranitar who's been behaving quite nicely as of late." he said.
"That's good, did you give him the necklace I sent? I didn't want his Mega Stone to me mounted on that arm band like it was before, I figured it would remind him to much of his previous trainer." he said.
"I did, and he seems to like it quite a lot. The research we have gathered is fairly decent as well, the work of a professor is never done it seems." the man said with a chuckle.
"No it isn't...I guess us trainers have it a little easier. Well, I'll let you go, I'm sure you are eager to start researching Mega Pidgeot and Mega Altaria." he said.
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't...thanks a lot for the new information Alex, talk to you soon." the man said, ending the call.
Alex chuckled a bit, happy to know that even the little things still made people happy. He walked off, heading toward the outdoor patio, where his backpack and cooking utensils still sat. He pulled out all of his pokeballs, as well as those of his friends, letting out all of the Pokemon. Everyone gave a cry in greeting, and happiness at being outside of their Pokeballs.
"Alright everyone, the girls aren't back yet, so for now I'll be starting with dinner. Thankfully, the outdoor patio here has a working gas stove that anyone can use. No one is here, so that's good for us. Are there any volunteers?"
"Braixen Brai." the fire fox pokemon cried, raising her paw high into the air. Most of the Pokemon rolled their eyes, already knowing she would volunteer first. Alex smiled, petting the smiling fox.
"All of you should be like Braixen here, eager to help people. She's setting a good example you know." he said.
"Vee Vee." Vixen exclaimed suddenly, jumping up to the table next to her trainer. Alex looked at her curiously.
"You wanna help too Vixen?" he asked.
"Vee." she cried with a nod.
"Alright, the more paws we have the better. Let's get to work everyone, Absol, would you mind filling this bucket with water for me?" he asked, handing him the small metallic bucket.
The dark type nodded, taking the handle into his mouth, and walking over to the nearby spring. The Pokemon center had been positioned in a place where a natural water spring had formed behind it, forming a crystalline blue pond of water. The small waterfall could be seen rushing down the side of the small mountain, landing into the pond.
Absol dipped the bucket into the pond, filling it with water before bringing it back to Alex, who gratefully accepted it, it wasn't long before the actual cooking began. He had gone for something a little traditional, at least for him. Since he had all of the ingredients, he started making Curry, along with some fresh white rice, it had been his favorite dish growing up, and it had been a while since he had eaten it. Luckily, he still had his mother's recipe written down, so it wasn't hard for him to actually start making it.
"Alright, now we have to wait until it thickens up a bit. Watch it for me will you Braixen?" he asked, looking at the fox.
She nodded, taking the wooden spoon from him. He turned to the Pokemon food he had also been preparing, with Vixen and Absol's help of course, who had volunteered at the last second. The dark type's horn had been very useful for cutting the harder vegetables and berries, but now everything had been cut so all he had to do was make the Poke Chow accordingly.
"Now we mix these berries into the food, and there...now it's time too." he paused, since he heard Houndour's growl.
He straightened up, following the Pokemon's gaze toward the nearby bushes. The were rustling a bit, as if something was in there. Alex looked toward Spirit, gesturing for her to check it out, with a silent nod, she flew over to the bush, diving inside. A small cry was heard, before a small blue pokemon came tumbling out. It had small round ears and small black eyes, with white cheeks. It also had a long zigzagging tail, which was dotted with a large ball.
"Azu!" it cried painfully, rubbing it's face with it's stubby hands.
"Wow, and Azurill." Alex said, holding up his Pokedex.
"Azurill, the Polka-dot Pokemon. This Pokemon is capable of bouncing long distances on it's round tail. The orb at the end of its tail holds the necessary nutrients it needs in order to prepare it for evolution." it chirped. Alex grinned, seeing that it was a Normal/Fairy type.
"This will be great, alright Petilil, use Stun Spore." Alex cried out.
The small grass type nodded and shook her leaves, sending out a wave of yellow spores. The Azurill stood up, trying to bounce away from the spores, but wasn't fast enough. It cried in pain, being unable to move.
"Great, that should be enough, go Pokeball." he cried out.
He whipped the red and white sphere at the paralyzed pokemon. It struck the side of it's head, sucking it into the ball. It landed on the ground, shaking a few times before it snapped closed. He grinned.
"Yes, we have a new friend." he said, picking the Pokeball from the ground. He let the small Pokemon out, holding a Cheri Berry to it, it looked at him wearily, before accepting the berry.
"Welcome to the Team Azurill, my name is Alex...dinner will be ready soon." he said cheerfully, placing it's pokeball into his pocket.
"Zu." it cried happily.
He smiled and walked back to the stove, where he was finishing his curry. A loud ringing entered his ears, and he looked at the table, where his Holo Caster sat. He handed the spoon off to Braixen and grabbed the device, swiping the screen. The holographic lens turned on, displaying a full image of the caller.
"Hey Alex." the voice greeted. Alex narrowed his eyes a bit, suddenly recognizing the small person.
"Rinka hey, how did you get my number?" he asked curiously.
"I saw that you were in town through the PTSS, and I figured I would call you. I wanted to see how you were doing and what Pokemon you've captured, are you still at the Pokemon center?"
"Sure am, hurry up I'm almost done with dinner." he said with a grin.
"Really? Alright! Say, do you mind if I bring my Teacher with me?" she asked curiously.
"I don't mind, my friends should be coming by soon so the more the merrier." he said.
"Great, we'll be there in five minutes. See you then!" she said cheerfully, ending the call. He shoved the device in his pocket, glancing at his helpers.
"Well, we got more people coming so it's best if we make a little extra." he said, earning a nod from Braixen and Vixen. It didn't take him long to add some extra ingredients to the already cooking food. Zera and Yvonne walked through the glass doors, lost in conversation before looking at the Fairy trainer.
"Wow, you cooked for us." the honey blonde asked.
"Yup! Since you girls have never been to the Johto region, I decided to make one of my favorite dishes from there." he said.
"Is it Takoyaki? Udon? Ramen? Miso soup?" Zera asked, a smile on her face.
"Nope, I made curry with rice." he said.
"Oh my Arceus, I've wanted to try some traditional curry rice forever, you're the best Alex." the brunette said, a smile on her face.
"So, you caught yourself an Azurill? I didn't know they even lived in this area." Yvonne said, taking notice of the new addition to his team.
"Yeah, I believe it was living in the pond over there with some wild pokemon, and since it's part Fairy, I figured it would be a good addition to the team." he said.
"Hi Alex." a sudden voice said, making the three trainers look up.
The young man smiled, seeing the familiar face of Rinka, smiling brightly. She hadn't changed much, except now she was wearing a cream and pink colored smock top, with a pink bow in the center. It also had long frilly sleeves, which hung a few inches off the ground. Her black hair was straightened, and she had a pink beanie on her head, decorated with a violet flower pin. She also wore a matching light purple skirt and matching low top shoes. Her Spritzee was on her shoulder, looking around curiously.
"Hi Rinka, wow look at you, fitting that Fairy theme quite well." he said.
"Thanks, but this is all because of my teacher. She's inside right now, but she'll be joining us soon." the girl said, walking further into the patio.
"Um, Alex is this your little sister or something?" Yvonne asked.
"No silly, she's just a friend. We met in Lumiose city, it's thanks to her that I was inspired to start training Fairy types." he said with a grin.
"Wow, look at all these Pokemon. They're so cool." the girl said, though she was eyeing the Fairy types in the group.
Spirit happily greeted Rinka's Spritzee, both of them spinning around reach other excitedly. Fleur and Kira were next to each other, with the small Fairy type being held in the Steel/Fairy type's hands. Petilil was floating around, while getting to know Azurill, who didn't really want to talk to anyone.
"These are our partners. Like em?" Yvonne asked, kneeling before the little girl, earning an eager nod from the girl.
"Oh yes, especially the two Shiny Pokemon, now that I think about it, didn't you have a Shiny Taillow too?" Rinka asked.
"Yeah, he evolved into a Swellow recently. Right now he's taking a break at Professor Sycamore's lab, along with my Swirlix, Staryu and Tyranitar." he said.
"I would have loved to see that. Oh oh, can I let out my Pokemon? I want you to see the Pokemon I've been training." she said excitedly.
"Why not? I'm curious to see myself." Alex said, putting the finishing touches on the food he was making.
A few more minutes for the rice and it would be done. The girl smiled and took out four Pokeballs.
From the first emerged a Jigglypuff, the Balloon Pokemon floated a bit off the ground, puffing its chest. It's big round eyes focused on all the new Pokemon, a curious look on its face.
The second Pokemon was a Cleffa, a small pink pokemon with little brown ears and a cute face. It was the prevolved form of Clefairy, a pretty common Pokemon in the Johto region. He had seen his fair share of those being trained by a lot of girls, and a bunch of guys who liked cute pokemon.
The next two Pokemon were ones he had never seen before. The first was a floating Pokemon, which was green in color, and looked like it was bundled up in bright green leaves. It had a small body, which was light orange in color, with bright green eyes. It had small arms, and seemed to be holding a ring of vibrant flowers, which resembled the flowers Flabebe normally carried, but where a bit different, they were red, yellow, light pink and white, in that order. A lovely scent wafted from them, making him smile a bit.
The last Pokemon was one that was recognizable to him, and yet not recognizable at the same time. It was a small fox pokemon, with white fur, and light blue colored paws.
It had pointed ears, with small white tufts of fur sticking out, which resembled a small mound of snow, the fur atop it's head was the same, looking like a soft cloud. It's tails were pure white and curled back a bit, but looked like a small snow drift. It's bright icy blue eyes were filled with curiosity, and its small blue nose wiggled a bit, taking in the scent of the cooking food. Rinka smiled, waving her hand at her pokemon.
"These are the pokemon currently on my team. The first is Fable, the first Pokemon I caught here in Kalos. I was wondering around Route 7, and this really nice lady gave me a Pokemon egg. After a few days, she hatched out of it. The second Pokemon I caught here was Wiggles, I found her on my way up to Lavarre city, wondering around the icky bog. Someone had abandoned the poor dear, so I decided to rescue her." she said with a smile.
"That's so sweet of you." Zera said with a smile.
She wanted to hug the little girl tightly for having such a kind heart. Alex however was tweaking out a bit, glancing at the two unknown Pokemon. He had handed Braixen the wooden spoon, and walked over to where the Pokemon were. The knelt before the small fox, who cooed happily and bounded toward him, hopping into his arms.
"Oh my Arceus, I was right. This is a Vulpix." he said.
"Vuuul." the small fox cried.
"What? I don't know about you but Vulpix are brown, I would know since I am a Fire trainer." Zera said, glancing at the fox in his arms.
"Um, Miss Zera, that is a Vulpix. I caught her in my home region." she said.
"Oh right, Rinka here comes from the Alola Region, a region that's farther away from Kalos. It's a mostly tropical region, with different kinds of Pokemon. As well as rare Pokemon that can only be found there." Alex said.
He had done a little bit of research into the region after his initial meeting with Rinka, finding quite a lot out about the far away island region.
"Mhmm. In the Alola Region, Vulpix live high in the mountains where it snows constantly. They adapted to the cold weather and became Ice types. With enough training, Alolan Vulpix will evolve into Ninetails, which are Ice/Fairy types." he said.
"Now way, a Fairy type Ninetails? That's impossible...I can't...I just can't accept this." Zera said, having to sit down. Braixen handed her a glass of water, which she downed quickly.
"Yes, a lot of people have had the same reaction as you. Especially fire type trainers, but she's real." she said. Alex pet her a bit, feeling how poofy and cold her fur was. She cooed happily, wagging her tails.
"She's so adorable. I have a lot to look forward too if I go to Alola." he said. Rinka gestured to her last Pokemon, who floated over to where she stood.
"This is Comfey. She's a native species found in the Alola region, her species breed is known as the Posy Picker Pokemon. She likes to collect flowers makes rings out of them. If she's cornered, she'll throw the flowers at her enemies and flee, or take the chance to attack. Her special ability is called Triage, making restoring moves take priority." she said.
"Fey." she cried happily, landing on Alex's hand. Vulpix had climbed onto his shoulder, looking at Comfey as well.
"Fairy type Pokemon are amazing, they come in so many shapes and sizes. You wouldn't expect a small pokemon like this to be such a powerhouse." he said, a look of wonder on his face.
"Which is also the wonder and mystery of Fairy type Pokemon. No matter how big or small, Fairy types will always flutter into the field with grace and power." a new voice added. Rinka eyes lit up, a smile on her face.
"Lady Valerie, it's about time you came out here." she said, running over to the young woman that had entered the patio.
She was a young woman of nineteen, with long flowing violet black hair, which cascaded down her back. She was wearing a violet sweater, which left her shoulders exposed. The sleeves were long enough to cover most of her dainty hands. She wore a matching violet skirt, which fell to about mid thigh. She was wearing a simple pair of black flip flops. She was wearing a violet hair tie, which resembled fairy wings a bit.
She wore a violet choker, with small pink designs on it. He noticed she was wearing the same kind of contacts Rinka was wearing, giving her a bit of a bug eyed look. Alex looked on silently, meeting her calm and judging gaze. He suddenly felt nervous, and he didn't know why. This woman, he could feel her power, the grace which she carried herself, how she had spoken and the way she was dressed. She was a Fairy trainer, no doubt about it. Rinka took her hand, pulling her toward the young man.
"This is the boy I told you about. His name is Alex Winters, and he's the one that's training Fairy types like us." she said. She looked at him curiously, a small smile gracing her glossy lips.
"So this is the young man that fluttered into your graces, my young apprentice?" she asked. Rinka nodded.
"He helped me find Spritzee. After I told him all about Fairy types, he decided to start training them. See?" she said, pointing to his pokemon. She took note of all of them, especially the shiny Mawile that was still playing with Fleur. The young woman brushed past them all, kneeling before the Mawile, who looked at her curiously.
"Hello there." she said, calmly and quietly, reaching out her hand.
"Wile." she replied, looking away.
"Um...Miss I wouldn't do that. She's not a friendly Pokemon, I can't say how many time's she's tried using her Iron Head on me." he said.
"Don't worry, Lady Valerie knows what she's doing." Rinka said, earning a nod from Alex. The young woman smiled, and started speaking to Kira softly, in Pokemon language.
The kicker was that Kira was understanding it, and speaking back to her. He couldn't believe it, it was as if he was watching a movie. He spared a glance at Yvonne and Zera, who shared the same look he did. Finally, the young woman stood up, facing the trainer.
"It seems your Mawile doesn't trust you yet. She was abandoned by her old trainer because she didn't suit his needs. He had only caught her because of her rare coloring." she said, her tone a bit sad. Alex grit his teeth.
"I hate trainers who do that. I would never abandon my Pokemon, I treat them all like family." he said firmly. She smiled.
"As well you should...all Pokemon should be treated kindly and with respect. You two haven't been together long, but she's content with you as her trainer, though it's going to take a lot to earn her trust." she said.
"Then I'll try my hardest. I'll give it my all until earn her trust, I trust her already."
"Um, yeah hi...how is it that you know Valerie?" Yvonne asked, looking at Rinka.
"Like I said, she's my teacher." she said.
"Yes, but you do know that this is Valerie, the famous fashion designer and Gym leader of Lavarre city...right?" the honey blonde said.
"Wait...you're the Lavarre Gym leader?" Alex asked curiously. The woman giggled, giving him a nod.
"I am...I'll be expecting you to come challenge me for a Fairy badge in the near future. You have a wonderful team here, and I know you'll bring out the best in them. I'm actually here because my friend Grant just came back from the Battle Chateau, I assume you'll be challenging him soon?" the woman asked.
"Yeah, I didn't know you two knew each other." he said.
"Grant and I have been friends for quite a while. He's the one that trains my Carbink, the only Fairy/Rock type Pokemon that can be found in the wild. Unless you get lucky and happen to find a Diancie." she said.
"Diancie is a legendary Pokemon, it's a fairy type too...I want to meet it but it's not easy to find." Rinka said, pouting a bit. Valerie pat her head, making her smile.
"I'm glad Rinka here convinced me to come along with her. It would be an honor to get to know you Alex, I hear you hail from Ecruteak, correct?" she asked.
"Y-yes." he stuttered out. She smiled, eyes glittering a bit.
"I come from there as well...I was actually training to become a Kimono Girl, but I left to become a fashion model soon after, so I never finished my training." she said. Alex narrowed his eyes a bit in thought.
"That sounds familiar...you know, my grandmother did mention there was a Kimono girl that ended up leaving early, she was only two years older than me...that was you wasn't it?" he asked.
"Is your grandmother named Hiyoko?" she asked, earning a nod from him. "Then it is. What a small world."
"Definitely. Why don't you join us? I made some Curry and I'm sure everyone is dying to try it." he said.
"I would be honored, it's been quite awhile since I had a traditional meal like this." she said. Braixen started placing the food bowls down, allowing the rest of the Pokemon to start eating. She had even made a bit extra for Rinka's Pokemon, who we're eating it with gusto.
"Seems like all the pokemon love the food." Yvonne said.
"Well, me and Braixen worked hard on it. All thanks to your recipe of course." Alex said with a grin.
Valerie had let out her Sylveon, upon his request since there was still more than enough food for it to eat. As they all ate, Alex and Valerie traded stories, mostly revolving around their childhoods in Ecruteak city, both surprised each other, especially when they realized that they had met on more than one occasion, and didn't even recognize each other. It was a bitter sweet reunion, a meeting of two friends that didn't really know each other, but knew enough to have a close bond of sorts.
The conversation turned toward his deceased mother Yoko, who was one of the best Kimono Girls in the region.
Valerie was saddened to hear that she had passed away, and that he had been whisked away to the Unova region by his father shortly after, without a say in the matter. Yvonne and Zera were stunned to hear this, since Alex didn't talk much about his past nor his family. Rinka had started crying a bit, but had been easily comforted by the Fairy Gym leader. He had been close to telling them about his secret identity, but felt that he wasn't ready to tell them that yet, so instead he skipped over it. The news about his alter ego had died down for a bit anyway, and he didn't feel like bringing it back into the light, at least for now.
Dinner finally ended, with Rinka's challenge to which Alex accepted. The two fairy trainers now stood at opposite ends of the battlefield, Vulpix on Rinka's side, and Azurill on his own.
"Alright you two, are you ready?" Zera asked, since she had volunteered to be the ref, while Yvonne once again washed the dishes for the night. Both trainers nodded eagerly.
"Begin!" she said.
"Okay Azurill, start things off with Bubble."
"Vulpix, use Baby-Doll Eyes." Rinka cried firmly. Vulpix cooed in response, glancing at Azurill lovingly. Azurill couldn't help but stare at her, her body glowed a bright orange, as her attack had been lowered.
"Alright then, I wasn't expecting that. Azurill, use Water Gun." he cried.
"Azurill!" the polka dot Pokemon cried, launching a small pressurized beam of water at Vulpix, who easily dodged it.
"Vulpix, Ice Beam."
"Vulpix!" the small fox cried, firing the light blue beam at the small bouncing Pokemon. It hit home, freezing it's tail to the ground.
"Oh crap." he muttered. Rinka smiled, pointing at the small blue Pokemon.
"Now Vulpix, finish it off with Quick Attack." she cried. Vulpix cooed loudly, bursting forward with a surge of speed. She slammed into Azurill, sending it flying back. It slammed into the ground, unconscious.
"Azurill is unable to battle. Vulpix and Rinka win the match...man, it's still weird seeing a Vulpix fire an Ice beam." she muttered. Alex smiled, returning his Pokemon to it's Pokeball, giving it words of praise. He looked up at Rinka, who was petting her Vulpix.
"Good job Rinka, of course I would have done better If I had trained Azurill a bit, I can tell he's not used to battling yet."
"It's alright, it was just a practice battle anyway." she said.
"If you don't mind, I would like to gauge your Pokemon's power as well." Valerie said, speaking up from where she was standing. Alex looked at her wide eyed.
"Seriously?" he asked.
"Of course, this will be a one-on-one battle. However in order to win my badge you'll have to formally challenge me in Lavarre city, this should be a little taste of what's to come." she said. He nodded, looking at Kira, who hadn't moved from her spot. He gave her a nod.
"Why don't we battle her Kira? It'll be our first official battle...you game?" he asked.
The Pokemon looked at him for a few seconds, before giving a small nod. She stood up taking her spot on his side of the field.
"Sylveon shall be my partner. Let's give it our all, both of us." Valerie said, as her pokemon took the field. Alex gave her a nod. Kira watched Sylveon carefully, gathering as much as she could from her little stare down, it seemed as if the Intertwining Pokemon wasn't an opponent to take lightly. Zera nodded, lowering her arms.
"Alright, battle begin." she said.
"Sylveon, let us start this battle off with Misty Terrain, I want the best out of both of us." Valerie cried out.
"Sylveon!"
From it's mouth shot a glittering pink orb, that burst above their heads, the tendrils of pink energy stabbed into the field, giving it an odd pink glow. Kira looked at it oddly, feeling a bit more power flowing through her.
"A field altering move, I didn't even think those existed. Whatever the case, let us proceed. Kira, hit her hard with Iron Head." he called out. Kira nodded, and raced forward, her jaw turning a metallic gray color, she swung it around as hard as she could, aiming for Sylveon who easily dodged it.
"Grab it with your ribbons Sylveon." Valerie called out.
Sylveon nodded, extending it's ribbons outward, wrapping them around Kira's body, holding her in place. The deceiver pokemon struggled to break free, only for the ribbons to tighten around her.
"I'm in a literal bind." he muttered to himself. He grit his teeth, trying to think something up, since Kira was being difficult with him, he hadn't planned to battle with her, and so he hadn't actually checked what moves she knew. He fumbled a bit with his Pokedex, quickly scanning his Pokemon with it.
"Alex, what are you doing?" Yvonne asked, watching the nervous trainer flick through his Pokemon's profile.
"I never learned what moves Kira knew, a rookie mistake I know, but it's never to late to fix a mistake...Aha, Kira, hit him with Astonish." he cried.
"Mawile." the Pokemon cried, letting out an ear splitting screech from her mouth. Sylveon cried in fear, flinching from the attack. Her ribbons loosened a bit, making Kira smirk.
"Alright Kira, hit him point blank with a Flamethrower." he cried out. Kira's maw flared up, forcing Sylveon to let her go, in that instant she spun around, blasting him in the face with a hot beam of flames. Sylveon jumped out of the way, fur a bit singed but still ready to go.
"You're battling style lacks a little finesse, but it's proving to be quite effective. Sylveon, hit her hard with Giga Impact." Valerie called out.
"Veon!"
Sylveon raced forward, body swirling with pink energy as it raced toward Kira. The deceiver pokemon silently watched, looking for an opening. Alex shifted his weight a bit, finally seeing the opening he needed.
"Kira, use Iron Head." He cried.
"Wile." his pokemon replied, rapidly charging the attack.
She swung her massive maw around, making contact with the Giga Impact. A loud explosion rang through the area, as Sylveon and Kira were thrown back several feet, both sporting scratches on their body. The pink glow the field had died down, returning it to normal, Alex figured the time for Misty Terrain was finally up. He took his chance, a smile on his face.
"Now, Kira use Ice Fang." he cried. With a loud cry, Kira raced forward, her maw glittering as she charged the attack. Sylveon pawed the ground a bit, waiting on it's next command.
"Fairy Wind." Valerie cried out.
Sylveon spun it's ribbons around, forming a massive vortex of pink energy, that merely stunned Kira as she moved, slowing her down a bit. Valerie seized her chance, quickly following up her attack.
"Finish it off with Giga Impact."
"Sylveon." the pokemon cried, launching itself forward. Kira could only react for a second as the wind was knocked from her lungs, before she slammed into the ground, passing out from the hard hit. Sylveon landed on it's trainer's side, a vibrant smile on his face. Valerie knelt down, rubbing his head.
"Sylve Sylveon." she said.
"Veon!"
Sylveon's purring filled her ears, making her smile all the brighter. She looked up, seeing Alex consoling Kira for their loss, the Deceiver Pokemon had crossed her arms, and didn't bother looking at her trainer in the eye, no matter how many times he apologized, she wouldn't acknowledge him.
"He has a lot of work to do if he is to be a Fairy trainer. He is adapting quite well, but the mannerisms still need some refining." she said.
"Veon Syl Syl." her pokemon agreed.
Alex stood up, returning Kira to her Pokeball, seeing as she wasn't too happy with the results of the battle. He walked to the center of the field, a hand in his pocket, the second behind his head.
"Well, you won this time. Sylveon sure is strong though, it's not the first time I've lost to one either." he said, remembering his battle with Penelope before they made it to Camphrier.
"It will take a lot of training and hard work, but I believe you and your Pokemon have what it takes to become a great team. I would very much like to offer you a chance to study with me at the Lavarre city Gym, I'm sure the girls wouldn't mind a young man joining our ranks, of course I can already imagine what Kali has to say about it."
"Kali is a big meanie, she didn't even want me to join." Rinka said, a pout on her face. Valerie giggled a bit, hiding it behind her small hand. She turned back to Alex, a stern look on her face.
"So, what do you say Alex? Would you like to come with me and Rinka to Lavarre city?" she asked. He was about to reply, when he heard a boisterous laughter behind him. He turned around, eyes narrowing when he found out who it belonged to.
"Yeah, are you going to accept her offer Alex? Or are you going to lay down in the dirt like the loser you are?"
"Bryce...how long have you been standing here?" Alex asked firmly, glaring at the older trainer. He pushed himself off the wall, the light of the lamps making his keystone glitter brightly.
"Oh long enough. I see you've won two gym badges already, I don't know how when you are training sissy Fairy types. I heard a few rumors in Ambrette earlier this week, and I didn't want to believe it, but I suppose I have proof now. You are a total wimp!" the teen said.
"If I recall correctly, Alex's Tyranitar wiped the floor with your Empoleon back in Lumiose city, you have no right calling him a wimp." Yvonne said. The young man chuckled, shaking his head.
"He had the assistance of Mega Evolution at that time, but right now it was a normal battle, against a Gym Leader no less. If you can't beat her now, what makes you think you have what it takes to beat her in an official gym battle? Better yet, you should hand over that Mawile, a Pokemon like that needs to be trained by a Steel type expert like me." he said.
"Excuse me buddy, I don't know who you think you are but.." Alex stopped when he felt Valerie's hand on his shoulder. Sylveon had wrapped his ribbons around his wrist, shaking his head slowly. The Gym leader walked a few steps forward, standing tall and proud. Her eyes were narrowed, and she seemed to be holding back her anger.
"I don't believe we have ever met, but I can already tell that you aren't a very kind person. Also, what judgment do you hold over his Pokemon? Kira may be a Steel type, but she is also a Fairy type, and he caught her fairly. You have no right to insult another trainer's Pokemon." she said. Bryce chuckled, shaking his head.
"So, you now have Gym leaders fighting your battles? That's really weak bro, really pathetic if you asked me. However, the lady is right, I have no judgment over your pokemon, and neither do they apparently, since they all easily aligned themselves with a weak trainer, who can't even use Mega Evolution correctly. I would wish you luck with your next Gym battle, but you don't need it, the way your Pokemon look, it seems like they won't last a single minute against Grant's Onix...not unlike my team, who easily took out all three of his Pokemon, and earned me my Cliff Badge." he said, flashing the badge to them.
It was a small, brown and copper badge, made up of three thin rectangles, each lower than the last, making it look like a cliff. The brown parts of the badge stuck out a bit, and gleamed in the light. Alex took a deep breath, looking at the ground.
"I have faith in my Pokemon, they've helped me this far and they'll help me win even more badges. I have nothing to prove to you or anyone else for that matter. Weak Pokemon, Strong Pokemon, it doesn't matter what kind of Pokemon, we should all train the Pokemon we love. You have no right to call them weak." he said firmly, getting cheers from his team. Bryce tsked, turning around.
"Whatever, I had hopes that you would become a strong opponent in the future, so that I could enjoy beating you back into the ground, but it seems as if you are doing it on your own. Valerie, expect my challenge at your gym soon, and who knows? Maybe if you accept her offer Alex, I'll see you there too, wearing a pink frilly dress." he said, ending his statement with a laugh. He walked off, entering the Pokemon center before disappearing from sight. Zera sighed, crossing her arms.
"What an unbearable prick." she said.
"You said it." Yvonne said, agreeing wholeheartedly with her friend.
"Don't listen to him Alex, you are raising a wonderful team of Pokemon, and I can tell you love them all dearly. Don't let trainers like that bring you down..my offer still stands, if you wish to accept it." Valerie said. Alex smiled, giving her a nod.
"Thanks, but I'll have to decline your offer. There are still many things about Fairy types that I wish to learn, it would be an honor to learn from you, but I also want to compete in the Kalos League, if I go to Lavarre now, I won't be able to collect enough badges of the conference." he said.
"I understand...just remember my doors are always open, and you can call me any time you want if you need advice." she said with a smile.
"Sylveon." her partner cried in agreement, showing his own support.
Alex looked back at his team, seeing their bright smiles and confident looks. His eyes fell on his Spritzee, who was amicably chatting with Rinka's Spritzee. She had won him many battles, but her first official battle against a gym leader had ended in a loss for her. He wanted her to be ready for anything, perhaps she could learn more from other Fairy types like herself.
"Spirit, could you come here for a second?" he asked. She nodded, flying over to her trainer. He held his hand out, and she landed on his palm.
"Spritzee?" she cried, tilting her head a bit.
"Valerie, I know I won't be able to head to Lavarre yet, but would you mind taking care of my Spritzee for me? She's a strong battler, but I feel like she can get more experience by watching other Fairy types in action. I'll be traveling a lot and giving it my all, but I want her to get a little extra help." he said. She looked away in thought, before giving him a nod.
"I wouldn't mind at all, if it's alright with her after all." she said.
"What do you say Spirit? I'll make sure to call every week to check on you, and if you miss me, I can always call back for you. I want you to be strong, and this is the chance of a life time." he said. Spirit looked a bit sad, but she smiled brightly, flying up and landing on his head.
"Spritzee zee!" She cried happily.
"Awesome. I'll miss you a lot Spirit, you be good for Valerie alright?" he asked, earning a joyful cry from his Pokemon. He held out her Pokeball, recalling her into it. He looked at it for a few seconds, heart beating wildly. He tore his eyes away from it, handing it to Valerie.
"Take care of her, okay?" he said softly.
"Of course, I'll treat her like my own child...and like you said, you can call me to check up on her any time you wish." she said. Alex nodded, feeling a tug on his shirt, he looked down meeting the eyes of Rinka, who was smiling a bit.
"Um...I know this may be sudden, but would you like to trade Pokemon? I want my super awesome friend to prove that big pirate meanie wrong." she said.
"I dunno...I don't have any Pokemon I would be willing to trade." he said.
"Azu!" the Polka-dot Pokemon cried, hopping up to Alex, she jumped into Rinka's arms, hugging her tightly.
"Whoa...you're Azurill is really friendly you know, I know...I'll trade you my Vulpix for her, that way we would both get awesome Fairy types...come on, say you will?" she said.
"Vulpix!" the pokemon cried, hopping into Alex's arms, making him stumble a bit. He chuckled, shaking his head.
"I suppose she agrees to this idea as well...alright, if it's what they want, I can't really stop them from choosing us." he said.
"There's a trade machine inside, we can take care of this lickity split." Rinka said.
"Do hurry dear, we have to return to Lavarre city soon, or else the challenger list will keep growing." Valerie said.
"Aw...alright...let's hurry up." she said, pulling Alex into the Pokemon center. Yvonne watched the two, a smile on her face. She turned to Valerie, who was looking at Spirit's pokeball closely.
"So, what do you think about him?" She asked, gaining the Gym leader's attention.
"Hmm? I think he's a charming boy..he definitely has what it takes, and he has a lot of bravery for trusting one of his family members in the care of someone he just met. I'll make sure to train his Spritzee to the best of my abilities." she said. Yvonne smirked.
"A charming boy eh? Methinks there's something else in there, could it be that there's a little crush mixed into the formula as well?" she asked.
"What...whatever do you mean?" Valerie asked, a blush on her face. Zera pulled on the honey blonde's earlobe, making her cry in pain.
"That's enough you, didn't you get enough teasing time from Astrid earlier this morning? Jeez, I can't believe you asked her those questions." she said.
"Hey, I was curious about what it was like to ride a Rapidash bareback, and don't pretend like you weren't fawning over the creature."
"Well of course I was, it was a fire type so I wanted to look at it's amazing beauty."
Valerie looked at Sylveon, the two of them watching the teenage girls arguing with each other. The gym leader sweat dropped, looking away from the two.
"Alex has very interesting friends." she said.
"Sylveon." the pokemon cried, equally intrigued by it all.
She had to smile though, she had high hopes for the young boy. She knew that a little more refining would make him a better Fairy type trainer, and even if there were people like that Bryce boy to put him down, he could push through it and reach for the top. It wouldn't be long until he reached the Lavarre gym, and when he did, she would make sure to give him a traditional welcome, Johto style.