Brock shook his head slowly, eyes closing.
Sighing, he ran a hand over his face, frowning as he glanced at the books before him.
Upon his arrival at the library, he'd immediately made his way over to the Index Catalog, looking for anything regarding the St. Anne and its sinking. Scribbling the sections down, he'd headed to the history section on the second floor. Upon picking up as many books as possible, he made his way towards the back for an empty table; covering the entire top within seconds.
"I can't believe it," he mumbled, flipping idly through the notebook before him. "It's . . ."
The Vermillion Times newspaper from July of the previous year talked about the annual Pokémon Trainer cruise and the bizarre storm that had struck Route Six.
"So . . . is this what you forgot?" Lucy asked tentatively, her voice cutting through Brock's thoughts.
She grinned as Brock jumped, lost in his thoughts, as she slowly approached the table. She shook her head as she came to a stop, pushing her hair back. "I thought that it was all so . . ."
"How is this –"
"Possible?" Lucy supplied, pulling out a chair before slumping down into it. "Honestly, I don't know how someone could have survived an ordeal like that. They still haven't managed to salvage the wreckage, you know? It sunk down so deep; no one could survive that amount of pressure."
"I . . ." Brock trailed off, his thoughts jumbled.
"Maybe you should sleep on it?" Lucy suggested after a long pause. "It must have been horrific being left under the sea to die . . . no one even knowing you were there. To know that your friends . . ." she closed her eyes, propping her chin in her palm. "After a year of suppressing a memory like that . . . it might take a while."
"You said that something was going on in Vermillion next week," Brock cut in, not listening to a word Lucy had said, making the dark haired girl frown.
"Yeah," she said, stretching her arms out before her. "On the weekend – well, it must only be a couple of days now – Officer Jenny and the Mayor of Vermillion are planning a . . . hey, are you okay?"
Brock was frowning, his eyes narrowed. His attention was drawn to the notebook lying open before him, Lucy noticed as he flipped through it, the pages rustling quickly. Lucy sighed, shaking her head as she stood up, the chair scraping across the floor. Brock didn't even seem to notice.
"Honestly, what are you looking for?" she asked, exasperated as she leaned over the table, trying to grab his notebook.
"If it's only a couple days away –"
"The ship's heading out to Sunyshore City next before moving on to Olivine City in Johto, right? I mean, it's going to be at least a month before the ship even leaves –"
"Maybe if I talk to the captain, explain my situation," Brock muttered, ignoring the girl before him. "I might be able to get a leave for a little while, there's got to be something, something with my family, or . . ."
Lucy's hand balled up into fists as she shook her head, her hair falling into her eyes. "Wouldn't you have had to tell him something about your life before getting a job here? I suspect someone in the captain's standings, would want to know something about your past."
Brock sighed, running a hand over his face; that frown appearing on his lips again. "Well, there has to be a . . . what is it?" he paused, raising an eyebrow.
He didn't miss the wicked grin that was starting to appear on Lucy's face as she loomed over the table, her dark hair covering her face. Her dark eyes pierced his, a light laugh leaving her lips before flopping back into her chair.
"Its quiet simple on how to get you back to Kanto," she said idly, trying to find the words. "I come from Kanto to and well," she took a deep breath, tossing her hair back, an odd smile appearing on her features. "Marry me, Brock."
Brock's eyes widened, his notebook falling from his hands, his mind going blank as he looked at the woman across the table. "W – what? I hardly –"
Lucy let out a loud laugh, hiding it behind her hand at Brock's look, oblivious to the harsh stares the other library patrons shot her. "I mean, it's not for real," she stage whispered, stumbling over the words. She couldn't help the blush, trying to force it down as she glanced at Brock, a strange look appearing on his features. "Yes, I know its rash; but it's one way to get you back to Kanto quickly. It's a perfect –"
"Yeah," Brock mumbled, unconvinced. "I . . . it's . . ." he shook his head, glancing down at the book scattered across the table, unaware of the blush creeping onto Lucy's cheeks.
###
Willow let out a sigh as she leaned back on her palms, staring out at the open water before her. She'd kicked her shoes off a while ago as she reached the area hours ago, her black shoes lying forgotten behind her. Azurill lay curled up beside her as the sun met with the horizon, slowly disappearing from view as the sky lit up in red and oranges. Her cerulean eyes continuously scanned her surroundings as she kept an eye out for Team Rocket. Even thought she knew that they most likely wouldn't appear till later on into the night, she wasn't planning on letting anything slip by her. She curled her toes up in the sand, staring momentarily at the scenery before her.
"I just can't . . ." she shook her head in disbelief. "It's so surreal; I mean it's hard to believe." Willow let out a laugh, glancing over at her Pokémon.
"Azu?" Azurill mumbled sleepily, glancing at its' trainer. "Azu, Azurill?"
"Don't worry about it Azurill," Willow said, reaching a hand out for the water type. "After we deal with Team Rocket, we'll go back to Almia, alright?"
"Azurill, rill."
Willow let out a shaky laugh, now lying in the sand. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, placing her hands behind her head. The clouds slowly past by overhead, the sky turning shades of brilliant colours to signify the end of the day.
"I don't know, Azurill," Willow said after a pause. "It would hard for them, wouldn't it?" she let out a sigh, her eyebrows coming together. "Bill said that happened a year ago . . . Misty died in that wreckage. Imagine what her family went through . . . if someone like me with a similar face was to walk through their front door . . ."
"Azu –"
"It would have to be hard on her sisters. I mean their sister died. If I –"
"Rill! Rill! Azurill!"
Willow shook her head, throwing an arm over her eyes, letting out a sigh. If she kept thinking like this, she just knew she was going to get a headache. Meanwhile, Azurill glanced around its surroundings, its eyes widening as its ears moved quickly, listening intently.
"Azurill," it said again, bopping Willow with its tail. "Azu!"
"Stop that Azurill," Willow mumbled, shooing the tail away. "Not right –"
"Azurill!"
"What . . .?" Willow mumbled, dropping her arm back down to her side, giving the Pokémon a sideways look. "Wait . . . do you hear something?"
Narrowing her Cerulean eyes, Willow dug her fingers into the sand, glancing around her surroundings. With quick movements, Willow picked herself up off the sand, unaware of the sand sticking to her legs and arms. Crouching in the sand, Azurill beside her, she took in her surroundings, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
She should have known better then to let her problems take priority now.
Her eyes strained for any sound as she inwardly cursed herself, the training the others had given her whirling around her mind.
"That Dragonite will be here somewhere, what with the researcher still milling around here."
"Wasn't he a scientist?" Another voice broke in, his tone louder.
"Shut up," the female's voice snapped. "It doesn't matter, Butch. Giovanni wants that Dragonite."
"Come on Azurill," Willow whispered, still crouching as she moved forward. "We've got work to do."
"Azu," it mumbled, following after Willow, its tail bobbing with each movement.
Willow moved silently across the sand, keeping as close as she could to the shadows. She followed the two whispering, and sometimes bickering, duo as she moved through the shadows like a wraith. Once and a while she'd glance over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes at the footprints left in the sand.
She shook her head – Bill had said that it was small group here anyway – so there was only a small chance of someone being behind her. Her eyes strained to hear the duo's low voices above her, a frown appearing on her features at their silence.
"It's got to be around here somewhere," the female's voice eventually said, hardly making a sound. "It would have to still be here, our Intel has been right so far."
Idly, Willow wondered who they got their information from.
She sighed as she pushed her hair back before brushing her hands against her pants, knocking the grains of sand away. Crouching down, she held out her hands to Azurill, picking up the small water type as she dropped her backpack to the ground. Grinning at the tiny Pokémon, she unzipped the bag, dropping Azurill lightly into it.
"We've got a bit of a climb here," she whispered, half zipping up the backpack before shouldering it once again.
Turning on her heel, she frowned, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at the rugged coastline before her. Stretching her arms out, she hastily tied her hair into her customary ponytail – she didn't have time for it to get in her away. Nodding to herself, she moved closer to the rocky cliff, running her hands across its surface, testing it to see how sturdy it was before hoisting herself up.
Reaching forward for the next ledge as her feet left the sandy beach, she paused as she heard a familiar tune. It sounded very melodic, and haunting at the same time, with the now darkened horizon behind her, the water lapping silently against the beach. The lighthouse was way above her heads, casting a single light into the dark night.
It was a sparkling blue Ocean; the water glinted in the sunlight. She was on her way from Cerulean City, she was glad to be out of the bustling city. No matter what her nameless companions said, she didn't want to spend anymore time there.
There was a creepy lighthouse looming above them, casting its massive shadow over them. After ringing the doorbell – did it sound ominous or what? – Willow found herself inside the dusty interior, a mysterious, seemingly bodiless voice calling out to them.
There was a Kabuto costume with the bodiless voice coming from within. Later, at the sound of the mysterious Pokémon's haunting cry; the lighthouse's light changed colour, signifying their response.
It was time, they had commented at the time.
As someone attacked from below, the mysterious Pokémon disappeared into the night, leaving its waiting friend standing at the lighthouse.
"Dragonite . . ." Willow whispered, biting down on her lip. "This isn't . . ." she shook her head, shaking off her stupor as she picked up her pace, her mind whirling.
###
"Now, are you sure you have everything?" Erika asked, shouldering her purse, her keys jingling within.
Cole shook his head, a grin appearing on his face as she asked the question once again. "I'm fine, really Erika," he laughed, pulling his bag from the car. "I have it all here – how many times did you check my bag last night?"
"Touché," Erika mumbled, ushering Cole forward.
The Celadon City's massive train station stood before them, its heavy automatic glass doors opening up for them as they ascended the small staircase. The floor was tiled in a dull off white, stretching out in all directions, a monotone voice echoing through the large station. People milled about, heading in all directions, their suitcases trailing along behind them. A loud hum seemed to be present with so many conversations taking place at the same time alongside the sound of all the trains coming and going, which made Cole roll his eyes.
"I want you to call me as soon as you reach Littleroot Town, alright? Professor Birch is –"
"I know," Cole interrupted with a frown. "I'll be fine Erika, I always have been. I was fine before I met you . . ."
"Oh come on," Erika said, rolling her eyes. "You were sitting alone on a park bench in the middle of the night. But yeah, I'd say that you were definitely fine . . ."
"I mean before that," Cole shrugged, glancing at the tiled floor beneath them. "I must have been alright. I was surviving . . ."
Erika frowned, shoving her hands into her windbreaker. "I suppose . . . hey, it looks like Anabel and Duplica are here too."
Cole raised an eyebrow as he followed Erika's gaze to find the two girls. Anabel and Duplica were a little ways down from them, leaning against one of the station's many pillars. Anabel had her back turned towards them, her backpack resting at her feet, her cell phone in hand. The rest of her luggage was on a trolley beside the pillar, littered with hers and Duplica's belongings. Duplica was, for once, without her Ditto anywhere in sight, although, as Cole got closer, he could see the Poke ball in her hand. Anabel shook her head at something Duplica said, the blue haired girl letting out a laugh, throwing her head back.
"You should invite Anabel along," Erika suggested, glancing from Cole to Anabel, a sly grin on her face. "Hey, it's not like the girls' going to be doing anything this summer –"
"I need to solve some things, personal things," he clarified. "If Anabel's there . . ." he trailed off, biting down on his lip.
Erika nodded slightly, her pace slowing as she watched Cole head towards the two. She bit down on her lip as she watched him, knowing something was wrong. She had wondered what had brought him to the Celadon Park a year previous, with no memories of the past. As she watched him approach the two girls, Duplica nudging Anabel, pointing towards Cole, Erika couldn't shake the feeling that everything would be different in August.
She couldn't explain it, but something was going to happen . . .
All she knew was that no matter how hard Cole tried to act, he was hiding something.
"Cole!" Anabel shouted as she turned on her foot, unaware of the glances people sent her way. "We thought we were going to miss you," Anabel said, hands on her hips as Cole stopped in front of them.
"Oh Anabel," Erika said, shaking her head, winking slightly at her. The light blush appearing on Anabel's face didn't escape her sight either. "You should know me better then that – I'd get Cole here on time. No sleeping in today, right?" she said, playfully nudging Cole.
Cole rolled his eyes, pushing Erika back. "Yeah . . . who'd want to sleep in on break?"
"But, you were the one who wanted to go on this adventure," Erika laughed, sticking her tongue out at him.
Anabel grinned at the banter between the two. "I know Erika, but you know these trains . . ."
"The train to Olivine City in the Johto Region will be leaving from Gate Thirteen in ten minutes. That's the eight thirty five train to Olivine City is leaving in ten minutes from Gate thirteen."
"I guess this is it, huh?" Anabel sighed, her hand finding its way into Cole's.
He nodded at her words, catching sight of Erika grabbing Duplica's arm, pulling the blue haired girl away to give them a moment to themselves. "It's only for two months, Ana. I'll call you from Littleroot Town as soon as I get there, okay? I'll call you from the road too –"
Anabel frowned, her shoulder's slumping. "I just don't understand why I can't come too! I could help you out! I'm better at sorting out through information then you are – yes, I've seen your notes, they made no sense – and quiet honestly, you're not that good with a map. I can –"
"I already told you, there's some things I need to look after," Cole said, holding her gaze momentarily. "It's something that I have to do on my own," he clarified, seeing that familiar look on Anabel's face. "I'll be back in Kanto before you know it; I'll come visit you in Saffron City the second I get back, alright? I'm supposed to be back a couple weeks before school restarts."
"Fine," Anabel shrugged, intertwining her fingers with his, standing up on her toes. "I expect to hear from you, got that? If I don't, I know where I can find you," she giggled, throwing him a wink.
"Did Duplica tell you to say that?" he said, untangling a hand from hers, ruffling her short hair.
"Maybe," she said coyly, kissing him lightly. "You're going to be late though, Gate Thirteen's pretty much at the other end of the station. I'll see you in a little while then," she grinned, stepping back, clasping her hands behind her back. "Have a good trip."
"I will," Cole replied, a smile appearing on her features. "I'll call you later tonight," he said, lightly kissing Anabel.
Anabel nodded, watching as Cole picked up his backpack, tossing the large pack over his shoulder. Duplica, on the other hand, shook her head as she walked back, dropping an arm around Anabel's shoulders. "Awe, they're so grown up when they leave on their own . . ."
"Knock it off," Anabel grumbled, swatting Duplica's arm away. "It's not fair."
"I know," Duplica grinned, winking at Anabel. "I mean Cole's going to miss the entire summer – just think of everything he's going to miss! While you and I are off having all kinds of fun at the movies, sleepovers or whatever we decide to do – and he's going to be sitting in Hoenn, alone in some boring forest wishing he was here. Now c'mon, Gate Two's this way."
Anabel nodded glumly, grabbing the handle of her suitcase, glancing over her shoulder at the two retreating figures. Shaking her head though, she followed after Duplica, her suitcase trailing along behind her. "I guess you're right." she said as she caught Duplica's eye.
"Good!" she chirped, her pigtails bobbing with each movement. "I don't want you to be depressed all vacation! We finally have time without boys, Giselle or homework weighing up down."
Anabel laughed at Duplica's enthusiasm as she whirled around on her heel, leading the way as she talked a mile a minute. With Duplica's back to her, she couldn't help it as her smile slowly slipped into a frown, her mind miles away.
She didn't like seeing Cole off like that, heading out on his own so he could prove something.
Anabel couldn't explain it, but something was telling her this was wrong.
Something was going to happen . . . things weren't going to be the same after this . . .
"Ana, hurry it up!" Duplica yelled from a few feet away, tapping her foot impatiently as she leaned against her luggage. "Vacation starts now!"
###
In the darkness of her room, the occupant ran a brush through her messy hair before tossing it into the open bag on her bed. Shaking her head, she tossed her flashlight onto her bed, the small light casting a slightly wider light across the room. Her eyes glanced at her shadowy image in the mirror as she jammed her worn green beanie onto her head, clipping the arm of her sunglasses onto her tank tap. Nodding at her reflection, she turned on her feel, making a grab for her traveling bag.
"Change of clothes . . . pajama's . . . check," Melody mumbled to herself, pulling the drawstring bag shut. "I guess . . . this is . . . everything." she said slowly, glancing around the dark room once again.
She'd tossed her favourite clothes into her bag and other non-essentials like her hair brush and CD collection and walkman – were, naturally, crammed on top. Not noticing anything else she needed – her room was way too cluttered, she'd realized – as she picked the flashlight up from her bed, turning it off.
She sighed as she dropped it onto her dresser, shouldering her canvas bag. "I guess . . . my time's up . . ." she whispered to herself as she crossed the room, the floor creaking underfoot.
"I can't believe it," she mumbled as she eased open her bedroom door, hoping it wouldn't creak like it usually did. "I never thought I'd be the one getting forced out of my home."
Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, she silently slipped through the opening but couldn't help glaring at the closed door before her. She rolled her eyes as she let out a huff as she started down the hallway, grumbling about the red haired woman living in their house.
Naturally, after returning from the dock that day earlier in the week, Jessilina had made good on her thoughts. She had found Samantha in the small kitchen and pulling out a chair, told Samantha the idea she'd already told Melody about. Melody shook her head as Samantha leaned against the counter, listening intently. It wasn't long after that that Elder Terrance was brought in, and after listening to Jessilina's suggestion, agreed with it as well.
"I can't believe it," Melody had grumbled later that night, staring out into the dark night.
Jessilina sure seemed to have everyone wrapped around her fingers.
Three nights ago, Jessilina's co-host Danny had arrived on the ferry from Trovita Island in order to see the preparations and speak with both Samantha and Terrance. The day after that, the producers of their morning show and some staff had shown up. The arrival of them made Melody sigh and wonder why the Elder's were doing this.
The producers spent most of their time walking around the Island, taking in the landscape and talking about locations to have Jessilina and Danny standing in throughout the weekend. They seemed to thoroughly enjoying being the only outsiders allowed to film the festival while the camera crews were at work setting up the equipment. Melody was surprised to see Jessilina pitching in, sort of anyway – Melody assumed she was just there because Danny was.
The two were the talk of the Island – the Morning Island! talk show was going to be apart of the celebration. The buzz only seemed to grow stronger as a small plateau was constructed overnight and set up in the middle of town. The signature elegant canopy hanging elaborately over the posh black chairs was hard to miss.
The trainer – a spunky Johto Region trainer with a Beedrill – had arrived by boat the night previous. Unfortunately for the trainer who had chosen to visit the Island, unlike the previous years, the townsfolk were more interested in the talk shows personnel then they were the actual trainer; which, in Melody's eyes, was the point of the whole festival. It was supposed to signify the relationship between people and Trainers.
It was evident to Melody – and the trainer, who stood around forgotten – a majority of the town didn't even know the trainers name. Sadly, Melody had to group herself in with the majority.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Melody paused briefly, letting out a sigh a moment later as she heard no sounds from the floor above. Nodding to herself, she tiptoed into the kitchen pulling a note out of her jean pockets. A frown appeared on her features as she dropped it onto the kitchen table, a puzzled expression appearing on her lips. Shaking her head, she turned on her heel, trying to dispel the thoughts. Moving quickly down the hallway, she paused momentarily to slip into her worn sandals, tossing a pair of shoes into her bag.
"Karol's going to kill me," she mumbled with a shake of her head.
Her lips formed a tight line at the thought of her sister; she could imagine the look on her sisters' face. Closing her eyes momentarily, she pushed the thoughts away as she reached out, pulling the key ring off the small rack behind the door. Biting down on her lip, she placed the key ring around her belt loop, glancing over her shoulder.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," she whispered.
She frowned as she glanced around the empty kitchen, the shadows stretching across the tiled floor. Closing her eyes momentarily, her hand on the doorknob, she shook her head as she slowly opened the door. The night air rushed in through the new opening, sending the warm breeze into the small mudroom, shaking Melody out of her stupor.
Shoving her hat further down her head, she grabbed her windbreaker hanging on the pegs beside the door, before closing the door behind her. Nodding as she heard the lock click shut, she started down the pathway of the lawn, fumbling as she tried to shrug into her coat and carry her bag at the same time.
Scanning her surroundings, she couldn't help but sigh at the emptiness of the street. One by one the streetlights were starting to dim as the horizon held a touch of colour, the sun close to rising once again.
"Got to hurry then," she muttered as she picked up her pace, her sandals hitting the sidewalk roughly. "The morning market will be opening soon . . ."
Her luck would be that the market would open early – things rarely went her way.
She didn't want any witnesses or questions that could slow her down or end up tipping Karol off when she came looking for her.
The last thing she needed was them coming after her.
She picked up her pace as the street wound its way down towards the small harbour. She grinned as the sea breeze began to assault her senses, rustling her long brown hair, her footsteps hitting the pebbled beach before turning into the wooden docks. Her eyes were locked on the boat docked at the end.
"Beat them," she mumbled to herself, as she jumped lithely onto the rocking boat.
As the morning market had yet to open, it seemed that fate was finally on her side.
She grinned to herself as she made her way across the deck of the boat. "Karol's going to be so mad . . ." she mumbled to herself as she grabbed the rungs of the small ladder, the steering wheel on the platform overhead.
She can kill me later, Melody thought with a shake of her head, the keys jangling from her belt loop.
###
Jim glanced idly out the airplane's windows as the seatbelt light came on overhead once again, the plane starting its descent. The arm of his sunglasses was tucked into his shirt and as he caught sight of the high-rise buildings littering Jubilife City he reached for the glasses, slipping them on. He leaned back in his chair, unconsciously smoothing out the folds in his shirt.
"We will be landing in the beautiful metropolis of Jubilife City in the Sinnoh Region momentarily. We would like to take this time to thank you all for choosing to fly with Kanto Air."
Jim cast a glance out the window once again, the high-rise buildings reaching out the vast sky overhead. Having spent the past five hours either standing in the airport or being in the plane, he couldn't help but drum his fingers against the armrest, impatient for the plane to land.
Letting his mind wander, a frown marred his features as he thought idly of what he had left behind in Hip Hop Town. He knew that Suzy had been impressed with his choice to move to Sinnoh. No matter how harsh her words had tried to hide her thoughts, the truth had been written across her face.
When deep in thought, Suzy had the tendency to purse her lips in a tight line as she mulled the words over, her eyebrows raising moments later. She'd shove her hands into her pockets only to push her blue hair back moments later, her hands resting on her hips instead. Suzy would then either shift her weight from one foot to another or cross her legs, if she was sitting down. Her foot would tap impatiently as she thought it over, her hands always finding Vulpix's fur, petting her subconsciously. Jim had worked with the Stylist long enough to understand her small ticks.
Suzy didn't understand his reasoning behind it – neither did he, to be honest – but something told him Sinnoh might . . .
He shook his head.
There was no point in thinking about it now.
"– Kanto Air – have a nice journey through the scenic Sinnoh Region."
Jim blinked a couple times as he caught the end of the attendant's speech, to lost in his own thoughts. Shaking off his stupor, he unbuckled his belt, following after the other occupants before him, stopping to reach for his briefcase in overhead compartment. His shoes hit the metallic floor underfoot as he followed after the other occupants making their way out of the airplane and down the ramp leading to the port.
Half an hour later, after making his way through customs and baggage check, he found himself making his way through the automatic doors opening for him, the bustling city before him. Deciding to check out the city first to get his bearings – he found himself vaguely familiar with the layout of the city. Before he knew it, he had weaved his way effortlessly through the city and found himself standing in front of the Pokémon Center, a high-rise inn beside it.
The Center's door whirled open with a familiar tune as the Stylist approached, perching his sunglasses once again atop his head. His cool eyes glanced around the small Center; Nurse Joy and her Chansey's were moving this way and that, while a majority of the trainers were situated to the left. He noticed a television screen had been mounted onto the wall; the commentator on screen was speaking about the stage behind her as the camera flashed momentarily to three judges before returning to the commentator.
He smiled lightly to himself as he made his way over to the couched area, his eyes intent on the screen. Finding an empty spot on the couch no one was using, he flopped down into it, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at the screen.
The camera panned away from the commentator to the colourful Contest stage behind her. The lights dimmed on the audience as the spotlights on the stage lit up, a trainer appearing from behind the pink curtain.
"And first up we have Dawn Diamond from Twinleaf Town."
Jim tried to remain unexpressive as he watched – something he was used to doing in his trade – the blue haired trainer ran out on stage, throwing her Poke ball high into the air. In a shower of falling stars, her Piplup and Pachirisu appeared, both momentarily striking a pose.
As he watched the girl call out to her Pokémon, his expression slipped, a slight frown appearing on his features. He might not have had a lot of experience when it came to Contests, but he knew enough about effectively showing off the Pokémon's inner and outer beauty.
He couldn't put his finger on it yet, but something was off.
In his opinion, Dawn Diamond was missing the mark completely.
Narrowing his eyes slightly as he bit down on his bottom lip, he glanced over the happy girl on screen. Jim found his eyes drawn immediately to her pigtails and the pink pompom hair ties she had used to tie them up. He figured she'd been trying to coordinate her hair ties with her dress, but something was missing. While the dress looked good on its own, she seemed to be overdoing it.
Inwardly rolling his eyes, he glanced at her Pokémon moving quickly across the stage, doing what she bided. In his expertise, Jim found that her whole appeal was off, that something was missing. The moves she had her Pokémon doing seemed to be conflict with one another, as if the two were competing against one another for attention. He assumed that Dawn wasn't even aware of this, he thought as he glanced at her. He shook his head minutely, her costume adding another element to her appeal. Casting a glance at the trainers around him, he wondered what their opinion of Dawn Diamond was.
A few moments later when her appeal was done, the camera had returned to the commentator in the far corner, quickly stating something before introducing the next trainer.
As the contest moved along, Jim found himself intently watching the other trainers. They seemed to meld into the back of the stage, wanting people to focus on their Pokémon instead of themselves. Their Pokémon seemed to work well together, their moves complementing each other as the made use of the large stage.
Later, with the first round complete, the lights above the audience turning on once again, drawing attention away from the platform stage. The commentator Lillian had taken center stage once again, her voice booming loudly through the speakers. She spoke confidently, praising the trainers that had competed and told the crowd that the second round would begin in the next few minutes.
With a flourish, she pointed up at the large screen behind her, the screen switching from broadcasting Lillian to a plain screen. At the top of the screen, Second Round was scrawled and as Lillian spoke, pictures appeared one by one.
Jim nodded to himself as the trainer's photos appeared on the large screen, agreeing with the judge's decision. From what he had seen in the appeal round, he knew that the battle appeal round would be just as interesting. As the last trainer's photo appeared on the screen, he wasn't surprised to find that Dawn Diamond had not made it to the next round.
Frowning slightly, his mind running a mile a minute, he leaned over, tapping the brunette beside him. "I missed the beginning; can you tell me where this Contest is taking place?"
The girl looked over momentarily, her gaze intent on the screen. "I believe it's in Hearthome City."
Heathrome City . . . he shook his head.
The name sounded familiar.
Pressing his lips together, he pushed himself up from the couch, mumbling thanks to the trainer who was no longer listening to him. Deep in thought, he made his way out of the Center to the bustling streets, the high-rise inn next door.
He shook his head slightly as he glanced at the posh exterior of the inn, his mind on what he had just seen going on in Hearthome City. Running a hand through his blue hair, he turned on his heel, away from the inn. As much as he wanted to sleep – jet lag starting to catch up with him – he had something else on his mind entirely.
Maneuvering his way through the labyrinth of city streets, Jim still not quiet sure how he knew subconsciously where he was going, he found the Pokémon Mart with little trouble. With only a Kanto map in his possession, he picked up a map for Sinnoh and some packed snacks from the shelves for himself and his Pokémon.
With the bustling Jubilife City behind him and the road sign stating the Eterna City was just ahead, Jim sighed unfolding his newly purchased map. Leaning against the worn sign, he glanced at the black letters stating Eterna Forest, his eyes following the quickest way to Heathrome City.
"At least I'm starting out early," he muttered ruefully, his watch now saying it was eleven thirty am, Sinnoh time. "I've got at least another couple hours . . ."
From what he had seen from the few Contests he'd watched in the comfort of his living room, he knew that the battle appeal round could take some time. With twelve trainers making it through to the next round, and a half an hour intermission starting when he left the Pokémon Center … he had a little time to spare.
"I hope this suit doesn't get ruined," he said idly as he folded the map up, placing it in his breast pocket.
It was his favourite, he thought idly as he shifted his bag once again.
The wind rustled through the tree leaves up above his head, the long grass brushing up against his pant legs. From behind his sunglasses, he narrowed his eyes at the dense forest before him. Unzipping his messenger bag as he moved forward, he fished out the red and white Poke ball, feeling slightly bad that he kept it in his bag – but it just stood out too much with his outfit.
"Mime Jr. come on out."
The small pink Pokémon appeared moments later, its purple hat slightly askew as it pivoted on its feet, glancing at its surroundings. He smiled slightly at the Pokémon's antics as it looked extravagantly around. After he had been working with Suzy for about a month, the Stylist had lent him the Pokémon after realizing that he didn't have his own.
"We've got a little bit of a walk ahead of us," Jim said, tossing the Poke ball into his bag. "We'll see Suzy and Vulpix again soon," he added, seeing the confused look on its' face.
Frowning at the forest before him – how he wished there was a quicker way to get to the next thriving metropolis – he shook his head, his feet rustling through the grass underfoot. He glanced every once and a while to his surroundings as the bushes and trees rustled in the wind.
Mime Jr. walked right beside him, surprisingly for such a small Pokémon, he managed to easily keep up with Jim's pace. All Jim found himself thinking about as he glanced at the pink Pokémon was that he had no idea what Mime Jr.'s attacks were. He'd never had to worry about it, if they did leave Hip Hop Town; they'd always take the plain van Suzy had parked in the back
Suddenly, Jim realized this might not have been such a good idea after all . . .
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A/N:
There is a reason behind my madness for all the main characters being scattered all over, within time they will be within proximity to some of the others, but some things still need to be fleshed out. At the moment, I'm unsure whether or not Iris, Cilan, and the others from the Unova Region will appear in this story as I first started thinking up this story soon after the Sinnoh Region started airing on tv; they might appear in passing as I'm slowly running out of names for characters to randomly appear through the cities and interact with the characters. Also, Pikachu and Meowth will be appearing in the next couple chapters!
Anyways, until my next update, leave a review.