AN- Let me know how far you want me to go with the accent thing. I have no problem taking a step back if it makes reading Archie's dialog easier.
-Cyclone-
Slateport City
The air here tasted different from Lilycove. Because the docks were spread across the gigantic city, and there were all those factories, and the wind was always blowing, not to mention there were so many people traveling across the city in order to reach Mauville up north, or taking that cruise to Pacifidlog or the islands.
Archie could taste the heavy fumes as though he were in the center of it all. It was slightly annoying, but the young man was just grateful he was anywhere else other than Lilycove.
He sat inside of a café, one of the few that wasn't pitching alternative rock or new wave grunge, and was worn out from nonstop travel, hitchhiking halfway across the country with hardly a few hours worth of sleep. He looked down at his drink and the round Zubat that continued to dip its tongue into it. He yawned; half convinced that whatever germs his Pokémon carried would only add some alertness to his sleep deprived state. The other, smaller Zubat rested on his shoulder, producing small sounds of disapproval whenever he dared to move.
No sooner did Archie receive his G.E.D did the topic of an extended education come up. The young man never really considered himself college material, certainly not university material, but the idea of leaving Lilycove and furthering his education in another city, perhaps even outside of Hoenn, was a rather refreshing thought. And at twenty-one, he was able to go wherever he pleased without having someone supervise him, or get checked at the city's station to make sure he wasn't up to no good.
After some deliberation, he managed to filter his interests down to a few subjects that could result in a decent, perhaps even entertaining future. Archie knew he liked Pokémon. Water Pokémon in particular were incredibly fascinating to him, with so many of them occupying every known region, and almost always taking up the news when it came to something newly discovered. So he'd major in some kind of biology involving marine Poké-life, assuming such a study existed.
For obvious reasons, he avoided applying to any universities in Johto, deciding to send out applications across Hoenn, Kanto, and Kalos (A man could dream). Without a real major to write down, he was careful with his words, mentioning his interests in several other areas, hoping that there might be a place that would be willing to deal with him for the next three to four years.
Naturally, Archie had certain worries about being accepted anywhere. But now he was in Slateport city, in the third café he had visited today, his fifth cup of coffee, hoping to get a place not too ridiculously far from the university foolish enough to let him into their system.
The larger Zubat hiccupped. Archie yawned again, picking up one of the Poké Balls resting on the table, and let his content Pokémon back inside. He turned his head and stared at the Zubat perched on his shoulder.
"Whatta 'bout you?" he tiredly asked, raising a finger up and giving it a light poke, earning a soft grunt from the little blue bat. "Sure you want nothin' to drink?" The Zubat turned its head and gave him a look of pure discontent. Archie knew it was because he had bothered it moreso than anything else.
He grinned, taking the cup of coffee in his hand before giving it a quick sip. "I'm gonna be gettin' up real soon, so you want in or not?" he asked, placing the cup back down before grabbing the Pokémon's ball.
The Zubat hummed, tilting its head in the direction of the ball. Archie sent it back in and finished his drink, placing the balls back on his belt strap before getting up from the table and hitching his backpack over his shoulder.
He approached a bulletin board located close to the restroom and stared at the colorful array of posters, flyers, and valuable information: hopefully some of them housing related. Archie didn't want to have to take in some kind of loan in order to live on the campus. He could barely afford the costs of classes and supplies. And the poor man wasn't even sure he'd be able to get a job, not with his past still getting in the way of things.
Yet there he stood, grinning, staring pleasantly at the mess in front of him, picking out shades of neon pink, green or yellow and jotting down numbers in his mind.
He already had a few choices collected together in the form of a messy list in the back of his mind. But if he could find something just a little bit cheaper, a teenier, tiny bit closer, it would totally make his day.
His eyes rested on an apartment dweller looking for a roommate to split costs with.
"Must really like Poochyena," he muttered as he stared at a flyer that had been pinned at the corner. The location would mean he wouldn't have to take a few buses to get to school, and would maybe be able to walk to the university in half-an-hour. While he wasn't a big fan of the price, Archie was confident that he could live with it. Frugality was something he could easily become accustomed to. It was almost expected, with cost of living only getting higher.
So he reached out and grabbed one of the slips with the number on it. He pulled out a pin, lifted his leg up and jotted down as much information as he could, feeling the pressure of the tip against his jeans before stumbling back into a standing position. He carefully examined the rest of the flyers that had been posted, hoping to catch anything else that also looked promising.
Out of the few selections there were, it looked like the place with the potential canine problem would be his best bet.
Which made a grand total of three places to check out before giving up and settling for something on campus. Archie was feeling pretty good about those numbers.
He put his bandana on and left the café, making his way over to the nearest payphone in order to make the call and possibly get an appointment to speak with this guy. The walk over would take less than an hour, and it was within rather close proximity of the university. He shoved the few coins into the slot, punching in the number before resting against the stand and waiting for the positive-sounding click.
A young, but tired sounding voice answered the call. "Hello?"
Archie grinned on his side of the line. "Yeah," he answered back. "I saw yer post in the café by 7th street?"
He heard a small yelp on the other side of the line, followed the young man's voice calmly trying to hush it up. The voice quickly went became more alert when he replied with, "The one inquiring about sharing an apartment?"
"Yeah, that's the one," Archie answered. "Yer…Max, right?"
"That would be correct, I–"
Archie could hear the sounds of barking in the background. He blinked, letting the sound settle in as he privately asked himself just how much he enjoyed the company of Poochyena.
There was a mild sigh on the other side of the line. "Yes, well, excellent." He heard a long whine on the line. The voice replied back, "Uhm, pardon me for just one second?"
"Sure," Archie replied.
He wasn't too sure what he had expected to hear when the phone was moved, maybe placed on a table or something, putting him on a mild hold. It was clear the Pokémon had been involved in some way. He heard more whining and couldn't help but get just a little worried. He would have said something too, were it not for some strange, almost stoic "good boy" suddenly being whispered across the static.
Archie stared at the slot before saying into the phone, "Yo, Maxie, you there?"
The phone was picked back up. "My apologies," the voice hastily replied. There was a bit of scratching on the other line, and Archie wondered if the fellow on the other side was still stumbling over his Pokémon.
"The Poochyena?" Archie said into the phone.
"They're rather young," the man on the line confessed. "Barely even juveniles."
"I'm startin' to understand why you wrote that demand in red sharpie now," Archie replied, smiling even though the man on the other side of the call couldn't see it. "How many of them you got?"
"Two, thankfully," the voice replied. "But they can be quite the handful sometimes, which is why I felt it was worth mentioning on the inquiry. Also, they bite."
"My Zubat do that sometimes," Archie said, scratching his head though the bandana. He didn't seem to think this was worth replying to. Archie sniffed and added, "I've never had Poochyena before."
"I take it you're no longer interested?"
"Hmm, oh no, that's not what I meant," Archie replied. He gave a nervous chuckle. "Nah, I meant that in a good way."
"Ah, I see," was the very stoic reply.
"Anyways," Archie said, pulling at the telephone's cord and wondering how much time he had before the line went dead on him. "I was wonderin' if I could have a look at the place. Today maybe?"
"I could certainly make time for that," he heard the man answer. "I actually have some lab work I need to complete at my university's campus. I doubt I'll be done until after five. Would later this afternoon be alright with you?"
It wasn't even noon yet and Archie was exhausted after all the traveling he had undergone to get to the city.
He thought about the other numbers he had acquired. There might be time to look at another apartment. And he still needed to make a visit at the university, maybe see if he could apply for some of classes, assuming there wasn't a long line.
"Sure. Can do," he replied.
"Excellent, I'll be sure to meet you at the address given."
"Awesome, I'll–" but the line on the other end suddenly dropped. Archie sighed. He had a few coins on his person, but wasn't sure if it was worth trying not to sound too rude for a last minute word. He was sure the guy got the message. They'd still be meeting later. That was all that really mattered.
Archie placed the phone back in place as he contemplated his next move.
He could try calling the other numbers. With more than five hours to spend, it seemed the most reasonable of options.
Archie called the second and there was no reply. He left a message. He tried for the third, but nobody answered, and there didn't seem to be an answering machine for him to leave a message with. He hung up on the second just before the pay phone could make claim on his change.
It looked like he would be relying on the apartment with the abundant Poochyena.
Archie kicked his leg up, giving the left foot a brief break while the right ached just a little more. Even with the calls and message left behind, he still had some time before he could meet with this Max fellow.
Archie grew nervous just thinking about it. Something about Max seemed incredibly professional. His speech. His tone of voice. The conversation didn't really feel all that casual. But then, he had mentioned doing some kind of lab work on campus. Archie switched legs, giving the right a little shake to ease off the building pressure. Maybe this guy Max was a science major?
And then Archie remembered the university, and the classes he still needed to apply for. He counted the money in his wallet. There was no way he would be taking a cab. Archie grabbed his things and made the long trek to the university, thanking Arceus that he was in good enough shape and that the coffee had enough caffeine and sugar to keep him from dropping dead in the middle of the city.
The five hours went by faster than he had predicted.
Archie pulled off his bandana and let a hand go through his messy locks. He felt a cool breeze pass him by and yawned while he sat under a large, shady tree in the quad area of the university. It was summer and the sun was still set rather high. His Zubat weren't trained, so having them out for too long wasn't the best of ideas. He released them from their balls and let them fly into the tree, giving them just enough time to pick out whatever small treats they could find before he chose to make his way down to the crowded neighborhoods surrounding the giant campus.
He actually quite liked the university. The size was big, and they weren't too far from the ocean, and certain points were high enough for Archie to spot glimpses of it. Lots of ports, but there was still a lot of smooth-sand beaches. None of the pebbles and rocks like back at home. But also no cliffs for him to dive from. Slateport was nothing like Lilycove. There were far less beaches for him to take advantage of, but Archie already saw himself enjoying the city and what it had to offer him. The campus was filled with hills, and there seemed to be lots of space in between buildings. Unlike the city surrounding it, the areas over here didn't feel too crowded. The air was nice here.
Archie rested against his backpack as he stared up at the two Pokémon communicating to one another between twigs and branches.
He ended up waiting in line, along with every other student who thought applying for classes early would mean anything in terms of actually just getting into the class. The wait alone had taken him over an hour, and process ate up another. Archie was sure he had been left traumatized by the ordeal. But at least he had classes now. And a major. Archie didn't really mention one when he had applied. He had just written down his interests and what he had planned out for himself, but the university took it upon itself to assign him one.
So now he was studying marine biology. Archie could get behind that.
"Hey there," a voice called out.
Archie turned his head and stared at two girls walking up to him, one of them hiding behind the other with a smile on her face.
The bolder of the two was a girl dressed in mostly black, and her outfit had almost caused him to jump with surprise. He was tired. It was easy to forget ones place. He kept his cool, remembering the old outfits girls had to wear at the base, and smiled as she stopped in front of him.
"Watcha up to?" she asked.
"Enjoyin' the view," he replied. Which was true. The quad was filled with students relaxing, some of them with their Pokémon. The sky was an impeccable blue, and between the–
The girl blushed and giggled. Her friend grabbed on to her, looking away with some embarrassment, and suddenly Archie realized just how easily it was to misinterpret a few simple words.
"The view huh?" the second girl taunted.
"Watch it Crynn," the first girl said. Archie could already tell by the look on her face what was up. He wondered if he should remain in place and risk looking rude, or just go with the flow and get up and give a good impression before the inevitable happened.
Archie was too polite to take the former, so he jumped up from the ground, earning another rush of blood filling each girl's face, and approached the two with his casual smile (and he was sure they were appreciating it).
He offered his hand and grinned. "Name's Archie," he said.
"Patricia," the girl in the flowery, black dress said, taking his hand and admiring it as though it were something so much more than just a hand. Archie really couldn't follow, but he still kept his smile and looked over to the girl right behind Patrica; a blonde, giving her a nod and acknowledging her as best as he could with the other girl still shaking his hand.
"So, Archie," Patricia said, just barely letting go, "where are you from?"
"Lilycove," Archie answered, still enjoying the conversation. "Came over fer a change of view."
"I like your accent," Crynn said. "Lilycove huh? I hear the waves are pretty rough there."
"Thanks," Archie replied. "And they are."
"I bet you're still a pretty good surfer though," the girl said. She cupped her hands together, fiddling with her fingers like she couldn't think of what to do with them.
Patricia quickly gave Crynn a small frown before turning her attention back to Archie. The young man didn't quite understand the behavior. Were these girls not friends? Why get so uppity over something so small?
"So, you're a freshman then?" she asked him. "Or maybe a transfer?"
"Fresher," Archie answered. "Just got my classes for marine bio n' stuff."
"Bio?" Crynn asked, "as in biology? You're gonna be a scientist?"
"That's so cool," Patricia loudly stressed. Archie didn't even have time to give an answer.
"I'm really into biology," Crynn said. "I'm taking nutrition. We share a few classes, you know? With biology."
Archie was still trying to get over the fact that biology entailed the word science in it. He had not taken any of that into account. He knew he had a basic chemistry and math course for his first semester, but for some reason the idea of him having to be committed to such courses for the next few years had been completely dismissed. And now he had two girls getting loud and trying to pretend that all this was really cool, when it really wasn't. Archie wasn't sure he could even do science to begin with.
"Anyways," Patricia said, taking another step closer to the young man. She twisted a lock of her dark hair. "We were wondering if you like parties?"
"Who doesn't?" Archie replied, the sudden change of subject bringing him back down to earth. He kept an eye on the girl's fingers, in case they tried that move again.
"Our sorority holds an end of summer beach party down south," she said, looking at Archie with eyes filled with so much energy. "Give us your number, and we'll be happy to give you a date with directions on how to get there."
Archie really liked parties. A soiree down at the beach sounded fantastic, and it would probably be a great way to make new friends early in the semester.
"I don't have a number on me," he said, and he saw Patricia produce a small pout. "I mean," he added, chuckling, "not yet. I'm lookin' round for a place. Should have one soon."
"You should live on campus," Crynn said. "They have year-long contracts for some students." Suddenly the blonde girl became more confident. Archie watched her walk right up to him, her arms behind her back and hips swinging just a little as she continued, "You might be able to qualify for it, if you ask right away."
Archie chuckled. "Well, I'm actually 'bout to meet with a man regardin' a room fer rent."
Patricia didn't appear too pleased that she'd be the one to give out her number. Archie wished he could just upright and tell her that she wouldn't have to worry about her not being in control of the situation. Girls dug that kind of thing. He totally got it, what with guys always bothering them, but Archie wasn't that kind of guy.
A sly smile grew on the girl's face as she reached and grabbed her satchel, going through its contents before pulling out a notebook.
"You're lucky, freshman," she said, giving him another quick glance before scribbling down a number, "you're cute and worth the time. I hate giving away my number."
"I'll do my best not to pester you," he said. She lifted a brow, smiling at him once again. He couldn't help but smile back, even more when she handed him the sheet of paper. At the very least, it was nice enough to know that he had been worth her time.
"Don't try too hard," she said. She played with her hair some more.
The tree above him made a few sounds. Archie was happily reminded he had places to be.
"It's gettin' late," he said, stuffing the small piece of paper into his jeans. Maybe too roughly, since both girls made a look when he did so, instead of carefully folding it and placing it in somewhere safer. "I gotta meet with that guy."
"Don't forget to call, Archie," Crynn said. "We can help you get into our brother fraternity."
"Oh, yes!" Patricia said, grabbing Crynn by the hand as she slowly led them back to the main pathway. "You'll definitely fit in Alpha–"
The three heard some loud screeching taking place up in the tree. Archie immediately turned himself around and stomped over, practically forgetting about the girls as he looked up and spotted the larger Zubat trapped between two branches.
"Yer fuckin' kiddin' me," he said under his breath.
"Is everything alright?" he heard Crynn ask.
"Yeah, yeah," Archie grumbled. "My Zubat got stuck between the branches is all."
"Oh, you're a trainer?" was the reply from Patricia.
Archie didn't answer and instead made a jump for the nearest branch that could support his weight. He swung his legs, feeling the cool air against his exposed stomach, and finally managed to kick himself up on top of the first branch. He climbed up another branch, letting half of him disappear into the shrubbery. He grabbed on to a higher, thinner branch, putting him into an awkward standing position, but at least he was next to his Pokémon.
He looked over at the Zubat whose wing was tangled between two thin branches. "Yer a idiot," he muttered.
The second Zubat fluttered over, humming as if to agree with its master. Archie did his best to balance himself on the crooked branch beneath him as he freed his Zubat from the tree.
He could hear someone walking underneath. He was sure it was one of the girls.
"Is your Zubat ok?" It was Patricia. With better footing Archie searched his body and then remembered that he had left his Poké Balls by his backpack.
"Yeah," he loudly replied. He looked over at the two Zubat and shook his hand downward. The two Pokémon frantically made their way out of the tree, leaving Archie to carefully maneuver his way back on solid ground.
When he landed Patricia was standing right by his things, waiting for him.
"You should join the trainer's club," she said.
Archie leaned down and picked up his Poké Balls. She didn't see the face he had made as he got up and turned himself around, his smile having already replaced it.
"I take it you're in the club?" he asked. He felt the small Zubat land on his shoulder. The larger one hovered above his head, making small noises and waiting for Archie to put his bandana back on his head.
"You'd be right," she said. "And you should know, I'm very good."
"Yes well, these guys aren't used to fightin' much," Archie said, laughing just a little. He found himself playing with his own hair now. She didn't seem to notice the growing nervousness.
"Don't worry, it's all in good fun," Patricia said. "And it's very easy to get in. Just send a copy of your trainer card, and a list of your Pokémon, and you're good to go."
"Good to go, huh," Archie muttered. He looked up at his second Zubat.
Crynn called Patricia back over. Archie noticed the way the girl blushed as she handed the young man another small, folded sheet of paper. Archie couldn't believe he had not noticed it before, and he regrettably took it from her, suspicious of its contents. He watched Patricia smile up at him, looking so pleased of herself for having the courage to make such a gesture before she hurried off with her girlfriend, waving and telling him to have a nice day, and leaving Archie to stand alone with his Pokémon and figure out if calling her about the party would be a good idea anymore.
He unfolded the sheet right away and stared at the girl's full name, yet another telephone number, as well as her major and quite possibly the cutest hand drawn smile he had seen in a while.
"Damn," he said. One of his Zubat made a soft clicking sound. "You said it," he added, looking over at his shoulder at the smaller Zubat.
The second Zubat fluttered and hummed over Archie's head. "You wanna ride?" he asked the Pokémon. It hummed again. "Yeah, yeah," he said. He walked over to his backpack and reached for the top where he had left his bandana.
Or, where he thought he had left his bandana. Archie stared quietly at the indent where he had rested the small article; sure of himself that he hadn't placed it anywhere else.
"No way," he said, cracking a smile. He couldn't possibly be upset about it. He wanted to be upset, it was the only one he had brought with him, but the very idea just left him chuckling to himself, like it had been some kind of silly joke played on him.
He covered his face from the developing heat. The small Zubat flew off of him the moment his body began to shake from his restrained laughter.
"Bwahaha! She took it!" He laughed, turning around and staring at his two flying Pokémon. "She went ahead and just up-n-took it!"
Archie had raced down the campus hills, barely catching a bus that would help speed up the traveling process. He was already running late at it was and he didn't want to miss out on getting a place to stay.
Somehow he made it to the complex without getting too lost. He was only twenty minutes late too. Not bad.
The apartment complex gave off that "students are dwelling here" vibe right away. Actually, it gave off a lot of vibes, one other being "certain kinds of people also dwell here, can you smell that smoke? That's some strong shit." Sure, it was rather close to the campus, and Archie expected it to look more liberal than some other places, but there was nothing that could prepare him for the sight of trash, bikinis and towels strewn about, of third wave hippies and second wave beatniks playing music and having a smoke around the neglected pool that was filled with floating joints, blunts, weaves, bottles, cans, and leaves.
Barely dressed girls on the second floor hung around their small patios, with Pokémon dangerously close to the edge. A Vulpix was letting its tail dangle over, the pool just beneath it, while its owner laughed and debated with her friend about eastern philosophy over French. While this was happening, Archie spotted a Zigzagoon running down the flight of stairs, nearly tripping over its step as it continued to waddle over to the pool, lowering its head and smelling the content before opening its mouth and–
Archie dropped his things and ran over to the Zigzagoon, grabbing it and hoisting it away from the disgusting pool. The darkly dressed residents lowered their instruments and colorful sunglasses so that they could admire Archie, laughing and making comments about his effort, with one adding that the Zigzagoon he had saved had been drinking from the pool for years now, and would continue thus after Archie's departure.
He still walked over to the stairs, dropping the Zigzagoon back on the first step, gesturing it back up. The little raccoon Pokémon looked up at him, wagging its spiky tail before trotting back up, leaving Archie to deal with the embarrassment of laughing drunkards and potheads. He didn't regret stopping the Zigzagoon, but being told his efforts made little sense in the long run left him feeling a little sore.
He looked around the pool area. It dawned upon him that he didn't know which apartment he was supposed to be visiting. Archie scratched his head and through his nose. There were so many doors.
He felt something brush against his leg. Archie looked down and spotted the Zigzagoon smashing its head affectionately against his jeans. He smiled, kneeling down and gave it a pet. The little Pokémon cooed at him before deciding to run off, passing the pool and over to a closed door. Archie watched it scratch at the door for a few seconds before barking. On the other side there was a loud whine, something like a Skitty calling and scratching back. The little Pokémon tried again, but the door didn't open, so it skipped off to the next, repeating the same actions.
This time Archie saw a Poochyena poke it's head from the window, immediately beginning to bark loudly at the Zigzagoon. The man raised a brow, taking a step over at the door, waiting to see if another would poke its head out. The Zigzagoon ran over to the window, lifting its head as high as it could and began barking up at the Poochyena, wagging its tail and trying to coax something from it. And then Archie spotted another Poochyena through the blinds, both of them sharing loud barks and howls at the intruding Pokémon.
He found the apartment.
Archie walked over to the door. As he got close, the door opened, and from it a young man took a step out, looking down through crooked glasses at the Zigzagoon that had caused a commotion.
"Not you again," the redhead muttered. "Go on, shoo!" he shook his hand away from his door, and behind him the Poochyena poked their heads out, barking and trying to force their way through the man's thin legs.
"Max?" Archie called.
The poor man had his leg out, letting his bare foot try to gently push the Zigzagoon away from the apartment. The other leg barely kept the two Poochyena in. The redhead turned and stared at Archie with a confused look on his face. Archie watched as he pulled his glasses back into place.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"Oh, I-uhm, called 'bout the apartment," Archie said, nervously grinning at the tired looking man. "You have the Poochyena, right, Maxie?"
The redhead carefully maneuvered his way around the Poochyena and Zigzagoon. He shut the door behind him, leaving all three Pokémon crying and scratching at the door. The Zigzagoon barked at the young man before running off to the next door. The man fixed up his ponytail before carefully resting his gaze back at Archie.
"You hung up," he said. A wonderful start that made Archie want to cringe.
"I was usin' a payphone," he commented back. "But I figured I'd show up when you asked."
The redhead gave a nod. His red irises fixated on Archie. "Right, well," he said. Archie could hear that slight hint of irritation in the man's voice. "This is it," the man said, opening his arms and gesturing at the crowded pool area. "And as you might have noticed," he added, "this place is inappropriately Pokémon friendly, so you're Zubat will fit in just fine."
Both men heard a splash and turned around to see the Zigzagoon swimming through the water.
"Oh wow," Archie muttered, practically holding on to his stomach.
"It's a terrible influence on the other Pokémon," the other said, sighing.
Archie nod his head and looked back to the thin man. "So, like, this is normal?"
"Unfortunately, yes," the redhead replied. "But," he hastily added, "when you consider the distance to the university, as well as the cost of living–" Archie chuckled as he watched the man struggle to think up another reason for him to remain, "Oh, and there are a lot of distractions around here. A farmer's market. Dollar theatre."
"And a swimming pool," Archie sarcastically laughed out, pointing over at the pool with the Zigzagoon, along with the high neighbors who cheered at the Pokémon's ability to surf through the many obstacles floating about. Poor Maxie didn't seem to understand the joke, so Archie went ahead and walked up to him, patting him on the shoulder.
"Dude, it's cool," he said. "I'm not that mortified, yet."
"Yet?" the redhead said a little too seriously.
Archie chuckled. "Relax, Maxie, I ain't 'bout to run away." He watched the man stare at the large hand resting on his shoulder, and then he finally gave a small nod. Archie sarcastically added, "plus I need a place to spend the night…consider yerself very lucky."
"Would you like to see the room…uhm," he pointed a finger at Archie, shaking it up and down as he made a face. "Sorry, but I don't recall you giving me a name?"
Archie grinned, offering the redhead his hand. "The name's Archie," he said.
He watched the pale man look down at his hand, staring at it like it might have been some foreign, alien object. But then his red eyes met with Archie's blue, and whatever animosity kept him from acting casual began to diminish, and the redhead took his hand, giving a small, but refined smile.
"Max," the man replied.
"Is that short fer anythin'?" Archie asked.
"Nope, just Max," he answered.
Archie nod his head. "I'm thinkin' Maxie," he said, smiling at the redhead. "Yah mind if I call you Maxie?"
"You've been referring me that way for a while now," the young man said.
"Cool," Archie said.
"…" Maxie wrinkled his nose, letting his hand play with his tight little ponytail before ending the conversation with him walking back to the door, the Poochyena detecting his presence and going mad with loud, rapid howls.
The television situated in the middle of Maxie's living room had been hit with something. Archie couldn't help but stare at the cracked screen, the way it looked like some kind of horrific spider web, with the center a small crushed dent of smashed misery.
"As you might have noticed, the structure of the room is a bit…cozy," Maxie muttered, not taking any notice of Archie's concerned look. "The kitchen is about half the size, and–"
"What the fuck happened to yer T.V?" Archie asked.
Maxie crossed his arms. The Poochyena ran around the living room and one of them stopped in front of Archie, giving his leg a sniff before yipping excitedly. Archie and Maxie stared at each other, with Maxie giving him the harder, harsher stare that left Archie sighing and giving into the redhead's silent demand that the topic just end.
"Small livin' room," Archie muttered. He lifted his shoulder and rubbed his face. "Right, so the bedroom?"
"This way," Maxie replied.
The two went into a short hallway where the redhead pointed to a closed door, stopping and opening it in front of Archie, revealing an even cozier empty room. Both Poochyena ran inside. One ran about the room, hitting all the corners, while the other rested itself under the sunlight.
"You'll have decent view of the parking lot," Maxie commented.
Archie walked into the small room, stepping over the resting Pokémon. There was a sliding door closet with a mirror, and whoever had taken this room before Archie had left a lone lamp on the floor, along with some notebooks. He had slept in smaller before. He had slept in smaller rooms that he had to share with three other Rocket members.
He looked over to the window and stared at a tree that was between two parking spaces. His Zubat would have a place to play at night. He turned and looked at the closet. There would be more than enough room for his clothes and things, once he got them in the mail.
He grinned at Maxie. "So far, so good," he said.
Maxie nod his head. "You may need to consider purchasing a smaller mattress…"
"No mattress," Archie said, shrugging. "I got a hammock. Hammock'll give me the space I need fer everything else."
"That doesn't sound very comfortable," Maxie said, looking rather perplexed at Archie's comment.
Archie kept his smile. "They're actually really comfy," he said. "Back when I was a…" he suddenly stopped himself from finishing. Maxie leaned against the doorway, looking even more confused than before. Archie tucked his hands into his pockets, swinging in place. "I used to have one when I was younger," he said.
"I see," Maxie said. "Well, that aside, the other reason I had mentioned the Poochyena…"
"You need me to take 'em out when yer busy with lab stuff?" Archie asked.
"That would be incredibly helpful," Maxie said, smiling eagerly and nodding his head in approval. "You see, on certain days I'm at the lab for several hours, and these two really have a lot of energy."
"Not a problem," Archie said. He looked down at the two Pokémon sitting before him, wagging their shaggy tails at him. "It be nice to play with Pokémon better suited for roughhousin'. My Zubat can't really handle too much."
"On days when you're busy," Maxie suddenly said. Archie stared at Maxie, watching as the man lowered his head a little, alsmotas though he had partially regretted speaking in the first place. "I'm not entirely sure what Zubat do," he muttered, "but I'd be willing to let them fly about the apartment if they're house trained."
"That'd be awesome," Archie said. Maxie raised his head just enough for him to catch a small glimpse of sincerity.
Maxie was a strange fellow. At first he felt a bit too…stiff? Archie was glad he had caught the brief conversation held between the man and his Pokémon, otherwise he might have been unsure about showing up. Somewhere, underneath that social awkwardness was someone who cared about Pokémon enough to know better than to have them wander a filthy complex unsupervised, to give them some attention, and wanting to make sure anyone moving in would be tolerant of their presence.
Maxie stood up from the wall and brought a hand to his chin. "So…?"
"I think this'll be a nice place to stay fer 'while," Archie said.
Maxie grinned. "Excellent. I'll let the manager of this property know so you can add your name."
"Cool," Archie said, dropping his backpack. The Poochyena surrounded it; sniffing and wagging their tales while Archie watched Maxie take leave of the empty room. It took him a few seconds to process what was going on, but Archie hurried over to the door, grabbing the frame and watching the thinner man continue down the hall.
"Yo, Max," Archie called.
He watched the small ponytail bounce. Maxie looked over his shoulder, raising a thin eyebrow as he looked over in Archie's direction.
"What is it?" he asked.
Archie let go of the frame and stood up. His hands dug into the pockets of his jeans, and he could feel the notes and crumbled sheets of paper that he had been given less than an hour ago.
He did his best to not appear too modest. "Thanks," he said. "I really mean it. This is a nice room."
Maxie's mouth opened, as though he might have had something important to say. Archie expected him to make some immediate comment, but instead the redhead snapped his head back into place, now looking away from Archie as he stumbled out of the hall and into the living room.
Archie covered his face, trying to stop himself from laughing at his new roommate.
Using some of his spare change, Archie was able to get himself a small meal and some pecha berries to go. Upon entering his empty room, he went and tossed the berries across the floor, grinning as the large Zubat sailed down and began scooping it up with it mouth.
Archie sat himself in the corner of his new room. He figured he would set up the hammock tomorrow, when he had more energy to spare. He opened his bag of chips, taking in the sight of the two flying Pokémon devouring their meal.
He munched on a few crisps before speaking to them. "What do ya guys think?" he asked. He unwrapped his sandwich as the larger of the two fluttered over and landed on his backpack. He offered a chip to it, grinning at the sound of little teeth crunching through the snack.
"Not too bad, right?" he said. "Smaller than the one back home, but definitely somethin' new."
The second Zubat flew over, a half-eaten berry in its mouth, and landed on Archie's knee.
"And Maxie has some Poochyena," Archie said. Both the Zubat's replied with some clicking sounds. Archie nod his head. "They seem really friendly," he added.
The smaller Zubat finished its berry and began to groom itself. The other grew tired of its chip and hopped closer to Archie.
"There's a tree just outside," Archie said, looking down at the smaller Zubat. He turned to the other resting on the backpack. "If you can manage not to get stuck again, I'll let you guys out fer a bit. How's that sound?"
Both Zubat's perked their ears up, turning their little heads over and humming in delight at the idea. The smaller one began flapping its wings, moving out of the way so Archie could walk over to the window and undo the latch.
He stared out, just about to lift the window up and let his Pokémon go free when he noticed something flashing outside. He stared at the cars parked, spotting movement around them, little bodies running around the vehicles, stopping and gnawing on the wheels, then sending sparks out at the car. Archie leaned forward; his eyes squint as he tried to make out the shapes and whatever was going on.
They were small electric looking Pokémon, each with a collar around the neck. The two little Pokémon continued their assault on the parked cars, sending small blasts of electricity at each other, until a large beam of light appeared, followed by a car honking, causing both of them to jump and run up the tree. The car passed by, obstructing Archie's view. When it passed he could no longer tell whether or not the tiny electric Pokémon were still hiding in the tree, or had run off somewhere.
Questions ran in his mind. These were not wild Pokémon out exploring the urban settlement, but somebody's pets. And a car had almost hit them.
He heard the Zubats. Both were fluttering around him, waiting for the window to open nice and wide. Archie turned around, looking up at their excited looking faces and smiled nervously at them.
"On second thought," he began, placing his hand on his side, "lets wait till tomorrow." Both Zubat fluttered down. He could tell they were upset. Archie sighed, kneeling down and giving them both pats on the head.
"I promise I'll wake up nice n' early, okay?" he said, trying to perk them up. The smaller Zubat flew off towards its Poké Ball. Archie groaned. He got up and walked over to the Poké Ball, avoiding the Zubat's disapproving look as he returned the Pokémon back inside. The second flew over, struggling as it landed on top of Archie's head.
"I'm gonna need to get another bandana," he muttered.
Archie slowly made the descent back down, careful to not cause his Zubat to stumble from its seat. He placed the ball next to his backpack, telling himself he'd try to make it up to the little fella later. He grabbed his sandwich and took a bite. He couldn't stop thinking about the car, the Pokémon that weren't wild, but ran around the area as though they were.
"Slateport's kinda different from Lilycove, aye?" he asked his Zubat.
The round blue bat hummed on his head.
Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think.