Archie carefully changed her hold on Slowpoke, so so was supporting him rather then dangling, and walked to a table, sitting down. She stroked his soft head, shaking her own.
"Suprised that worked. But I guess your an easy going guy. Not like other pokemon...wait, you *are* a guy, right?"
She asked, picking him up to try and check.
It would be unsurprising if Lo hadn't checked herself. She tried to remember what she knew, but it was kinda fuzzy.
Slowpoke gently hit Archie with his tail when she picked him up before nodding his head.
"Slooowww oowww"
(Obviously I'm a guy, silly, now that food~ young one.)
Lolita grinned, success, she had found the training deck. Quickly she threw up her two pokeballs she had on her up in the air and in flashes of red light out came her two pokemon she had on her, Squirtle and Flaaffy.
"Ok guys, Slowpoke is with Chichi at the moment, so you guys are going to get to know each other and then we're going to get training. We have around three days on this boat to waste on train, so get to know each other. Squirtle, this is Flaaffy, and Flaaffy meet Squirtle, he was my starter pokemon." Squirtle turned and pulled the peace sign at Flaaffy and Flaaffy blinked and shook her head in disbelief.
"Aaaaa"
(Like trainer, like pokemon, I guess.) Squirtle frowned at her and tilted his head.
"Squirt tle tle squirt?"
(Hey, whadda ya mean by that? Huh?) Lolita grinned and decided to sit back and see how the team got along, she could break up any unnecessary fights.
Archie shook her head slowly, wincing.
"Sensitive, huh? And judging by the way your tummy's rumbling, your hungry."
She tried to settle Slowpoke on her lap, before reaching into her pocket.
"Well, I think I remember stashing some poke-blocks somewhere, in case I ran out of poffins." She pulled out a dispenser and shook it, listening to the rattle.
"Well, Lo said you like sweet stuff so..."
She fiddled with the dispenser, wrestling out a few poke-blocks.
"..here you go, 'pal'."
She held them out, with her palm flat.
(The same way you feed horses.)
"Speaking of poffins, I ought to have some in my bag...which I don't have. Where'd I.."
She thought carefully, running throught the last few hours. Then it hit her and she swore under her breath.
"...left it on the roof. With..."
She began breathing harder.
"Iggy...oh crap."
Most of her things were in there.
Including her room key and ticket.
Flaaffy pulled herself up to full height with a big breath in and glare down at the tiny turtle pokemon that was in front of her, it was even a full evolution below her, who did he think he was, huh?
(You are too excitable and relaxed, like your owner. You don't know the meanness of other trainers or that sort of stuff, because you got lucky.) Squirtle pulled an offended face and scowled up at the pokemon that was almost twice his height.
(Hey! I know those things, I may not have experienced them, but I do know of them, thank you very much! Just because your old trainer was a big meanie doesn't mean that everyone else is to soft now, does it?)
Lolita, meanwhile, had pulled out the pop corn.
Slowpoke narrowed his eyes when chichi muttered an name and had breathing troubles. So, this guy was on the roof with her stuff. Asshole. He nudged her with his nose and looked up at her with a determined look.
"Sloowpoke. Slow."
Archie looked down, confused
"Eat your pokeblocks."
She said, holding them out. She thought hard. What would Iggy do if he saw her with a pokemon? Challenge her? Laugh? Freak out? There was no way to tell.
She looked down at Slowpoke.
If she went without a pokemon, he'd no doubt harass her. Dammit.
She would go. She punched her other hand, determined. She hadn't lived for nothing! She would face her fear and get her stuff back.
As soon as she got the massive heavy pink pokemon off her lap, that is.
She gently pushed it with a hand.
"Come on. Move. Please?"
Slowpoke ate his food quickly and then climbed onto her head and shot her a look that clearly said 'I am coming and there is nothing you can do to stop me'.
(Reo: I'm not going to bother writing the argument, just imagine a really witty one)
Archie groaned, her neck aching.
"I never said you couldn't come!"
She said, staggering off the bench.
Why had she left off carrying books on her head? It would have helped.
She walked out of the food place, and through the corridors back to the stairs.
Pausing, she pulled Taru's pokeball out of her poke, then stopped.
Taru would have trouble with the stairs.
She reached up and hauled the pokemon off her head, trying to get him to sit on her shoulders instead.
"You'll give me neck strain, ya big lump."
She said, pulling him down.
She looked at the steps, then gazed up them.
Her knees ached, and her scars tingled.
She gulped.
Then she realized if she didn't hurry up, 'poke would do something to get her
moving.
She began climbing the stair slowly, hands clenched.
Slowpoke nudged her gentle with his nose, encouraging her one.
"slooowwww" (It'll go fine)
"Pooke poke?" (What kind of pokemon does he have?)
Archie groaned.
"I can't understand you."
She thought about it.
"I'm leaving Taru in his ball. He won't be that much help against fire pokemon."
She said, reaching the end. She peeked around.
Iggy sat, his hand on her bag, other hand tossing a pokeball, and staring out over the ocean. He looked a little seasick.
She grinned, knowing his weakness helped.
She petted 'poke and stepped out, walking towards Iggy with a steady stride.
But she could bet 'poke could feel her tremble.
"I came back for my bag."
She said, watching him jump with amusement.
She saw him double take at Slowpoke, then his eyes narrowed.
"Hello again. So, you remembered? I mean, you did rush off."
He said, sound light and honest, yet menacing at the same time.
"Yes. I wan't ready to talk to you yet."
He nodded, smiling.
"I see. So, you have a pokemon with you..."
He drifted off, leaving it hanging.
"Yes. Slowpoke. I'm taking care of him for a friend."
She said. He nodded, seeming pleased.
She bit her lip.
"So it not yours then? Pity. I was hoping you'd managed to..well..."
He drifted off, this time sounding unsure.
"Get over my fear? Yes. I have."
He nodded, standing up.
"Glad to hear it. Really."
He said. He sounded honest.
Slowpoke narrowed his eyes. He didn't like this guy.
Lolita sighed, their argument was getting boring. She stood up and held her hands up.
"Ok, guys, enough, lets go walk or something." And she went off, picking up Squirtle (who poked his tongue out at Flaaffy) and Flaaffy walked along next to her (ignoring the tongue that was poked out at her. Lolita went up the stairs, deciding to take a look at the veiw from the roof. When she reached the top she blinked and tilted her head, confused. Chichi was talking to some random guy... who didn't seem that nice. She approached with caution, but skipped up anyway, putting on the good girl act.
"Hey 'Chichi! Hey Slowpoke, how're you doing? Who's this?"
Iggy gave the newcomer a filthy look.
Archie cocked her head and poked him in the ribs, making him look back at her. She gave him a 'this is my friend'
"This, is-" She began, sounding annoyed.
Iggy forced himself to smile, then switched into charisma mode.
"Iggy Plamen Uri. Old friend of Archanna's."
He said, reaching out to shake a hand, now oozing slick charm.
"And you would be one of her new friends. Glad to know she made some in-"
"My new life." Archie cut in smoothly.
Iggy's eyes widened a little but he kpet his now pleasant smile.
"May I have the pleasure of you name, friend of Archanna?"
Archie shook her head. Iggy was being so formal. The snake, he could charm adults like nobody's business. She hoped her friend would understand. She shot Lo an look, trying to get the message across.
Lolita, Squirtle, Slowpoke and even Flaaffy rose an eyebrow at his attitude as Slowpoke jumped from Archies shoulders and onto Lolita's head and opened his mouth to reveal a hidden camera and speaker.
"I wasn't just doing nothing down stairs. Archie doesn't like you, she's nervous, and not a good nervous either, around you and to top it all off, you wield fire pokemon, which Chichi hates. Your case is not looking good. do you wish for me to continue or are you going to drop the act?"
Iggy grimaced.
"Act?" He spat, still oozeing charm.
Archie rolled her eyes.
"I see. No, I don't act." He said, reaching out for Archie, who took a step back.
Iggy turned halfway, staring at her.
"Archanna..." He began.
"Quit the formal stuff, Ig." She said, hauling her backpack onto her shoulders.
"Oh, 'Anna. Please. I really do just want to talk."
Arhie sighed.
"Then talk."
Iggy opened his mouth.
"No, wait. This is Lolita. My new best friend."
Iggy flinched.
"Don't cut us off, Anna. Please."
Archie winced. He wasn't just talking about himself this time.
"I know what happened scarred you. But you have to let go. Please."
She straightened up.
"There's let go, there's fogive. And then there's forget."
She said.
"You want forget. Come back when you want forgiveness."
She Said, and pushed past him, going down the steps carefuly.
Iggy looked at Lo.
"I tried."
Lolita scowled at him as Chichi left. When she had closed the door to the stairs she span around to face him.
"Look, I don't know what the FUCK you did, but I don't give a damn. She has to be able to forgive you before she can forget, and clearly she can't forgive you just yet. Whatever you did, I will find out and then give you the proper subsuquence (sp.)." And with that, she span around and went in the door, her stunned pokemon in her hands and on her head and her proud pokemon walking along next to her.
