11: Trade
"Are you sure about this?" Rikako frowned.
"Yes." I sighed, "The badge isn't that important."
"Oh I beg to differ." Rikako scoffed.
"What?"
"With that badge, you could've retained control over traded Dolls up to Level 30."
"...Traded?"
"Oh you haven't learned about trading yet have you?" Rikako sighed.
"Oo, I know about trading!" Maribel cried, raising her hand.
"I can guess." I said.
"Aw."
"The least we can do is give you a demonstration." Rikako said, "Right Maribel?"
"Eh? Sure, but what are we going to trade?"
"How perfect, I just needed something from you."
"I have a feeling that this wasn't perfect. Just really well planned out." Maribel muttered.
"I need your CMystia."
"What?" Maribel cried, "Why?"
"Experiments."
"What kind of experiments?"
"Sciency stuff. You wouldn't understand."
"Of course I wouldn't." Maribel pouted, "But I'm not so sure about this."
"Oh she won't be in too much danger." Rikako said reassuringly.
"That's not reassuring."
"Tell you what, I'll RETURN a Doll that I'm now done with."
"...Which Doll?"
"Watch closely." Rikako instructed as Maribel said good bye to CMystia, "As you might already know, trading is when one person exchanges Dolls with another. The process is actually quite interesting."
"Let me guess, the orb is surrounded by magic then moved." I sighed.
"H-How'd you know?"
"I don't think something as simple a trading could require a lot of ingenuity. It's almost the same as how a regular orb works."
"True. But there are ramifications to trading-"
"I'm ready." Maribel sniffed.
"That I'll get into later." Rikako quickly finished, "Alright then. Maribel place the orb into the machine."
"I know how this works, you've made me do it tons of times!" Maribel cried.
"Okay then. " Rikako shrugged, "Commence transfer."
One button push and some flashing lights later, the orb looked unchanged.
"...Well I'm never trading." I said.
Maribel nervously took it and held it out,
"C-Come out."
The orb opened and released the Doll. She flapped into the air and looked around, confused. I brought out my Dolldex.
"Chibi Gengetsu. Demon Touhoumon. A demon girl who entered another dimension with her little sister."
Chibi Gengetsu
Level 25
Rash
Immunity
Dark/Flying
Attacks:
-Wing Attack
-Razor Wind
-Lovely Kiss
-Faint Attack
CGengetsu found Maribel and looked surprised.
"Hi..." Maribel waved nervously.
"...Hmph." CGengetsu frowned and turned away.
"Ah. I knew this'll happen." Maribel said, depressed.
"What?"
"I caught CGengetsu before, but Rikako demanded I hand her over for her experiments. I'm not surprised she hates me." Maribel sniffed.
"...Maybe you should spend more time with her." I suggested, "Get to know each other again. I'll stay out of your way."
"Yeah. That's probably the best idea." Maribel moped, "Come on CGengetsu."
CGengetsu reluctantly followed after Maribel. I was left in the Center.
"...Well, mind as well explore the town." I shrugged.
"What am I looking at here?" CReimu frowned.
"What? Can't see it?" I asked.
"I can see something." Reimu pouted, "But I really don't think it's cow riding a human, firing off guns in the air as the human jumps over the moon and through a doughnut."
"Is that what you see?" I asked, mildly disturbed.
"Yes. What's wrong with it?"
"Nothing." I sighed, "Let's leave."
"Well that was a colossal waste of time." CReimu sighed as we left Caesius Town's Art Museum.
"So objective reached, right?"
"Whatever." CReimu sighed, "I'm going back. Wake me when something happens."
I watched as CReimu returned to her orb. I sighed and continued to wander the small town. Bored, I ignored my surrounds, more invested in my thoughts. The scenery was a blur as I began to recap what I learned about this world.
CRASH!
I was broken out of my trance and looked around. I had wandered pretty far, standing on the edge of Caesius Town, where it would lead into Route 5.
"Oww..."
I turned around and noticed the girl that crashed into me.
"Sorry." I said, offering her my hand, "I wasn't looking."
"It's okay." She smiled as she took my hand, "I wasn't either. Looks like we both need to pay attention to where we're walking."
"Or in your case, rollerblading." I said, noticing her rollerblades.
"Oh. Yeah." The girl smiled, making a few laps around me, "It's much faster, but more importantly much more fun."
"That's nice. I'd rather take the time to watch the scenery."
"Well you weren't this time."
"I was thinking."
"Thinking? About what?"
"Magic's perpetuity and possible implications towards the advancement of-"
"You lost me at perpetuity." The girl said.
"Sorry."
"I'm Romania." The girl curtsied playfully, "You?"
"Renko. Usami Renko."
"Nice to meet you Renko." Romania smiled, "Ah. Are you a trainer?"
"Yes."
"Perfect! Let's have a battle!"
"O-Okay..."
Doll Trainer Romania wants to battle!
"Let's play, CAya!"
"CAya. If it's a dogfight you want then I suppose I can oblige. Go, CTokiko!"
"Tweet!" CTokiko chirped as she appeared.
"Aw, how cute." Romania smiled.
CTokiko looked embarrassed.
"CAya, Quick Attack!"
CAya smirked as she rushed towards the side, running up behind CTokiko and tackling her from behind.
"Two can play that game."
CTokiko chirped as she used Quick Attack to rush at CAya. For a moment, the 2 ran side by side.
"Crush Claw."
CTokiko lashed out with her claws, catching CAya off guard and slashing her in the arm. CAya began to fall.
"Air Cutter!"
CAya smiled as she swung her wing around, sending a disk of air slashing into CTokiko. As CTokiko was blasted back, CAya easily regained her balance and began to climb back up.
"Don't let her get away, Quick Attack!"
CTokiko chirped and ran after CAya in full speed. But this time, CTokiko couldn't catch up.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." Romania smiled, "Not with your CTokiko anyway. It's CAya's ability, Speed Boost. CAya never slows down. She just keeps getting faster. Your CTokiko can't keep up."
Sure enough, CTokiko stopped, tired and in that instant, CAya surrounded her, barely letting her move.
"Gh...CTokiko, Air Cutter!"
CTokiko sent 5 disks of air at CAya, all of them missing.
"Looks like we have similar attack sets. Then, CAya, Razor Wind."
CAya continued to run around CTokiko, with 3 strong tornadoes trapping her.
"Quick Attack."
CTokiko watched CAya run around her, studying her movement before suddenly lunging at full speed to tackle CAya out of the air. CAya growled and pushed CTokiko away, sending the 3 tornadoes to blast her back.
"Wow, your CTokiko's good if she could time her attack like that." Romania smiled.
"CTokiko, Return."
"What's wrong?" Romania asked, worried.
"Paradigm Shift." I said, "Go, CReisen!"
"Puu!"
"Ooooooo! It's a bunny!" Romania cried, jumping up and down.
CReisen looked embarrassed.
"CReisen, Confuse Ray."
CReisen quickly aimed and fired a sphere of light that chased down CAya and hit her in the head. CAya began to fly off course, flying right into a tree.
"Chance! Confusion!"
CAya yelped as her head hurt even more and took to the air.
"CAya! A-Air Cutter!"
CAya couldn't answer as she tried to deal with her headache. With a desperate cry, CAya shot out 2 Air Cutters, not noticing the tree in front of her that rebounded the wind and blasted her down.
"CReisen, Double Team and Psywave!"
CReisen split into 5, all of them aiming up at CAya and blasted her out of the sky.
"Why'd you switch?" Romania asked.
"I noticed CAya was a bit more sensitive to ranged attacks." I explained, "So I switched to my more ranged based CReisen."
"That's an impressive brain you have there." Romania smiled, "Looks like you deserve this."
Romania reached into her bag and rummaged around. For a moment she looked surprised.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
"O-Oh! Y-Yeah! Everything's fine. Here."
Romania handed me a Great Orb.
"I heard these things are new and even better than the old red orbs. Personally, I prefer the red orbs. They look nicer."
"I don't like the Great Orb either." I smiled offering the orb back to her, "I don't see anything wrong with the regular orbs."
"We have a lot in common." Romania smiled, pocketing the orb again.
"Yeah."
"Then at least take this." Romania pushed something into my hand before she took off, "I have to go now. Bye! It's been nice seeing you Renko!"
"We'll meet again." I called.
"Yeah! Definitely!"
I looked at what Romania gave me. A small gold coin on a string. It wasn't money though, that's for sure.
"Renko!"
"Ah, Maribel." I said as Maribel came back, "I take it things went well with you and CGengetsu?"
"Yep!" Maribel smiled, "Everything's fine now! Ah, Renko, who gave you an Amulet Coin?"
"Amulet Coin?" I repeated looking at what Romania gave me, "You mean this?"
"Yep. Amulet Coins are usually given to a fellow traveler to wish the other success and good fortune."
"Really?" I said, looking at the coin.
"Ah! I almost forgot!" Maribel cried, grabbing my arm, "Come on, I have something to show you!"
"What is it?" I asked as Maribel rummaged through a dumpster.
"Here!" Maribel cried, pulling a large sign out, "I saw it from afar and thought you might find it interesting."
The sign was very similar to the one hung outside the Gym. On it was written,
Caesius Town Gym Leader, Romania Lumis
The distant shining star of our town.