Chapter 2: Ever Grande City
Stepping off the cruise ship, Phoebe walked down the wooden gangway and onto the tiled stone plaza in front of the Pokemon League HQ. The building loomed over her: tall and red, with windows on all sides. A pokeball emblem with yellow spikes stood out brightly against the front surface, sitting just above the main entrance. The path was lined with archways, ornately crafted with intricately cut patterns resembling pokemon. The plateau was decorated with bright flowers, yellow and pink and blue, and a row of hedges guided the way into the entrance.
The sun shone down brightly and Phoebe wiped her brow, feeling sweat dampen her hair. Sliding her hand across one of her wide flowers, she set it back at her side and unslung the purple carrying bag from her shoulder, setting it on the ground. Gripping the stretchy fabric between her fingers, she knelt and opened the bag, taking a pokeball out and tossing it on the ground. The ball bounced lightly and popped open, releasing a burst of light that formed into her towering, mummy-wrapped Dusclops.
The Dusclops groaned and looked up at the bright blue sky, holding a disembodied grey hand over its single red eye.
Phoebe smirked. "I agree, Dusky. Mt. Pyre's shade is much more pleasant."
Reaching into the bag again, she tossed out another ball and a creature like a lavender sheet with eyes emerged, floating upward into the air around her. The creature drifted past her face and brushed its sheet across her skin, and she laughed.
"Alright, Shupp." She patted the creature's head, then gently pushed it toward the Dusclops.
Pulling the bag further open, she looked at the other pokeballs and considered releasing them, then shook her head and pulled the strap to close it. Shouldering the bag, she stood up and straightened her back, then turned to the path leading to the building.
The stone road felt hard against her bare feet, but she was used to it. A white sign stood in front of her as she rounded a corner; it read "Now Entering Pokemon League Center Gate." She smirked, recalling the first time she had seen that sign. How overjoyed she had felt to finally arrive at the League, eight badges in hand. That had been three years ago; she wondered who served in the Elite Four now. At the time she had battled here, the Four were composed of Juno, a fighting trainer (not a problem for her all ghost team), Adam, an electric trainer, Krista, a water trainer, and Drake, an old sea captain and master of dragons. The champion she battled after the Four was Sidney, a trainer who specialized in dark pokemon.
That battle had been by no means easy; his dark pokemon had the advantage over hers every time. Only by cleverly using confusion and other status techniques (and loads of hyper potion) had she been able to win in the end. Sidney hadn't seemed to mind losing, she recalled; she got the feeling he'd have congratulated her whether she'd won or lost.
She smiled, then glanced to the side to see Shupp drifting upward toward the building's windows. "Alright, that's enough." She grinned and held up her pokeball, pulling the Shuppet back inside with a beam of light. "There'll be time for play later."
Slipping the ball back into her bag, she turned to the Dusclops. "Guess I should put you back too…" She pursed her lips and stared at the giant. "Though on second thought, you make a nice impression. Stick behind me." She flashed a smile and continued walking toward the building.
The Dusclops echoed a happy groan and trudged behind her, its thick feet shaking the ground slightly.
Entering the lobby, Phoebe was immediately hit with the striking cool of the air conditioning. The air was stale and crisp, and especially cold in contrast to the outdoors. She suppressed a shiver, then laughed at herself and glanced around the room. The floor was decorated in brown tiles, with colored red and white ones forming a pokeball shape in the center of the floor. To either side was sat a glass table surrounded by red and yellow cushions, with two pairs of small potted trees against the walls, four in total. Ahead of her and to either side were two desks, one for a pokemon treatment center and the other a small item shop. Two boys dressed in red uniforms stood blocking the doorway directly ahead; Phoebe recalled that way lead to the Elite Four battle chambers.
Nodding to the boys, she took a seat on one of the cushions and rested her ankles on the edge of the glass table, then set her bag down and looked at the Dusclops. "Guess we wait here, huh?"
The Dusclops made a murmuring sound and stood over her, staring idly at the wall.
Phoebe shrugged and set her feet down, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. She turned her head to the side and caught sight of one of the boys, noticing him blush before looking away. "I wonder if they'd know who's supposed to meet me…"
She frowned. The letter she had received, though particularly descriptive of the history of the Elite Four, said little more than "Arrive by 9:00" for instructions. With a sigh she rose from the seat and strolled over to the boy, hands clasped behind her back. She grinned and lifted her eyebrows, "Hello."
The two boys smiled and waved. "Hello," one replied. The other one glared at him quickly, angry that he hadn't spoken first.
Phoebe glanced back at her bag and motioned for the Dusclops to bring it to her, then withdrew the envelope and held out the letter. "I'm here for an appointment, by invitation of the Elite Four."
The second boy nodded quickly, taking a step in front of the first boy. The first boy glared and tried to move past him, but the second boy spoke, "Yes, we were told you'd arrive today. So you're Phoebe?"
Phoebe nodded and put the letter back, handing the bag back to the Dusclops.
The first boy turned around and opened the doors. "Right up the stairs, miss. The others are waiting in the first battle room."
"Thanks." Phoebe flashed a smile and glanced back at the Dusclops, "Come on, Dusky." She stepped past the two and proceeded up the stairs.
The dark blue metal of the stairs stood in sharp contrast to the rest of Ever Grande so far. The stairway chamber was sparsely lit; only the stairs themselves and their red railings were illuminated, and the platform at the precipice.
Walking lightly up the stairs, Phoebe felt the cold metal against her feet and made a face. Was it this cold last time? She couldn't remember.
At the top of the stairs waited a sliding door surrounded by a wide, mechanical-looking wall. Red lights along the wall flickered on and off; Phoebe was uncertain as to their purpose. Something inside the room? Climate control, perhaps? She shrugged and reached the door, then waited as it hissed open.
Three people stood in the center of the arena on the other side: a young man in a red vest jacket with only a tuft of red hair on his head, a refined-looking woman with icy blonde hair in a purple gown, and a gruff, slightly pot-bellied man with a captain's hat and coat. Phoebe immediately recognized the captain as Drake, and in a few seconds realized the young man was Sidney, but with very different hair. She smiled in spite of herself. She couldn't place the woman, though.
"You shaved." She grinned at Sidney as she approached. The three turned to face her. Sidney ran a hand across his scalp and smiled. Drake folded his arms, eyes twinkling behind the shadow of his cap's visor. The well-dressed woman gave her a gentle smile.
"We wondered what was keeping you." Sidney laughed.
Phoebe shrugged. "Well, I'm here now." She gave a quick glance back at the Dusclops that loomed behind her, bag still in hand.
"Your Duskull evolved, eh?" Sidney looked up at the towering pokemon.
Phoebe shook her head and reached into the bag, pulling out another pokeball. "That was Skull. Dusky was already evolved last time I was here." She dropped the ball back in the bag and pulled the strap over her shoulder, lifting her head to look at Sidney. "So… the hair?"
Sidney touched a hand to his scalp, then shrugged. "It was cramping my style, so I got rid of it."
Phoebe laughed, then looked Drake up and down. His navy blue jacket was worn and tattered around the edges, and his white cap looked as if it hadn't been washed in years. "You haven't changed a bit."
He grunted and shrugged, tugging his cap over his eyes by the visor.
Phoebe smiled, then turned to the other woman with a frown. "I don't believe we've met…"
"Glacia." The woman stepped forward and extended a hand.
Phoebe shook it, finding Glacia's skin icy to the touch. "Phoebe."
"I know." Glacia grinned. Her eyes were kind, but somehow cold. Perhaps it was the ice blue of her irises. Her complexion and smile shared that snowy lightness, as did her wavy bright blonde hair. "Glad you could join us."
Phoebe blinked, then stepped back and folded her arms, looking at the three. "So what now?"
Drake's eyes flashed beneath his cap. "Now we test you."